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Old 6th April 2015, 19:27   #1
KRN
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My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update

Prelude:
2005 was the year I got hooked on to cars. I had got a driving license 5 years back, but had no real world driving experience or knowledge of cars apart from the ABCs learned from my Mechanical Engineering background. Every car maker in my mind was created equal and so were the cars!

I was hunting for my first car with the help of my friend (who was the only person in my circle who knew to drive and had a Getz). I had almost decided on the Maruti Zen then, and was about to make a booking. But that was when I saw pictures of the Swift. I wanted to take her home rightaway! There were only 2 Indian cars that took my breath away and made my fall in love at first sight. One was the Swift and the other my eternal favorite - Honda Civic in black.

My good friend was convincing me hard to buy the Getz and I took a test drive with him on both cars. But my mind was made up and I just couldn’t resist the beauty of the Swift. Consulted with wifey – we had been married only for 7 months then and she gave the thumbs up. Beam blue it was and I still love the color and waxed her every single month.

The Swift soon became a family member and regularly pampered. Wifey started complaining that I was spending way too much time with her. The Swift was with us during all ups and downs – right from regular office runs to bringing my daughter home when she was born. I still can’t forget how much abuse the Swift took in getting our entire family home during one particular Chennai monsoon night with water so deep that it still gives me shivers when I think about it.

She served us faithfully for 9 years and 75000 odd kms; never giving up when we needed her. But all good things must come to an end and a personal situation required us to upgrade and look for another car. The Swift was still going strong, except for a noisy & slightly less effective aircon compressor and showing minor signs of aging.

Some shots of our beloved Swift before we parted with it

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04384.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04385.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04386.jpg
Attachment 1357868
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04388.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04387.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04404.jpg

The Hunt:
9 years later, I had grown older, wiser and become less of a thrill seeker. The traffic in Chennai had also grown leaps and bounds. I started shortlisting cars with the following requirements in mind

• With running of just 7000 to 8000 kms a year, it had to be a petrol
• No real constraints on FE
• Bullet proof reliability and should serve me well for 8 to 10 years
• Was in two minds on whether to pick an auto or manual
• Decent resale value – in case I change my mind and decide to sell the car in 3 to 4 years

Cars shortlisted
• Hyundai Verna
• Ford Ecosport
• Mahindra XUV
• Honda City 2014
• Maruti Ciaz
• Volkswagen Vento

The entire process of shortlisting & finalizing cars took me about a year. Here is my (personal) view of each of the cars. No offence to anyone

Hyundai Verna
This was on my shortlist prior to the new City launch. I felt that the new City was a better car in most aspects that were important to me (especially the handling part). Pretty competent, but was out of my list very early in the selection cycle. I didn’t even test drive the car

Ford Ecosport
Loved the solid build and the concept of mini SUV when it was launched. But attitude of Ford dealers (take it or leave it when it was in demand) put me off. This car was also taken off my short list when prices went up and I realized that I could get a City or Vento with just another Lakh more.

Mahindra XUV:
Was completely smitten by the looks of the car and went to the showroom for a Test Drive. One of the best sales experiences that I had was with the Mahindra dealer. Unfortunately, the car didn’t tick all the boxes for me. I was put off by the interiors and the way the car rode and braked. No offense again, I somehow felt the engineering/handling/driving finesse lacking when plonking in 14L and the fact that I had test driven the Ciaz just before the XUV was also a deal breaker.

Volkswagen Vento:
The Vento, Ciaz and City were the strongest contenders in my short list. I made couple of trips to 2 different VW dealers. None of them had a TSI for a test drive. They were happy to say that VW doesn’t give them Vento TSI test drive cars. One of the dealers suggested that I TD the Polo to get a feel of the engine and gear box, but never arranged for it. I was also a little worried about maintaining a Vento in the long term and stories about expensive injector failures made it even more scary. Let’s not forget that I was absolutely being treated like a King by Maruti every time I went to their service center

Maruti Ciaz
The Ciaz launch was the actual reason I delayed buying the Honda City. Fantastic effort by Maruti and I feel that this car was a worthy competitor to the City. However, Maruti bungled big time on the choice of engines, automatic transmission (very basic) and very poor thigh support for the seats. If I were buying a diesel, the Ciaz and the Verna would have been the default first choice(s), but the petrol Ciaz was lacking at least on paper. I also feel that Maruti didn’t manage the launch well as there were hardly any petrol Ciaz cars available for test drives, the much hyped Z+ versions & auto versions were not available until a few months after launch. I would have really loved to take another Maruti home, but I think Maruti missed a trick or two here

Honda City
The City is the default choice in the segment with a strong brand following and a lot going for it. The 2014 version of the City was really a grown up car and I felt that it had moved a half segment up in terms of dimensions and space offered. I did test drive of the City on 3 different occasions as I was still not convinced that it offered me everything I wanted

The positives
• Excellent petrol engine
• Fantastic space and features offered
• Honda’s perceived reliability & resale value
• Good car for a long term ownership stint

The negatives
• Too many niggles & lack of attention to detail
• Poor build quality in comparison to rivals
• Ride quality not to my liking
• Cost cutting was too obvious

Took several months going over pros and cons. The official reviews on team bhp and insights from forum members helped. It was clear, that I was going to make several compromises regardless of which car I was choosing and I felt that the Honda had the least compromises that I had to make.

I had narrowed down my choices between the Manual V version and the CVT SV which were within my budget. I really wanted the CVT, but wasn’t sure how good it would be in real driving situations. I test drove both cars back to back and while the manual was really really good, the CVT was not too bad. Came back to team bhp and read the reviews of several members who had the CVT. Many thanks to forum members aditto and neel911 whose ownership reports helped me finalize on the CVT. Special thanks to forum member Mr. Seran Manian for patiently answering many of my queries during the decision making process

Made a booking with the dealer in December 2014 and made it clear that I wanted the 2015 variant and not the 2014 model. I was also hoping that the niggles would have been fixed given Honda had shifted production of the City to the Rajasthan plant

V variant vs SV:
In the interest of helping future buyers, here are some of the key differences between the 2 variants

• Alloy wheels – Would have liked to have them, but Honda’s choice of rims is horrible to say the least

• Chrome door handles – I feel that body colored handles look better

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04810.jpg

• Chrome inner body handles – Would have preferred chrome for inner body handles as they look more premium and better. The SV variant comes with the black shown below

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04801.jpg

• Turn indicator on ORVM – Mixed feelings about this. They look good, but I don’t want to pay a bomb every time a biker decides to squeeze past my car at traffic lights. SV variant has indicators on the body which look cheap

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04811.jpg

• Rear parking camera – absolutely needed for this car along with parking sensors. Note the dealer fitted camera here on the bumper (V variant has factory fitted camera above license plate)

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04809.jpg

• Electrical folding ORVM – Won’t use this much

• Map lights – Absolutely required given cabin size. I miss them in the SV variant. You can see how the single cabin light at the center is inadequate for the cabin

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04806.jpg

• V Variant has an audio with 5 inch screen, tweeters, overall better sound quality and excellent Bluetooth telephony. In comparison, SV variant’s speakers, HU and BT are real bad. I spent a bomb replacing them. See the dealer fitted Blaupunkt HU below

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04803.jpg

• 3 power outlets in V vs just 1 in SV – Marginal utility for me as 1 outlet is sufficient

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04827.jpg

Honda – If you are reading this, you should have launched the V variant in CVT (I am spending almost 50 grand getting SV variant’s music system & reverse camera etc. upgraded and would have preferred giving you the money for a factory fit and finish than to the accessory guys or dealer).

Last edited by KRN : 11th April 2015 at 08:43.
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Old 6th April 2015, 19:30   #2
KRN
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Booking, Delivery & Accessories

Booking & PDI:
If you are booking the Honda City and you are like me, you will find that the choice of colors is rather depressing. I take pride and interest in maintaining my cars paint finish and so prefer darker colors. Honda simply doesn’t have any exciting colors for the City and the only dark color options were the browns and the reds. My first and only choice was red – wifey OK-ed it and we made the booking on an auspicious day. We were told to expect delivery in less than 2 months and expect to get the car by end of January.

The wait started and then came the news out of the blue. The excise duty waiver that was in effect was lifted and I was suddenly staring at a bill that was 40K higher! Poor me, who had thought of getting a slightly better resale value for a 2015 car was in for a rude shock. I didn’t really have any other option, did I?

Mid of Jan, I get a call from the dealer saying that my car has been sent from Honda’s plant and I should expect it in 10 days’ time. He asks me to start my loan processing and arrange for down payment. I get all the paperwork initiated and continue waiting for my car to arrive.

I keep calling the SA every other day and ask him if my car has come to the yard. Finally told that my car has arrived. I arm myself with the team-bhp PDI checklist and reach the yard. Here are some clicks (excuse poor quality cellphone pics)

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-img_20150120_170156094_hdr.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-img_20150120_170223917_hdr.jpg

I pray that the car comes with Michelin and to my disappointment, they are the MRFs. Ask the SA if I can get a choice of Michelin and flatly refused. Make a mental note to replace tyres after the first 2 years in case they are not satisfactory.

Check the VIN number and happy to see that it is a 2015 model. Go back right to the showroom and hand over the cheque for downpayment. Dealer commits delivery in 3 days and I wait for the D-day with all excitement

Delivery:
Reach the dealer at the pre-arranged time. The car is not even there! Tell them that I have to take delivery before 6 PM (before the auspicious hour ends) and they scramble and make a few calls to find where the car was. Apparently fitting the accessories took longer. Finally the car arrives and there is still some paper work and last minute cleaning to be done. I ask them that I just drive the car out of the show room before 6 PM and come back and do the rest of the cleaning.

A short pooja is performed and I drive the car out, squeeze the lemons under the tyres and drive the car right back in for rest of the cleaning to be done.

Here are the pictures of my red steed parked at home after taking delivery

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04413.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04412.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04414.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04415.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04416.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04417.jpg

Honda has to go a long way when compared to Maruti, be it their process focus, training SAs or doing a seamless delivery.
Even the process of booking, paper work, registration was much better done by Maruti for my Swift. I don’t remember making more than 1 trip to the dealer outside booking and delivery, but had to do it 3 times with Honda as they would bring up some paperwork requirement or other at the last minute.

Accessories:
I had shortlisted the following accessories for my car.

Floor Mats
Was contemplating between Noodle mats and 3D mats. Finally settled on 3D Mats from eBay. Cost about 1.3K INR. I think Noodle mats from 3M are a more practical option if you are willing to spend big bucks on it. However, when it comes to looks, 3D mats are definitely better. After installation, I see that the 3D mats are not a perfect fit and don’t cover the full carpet area. Note that while sellers on eBay say that these are custom mats, they don't fit the floor area like a glove. I am still in 2 minds on whether I should get full (vinyl?) carpeting done to preserve the original carpet

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04824.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04826.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04825.jpg

Head Unit
Dealer started saying that I absolutely needed to get the HU changed from him else warranty would be void. I had no choice but to pick between either the MapMyIndia head unit or the Blaupunkt Head unit. Decided on Blaupunkt and was quoted 33K for installation along with reverse camera. I chose the San Diego 530 which has inbuilt navigation. Note that you can get the HU for much cheaper outside if your dealer allows it.

Chennai members may note that another Honda dealer in Chennai allows you to change the HU outside.

The dealer provided reverse camera does its job but falls a bit short of the reverse camera that comes in the higher variants. My experience with the HU has been strictly average and you can refer to my post here to know more. If you are used to a modern touchscreen interface you are in for a big disappointment here. MapMyIndia Navigation leaves much to be desired compared to Google maps. The only good part is that they gave me a free maps upgrade and subsequent upgrades need to be paid for

I also had to buy a Fascia (dealer price: 3k) to get the 2 DIN HU fitted to the dash. The dealer returned back the stock fascia and the stock HU claiming that it was worth nothing. If any of you are buying a Fascia, ensure that you get the glossy one shown below and not the matte finish (which I believe is used for the low end variants)

Picture of head unit showing navigation
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04803.jpg

This is how the bluetooth telephony screen looks
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04828.jpg

Incoming call displayed
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04830.jpg

In call menu. Note the mute button and ability to transfer the call from car speakers back to the phone
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04831.jpg

The external mic that comes with the Blaupunkt is pretty good and the other party can hear you very clearly. Bluetooth telephony works as designed

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04822.jpg

I was very disappointed with the stock speakers in the SV variant and got the front speakers upgraded to Morel maximo speakers with damping. They are way better than stock and I enjoy listening to music through them. I was advised to add an amp, but that will have to wait until I feel the need for more oomph in the music!

In short, I burnt about 50K just getting the HU and speakers changed/upgraded.

So, if you are contemplating buying the SV (MT) version and like your music, please consider buying the V variant which will give you much more bang for the buck

Seat Covers
After several weeks of research, narrowed down on Jeewajee (Alwarpet) for seat covers. Mr. Mohammed is a thorough professional and the moment I spoke to him, I knew that I was in good hands. He walked me through various types of fit and I chose the type where they directly sew on the cover to the seats.

I really liked Autform’s UImpress (looks classic) and paid an advance to Mr. Mohammed who promised delivery of the covers in a week’s time. The shipment got delayed and since I couldn’t find a convenient weekend to get the fitting done, Mr. Mohammed offered to get 2 people to my home to get the work done. I should say that the work was phenomenal and took 3.5 hours to complete. I am totally satisfied with the covers and the workmanship. Will let the pictures talk

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04808.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04807.jpg

Under chassis coating and Paint Protection Film
After my first long trip (will post details shortly), I really felt the need to get under chassis coating done. Went to 3M OMR and got the coating + Paint protection film done for key areas such as bumper, door edges, door sills and door handle areas.

I had a very nice experience with the manager there and he frequents Team-Bhp. We spoke a lot about detailing and how to maintain the car’s fit and finish. Would recommend 3M for their professional approach and long term commitment (they offer inspections and a long term warranty)

My only issue with the paint protection film is with the visible seams in my bumper and not sure if much can be done about it

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04814.jpg

Paint protection films along the door lines
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04815.jpg

Blue LED Lights
The dealer suggested that I fit a set of LED lights that light up when door is opened. They cost 2k from dealer (much cheaper outside, but threats of losing warranty prevailed). I think the lights look really cool at night and had a few friends remark that they look stunning. I feel that they complement the blue dials that the car has

I also understand that this could be very subjective and a few may find this border line cheesy as well. See the pics and decide for yourself

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04791.jpg
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04789.jpg

Complementing the blue dials of the car
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04790.jpg

Last edited by KRN : 11th April 2015 at 09:16.
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Old 6th April 2015, 19:33   #3
KRN
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Driving, Handling and Suspension

Review of the car
Much has been said and written about the new Honda City. Here is my brief take

Exterior:
Like I said before, the Swift and Civic will be my eternal favorites. I didn’t find the City (or available colors) exciting. I definitely hated the chrome grill, but now it is starting to grow on me slowly. Would still not hesitate to change the grill down the line if I find one that looks good on the car.

The paint job in my view is average and I would give it a 2.5/5. My Swift had a better luster at the time of delivery and I feel that either something is really wrong with Honda’s paint shop or with the dealer who does a so called polishing (which adds a ton of swirl marks) before delivery. My wife remarked that the car hardly looked new and till this day (2 months later), no amount of wax makes it look really new. May be it is time to head to 3M and get a round of claying and polishing done

In the name of cost cutting, Honda has really cut down on the thickness of sheet metal and quality of bumpers. The roof goes in with the slightest of pressure (worse than the paper thin Swift's roof) and the bumpers also seem to be wafer thin.

The doors feel heavy and relatively better than my Swift but nowhere in the league of the Vento or Ecosport.

Subjective opinion: The Swift’s paint (while lustrous) never withstood the slightest abuse and while the Honda seems a touch better (in terms of layers of paint), none of these cars will withstand long term abuse and I expect them to be prone to paint chip off (e.g. someone leaning on the car with their shoes). I feel that the Ventos and Polos have much better paint to withstand daily abuses

Interior:
Honda has nailed the look of the interiors. I find it modern and interesting and will give it a 4/5. The colors of the dials and the features added make it a very "feel good" place to be in.

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04805.jpg

However, I had great difficulty in finding a good seating position and was consistently getting lower back pain during the first 2-3 weeks of driving. I suspect this due to me pushing the seats back and the steering not having adjustment for reach. I am happy to report that I don’t have the problem anymore (not sure if it was just my back getting better or if I just found a better posture).

The front seats are good, but I expected a 11L car to have much better seats than my Swift. I have now realized that the front seats of the Swift are still one of the best in the business (at the price point) and the Honda's front seats feel about the same to me

The rear seats, however are a very different story. They are just phenomenal and you have to experience it to believe it. Everyone who has sat in the rear seat has commented how good it was. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone to chauffeur me around and I am yet to sink into these blissful rear seats

I just wish that Honda paid more attention to the fit and finish of the interior. I am not sure if the interiors would stand the distance and years of abuse. I have had a rattle coming from the rear seat but have not been able to locate it. There is also a bit of noise coming from one of the door pads and cannot locate it either. The City is no rattlebox like the Swift and in general I find the cabin ambience fantastic and even very quiet, but only time will tell how the interiors will age

Driving Experience
I was very apprehensive about how the automatic would be to drive especially after owning the eager Swift.

The automatic has 3 modes that you can potentially use

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04802.jpg

Econ mode:
I was driving quite a bit in Econ mode during the first 200 kms and it left a lot to be desired. The Econ mode is really only for driving in bumper to bumper traffic or when you want to eke out every drop of petrol. It may also be a great mode if you are getting chauffeured and don’t want to feel the sudden bursts of acceleration

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04823.jpg

Drive mode:

This is the mode that I leave the car in most of the time. It took me some time to adjust to the CVT and its behavior (remember, I was skeptical about using an automatic?). I was initially disappointed that the car didn’t respond with urgency to my accelerator inputs (the G13B Swift is very eager once you get past the low rpms). Once I learnt how to modulate the pedal inputs, it has been pure driving Nirvana. Today, after 1500 kms, I can easily find and zoom to close gaps in traffic. The D mode is also pretty "decent" for the sudden burst of acceleration when you find a free stretch.

The CVT has been a revelation for me and I am now convinced that my next car would be an automatic as well. Be it pulling away from traffic lights or driving in heavy city traffic, the experience has been fantastic. A part of the reason for this is the very powerful engine that the transmission is mated to. I have enough and more power on my tap for any kind of city and highway runs.

Another big difference that I am noticing is that I am taking the car a lot more for city driving than I would with my Swift given the convenience of the automatic. I also see a huge difference (drop) in my stress levels after a 1 hour drive and I no longer feel tired after peak hour drives.

Sport mode:
The Sport mode is the "fun mode" on this car. The throttle response is direct & immediate and you no longer feel connected through the CVT transmission that introduces a bit of a lag. You also get a lot of engine braking. The car feels like a beast in this mode and I find the driving experience truly rewarding. In fact after the first 1000 kms, I am finding myself using the Sport mode more than the D mode with very little (or no perceptible) drop in Fuel Efficiency. The engine is a bit noisier in this mode though. Not once have I missed the paddle shift as the engine responds (almost) instantaneously to throttle inputs

If any of you are sitting on the fence (like I was earlier) in choosing between the auto and manual, please do your legs a favor and choose the City auto. Your legs and mind will thank you later. For regular Joes, the auto will be much faster than shifting through the gears even if you are the kind of person who enjoys accelerating through the occasional free stretches of tarmac

Suspension & Handling:
I am going to compare this with the Swift. The suspension on the City is way softer than the first gen Swift. I don’t feel every single ripple on the road like I used to, but the suspension is not very comfort oriented either. The Ciaz beats the City hollow when it comes to ride quality (Ciaz was way better than even the XUV in my test drive).

The City’s handling is predictable and nowhere near what the Swift gave. I just don’t feel like taking corners the way I used to with the Swift (though the Honda’s tyres have never lost grip yet). While I knew this even before my purchase, if you are corner craving, the Honda is not the car for you.

The good part is that the ground clearance is good and I haven’t scraped the bottom yet. Honda has really taken feedback from the previous gen City and worked on it

Last edited by KRN : 11th April 2015 at 09:17.
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Old 6th April 2015, 19:35   #4
KRN
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The Other Things

The Other Things

MRF tyres
I think the MRF tyres have been going about doing their job quite well. They have been good, decently soft and never lost their grip. Very surprisingly, the braking has been very good. I am sure that fatter tyres will any day be better, but Honda (& MRF) have really done their homework here and these tyres will meet the need of most customers

In contrast, my experience with the thin tyres on Swift (VXI) was the opposite. It was very clear from day 1 that the tyres were inadequate for the power and brakes that the first gen Swift had. After several instances of tyres losing the grip on my Swift I upgraded them well before even 1/3 of their life

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04821.jpg

Center arm rest
Here is an example of the lack of attention to the finish of interiors. As you can see the center arm rest is not really in the center of the car and touches the (left) front passenger seat, while there is a larger gap between the arm rest and the (right) driver seat. This causes an annoying squeaking sound (armrest brushing against left seat) every time I go over a bad patch of the road. I raised this with Honda during first service and they even refitted the seat, but the problem remains.

While this problem has been accentuated with the addition of the seat cover, I feel that if Honda's fit and finish had been perfect, there would have been equal gap between the arm rest and the 2 front seats

My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04804.jpg

Roof bending with slightest pressure. You have to see the picture closely to see the sheet metal bending.
My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update-dsc04832.jpg

Honda's Customer Service
This was a huge shock for me coming from Maruti. I have not got a SINGLE call till date from Honda asking feedback about the car or the first 2 services done barring a call from the dealer after delivery. I am not sure if I have been spoilt by Maruti or if this is how rest of the car makers are. I am surprised that such a large car maker such as Honda does not have a robust process for getting feedback from customers. I dread to think how it would be if I have a problem and have to raise a complaint

Last edited by KRN : 11th April 2015 at 09:15.
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Old 13th April 2015, 14:45   #5
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re: My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 13th April 2015, 15:30   #6
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re: My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update

Congrats on your new car. The red looks good on the car. SV CVT is value for money as well sans features. Enjoy the greater drive
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Old 13th April 2015, 15:51   #7
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re: My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update

Congrats on buying a great car. Very detailed ownership review out there. Loved reading it
One year--that's some time you took to decide on your car Sir. The dynamite engine will surely bring a smile to your face for miles and years to come.

BTW, that blue light in the interior looks just awesome. I will surely fit one in our yet to be delivered Ford Classic.

Wishing you many joyful, convenient, enjoyable and safe miles with your new car.
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Old 13th April 2015, 16:25   #8
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Re: The Other Things

Congrats KRN on your new Car. The Red color looks good and stunning. Suggest you go for CQuartz treatment to maintain it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KRN View Post

Honda's Customer Service
This was a huge shock for me coming from Maruti. I have not got a SINGLE call till date from Honda asking feedback about the car or the first 2 services done barring a call from the dealer after delivery. I am not sure if I have been spoilt by Maruti or if this is how rest of the car makers are. I am surprised that such a large car maker such as Honda does not have a robust process for getting feedback from customers. I dread to think how it would be if I have a problem and have to raise a complaint
I am surprised to read your comment on calls from Dealer. From which Dealer you took delivery of your car? I have taken delivery of my City from Sundaram Honda, Chennai and until now the experience has been good.

After delivery, I had two calls from them inquiring about my experience and feedback. The second caller requested me to submit my feedback to Honda in their website. After my submission, he again called me to thank for the feedback.

For the first service which I did last week, I got a reminder call from Sundaram and also another call after the service to get my feedback. Hope the good experience continues.
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Old 13th April 2015, 16:38   #9
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Originally Posted by AshBabu View Post
Congrats KRN on your new Car.

I am surprised to read your comment on calls from Dealer. From which Dealer you took delivery of your car? I have taken delivery of my City from Sundaram Honda, Chennai and until now the experience has been good.
Thanks AshBabu.

To clarify, I did get a call from dealer post delivery, and the dealer also mentioned about a direct call from Honda to get feedback. But I didn't get any. I thought that it was usual practice for manufacturers to directly reach new customers for their overall buying experience.

For the record, I haven't had any problems with the car or the dealer so far (who have been responsive by the way)
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Old 13th April 2015, 18:52   #10
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Re: The Other Things

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Originally Posted by KRN View Post
The Other Things

MRF tyres
I think the MRF tyres have been going about doing their job quite well. They have been good, decently soft and never lost their grip. Very surprisingly, the braking has been very good. I am sure that fatter tyres will any day be better, but Honda (& MRF) have really done their homework here and these tyres will meet the need of most customers
Hey Congratulations for your lil beast Make the best of it and let us know the ownership reviews after 25K KMS also BTW I am a little concerned about MRF. Why MRF ? Did you ever bother to ask the Dealer ? Just a concern again as Honda normally uses Michelin & Good Year.

Cheers !
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Old 13th April 2015, 19:07   #11
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Re: The Other Things

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Originally Posted by spoth001 View Post
Hey Congratulations for your lil beast Make the best of it and let us know the ownership reviews after 25K KMS also BTW I am a little concerned about MRF. Why MRF ? Did you ever bother to ask the Dealer ? Just a concern again as Honda normally uses Michelin & Good Year.

Cheers !
Thanks spoth001! I believe that the MRFs and Michelins are the only 2 options available for the Honda City and I got the MRF ones (purely random)
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Old 13th April 2015, 20:35   #12
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Re: The Other Things

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Originally Posted by spoth001 View Post
Just a concern again as Honda normally uses Michelin & Good Year.
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.
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Old 13th April 2015, 20:41   #13
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re: My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update

Congratulations on the buy! Wish you many safe miles with this one.

I am slowly getting inclined towards the City in my quest for buying an automatic for daily use. I am also wondering if the premium is justified between the SV and VX variants. Might just go for the VX only for the sunroof

Dealers always threaten you with warranty loss to eke out the last penny from you in accessories but one should not yield. Take all the details from them and get it done outside at fraction of the cost. Nevertheless forget about it now and enjoy your vehicle.

Nice choice of colour as well! Enjoy, have fun and be safe
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Old 14th April 2015, 14:02   #14
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re: My Red Steed - Honda City SV CVT. 1300 km Road-Trip update

Congrats KRN for new car. Nice review too.

Liked seat covers and footwell lights. Noted that LED fixed both in front & rear. Hope they serve well in dark.

Quote:
Dealer started saying that I absolutely needed to get the HU changed from him else warranty would be void. I had no choice but to pick between either the MapMyIndia head unit or the Blaupunkt Head unit. Decided on Blaupunkt and was quoted 33K for installation along with reverse camera. I chose the San Diego 530 which has inbuilt navigation. Note that you can get the HU for much cheaper outside if your dealer allows it.

Chennai members may note that another Honda dealer in Chennai allows you to change the HU outside.
I suppose Honda as a company has policies to govern the warranties. They need to work consistently across the dealer network. Any experience about it within the forum?
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Old 14th April 2015, 14:09   #15
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Re: The Other Things

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Originally Posted by KRN View Post
Center arm rest
Here is an example of the lack of attention to the finish of interiors. As you can see the center arm rest is not really in the center of the car and touches the (left) front passenger seat, while there is a larger gap between the arm rest and the (right) driver seat. This causes an annoying squeaking sound (armrest brushing against left seat) every time I go over a bad patch of the road. I raised this with Honda during first service and they even refitted the seat, but the problem remains.
Buddy first of all congratulations on your Honda. It's a beautiful car. I wish you thousands of happy miles on it. 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 is 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.

As a temporary measure and to experiment i inserted a small double piece of paper between the arm rest and the seat. It fit in snugly and then shook the passenger seat to see if any squeaks would come. Guess what ,there was none. While driving to office the car was completely silent. No squeaks, no rattle sound etc.All thanks you and your insightful post.

Now the piece of paper is just a temporary measure. I will look for a more permanent solution because (which probably would involve a paper stuck to the side of the arm rest hidden from view :-) ) as when i open the arm rest the paper falls off.

Anyways thank you very much for your useful post.

Last edited by sumeethaldankar : 14th April 2015 at 14:24.
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