[Shankyz]

Thanks !

Incidentally the car date of manufacturing was Feb'24 so not sure why it was sitting for so long in the dealer's stock, I decided to pass up the 24 model and will go for 25 MY only.

[prash2606]

Hello fellow BHPians!

It's super fun & humbling when a silent observer like me get an opportunity to ask for suggestions and expertise from this beautiful community.

I drive a White 2012 Brio S MT (Optimus Prime!) and been in awe of Honda quality and reliability ever since. It does my daily duties including the breathtaking Sarjapur Road traffic and have served me well through Mumbai to Goa to Rajasthan to UP. The experience so far has been surreal.

Now, it's the itch in me that has been biting to upgrade to a bigger car and my reasons were simple: Slightly bigger, safer, equally reliable and cost effective to run & maintain. With these things in mind, i started looking out for options wherein sedans like City and the VW/Skoda twins were the primary choices. Verna, though a great car, not a big fan of the way it looks. Now, after months (read years!) of contemplating, i somehow came to the following conclusion:

1) VW/Skoda twins: great cars inside out but felt more like dolled-up Rapid & Vento at twice the price.

2) City: Best all-rounder fitting bill though the updates are minimal with each generation or face-lift while maintaining the same silhouette for a decade now.

3) SUVs and the SUV form factors: I personally found only Compass to be the best in terms of dynamics & handling with VW/Skoda twins coming close second. But feature wise, it's the Koreans for the win. Overall, i found this segment to be good but not great for the prices. Overall, a drivers car in SUV form factor as a new buy sounded expensive for what's on offer today

4) EVs/ Hybrids:/Diesels: I'm averse to EV ownership at this moment and good Hybrids are expensive. I think I'll stick to ICE engines. My daily running is 10-20kms and diesels do not have a business case for me.

After watching and reading numerous posts and videos, I realized I need to rework on my priorities. How about a used car? What is it that I'll appreciate more? Is it the creature comforts or the reliability or the handling or the safety... or how about best balance of all worlds! And that's where I felt nothing beats a Honda City, even today.

'Nuff said, where i need help- I stumbled across a great 2016 Honda City Vx CVT which actually belong to my immediate family. Have roughly about 60k on the odo within city limits only, mostly single driven with occasional drivers doing office and school runs for the niece. I've personally driven it and I feel it has aged beautifully without any accidents or major damages. It's up for sale as the owner had already upgraded from the City and I'm very tempted to buy it. But here are my concerns:

1) Ownership: it was an office lease car so on paper, the current owner is 2nd owner and I'll be 3rd. Will it hamper my future selling options? I intend to keep the car for atleast 4-5 years.

2) CVT gearbox: I've rarely heard issues with this gearbox but coming from a manual, the fear exist, especially around the cost of repairs. Is this something I should really be worried about and what precautions are suggested to ensure I avoid landing on the wrong side?

3) Relevance: While Chatgpt says 2016 City CVT is still a good and relevant car in 2025, I would still trust my fellow BHPians with their opinions.

4) Featurelist: From a helicopter view, the immediate ommission in 2016 model are carplay/AA, tactile HVAC and probably ADAS now a days. Honestly, I can live without maps and Spotify projected on a screen. Rest, am I missing anything critical and noteworthy? Lane watch cameras and all other assist are good but relying on my good old senses is an engagement i love while driving.

I've been through lateral upgrades, no so obvious benefits threads and personally, cars without financing are the best buys. Hence, a pre-worshipped car seem to be topping my list even though new car is a new car! Would appreciate your thoughts. Till then, I'll continue to find cubby holes to park my Optimus Prime undetected on Bangalore roads!

[omar]

Originally Posted by prash2606

Hello fellow BHPians!

It's super fun & humbling when a silent observer like me get an opportunity to ask for suggestions and expertise from this beautiful community.

If driving pleasure and practicality is paramount. for you. Nothing else can replace a Honda, other than a Honda, in that price range.

The city is a good natural upgrade from the Brio. However, buying one without warranty may entail some additional costs. So if the car you are considering has warranty, you should go for it. Otherwise would advise you to get a car which is under warranty. The car being 3rd owner will matter if you plan to sell it.

An alternative is buying from Honda directly. Auto terrace is Honda's official used car arm. They offer warranty for their cars as well usually.

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by prash2606

Hello fellow BHPians!

It's super fun & humbling when a silent observer like me get an opportunity to ask for suggestions and expertise from this beautiful community.

Go for it. A known devil is better than an unknown angel. Honda City is a totally relevant sedan even by 2025 standards. The CVT variants may not be fun to drive, but are very reliable in general. There's no special AT-related maintenance needed apart from ATF and filter changes every 20k km.

Resale value will be slightly lower due to multiple owners so it's better to account for that before you finalize the deal. This isn't a deal-breaker if the car does well in other aspects.

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by prash2606

1) Ownership: it was an office lease car so on paper, the current owner is 2nd owner and I'll be 3rd. Will it hamper my future selling options? I intend to keep the car for atleast 4-5 years.

2) CVT gearbox: I've rarely heard issues with this gearbox but coming from a manual, the fear exist, especially around the cost of repairs. Is this something I should really be worried about and what precautions are suggested to ensure I avoid landing on the wrong side?

3) Relevance: While Chatgpt says 2016 City CVT is still a good and relevant car in 2025, I would still trust my fellow BHPians with their opinions.

4) Featurelist: From a helicopter view, the immediate ommission in 2016 model are carplay/AA, tactile HVAC and probably ADAS now a days. Honestly, I can live without maps and Spotify projected on a screen. Rest, am I missing anything critical and noteworthy? Lane watch cameras and all other assist are good but relying on my good old senses is an engagement i love while driving.

I've been through lateral upgrades, no so obvious benefits threads and personally, cars without financing are the best buys. Hence, a pre-worshipped car seem to be topping my list even though new car is a new car! Would appreciate your thoughts. Till then, I'll continue to find cubby holes to park my Optimus Prime undetected on Bangalore roads!

1. Ownership: The more the number of owners changed hands, the lesser the price the next buyer would be willing to pay, this fact remains regardless of whatever the circumstance, and nobody likes to go for 4th owner car anyway unless it is ridiculously cheap.

2. CVT Gearbox: Honda's engine-gearbox combos are perhaps the most reliable out there, and this specimen of iVTEC with CVT has been on the road all over the world for a long time now, so reliability is a given. You don't need to worry much about this aspect.

3. Relevance: The car is still quite relevant in 2025, as it is less than a decade old, the nameplate still caries on with the 5th generation launched 5 years ago, with a minor facelift in 2023, and the engine and gearbox remain the same even in the latest models, so no issue of relevance.

4. Feature List: The new model gets ADAS, Bigger 16 inch tyres, is slightly taller, and wider in dimensions, a better safety suite with 6 airbags, Brake Assist, ESP, TC, Wireless Android Auto, Apple Carplay, Mobile App connectivity etc. However, I don't think you would feel left out or want more features.

So, my recommendation is you for it, moreover considering you know the car and owner is from family, it would be a good buy.