ANHC S/AT Ownership Review - A little late in the day

mysticmonkey · 24th March 2010, 11:26

The search for THE perfect car is an endless journey. Come 2009, my Swift Vxi was getting a little long in the tooth. After having clocked 60,000 km in 2 years, the car was showing signs of age. So the search began for the perfect car to replace it. Since my daily inter-city running was 120+ km, a diesel was preferred and keeping with the Dilliwala attitude of jitna bada hai utna aacha hai, I zoomed in on the Safari. Multiple test drivesand comparisons with the Scorpio later, I had almost decided.

However, man proposes and god disposes. My dad decided to go and check out the Safari for himself. He didn't quite like it (As an aside, he seemed to like the xenon before I drew him a mental picture of me going to court in a pick-up truck). Next up came the Linea which believe you me I test drove 10 times before I finally let go, the only issue being that my ample girth was not comfortable in the driver's seat what with the dead pedal, narrowish seats et. al.

The next logical option was the Optra Magnum. Drove, loved and booked (GM's financial woes notwithstanding). They promised delivery before the financial year drew to a close which was a prerequisite for me. That unfortunately didn't happen and the order was canceled.

Till this time, I had spent 4 months and an unbelievable number of work hours (for which some poor sod got billed) researching. Thoroughly frustrated, I was considering getting the Swift overhauled and use it for a few more years till I could go a few segments higher.

It would have all been well had one learnt to live in peace but t'was not the case. The thought bothered me that all the hard work would go to waste. So I kept looking, started looking out for pre-owned cars as well. Discovered a Civic S/MT, a year old, 5,000 km for roughly 9 lacs. Immaculate condition and being sold since the owner was moving. After ruminating and thinking and consulting numerous people, decided no point in paying 9 lacs for a pre-owned car. Besides with the distance I drove everyday and the Civic's low suspension over bad roads, it didn't look like a very good idea. Returned to hibernation.

One fine Sunday, a friend who had recently bought a ANHC manual called to rave about his uncle's ANHC A/T. My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to drop in to the nearest Honda showroom to check the ANHC out.

A caveat before I proceed. I don't like Honda. I prefer heavier, solid feeling cars. Besides found Honda over-priced but since a number of people harped on Honda quality and reliability, I decided to go anyways.

Drove the manual (had driven it before) found it nice. Then drove the A/T. Checked out the paddle shift and all I could think of was imagine not having to move your left leg the entire drive. Thrilled with the thought, decided that the A/T it is. Paid the booking amount there and then (I do have a tendency to be impulsive).

The loan and delivery process took about 1 week and and on April 14, I took delivery of the car.

What I love
1. The comfort and ease of an automatic tranny is unmatchable. During the Delhi rains, I was stuck in crawling traffic for 4 hours and the extra paid for the A/T(over the M/T) stood redeemed. In fact, I strongly feel that automatics are really the way to go forward. You lose a km or so in mileage but make up for it in terms of comfort.

2. The fuel efficiency is pretty much at par. I pull 14 km/l (tankful to tankful) so not much of a hit there. (The swift used to give me between 14 and 15)

3. The Ipod sync is excellent. Love it. Really do.

4. It is a beautiful ride and on occasion when the engine is revved to 5000, the sound is sweet.

What I hate
What I hate is as much about the car as it is about the dealer I bought it from (more on that later). There was a rattling sound coming from the dash board from the passenger's side airbag slot which would go off every time some pressure was put. It took me 4 visits to the service station in the first week before they actually fixed it.

A mild rattling from the passenger's side rear window.

Pathetic pathetic pathetic service from the service station.

Overall, it has been a satisfying buy and a good ride. Have done 25,000 km and the year is yet to be up. I will update on the ownership updates, servicing.

Pics to follow soon.

suman · 24th March 2010, 13:14

Congrats & as they say, Better late than never

Pardon my ignorance but I thought the A/T only came in V & not S?

mysticmonkey · 24th March 2010, 13:18

When Honda launched the V, they discontinued the S/AT.

TheBeastFieast · 24th March 2010, 13:27

Many congrats, yup in Delhi - NCR's traffic jams A/T is boom, now during all those long long traffic jam all I do is scroll through all of my playlists, albums, artists and listen to my all time favorite songs, instead of getting frustrated and annoyed and getting tired. This A/T doesn't let you tire anytime.

25,000 KM within an year, what you do?

raghu230506 · 24th March 2010, 13:45

Congratulations,

that's a great FE I have heard so far for AT. Keep it coming, just mention your driving style.

Suman, this car is 1 year old, remember at that time the highest variant in ANHC was "S" without alloys (apart from E).

"V" has been launched recently with alloys, "S" retained without AT.

suman · 24th March 2010, 13:53

Ahhh, that explains it, thanks!

SkyWalker · 24th March 2010, 13:53

wow, thats was a great post MysticMonkey loved reading it. And quite some running there!

Enjoy the car!

mysticmonkey · 24th March 2010, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBeastFieast

Many congrats, yup in Delhi - NCR's traffic jams A/T is boom, now during all those long long traffic jam all I do is scroll through all of my playlists, albums, artists and listen to my all time favorite songs, instead of getting frustrated and annoyed and getting tired. This A/T doesn't let you tire anytime.

25,000 KM within an year, what you do?

I used to travel from Noida (home) to Gurgaon (Office)

prguru · 24th March 2010, 14:21

Congrats mysticmonkey and yes I agree that is a good FE you are getting. Does the paddle shift need some getting used to and what is the on road price for it ?

Mevtec · 24th March 2010, 14:27

Hi mystic,
congrats on the new car.Nice write up.I also felt similar when I went car shopping.ANHC is a car you wont regret after buying.Enjoy the ride.

I am sorry to hear about the service experience.At my place I am not satisfied with maruthi service.Honda service is so far good.Please change the service centre.Get acquainted with good service engineers.For that you can contact Honda owners in team Bhp.

My car has done 15000+ trouble free kilometers in one year.Please continue to update.Pictures please.

mysticmonkey · 24th March 2010, 14:50

@Raghu - I feel (no explanation why) that the sweet spot is 2300 to 2800 rpm. Plus I use the S mode pretty much all the time unless I am super lazy. So I end up changing gears like in a manual car.

@PRguru - On-road price in Delhi was 9.70l but with the S/AT discontinued, only the V/AT is available for 10.20l. The paddle shift is pretty easy to get used and once you do, you may end up searching for them then you are a manual.

raghu230506 · 24th March 2010, 15:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysticmonkey

@Raghu - I feel (no explanation why) that the sweet spot is 2300 to 2800 rpm. Plus I use the S mode pretty much all the time unless I am super lazy. So I end up changing gears like in a manual car.

@PRguru - On-road price in Delhi was 9.70l but with the S/AT discontinued, only the V/AT is available for 10.20l. The paddle shift is pretty easy to get used and once you do, you may end up searching for them then you are a manual.

I expected it to be, but just cross checked to be sure. Cool, it proves once again if you are soft on peddle then you can extract the best FE out of ANHC.

kalyan_hyd · 24th March 2010, 16:30

Many congratulations.

It was nice to read this post, reminded me of my own research to buy a new car.

I had to stretch my budget by 3 lacs to accommodate ANHC. Just into three months of ownership now, I do not regret my decision at all.

vasoo · 24th March 2010, 16:45

Congrats. Honda ATs are real fun to drive and the paddle shift makes it much more interesting, both for sheer pleasure and better FE.

B103 · 24th March 2010, 20:34

Congratulation MysticMonkey. Let me ask you if there is any specific reason to delay the buying thread for a rather long time.

24th March 2010, 11:26	#1
mysticmonkey BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 56 Thanked: 88 Times	ANHC S/AT Ownership Review - A little late in the day The search for THE perfect car is an endless journey. Come 2009, my Swift Vxi was getting a little long in the tooth. After having clocked 60,000 km in 2 years, the car was showing signs of age. So the search began for the perfect car to replace it. Since my daily inter-city running was 120+ km, a diesel was preferred and keeping with the Dilliwala attitude of jitna bada hai utna aacha hai, I zoomed in on the Safari. Multiple test drivesand comparisons with the Scorpio later, I had almost decided. However, man proposes and god disposes. My dad decided to go and check out the Safari for himself. He didn't quite like it (As an aside, he seemed to like the xenon before I drew him a mental picture of me going to court in a pick-up truck). Next up came the Linea which believe you me I test drove 10 times before I finally let go, the only issue being that my ample girth was not comfortable in the driver's seat what with the dead pedal, narrowish seats et. al. The next logical option was the Optra Magnum. Drove, loved and booked (GM's financial woes notwithstanding). They promised delivery before the financial year drew to a close which was a prerequisite for me. That unfortunately didn't happen and the order was canceled. Till this time, I had spent 4 months and an unbelievable number of work hours (for which some poor sod got billed) researching. Thoroughly frustrated, I was considering getting the Swift overhauled and use it for a few more years till I could go a few segments higher. It would have all been well had one learnt to live in peace but t'was not the case. The thought bothered me that all the hard work would go to waste. So I kept looking, started looking out for pre-owned cars as well. Discovered a Civic S/MT, a year old, 5,000 km for roughly 9 lacs. Immaculate condition and being sold since the owner was moving. After ruminating and thinking and consulting numerous people, decided no point in paying 9 lacs for a pre-owned car. Besides with the distance I drove everyday and the Civic's low suspension over bad roads, it didn't look like a very good idea. Returned to hibernation. One fine Sunday, a friend who had recently bought a ANHC manual called to rave about his uncle's ANHC A/T. My curiosity got the better of me and I decided to drop in to the nearest Honda showroom to check the ANHC out. A caveat before I proceed. I don't like Honda. I prefer heavier, solid feeling cars. Besides found Honda over-priced but since a number of people harped on Honda quality and reliability, I decided to go anyways. Drove the manual (had driven it before) found it nice. Then drove the A/T. Checked out the paddle shift and all I could think of was imagine not having to move your left leg the entire drive. Thrilled with the thought, decided that the A/T it is. Paid the booking amount there and then (I do have a tendency to be impulsive). The loan and delivery process took about 1 week and and on April 14, I took delivery of the car. What I love 1. The comfort and ease of an automatic tranny is unmatchable. During the Delhi rains, I was stuck in crawling traffic for 4 hours and the extra paid for the A/T(over the M/T) stood redeemed. In fact, I strongly feel that automatics are really the way to go forward. You lose a km or so in mileage but make up for it in terms of comfort. 2. The fuel efficiency is pretty much at par. I pull 14 km/l (tankful to tankful) so not much of a hit there. (The swift used to give me between 14 and 15) 3. The Ipod sync is excellent. Love it. Really do. 4. It is a beautiful ride and on occasion when the engine is revved to 5000, the sound is sweet. What I hate What I hate is as much about the car as it is about the dealer I bought it from (more on that later). There was a rattling sound coming from the dash board from the passenger's side airbag slot which would go off every time some pressure was put. It took me 4 visits to the service station in the first week before they actually fixed it. A mild rattling from the passenger's side rear window. Pathetic pathetic pathetic service from the service station. Overall, it has been a satisfying buy and a good ride. Have done 25,000 km and the year is yet to be up. I will update on the ownership updates, servicing. Pics to follow soon.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 13:14	#2
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Congrats & as they say, Better late than never Pardon my ignorance but I thought the A/T only came in V & not S?
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 13:18	#3
mysticmonkey BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 56 Thanked: 88 Times	When Honda launched the V, they discontinued the S/AT.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 13:27	#4
TheBeastFieast BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Faridabad Posts: 306 Thanked: 19 Times	Many congrats, yup in Delhi - NCR's traffic jams A/T is boom, now during all those long long traffic jam all I do is scroll through all of my playlists, albums, artists and listen to my all time favorite songs, instead of getting frustrated and annoyed and getting tired. This A/T doesn't let you tire anytime. 25,000 KM within an year, what you do?
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 13:45	#5
raghu230506 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 766 Thanked: 64 Times View My Garage	Congratulations, that's a great FE I have heard so far for AT. Keep it coming, just mention your driving style. Suman, this car is 1 year old, remember at that time the highest variant in ANHC was "S" without alloys (apart from E). "V" has been launched recently with alloys, "S" retained without AT.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 13:53	#6
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Ahhh, that explains it, thanks!
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 13:53	#7
SkyWalker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,531 Thanked: 136 Times	wow, thats was a great post MysticMonkey loved reading it. And quite some running there! Enjoy the car!
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 14:21	#9
prguru BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 179 Thanked: 92 Times	Congrats mysticmonkey and yes I agree that is a good FE you are getting. Does the paddle shift need some getting used to and what is the on road price for it ?
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 14:27	#10
Mevtec BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 210 Thanked: 143 Times	Hi mystic, congrats on the new car.Nice write up.I also felt similar when I went car shopping.ANHC is a car you wont regret after buying.Enjoy the ride. I am sorry to hear about the service experience.At my place I am not satisfied with maruthi service.Honda service is so far good.Please change the service centre.Get acquainted with good service engineers.For that you can contact Honda owners in team Bhp. My car has done 15000+ trouble free kilometers in one year.Please continue to update.Pictures please.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 14:50	#11
mysticmonkey BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Delhi Posts: 56 Thanked: 88 Times	@Raghu - I feel (no explanation why) that the sweet spot is 2300 to 2800 rpm. Plus I use the S mode pretty much all the time unless I am super lazy. So I end up changing gears like in a manual car. @PRguru - On-road price in Delhi was 9.70l but with the S/AT discontinued, only the V/AT is available for 10.20l. The paddle shift is pretty easy to get used and once you do, you may end up searching for them then you are a manual.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 16:30	#13
kalyan_hyd BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 545 Thanked: 882 Times View My Garage	Many congratulations. It was nice to read this post, reminded me of my own research to buy a new car. I had to stretch my budget by 3 lacs to accommodate ANHC. Just into three months of ownership now, I do not regret my decision at all.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 16:45	#14
vasoo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 246 Times View My Garage	Congrats. Honda ATs are real fun to drive and the paddle shift makes it much more interesting, both for sheer pleasure and better FE.
	() Thanks

24th March 2010, 20:34	#15
B103 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 429 Thanked: 311 Times	Congratulation MysticMonkey. Let me ask you if there is any specific reason to delay the buying thread for a rather long time.
	() Thanks