[dot]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Hey Dot welcome back Buddy.

Originally Posted by noopster

Welcome back, dotty poster. 'bout time we met up again!

Thanks friend. It is good to be back in your own back-yard. Over the years US has become less charming, and more expensive. And the loneliness quotient remains the same. Before I go off in a tangent as vb-san and noops will recall on this topic, let me stop.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Our folks here want some ANHV Vs. Civic Comparo action. What's say?

Yeah, that was the original plan isnt it. Let do this nicely.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Not trying to nit pick, but pretty much any car loses its charm on the big long straight boring US freeways. Unless you are going through some nice country roads with good corners you won't enjoy a car there.

Originally Posted by noopster

^^ I agree. I drove a Passat on the LA-Vegas interstate and it was boring as hell. Even a Ford Taurus felt more awesome when driving up to Yosemite!

I cant agree more. Interstates are one of the most boring roads ever. Whether you are in Mass or Oklahoma or Illinois or Nevada, they all appear the same. The trick is to find older routes which go through old and sleepy towns and villages. Now, who has time for all that?

[mdsaab]

Continuing with the Nitty Gritty's


The Beading too is of high quality, but you have to make sure they fit it correctly since this is done at the dealer's just like all the other chromofication.

The little chrome at the bottom of the boot, probably in competition with the Vento highline. Another feature exclusive to the exclusive variant

The Chrome tip exhaust which comes equipped on the V variants. Man that's a nasty snap, let's try another shall we.

That's a bit better.

The seat height adjust is a very useful feature, especially for shorter drivers who want a better view of the road ahead. For me though, it's set to the lowest possible position.

The Boot is well shaped, it is pretty wide, is extremely deep and due to the rear speakers being in the doors, it Free's up some height too. You can really fit a lot in there. Recently bought a trampoline for my daughter and the guy said it would not fit in the boot. I said let's try and you will be surprised to hear that it actually fit. Even the guy who said no was shocked.

Another view of the Boot space.

The Boot open leaver. It is a bit oddly placed. and takes some getting used to, initially preferred it in the front on the floor. But now have gotten used to it placed here. Advantage is you do not have to bend to open the boot. You can easily pull the lever seated upright. A boon in today's mall and hotel visit exercises since you have to open the boot each time.

[selfdrive]

Great pics mdsaab but my question is actually for the trampoline!
where did you get it from and whats the capacity and your feedback?

[mdsaab]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Great pics mdsaab but my question is actually for the trampoline!
where did you get it from and whats the capacity and your feedback?

LOL SD. The trampoline is from Rovers on m.g road.
Costs around 4K. And can handle weights of around 120-130kg as told to me.
Lots of fun.

Back to the Golden Beauty.
She has gone in for first service today.
2,259 kms on the ODO.
Few issues to be rectified including touch up of the front scratch courtesy our new driver.
Promised time of delivery is 2-2hr30mins.
No oil change. Just a check up and wash.
Took Chicca along too. Wanted to get the interior detailed. Cost is 2100K. But then decided to do it on Chicca's next service.
What was a little funny though is some folks on the road staring at the two Honda's.driving in tandom.
Possibly because they have the same numbers on the numberplate. Separated only by series.
I am writing to you from the Back of Chicca right now.
Yep Sir you read it right. I am actually sitting at the back. Extremely comfortable.
The list of folks who have driven Chicca.
1. mdsaab
2. Dot
3. New driver.

And you know something even more funnier.
Its the exact same list and the exact same order for.the Golden Beauty too.
Irony!

[charthom]

mdsaab,

Is that a bagful of tomatoes I just saw on that cosy,beige, state of the art, exclusive leather rear seat,buddy! How could you,mate!! Let me rub my eyes and look again.

Mr.Leather is soon going to be really busy.

And sorry about Goldie-B's first scratch. Hope it is solved during the first service. I have to catch up with a lot of back log it seems!!

[dot]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

The list of folks who have driven Chicca.
1. mdsaab
2. Dot
3. New driver.

And you know something even more funnier.
Its the exact same list and the exact same order for.the Golden Beauty too.
Irony!

Originally Posted by charthom

mdsaab,

Is that a bagful of tomatoes I just saw on that cosy,beige, state of the art, exclusive leather rear seat,buddy!

Not sure on which one to laugh more. I think the bag of tomatoes was by design, an element of functionality, an essence of the son of the soil who is being driven by dot and new driver.

[RavenAvi]

I have a few doubts and would like your expert opinion on them, my friend.

1 - Almost all of the Honda ownership threads agree upon Michelin as the best option for the stock OEM shoes. However, I read in another thread that Michelin tyres tend to be soft and are prone to get cut from pebbles and sharp rocks more than a Bridgestone, Yokohama or Goodyear.

The roads in my city are somewhat hard with patches of rough stuff and plenty of bumpers in-between, and are nothing like roads in Mumbai or Pune or any other metros. Should I go for Michelin as well, or do I go for any other recommended tyre?

My colleague who bought the ANHC V (Exclusive) a couple weeks back has MRF shoes on, and he said he opted for them purposefully keeping in mind the roads in Jagdalpur.

I don't mind tyre noise, as long as the shoes have a decent life. I am not looking to change the stock OEMs as well, so which OEM tyres should I go for?

(My 800 came with Apollo Aceleres and is still going strong after 5 years and 25K kms - despite the uncomfortable rides and the loud tyre noise it gives out)


2 - Is a reverse camera better than reverse parking sensors? I hear that parking sensors have their limitations, but the reverse camera does it's job wonderfully well. How good does that hold?


3 - How would an EMT with Caska be viable vis-a-vis a SMT? I am not too bothered about missing out on steering mounted controls and certainly wouldn't want to swap the wonderful OEM HU for a Caska unit. Other thing I would be missing is biege interiors, but seeing the overdose of beige all around, the greenish-grey interiors of the EMT actually appeal a lot more to me. The fabric quality would be definitely inferior, but a nice leatherette seat cover should do the job nicely (as pointed out by you in the other thread).

EMT with Caska - 9.03L, SMT - 9.36L. (OTR, without discounts)


4 - I had a long talk with the Shubh Honda dealer today (current City offers, new Jazz, Brio, City facelift), and he said that the City facelift is definitely on the cards by the end of this year. Would it be better to wait for the facelift, even though the changes might be purely cosmetic?

I am willing to wait, if only for nothing other than have a new City model. I have no real urgent need for a car at the moment, and can wait for the next 5-6 months easily. Add to it, wifey is pregnant (5th month) and so, most of my attention is currently diverted towards her and her well-being.


BTW, loving your Nitty Gritty snaps as I get to discover more and more about the wonderful City. All the ownership threads on the City are proving to be a wonderful exercise in education for me, stuck in this semi-rural city in one of the most interior areas of our country. Many, many thanks for the write-ups and hoping to learn more, much more.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Took Chicca along too. Wanted to get the interior detailed. Cost is 2100K. But then decided to do it on Chicca's next service.
What was a little funny though is some folks on the road staring at the two Honda's.driving in tandom.
Possibly because they have the same numbers on the numberplate. Separated only by series.
I am writing to you from the Back of Chicca right now.
Yep Sir you read it right. I am actually sitting at the back. Extremely comfortable.

It surely would have been a surprising sight to see two beautiful Hondas with same numbers traverse the city roads in succession. And having said that, how long are you guys going to make us wait for a side-by-side comparison of the silver Civic and golden City?

Sorry about the first scratch in your Golden Beauty though. Am sure folks at Honda would have rectified it during the car's first service.

By the way, I guess your parents would have by now forgotten the fact that the Golden Beauty is actually a car bought for their usage going by your full-time possession of it. As you said, its nice to have your parents stay so close and that too with a brand-new car that can be ours anytime we wish.

Originally Posted by charthom

mdsaab,

Is that a bagful of tomatoes I just saw on that cosy,beige, state of the art, exclusive leather rear seat,buddy! How could you,mate!! Let me rub my eyes and look again.

We do have sharp eyes buddy. I was just about to ask the same question when I saw your post and stopped.

[mdsaab]

In Bold Buddy.

Originally Posted by charthom

mdsaab,

Is that a bagful of tomatoes I just saw on that cosy,beige, state of the art, exclusive leather rear seat,buddy! How could you,mate!! Let me rub my eyes and look again.
It certainly is, i had come down to click snaps for the Nitty Gritty's and the watchman comes up to me and hands me the bagful of tomatoes. We had asked our vegetable vendor for some. With nowhere to keep them, i took the cue and decided to use them as an object of art
You see most cars are photographed absolutely neatly, without any visual disturbance. But here i have opted for the natural look, it is a setting created for you to appreciate the interiors in their natural ownership state.
Did you buy that?
or maybe i am just too lazy. LOL!
Mr.Leather is soon going to be really busy.
He sure is, thankfully nothing left by the tomatoes though.
Chicca is going in for 3M interior detailing, while the Golden Beauty gets mdsaab's hands to do the job.

And sorry about Goldie-B's first scratch. Hope it is solved during the first service. I have to catch up with a lot of back log it seems!!

Tell me about it, the folks at Honda service did touch it up, but like most touch up jobs it's still a sore sight for the eyes. Anyways not much more can be done now will just have to live with it.

Originally Posted by dot

Not sure on which one to laugh more. I think the bag of tomatoes was by design, an element of functionality, an essence of the son of the soil who is being driven by dot and new driver.

You got it bang on mate, also read the above mentioned tale.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

I have a few doubts and would like your expert opinion on them, my friend.

1 - Almost all of the Honda ownership threads agree upon Michelin as the best option for the stock OEM shoes. However, I read in another thread that Michelin tyres tend to be soft and are prone to get cut from pebbles and sharp rocks more than a Bridgestone, Yokohama or Goodyear.
Michelin definately is the more preferred tyre.
I too was hoping to get Michelin's.
But to be really honest my friend, i am absolutely satisfied with the MRF's. The ride is good, i do not hear too much tire noise. certainly nothing which is bothersome. at times the car is so silent it feels like an electric one.
The roads in my city are somewhat hard with patches of rough stuff and plenty of bumpers in-between, and are nothing like roads in Mumbai or Pune or any other metros. Should I go for Michelin as well, or do I go for any other recommended tyre?
Keeping your road conditions in mind, i think MRF will be the tougher tire of the two.
My colleague who bought the ANHC V (Exclusive) a couple weeks back has MRF shoes on, and he said he opted for them purposefully keeping in mind the roads in Jagdalpur.
What is his experience so far with the MRF's? is he satisfied with them?
I don't mind tyre noise, as long as the shoes have a decent life. I am not looking to change the stock OEMs as well, so which OEM tyres should I go for?
You will not find too much tire noise difference, atleast to my ears. The Demo vehicle i drove was on Michelin's we even took the same vehicle to the stockyard. I did not notice anymore tire noise in the MRF's than the Michelin's. Could be just me though.
(My 800 came with Apollo Aceleres and is still going strong after 5 years and 25K kms - despite the uncomfortable rides and the loud tyre noise it gives out)
What you could do is leave it to fate. You booked a car, it comes shod from the factory either with Michelin or MRF.
I did the same, was hoping for Michelin but got MRF.
So you will get what your are meant to, just believe in that and no matter which tire you get, it will serve you well.
That's how i did it, and am satisfied with the MRF's

2 - Is a reverse camera better than reverse parking sensors? I hear that parking sensors have their limitations, but the reverse camera does it's job wonderfully well. How good does that hold?
This is highly debatable. Some folks prefer the Sensors where there is another camp for the Camera.
Personally i do not want either in my car. I take the effort to learn how to park it without these aids.
If i need a little help, i open my driver door to get a better look.(Not on the main road though)
If i still need a better picture i get down of the vehicle, assess the situation, calculate the requirements and do the job.
But if you must install either.
I personally would opt for the Reverse camera. But mind you it looks better if you have an in dash touchscreen HU with reverse camera support.
If not then stick with the sensors.

3 - How would an EMT with Caska be viable vis-a-vis a SMT? I am not too bothered about missing out on steering mounted controls and certainly wouldn't want to swap the wonderful OEM HU for a Caska unit. Other thing I would be missing is biege interiors, but seeing the overdose of beige all around, the greenish-grey interiors of the EMT actually appeal a lot more to me. The fabric quality would be definitely inferior, but a nice leatherette seat cover should do the job nicely (as pointed out by you in the other thread).
If you do not feel the need for steering mounted controls then the EMT with Caska will be fantastic.
Another valid point you made is that if you do opt for the SMT you will not be willing to exchange the stock HU, which is really good btw. If you prefer a greyish interior combo, which can be done up later with leatherette seats as you mentioned. Then nothing really to stop you from procuring an EMT. Ah one point though, will Honda give you one?

EMT with Caska - 9.03L, SMT - 9.36L. (OTR, without discounts)
Definately a big saving, especially when you count that a Caska is roughly 50K. The EMT is one which you can personalize to your tastes, be it HU, alloy's, door handles etc.

4 - I had a long talk with the Shubh Honda dealer today (current City offers, new Jazz, Brio, City facelift), and he said that the City facelift is definitely on the cards by the end of this year. Would it be better to wait for the facelift, even though the changes might be purely cosmetic?

I am willing to wait, if only for nothing other than have a new City model. I have no real urgent need for a car at the moment, and can wait for the next 5-6 months easily. Add to it, wifey is pregnant (5th month) and so, most of my attention is currently diverted towards her and her well-being.
If you can wait, then i seriously suggest doing so, it is not very long before the facelifted ANHC get's here. Better to be driving something new. IF you were in urgent need of one, then i would have said nothing really wrong with the current one either except maybe a few missing goodies. But since you can wait i suggest doing so.
On another note.
The facelifted Honda Jazz will be out within a week, you can check that out to. It's got the interior space of an ANHC. But with more compact outer dimensions. It should be worth a look too.
And though this is much smaller, thought i should let you all know.
The Honda Brio is set for launch on the 15th Of Septemeber 2011.
So i heard from my sales rep.

BTW, loving your Nitty Gritty snaps as I get to discover more and more about the wonderful City. All the ownership threads on the City are proving to be a wonderful exercise in education for me, stuck in this semi-rural city in one of the most interior areas of our country. Many, many thanks for the write-ups and hoping to learn more, much more.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Yes all the ANHC ownership threads are fantastic. you can learn a lot not only from the thread starters but from the ongoing discussions on the respective threads.
Wishing you good luck with your purchase decision.
Hope i have answered all your queries, if you have anymore do not hesitate to post them. I am sure our team will be happy to help.

Originally Posted by arvi86

It surely would have been a surprising sight to see two beautiful Hondas with same numbers traverse the city roads in succession. And having said that, how long are you guys going to make us wait for a side-by-side comparison of the silver Civic and golden City?
Now that Dot is back the ball is in his court. I do not feel like taking the driver along for the comparo. I waited this long for Dot, and will be sure we do the comparo together. Plus the feeling having a fellow Bhpian and the enthusiasm involved will be missing. So dot where are you? When are we doing the comparo? there really may be a few riots here if we don't act fast
Sorry about the first scratch in your Golden Beauty though. Am sure folks at Honda would have rectified it during the car's first service.
Thanks buddy. Touch up has been done, i shall post the pics soon.

By the way, I guess your parents would have by now forgotten the fact that the Golden Beauty is actually a car bought for their usage going by your full-time possession of it. As you said, its nice to have your parents stay so close and that too with a brand-new car that can be ours anytime we wish.
I have handed over the keys to Chicca so they may use her for a bit. I felt it was quite unfair that i took their new car, and left them with a locked Chicca at their place. So yesterday was the first day that Chicca would travel on her own without me.
It started with me at the back during the return after dropping Golden Beauty at Honda service. But i was still there right.
In the evening my Mom was to go out with Chicca driven by the new driver, and this time without me. First time in 3 Years and 1 Month exact.

We do have sharp eyes buddy. I was just about to ask the same question when I saw your post and stopped.

LOL! the humorous answer is given above, hope you buy it. LOL!

~~~
Update...
So the Golden Beauty went it for her first service.
Nothing much really to be done on the first one.
Just a checkup to see that all is running well.
and then followed by a wash.
Only 3 issues to be sorted.
1. The Steering which had made some noise while turning extremely slowly both left and right.
I tried to re-produce the sound at the service center. It did not happen. They checked it up thoroughly and found no issues or sound. So maybe it was just a one off, or maybe it was the Parsi Genes inside me. Anyways problemo solved. Because there was no issue in the first place.

2. Boot was making a creaking noise at times when shutting.
Lubrication was required. After a little lube job. There is no noise at all, Boot closing super smooth, feels lighter and is effortless to operate.

3. Touch up for the Scratch courtesy new driver.
This was done, will post pics soon. Still does not look great but will have to live with it now.

~~~
Miracles do happen....
So the new driver kept pushing the fuel average figure down each time he was at the wheel right!
well this time he stops at the traffic light. He actually asks me.
Sir what is this? pointing to the instantaneous fuel efficiency meter.
I silently thank Baba within.
and then proceed to explain to him what it's function is.
Hope he got the jist of things and will be driving more fuel efficiently or can i take the liberty of saying mdsaab style here on.
Wish him luck!

[alam86]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

2 - Is a reverse camera better than reverse parking sensors? I hear that parking sensors have their limitations, but the reverse camera does it's job wonderfully well. How good does that hold?

I think a camera will be much better. If you are fine with spending the extra money - go for it. If you are going to get a Caska - might as well get the camera too.

3 - How would an EMT with Caska be viable vis-a-vis a SMT? I am not too bothered about missing out on steering mounted controls and certainly wouldn't want to swap the wonderful OEM HU for a Caska unit. Other thing I would be missing is biege interiors, but seeing the overdose of beige all around, the greenish-grey interiors of the EMT actually appeal a lot more to me. The fabric quality would be definitely inferior, but a nice leatherette seat cover should do the job nicely (as pointed out by you in the other thread).

EMT with Caska - 9.03L, SMT - 9.36L. (OTR, without discounts)

Please keep in mind the EMT does not come with speakers either. I went through the same dilemma when we booked our City. See the following thread for a short discussion about that:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...-caska-hu.html

4 - I had a long talk with the Shubh Honda dealer today (current City offers, new Jazz, Brio, City facelift), and he said that the City facelift is definitely on the cards by the end of this year. Would it be better to wait for the facelift, even though the changes might be purely cosmetic?

I am willing to wait, if only for nothing other than have a new City model. I have no real urgent need for a car at the moment, and can wait for the next 5-6 months easily. Add to it, wifey is pregnant (5th month) and so, most of my attention is currently diverted towards her and her well-being.

If you can wait - why not just wait? A new one could be out later this year or early next year. It will probably will have a few new features with other small changes. Not sure if you will get the same discounts though.

[arvi86]

My dear mdsaab & dot - You guys don't have much time left before we start bugging you more and more. You folks know very well what I am talking about. Bring it on soon!

By the way, its bad that you let the Chicca to be driven by the new driver. After all, it has pampered you for more than a year and now the Golden Beauty has spoilt you completely. Talk about sibling rivalry or cannibalization, this is it.

[charthom]

Originally Posted by shamanth

ya, in big malls with huge parking place like mantri Mall in bangalore, without a beep, it take sometime to search my ANHC. With santro its breeze, easy to find with autocop.

Yes,Shamanth-the Santro had a Cobra system. there is a car finder- it gives out a whistle. But when it opens up blasting,it is really embarrassing-no. I had it once in front of a hospital

Originally Posted by dot

The new Civic looks like the ANHC quite a bit, but hold on its own. I am sure it will be quite a car when it comes to our showrooms. But the 8th gen Civic looks so good on roads, still.

Correct. I had seen it during my stay at Canada in December,2010. Looked nice. But then , being a non-BHPian,I lacked the enthusiasm to inspect it closer or click a snap-sigh..



mdsaab- I tried out the brake softening extensively during my trips. This is what I got.

My procedure:
----------------
Shift lever at D.
Apply the brake-car stops.
Release the brake so that the car attempts to crawl forward.
Lightly press the brake back-car stops again-minimum braking to keep it still.
Noticed the rpm-it was 650.
Kept on applying pressure on the pedal at stages-kept checking the brake feel and rpm.
Press down the pedal fully ultimately.Keep it pressed for sufficiently long time.
I noticed that the rpm remained at 650 throughout and no softening of the brake feel.From the minimum to maximum the brake felt the same.

I tested at uphill,downhill and level roads( only with the engine running)-same result.

After extensive driving while returning home,in heavy traffic I noticed the following.

Lever at D.
Brake pressed(firmly or lighlty-car at standstill).
The rpm was fluctuating between 650-750.ie. the rpm would progressively go upto 750,with a mild change in engine sound( the rev up sound)
After a few seconds it would drop back to 650 with the rev down sound.
As if controlled by a timer,these would alternate.
No change in the brake feel noticed ever.
No change at all otherwise- the engine has been completely normal on all occasions.

I also checked for the hand brake play again- hardly any play-the 2 mm play appears to be normal.

[mdsaab]

Originally Posted by arvi86

My dear mdsaab & dot - You guys don't have much time left before we start bugging you more and more. You folks know very well what I am talking about. Bring it on soon!

By the way, its bad that you let the Chicca to be driven by the new driver. After all, it has pampered you for more than a year and now the Golden Beauty has spoilt you completely. Talk about sibling rivalry or cannibalization, this is it.

I agree with you mate. But what to do i am quite smitten with the Golden Beauty. BTW it's 3 years and 1 month

~~~
So you folks like comparo's eh?
well then let's warm up to the idea of them shall we.
Here are two Bold Beige's.
With two different types of grilles
Which do you prefer?
for there can be only one golden beauty.

[RemingtonSteele]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

I agree with you mate. But what to do i am quite smitten with the Golden Beauty. BTW it's 3 years and 1 month

~~~
So you folks like comparo's eh?
well then let's warm up to the idea of them shall we.
Here are two Bold Beige's.
With two different types of grilles
Which do you prefer?
for there can be only one golden beauty.

I like the default one.
The other one IMO is a bit of chrome overdose.

Now Bro don't tell me you are toying the idea of getting that other grill??

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Here are two Bold Beige's.
With two different types of grilles
Which do you prefer?
for there can be only one golden beauty.

Second one. Protruding, solemn and classy.

The first one looks too flashy, wide-grinned and in-your-face, IMO.