[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by kunalsingh

Quality and fit look quite good. How much did they cost you? I recently got a set of generic transparent rubber mats (the ones that you can find on every single car) as I had a narrow miss with my driver side 3D mat when the clutch pedal slipped under it while being depressed.

Might go for these noodle-type mats soon!

They cost me 2200/- at a local accessories shop. The fit and looks are decent. I was keen on some colour other than black and this seemed to best option.
Even I hate the plastic rubber ones and always prefer this carpet look to it.

[Hamza123]

Been a while since I updated this post!
But when you have a reliable Japanese workhorse there is nothing much to report. And am not complaining

Car crossed the 50000kms milestone this week

The milestone mark


The periodic wheelbalancing alignment and rotation


The bumper was slightly misaligned and Honda had quoted me 4000/- for removing and fixing the bumper. Got it done for 600/- at a friendly garage


Got these tyre valve caps off Amazon. Pretty good quality and look really sharp.


On the wheels. Excuse the dirty alloys we have rain in January in Pune!


Got this puddle light again off Amazon. Looks very sharp and works off battery so no touching the wiring. Was sceptical earlier but turned out to be decent. If you remove a small plastic piece the logo vanishes and it becomes a high powered light.

[Hamza123]

Took off for a 4 day break to Goa. This is honestly the first long trip the car has had in the 3 plus years I owe it. As always smooth fast and trouble free

Leaving at the crack of dawn


Long empty roads and a pocket rocket. That's all what you need sometimes

[ibisbrew]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

The splash screen which comes on when you start the car. This can be customised to any picture

Attachment 1997946

Hello Hamza123

Great car, very well kept and was an inspiration for my purchase as well. I purchased a 2012 V MT Silver Honda City recently and was thinking about an ICE upgrade.

I noticed in the quoted picture that the button placement for AC and Rear demister is different than in the original post.

Can you shed some light on that ? Does the car have sockets in both areas, since the models with 2 DIN CD system had buttons on the side (picture attached below) and newer AVN models had button placement like in the quoted picture

Thanks and stay safe!

[Hamza123]

Originally Posted by ibisbrew

Hello Hamza123

Great car, very well kept and was an inspiration for my purchase as well. I purchased a 2012 V MT Silver Honda City recently and was thinking about an ICE upgrade.

I noticed in the quoted picture that the button placement for AC and Rear demister is different than in the original post.

Can you shed some light on that ? Does the car have sockets in both areas, since the models with 2 DIN CD system had buttons on the side (picture attached below) and newer AVN models had button placement like in the quoted picture

Thanks and stay safe!

Thanks for your kind words. I have changed the entire frame of the central console. The frame is made by Honda itself so is a perfect fit. The frame has a socket behind to which the ac and Demister sockets fit into. This is done to accommodate the wider screen of the pioneer system.

[Duckdoc]

Long term review of 3rd gen Honda City VTEC MT: 11 years and 130000 km

I bought the 3rd gen in India, Honda City SMT in May 2010 and the family wanted the Habanero Red colour. I was also keen on only a petrol engine.
My son who was 7 at that time insisted on a dovetail spoiler believing it improved aerodynamics which however cost me 13 grand. This was my first new car, after having had 2 pre-owned cars, a Zen, prior to 2007, and another one in New Zealand. This buy turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life and the start of a great relationship with the VTEC NA engine. It was not a bad looker, either.

It took a month to be delivered, and finally arrived in May 2010 with the customary ribbon and cheap chocolate. I removed all the plastic covering the seats immediately and the very next day, took the car out to a nearby hill station at a distance of 80 km. Just loved the turning radius and the total control with engine braking on hairpin bends and going down hill. What struck me then and thereafter was the quietness of the engine and when pushed emitting the most delightful revving noise one can hear.

Having been a fan of engine braking from the motorcycling days in college, I never even thought of getting an automatic, though I know I am in the minority here. Besides going downhill, or on curves with the engine revving and downshifting on turns in anticipation where vehicles often wander over the white line at great speed from the opposite side, I've found the MT more than useful, as well as thrilling. In addition my wife and children enjoy driving the MT.

The first time I scraped the bottom ( the anticipated Honda City problem) was over an unregulated speed breaker on a village road and with the horrible grinding sound my heart sank. I took it to the garage, got it hoisted and surveyed the bottom for any damage. There was none and the mechanic laughed saying, " Nothing will happen, sir". Avoiding the bottoming out in the soft suspension did take some time to get used to on obstacles as one has to get the speed in first gear exactly right.


I was determined to use it and use it well. Thereafter, I've scraped over countless speed breakers, gone on dirt roads, mud roads, sometimes on lorry tracks, basically everywhere a City is not supposed to be driven, and it has survived them all.


Driving comfort and ride quality

The driving position was comfortable with good visibility. The height adjustment and position could be adjusted for 2 other members in the family who were comfortable, as well. The arm rest was in the correct position as well as the controls on the windows and one didn't have to strain to reach them.

Lumbar and under thigh support was good. Driving for 12 hours was a breeze and not tiring. Rear vision was good and I managed all these years without parking sensors.

While comfortable on good roads, bumps on other roads are felt with the wallowing effect of the soft suspension. It's really becomes a problem on very bad roads and the GC is not of help here.


The back seat, though reasonably spacious is a bit cramped for a six footer and can get a uncomfortable on bad roads with the soft suspension they do feel tossed around, though belted in.

The elderly do find it difficult for getting in and out as the seats are low, however.


Stability, handling and steering

Straight line stability is good. While it can handle speeds at 3 digits well, at a certain point, because of the light weight, you get a floating feeling and I always kept the speed well below this, as you can sense the beginning of loss of control

Where it comes into its own is corner handling and acceleration.

The steering was comfortable to hold, calibrated well with good feel of the road. It never gave any problems till now.


The engine

The VTEC can only be described as a driver's delight. In the earlier days, on idling, it was so quiet that I've cranked the engine, by mistake.

Besides, the engine responds to your input getting needed acceleration on downshifting to overtake/ get out of a tight spot. The only issue is when fully loaded, the extra weight does show and one has to down shift more than usual, especially while going up an incline.

The brakes are adequate with ABS kicking in when needed in an emergency, keeping things under control.

The volume of the horn used to be the butt of jokes then, but I didn't change it so as not to startle and paralyse a jaywalker.


Maintenance:

I used to service it every 5000 km religiously and cost around 4 -6 grand each visit.

The brake pad was changed once.

The rim bent once when going over a crater.

The tyres were changed at 50,000 km to Michelin and at 110000 km to Energy XM2.




The AC compressor was changed last year, at 10 years and working well.

The front windshield was leaking 3 weeks back, was taken out and resealed with sealant.


Dealership and servicing:

The dealership where I bought the City changed over to Hyundai the following year. However, they gave their assurance of looking after the car, as I had bought it there. As there was a good relationship with senior mechanic, it functioned more like a FNG and must have saved quite a bit of money as well.


Fuel economy:

11.5- 12kmpl in city traffic.
Generally 14.5 - 16 kmpl on highways.
Once, driving to Pondicherry, a distance of 160 km, I held myself back with immense self control at a sedate 80 kmph and got 19.5 kmpl.
The FE has remained the same, through all these years.

Pics taken yesterday
















Enjoyable trips:

Countless, but a few stick out as below;

Kottayam to Cumbum on the the way home through the Ghat road.

Driving to Coorg and taking the curves in 2nd gear with the beautiful sound of the engine revving.

From Masinagudi to Ooty with the car fully laden in bumper to bumper traffic. The most interesting part of this trip is a stretch called the Kalhatty ghat road. The road is 12 km, very steep with 36 hairpin bends. This road is a challenge and is accident prone.

While most sedans had their wheels spinning, it was a real test to not do so. Moreover, it was enjoyable to start on the incline from 'stop' without reversing an inch using the time honoured handbrake, first gear technique. I guess, driving quite a bit in South Island, NZ helped where one has to start often on an incline after stopping at the traffic lights without backing an inch. Here again, the City was more than upto its task.

Each time I go through the Thoppur Ghat there is a thrill as well as the trips to Kodai and Ooty.




The trip I didn't enjoy at all:


Thekkady to Munnar 3 years back with the car fully loaded. The road was so bad that it took nearly 5 hours to cover 79 kms.


The trip which got me worried:

The end of last year I drove from Tharangambadi, on the coast, to Tirunelveli. I started at around 5 am and then it literally started pouring cats and dogs. I was using Google maps, on village roads with near zero visibility. I thought, mistakenly, that there would be some light around 6 am. However, that day there was natural light only from around 7.30 am. On top of it there were no coffee shops to stop at, with only the occasional passing lorry showing some signs of life on the road. This trip on a road covered with water and sometimes just slush was testing, yet the City came through. Of course, once I reached Thanjavur and good roads, it came into its own.


What I didn't like:

The AC can be described as adequate at best for the front seats and definitely inadequate for the rear, especially in summer.

I also wish the car was heavier, from the safety point of view, though I know it would affect almost everything else including the FE.


What I liked most:
No niggles at all.
Driving comfort, safety, handling, spacious interior and a huge boot.
Low maintenance.
No problems with suspension.
I know, the GC is low but the tradeoff is added stability.



Things I thought of changing but didn't:

The tyres do look thin for the capability of the car. Yet it was reliable with all the corner carving and on wet roads, so I stuck to the original size.

The lights are just about adequate and being low slung, one can get blinded by lights of oncoming traffic. However, instead of getting more powerful headlights, I try to avoid driving at night.


Signs of aging:
Start of rusting on the doors and some peeling of paint on the front grille.

Surprisingly, the interior has not aged in all this while.

As 11 years approached, having been a sedan aficionado all the while, after the last 2 trips mentioned, I thought I should get a CSUV or 'pseudo SUV' as some would call with a hint of derision and condescension, for more adventurous driving. As I said earlier, my only priority is a great engine and safety and settled, against most local advice, on a XUV 300, a choice mostly guided by the excellent TBHP review by Aditya with input from GTO.

I asked my mechanic whether to sell the car and he was emphatic with a, 'No'. He said it will run for another 10 years with no problem, but if I really wanted to sell, he would take it for 4 lakhs. I, then gave it to my daughter who is a keen driver, knowing after 11 years, it still feels and sounds the same as the day I bought it in 2010. When giving up your car, you know you're giving up a bit of history as the kids have grown up with it and our dog was a pup when he had his first ride and is now an old feller but still loves his car ride.

Having given it to someone in the family, at least you get to see the car at least once a fortnight.

In short, this car gave me more than I asked for and some and is surprisingly rugged for its appearance.

[Tejasb]

[quote=Duckdoc;5083293][u][i][b] When giving up your car, you know you're giving up a bit of history as the kids have grown up with it and our dog was a pup when he had his first ride and is now an old feller but still loves his car ride.

/QUOTE]

Great post 👍 agree with the last part about the memories you make in a car. We too have a 2007 swift vxi, but giving it away and taking another modern car feels wrong. Its a very basic car, no ABS even, but I've travelled in it since my childhood and I still love it. Maybe the fact that the car is so simple makes it even more attractive in my eyes

[charanreddy]

Thanks for sharing.

I recently got a 2013 City SMT with 1,30,000 kms from my neighbor acquaintance. Though this was for my brother , I had a chance to drive and decide. Despite 1.3 lakh KMS , the car had a lot of juice and accelaration in 2nd gear all the way to redline is quite satisfying. Needless to say we are satisfied with the purchase and not a whole lot of other brands / cars inspire this sort of confidence.

[jeygani]

Originally Posted by Duckdoc

Long term review of 3rd gen Honda City VTEC MT: 11 years and 130000 km

I bought the 3rd gen in India, Honda City SMT in May 2010

My city is of similar vintage and also driven around 125000km.

Originally Posted by Duckdoc

you get a floating feeling and I always kept the speed well below this, as you can sense the beginning of loss of control

This floating feeling I also noticed, car feels light at highway speeds(above 120kmph). I am using 195/60 R15 Michelin Primacy 3st and grip levels are very good with better braking experience. For moderate city usage 175 is fine.

Originally Posted by Duckdoc

The steering was comfortable to hold, calibrated well with good feel of the road

I prefer city's light and comfortable steering.

Originally Posted by Duckdoc

The lights are just about adequate and being low slung, one can get blinded by lights of oncoming traffic. However, instead of getting more powerful headlights, I try to avoid driving at night.

I too avoid night driving and also did not upgrade headlights, kept it stock. Planning to upgrade to a new car later on and keep city for nearby drives.
Next upgrade would be 530D, 630GT or similar with good engine + transmission combination and some good features.

Originally Posted by Duckdoc

Signs of aging:
Start of rusting on the doors and some peeling of paint on the front grille.

Surprisingly, the interior has not aged in all this while.

Same with my city and friend's city as well. I removed rust by dry sanding, it was light surface rust at the trunk and later did spray painting.
One bottle of spray paint bought from a local paint shop is more than enough. Difficult part is to remove rust with manual sanding, if a machine sander is there then less time consuming, otherwise it is fairly simple process to fix minor visible rust spots.

Originally Posted by Duckdoc

I, then gave it to my daughter who is a keen driver, knowing after 11 years, it still feels and sounds the same as the day I bought it in 2010. When giving up your car, you know you're giving up a bit of history as the kids have grown up with it and our dog was a pup when he had his first ride and is now an old feller but still loves his car ride.

Having given it to someone in the family, at least you get to see the car at least once a fortnight.

Exactly same thought process as mine!

[sheelRP]

I also own a 3rd Gen Honda City (Bold Beige) purchased in Aug-2011. My current odo reading is 87500 kms and besides regular service at Honda Service Station-HAS (oil/oil filter, transmmision oil, fuel filter, air filters etc.), no part replacement has been done till now. Infact it is still runnng on stock brake pads and everything is still on stock. Only thing i have changed are the tyres at 50000 kms with MRF ZLX and battery in 2015 (Amaron Pro). We all know IVTEC is a free revving and gem of an engine with good balance of power and efficiency. Just it requires regular oil changes and initially we had mineral oil and now HAS started using synthetic during service. I think it is one of the better cars from Honda and though we know GC, brakes and lights could have been better but trust me, it is still much better family sedan even after more than a decade. Soft suspension needs adequate care for bottoming out on bad roads with full load but there is a parallel beams on the underside of the running board/below door which prevents damage to the underside.
I have extensively driven on long road trips (Delhi-Ahmedabad: 4 times, Ahmedabad-Goa, countless Ahmedabad-Udaipur) iwth my family (wife and 2 kids) and never has it given me any trouble and with utmost comfort. Hope we all enjoy our "power of dreams" of 3rd gen honda city for years to come. Thanks and stay safe.

[anuragbagur]

Originally Posted by Hamza123

Thanks for your kind words. I have changed the entire frame of the central console. The frame is made by Honda itself so is a perfect fit. The frame has a socket behind to which the ac and Demister sockets fit into. This is done to accommodate the wider screen of the pioneer system.

Dear Hamza,
Your head unit installation has come out very well. My close friend is buying either a Pioneer or Sony HU for his City (same 3rd gen 2013 model; S MT) and needs the frame/ fascia urgently. We are unable to source the same here in Bangalore. I will be very grateful if you can share the details of the source from where you got the OEM frame. I can PM you separately.

[rkw]

Great review!
We have a 2009 3rd generation City. Has done 80k km. We have had many memorable long trips. It is still a gem of a car. Hardly required any parts replacement except tyres, battery. Just the regular service. Our car can easily go on for another 10 years.

[mohitchalla]

A fantastic vehicle indeed! I owned the 3rd generation City for 10 years and 1,20,000 kms. Really loved driving it. Never had any issues. Still miss it sometimes.

[SN88]

Kudos to Honda!

Ours is a 2007 Honda city zx approaching 150k kms soon. Been with us since 14 years and not a single break down. Nothing has gone wrong with the engine, gear shifts are yet super smooth, no noises from the chassis or any creaks whatsoever. Suspension lower arms have been changed once at 100k kms, clutch plate at 135k kms, brake pads thrice and tyres thrice till now and that is all!! All this car needs is to be timely serviced as per schedule and it will be with you for as many years as you want!!

It is the primary work horse in our house and used daily. Some pictures below.

[WanderinNomad]

Originally Posted by SN88

Kudos to Honda!

Ours is a 2007 Honda city zx approaching 150k kms soon. Been with us since 14 years and not a single break down. Nothing has gone wrong with the engine, gear shifts are yet super smooth, no noises from the chassis or any creaks whatsoever. Suspension lower arms have been changed once at 100k kms, clutch plate at 135k kms, brake pads thrice and tyres thrice till now and that is all!! All this car needs is to be timely serviced as per schedule and it will be with you for as many years as you want!!

It is the primary work horse in our house and used daily. Some pictures below.

Nice knowing people still own this car. Since there are almost no ownership reviews of this car on the forum unlike other cars of that era like Baleno, it seems that this model is long forgotten. Also, the fact that Teambhpians hate it for its looks and performance makes matters even worse.

On the contrary, having owned this car for 15 years and 1,10,000 kms, I have deep respect for it. In fact, this August I will extend its registration and continue using it for the next five years. I can confidently say that this car has been the best purchase of my life.

My experience is similar to yours in terms of longevity, the car is on its stock clutch and suspension at 1.10 Lacs kms. The only major repairs have been some wheel bearings, central locking actuators and front link rods. Do check out my ownership review.

Recently I did a cross country drive from North to South India spanning 2500km in the car.Additionally, the car now runs on CNG with no issues and running costs equal to a two wheeler.

What more can you expect from a car,