[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by dre@ms

As per plan, tomorrow taking my beauty home

Hey dre@ms, hope the delivery process went smoothly and you got your City. Eagerly waiting to read your ownership report.

Originally Posted by SrikantDora

Congratulations RavenAvi! Very nice write up of your journey for Honda City & the pictures complete your story. CE is a great VFM, my only grime are the AC Knobs that really spoil the look of the beautiful black interiors. One of my colleague is planning to buy a CE, would you please confirm if you have ever checked with the dealer about replacing these knobs with the ones that come with S MT / V MT? Even its just the touch of bling, but it makes it look much better. Thanks in advance.

Thanks, Srikant.

Regarding the knobs, even the ones on the higher variants (silver-colored ones) are merely different in color, and pretty similar to the touch. I persisted with black ones because they complement the interiors, otherwise they feel as cheap as the door handles and the ORVM covers. I asked them if a paint job can be done for them, and they said they haven't done it yet so it was untried waters for them. I will ask about replacements when I contact them next, then send you a PM within the next few days. But mind you, only the looks will be different.

Originally Posted by nandans2005

Hey Raven,

Congrats on your car ! Better late than never !!

I had not been around for a pretty longtime due to my frequent travels.

i am really happy to have a car enthusiast, so much enthusiastic as a mate here in the forum.

i am blown going through your entire stuff. Very comprehensive. Mindblowing.

It looks like GTO & other guys doing the test drives have a potential candidate here


P.s: Let me know if doing up the audio outside not void the Honda warranty ??

Thanks a lot for the kind words, nandans.

Getting the audio setup done outside won't void the warranty. No car wires are cut and complete wiring for all 4 speakers and the HU is provided inside the car. All you got to do is select your HU and your speakers, and fit them directly into your City.

-------------------

Some Observations regarding the "ECO" indicator and FE

There is a definite link between pressure on the Accelerator pedal and the "ECO" indicator.

For in-city driving, it's recommended that you reach a certain cruising speed (in my case 30-35 kph in 4th gear, at which you can negotiate small speed-breakers at relatively no loss in your speed and no downshifting) and then keep a feather-light, repeat, "UBER-light" touch on the accelerator pedal. Watch the City maintain it's speed nicely, and the realtime FE bar jump ahead to around 20 kpl (sometimes even more), and the "ECO" indicator immediately glowing up in it's bright green hue.

The "ECO" indicator also comes up when you are idly cruising at around 15 kph on 3rd gear; an indication that it's independent of the RPM as well. I have tested it on several different RPMs on all gears, and there is no fixed RPM band for it.

For highway driving, maintain a speed of about 65-70 kph on 4th gear and 80 kph on 5th to keep the "ECO" mode on. Cross 85 kph and touch 90 kph on 5th and it will be gone till you touch 125 kph (or more), and when you feel the sudden "WHOOSH" rush of the i-VTEC kicking in, the "ECO" is suddenly back on. It's on till about 135 kph (sometimes 140), and after that it goes off. Haven't tested it beyond 150 kph so far (that's been Pegasus's top speed till now).

Also, I have observed that if you slow down to a crawl and come to a standstill while in 2nd gear while climbing an incline (even a gentle one), the City tends to stall. It's recommended to downshift all the way to 1st gear if you are getting ready to climb an incline. FE will take a hit (comes down to 2-3 bars) but your City's engine won't stall.

Reverse this for when you are going down an incline. Keep your City on a higher gear (2nd, just to be safe in traffic, and 3rd for empty stretches) and just maintain your present speed without touching the accelerator pedal. The "ECO" mode will be on and the real-time FE meter will run crazy (sometimes touching the maximum of 40 kmpl!). A very apt nod to the "mdsaab school of achieving maximum FE from the City" (gosh how I miss him!). Be warned though - if your incline has several turns, it's best that you juggle your gears (2nd and 3rd) and maintain slower speeds, FE be damned.

Also, don't brake all the way down when you need to slow down before a breaker. FE will take a huge hit. If it's a small breaker, slow down and take it easily. The new 2012 City's improved GC is a boon with this - it simply refuses to scrape. You can tackle that moderate speed-breaker easily: only the bigger (read "HUGE") breakers are your toughest opponents to tackle. Best way to deal with them - go across them at an angle, one wheel at a time.

For reversing, do it slowly, specially when you are turning while reversing. The ORVMs and the IRVM don't show the blind spots around you, and there is always the chance of a vehicle/motorcycle around the corner which you might tend to miss. Even a slight tap on the accelerator pedal will propel your City backwards quickly before you even realise it. Reversing in a straight line is never a problem though.

Seat covers for the seats are advised. It is a pain to maintain the fabric OEM seats, specially when small bits of particulate cloth (or cotton bits) tend to get stuck on them (so stubborn that they don't even budge even at the intense sucking power of a vacuum cleaner).

Regarding tints on the glasses, there is a very slight greenish tint given on all windows, but it's very inadequate to keep the sun out (specially in hotter places). Your AC will be totally ineffective in the afternoons and early evenings. Tints are a must - at least 70% on all windows and windshields. I have 50% on all 4 windows and rear windshield, and 70% on front windshield, and even that fails to stop the blazing afternoon sun from heating up the cabin area. The AC at full blast needs at least 5-6 minutes to cool down the cabin, that too after I have the glasses slid all the way down to let the hot air driven out, and then back up to let the AC do it's work. Either the summers have gotten hotter, or the City's AC's effectiveness has gone down.

Pegasus has been a very faithful steed. I am nearing the 2,000 kms mark and it's been a rollicking journey with the King so far. Looking forward to the milestones ahead.

Will keep in touch.

[nandans2005]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Getting the audio setup done outside won't void the warranty.

Just have a check on this generally. Honda guys are very fussy about we getting things done outside.


Check my post no: 2114 with the link below.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...iency-141.html

This is what i read on my car meter during one of my business drives.

[dre@ms]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Hey dre@ms, hope the delivery process went smoothly and you got your City. Eagerly waiting to read your ownership report.

Hey buddy. Yes, the delivery was smooth and clocked 200KM till now. Driving the city is butter smooth, and wherever I go, the city is a head turner.

Quite busy now, so not able to dedicate time to write my ownership review, hopefully can do it in the coming days.

[arup.misra]

Originally Posted by dre@ms

delivery was smooth and clocked 200KM till now.

Congrats dre@ms. Now its time to get the head-turner on the bhp stage. Don't make us wait.

[W.A.G.7]

Hey, I didn't see the alloys, I saw them just now. Those are some nice looking alloys you got. Wow. I think your car is complete now, nothing much left to do, except drive the car and enjoy !

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by dre@ms

Hey buddy. Yes, the delivery was smooth and clocked 200KM till now. Driving the city is butter smooth, and wherever I go, the city is a head turner.

Quite busy now, so not able to dedicate time to write my ownership review, hopefully can do it in the coming days.

Still waiting eagerly to read your ownership report so far, dre@ms. How's the City doing so far? Don't make us wait!

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Hey, I didn't see the alloys, I saw them just now. Those are some nice looking alloys you got. Wow. I think your car is complete now, nothing much left to do, except drive the car and enjoy !

Thanks, buddy. I love the new alloys as well. It adds a touch of zingy sophistication to Pegasus.

Yes, nothing much remains to be done, except two pending jobs which I intend to get completed later this week, during 2nd Free Service :-

1) Get the Art Leather seats installed.

2) Get the fog lamps fixed once and for all.

I will be headed to Raipur within the 10th of June to get Pegasus's 2nd service done. Expect an update of that soon.

--------------------------------------------

Pegasus has been an absolute joy, and a faithful steed to own. He recently crossed 2200+ kms and it has been a butter-smooth journey so far. Compliments have been pouring in, and Pegasus still turns heads everywhere, specially in front of the Malls.

The best compliment Pegasus received yet was from the Branch Manager of the nearest LIC branch.

"Kya ye aeroplane aapki hai?"" (Translated - Does this aeroplane belong to you?)

Upon my pleasant surprise, he smiled and replied "Bhai saamne se to puri aeroplane dikhti hai, take-off ke liye taiyar!" (Translated - Looks exactly like an aeroplane from the front, ready for take-off!)

Needless to say, the wide smile I carried for the rest of the day was ample proof of my happiness and pride.

Anyway, I have been busy as heck with life and daily grind, so Pegasus has been limited to in-city drives over the past month or so. Not to mention, we have had one of the most sweltering summers in our city's history so far - temperatures have soared to 48° C (!) and it has been consistently in the 40s throughout the month of May (in fact, it was 40° C in the shade at my office couple of times).

Afternoon drives have been exceedingly hot, even if you step out immediately after having a refreshing, cold bath. Pegasus's AC takes a bit of time to kick in, even after I roll down all windows to let the stale hot air out and let in the fresh air when I back out of my parking space. The AC hasn't lost any effectiveness - it's the unrelenting summer so far! Once the AC kicks in though, it cools down very quickly (so cool that I take it a couple of notches higher to maintain the temperature inside cabin).

FE has been hovering at 11.4-11.5 kmpl for the past month. Considering the conditions I have been driving in, it's pretty acceptable (100% AC at full throttle, bumper-to-bumper 5 days a week, speeds of 25-35 kmphs, juggling between 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th). I expect it to improve slightly after this 2nd Free Service - they will change the Engine oil in this one. I will continue to use mineral oil.

Much has been said about the petrol rate hikes so won't say anything here. The company pays me CA + ACA so I can afford it for now. Hopefully for the next 10 years, petrol rates will be at acceptable levels.

If not, Honda diesels are not far.

Some more pics :-


Tow hook neatly tucked out of sight behind the rear bumper.



A close look at the headlamp assembly.



The parking light section.



The new City alloy.



The cockpit.



Seat belt with height adjustment.



Grab handles provided for front passenger and both rear passengers.



Storage space below the rear seat. (Left & Right)





The wipers. Note the difference in sizes. Unique to the City.



Panel gaps. Slightly prominent and not expected in a premium sedan, specially a Honda. But then, the Corporate variant is built to a cost, isn't it? Maybe I am just nitpicking.



To give you an idea of the panel gap, here's the key stuck inside the gap between the front bonnet and the upper panel of the wheel well.



Between front & rear doors.



Rummaging inside the engine bay. Most working parts are marked "Nissin", Honda's patent parts supplier.





A-ha! A "MADE IN INDIA" part as well (the oil filter)! (highlighted in red)



Twin fans cooling the huge radiator unit. The central white cylinder houses the water supply.



Engine guard provided.



Rear tail-lamp assembly part details.



The rear, housing the silencer.



The lowest part of the car - the rear spring-coil.



To give you an idea of the GC, that's a full-fledged Colin spray bottle placed aside it.



Pegasus has 3 paint-chipped areas now. First is on the left ORVM, second in the front bumper beside the left fog lamp assembly, and third in the rear bumper just above the driver side's rear wheel well. Pebbles or something else, God knows.

I will update soon with the 2nd Free Service report. Till then, ciao and keep driving safe, folks!

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Pegasus has developed 2 more paint-chipped areas. One in the front bumper beside the left fog lamp assembly, and one in the rear bumper just above the driver side's rear wheel well. Pebbles or something else, God knows.

Ask the SVC Guys to do the touch up job, please call them now to ensure that they have the OEM touch up paint available when you take the car for service.

[dre@ms]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Still waiting eagerly to read your ownership report so far, dre@ms. How's the City doing so far? Don't make us wait!

I have started my ownership thread and lying in the Assembly section. Tomorrow fixed my first service. Till now done just 450KM. FE shown in the cockpit is 14.8

[RavenAvi]

2nd Service Report: (2587 kms)


Work done -

Oil Change,
Oil Filter Change,
Wheel Balancing/Alignment,
Fixing front fog lamps which were not working,
Rear Bumper Paint Job,
General Check-up,
Washing & Cleaning,
fitting of paid accessories - Seat Covers, Reverse Camera, Autocop Central Locking System.

Time Spent - 2 ½ days.

Charges - Seat Covers was bought by me directly from Autoform. Paid for Oil/Oil Filter, Balancing/Alignment job, Paint Job & the accessories, plus Labour Charges for all the work listed above.


Did the tanking up and tyre pressure checks the day before I left for Raipur. Next morning (11th June) at 4:30 AM I was out of my home and onward. Reached Raipur at 10 AM with a brief stop of 15 minutes for a light breakfast in-between. Traffic was light, and over the nice clear patches I let Pegasus have a free reign and touched 120 kph. But overall, I maintained a speed of about 80-90ish for most of the distance. The "ECO" indicator was quite infrequent, and for the 310-km distance travelled, I got an FE of 16.7 kpl.

Again, being the outstation customer and having booked the service in advance (Honda calls you at least a week before the scheduled date to fix a booking for you), the Service Advisor quickly came over and noted down the jobs which I wanted to be done:-

1) 2nd Free Service jobs.
2) Fog lamps not working. To be fixed this time.
3) Wheel Alignment/Balancing job. (should have done it last time)
4) Rear Bumper scratches (results of 2 rear-ends) to be fixed through Paint Job.
5) Seat Covers to be installed. (brought them with me)
6) Reverse Camera to be installed.
7) Central Locking to be installed.

Took all my stuff out and handed over Pegasus to the SA. I was tired and had slept little through the night, so promptly headed to the customer lounge and stretched out on the sofa. Sleep came almost immediately, and I slept soundly for about 3 hours.

I headed straight into the service bay after getting up. Pegasus's fog lamps were fixed and working (!) and he was in line for getting the Oil Change job done. I know it was a bit early to go for the Oil Change (should have done it at 5K), but I was planning to come back for the next Service in December (after 6 months) so decided to have it done. It wasn't easy to do these frequent visits to Raipur by road now, due to several reasons.

Nobody was available to do the seat cover fixing and the washing guy had left early, so both these jobs, along with alignment/balancing work, was deferred to the next day. Since I was staying overnight, it wasn't a problem for me.

In-between, the Paint Job guy came over and scrapped the real bumper nicely, and filled the affected area with putty to let it dry off overnight. He told me the paint work will be done the next day, allowing for a nice finish. I was skeptical but he was confident, and told me to check his work the next day. Boy, was it impressive! Pics to follow.

I was too tired to take pics from the work done in the service bays this time, so no snaps from the workshop for this report.

(Instead, I will bring you something very special and memorable. Stay tuned.)

Next day, they started by getting Pegasus onto the ramp to get the Alignment/Balancing job done. Alignment was okay, but Balancing work saw weights being added to all 4 wheels. A testament to the fact that if you get alloys fixed, always get Balancing done immediately. It doesn't harm to get Alignment checked either.

By this time, the Paint Job guy came over and drove Pegasus into the Paint pit stop. A couple of hours later, the doors were opened. Wow! My Pegasus's rear bumper was as good as new! Not a shred of evidence remained which would depict it's two hard rear-ends, the razor cuts and the chipped off paint. I was impressed. Really, REALLY impressed!

Mr.Rao then called their official accessories fitment guy to fix the Reverse Camera (Xenos) and the Central Locking kit (Autocop). They came over at 2 PM and completed their job by 5 PM, doing a near-perfect job on the camera and a patchy job on the Central Locking. Since it was closure time by the time they finished, washing & cleaning was again deferred to the next day morning. One guy came over and did the Seat Cover fitting when the accessories were being fitted - that saved some time as well. Also, bought a car cover for Pegasus, with space for the antenna on top. The complimentary car cover didn't have this. Cost details to follow.

The next morning I arrived a bit late and saw Pegasus being polished and cleaned quite nicely. I called the official accessories guy because I needed to get the Pioneer HU's fitting fixed and there was a problem with the Central Locking (not getting unlocked once or twice). He explained in detail the location of his shop, and so I drove out of Honda on pretext of taking it for a test ride.

At the shop, they took the HU unit out and then slowly uncovered the central unit (which houses the HU, aircon vents and AC controls) very slowly. It took a lot of time but these guys knew their job (unlike the ones in Jagdalpur who boasted everything and did nothing) and after they were done, I must commend them for doing one of the best OEM fittings I have seen in awhile. They then took out the tweeters from inside the front doors (another shoddy example of the fitting done by the Jagdalpur accessory guys) and fixed them on either side of the front dashboard. The sound produced afterwards was sheer bliss! I didn't realise that the Focal tweeters were so powerful!!

They then opened the front door and noticed the problem - the wire of the locking mechanism was touching the door wires, and wasn't locking. They promptly fixed this and tested it out 4-5 times before handing it to me. Charges were incurred, but I gladly paid for them. A long pending job completed beautifully.

I drove back to Honda and parked Pegasus outside, and went to collect the Gate Pass. Once that was given, with a final polish of all windows and front/rear windshield, I was out of Honda.

Went over to my maternal uncle's home (in Raipur) and left Pegasus in their garage. I was scheduled to leave for Pune the next day at 11 AM in the morning, and entrusted him into their care for the next week.

After my return from Pune, I left Raipur at 5 PM and was home by 10:45 PM. It was drizzling and visibility was an issue, specially due to those pathetic headlamps. The fog lamps did their work beautifully and illuminated the road quite nicely, and I was thankful to the Lord for them doing their job. Speed maintained was a modest 70-80 kph for the 310-km journey back home, and I got an FE of 17.1 kpl for the trip.

Overall, an average experience yet again, except for the Paint Job. The most critical job according to me was fixing the fog lamps (before the rains arrived) and that was done within the first 2 hours I was there. The rest of the jobs didn't need so much time to be stretched out between them. Yes, Seat Cover job takes quite a bit of time, but I expected all jobs to be completed within 2 days at least. Stretching them into the 3rd day was disappointing. I must commend 2 people though - the Paint Job guy who did a beautiful job on Pegasus's rear bumper, and the outside accessories guy who fixed a lot of things "fitted wrong" in my Pegasus.

Next service, the 3rd Free one, I will avail in December. Hopefully I would have driven 5K kms by then.

Here are some pictures:

OEM fitting of my Pioneer HU (finally!).



Seat Covers (art leather) fitted.



Autoform U-Impress Dual Tone - Silver/Black.



Reverse Camera installed in center of rear bumper's top (Xenos).



View from the Reverse Camera in the Pioneer HU.



Autocop Central Locking kit fitted.

1st gift from Honda (this time) - The Honda key ring.



Fog lamps working now!



The rear bumper Paint Job. Looks new!



Fantastic finish!



2nd gift from Honda (this time) - these floor mats specially for the rainy season ahead.



Details of expenses :-







In addition,

the Autocop Central Locking kit cost 4200/-,
Xenos Reverse Camera cost 2500/-,
a Door kit billed at 150/- and
Fixing Charges were Rs. 300/-.

The next day, fixing the HU/Tweeters was charged an additional 500/-.


-----------------------


And here's the special treat from my visit to Pune - meeting the real legends of Team-BHP! :-)

The Pune group together for a misal pav meet on 17th June - Team-BHPians sajo, kpbhatt, Guderian, kaustubh_vaze, yours truly, udaydesai and ajay_satpute.
Photo taken by nanduchitnis.



Team-BHPian kaustubh_vaze sharing a light moment with the rest outside the misal pav joint.



Team-BHPians udaydesai & nanduchitnis watch on as Senior Team-BHPian Guderian glares at the kitchen helps for not providing the misal for our pavs on time!



All of us inside the hotel, enjoying our misal pav. (from left) Team-BHPians sajo, ajay_satpute, kpbhatt, udaydesai, antz.bin, Guderian and kaustubh_vaze. Pic taken by me.



Fleet Admiral in the middle - Team-BHPian Guderian's mighty Toyota Fortuner aka T-Fort!
kaustubh_vaze's Palio on the left, and kpbhatt's Indigo on the right.



Yes, that's Guderian on second from the right, in all black. Admiral's hood opened!
From left - Team-BHPians udaydesai, antz.bin, yours truly, kaustubh_vaze, Guderian and kpbhatt.



A panoramic shot of all Team-BHPians at kpbhatt's home - (from left) Guderian, antz.bin, me, sajo, kaustubh_vaze and kpbhatt. Photo taken by ajay_satpute.



The final parting shot, before we dispersed from our misal meet. Photo taken by Guderian.



Team-BHPian Sudarshan and his fantastic Land Rover, Irene.



Team-BHPian kaustubh_vaze and myself, striking a pose with his Palio.



Team-BHPian dot on the left, me on the right, with the indomitable Scorponok, dot's Civic!



Fellow Team-BHPian kpbhatt with dot.



Dinner meet on 20th June - (from left) Team-BHPians shridhar.s.i., kpbhatt, 1self, selfdrive, nanduchitnis, shreeram.parulekar, amitwlele, ajay_satpute and dot.



Team-BHPian selfdrive's seductive Jazz, with those enchanting Plati alloys!

[bluevolt]

Pegasus is looking great Avi! Nicely written detailed service report deserves a big .

The distance you travel to get the car serviced is huge! I mean driving 310 + 310 = 620KMs for servicing is really tough. Honda should expand it's service network.

Pegasus is now complete with all goodies and free of niggles and I can say that this can give tough competition to the top end variant.

The labour cost of 2200 is bit on higher side? I guess this was free service! What jobs were involved here(Except for seat cover fitting)?

Enjoy the drive mate!

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Pegasus is looking great Avi! Nicely written detailed service report deserves a big .

Thanks, my friend.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

The distance you travel to get the car serviced is huge! I mean driving 310 + 310 = 620KMs for servicing is really tough. Honda should expand it's service network.

Yes, but I don't mind a long drive every now and then. But in 3-month intervals with a baby at home is getting tough. I will be converting this into 6-month visits from now on. My running isn't too much anyway - 3000 kms in 4 months is pretty low.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Pegasus is now complete with all goodies and free of niggles and I can say that this can give tough competition to the top end variant.

What I am missing from the VMT now is the side indicators on ORVMs, seat height adjust and cruise control - 3 things which I can live without. Chrome bits here and there don't bother me, and my HU is a huge step ahead from Honda's OEM HU. Plus those fantastic Focal speakers + tweeters make me forget everything else!

Originally Posted by bluevolt

The labour cost of 2200 is bit on higher side? I guess this was free service! What jobs were involved here(Except for seat cover fitting)?

Fog lamps were fixed, regular oil change/oil filter change was done, wheel alignment/balancing was done, paint job was done and seat covers were fitted, apart from the regular check-up and washing/cleaning. I think the charges are okay for all the jobs listed - 1500/- for the paint job, 495/- for Balancing, and 200/- for the Alignment check. Rest was waved off.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Enjoy the drive mate!

Thanks, BV. Pegasus is complete now. All that remains is to enjoy my steed!

[selfdrive]

Avi bhai, I dont know how I missed this thread. A very interesting way to put up a buying experience and I have much to learn from you in terms of listening to people.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

2nd Service Report: (2587 kms)
Charges - Seat Covers was bought by me directly from Autoform. Paid for Oil/Oil Filter, Balancing/Alignment job, Paint Job & the accessories, plus Labour Charges for all the work listed above.

I hope the HASS weasels here at Pune have not shared 'best practices' with the HASS guys over at your end. The guys here end up pushing services that are not required and then charge us for it. During the next service I am going to tell them point blank, do what you want but I will pay only for what is written as essential in the company provided booklet.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

In-between, the Paint Job guy came over and scrapped the real bumper nicely, and filled the affected area with putty to let it dry off overnight. He told me the paint work will be done the next day, allowing for a nice finish. I was skeptical but he was confident, and told me to check his work the next day. Boy, was it impressive! Pics to follow.

I was too tired to take pics from the work done in the service bays this time, so no snaps from the workshop for this report. Instead, I will bring you something very special and memorable. Stay tuned.

Where are the pics? and we are tuned for the special thingy too

[libranof1987]

Glad that the 2nd free service is done.

Agree - your's is a very good competition to the top-end variant. And it's best you live without the turn-side indicators : it's mighty expensive to replace and cruise control - wonder which highway you get to use that!

Just a suggestion - it's best you carry out wheel alignment/balancing at a
dedicated tyre shop; it's cheaper and you get to ensure they do it properly.

Now, enjoy your ride!

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Avi bhai, I dont know how I missed this thread. A very interesting way to put up a buying experience and I have much to learn from you in terms of listening to people.

It wasn't that I wasn't impatient as well. But it paid off to listen to the voice of reason (just like the voice of conscience). There is no substitute for experience, specially practicality. I am glad I heeded, and today when I drive Pegasus on the roads I don't feel an ounce of remorse for any of the other choices which drive across/around me. As a matter of fact, I am really, really glad I went for the City. Looks-wise and performance-wise, there are very few (read "none") that can beat it.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I hope the HASS weasels here at Pune have not shared 'best practices' with the HASS guys over at your end. The guys here end up pushing services that are not required and then charge us for it. During the next service I am going to tell them point blank, do what you want but I will pay only for what is written as essential in the company provided booklet.

Nope. On the contrary, I was the one who insisted on getting the alignment done together with the balancing, when the A.S.S. guys kept telling that it wasn't needed to be checked in a new car. They weren't ready to do the balancing even (!) during my last service when I got the alloys fixed! Being the only Honda dealers in Chhattisgarh is taking it's toll on them - they are overburdened when it comes to servicings! But still, they do their best when attending to individual customers and their servicings.

Plus, I am extra careful in case of servicings. That's why I keep going into the service bays to check up on Pegasus, when they keep asking me to wait in the AC-cooled guest room. Soaring temperatures be damned, I HAVE to know what all they are doing to my car. After all, it is MY car!

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Where are the pics? and we are tuned for the special thingy too

Already posted in the post above. My special visit to Pune to meet the real legends of T-BHP!

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Glad that the 2nd free service is done.

Agree - your's is a very good competition to the top-end variant. And it's best you live without the turn-side indicators : it's mighty expensive to replace and cruise control - wonder which highway you get to use that!

It's a nice little fancy thing to have (the ORVM turn indicators), and could be useful in city traffic too. But on hindsight, the 3 blinkers on the City are enough (1 each on front headlight and tail light, and 1 on the side). Besides, the older generation City didn't have them too, so not a big loss.

And yes, my friend, which roads do we have in India to utilise that wonderful cruise control function? It's a fantastic function no doubt, but there are practically no roads around to use them - maybe the expressways but those need their own set of driving skills, cruise control NOT one of them.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Just a suggestion - it's best you carry out wheel alignment/balancing at a
dedicated tyre shop; it's cheaper and you get to ensure they do it properly.

Now, enjoy your ride!

I will do that when I go for the tyre upgrade (at about 10K-12K kms). Since the default Goodyears are doing their job, I got them done at the workshop for now. Next one is scheduled for after at least 5K kms, and after that I will get my tyres upgraded. Hopefully, to Michelin XM2s or Bridgestones, because I am hearing really good things about those two. But, to do that, I will have to source them from outside my state.

Let's see what happens.


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Some more observations regarding the "ECO" indicator - it's not limited to only 2 speeds within a particular gear, like I observed earlier. The "ECO" kicks in at different speeds on the same gear - like in the 4th gear, it will kick in as soon as you cross 35 kmph and maintain it, climb to 40-45 it stays, drop back to 37-38 it goes off, back to 35 it doesn't come back on! Drive for a bit maintaining the speed, and it will come back.

Like my friend bluevolt mentioned earlier in this thread, it's more dependent on the RPMs and the inclination of the roads one is travelling. You will never see the "ECO" enabled when the car is climbing, or is travelling upwards even on a slight incline. Downshift and it disappears, upshift and it disappears. The only rare time I saw it being maintained steadily is when I shifted from 4th to 5th gear at a constant speed of 75 kph. Tap slightly more on the accelerator, see the odo zoom past 80, and it disappears instantly. Keep climbing to over 90, and it comes back on.

The best thing to do is to maintain it at speeds of about 70 kph on 4th gear and 90 kph on 5th gear. The 4th gear has superb pull however, and if the roads are a bit bumpy, it is advised to stay at about 75-80 on the 4th gear to keep the "ECO" steady. Avoid the 5th gear usage unless the roads are absolutely exceptional.

Will keep in touch.

[dre@ms]

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