[mjumrani]

Hey Guys

This is my first review of my Honda Civic, the lovely grey hound. Hope you like it


Initial Journey - Before Purchase

It all started in October '11 when I left Pune for Delhi, permanently this time.
My previous loyal car, Fiat Linea, was handed over to my Dad so that he can handle its sale.

And that's where the trouble began.

I, sadly, have a back problem. A herniated disc to be exact. So my priority list in looking for a car was,

1. Sedan
2. Excellent back support in the seats
3. POWER!!! (As Jeremy Clarkson would put it), the reason behind this was that my previous car wasn't very powerful which made overtaking a very calculated move.
4. Reputed brand, if in case I ever have to sell the car.

Budget, as always, was a point of discussion between my father and I, and was very dynamic. But I wanted to keep the cost as low as possible (somewhere around 10 lakhs) and get the maximum possible value.

Thus I was looking at everything from used sedans to new upper C segment cars.

Following is the summary of the test drives I took (New cars of course),

Honda City

A good car no doubt, but the lack of features is just appalling. Since I already own one of these, all I can say is love the engine, OEM ICE is pretty good and seats are awesome but that's about it.
So I put this car in the category of Worst Case Scenario.

Volkswagen Vento

The materials used in this car feel much more premium than ANHC. I test drove the Vento Diesel with the new features and almost all the my basic needs were covered in the car but the seats were not as good as ANHC so I put it in the Maybe category.

Toyota Corolla Altis

I drove the manual and the automatic but this was not my type of car or engine. More like something my father would love but not me at this age. Considering the cost of the G variant, which I preferred, I simply put it in Not For Me category.

Honda Civic

Have loved it ever since it was launched. The car is a pleasure to drive, features are more than adequate, the cost is higher than I would like but I was ready to ignore it, sadly my dad was not. More on that later. The SMT variant had everything I needed and the difference between VMT and SMT was not justifiable through the cost increase. Since this was a car I have wanted for a long time, it automatically went up top.

Chevrolet Cruze

The car has more features than any other in the category, even the LT version was loaded with features. The engine was almost as good as Lauras' and the presence was even better. But, the interior plastic quality was just a turn off considering the price and I wanted the LTZ version, which put it way off my budget thus off my list.

Skoda Laura

The green back-lighting was just so ancient but the quality, the engine, the seats were just awesome. I loved the car in every way, until I saw the prices, models and features list. Then I was just sad. No USB at this price range?! It was a very important feature for me, and that small thing in itself gave me a bad feeling, plus Skoda A.S.S. horror stories did not help. I just put it in Maybe category.

Volkswagen Jetta

The most expensive car I have looked at yet, No ACC and lack of many other features. It was beautiful with its brown colour, but its just too expensive so it was out.

When in my situation, choosing a car seems the easier part. To elaborate, I do not earn enough to choose a car and buy it on my own, thus I need my father's assistance, so in the end its more of his choice than mine and he always chooses the Mind over the Heart :(


The Dilemma - Father vs Son

Now it was the turn of my father to decide which car I should buy. He gave me options like i20 and City, out of which the former was rejected outright but for the ANHC, there was no rational reason to not buy that car.

My dad could not understand why my heart kept choosing Civic, so he forced ANHC upon me and I almost conceded to the pressure.
Another reason why he was so insistent on a smaller car was due to the image I would project on my relatives and peers in office.

Since I have always been the kind of person who would upgrade to the next level rather than stay at the same level when it comes to anything in life, any of my arguments were like water on stone.

So on the last day, i.e., the day I was supposed to go and book a car, I gave the argument with my father a last try and out of the blue he conceded to my argument and gave me the go ahead
This came with a rider though, which was that I would take a loan in my name and pay it off from my own salary, which meant I will have nothing left to save and my previous savings will be used in the down payment.
I was happy to oblige since this would mean this car would purely be my own and I get the car I wanted in the first place.


SMT vs VMT

All this time what struck me as odd was the difference between the SMT and VMT variant. Simply because the price difference (1.2L I think) is not even close to being justified.
Here are the points I noted,

1. The alloys in both the variants are different, but then Civic's original alloys look brilliant in the first place so why bother.
2. Sunroof is just an option, so if I want it, the price will be even higher.
3. Chrome door handles and door protectors, just a fancy accessory. I don't think anyone would be bothered by this one.
4. Leather Upholstery, and not even the good quality ones. They seem like the entry level range of Stanley which is worth maybe 30k-40k in the market.
5. Ambient light (Blue), I'm not sure what exactly this is, so I did not consider this difference.
6. Rear parking sensors, which can be bought for 3k in the market.
7. Rear reading lights, since I drive so a non issue.

All this is worth maybe 50k at best. And for the 1.2L that they ask, I could get the Nappa series in Stanley, the rest are not so important.


The Negotiations

This process started a few weeks before my Dad gave his consent for the Civic, thus behind his back. (I tend to do that sometimes, he hates it)
I checked the Honda India website and found the 2 closest dealerships and headed there for final quotes.

Southend Honda in Saket were very courteous and told me everything about things like price, loan, features and discounts. There was only one issue, i.e., the colour choices I was being offered. Namely, White, Black and Red, but I wanted Urban Titanium.
They informed me that the colour I wanted in no longer being manufactured in SMT variant. Now I wanted white, but my younger brother told me I dare not since he hates white on cars, which left me with black and red, which I did not like.
So I told the dealership to wait and I will get back to them whenever I have a final decision but I never called them back.

Next I called up Ring Road Honda, CP.
They were very courteous too. I requested a test drive as I did not have the time to go there, and they happily obliged to my request.
The test drive car was sent, a mere formality frankly as I was well aware of how the car is. Then I asked about the colour, and I was told that they have 1 piece in Urban Titanium for SMT variant left and my mind was made up and the only thing left was my Dad's approval.

(Now this is where the quality of service from Honda comes in.)
For a few days I was in contact with the dealership but after that, for more than 1.5 weeks, I was unable to be in touch with them due to some official works.
So when I finally had no hurdles left, I gave the dealer a call, hoping that the colour was till available.
And surprise surprise, the manager told me that the representative who came to me for the test drive had proactively blocked that car for me.

Now in a good mood, I went to the dealer (for the first time) and started the negotiation process.
Initial offer was 13.6L with Caska, normal insurance (rear camera + GPS). And at the end it was 13.6L with Caska, side step illumination, zero depreciation insurance. This seemed alright at the moment so I gave the go ahead with 33k as booking amount.

Went to HDFC, and took a few days to get a loan at 11.5% (October '11) of 8L and the rest as down payment to be payed to the dealer.
The bank sent the go ahead to the dealer and I told them to deliver the car to me on 31st October 2011, simply because it was a Sunday and my Mum, Dad and Brother would be free.

Courtesy TBHP, I knew what to check before the registration was done, so I told them to get the car to the CP showroom and day before all the accessories are installed. Everything was in order when I checked and the colour was brilliant.

As scheduled, I got the car on 31st morning and I have been loving it ever since.


Civic's Personal Review (Small)

There is not much I could add to what people already know about the car, but here goes.

1. The engine is a gem except for the low end torque. This can become very irritating in traffic. Makes me wish I should have bought an automatic. And the acceleration is low too on 5th gear, even when I am driving between 80-100, after which it just rockets. So I end up downshifting when I want instant acceleration.

2. The headlights are weak, especially when compared to my old Linea. Since my drives mostly involves sporadically lit highways where people cross it, without thinking, when cars are driving past at 100+. This has started to become a problem which I will address soon by projector lamps or changing the bulbs.

3. The fog lights don't light up the road in front, it feels as if they are not there at all. They weren't of much use this foggy season.

4. It is very comfortable to sit and a lovely place to be in while driving. It isolates you from outside noise and has become even more quieter with the new tires. My parents are especially happy with the comfort of the rear seats with enough space for 3 adults and a dog (on the floor).

5. The features are all there except for a few like, sun roof, electrically adjustable seats, steering mounted audio controls (A major miss), Project headlights and a few small issues. All in all a good list of features nonetheless.

6. I am 6 feet tall and I have to bend quite a bit to get into the car, which is not that good for my back. And of course you can't see where the car ends with the way I sit, i.e., seat height at its lowest and back rest at a 45 degree angle. I only wish it had adjustable lumbar support.

7. The ACC has a mind of its own. If I speed it sometimes starts blowing more air which is a bit disturbing as my eyes start getting dry (I wear lenses, so this is not good). I am still not that happy with how it works.

8. Bad roads do not make anything rattle. Plastic quality could be better in my opinion but the fabric quality is quite good.

9. This might just be a minor thing, but the beige interior needs a lot of care. Doesn't take much to get it dirty.

10. The car has bottomed out once on the legendary speed breakers of Gurgaon. It had 5 people, including me, at that point. I'm sure there is a dent in the bottom, no indications on the lower sides though.

11. The hand brake lever gets in the way when your leg is on a resting position. Not a big deal though.

12. This is a big one. The car gulps the fuel like a dog when its on neutral with the engine, AC and ICE on. The average just keeps dropping.

13. On the highway, the car is stable at speeds and the steering gets heavier which inspires a lot more confidence. But be careful, it touches 150 and sometimes you are not aware that it has. I have had to break hard sometimes, due to idiotic drivers, mental people crossing the road and accidents which I can't see until the end (due to the bad lights and/or fog), no issues there as it breaks as I want it to.

14. Suspension is a bit stiff at times (or so it feels) but it absorbs most of the road well. The engine trots along at 18kmph in 3rd gear without hiccups, I guess it shows how good the engine is.

15. There are more than enough cubby holes to satisfy one's need but the glove box volume is very low. I cannot comment much on the luggage space as I have not used it yet.

Mileage
My usage pattern has been 90 kilometers on a working day, yes on a petrol car. It has mostly been on a highway, say about 80kms. The average that I am getting is 11.5-12.0kmpl.
Why so low you ask, well its because of an average of 120kmph on the highway. And during this drive I am very aware and make sure I do not risk my life or more importantly anyone other person's life.

Dealer
The only issue during delivery was that due to the floods in Thailand, Caska did not have any units readily available for my car. So I had to wait for a month. But I do not blame Honda for this. Some things are just out of everyone's hands.

Rating to the dealer, Ring Road Honda would be 11/10 since they made a lot of extra effort on their part to help me out when I had issues.



CASKA - Honda Civic
The Caska unit that I was provided is one useless, worthless HU.
Here are the numerous issues,

1. Resistive screen give a very bad experience.
2. Viewing angles are not great as the view is quite different for the driver and the passengers.
3. The UI for SD card, DVD and USB seems to have come off an el cheapo MP3 player. Ugly.
4. SD card and USB will not read files properly.
   1. It will not read the storage device if it has music as well as movies in it.
   2. It will not read files if the names are not simple enough
   3. It will sometimes not read files which it read before
   4. It does not have any on screen random option if it does read it, you have to find the remote for that.
5. There are separate options for Music and Movies but those apps do not access the SD card but access the GPS card slot, so I have to put my main SD card in the GPS card slot and keep the GPS car somewhere else and have to switch it every time I have to use GPS.
6. The RAM is so low that it lags if GPS and Music are on together.
7. USB takes ages to read if you have more than a hundred files. For eg., a 8GB flash drive, full of music, took 10-15 minutes.
8. GPS UI is sad. It works well enough but gives routes that you might have not even heard about. The same MapMyIndia maps in my iPhone are light years ahead.
9. People cannot hear a thing when I am using the in-built Bluetooth unless I shout, even then they might not hear it. And there is no way to increase the mic sensitivity like the old UI that they used to have.
10. The contact list is not ordered in any way you can think of. So you will have to take out your phone to find the number you will have to dial.
11. The USB and iPod interface will not charge your iPhone. You get the error on the phone that Charging is not available with this accessory.
12. The volume and channel knobs are over sensitive. Sometimes when you just move them one point, they will change 2 songs/ volume up by 2 steps.

So a sincere advise to everyone, STAY AWAY from Caska. I would have never bought this if it was not free.
Every other day it will give you a feeling to kill it or yourself.


Current Equipment Status

Now back to the good things.

As soon as I got the car I got 2 things done.

1. Change the tires to Michelin Primacy LC 205/65 R15
2. 3M CR50 sunfilms on all door mirrors and read glass.

After that I also installed (Do not remember the model numbers sadly)

1. Polk front components
2. Helix Rear Co-axials (from my previous car)
3. Helix 4 channel amplifier (from my previous car)
4. Dynamat dampening

Future upgrades might be,

1. RF Sub with a monoblock amplifier
2. Projector lamps / Import Xtreme series bulbs from HK
3. 3d Kagu Mats
4. Rear components
5. Stanley Nappa leather setup

1st and 2nd Free Service - Ring Road Honda, Peeraghari

1st Service
For the first service, I got a call from the service centre that 1st service is scheduled and when I would like the same. Same day pick up and delivery for free. I got the weekend slot as I wanted.
I had noticed a few issues by then, which was strange for a new car.

1. There was a very low volume clattering noise that used to come from the engine when I was in the cabin. It appeared randomly.
2. The rear tray was rattling at high volumes on songs with high bass
3. Alignment issues

Their alignment machine was out of order so that was not fixed and engine noise issue was also not fixed as they could not hear it due to the random occurrences.
Otherwise a very good experience as I was kept up-to-date on every development, and also got a feedback call (more on why that is good later).
The Caska unit was also setup on this trip, without the iPod cable for some reason.

Total cost - Zero
Rating - 9/10

A visit to the service center
I had plans of heading to my grandmother's place on one of the weekends so I though might as well go there.

Since the engine noise was random, I recorded the same through my phone. Since it was low in volume, I had to wait for a time when it would come at late night when there no outside noise.

I called the dealership's manager to arrange a service appointment as I did not have a PC in front of me to get the number, which he did.

I reached there (late as usual) at 1:00 PM instead of 10:00 AM.
I found the service adviser who serviced my car the last time and he listened to the recording and checked the alignment.

I was told the car will be sent to my grandmother's place when it is done, a job sheet was made for this.

The noise that was coming, which I thought was from the engine turned out to be some loose screw.
The alignment was fixed by cross swapping the tires.
And iPod cable was fixed.

The car was sent by 5:30 PM.

Only issue was that the windscreen was dirty from the inside which pissed me off a bit.

Total Cost - Zero
Rating - 8/10

2nd Service
Got a call again for the 2nd service and was again scheduled for a weekend pickup and drop, free again (I do now know if this service will always be free or not).

No issues in the car before the service so everything went smoothly.
The car left at 10:30 AM and was back by 5:30 PM.

I woke up out of a deep sleep both times, i.e., to give the car to the driver and take it back, so I had not noticed the dirty windscreen (AGAIN) and the back marks on the driver seat roof.

Total cost - Zero
Initial Rating - 6/10

When I did realize, I was furious. Coincidentally I got the feedback call around the same time.
I kept my calm and explained what happened.

The lady apologized profusely and sent their cleaner the very next day to do the needful. Which he did to my surprise, as I did not think the seat marks would come out. All this free of cost.

Then I was more than happy with their service.

So, the final rating is 8/10.


This has been my journey so far.


Finally, The pictures

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Review section. Thanks for sharing!

[cityvic]

Let me be the first to Congratulate you on your new car.

How come your Civic has Foglamps it being the S model?Are Fogs standard on the S now?
I too did choose the S/MT to the V/MT in Jan 2010 when we got our civic so that I could get Fogs installed from the dealer and for Leather I would get Stanley Nappa done.Chrome was given least heed too.
Fortunately I got the V alloys as I has asked for Michelin Tyres so the Salesman swapped the wheels with a V/MT.

[mjumrani]

Originally Posted by cityvic

Let me be the first to Congratulate you on your new car.

How come your Civic has Foglamps it being the S model?Are Fogs standard on the S now?
I too did choose the S/MT to the V/MT in Jan 2010 when we got our civic so that I could get Fogs installed from the dealer and for Leather I would get Stanley Nappa done.Chrome was given least heed too.
Fortunately I got the V alloys as I has asked for Michelin Tyres so the Salesman swapped the wheels with a V/MT.

Thank you

Fog Lamps are standard on S variant now. When I bought it 4 dealers told me its not until I told my dealer to confirm with Honda.

That is a very generous dealer. And that too for free?

[prashant.dinkar]

Lovely Engine , Lovely Exterior Styling , Lovely Interior and Lovely choice of colour.

Good to see ownership thread of a brand new civic after quite sometime as everyone is going pre-owned way.

Civic is my dream car , I just LOVE it in white and colour chosen by you.

By the time I will be able to afford it this design/model will be discontinued .

Congratulations for the lovely piece of engineering you bought home. Wish you happy motoring and please drive safe.

[mobius 1]

Thanks for taking out the time to write this
Its a fully good thorough review. Very helpful !

And your ride looks awesome !!

[gaurav_diavolo]

Congratulation on your purchase! Even I am doing 90 to 100 kms every day and everyone tells me I am crazy to own a petrol car. But I cannot compromise on health problems that I start having the moment I drive a diesel, and same thing with my cousins. The way Civic cocoons around you is fantastic, everytime you turn it on it brings a smile on your face.

Take care of the beauty and drive safe (I know 120 makes you feel secure and is very manageable in a civic!, enjoy the ride)!

Can you elaborate on the Caska?
- How is the sound quality?
- display quality?
- navigation convenience?
- dvd running quality on a rough road?

[mjumrani]

Originally Posted by prashant.dinkar

Lovely Engine , Lovely Exterior Styling , Lovely Interior and Lovely choice of colour.

Good to see ownership thread of a brand new civic after quite sometime as everyone is going pre-owned way.

Civic is my dream car , I just LOVE it in white and colour chosen by you.

By the time I will be able to afford it this design/model will be discontinued .

Congratulations for the lovely piece of engineering you bought home. Wish you happy motoring and please drive safe.

Thanks. And Always.

Originally Posted by mobius 1

Thanks for taking out the time to write this
Its a fully good thorough review. Very helpful !

And your ride looks awesome !!

Thank you.

Originally Posted by gaurav_diavolo

Congratulation on your purchase! Even I am doing 90 to 100 kms every day and everyone tells me I am crazy to own a petrol car. But I cannot compromise on health problems that I start having the moment I drive a diesel, and same thing with my cousins. The way Civic cocoons around you is fantastic, everytime you turn it on it brings a smile on your face.

Take care of the beauty and drive safe (I know 120 makes you feel secure and is very manageable in a civic!, enjoy the ride)!

All true about this car.

But I have noticed a problem is seating, as far thigh comfort goes.
My right thigh and sometimes the leg hurts a bit. I do not know if its the wallet or my seating position. The only way to make it go is to rest it on the side as you would do when sitting with legs crossed (slightly).

Anyone has ideas on that?

Originally Posted by gaurav_diavolo

Can you elaborate on the Caska?
- How is the sound quality?
- display quality?
- navigation convenience?
- dvd running quality on a rough road?

Sure.
1. Sound quality is a the same as the OEM HU, at least to my ears.
2. Its a TN panel, so the viewing angles are not great but not bad either. Sometimes there is pixelation too. I can't seem to find a perfect saturation level. Its too small to be bothered about frankly. If you would hardly be playing movies, it should not be a concern. Resistive screen so do not expect a good touch response.
3. Navigation is good. Some places are not in the POI list. But its routing algorithm is still a very big mystery too me. Expect lag if you play music with GPS and try moving around in the system.
4. Since it can play AVI files, I have not tested the DVD feature.

[vcx]

Congrats, Civic is a good bet in its segment , looks fresh and great even with its competitors offerings. I am surprised that SMT wheels are old type, as all Civics starting 2011 have same alloy model. Just check the VIN to know the exact manufactured date of your car.

On Caska, I feel it's worthy as it throughs many options and is apt as an OEM fitment.


The color looks to be new Urban titanium , it's a neat choice!

Also, like to hear . How do you find the quality of fabric seat on SMT?, what's the cost of Stanley leather, new tyres?

[mjumrani]

Originally Posted by vcx

Congrats, Civic is a good bet in its segment , looks fresh and great even with its competitors offerings. I am surprised that SMT wheels are old type, as all Civics starting 2011 have same alloy model. Just check the VIN to know the exact manufactured date of your car.

On Caska, I feel it's worthy as it throughs many options and is apt as an OEM fitment.


The color looks to be new Urban titanium , it's a neat choice!

Also, like to hear . How do you find the quality of fabric seat on SMT?, what's the cost of Stanley leather, new tyres?

Thanks

The car's manufacturing date is October 2011, so its hardly old.
As far as the alloys are concerned, SMT comes with the old alloy design even according to the brochure, maybe when they added fogs they also changed the alloys.

Caska does integrate very well but all the features it provides can be added or found in other HUs, plus moldings have improved a lot and are very close to this design. Its something that looks brilliant from the outside but is pathetic when it comes to working.

I actually love the quality of the fabric. Being beige, it gets dirty really fast but almost nothing that cannot be cleaned up by A.S.S.
Tires have been doing well, quiet, grip's very good and I feel FE is a bit better too.
I think stanley prices were 80k for Nappa, and 40k/60k for Satin.

[_raVan_]

Congratulations on your car! The color looks great and SMT is a very sensible choice. Can you post more pictures with the bad viewing angles of Caska? Did you face any bottoming out problems?

[Ace F355]

Originally Posted by mjumrani

my Honda Civic, the lovely grey hound.

What is it which makes us compare our cars to some astonishing creatures of animal kingdom!!! May be Civic as a car imitates the speedy animals quite nicely.

Congrats on your new car and yours is one thorough review. Wish you thousands of happy miles with your new purchase. I love it to the core and good color choice too!

Enjoy the smooth sails...

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by mjumrani

This is my first review of my Honda Civic, the lovely grey hound. Hope you like it

I like it, not only your review, but also the car. All the points that you stated were spot on. Since I have experienced those positives and negatives first-hand, I can relate to the points that you have stated.

Originally Posted by mjumrani

CASKA - Honda Civic
The Caska unit that I was provided is one useless, worthless HU.

Well, that is some news. I was thinking that I should save up some money and try and get the Caska HU installed in my pre-facelift Civic, but have now started to resist. Some of the flaws that you have mentioned, if true, are pretty silly on Honda's part.

Originally Posted by mjumrani

Finally, The pictures

Urban Titanium in itself is a beautiful shade. Add a Civic that is basking in that shade, is there anything more pleasing to the eyes?

[mjumrani]

Thank you all

Originally Posted by _raVan_

Congratulations on your car! The color looks great and SMT is a very sensible choice. Can you post more pictures with the bad viewing angles of Caska? Did you face any bottoming out problems?

I have just bottomed out once in 3 months now and only when it was fully loaded with people 6 feet and above.

My SD card has no movies right now. I will update the thread when I put in the movie.

Originally Posted by Ace F355

What is it which makes us compare our cars to some astonishing creatures of animal kingdom!!! May be Civic as a car imitates the speedy animals quite nicely.

Congrats on your new car and yours is one thorough review. Wish you thousands of happy miles with your new purchase. I love it to the core and good color choice too!

Enjoy the smooth sails...

Every car has a type of animal related to it. Speedsters of the the animal kingdom relate with the civic quite well.

Originally Posted by arvi86

I like it, not only your review, but also the car. All the points that you stated were spot on. Since I have experienced those positives and negatives first-hand, I can relate to the points that you have stated.

Well, that is some news. I was thinking that I should save up some money and try and get the Caska HU installed in my pre-facelift Civic, but have now started to resist. Some of the flaws that you have mentioned, if true, are pretty silly on Honda's part.

Urban Titanium in itself is a beautiful shade. Add a Civic that is basking in that shade, is there anything more pleasing to the eyes?

Caska is at fault for its flaws, this is what happens when you buy from the Chinese. I think they have started making Caska standard right now as every time I see an advertisement for civic it says free Caska.
Its a sad product nonetheless.

[vcx]

Need some more good pictures of Urban Titanium shade ,it's possibly the 1st Civic of this color on tbhp.