News

Why I chose the Honda Amaze over Baleno & i20: Ownership review

21st December 2023, 17:00 by Brij Gawde

Overall, I'm happy with the decision I made. Amaze S MT is one of the best and VFM car in Rs 8L (on road).

BHPian JDMBOI recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hii, Team-BHPians, here is my experience buying the Honda Amaze & initial thoughts.

Preference - Hatchback (Sub 4M) and not to buy base variant. Started looking for a car for my sister back in August.

Budget Rs 9L (on road).

Cars considered

Amaze
Brezza
Altroz
i20
Fronx
Baleno (kind of)

Ruled out and why?

Brezza was out of the list as 2nd variant was above Rs 11L on the road. In my opinion, it's not worth it (few features + hybrid technology removed and price remained the same) I would rather spend that much on slavia/virtus/kushaq base variants. The waiting period was 7 months but the sales guy said to buy Rs 25000 worth of accessories & I will deliver the car on the date of your choice which is very considerate of him. I said thanks and left.Altroz - To be honest not a fan of Altroz looks (other Tata cars too) and there are 17 Petrol variants (yes, you read it right) Are you kidding me?
i20 - Almost decided to go with the i20 Sportz manual but then I saw Amaze on the road (almost forgot this car) and the i20 was put on hold.
Baleno - My mother was forcing me to go with Baleno (her colleagues told her, to buy Baleno) but I said NO. Safety is questionable.

Nexa sales guy remarks on the safety of Baleno.

Me - What is the safety rating of Baleno? (I know it's never tested)

Sales guy (Looks at me for 2-3 seconds) - 5 Stars.

Me- No, this will only get 2-3 stars (if tested)

Sales guy (changing topic) - Are bhai safety kisko chaiye sab bhagwan ke hath mein hai, feature aur mileage mangte hai log. (Brother, Who need safety? it's in God's hands. People want features and mileage)

Me - Alright.

Fronx - Its 2nd model was Rs 8.4 and on the road would have been around Rs 9.3L. I am against spending that much money on Maruti plus she denied (looks).

Why did I choose Amazon?

4 Star safety.
Honda reliability.
Parts availability and economical service.
Under 4 meter.
Spacious cabin.

Visits and experience with Honda

In September - Went to check the car (around 5 PM) and to get a quote. Was attended to within seconds by salesperson Mr. Gaurav. He knew all the feature differences between S and VX. (good to know as sales guys usually don't know much) but they were a little hesitant to show the car had to say 3 times. (The showroom is under renovation, maybe that's why)

In October - On 10 October 2023 visited them again for booking but sales man (Gaurav) was not present another guy said Sir, the occasion is not good now, come on 15 October it's Navratri. I said I don't believe in this sort of stuff but he insisted, and I was skeptical whether to go for it or not, so I left without booking the car.

In November - On 10 November 2023 went again attended within seconds again by Mr. Gaurav (he recognized me) talked to some figures and booked Amaze S Manual in Silver at Malwa Honda,Sonipat. Could have gone with VX but there is a Rs 1.30L difference (on the road).

Price

On Road Rs 8.25L. Told him, I would pay only 8% road tax (Haryana) + Insurance

Feature difference between S and VX

Full LED Projector headlight.
Fog lamps. (LED)
Push button start.
Smart key. (Keyless entry)
Rear Defogger.
Automatic Climate Control.
Diamond-Cut Two-Tone Multi-Spoke R15 Alloy Wheels.
Rear Multi-View Camera with Guidelines.
17.7cm Touchscreen (Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Weblink)

What I opted

Fast tag - Rs 500
Extended warranty.
Zero Depreciation.
Return to Invoice.
Rat bite (was told it is included in IIFCO insurance)
Hydrostatic lock/ Engine Protection.

Not paid

Logistic/Handling Charges- At the first visit he said it was necessary to pay the charge but later on was OK with me not paying. NOTE - Buyers are not bound to pay logistic/handling charges, it is illegal.
No basic accessory kit.
NO RSA.

Accessories
Paid Rs5000 for

Mud Guard.
Floor Mats.
Body cover.
Air pump.
Anti-fog film (for ORVM)

Received 2 pillows (as a gift)

Pictures of the S variant

No dead pedal.

Driver-side door hinges.

Halogen headlight with DRL.

Pasting (looks cheap) and gap on the side.

Rear right door hinges.

No 60:40

Minimal hump

Rubber beading stops in the middle.

Partial cladding.

PDI

I asked the sales guy to fix the PDI date (Friday, 17 November) but he said 18 November, I agreed and told him that I want a fresh lot of cars in at least September. He again changed the date to Sunday 19 November. I called him on 18 to remind him about PDI and reiterated about the fresh lot (at least September) he said okay.

PDI Day - Wastage of time & utter disappointment
18 November - I was ready, printed the PDI checklist noted the VIN decoding instructions.

19 November - Reached the showroom and the very first thing I checked was VIN and Voila it was August manufactured not September or October. Didn't even proceed further & rejected the car. He offered a Grey metallic Amaze (September manufactured) I denied it because I have been telling him, for the past month, that I want Silver. I was somewhat okay with 3 month old car and asked about more discounts but no luck. Sat there to talk about new stock arrival and discount on silver Amaze but he got busy with new customers and waited for around 30 minutes (unattended) then I left.

20 November - Decided to go with grey metallic and did PDI using Preregistration check list. It took me around 40 minutes. I would suggest taking someone with you as time passed, I became lethargic & did the left-over procedure in a hasty manner. After PDI 25 November was set as delivery day.

Delivery Day
Took delivery of the vehicle early in the morning, and the process was smooth (20-25 minutes). Gave sweet boxes to the sales guy and to the staff. Was given a chocolate box, clicked a few pictures, and off we went.

Rating (Malwa Honda, Sonipat)
8 out of 10

Initials thoughts

My observation after the small trip (40 KM) (I was in the back seat) and a short drive

Mileage - 11.4 KMPL (MID) 5 people on board.

The engine is silent (do hear it when driven hard, no complaints at all)
The brakes are good.
Back seat comfort is good.

Prominent sound transfer into the cabin when rocks hit the wheel well.

Short drive

Easy to maneuver in the city.
Steering has good weight.
The clutch is perfect neither short nor long nor very light.
Gear shifts are smooth with a medium throw.

Likes

Refined engine.
Spacious cabin.
Effective AC.
Infotainment, steering wheel & window (control) buttons give good feedback.
Seat comfort is good.
Brakes offer a good bite.
NVH level well contained.

Dislikes

Partial cladding.
Pasting in the engine bay looks cheap & with huge fender gaps (see engine bay pictures)
Reflectors at the back (near tail light) are just for esthetic purposes.
The gear knob has played when in neutral and I was having difficulty slotting second gear but after a few minutes getting used to it. (same thing told by my brother)

Wants

Underbody protection.
Fog lamps.
Good speakers.
60:40 seat.
Dead pedal.

Build quality
The build quality is good for the Rs 8L car. The seat fabric, roof liner, dashboard fit, and finish are good but the glove box has a slight panel gap. The button provided (AC, Infotainment, steering & windows control gives a good tactile feel). Panel gaps are uniform outside. The doors don't offer thud noise and the boot lid is light.

Engine & Variant
1.2L NA engine| Amaze S MT

Wheels & tyres
175/65 R14 Bridgestone tyres (Spare too)

Interior space & comfort
The comfort is good at the front and back seats, can't complain & the driver seat has height adjustment.

Visibility & size of mirrors
Ample visibility - huge windows, A-pillar doesn't protrude visibility, big ORVM & IRVM (manual in S) provide great visibility of the back.

Air conditioner cooling & Effectiveness
It's a Honda, it blows cool air as soon as you turn on the AC.

Audio system & sound quality
Decent, if you love music you are going to get disappointed like me. No inbuilt equalizer or subwoofer.

NVH levels
Haven't driven it much but based on our 40KM trip I would say the NVH levels are well contained, with no road noise, you do hear the engine when you accelerate hard but prominent sound transfers into the cabin when a rock hits the wheel wells.

Overall, I'm happy with the decision I made. Amaze S MT is one of the best VFM cars in Rs 8L (on the road).
CIAO