[samabhi]

If I have to compare only between the top end Diesel models, for the additional 2L odd, I get a little more space, more powerful engine, split rear seats and may be contemporary looks (if I may say so). Can I live without any of the above, pay 2L less and still get better interiors, seating, more sturdy build? HELL YEAH.

Needless to say, I voted for Ertiga.

[shrk_18]

Ertiga wins hands down. I mean with that kind of premium for the Mobilio spot welds are seen, what was honda thinking while saving costs on the linings. Only people who are obsessed with the "H" badge would go buy this.

[arjab]

Had the chance to examine the Mobilio at close quarters at a Honda showroom yesterday.

Like the overall stance of the car and the rear three quarter styling which made the people mover look quite rakish even at standstill. Cannot comment on engine performance , either petrol or diesel, as the dealership had yet to start arranging for test drives.

However what came as a big disappointment was the general levels of fit and finish and interior plastic quality. To put it bluntly: it was simply not Honda. Having owned a "dolphin-nosed" City many moons back, i was struggling to find a logical reason for this drastic drop in perceived quality. I put down some of my observations (my view only, not imposing on anyone), below:

1. Totally unacceptable panel gaps on tail-gate lower edges and the edge of the rear tail - lights, where the lift-gate meets the tail light edge. I could slide in a finger through the gap. Checked another Mobilio on display to see whether this was a "one-off" , but, alas, no - the 2nd one had the same ill fitting gap & flush mismatch.

2. Tailgate inner. Rear windscreen glass area on the inside of the tail-gate. If you are facing the rear of the Mobilio and open the tail-gate, look on the left, near the top of the left balancer strut, where the tail-gate glass is meeting the tailgate body - in - white, near the top left curve & edge of the rear windscreen glass. Apart from the visible weld-spots, (ok, somehow acceptable), the area seemed a bit "pinched & wrinkled". Signs of sheet metal wrinkling? :( Again checked with two other Mobilio's in the showroom and it was the same.

3. Close the bonnet. Stand at right angles to the Mobilio (as in profile view), and if you look, you can actually see the gap between the bonnet leading edge shut-line and the headlight top edge, so much so that you can see daylight through it!

4. Interior dash plastic quality and grain texture is no where close to a million rupee vehicle. The grains on the dash and the HVAC knob cluster is simply below par.

5. The mating face / upper lip of the glove-box to the dash again left a sour taste in our mouth.

6. The gear shift knob was also felt a size smaller and the entire gear-shift lever felt like a thin "chicken-leg". A chunkier knob would have enhanced the perceived feeling tremendously. (this of course is purely subjective).

For people who have owned previous gen Honda's or the recent crop of VW's, i do not think Honda can influence those customers with this level of fit and finish.

Agreed, in these trying times and tight business conditions, cost cutting is the mantra & flavour of the season in the automotive world, but not at he expense of diluting the brand downwards.

If Hyundai can do an Eon and a Grand i10 at half the Mobilio's price and yet score top marks in perceived quality, touch & feel, i fail to see why Honda, with all its engineering brilliance cannot achieve the same. Maruti Ertiga owners will cock a snook the moment they glance at Mobilio's interior quality.

Its high time OEM's realise that the days of "el-cheapo" cars in India are all but over. Even the Nano is going upmarket and its cousin the Zest, seems to have made serious improvements in tactile feel and quality.

Against a backdrop of such a competitive situation it is quite disheartening to see Honda launching products which simply does not have the levels of perceived quality to do justice to the brand's DNA.

[dipdawiz]

Its Ertiga.

Checked out Mobilio last weekend in Forum Mall, Bangalore. I would say, for us it was like a 4 seater with lots of luggage space. It is so narrow that there is virtually not enough room for a full grown 3rd person to sit on 2nd row and in 3rd row I had to seat like I am seating on floor. So no go for Mobilio for me. Not considering any other point after that.

In Ertiga width is good enough - sat in one in showroom, no major issues.

Did not drive anyone of those, so no opinion on dive and ride quality.

[Guna]

While the engine of the Mobilio seem to be one of the areas people think it wins over Ertiga, I feel it is a close match even there. This is what I have gathered after reading many reviews:

Low end power and drive-ability: Mobilio
Mid range punch: Ertiga? Due to the turbo kicking in with prominent surge?
Top end: Ertiga seems to be a winner as Mobilio gets buzzy
Noise level: Ertiga
Fuel Efficiency: Mobilio

I got to drive my colleague's Ertiga and I did not feel any issue with the turbo lag (but yes, it must be better in Mobilio). I was surprised how quickly you can reach the 5th gear even inside the city.

[rdhan]

GTO you have hit the nail on HONDA'S HEAD!! What were they thinking when they priced the Mobilio.....do they think the car buying people of India are stupid!! Expecting a price correction sooner than later, if some sense prevails on Honda!!

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

The Mobilo is a more comfortable 5 seater (sliding middle row) and it has more boot space with all 3 rows up. The Innova has these 2 things from day 1 and play a significant role in people going from Ertiga to Innova. The lack of turbo lag in the Mobilio is just like the Innova, but unlike the Ertiga which makes it a pain on inclines.

Don't these factors justify the pricing of the lower end where the difference is significantly lower? I agree the top model has been absurdly priced by Honda. Just my thoughts.

Interesting view point. And I totally agree. Although the pricing is horrific and in all due probability, Honda has effectively killed the vehicle even before it had any chance, but the points you raise are worth considering. Afterall a family looking for that one car that can offer them 5+2 seating capacity and still have space for luggage and be very nimble to drive in the city and offer a superior mileage might see the Mobilio as a more compelling choice. Most Indian families tend to keep there cars for a long time and then the price difference of 50-70k might be a little less of a deal breaker.

What is the effective FE of Ertiga and Mobilio? Can the higher FE on the Mobilio offset some of that high initial cost of buying?

[S2!!!]

Hmm so Honda's new marketing line has a missing part to it: it should read as 'Man Maximum, Machine Minimum, Price Obviously Maximum'! So even before the festive season, can a price correction be expected??

The guys at Maruti must be laughing in their board rooms and soon might revoke all the possible discounts offered on the Ertiga. It cannot be a better time for them to introduce a new 'limited edition' with a few additional features and before they realise, customers who were expecting a more aggressively priced Mobilio might soon lap up the good ol' Ertiga. Oh wait, Maruti just launched a limited edition a few days ago.

[a4anurag]

The way Honda has designed the Mobilio is good overall but the shoddy quality is depressing to see when one is paying so much.

ALL the quirks in build quality that have been highlighted by BHPian Parag in the Mobilio official review, is NOT at all accepted from Honda. If the same had been done by Maruti then the thread would have been filled with bashing the way it is happening now.

Feel bad for the Mobilio as the car has been sidelined a bit even before people have actually starting the sales. Ertiga will obviously get an upper hand when compared in interiors, build quality and on cost cutting.

The Mobilio seems to be designed, finalized in a hurry. Engineers @ Honda were under extreme pressure to have the car released in the market.

Coming to this Poll,

I voted for the Ertiga. Not because I own one but the overall feel is a segment below.

Anurag.

[Maverift]

I would select Ertiga with some heartburn about not having a superior engine like iDtec.
I am only comparing the top end versions as someone who would only buy the version with most safety features.
Money saved during maintenance cycles more than make up for any savings by Mobilio's better mileage + there is the initial savings which Ertiga's lower pricepoint offer. I just read some news articles that Maruti dealers are offering upto Rs.80000 discount on Ertiga (including exchange bonus). These discounts make Ertiga real value for money.

[HillMan]

Honda should have realized after the debacle of Toyota Etios. Indians are price conscious, not cheapos. Honda has been very greedy this time around, demanding premium on a low cost car.

Ertiga is neither under powered nor is the NVH high enough for Honda to justify its refinements with a huge premium for engine. These are not race cars. Bulk of low vibration is also due to the Hydraulic engine mounts on Honda. The MJD on Suzuki are tuned well and reliable mills.

The third row of Honda is designed like an after thought on a station wagon. Seriously these are baby seats for kids, not for adult occupants. If you cant sit comfortably for an hour in these seats, it can as well be written off.

I'd rather add a Thule roof box on the Ertiga then pay a huge premium for the additional boot space of Mobilio.

[RoadTiger]

http://auto.ndtv.com/news/honda-mobi...ve-edge-494740

Article provides how the mass media has been consistently positioning Mobilio as the clear winner over the Ertiga - 5 reasons are provided by NDTV Auto - the fifth reason around why Mobilio is better than Ertiga is both hilarious (for the statements made) and tragic (for what it suggests for the journalist's credibility/ ethics)


Read this ... Quoting from the article
Interior Quality
Honda seems to have worked really hard to give comfortable and plush interiors to the Mobilio. Quality of the plastic and seat fabric on the MPV will likely to better in comparison to Ertiga and Enjoy. Moreover, Mobilio will also house several advanced features that are aimed at making the drive even more convenient.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by RoadTiger

Mobilio will also house several advanced features that are aimed at making the drive even more convenient.

I wonder what are these additional 'features' . 'will' and 'likely' indicates that the article was written quite sometime back and has been recycled.

[harry10]

No brainer- I will pick Ertiga for its VFM. If Honda has given the same kinda interior and features in Mobilio which City has i could have justified the premium its charging. But with this interior its highly overpriced.

[CountMe91]

I would vouch for the frugal Ertiga any day. Honda Mobilio can be equipped with a better engine but power is more linear in the iDtec engine. The 1.3 DDiS in Ertgiga is more rev happy and is a good highway cruiser. Although the fit and finish in a Maruti has scope of improvement but I am not fond of the interiors of Brio in the first place. Too many cost cutting measures are visible and somehow it does not appeal to me much. No-Offence to the Brio/Amaze owners.

If it has to be in between Ertiga and Mobilio:

For Petrol - I would choose Mobilio. I just love petrol Honda engines.
For Diesel - I would choose Ertiga.