Upgraded from slat "H" to Straight "H"

drkunaldas · 20th July 2009, 22:06

Hi guys. i have upgraded from Hyundai Santro to Honda City. i am uploading a few pics. these pics have been taken in night

drkunaldas · 20th July 2009, 22:10

i brought the tafeta white SMT from ace honda, noida. i exchanged my old santro 1999 with auto-terrace. i will post the whole experience later

prince_pervez · 20th July 2009, 22:17

Congrats doc! drive safe. Looks good in white.

greatpower · 20th July 2009, 22:57

Congrats doc. its a great choice
Watch out - it seems that the doors of the car will scrape the adjacent walls when it is opened.

Tires look tiny..will you upgrade?

mukeshgoel · 21st July 2009, 07:54

Congrats,

The Car look awesome in my favorite color White.

Enjoy your new ride.

BTW, you still own one slat "H".

kutlee · 21st July 2009, 08:29

put some fat rubber for that bhpian look!! enjoy revving..

Ramsagar · 21st July 2009, 09:28

Congrats!!!Looks good on the white gown.

shrinivasap · 21st July 2009, 12:14

Welcome to Honda Club Dr.. Even i had the same upgrade - "H" to "H". Looking forward to your initial report - Drive safe and have fun

mnhegde · 21st July 2009, 13:42

Congratulations Sir. fantastic upgrade. Looks stunning in white. Enjoy the Honda experience. Any upgrades planned?? Waiting for the initial report.

Drive safe.

GTO · 21st July 2009, 16:46

She'll serve you well for a long time to come, Doc. Smart choice. How about giving all of us a brief review of the car? Only pictures won't do.

muralisk · 21st July 2009, 16:52

Congratulation on your choice and as everyone before me said, it would serve you well. Would love to hear your evaluation exercise and your initial experience. Drive safe and have fun.

karanraheja · 21st July 2009, 16:53

Congrats Doc. Welcome to the ANHC Club. She s a hoot to drive. Cheers and drive safe

.

Fordmanchau · 21st July 2009, 17:11

Congratulations!! White looks so clean !! I always loved the dash and gadgets in a honda.Yes , I agree with all too, decision taking process and the review too !!

neofromcapone · 21st July 2009, 20:31

Damm, I thought some one has worked a DIY gear shift. Lovely choice of colour nonetheless

drkunaldas · 24th July 2009, 21:49

sorry to be late. i will write about the whole experience in 3-4 posts one by one.
My buying experience of Honda City can be divided in to 3 parts which I will discuss one by one followed by ownership comments

deciding the car model
deciding the dealership
exchange experience at auto-terrace

Deciding the car model[/FONT][/SIZE]
This was the most difficult. I was looking for upgrading from my santro to something bigger for around 3 yrs and more so in the last 18 months. I evaluated and TDed almost all cars in the range of 5 lacs – 12 lacs including Honda Civic, Fiat Linea, Toyota Altis, Mahindra Logan, Maruti Dezire, Maruti SX4, TATA Safari, ford fiesta.

My requirements
A sedan, my main requirement of back seat though will drive occasionally and when driver is absent. Mainly city driving of around 2000kms / month. Very occasional trips outside. Peace of mind.
HONDA CITY
It was a decision of heart and mind. I always liked the design of Honda cars and Honda city is one of the best. It has a WOW feel to look at. Of course the i-vtec engine is one of the best in its class helps and also the no. of dealers (almost 10 in NCR region).
Pros
Good Looks, Good engine, Seat comfort is good and is quite spacious at the back. Engine response is fanastic, smooth, good resale
Cons
Price, lack of features like ACC, Fogs, a bit of arrogance of dealers, rear AC, back ride is slightly harsh. Engine has harsh sound at high rpm’s. ride quality is second best (after Linea), interior looks not so rich, lack of CD player, lack of front room lights

FIAT LINEA
This came second. It fulfilled all my requirements except that engine specs were lower, dealership response was not up-to-mark so confidence in their * * * is low.
Pros
Seat comfort is superb, ride quality is best. Rear AC, looks good (I rate is less than city), boot is spacious, engine (diesel) is just adequate, good interiors
Cons
Dealership response is pathetic (seems no-one is interested to sell), peace of mind factor not present, no. of dealers is less, plastics of poor quality (see comments below), QC poor.
Remarks – inspite of whatever fiat does / does not do, it must have the will to sell cars. Linea is a perfect car sold by imperfect dealers. That’s the problem. In my interaction with automobile sterling, noida over six months (Jan-Jun 09) they could not provide a petrol TD vehicle (can you believe??) even after 2 visits to the dealership and numerous calls with their sales executives.
HONDA CIVIC
Brilliant car but expensive
Pros
Great design, great dash & digital speedometer, good responsive engine, great interiors
Cons
Soft suspension (thud on speed-breakers), expensive buy, poor resale, probable mid-life upgrade shortly

TOYOTA COROLLA ALTIS
Good overall package, VFM in its segment, can be the next upgrade
Pros
Nice interiors, loaded with features – ACC, etc, seating and ride quality good
Cons
Expensive, design not so envious
Everything about altis is standard, ordinary and functional, there is lack of WOW factor

MAHINDRA LOGAN
Good spacious car but both interior and exterior looks are too ordinary, ownership does not give a sense of pride
Pros
Good spacious car, ride quality is good, lower variants are cheap, diesel engine is good
Cons
Poor interiors, exterior is too ordinary (seems to be from 1980’s), dealership experience, poor re-sale, dramatic fall in sales in last 6 months
MARUTI DEZIRE
Pros
Cheap, maruti reliabity, goodies, diesel version present, economical to run, adequate re-sale value
Cons
Biggest con is shape – real ugly from any angle (my apology to owners – this my personal opinion), cheap plastics, built quality

MARUTI SX4
Cons
Did not like the looks. Ride quality was poor, body roll and woobly, poor re-sale value, harsh engine noise
Pros
]It is a maruti, *** etc

TATA SAFARI
Pros
It is a dream, macho image, spacious, good ride quality, respect from other lowly beings (Non-SUV drivers)
Cons
Build quality, unreliability factor

FORD FIESTA
Pros
Good car, ride quality, seat comfort
Cons
Expensive ***, poor resale value, model due for change

Net result - honda city SMT
peace of mind, no expected drama, will do its job day in day out, good power, good average, "oohs" and " aahs" from Family and friends is a bonus.
I wish
honda gives ACC, Alloys, fog lamps, rear AC in the same price.
Curtain airbags as options

20th July 2009, 22:06	#1
drkunaldas BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Noida Posts: 141 Thanked: 5 Times	Upgraded from slat "H" to Straight "H" Hi guys. i have upgraded from Hyundai Santro to Honda City. i am uploading a few pics. these pics have been taken in night Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

20th July 2009, 22:10	#2
drkunaldas BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Noida Posts: 141 Thanked: 5 Times	i brought the tafeta white SMT from ace honda, noida. i exchanged my old santro 1999 with auto-terrace. i will post the whole experience later
	() Thanks

20th July 2009, 22:17	#3
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,210 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	Congrats doc! drive safe. Looks good in white.
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20th July 2009, 22:57	#4
greatpower BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 118 Thanked: 4 Times	Congrats doc. its a great choice Watch out - it seems that the doors of the car will scrape the adjacent walls when it is opened. Tires look tiny..will you upgrade?
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21st July 2009, 07:54	#5
mukeshgoel Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 1,234 Thanked: 2,142 Times View My Garage	Congrats, The Car look awesome in my favorite color White. Enjoy your new ride. BTW, you still own one slat "H".
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21st July 2009, 08:29	#6
kutlee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,141 Thanked: 232 Times View My Garage	put some fat rubber for that bhpian look!! enjoy revving..
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21st July 2009, 09:28	#7
Ramsagar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: BLR_Nellore(AP) Posts: 1,396 Thanked: 252 Times View My Garage	Congrats!!!Looks good on the white gown.
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21st July 2009, 12:14	#8
shrinivasap BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 92 Thanked: 0 Times	Welcome to Honda Club Dr.. Even i had the same upgrade - "H" to "H". Looking forward to your initial report - Drive safe and have fun
	() Thanks

21st July 2009, 13:42	#9
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 0 Times	Congratulations Sir. fantastic upgrade. Looks stunning in white. Enjoy the Honda experience. Any upgrades planned?? Waiting for the initial report. Drive safe. Last edited by mnhegde : 21st July 2009 at 13:43.
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21st July 2009, 16:46	#10
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,501 Thanked: 300,604 Times View My Garage	She'll serve you well for a long time to come, Doc. Smart choice. How about giving all of us a brief review of the car? Only pictures won't do.
	() Thanks

21st July 2009, 16:52	#11
muralisk BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Hyderabad, Bangalore Posts: 711 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	Congratulation on your choice and as everyone before me said, it would serve you well. Would love to hear your evaluation exercise and your initial experience. Drive safe and have fun.
	() Thanks

21st July 2009, 16:53	#12
karanraheja Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 1,961 Thanked: 436 Times	Congrats Doc. Welcome to the ANHC Club. She s a hoot to drive. Cheers and drive safe.
	() Thanks

21st July 2009, 17:11	#13
Fordmanchau Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,666 Thanked: 340 Times	Congratulations!! White looks so clean !! I always loved the dash and gadgets in a honda.Yes , I agree with all too, decision taking process and the review too !!
	() Thanks

21st July 2009, 20:31	#14
neofromcapone BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 412 Thanked: 438 Times	Damm, I thought some one has worked a DIY gear shift. Lovely choice of colour nonetheless
	() Thanks

24th July 2009, 21:49	#15
drkunaldas BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Noida Posts: 141 Thanked: 5 Times	sorry to be late. i will write about the whole experience in 3-4 posts one by one. My buying experience of Honda City can be divided in to 3 parts which I will discuss one by one followed by ownership comments deciding the car model deciding the dealership exchange experience at auto-terrace Deciding the car model[/FONT][/SIZE] This was the most difficult. I was looking for upgrading from my santro to something bigger for around 3 yrs and more so in the last 18 months. I evaluated and TDed almost all cars in the range of 5 lacs – 12 lacs including Honda Civic, Fiat Linea, Toyota Altis, Mahindra Logan, Maruti Dezire, Maruti SX4, TATA Safari, ford fiesta. My requirements A sedan, my main requirement of back seat though will drive occasionally and when driver is absent. Mainly city driving of around 2000kms / month. Very occasional trips outside. Peace of mind. HONDA CITY It was a decision of heart and mind. I always liked the design of Honda cars and Honda city is one of the best. It has a WOW feel to look at. Of course the i-vtec engine is one of the best in its class helps and also the no. of dealers (almost 10 in NCR region). Pros Good Looks, Good engine, Seat comfort is good and is quite spacious at the back. Engine response is fanastic, smooth, good resale *Cons* Price, lack of features like ACC, Fogs, a bit of arrogance of dealers, rear AC, back ride is slightly harsh. Engine has harsh sound at high rpm’s. ride quality is second best (after Linea), interior looks not so rich, lack of CD player, lack of front room lights FIAT LINEA This came second. It fulfilled all my requirements except that engine specs were lower, dealership response was not up-to-mark so confidence in their * * * is low. *Pros* Seat comfort is superb, ride quality is best. Rear AC, looks good (I rate is less than city), boot is spacious, engine (diesel) is just adequate, good interiors *Cons* Dealership response is pathetic (seems no-one is interested to sell), peace of mind factor not present, no. of dealers is less, plastics of poor quality (see comments below), QC poor. Remarks – inspite of whatever fiat does / does not do, it must have the will to sell cars. Linea is a perfect car sold by imperfect dealers. That’s the problem. In my interaction with automobile sterling, noida over six months (Jan-Jun 09) they could not provide a petrol TD vehicle (can you believe??) even after 2 visits to the dealership and numerous calls with their sales executives. HONDA CIVIC Brilliant car but expensive *Pros* Great design, great dash & digital speedometer, good responsive engine, great interiors *Cons* Soft suspension (thud on speed-breakers), expensive buy, poor resale, probable mid-life upgrade shortly TOYOTA COROLLA ALTIS Good overall package, VFM in its segment, can be the next upgrade *Pros* Nice interiors, loaded with features – ACC, etc, seating and ride quality good *Cons* Expensive, design not so envious Everything about altis is standard, ordinary and functional, there is lack of WOW factor MAHINDRA LOGAN Good spacious car but both interior and exterior looks are too ordinary, ownership does not give a sense of pride *Pros* Good spacious car, ride quality is good, lower variants are cheap, diesel engine is good *Cons* Poor interiors, exterior is too ordinary (seems to be from 1980’s), dealership experience, poor re-sale, dramatic fall in sales in last 6 months MARUTI DEZIRE *Pros* Cheap, maruti reliabity, goodies, diesel version present, economical to run, adequate re-sale value *Cons* Biggest con is shape – real ugly from any angle (my apology to owners – this my personal opinion), cheap plastics, built quality MARUTI SX4 *Cons* Did not like the looks. Ride quality was poor, body roll and woobly, poor re-sale value, harsh engine noise *Pros* ]It is a maruti, * etc TATA SAFARI Pros It is a dream, macho image, spacious, good ride quality, respect from other lowly beings (Non-SUV drivers) Cons Build quality, unreliability factor FORD FIESTA Pros Good car, ride quality, seat comfort Cons Expensive , poor resale value, model due for change Net result - honda city SMT peace of mind, no expected drama, will do its job day in day out, good power, good average, "oohs" and " aahs" from Family and friends is a bonus. I wish honda gives ACC, Alloys, fog lamps, rear AC in the same price. Curtain airbags as options Last edited by drkunaldas : 24th July 2009 at 22:02.*
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