[saket77]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

I had till today morning the same problem you have mentioned here in my Civic. The passenger seat when empty would squeak and groan and make all kinds of funny noises while driving over uneven surfaces.
Then yesterday i read about your arm rest issue and though maybe the sound if coming in my car because of that too. I decided to check it out today in the morning and yes you are so right. The arm rest surface rubs against the passenger seat side and goes squeak every time the seat was shaken.

Same pinch! My Civic has the same problem. Though, I did isolate the problem before. For the time being, I have left it that way as it is not that bad. Will try to slide out the arm rest a bit and then check if it still squeals.

[spoth001]

Originally Posted by Carpainter

I also got MRF stock tyres in my car. Even the official Tbhp review has MRF stock if I remember correctly. So I guess XM2 and goodyear are not the only OEM supplier for City.

Thats news for me and I am glad to know that MRF is meeting the standards. I may just consider them too for my civic. Any idea if they are preferred for civic ?

[KRN]

Originally Posted by spoth001

Thats news for me and I am glad to know that MRF is meeting the standards. I may just consider them too for my civic. Any idea if they are preferred for civic ?

You may want to check with fellow Civic owners. My feedback is from the stock MRFs that came with the City. We still have to see how they hold up beyond 20k Kms

[SS8939]

Congrats! The car, especially the interiors look absolutely gorgeous! Since you are open to mods, you should consider a wrap, larger tyres and a new set of rims, really will turn heads.

[Seran Manian]

Hi KRN, Congratulations and thanks for the detailed review. Your HU (Sandiego 530) Maps can be upgraded and I have done that twice. You need 'NavieXtras' Toolbox software installed in your Laptop or Desktop. All the best.

[Aaron:)]

Congratulations on your new car! I'm sure it'll never let you down.
Did you opt for the roadside assistance program? It was really helpful for me once when I had a minor accident. Flatbed arrived within half an hour, and they even provided a courtesy car for 2 days.

Also could you share the approximate cost of those seat covers?

[KRN]

Folks,

Things at work have kept me busy and away from this thread

A few quick updates

1. Car has completed 2200 kms as of today. Both 1st and 2nd Service done by Honda and was not charged anything. Special marks to the driver who came to pick up and drop the car. Very courteous!

2. The car was not at all cleaned well after second service and I was waiting to give feedback, but as usual no feedback or call from dealer after service. Guess they are too confident about the quality of their work

3. Here is the biggie:
Couple of weeks back, started the car and was driving as usual. Suddenly noticed that the idle rpm was zero! The rpm needle went up with accelerator inputs, but was about 800 to 1000 rpm below normal. It was almost as if the needle was showing consistently 800 rpm below what it should (so idle rpm was 0 and 2000 rpm would register as 1000 rpm). A simple stop of the car and restart of the engine fixed it and the rpm needle began to act normally

I am guessing that this is a speedo/rpm console issue. The issue did not resurface in the last 2 weeks.

I have a big (1000 km) trip coming up this weekend and so should I be worried? I am avoiding a trip to the service center unless absolutely needed

[aditto]

Originally Posted by KRN

Folks,

3. Here is the biggie:
Couple of weeks back, started the car and was driving as usual. Suddenly noticed that the idle rpm was zero! The rpm needle went up with accelerator inputs, but was about 800 to 1000 rpm below normal. It was almost as if the needle was showing consistently 800 rpm below what it should (so idle rpm was 0 and 2000 rpm would register as 1000 rpm). A simple stop of the car and restart of the engine fixed it and the rpm needle began to act normally

Get it checked right away!

And nice review

Do update us on the mileage you are getting in city and outside on the highways.

[KRN]

Originally Posted by aditto

Get it checked right away!

And nice review

Do update us on the mileage you are getting in city and outside on the highways.

Thanks. Will see if I can go to the service center in the next couple of days. I am hoping that it may be a problem with the speedometer instrumentation than the engine.

Mileage so far in the city has been hovering between 8.5 and 9.5 kmpl. I don't necessarily drive with a light foot. I am hoping that it will improve post engine oil change though I am perfectly happy with anything more than 9 in the city.

[KRN]

Folks,

I will be driving to Valaparai this weekend and it is my first drive on a ghat road using an automatic car

I have good experience in driving a manual (Swift) in ooty and kodaikanal ghats

Couple of questions
1. Uphill: The car manual suggests using S or L mode. Are these really required or can I just stick it in D and shift to S mode for very steep inclines?

2. Downhill: Given that a lot of engine braking is required, I am thinking of driving in S mode. Want to avoid L mode unless really required.

3. Anything else that I need to be aware of to drive the automatic in a ghat section?

Any inputs will be greatly appreciated. The car will have a total of just 2 passengers and luggage.

[KRN]

Originally Posted by KRN

Folks,

I will be driving to Valaparai this weekend and it is my first drive on a ghat road using an automatic car

Couple of questions
1. Uphill: The car manual suggests using S or L mode. Are these really required or can I just stick it in D and shift to S mode for very steep inclines?

2. Downhill: Given that a lot of engine braking is required, I am thinking of driving in S mode. Want to avoid L mode unless really required.

Folks, bumping this. Any help will be appreciated!

[KRN]

Folks: A quick update on the ODO issue. Took the car to Honda for a checkup before my trip to Valparai. They connected the OBD scanner and didn't find any error codes. Was given a thumbs up for the trip.

Came back yesterday after the 1300+ km road trip. Car is now 4 months old and has done a total of 3300+ kms now.



The Drive
Had a blast of a time driving the car both on the 4 lane National Highways and 2 lane State highways. The engine is a beast and the power seems endless. I never felt the car feeling out of breath even at good speeds. Overtaking is just effortless and driving was a combination of D and S modes with S mode used for overtaking and hill climbing

The handling again is nowhere compared to my earlier Swift and I frankly would have enjoyed the Swift more through the winding Valparai ghats than the City.

The surprising part is that I bottomed out the suspension 3 times during the trip (all front left side) on particularly deep pot holes. I am worried that I may have nicked or injured the underbody and a check by Honda is imminent.

The brakes are excellent and helped immensely during panic breaking situations (dog running across the road). I could faintly feel the ABS kick in during one of these braking situations

The horn is a different story. I could feel the tone of the horn changing during long honking sessions (e.g. overtaking truckers who seem deaf). The last time this happened in my old Swift the battery was about to pack off. Any ideas if this is a horn or battery issue?

Driving on 2 lane SHs


Rain during onward journey


The beautiful road to Pollachi


Just before the Valparai ghat road


Mileage:
The overall mileage for the trip was 12.4 kmpl, which is a tad disappointing though. I am hoping that this will improve post my third service when engine oil will be changed.

Some observations on mileage
1. Got the best mileage of 16+ when driving at 70 to 80 kmph on traffic free 2 lane state highways
2. Got the worst mileage of 9 to 9.5 kmpl when climbing Valparai ghats. When climbing downhill it was 10 to 10.5 kmpl
3. Mileage on 4 lane National Highways with spirited driving was between 12.2 and 13 kmpl
4. Tip: In all road conditions, you will get the best mileage when cruise control is set. When you switch on cruise and you are at a lower speed, the car accelerates to meet the set speed. But the ECU ensures that the acceleration is limited so that the mileage doesn't drop below 10 kmpl. Once the set speed is reached, the mileage climbs higher than 10 kmpl
All mileage figures are as reported by the car MID


Automatic advantage

The biggest revelation during this trip for me was the convenience of the automatic. Even after 500 km highway runs I was not tired a bit and could have easily driven another 200 kms more. Contrast this with my earlier trips on the Swift where I was ready to drop on a bed after 500 km drives.

In spite of being an automatic, there is plenty of power on tap and the S mode transforms the car into a beast.

Again, if you are a fence sitter and debating between auto and manual, do yourself a favor and go for the automatic. The drop in mileage is a small compromise for the awesome driving comfort that you get.

HVAC

Special mention to the Air conditioner for doing a phenomenal job on the return journey to Chennai (40C temperature reported by met station with the MID showing 45C). The AC is a chiller and not once did we guess that the outside temperature was above 40 C. The ACC kept us very comfortable during the entire journey and this is another plus point of this very competent car.

Some more pictures
Sunrise at destination


View of the Aliyar dam/reservoir from the ghat road

[joelchandra]

I have always been thinking of going for the Auto but refrained because of the myth here in India. Your review boosts confidence in me to go with the AT. I would have with blindfold booked a Honda City if there was an AT with their diesel motors. Having said that, I am waiting for over 8 months now for the new Innova which will be my long distance cruiser. Hope they launch the AT at a good price point.