[ByKaizen]

Originally Posted by saket77

Thanks KaiZen. Your concerns are mostly valid. Points 1,3 & 4 are very genuine. Regarding headlamps, they are not exceptionally bright but in my short stint, I have found them to be adequate. In case my opinion changes, I will certainly point that out here.
Also, how has your experience been with BluEarth GT? Grip wise I find them very good (again short experience) but there is some road noise- though the tires have done just 300 kms as of now.

With 185 tyres I was not able to cross 100/110 kmph with confidence, but with 195 I felt confidence in braking and grip till 130/140 kmph. I do not pay much attention to road noise, so I am not the right person to comment about it, but road noise + engine sound are something which I like to hear

[sanjeevs]

Congratulations on your great purchase and this current version has certainly got the looks based on a timeless and ageless design backed with reliability.
Just to add to the fact, i am also looking for an upgrade and this current model is definitely in contention for the same but I am wary of the fact that the older versions of ANHC used to always scrape the bottom especially when the car goes over the speed breaker or rough roads.
I am interested to know if this issue has been sorted out when the car is fully loaded.

[revvingbeast]

Originally Posted by saket77

After 6 days of booking the car, the GM Sales at the dealership called us to inform that a Silver ZX is available at the factory and if I confirm the choice of color on mail, they would pick the same for me.

Looks absolutely stunning! Have a great time with the evergreen City! We brought home a 4th gen city few years back and I'm enjoying every second I spend with it. Great choice of color in my opinion as well!

[Benoit]

Congratulations on the purchase!

Excellent review. I took a test drive of the city recently, and two deal breakers were, like you mentioned, are the collision mitigation braking system required to be turned off everytime, and the small ORVMs.

I wouldn't feel safe with these two. And everytime I lend my car to my friends or family, I will need to tell them to turn off CMBS, and I would panic everytime I give them the car, thinking if something would happen to them.

When I purchase a car next, if city doesn't fix these (I know it won't happen), I would have to look at Verna, which would also fix the missing low end grunt that the diesels gave me so far.

[Samba]

Congrats, Saket. Wish you 1000s of happy miles with this beauty. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your detailed ownership review. It deserves 5*.

This is one rare car that holds its aspirational value even after 25 years. The other name that comes to my mind is the Innova! During these 25 years, many cars from many manufacturers came to compete with the Honda City, but none of them could last long!

Since its launch, every 2-3 years Honda has positively updated the car. Now, when the market is getting flooded with crossovers and SUVs, Honda City still has its demand & that is for a good reason. This is one car which offers a full package. You will get brand value, comfort, performance, features, looks, and reliability backed up by Honda's after-sales service. What more does one need to consider while buying a car?!

[//M]

Many many congratulations for the City ZX.

I am a fan of the silver paintshade on the City, looks very elegant and pleasing. This is such a detailed review, loved going through the posts and it reminded me of our City VX which we had purchased in January 2014 from Ranchi. You have covered almost each and every detail in this review that could have been covered. The 195-section tyres are an absolute worthy upgrade. Our 4th gen City came with 175-section tyres even in its top trim so when we upgraded to 195-sections, it gave us a whole new perspective and I can completely vouch for the better road manners and noticeable improvement in overall driving experience. Also the boot mat that Leoshashi has suggested looks like a must-have.

It goes without saying that I would bug you to see your City in flesh when I am in Ranchi next. Rating this thread a truly well deserved 5-stars !

[saket77]

Originally Posted by sanjeevs

Congratulations on your great purchase and this current version has certainly got the looks based on a timeless and ageless design backed with reliability.
Just to add to the fact, i am also looking for an upgrade and this current model is definitely in contention for the same but I am wary of the fact that the older versions of ANHC used to always scrape the bottom especially when the car goes over the speed breaker or rough roads.
I am interested to know if this issue has been sorted out when the car is fully loaded.

The ground clearance has not bothered me even with full load and I think it is a non issue. As I said earlier, changing to 195/55, you would gain 5mm from factory specs here as well. However, apart from the ground clearance, the suspension set up is not very soft and the wheelbase is also not too long. I don't think it is a deal breaker anymore.

Originally Posted by revvingbeast

Looks absolutely stunning! Have a great time with the evergreen City! We brought home a 4th gen city few years back and I'm enjoying every second I spend with it. Great choice of color in my opinion as well!

Thank you so much! Wish you a great ownership of the 4th gen. It was again a no-nonsense and practical car.

Originally Posted by Benoit

Congratulations on the purchase!

Excellent review. I took a test drive of the city recently, and two deal breakers were, like you mentioned, are the collision mitigation braking system required to be turned off everytime, and the small ORVMs.

I wouldn't feel safe with these two. And everytime I lend my car to my friends or family, I will need to tell them to turn off CMBS, and I would panic everytime I give them the car, thinking if something would happen to them.

When I purchase a car next, if city doesn't fix these (I know it won't happen), I would have to look at Verna, which would also fix the missing low end grunt that the diesels gave me so far.

Right. I am also waiting for a fix for at least the CMBS.

Originally Posted by Samba

Congrats, Saket. Wish you 1000s of happy miles with this beauty. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your detailed ownership review. It deserves 5*.

This is one rare car that holds its aspirational value even after 25 years. The other name that comes to my mind is the Innova! During these 25 years, many cars from many manufacturers came to compete with the Honda City, but none of them could last long!

Since its launch, every 2-3 years Honda has positively updated the car. Now, when the market is getting flooded with crossovers and SUVs, Honda City still has its demand & that is for a good reason. This is one car which offers a full package. You will get brand value, comfort, performance, features, looks, and reliability backed up by Honda's after-sales service. What more does one need to consider while buying a car?!

Thank you Samba! I once wrote in another thread that how Honda has been able to market the City generation after generation and still keep its forte intact. The City moniker is slowly taking the route of legendary Civic brand name...though long road still ahead.

Originally Posted by //M

Many many congratulations for the City ZX.

I am a fan of the silver paintshade on the City, looks very elegant and pleasing. This is such a detailed review, loved going through the posts and it reminded me of our City VX which we had purchased in January 2014 from Ranchi. You have covered almost each and every detail in this review that could have been covered. The 195-section tyres are an absolute worthy upgrade. Our 4th gen City came with 175-section tyres even in its top trim so when we upgraded to 195-sections, it gave us a whole new perspective and I can completely vouch for the better road manners and noticeable improvement in overall driving experience. Also the boot mat that Leoshashi has suggested looks like a must-have.

It goes without saying that I would bug you to see your City in flesh when I am in Ranchi next. Rating this thread a truly well deserved 5-stars !

Thank you Arunabh! You are most welcome anytime
And 175s! Honda must be crazy!! This is in stark contrast to Hyundai who give 205s for the comparable Verna. Heck, even their i20s are shod with 195s!

Thanks.

[Gotcha]

Congrats and great review! I love everything about the new Honda City except the horns in the front bumper - feels a bit overdone compared to the pre-facelift. Is there a chance of these striking the ground on steep inclines?

Rear disc brakes, highline TPMS and a better infotainment system (with rotary volume control knob) would've been the icing on the cake. Anyway it's still the best looking sedan among the rest!

[Senna_sempre]

Hi Saket77,

Congrats and welcome to the exclusive Sedan Club in an era of Crossovers and SUV's. Long live sedans
Loved reading your review. It is comprehensive and you covered so many aspects which I missed in my ownership review

I should have also swapped to the fatter rubber straight after taking the delivery. BTW I am contemplating to switch to 205/50 R16 as the deviation is very marginal. Have you considered this? Would like to know why you chose 195/55 R16 over 205/50 R16.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by Gotcha

Congrats and great review! I love everything about the new Honda City except the horns in the front bumper - feels a bit overdone compared to the pre-facelift. Is there a chance of these striking the ground on steep inclines?

Rear disc brakes, highline TPMS and a better infotainment system (with rotary volume control knob) would've been the icing on the cake. Anyway it's still the best looking sedan among the rest!

Thank you so much. Agree with all your points. Navigating to my parking spot includes climbing a short but steep sudden incline and I have not faced any difficulty as yet. But yes, the 'horns' do look prone to nicking curbs or big stones.

Originally Posted by Senna_sempre

Hi Saket77,

Congrats and welcome to the exclusive Sedan Club in an era of Crossovers and SUV's. Long live sedans
Loved reading your review. It is comprehensive and you covered so many aspects which I missed in my ownership review

I should have also swapped to the fatter rubber straight after taking the delivery. BTW I am contemplating to switch to 205/50 R16 as the deviation is very marginal. Have you considered this? Would like to know why you chose 195/55 R16 over 205/50 R16.

Thank you! Your review is also very comprehensive and I did check yours while making the purchase decision. So, thank you for the detailed review as well.

Regarding tires, yes, on papers, 205/50 specs are closer to the stock ones however, went with 195s for:

- Slightly taller sidewall for better ride quality
- Would protect the alloys too
- Better FE compared to 205s
- Would fill the wheel well a little more.
- 195s are sufficient for my driving needs. Even my old Civic drove with 195s and I didn't feel need for fatter rubbers.
- Felt 205s would be more damage prone due to shorter sidewall.

Thanks!

[AravBS]

Hi Saket77,

Congratulations on your new car. Wishing you happy and safe miles!

Your review was a great read and i agree with most of your observations. I drive a pre-facelift 5th gen City (2022) of the same color. It indeed looks gorgeous in silver. Mine is a CVT with stock tyres upgraded based on the recommendation of this forum. I have felt the power to be adequate even with full load. The only thing i miss is the sporty look for the facelifted version.

While there are lot of good cars in the market, i fall love with my city for the relaxed driving it offers. I am sure you would equally enjoy your ownership.

Credit to Honda for keeping the product updated all through these 25+ yrs.

[saket77]

Update 1:

The car completed 1 month yesterday and the current odometer stands exactly at 1100 KMS (65% highway and 35% city driving). It is also due for first service which would be done shortly.

During the highway drive with 5 adults and half boot luggage, after the first 160 kms, the FE displaying on MID was a staggering 25KMPL. Then after some mixed driving conditions and some frequent start-stops, the FE settled at 19KMPL after almost an 800 km drive with 100% AC.

Some observations after using the car for a month and after the long drive:

- There is no issue with ground clearance- the vehicle managed monstrous speed breakers with 5 on board without bottoming out even once during the entire trip. So, I can safely say that those having qualms about ground clearance can rest assured. The car is unlikely to scrape the bottom. Do note that I am riding on 195/55 against the 185/55 (stock).

- Even with outside temperature @44 degrees, the AC can chill the cabin and keep it that way for your entire journey. However, a car parked in sun, will take at least 10-15 minutes to cool down to your comfort. But once cooled, it can chill you to the bone.

- Fuel efficiency is respectable. The car can manage 19-20 KMPL with ease while cruising on highways.

- Wireless Apple Car play works very well for maps and music.

- Fixed armrest remains a sore point. I am 5'9" and wanted the armrest to be a little forward. A further drop in steering rake would have been preferred but not something that bothered much.

- Coming from Civic, I miss the bigger engine. This 1.5L is good but to get some serious performance, it needs to be revved hard. Thankfully, this loves revving but the Civic would blow this out of water in terms of in-gear acceleration, esp in the 4/5/6th gears. I don't know if there are performance differences between BS-6 and BS-4 engines of the City. Would love if someone who has a taste of both 4th Gen and 5th Gen City can elaborate on performance front.

- LED headlamps do not shake/ vibrate on regular highway rumble strips. However, some shake is noticed on rumble type speed breakers & may be some potholes when taken at some speed. Not a deal breaker by any means for me. But these LEDs are no match for halogen bulbs. They are alright in total dark but feel inadequate in dusk/ incoming traffic situations. Even at high beam, the throw doesn't reach that far and left me wanting for more. An upgrade might be needed in future.

- Driving dynamics of the car is good. High speed behavior & braking ability are satisfactory with 195s on duty.

- Yokos BluEarth-GT tires are very grippy and dead silent on well laid tarmacs. On asphalt/ concrete roads, they surely generate some noise like any other tire. The BluEarths are definitely recommended.


Small Addition to the car:

The car has 2 USB ports- one exclusively to play music through a flash drive/ wired carplay or Android Auto; while the other to power any 5V accessory. Since the 5V USB port is already in use for powering the dashcam, it is an issue if someone wants to charge their phone through cable. So, bought this small USB hub to create additional ports for power. It has a small form-factor and works well. However, due to position of the USB port on the car, the fast charge port cannot be used due to space constraints. This cannot be used on the music port as that doesn't support any hub.

[Bobcat]

Hi Saket,
Congrats. Your detailed review on the Honda City 5th gen is very informative and I am impressed with the performance of the car. Upgrading the tyre has given the car higher GC and gives better road presence. Your update after a month is also crisp and informative.

[saket77]

Update 2:

First Free Service

So, after about 35 days, the first free service for the car was done at HASS on 05/05/2024. The service was booked through Honda Connect App, and also the workshop had called me & booked the same a week back.

The car has done about 1111 Kms at the time and there were no such problems to report except a small upholstery related issue. The back side of driver's seat upholstery was not fitted properly exposing the inner metal and plastic frame at the seat bottom. This was since the beginning when we got the car and I had noted it to get done at the first service. This was attended to my satisfaction. Also the rubber pad of the wireless charging pad was coming out from one edge and it was a simple pasting job.

Apart from these, I checked with the SA if there has been any update for turning off the CMBS issue. Also, checked with them regarding insufficient lights on the ZX (LED headlamps); No solution for both the issues. Mind you, the lights are sufficient for city driving but grossly inadequate for the highways.

The first service is basically a wash and inspection service. The car was washed and then lifted on the ramp. The suspension and all underbody nuts and bolts were checked and re-torqued. All fluids were checked. The cabin pollen filter was taken out and cleaned by compressed air.

The total bill for the first free service was Rs. 55/- (charged for the windshield washer fluid). Next free service is due after 5 months (6 months after purchase or 5K kms, whichever is earlier). Signing off with a couple of pictures taken during the day.

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by saket77

..
- No wheel well insulation. Road noise filters into the cabin even with better tires.
..

Get the black rubberized anti corrosion underbody coating done at 3M. This seals all the gaps and crevices around the wheel wells and reduces the road noise from filtering in.
You can also get the metallic coating done on the silencer exhaust tube and muffler.