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Old 30th September 2011, 14:26   #1
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City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

A few words...
Dear Friends, Well-Wishers and Fellow BHPians.
Wow! it's been a while. Have been really busy of late and so have not posted for long. I have tried to finish the comparo umpteen amount of times. The Write up is finished, well maybe a little more could be added. And ofcourse a lot more pictures are to be added too. But without further delay let's get this comparo going shall we.

Special Thanks to all my friends for the encouragement and the anticipation.
and a very special thanks to Dot & Scorponok for joining in on the photo shoot. Would request Dot to give his valuable inputs on the comparo too as he has driven both cars too.

I hope to be around on the thread myself, but still in the middle of some very important work. so will pop in on and off. I leave the rest to my dear friends to take care of this hopefully useful thread.

Important :-
These views expressed here below are my personal views of both vehicles.
Since i own both of them, i hope that i have been unbiassed in this comparo too. Fellow BHPians are free to think differently and not necessarily agree with my viewpoint.

So let's get this thread rolling shall we.

City sleek or Civic Sense? Which one is for you?
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0170.jpg
The Keys

Let’s start with the key shall we.
Both Keys are identical if you hold both of them in your hand there is absolutely no way to tell which belongs to which car.
Honda too has stinted and given only one remote key(City or Civic) while the spare being a normal mechanical function key.
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.34.38.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.34.53.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.35.14.jpg

Getting in and out
The City may have the lower ground clearance on paper, but the seating is much higher making ingress and egress much more comfortable.
The Civic is much lower in comparison and tall folks as well as senior citizens will have to show some fancy moves while stepping in or out.
Once in though the Civic is extremely comfortable, it’s very spacious and the legroom at the rear is phenomenal. The City though a smaller sedan is not that far away in the space department though.
ANHC
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.35.55.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.36.25.jpg

CIVIC
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.38.16.jpg
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Instrumentation
The Civic with it’s cool soothing shade of blue and futuristic digital speedo is in another league all together. It’s one of the very prominent highlights of the car. Adjustments for brightness of the display make choosing just the right amount of brightness possible, a feature missing on the City which only has 2 brightness levels, that too directly linked with the parking lights so it’s not really up to you to choose.
Having said that though, the Instrumentation in the City is not all that bad.
Yes the Civic is decades ahead in it’s design. But over the couple of months have grown to appreciate the warm shade of orange(night mode)
The Civic layout is just perfect with the speedo mounted high almost like a HUD. The City has a more traditional layout.
Under the speedo in the Civic is a very prominent rev counter. It’s also very big in size and easy to keep a check on. Where as the City rev counter is just a small semi-circle rev counter on the left of the speedo. I usually never even look at the speedo in the City it’s positioning nowhere close to the dominating Civic rev counter.
The Fuel and temperature gauges are digital in the Civic. With small bars determining the heat of the engine and the fuel in the tank.
The City continues with it’s traditional layout and you get a fuel needle which indicates the fuel in the tank.
Whereas for the engine temperature there is no needle to indicate exactly how hot the engine is. You just get a blue light on the instrument binnacle when the engine is cool. And a red one will pop up if the engine is over heating.
ANHC
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.39.17.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.39.32.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.39.46.jpg

CIVIC
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.40.28.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.41.32.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20111012-15.41.56.jpg
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Ergonomics
Seat Adjustments
Both the Civic and City offer the exact same amount of seat adjustments possibilities. The Driver seat being the only one with seat height adjust in both vehicles.

Steering Wheel Adjustments
The Civic steering adjusts for both Rake and Reach.
Whereas the City adjusts for rake only.
It is most definitely easier to achieve driving ergonomic bliss in the Civic.
Also worth mentioning the Civic armrest is adjustable and slides forward or backward according to your desired position, it’s also wider and larger than the armrest in the City. This too is a very useful feature and will give you a nice place to rest your left elbow while driving.

The Horn
Though we Bhpians seldom use the horn, i think it's still important to write about it. Especially since here in India, there is bound to be a situation or two where one will require to use it, no matter how much we detest using it. Infact many folks here in India, consider the horn as a very important safety feature. The City with it's puny one piece horn is really not up to the mark at all. It's too soft on the highway. It can't be blown constantly either as it starts to squeal and sounds like it's got a sore throat. Making slow traffic ahead of you move away is rather a chore in the City and gets extremely bugging at times. No such problems in the Civic though. It's got fabulously loud dual horns that not only sound fantastic. But do a brilliant job in forcing slow traffic to move out of your way. The Civic a clear winner here, and does not necessarily need an upgrade unless you do a lot of highway runs or absolutely need a louder horn where you live. The City on the other hand definately needs an upgrade from whichever angle you look at it. Be sure to do this upgrade carefully though as you do not want to void the warranty by cutting any wires etc.

Integrated Head Unit
I am comparing my pre-facelift 2008 Honda Civic against the more modern City.
So naturally the HU in the City comes across as a more useful setup.
Fantastic IPOD integration allowing full control of your IPOD/IPHONE.
Thousands of songs even if you just plug in a pen drive. The only minor gripe in then, not being able to play ACD’s or MP3’s. Sure Honda offers you an option to fit in a CD player for around 10K. But doing so sacrifices the cubby behind the HU which otherwise houses the IPOD-IPHONE-Pen Drive etc.
Which will have to make way for the CD player and shift down to the cubby behind the cup holders. Which definitely spoils the clean look. And you would have wires visible too which will add to visual clutter.
And in the CD playing capability department the pre-facelift Civic absolutely shines. With a capacity to not just hold one CD or MP3 but six of them. So you can carry a lot of music aboard the Civic too. You just have to take the trouble of burning them onto a CD and storing them in the car. Honda has fixed this issue in the facelifted Civic though. There is only one CD slot in the facelift Civic.
However USB port is now provided. So one can hook up their modern devices and enjoy seamless integration of their IPOD-IPHONE-Pen Drive-HDD etc. Smart thinking by Honda indeed. Sure they could have left the 6 CD changer aboard the facelift Civic too, but Honda being Honda. You have to loose some to gain some is their philosophy here in India.

The Speakers
Though I am doing all the talking or writing here, On-board it’s the speakers that do most of the talking.
Both setups have 2 tweeters upfront.
2 speakers in the front doors.
2 speakers at the rear.
With the Civic having the rear speakers places on the rear parcel shelf, whereas the City has them placed on the rear doors.
Sound quality wise both are decent, With the Civic marginally ahead.
I am no audiophile so I will not comment further on the sound factor.

Cubby Holes
The Civic is a larger sedan, so no surprises that it has more cubby space either.
The front armrest is much wider longer and deeper than the City’s and a lot more can go in for storage. The armrest in the City is just about adequate.
The Civic cubby’s all have covers which can be closed. A very important safety feature indeed. Firstly it keeps all your valuable stored inside out of sight and secondly in the unfortunate event of an accident. There are less chances of small knick knacks flying around in the cabin if secured in the closed cubby.
Another major advantage of having cubby’s with lids. Is that it helps reduce visual clutter within the Cabin.

Interior Cabin Lighting
The Civic has a total of 5 interior lights Versus the City’s lone one placed in the centre.
So there is absolutely no competition here.
One extremely sorely missed in the City is the map lights up front.
Sure we use GPS nowadays, but if I do want to read a road map in the middle of nowhere what should I do Honda??? “Should I use a torch???”
The Civic on the other hand is highly accommodating. Even makes you wonder at times whether the same manufacturer makes both cars. Two individual maps lights upfront, one for the front passenger and one for the driver each.
A central cabin light.
And two individual reading lights one above the left rear window and one above the right.
It’s an absolute delight when you need to read something in the Civic at night.
You are never far away from one and can even use them with minimal disturbance to the driver as compared to the City.

The not so important but still important back seat (for us BHPians)
One particular drawback which bugs me no end is that the City doesn’t have adjustable rear headrests. So neck and head support at the back is not great at all. Infact one has to mould themselves into a particular seating position if you want to take a short snooze in the rear seat. The Civic though in comparison has very useful rear headrest support which makes a huge difference in finding the perfect snoozing position you require to take a nap. So there is not moulding yourself to get comfortable, instead the rear seat moulds itself around you insuring greater comfort.
Rear bench wise, both are decently comfortable and offer good support.
Under thigh support could have been a little better in either though.
The Civic rear bench is a little wider and so is just that bit more comfortable in comparison to the City. Both rear transmission humps are relatively flat so legroom for the middle passenger is not a problem either.
One area though where the City excels ahead of the Civic is the space for your feet under the front seats. There is much more room so sliding your shoes under the seat ahead is possible, the footrest being slightly raised to adds to the overall comfort. Which reminds me of another area where the City nudges ahead as well. There is a nice little storage cove under the rear bench, so you can place small items and bags here instead of having them placed atop the rear bench leaving that bit more space for you to relax in the rear.

Switchgear

Both the City and Civic have tactile feeling switchgear. Smooth and easy to operate. If we have to be picky then we can give the Civic a few more stars as operation of the switchgear is just a tad bit more fluidic. One area where the City could have improved is having a central door lock switch like on the Civic. It’s much more convenient to press a button than reach out for the driver door lock and flick it to lock or open all doors.

The A.C
Both air con systems are absolute chillers. They do a great job of keeping the cabin cools even when it’s sweltering hot outside. Where the big difference lies is in the setup and convenience.
The Civic has an Automatic Climate Control System so dialling in your exact temperature and air flow settings is a breeze. Infact getting the AC to perform exactly the way you want It to is extremely convenient and adds to overall comfort levels within the cabin.
The City on the other hand comes with a regular knob controlled air con.
So setting your exact desired temperature is a little more cumbersome. It’s not an absolute chore but requires a bit more understanding of the Air con and how it operates. Having said that I have been finding it quite easy to get real close to the exact temperature required from the unit. Seldom though I have had to hit the AC off switch in the evenings when even on the lowest temperature setting it’s still too cold.
So clearly here the Civic scores above the City especially when you take into account it’s extremely convenient A.C.C system.





Exteriors






Styling
It’s a really tough call in the looks department. Personally I think the Civic has the slight edge, but the City isn’t too far behind. Both cars are great lookers and definitely do stand out around a crowd. The Swooping lines of the Civic are particularly attractive and the way the design flows from the front to the rear is real special.
The City following the design philosophy of an arrowshot looks stunning too, It’s got some very tight skinned lines which give it a purposeful stance. One area however where I feel Honda could have done better though is the rear design. Though not too bad, there was definitely some room for a better design. No complaints of the Civic rear from my side, It’s one well rounded package.
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0172.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0173.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0176.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0177.jpg

Headlights

In the light department the Civic is leagues ahead on the outside as well. There are separate bulbs for low and high beams which make a humongous difference when you need the high beam on those rare occasions.
The Fog lamps too are way more powerful and infact for congested City roads the fogs provide adequate light and one could make do with just the parking and fogs on.
The City lights are decent but there is definite room for improvement. Especially the lack of not having separate bulbs for the Low and High beams. So once you switch on the high beam you find the lighting focusing only farther away leaving your immediate view dimly lit. This scenario forces me to switch on the fogs immediately when on high beam. Though this helps to a small extent there is nothing like having a separate low beam filling this void.
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0175.jpg

Wipers
The Wipers on the Civic have a very neat design where they sweep in opposite directions. Doing so they manage to cover a wide area of the windscreen and do a fantastic job in the rains. Though you have 3 speeds to choose from, there are no rain sensing on intermediate adjustment capabilities in either of these Honda’s
The City has a more conventional wiper setup which work in Tandem. They do the job decently, though I have noticed at times some amount of water not being removed rather effectively on the passenger side of the windscreen which is bugging indeed.

ORVM’s
The V Variant on the Civic comes with indicators on the OVRM’s as well as auto folding at a touch of a button. Extremely convenient indeed. The City however has neither of them which is rather a shame as it would have helped in both the looks and convenience departments.

The Doors
The Door handles of both are nice to grip, the City though has a better feel IMHO in comparison to the Civic handles. The Doors shut with a decent thud and feel solid. The Civic though being better in the door thud department.

The Tail Lights
The rear lights on the Civic with their after burner effect really did take my breath away, especially way back in 2006 when the Civic was launched. 5 years down thought the Civic tail lights still look fresh even on the pre-facelift model.
They are definitely ahead design wise than the rather dull tail lights of the City.
One thing that I have noticed however is how the City has a nice reflective surface much like that of the Accord which looks rather nice during the day when lights reflects off it.
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0181.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0183.jpg
The Boot
The Civic boot at 4XX Liters is not very well shaped. It manages to squeeze in a few things, but you always wish there was just that bit more space. Especially if you have children. Fitting in the Stroller, Tricycle, highchair etc etc. all at once is a rather tough task. The City is way more accommodating in this area. It's got a deeper boot, and is shaped much better, giving you much more space for larger items. At 5xx Liters it's a clear winner.
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0178.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0180.jpg
City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-img_0182.jpg

The Driving Experience
This is a rather tough debate.
Both have around the same amount of power output.
Both are using Honda’s latest I-VTEC technology which is loaded to the gills with advanced tech.
Both motors are extremely smooth, refined and rev happy.
IMHO though I think the way the Civic delivers it’s power is more linear and a tad smoother too.
Having disc brakes all round also add to the sure footed feeling behind the wheel, a space where the City should have not skimped.
The Ride quality in both the cars is nothing to write home about, however the Civic I found was more tuned to brisk progress, whereas the City has a much more plush and comfortable ride compared to the Civic.
Safety has not been skimped in any model in the whole Honda range and it’s the same standard safety equipment on these to from the Honda stable as well.
2 Airbags upfront.
Anti Lock braking with Electronic brake force distribution.
So to sum up the driving experience, I would give the Civic just a slight bit more stars as it’s a better driver’s car in comparison to the City.
However if you plan to use your car more in the City there is absolutely no looking away from the City Moniker.
I have had the chance to enjoy both cars on the twisties and I can definitely vouch that both of these Honda’s are thoroughly enjoyable. Yes the Civic is marginally ahead in the handling department and is no doubt the better drivers car. The steering feel in the Hydraulic unit of the Civic has a nice and heavy feel which is absolutely perfect for the highway and on the twisties. It’s extremely direct and offers great feedback too.
The City steering is an electric unit, it’s much lighter than the unit on the Civic, and is a joy to operate within the City. It weighs up nicely on the highway and twisties but it’s never as direct as the Civic. So it’s a mixed battle, where the Civic excels on the Highway and Ghats. And The City nudges ahead with a much more effortless steering within the City.

Fuel efficiency
With the ever rising fuel prices this is one very important section to report on indeed.
The City shines through without a doubt in this department. The 1.5L I-VTEC is extremely fuel efficient and is very capable of dishing out a near 40% improvement in fuel economy compared to the Civic.

Summing it up

This is a real close battle and to be honest I cannot clearly name one as the winner. I guess we will have to debate this on the thread.
If you love to drive(I know we all do) and take the car out on the Highway often. The Civic is the way to go.
However if your drive is going to be limited mostly within the City with the very occasional highway trip. I would definitely point you towards the City.
It’s extremely light controls, very comparable interior room, bigger boot and the very important in today’s day fuel efficient nature is clearly ahead of the Civic. if this is what you are looking for look no further the City ticks all the right boxes.
Where I feel Honda could improve is in the Goodies and Features department. Neither of their cars live up to the segment standards set today, and you do somehow feel short-changed when comparing with other cars in the same segment. If Honda corrects this little flaw in their armour they definitely will be a force to reckon with.

Last edited by Amartya : 17th October 2011 at 10:57. Reason: Removed "Note to Mods".
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Old 17th October 2011, 18:47   #2
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A little bump up into the new threads list.
And yes if there is one gripe i do have with both these Honda's is their rather fidgety in city drive. They get much smoother as speeds build up, and are totally at home on the expressway.
Hope you folks enjoy the comparo.
Drive Safe!
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Old 17th October 2011, 18:55   #3
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Post deleted by Team-BHP Support: Post deleted. Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum.

Last edited by Rudra Sen : 19th October 2011 at 22:55.
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Old 17th October 2011, 21:02   #4
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsaab View Post
Hope you folks enjoy the comparo.
Sure did! Thanks for finally starting the thread.

Posting a few pics I took that day. It was an amazing photoshoot with two babies, their dads, one kid's grandmom, one bemused driver and three cars.

City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011854.jpg



City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011855.jpg



City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011858.jpg



City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011859.jpg



City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011860.jpg



City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011861.jpg



City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two-20082011862.jpg



After driving both the manual and auto All New Honda City and the manual and auto Civic, here are my takes on both the cars.

.When vtec is on, City is developing more power than usual, Civic instead is on Eco mode.

.Thanks to perhaps the power/weight ratio, both the cars are almost head to head on 0-100 comparisons, whether manuals are picked together or the auto box variants are draged side by side.

.While the manual Civic suffers from a bit low end torque, City on the other hand, has better behavior here. This is my qualitative take, I dont have data to justify.

.City's auto box is more refined. In a Civic, one can make out that the car is changing gears. In a City, it is difficult to discern.

.Civic feels more planted and has a more comfortable ride with better NVH characteristics.

.OEM ICE is better in the City.

.Interior is naturally better in the Civic, however City scores on boot space and boot design.

.OEM tyre size and alloys are more proportionate looking in the Civic, however I love the City's grills.

Thats all for now, if I remember any more points, will post.

Last edited by dot : 17th October 2011 at 21:10.
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Old 17th October 2011, 21:11   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsaab
A little bump up into the new threads list.
And yes if there is one gripe i do have with both these Honda's is their rather fidgety in city drive. They get much smoother as speeds build up, and are totally at home on the expressway.
Hope you folks enjoy the comparo.
Drive Safe!
Wow. Super. Welcome back mdsaab
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Old 17th October 2011, 23:07   #6
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Simply superb! Rated it 5-stars the second I finished reading.

Excellent comparo, mdsaab and Dot. Thanks for getting together and putting up such a wonderful insight into the world of the Civics and the City.

The City looks like a teen between two Daddies. But still, it's elegance is very distinctive and makes it stand on it's own between the Civic beauties. The first pic is still my favorite of the lot, although all the photographic angles taken by you both make me wish I could print them, frame them and hang them on my wall!

Going back to feast some more on the Honda rulers of Pune! Two thumbs up!

Last edited by RavenAvi : 17th October 2011 at 23:08.
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Old 18th October 2011, 08:53   #7
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Quote:
Originally Posted by noopster View Post
Awesome. Will come back and re-read/comment at leisure. By the way, where on Earth have you been?!!
Hey Buddy thanks for stopping by. Well am here now

Quote:
Originally Posted by dot View Post
Sure did! Thanks for finally starting the thread.

Posting a few pics I took that day. It was an amazing photoshoot with two babies, their dads, one kid's grandmom, one bemused driver and three cars.

After driving both the manual and auto All New Honda City and the manual and auto Civic, here are my takes on both the cars.

.When vtec is on, City is developing more power than usual, Civic instead is on Eco mode.

.Thanks to perhaps the power/weight ratio, both the cars are almost head to head on 0-100 comparisons, whether manuals are picked together or the auto box variants are draged side by side.

.While the manual Civic suffers from a bit low end torque, City on the other hand, has better behavior here. This is my qualitative take, I dont have data to justify.

.City's auto box is more refined. In a Civic, one can make out that the car is changing gears. In a City, it is difficult to discern.

.Civic feels more planted and has a more comfortable ride with better NVH characteristics.

.OEM ICE is better in the City.

.Interior is naturally better in the Civic, however City scores on boot space and boot design.

.OEM tyre size and alloys are more proportionate looking in the Civic, however I love the City's grills.

Thats all for now, if I remember any more points, will post.
Hey Dotty, Fabulous pics. It was a rather fun morning indeed.
Totally agree with your valuable comments. Especially the smoothness in which the Civic delivers it's power. It's creamy and more effortless. The City in comparison is slightly on the buzzy side. But it's something i am ready to live with as it keeps some extra dough in the pocket
Quote:
Originally Posted by prabhuferrari View Post
Wow. Super. Welcome back mdsaab
Thanks Buddy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RavenAvi View Post
Simply superb! Rated it 5-stars the second I finished reading.

Excellent comparo, mdsaab and Dot. Thanks for getting together and putting up such a wonderful insight into the world of the Civics and the City.

The City looks like a teen between two Daddies. But still, it's elegance is very distinctive and makes it stand on it's own between the Civic beauties. The first pic is still my favorite of the lot, although all the photographic angles taken by you both make me wish I could print them, frame them and hang them on my wall!

Going back to feast some more on the Honda rulers of Pune! Two thumbs up!
Hey Bro, Wow it's been a while. Am really glad that you liked the thread. and thanks for rating it 5 stars. Still a lot of pics to be added. But since everyone waited soo long. I decided to get along with it and post it. Promise to add more pics soon.
Doing the photoshoot and a couple of drives with Dot was a lot of fun.
We had a blast!
Your comment on the pics is absolutely flattering, thanks! well with 3 beauties there isn't much you can go wrong with right. Pretty much how the swimsuit calenders always come out well. LOL!
Honda Rulers of Pune eh, yeah why not? it's got a nice ring to it!

Thanks everyone for stopping by. Looking forward to more Civic and City owners commenting on their views and experiences.
As i mentioned in the OP. I still was not able to point to a clear winner.
Maybe a little debate will help folks on the lookout for either of these beauties.
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Old 18th October 2011, 09:21   #8
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Excellent comparison mdsaab.

I have some points to add here. You mentioned that the drivers seat offers the same kind of adjustment in both city and civic, which i disagree. I am 6.2'. In the City, on the lowest height, my hair grazes the ceiling, whereas in the Civic, i had adequate head room. It might depend on the face that Civic is more low seating, but I think Civic offers more levels of height adjustment than the City (though I dont know for sure).

Also in the driveability part, I think the Civic easily outdoes the City. With 5 passengers on board, the City was okayish in its acceleration, but under the EXACT same conditions, the Civic pulled as it would do naturally. Ofcourse the 1.8 iVTEC comes into play here.

Regarding the fuel efficiency, under hard driving both car suffers, but under light driving, I have heard bhpians claim around 19kmpl on their Civic. I dont think there is a 40% difference between the City and the Civic.

The plastics in the city will wear out soon. The City test drive car that had run for 23k kms had their arm rests on the door completely worn out and it left a bad taste about the quality. The Civic test drive car which had run for 27k kms had everything intact.

Finally about the actual driving experience. The seating position + lookout of the road in the City is like any other sedan (personal experience), but in the Civic its something different that you wont find in ANY other car in its segment. As its rightly said, its a cockpit that you wouldnt feel like leaving if you love driving!

I would highly recommend the Civic if one is juggling between the City and the Civic and has the money to burn

Well, andaz apna apna

Last edited by _raVan_ : 18th October 2011 at 09:25.
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Old 18th October 2011, 09:34   #9
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

One other point. Climate control exists only on the Civic. Also, the intermittent wipe was better on my Accent than on even the Civic. There was a potentiometer you could adjust to select the wiper rate. Not just one position!
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Old 18th October 2011, 09:42   #10
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Well documented comparo, mdsaab. You are indeed being missed on the forum for some time now. Was waiting for this comparo from your side. You have covered almost all areas very nicely. And some real good pics...

@ Ravan: I agree with all your points other than FE. City is mush more fuel efficient than the Civic be it in the city driving or the highway, period. I hear City owners getting 14-15 kpl on regular basis, while in Civic the number falls down to 10-11 kpl. However when it comes to extracting the best mileage, Honda surely can blow the other brands out of the window. I recently saw a post on the forum about 22 kpl from a Civic!

Put the AC off, take the car to nearest highway, hypermile it cruising between 65-75 kph. This feat is very well in your sight! BUTTTTTT, whats the point, I fail to understand it !!!!! Honda are built to revvv, drive them as they are supposed to. At least thats what I do.
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Old 18th October 2011, 10:30   #11
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ace F355 View Post

Put the AC off, take the car to nearest highway, hypermile it cruising between 65-75 kph. This feat is very well in your sight! BUTTTTTT, whats the point, I fail to understand it !!!!! Honda are built to revvv, drive them as they are supposed to. At least thats what I do.

Exactly my point too. If I wanted 22KMPL, I would have taken a nano or a diesel swift or similar cars and driven it on the highway with the ac on, and it still gives me decent 20+ KMPL, without troubling me. Why should I buy a beautiful luxurios sporty sedan and trouble myself with no ac and crawl, to fork out mileage?? Each Car has a character IMHO!

I understand Civic can give 22KMPL - Thank you for the tests. Period.



dotty and mdsaab - nice comparison.
One point from me is the front Passenger seat. I can keep all my camera gears and tripod in the leg room, and still sit relaxed in the Civic. In City since there is some elevated stuff under the front passenger seat, and lack of leg room makes that very difficult. So I did not personally like traveling with my camera gear in City's front passenger seat.

But if its just me, I find both cars comfortable.



Another query, the City's boot is carved so low down. Does it not create some scrapping issues on humps? Visually it looked too low.
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Old 18th October 2011, 11:12   #12
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

So, its finally here. Havent read the whole thing yet, but shall do so with leisure.

I second noops question - Whre on earth have you been all this while!
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Old 18th October 2011, 12:23   #13
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

@mdsaab,
Wonderful comparo, with subtle differences pointed out between the two cars.

Bottom line conclusion for me would be
City for City and Civic for Highways

Should have both in the garage!!

Cheers
MKPI
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Old 18th October 2011, 15:28   #14
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

@mdsaab

Nice comparison between the Honda siblings. Although The civic feels more comfortable I think in the looks section City scores over the Civic (my personal opinion).

I will be re-reading it again at leisure but truly a well written post and justified by nice pics. Rated the thread 5 stars.
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Old 18th October 2011, 19:48   #15
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Re: City Sleek or Civic Sense? A short comparison of the two

Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsaab View Post
Hey Bro, Wow it's been a while. Am really glad that you liked the thread. and thanks for rating it 5 stars. Still a lot of pics to be added. But since everyone waited soo long. I decided to get along with it and post it. Promise to add more pics soon.
Yep, life got the better of me for awhile, but whenever I had the chance I stopped by T-BHP to see if this very thread was up yet or not. And here it is! And here I am!

Waiting eagerly for more pics, bro. Hoping that you dust them and polish them soon from your editing table and post it here!

Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsaab View Post
Doing the photoshoot and a couple of drives with Dot was a lot of fun.
We had a blast!
I bet. Wish I was there to share the experience. It would have been pretty overwhelming to be sorrounded by 3 smoking Hondas and 2 Honda fanatics!

Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsaab View Post
Your comment on the pics is absolutely flattering, thanks! well with 3 beauties there isn't much you can go wrong with right. Pretty much how the swimsuit calenders always come out well. LOL!
ROFL!

If only the guys at Pirelli and Kingfisher knew! They would triple their annual sales!


I do have a query here regarding this -

Quote:
Originally Posted by mdsaab View Post
Headlights
In the light department the Civic is leagues ahead on the outside as well. There are separate bulbs for low and high beams which make a humongous difference when you need the high beam on those rare occasions.
The Fog lamps too are way more powerful and infact for congested City roads the fogs provide adequate light and one could make do with just the parking and fogs on.
The City lights are decent but there is definite room for improvement. Especially the lack of not having separate bulbs for the Low and High beams. So once you switch on the high beam you find the lighting focusing only farther away leaving your immediate view dimly lit. This scenario forces me to switch on the fogs immediately when on high beam. Though this helps to a small extent there is nothing like having a separate low beam filling this void.
From what I have read, there are better headlamps available for the City (which can be fitted with relays and offer much better lights at night). Would you still go with the Civic if, say, the City's lights were to be upgraded?

In other words, would you tilt in favor of the Civic for driveability at night in different conditions - for example, foggy or rainy nights, as opposed to a clear night?
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