Sorry folks. I’ve been a bit busy on lot of other things so haven’t been able to add to this thread much.
My White Unicorn completed around 2.8KM and here is update from my side :
What I like
- Car is a gem. With each day going, I’m just loving my Unicorn more and more
- Looks, Looks and Looks. The front grill looks has grown on me and now I just love the elegance of my Unicorn.
- The engine is very powerful. It seems to have smoothened over time and just love driving in ’S’ mode
- No major issues faced till now (details below). Very reliable so far
- Ergonomics inside cabin is really good and I find my back well supported (more details below)
- Ground clearance in amazing. So far it has not scraped the bottom in the worst ever potholes in Bangalore. (Tyres are 195/60 P3ST)
- Though there is no Hill Hold function on CVT, there will still be a normal push in D/S mode so it works like Hill Hold to a certain extent on roads with normal slopes (Bangalore is full of them). This is a real boon. My wife finds it much easier to drive over the manual i10 I had
- The sheer pleasure of driving an Automatic car
What I do not like:
- Variance in FE seems drastic
- On a fully loaded car, I see myself driving in S mode more during roads full of slopes
- Engine is a bit noisier in initial gear ratios and is more prominent on a fully loaded car
- ECON mode leads to a very sluggish performance specially at lower gear ratios
- Frequent gas station visits
- Finding it difficult to maintain white car (I only clean my car)
- The Audio Unit at times gives a feeling of semi after market installation. There is lot of open space and somehow they could have better utilised the same.
Other details:
Fuel Efficiency:
Here I would want to put the same into 3 buckets (Always driven in D mode and NO ECON):
- Pure city driving (0-40kmph max) in thick traffic: 7-8kmpl
- City driving in moderate conditions (traffic and some open patches): 10-11kmpl
- Highway driving (with cruise control): 18-19kmpl
I was expecting the FE to be minimum at 9-10kmpl but the sheer pleasure of driving an Automatic in Bangalore traffic makes you forget that.
Service:
I gave my car for service (3 months service) this time to Magnum in Yeshwantpur. They charge about 400 bucks for pickup and drop. Car was delivered back in time and came with free car wash. One thing I however noticed is that, the bonnet and roof developed some uneven surface when you move your fingers. As you are aware, I had got the premium CQuartz treatment done on my ca so this was not expectedr. I took it to Mohsin from Ultimate Detailerz and I was shocked to know paint particles on my car. It seems that some other car might have been getting painted next to my car which lead to this. This is something I plan to bring to their notice soon. This is just not acceptable. The same was removed with light claying.
Issues/Accidents:
- One of the scooter banged on rear and broke the left rear lights(not part of boot). Luckily there was no other damage. I directly took to Magnum Honda and too my surprise, they didn’t have the part for left side. They assured me that the same would be available next day. A visit again the next day and the same was replaced and I was charged some 1700 bucks including labour.
- While using the tyre pressure gauge, somehow it fused the car charger port. I had to again visit Magnum Honda to get same replaced. I was charged somewhere around 100+ for the same. I asked for an extra one and they denied. Has someone sourced the same from outside market? It’ll be good to keep 1-2 during emergency.
- Some light hissing sound was coming from one of the windows when rolling up. This was taken care during service and was due to some dust particle getting inside.
I got a chance to spend some time at Service Centre and some thoughts below. Overall not much satisfied and not even close to the way Hyundai service centre operates (at least the one I used to go)
- Long waiting times before they attend to you. Both times I had to wait about 10-15 minutes before SA came. At Hyundai it used to be 2-3 minutes. Maybe they want us to relax in lounge and enjoy the TV entertainment
- Long waiting time to generate bill. I somehow found them understaffed and they were multitasking the jobs and adding to unnecessary delay
- The section where they paint cars did not seem that isolated with the section where cars are serviced
- Didn’t get feeling of being in Honda workshop (maybe had high expectations). Hyundais are much better
D/S Mode
- These days, whenever I see an open stretch, I put my car in ’S’ mode and love the power my Unicorn can unleash
- On a fully loaded car (had 6 at a time), D mode at times feel a bit underpowered, more on uphill kind roads which Bangalore is famous for
- I’m not missing the paddle shifters and the engine does a really good work in shifting at the right time in S mode
Ergonomics:
- People sitting on the back love the oodles of space that Honda has given (Even squeezing 4 wasn’t difficult)
- On driver’s seat, once I sit, I push myself from lower back and it gives me pretty good support on my mid/lower back. I do have Art Leather seat cover which adds to the padding. Also, having Automatic also reduces the left foot movement to Nil which helps in keeping back ache away.
Update on the Honda Genuine/After market accessories : Tyres:
The Michelin P3ST are just superb. It holds the road so well even at high speeds. Even in rains, I feel much more comfortable handing the unicorn. One thing I wanted to point out though is that as the tyres are wider than OEM, they stick out marginally from body. Due to this, inspite of having mud guards, it easily spoils the lower part of your door during rainy days with the dirty water getting splashed from tyres. I got puncture twice right in middle but no damage to car. Where I work, lot of construction goes and this is somehow normal
Alloys:
The Neo Alloys I’ve put are just superb. I’ve got a lot of good comments on the way the car looks with these alloys. Even cleaning the same is very easy.
Illuminated Scuff Plates (Honda Genuine):
They work as expected and add to the beauty of my unicorn. However, I noticed that they get scratches easily (specially the aluminium part). As part of DIY, I’ve covered all the 4 scuff plates with Gadget Shieldz protector.
Sports Pedal(Honda Genuine):
It has been working really well. Apart form aesthetics, it adds a good grip when your feet are on them.
3M Nomad Mats:
After spending a bomb here, I’m glad I went for them over the 3D mats. I’ve got the beige ones and they look really good on Honda (pictures do not do justice). It has been raining quite a lot these days and when you enter the car, the sole of your shoes would be wet and the mat takes all of it (including dirt) inside. It’s been 4 months and they are as it is and gives a nice carpet like feeling. Once in every 2 weeks, I just remove them and lightly shake to remove the dust particles.
Art Leather Seat Cover:
Covered briefly in Ergonomics section and they are as it is and very easy to clean.
CQuartz Paint Protection:
Again, I'm glad I went for this. It's still holding pretty well. More details here:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post3480134 New Accessory bought:
On weekdays, the car is driven by my wife primarily. There was an instance where there was a puncture but she couldn’t notice it until pressure dropped to 10psi. Luckily it did not damage the tyre. She wasn’t able to make out easily due to tubeless tyres. To avoid damage in future, I got the following:
http://www.ebay.in/itm/4x-Brass-Car-...f3b893a&_uhb=1 (this one is for 34 but got 32 one)
For price I paid (around 500 bucks for set of 4), they are super value for money and give a quick indication on pressure levels.
Some pictures here:
