[MonkSansFerrari]

@autoenthusiast - I know what you mean and completely agree with you ! But I'd rather enjoy that on hills or off-roading. In deadly Delhi traffic, I'd rather enjoy some music than change grears ;-) And the ICE of City is a delight too.

[Meer]

I would say test drive the ANHC and make a choice on your own.. you will get lot of advice on the forum but go with one which gives you data and not emotional responses. 1.5 lakh may mean a lot for some and not for others..

You would need to first decide on what you want from the car, dont look at it from one dimension at a time else you will get confused:
Some of these parameters can be VFM, Price tag, FE, Maintenance, availability of spares at your location, track record of the company, luxury, status symbol, your usage plan... put a point system on each of your parameters and may be weightage and depending on your TD you will surely reach an answer.

BTW - I had a gruelling 5-6 weeks for taking a decision and finally bought my SX4 Zxi.. I have done close to 5K on the odo and do not have any issues which some of the folks reported on the forum and am a fan of SX4.. Also, IMHO, my observation on this forum is that honda guys are larger in number and more passionate (obviously it being a globally respected brand and a pioneer, people do have pride in that). Send a PM to individual owners to get a better / honest feedback. I myself bought SX4 after discussing privately with one of the TBHP member who had both NHC VTEC and SX4 based on what my requirement from the car was..

Sorry for the long drawn out post, but I think I can take a neutral view now, having been through it..

[ajitsank]

Meer, appreciate your insight. Like the way you have put in details. After reading your thoughts I am more inclined towards SX4.

[palioman]

EXACTLY ! I own a Swift VDi ABS and there is a constant rattle from
1. The centre dashboard
2. the right seatbelt attachment.
3. the right aft window when wound only halfway down
4. the front passenger seat squeaks, arrested by spraying WD 40.
5. rear parcel tray has also joined in the cacophony after remaining silent for so long.
6. suspension makes heart breaking noise like the car's coming apart when you go over above average bumps.
7. slam the door shut and you jump because it feels like the door has disintegrated. I exxagerate not, and have gone easy on the closing bit.
The slamming done by my kid.
8. Yesterday two kids playing ball sent it packing on my bonnet and whaddya know .. two lovely, faint dents ( from a tennis ball ,for crying out loud !)
Is this car made from tin foil ?

[f50xj13]

sx4 cannot compare to honda in the engine department.
Interiors may look better in SX4 but in the long run AHNC interiors will stand test of time.
Cosmetic features can always be added later depending on need.
Only one point where the AHNC is suspect is the ground clearance. Otherwise it is worth spending that extra 2 odd lakhs.

[vasudeva]

If you are in a hurry and not willing to spend the extra cash, then SX4. I think NHC is worth the wait and extra price. However, initial impressions may not be available till Dec 2008.

[harry10]

SX4 is VFM and ANHC is something great on exteriors and not too good on interiors. So if you can live with that go for ANHC.

[ajitsank]

Thanks to all of you, who have put in their valuable comments. An extra thanks to MEER who has given comprehensive insight into SX$ which has helped me in this decision.

Yesterday was the launch of NHC2008 in Hyderabad. I had been waiting to see the car and gosh it was let down. I simply cried of sadness. The car is so pathetic in the inside.

People who have spoke about SX4 interiors being bad, I suggest check out the NHC2008. I felt cramped inside. Getting in out was just as bad.

The engine must be refined and world apart from Suzuki, but for that to know I have to wait till 2nd week of November and then the booking and then the wait.

I have decided to go with my first love. SX4

Thanks a Zillion to all.

Ajit

[spetnaz]

Congrats Ajit! You sure wouldn't regret the choice.

Being an SX4 owner and having done 13K on the odo (one of the highest in the forum), I'm impressed with the car. And so are most people who get in and out of mine!

As somebody said earlier, I'd say its a matter of preferences & the budget. If you love driving a bigger car, with good amount of space, gear and don't want nightmares about a service bill, SX4 is a great car. And do take it on the highways!

As far as the decision b/w new City and SX4, I can only venture a guess about new City. It looks a stunner, and should probably have a smoother engine (guessing!), got the H badge, but it also costs 1L more. SX4 is VFM, comes with great service network, a great GC and space. You can walk-in and walk-out. I get 11KMPL in city and 15+ on highways. Nobody really can comment on new City's FE until we get it proved on the road.

[nayaksudhir]

Hi Guys,

This weekend I went to Ace Honda in Noida to see the ANHC. I must say the excitement was not worth it. The car has just been re-invented as far as the exteriors are concerned. The interiors are a let down, both in terms of quality and space. The honda philisophy os 'MMMM' (Man Maximum Machine Minimum) is not visible anywhere in the car. Some observations:

1. The rear seat is totally cramped and knee room is minimal. Plus the foot space under the front seat is sloped which can be good for a person with japanese dimensions, however a 6 footer has no space to park his feet while in the rear seat.

   One unusual thing I noticed is the knee room which is not more than 6 inches. This is still ok, but when I opened the engine hood I was shocked to see almost 1 foot free space between the engine and the radiator/bumper! ! ! Can honda please explain this? One small dog can easily sleep in this space!

   I am unable to understand why 6 inches knee room for rear passanger and 1 foot free space under the hood. BHPians must have a look at this aspect and enlighten us

2. The rear seats do not split fold as in the thai version.
3. The finish quality, especially in hidden places (boot closing lines, fender welding) reeks of mediocrity not expected in a 9 lac rupee car. Your comments on this please...

Apart from this standard observations (lack of alloys, Low GC) etc I dont want to include here but the car overall was a damp squib.

Sudhir

[karanraheja]

@ I agree with Sudhir, somehow the New City doesnt seem to be a real VFM in the 9 lac + bracket thanks to the interiors! The Civic steering saves the day for the interiors. The grille which is bulged might be the reason for the big gap between engine & grille.

@Ajit- Congrats good choice. Kindly throw some light on the discount and color you have chosen.

[raul]

I think the ANHC is perhaps 50k more expensive, the S model should have been at Max 9 on road or they should provide alloys and better interiors at the current price and the E max 8.5 or less on road. The interiors are surprisingly ordinary for a Honda and we are now hearing reports of poor finish and general indications of cost cutting.

For instance, if Linea launches before year end with its pricing and features it will surely make those set on ANHC pause and consider a bit so Honda could have pre-empted that and either provided alloys and better interiors or launched at 50k less. Now those in the market and they are not too many in the current economic climate will be sensitive to value.

[harry10]

I think most of the people here does not feel too good about the ANHC and had been let down by Honda this time with not so good inetriors and features (how can Honda leave out fog lamps as standards and give option for another bumper with them)

[autoenthusiast]

Originally Posted by harry10

I think most of the people here does not feel too good about the ANHC and had been let down by Honda this time with not so good inetriors and features (how can Honda leave out fog lamps as standards and give option for another bumper with them)

My friend, people also felt the same about the 2nd Gen dolphin shaped city (the first iDSI), but it still sold like hotcakes

[harry10]

Originally Posted by autoenthusiast

My friend, people also felt the same about the 2nd Gen dolphin shaped city (the first iDSI), but it still sold like hotcakes

Because in India people care more about the Brands then the VFM products