Driving on the highway at 110-120 km/h felt comfortable and one can get a fuel economy of 20 km/l if the car is driven at 80 km/h.

BHPian akhilshenay recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently completed a road trip from Trivandrum to Chennai and back in the Elevate. ODO is now ~6500.

• Route: Trivandrum - Nagercoil - Tirunelveli - Madurai - Vilupuram - Chennai
• The route has 4/6 lane highway except for a 40km stretch between Parassala & Nagercoil
• Distance: 765km One way
• Tolls: ~1200 one way
• Travel duration: ~13 hrs
• Mileage: 15.6 kmpl

Can easily get 20 kmpl if driven at 80kmph. I was cruising mainly at 110 kmph.

The range of 110-120 kmph felt comfortable, and I occasionally reached up to 130 kmph. However, I became less confident beyond that speed, especially considering I was travelling with a toddler.

Attaching some of the pictures from the trip.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

For someone looking at sedate driving and ok with the rubber band effect, this is not a bad option.

BHPian aayusht recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test Drive experience of Honda Amaze CVT petrol

On Sunday, 14th April, I finally test-drove the Honda Amaze CVT. Sharing a summary of my experience of the car and the showroom experience with Frontier Honda Sohna Road Gurgaon:

Experience with the showroom: 5/5

Experience with the car: 3.5/5

Pros:

• Fairly decently priced for what it offers (at least the SX variant); personally, I do not care for fancy features, but most of the useful ones are there in the SX variant
• Decent quality of interior plastics (in most places), decent quality of the headlamp & indicator switch, and good ergonomics overall. Nice clear large dials and a simple easy to read instrument cluster
• Folks at the Frontier Honda, and Sohna Road were pretty helpful. The test drive vehicle was a new car, spotless, barely driven 30km to date - felt good to drive such a test drive car. Never had such an experience. Accommodative with my request to drive the car on open roads to test out the pickup and check the CVT's rubberband effect, rough roads to test out the suspension.

Cons:

• The CVT's rubber band effect: I was struggling to see good pickup. The RPM shot up but the speedometer took its own sweet time to catch up; I could feel that the car was struggling to speed up, but the transmission was not letting it
• Though a small factor - Honda is still using plastic gear sticks, unlike some of the other companies offering leather/leatherite wrap. A few other sections of the lower dashboard had plastics that were not up to the mark and not similar to the plastics used on the higher sections. This does not give a premium feel, though I don't think Honda is positioning Amaze as a premium car
• Sadly, Amaze (along with Dzire, and Aura) have gained the taxi image (though not a reason I would drop the Amaze)

I forgot how the Jazz CVT with my in-laws drove, hence needed to drive the Amaze. I am not sure if I will actually buy the car. I still need to test-drive a few more cars. If I do not buy this car in my ongoing search for a small auto car, the primary reason will be the rubber band effect of the CVT.

For someone looking at sedate driving and ok with the rubber band effect, this is not a bad option.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I did think of EVs and Hybrids. The EVs were rejected on cost considerations and teething problems. The good ones are the Hyundai and the BYD/MG which are again too expensive. Hybrid is a good compromise and a great solution but the added duty takes them out of reach.

BHPian ashokabs recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

There are ownership reviews of the Honda Elevate already. I will narrate the salient features of my buying experience and initial ownership. I'm trying to avoid duplication of content already in the Forum. Some basic facts that might be useful in making sense of my comments are given here. I am almost 80 years old, living in New Delhi, and have extensive experience owning Fiat, Ambassador, the original Baleno, Maruti 800, Esteem, Hyundai Santro, 1st Gen Honda City, 2nd Gen Honda City, 3rd Gen Honda City, Honda Accord, Tata Tiago.

I had two cars at the start of 2024. A Tata Tiago XZ 2016 model and a Honda Accord 2009 Oct model. The Tata Tiago ownership experience was duly compiled and posted in late 2016 and early 2017. I did a detailed review since I felt this car by TAMO was a cut above their usual mediocre cars till then. It has given me good service with only one breakdown - loss of acceleration. This occurred on numerous occasions. I suspect it is fuel pump malfunction though it has never been noted by the computer analysis. In fact, all Tata Motors Service Centers were also foxed and couldn't resolve it!

The Accord is on its last legs in NCR. Thanks to constant background noise by my better half about the Tiago - she was badly let down on three occasions I had to take drastic action to get rid of it. I had to choose a car which would be reasonably spacious with ease of entry and egress. It should be very reliable, safe, and have decent mileage. It had to be easy for my wife to drive. There should be decent luggage space for shuttling to the airport and railway station or visits to nearby towns and hill stations. A decent entertainment system was essential as we both like to hear music on the radio. Provision of phone charging facility - wired was alright and wireless charging was not necessary.

I also wanted a car with good ASS for servicing and repairs. I have had a bad experience with the Tata Motors ASS in both Delhi and Noida. At my age must ensure that my wife doesn't face any problems when I am not around. I was quite clear about not wanting black shiny surfaces on the instrument panels or outside as they are a pain once they get scratched. Before they get scratched you have to wipe your hands with alcohol before touching the panels for fear of leaving fingerprints all over. I also did not want too much electronic gadgetry since this possibly results in poorer reliability. That is my experience gleaned from reading so many user reviews of some of the fully loaded cars. I am also wary of DCTs and don't like AMTs.

A cursory glance at my list of essential features and you will see that only a few cars would fit the bill. Tata cars were definitely ruled out since they have very poor initial quality and their panel gaps and poor finish leaves a bad taste in the mouth. I'm sorry to miss out on one variable which is needed to select a car and that is the cost. In Delhi, I was unwilling to spend more than Rs 17-18 lacs. Hyundai Seltos and a few others like Verna were possibilities but rejected thanks to their not-so-good dynamics or hard suspensions and their safety record. My friends who have bought the M&M range had sad stories of poor initial quality. Besides, their best cars have diesel engines and the XUV700 was outside my budget.

I did think of EVs and Hybrids. The EVs were rejected on cost considerations and teething problems. The good ones are the Hyundai and the BYD/MG which are again too expensive. Hybrid is a good compromise and a great solution but the added duty takes them out of reach. They also have smaller boot space. The Grand Vitara was considered but I am not much of a Suzuki fan. I must admit their after-sales service is probably the best with the exception of the luxury brands.

In 21-22, I was very excited by the Nexon. Not the first model but the second avatar where the very polarizing features of the exterior were toned down. Unfortunately, I had to give up on Nexon thanks to the numerous rants about their quality and poor performance of the ASS.

One other requirement which some might find surprising, especially in Delhi, and considering my age. I wanted a manual transmission. I love driving cars and especially enjoy the great experience of working through the gears to keep the car running efficiently. Hence, the clutch had to be light. My wife too is quite happy with manual transmission. Once, we cannot drive it doesn't matter as the driver will take over!!

You will all see that I inevitably ended up with just the Honda car lineup. I had a great experience with the brand on multiple occasions. I rejected the City as it is too low and as one gets older it is difficult to get in and out of it. The Amaze was discarded as they had a new model coming out with lots of enhancements later in 2024 and I needed to also replace the Accord before the end of Sept 24.

I was looking now at the Elevate and pretty much went through all the reviews on YouTube, in the media, and Team BHP. I got an email, around this time (early Dec 23), from ACKODrive. I bought car insurance from ACKO and found their service very direct and simple to access. They were offering the Honda Elevate with a 50k discount and I immediately booked the Elevate ZX MT in silver colour at Rs 11000. The waiting time was about 3 months and this suited me as I was sure I would be able to fund it at that time. Later in the third week of Dec 23, they said that a car was available and would I please take it. I repeated to them that I wanted this car on Mar 24 as originally offered by them.

In mid Mar 24, I got a phone call that the car had been allotted and asked that I please nominate a dealer in Delhi. I selected Courtesy Honda with whom I had dealings during my earlier Honda purchases. I got the invoice details from ACKO and the contact number of the Courtesy Honda salesperson in South Delhi near my residence. I thought the car would be available for inspection in Delhi but was told to contact Courtesy Honda, Panipat from where my car would be delivered. I arranged with the Panipat dealership to have the PDI in Panipat at their showroom/workshop. They have a very large parking space so it was easy to do the PDI there. I fixed up 24th Mar to visit Panipat and conduct the PDI. Prior to the PDI, I requested and was promptly sent the chassis number. From this, I could work out that it was Feb 24 manufacture.

I drove to Panipat showroom which was about 100 km from my house. I went early to reach there before 10 am. It was quite pleasant when the car was offered for inspection. It was cleaned and ready. I checked all the required PDI items and found the car in perfect working order. I signed the required documents and made a token payment of Rs 25K in addition to the 11K I had given as the booking amount. I was offered and examined the full list of accessories. However, I only bought the floor mats and the mudguards. In no way was I badgered for buying any of the accessories. Yes, I was told about the Warranty extension and took an additional warranty to cover 5 years of ownership. The entire experience was first class. I got the invoice - handwritten at this time so I could arrange for funds.

I had taken the Tiago ZX and agreed to sell it in exchange for Rs 2 L. We agreed that I could not leave the car there as I had to return to Delhi. The car would be collected when the Elevate was delivered. I opted to take delivery at my house in Delhi on 27th Mar. On Monday and Tuesday morning, I wired the funds, and the delivery was scheduled for after lunch on 27th Mar.

The driver arrived on Wed around 2.30 pm. I took delivery. The usual ribbons etc had been cellotaped and plastic was covering seats, flooring, and visors in the interiors. The driver gave me the papers i.e. manuals, invoices, etc and his assistant took a photo of the keys being handed over to me. The two things that were left were the RTO registration which would be done in Delhi, fixing of the numberplate, and activation of Honda Connect.

About 10 days later I got the number plate fixed in Courtesy Honda near my house. The Honda Connect was delayed as there was a problem with the Honda Connect server.

The entire sales and delivery processes were trouble-free. The folks at Panipat were all young and were very helpful and direct. Every query was patiently answered.

The only problem that I faced in this delivery was that after removing the plastic cover on the passenger seat in the front I found a 2 sq inch oil stain under the plastic cover. I hope it can be removed in the next service.

The car is running fine and I am keeping to the limits suggested to run in the engine and brakes. I have driven it around 400 kms so far. The mileage in the city is around 13.4 km/l and the drive from Panipat by the driver showed 16 km/l.

I am going to give pros and cons based on my needs and actual experience. My brief ownership observations are:

Pros

• Easy entry and egress
• High road clearance
• Smooth almost noiseless engine up to about 2500 rpm.
• Good comfortable seating at the front and back
• Excellent driving dynamics and suspension - good cornering, bumps are taken with aplomb.
• Steering is light at a standstill and nicely weighted as the speed increases
• ADAS features (barring Collision Mitigation) work well given the constraints on Indian roads.
• Fit and finish are excellent though there is a larger panel gap in the bonnet area.
• Gearing is excellent for city driving. One can start from a standstill in 2nd gear. Engaging and changing gears is very smooth. There is a good acceleration in 5th gear as well.
• Value for money for sure.

Cons

• My golf set and golf trolley barely fit in the boot without putting down any of the seats. There is enough space for a family's travel luggage - suitcases etc.
• There is a higher noise level over 2500 rpm. More insulation is needed.
• The music system is satisfactory but other competing cars have better quality of sound.
• Spare tyre is smaller in size.
• The Collision Mitigation System is not entirely suited to Indian road conditions especially in the city. People cut in front and drive too close as do cyclists and two-wheelers. One is almost getting back-ended all the time as the following vehicle is hardly two or three yards away. There is too much scope for being back-ended when CMS operates.

It is nice driving the car as it gets some looks - not many Elevates in Delhi.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The common thing between them is the high-revving nature of their engines. As for the fuel efficiency, I've been able to get close to 19 km/l.

BHPian shan_ned recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A short ownership review from my perspective

Purchased the Elevate VX MT variant last month. This review is mostly a subjective one. My old car is a 2008 Maruti Swift (Petrol) and I have been using it for the last 16 years. I am retaining it because I still love its engine.

Before I jump into my review of Elevate, I like to touch briefly on why I went with Elevate. I had two MAJOR requirements for the new car.

• Ownership would be for more than 10 years. So reliability and cost of ownership are the most important factors.
• For a good long-term ownership, service and support must be good.
• No diesel nor pure electric.
• Must be a bigger and more comfortable car compared to my old car.

Based on the above factors, I had no choice other than to choose a car with a Naturally Aspirated (NA) petrol engine. They are reliable and cheap to maintain as well in the long run. So, I ruled out the turbo petrol-based ones. Also, I am not a fan of driving fast with neck-snapping acceleration. I prefer relaxed cruising and strictly follow the defensive style of driving. I strongly believe that it is a VERY BIG PRIVILEGE for anyone to drive on the roads because it involves other people’s precious lives. Of course, this is applicable to all irrespective of the type of car one owns.

Based on my budget, the choices were:

• Maruti Brezza
• Honda Elevate

Even though I didn’t list cars from other brands, it doesn’t mean they are inferior. It is purely based on my personal preference.

While Brezza was my first preference as it meets all the above requirements much better than Honda Elevate (due to excellent after sales support of Maruti), my family preferred the Elevate because of the brand image. They wanted something outside the Maruti family as we already owned a Maruti car.

Now, coming to the review part

• Certainly, Elevate looks unique. The rear looks like any other cross-SUV available in the market. I do somehow like the rear portion of Brezza a bit more.
• I am not a big fan of having so many features except for a few minimal stuff. My personal opinion is that car manufacturers should invest more on the QC than on the features. In a way, Elevate VX (or even the V model) has enough features. A few features like the sunroof, the G meter display, automatic ON/OFF and a few more are not very much important to me. A 360-degree camera would have been a preferred choice for me. Similarly, having 6 airbags across the variants would have been the best thing for Honda to do right from the product launch. Till last month, there was no news of Honda providing 6 airbags for all the variants. Otherwise, I would have waited for a couple of months more. Anyway, no point in breaking the head for a thing which has already happened.
• The interiors look like a big upgrade for me. Of course, I have seen City owners not so impressed with the Elevate’s interior. As I am coming from a 16-year-old Swift, the interiors of Elevate look premium. The overall layout looks more simple, elegant, near and not flashy. One thing which I disliked in the VX variant is the use of fabric cloth at the door side armrest. To keep my greed at bay, even a basic plastic would have been a good choice (similar to the V model).
• I always have had a liking for smooth engines. It is for this reason I hate diesel cars. Honda Elevate engine is silky smooth just like the Swift’s engine. Even after 16 years, my Swift engine is as smooth as a new engine. The engine noise is heard inside when the revs climb because of inadequate NVH levels dampening. Personally, I don’t see it as a problem.
• Considering the engine break-in period, I am keeping the revs not exceeding 2500 rpm. So I am yet to experience how the car behaves when crossing 3000 rpm. As I am a slow driver, I am not going to test the kicking-in of VTEC. My driving will be predominantly under 3000 rpm. I also don’t expect Elevate to be significantly faster than my current Swift because both have identical power-to-weight ratio. One thing I can say is that Elevate has a shorter gearing ratio compared to Swift. This is for the entire gear range (right from the first gear to the topmost gear). It means the in-gear acceleration will be slightly better than Swift. Of course, the difference might be significantly bigger at higher revs. The common thing between Elevate and Swift is the high-revving nature of their engines. Swift engine (G13B) can rev close to 7000 rpm and Elevate can rev above 7000 rpm. End of the day, I will not be using the top-end rev range unless there is a need for a very quick overtaking. I can only boast about it. I find the 6th gear lacking torque when less than 2200/2300 rpm. With 4 people in the car and with AC, the car speed decreases if there is an uphill slope. When giving more gas, the response is lethargic. This is the case for most of the NA petrol engines. Of course, I haven’t tested how the response will be when the rev is above 3000 rpm in 6th gear. The response in the 5th gear is relatively much better compared to the 6th gear.
• With various media reports quoting less fuel efficiency for the MT version, I am able to get close to 19 kmpl. Sometimes, it has even touched 20 kmpl. Again, I am keeping the engine's rev just around 2500 rpm. The only downside I see is the 40 litres tank capacity. I feel Honda should have given at least 45 litres tank capacity. Anyway, this may not be a deal breaker for many.
• The most liked part is the ride quality. It is excellent, to say the least. The car just glides over the road undulations and potholes. I am in love with the way the suspension has been setup. With the engine being ultra smooth and the ride quality being comfortable, it will be a good driving experience.
• Audio setup: With 4 speakers and 2 tweeters, I didn’t find the audio to be lacking in anything. They are neither great nor bad. The audio system is sufficiently good in my opinion.

There are some negatives with Elevate

• The first thing is the NVH levels. The tires make some noise. It is not bothering me much though I would have preferred a much quieter cabin.
• The wipers look very cheap. Not expected on a 15L+ car. Need to see how effective they are during the rains.

• The bonnet panel gap is slightly wider.

Accessories installed:

Used the OEM seat cover from Honda and it looks good.

• Didn’t opt for either PPF or ceramic coating. I will use Collinite 845 once in a while to keep the car paint shining.
• Purchased Viofo A229 plus dash cam (dual channel)

I am not intending to add any other accessories or modify anything further which may void the warranty. I like to keep things to the minimal.

I have opted for an additional warranty (2 years over and above the 3-year original warranty).

To summarise, Honda Elevate is a sensible family car for sedate driving. Though it is claimed to be meant for urban driving, one can very well use it for long-distance touring with good comfort.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

There is a HUGE difference in the sound response of the car post these mods.

BHPian hondadriver recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Interior Mods to my Silver V-MT:

• Fitted with Autoform's fitted seat covers.

• Got the side door fabric covered in the same material as the seat covers.

• Replaced the stock speakers with Infinity Reference components in the front and Infinity Ref coaxial in the rear. The speakers can get on the car door frame without any drilling if a coupler is used (that's what I got).

• Got a single layer of door damping from Infinity. This combined with replacing the stock Goodyears with Continental UC6s has made the cabin way quieter. Even quieter than my 4th Gen facelifted Honda City.

There is a HUGE difference in the sound response of the car post these mods. The original speakers were pathetic in their construction as well as response. Now the music is clear and crisp and it fills the cabin. Great sound for heavy metal, Punjabi, and Western classical music (as tested). Highly recommended.

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In these 20,000 km, I did not feel even once that I should have purchased a midsize "SUV".

BHPian divirokr recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Reflecting on 2 years and 20,000 kilometres with my Honda City

Introduction

My yearly mileage continues to be consistent at approximately 10,000 kms a year as I continue working from home majorly. The first year was a hassle-free experience and things continue to be the same in the second year with a few niggles which I will talk about in the subsequent sections.

Performance Evolution

My love affair with this 1.5 iVTEC continues and every month or so I make sure to rev it to 7000 rpm whenever I am feeling meh. It's an instant therapy shooting past all the other vehicles as the traffic light turns green with a sports car-style grunt.

Fuel Efficiency

I have noticed 3 levels of fuel economy.

• Short drives nearby which include a 150-second red light and notorious E-rickshaws every now and then where the mileage is close to 12-13 kmpl (with/without AC).
• Office drives from Ghaziabad to Gurgaon, which are ~50 kms one side and include nice open stretches where the mileage depends on the time of taking the route. In the early morning hours, I have managed 15-16 kmpl with less traffic and 14 kmpl when there is traffic in a few stretches.
• Intercity highway / expressway drives, where I have clocked 20+ kmpl with intermittent AC use maintaining speeds of 90-100 kmph. I noticed a significant improvement post 2nd-year service as before that the best mileage I had been able to manage on a similar highway was under 20 kmpl. Driving on the hills does impact the mileage and in my last trip from Ghaziabad to Bhowali (Uttarakhand), I clocked 17.5 kmpl in the round trip (500 kms plain and 60 kms hills)

Overall, between 10,000 to 20,000 kms, the mileage was ~14-15 kmpl (odometer showed 15.2 and I have noticed the actual mileage is lesser by ~0.5 kmpl)

In terms of drivability, it continues to be comfortable and is surely ageing like a fine wine so far.

Durability and Maintenance

While there haven't been any major issues in the car, the first issue I faced in the City was in the rear parking sensor which stopped working and would just keep on beeping irrespective of the distance. This was solved in the second year service free of cost.

Another issue was with the co-pilot door handle where many co-passengers were struggling to open the door as the door handle seemed to not work smoothly. I used some WD-40 to lubricate the handle which seems to have fixed the issue.

Sometimes, the front power window wouldn't go up automatically, in fact, it abruptly goes down again and I have to pull the button firmly until the window is completely up. This is also something which does not happen all the time but I thought is worth mentioning.

The other issue which I have recently noticed is a mild clicking noise from the steering while turning it. I have heard from other City owners about this issue but since it's very faint and does not come all the time, it does not bother me as of now but I hope it's not something which turns into a bigger issue.

Lastly, I scraped the front side part of the bumper on a concrete pillar while taking the car out of a tight parking which I got corrected from a good quality local paint shop as I don't feel like spending almost twice the amount from Honda for a not so major paint job.

Apart from that, I gave the car the annual detailing job it deserves and the shine made me fall in love with it all over again. It is so difficult to maintain a dark color but every time it comes out of a car wash, it looks brand new!

Look at the difference between left vs right in the bonnet

Good as new

Interior and overall cabin comfort

The dashboard looks and feels good as new although the beige upholstery gets dirty especially the door panels where power window buttons are located.

The suspension works like a charm although NVH levels continue to be average as the road noise at higher speeds is there but this has been the case since the beginning.

I switched to Android from iOS and am happy to report that Android Auto works equally well in the infotainment system.

Few more random photo shots

Rear profile which I love the most

Daring to be a sedan in the sea SUVs

Trying to capture an artistic shot

Closing Thoughts

Overall, I am happy with the car and not once, felt that I should have purchased a midsize "SUV" instead. The combination of power and comfort make me forget all those small issues I encountered. I have also driven the Honda Elevate where I could sense the Honda City DNA in the drivability but the overall comfort of a sedan is unmatched. Sad to see the numbers dropping down for the City after the launch of the Elevate.

I also drove the VW Virtus 1.0 Turbo which was exciting once the turbo kicked in but I guess I am a sucker for naturally aspirated engines where there is no turbo lag and power delivery is linear before iVTEC kicks in yo.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

While we also considered the Toyota Hyryder and Maruti Jimny, we eliminated the Kia Sonet, Hyundai Creta, Verna and i20 N Line as well as the Kia Seltos.

BHPian ajmat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My wife's Polo 1.6 was 11 years old so it was time for a change.

What we wanted

• Petrol
• Auto - not an AMT
• Reasonable build quality
• Reasonably spacious
• Maneuverability in town

We eliminated the following

• Kia Sonet/Hyundai Venue - Nice on paper and in the showroom but found them bland
• Hyundai Creta - Poor safety record and the deconstructed looks
• Kia Seltos - Decent but a little bigger than required. Price and safety rating took it off the list.
• Hyundai Verna - strong contender but the design put me off
• Hyundai i20 N Line - Was concerned with its braking

We considered the following

• The Kushaq/ Taigun twins. They would have been ideal but the interior finish, rattles, weak air conditioning (very important for my wife) were the deal breakers. With a demanding job, the niggles were things I did not want to deal with. They also were expensive comparatively
• The Toyota Hyryder was nixed as it was not fun to drive and interior plastics were scrappy.
• The Jimny - Cute but the turning circle is not that great for town and my wife did not really like it.

Along came the Elevate. I liked the styling or rather the absence of a chrome fest. Took a couple of test drives which reinforced that this was the one! Acceleration in town is brisk up to 60km/h. Responsive steering and the decent interiors sold it for me. What sealed the deal was the left side lane change camera.

The City BHeV was under consideration but the price and dated interior put me off.

I ordered the car in October from Dakshin Honda and gave the details to my company's leasing agent who went and sourced the car from Whitefield Honda. (that's another story). The process was seamless and straightforward. It was much smoother than Hyundai (I was buying an Exter at the same time, they harassed you with phone calls for every small thing)

I tried to get the car before Xmas but an RTO snafu meant the car came on 26th Dec. The car is used by my wife. It was pressed into duty for the city use and the odd airport drop. My wife was a little scared of the size. Now she loves it.

What she likes

• Space
• Colour
• Visibility
• Smooth
• Easy to place with the cameras

What she does not like

• The size
• The ADAS system is a bit sudden

I tend to use Elevate in town as it is parked at home. The Audi is parked 15 min away at my mother's house.

What I like

• Brisk acceleration at city speeds
• Accurate steering
• Chuckable
• Ergonomics

What I don’t like

• CVT moos like a cow- under hard acceleration or press on driving
• Bump absorption is poor due to short travel suspension
• Seats are a bit flat
• ADAS is aggressive as well as the radar cruise control. It is a 0 -1 game - full on or full off whether brakes or acceleration.

The Bangalore mods and I took it for a running-in party to a nice curvy road. It kept up on the heels of a BMW 328i which I thought was doing tail-out slides. However, using the paddle shifts for the correct torque band did not cut the mustard.

So I have become boring with 2 SUVs - the Honda and the Audi

The Audi is turning 10

• It has a better build quality
• You feel really safe and secure
• High-speed dynamics and grip
• Mid-range acceleration
• Comfortable seats and driving position
• Bump absorption
• Better music system

The Honda is much easier to drive in town and has more modern features like Apple Car Play but I am not exactly dying for this. The Audi's usage has come down since I prefer to use diesel for longer runs where the engine properly warms up. It is the pick for long trips and airport runs. Unless something interesting comes along, it stays. My office is moving to Whitefield so might use it for commuting if I cannot get time for a 30 min walk to the Metro station.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My standard view is the G-Meter. My personal Ego meter. I find it very useful to mind my driving style which translates to better road manners.

BHPian Boomerang recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Team, here’s my review, (apart from what I have read here), on the first 1000 kms.

Pros:

• Digital Instrument Cluster: My standard view is the G-Meter. My personal Ego meter. I find it very useful to mind my driving style which translates to better road manners. I simply let the aggressive ones pass.
• Reverse Parking Camera and Sensors: The camera has good resolution and a very clear view. I find that the sensors have a good range in terms area of coverage (including the sides)
• Engine: Super refined. I do not see a lag in this 1.5 litre when I switch the A/C on and off.
• Drive modes I love: D on highways (2 lanes or more); S on highways (single lane and hills). S - is so much fun that I am reminded of the VW Turbo diesel.
• Headlight: One of the best stocks I have seen in a vehicle I have bought yet. Its spread and reach exceed my expectations
• Auto-headlights: Love this feature on Honda. Sensors are highly sensitive to turn on, however, to turn off - it takes a good 3-4 seconds. Again it depends on the cover over the head.

Cons:

• Noise: Please note that I have observed ONLY Noise levels. There is absolutely no vibration or harshness, hence I did not mention NVH. The noise seeping inside the cabin is way too much. On highways, it gets worse with the tire noise.
• Digital Instrument Cluster: I thought the fuel gauge or indication could’ve been placed better considering driver ergonomics (regardless of the height). I have to strive to look at it.
• Controls for Digital Instrument Cluster: There is no dedicated back button, one has to use the home button instead.
• Leatherette seats: This is when I miss the ventilated or fabric seats. My back sweats so much that it just spoils my top. Definitely not meant for the Indian Summer
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS): This is a pain for Indian roads, however is a good addition. I turn it off in the city/towns. You can not deactivate it when you’re in D/S mode. If you try, it just gets reactivated. So I go to P - with the engine on - deactivate it. This stays until the next engine turns off.
• Heat from the car: On a hot day or a long run (4+ hours of continuous driving), the moment you step out of the car, there is a gush of hot air from underneath the car to its sides. Specifically, if you’re seated in the front. Observed this 2 times.
• Left side-view mirror: I found it difficult to check/use as it took longer for me to check and be back minding the road.

I am happy with the investment and always a pleasure to drive this car.

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I really feel this car should sell more than monthly 2500 pcs compared to Dzires 15000 count!

BHPian INDIAFIRST recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have an 18-month-old CVT VX. I am in awe of the class and quality of this machine.

Just completed a 650 km round trip from NCR to Solan District (HP). Sharing observations:

Mileage: Calculated using tank-to-tank method with 4 adults & luggage. Nitrogen instead of air in tyres. Driven in D mode.

On plains highway- 23 kmpl. Caveat- Max speed 90 kmph, average speed 70 kmph.

On the incline (40 km stretch) 14 kmpl

I use regular (not premium) petrol.

On the return leg, the car was running non-stop with AC for 6 hours- only stopping to cross toll plazas. Yes, no bio breaks either! Interestingly engine was not (excessively) heated- this is outstanding & shows the car was well within its comfort zone.

The trick with the CVT is to understand the RPMs and feather the accelerator accordingly. Typically I stay within 1500 rpm. I used S mode only for engine braking on the way down, maybe 5/6 kms.This car is a beauty when relaxed. Heavy /squat stance leads to less body roll which translates to minimum fatigue. I was pretty fresh after the drive. Well yes, 300 odd km isn't much compared to most of you folks, but then my weekly drive is a total of 50 km!

Braking is, as GTO says "sans drama". True- you can really rely on the stopping power.

Since (gimmicky) features are not my thing, this car meets all my basic requirements. Safe, reliable, classy.

I really feel this car should sell for more than monthly 2500 pcs compared to Dzires 15000 count!

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The diesel options such as Seltos and Creta Diesel look like decent alternatives in theory - but I don't see it as a wise investment to buy a Diesel car again in 2024.

BHPian vsrivatsa recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

10 years with the Honda City

I completed 10 years with the City and have been thinking about writing a post on the ownership experience and my thinking on the way forward.

The 10-year mark was completed on 03-Feb-2024 and around the same time I also completed the 70,000 kms mark on the City.

70,000 kms in 10 years seems like a lower figure as compared to my previous ownership experience but given that we went thru COVID-19 lockdowns and that the other car that we have (Ignis) has clocked 22,000+ kms with a parallel ownership cycle shows that the beater has kind of extending the life of this car.

The road to the 70,000 kms mark has been very uneven with a lot more usage in the initial years and muted usage during the COVID period. Here is a run thru of how these numbers have been clocked over the years:

Do not see a replacement available in the market that excites me as on date to make me take the plunge toward a new car.

• The diesel options such as Seltos and Creta Diesel look like decent alternatives in theory - but I don't see it as a wise investment to buy a Diesel car again in 2024.
• Coming to the EVs - I live in an apartment and there are still debates going on about the risks of setting up an EV Charger within the premises - so EV looks impractical for the time being.
• The Hybrid route seems to be the way to move forward but there are limited choices (Grand Vitara/Hyryder) with a constrained boot.

Given this scenario, and also given that the ODO reading on my car is still on the lower side, my thinking is to continue with the ownership of the City for another 2 years and then re-visit when more hybrid options show up in the market

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