Honda City ZX: Most luxurious car in its class with outstanding performance....

zoom2_ash · 5th February 2006, 21:32

After doing a lot of search and R&D through internet, dealers, experts, customer feedbacks and test drives, I decided to opt for Honda City ZX Gxi. And after driving it about 2000 KMs, here are my sincere views on my car. I hope it might be useful for the readers who are also planning to buy a car in this segment.
Looks: I think Honda has come up with the real winner. With minimum of changes, Honda somehow manage to make CITY ZX look much more bigger, bolder and more importantly a smarter car. It makes a great on road presence much better then Fiesta and other competitors.
Interiors: Interiors are same as the earlier NHC Gxi which are still unmatched in its segment. They are just class apart, even better then Optra Elite. They are beautiful and very spacious. Absolutely silent, Once inside, I can't hear any noises from outside. Gives you a very luxurious feel once you are in. No other car in its segment can beat City in this. Closest is I guess Fiesta Sxi but again nowhere as spacious as City ZX.
Performance: I have heard/read a lot about the lack of power in this car. Actually, 77 BHP suggests the same thing to me also but believe me or not the lack of power is never felt neither in City nor on Highway by me. I have driven it at a speed of upto 140 KMPH quite effortlessly without even realizing it before reading the meter. I found the engine and its steering very smooth and responsive for city driving. And the best thing: The gear shift, which is so important in city traffic…gear shift is so smooth that I found it best in any segment. I found it the easiest to drive in city, you will never feel that you are driving such a big car may be due to very low turning radius and very smooth steering and engine. You will believe this only once you drive it yourself.
Fuel Efficiency was always its plus point and its no different with my car. Its giving me 15-16 KMPL with AC in mix conditions(75% City, 25% Highway).
Also, I had read a lot about its poor head lights, brakes and suspension. But I have not faced any such issue with my car so far. Company has improved the headlights and suspension in ZX. So, they seem to be fine now but I agree HONDA must also try to give disk brakes and ABS with such a great car. That is still missing.
So, overall a great car with excellent interiors, great comfort and drivability. May be little expensive then the other cars in its segment but certainly worth paying that extra money. There are two categories of cars, 1st where you pay less initially but you pay again and again and 2nd where you pay more initially but you dont have to bother again in your life time. Honda City comes in this 2nd category whereas Fords, Tatas, GMs all come in the 1st category.

Comparison:
I had taken test drives of many cars including Accent petrol, Baleno, Optra1.6, Fiesta Sxi, Tata Indigo GSX(with luxury
features) etc. before finalizing on City ZX. And I realized that City ZX is actually a way ahead of Accent, indigo GSX and
baleno so should not be compared at all. Closet came were Optra 1.6 Elite and Fiesta Sxi and here is my opinion on both these
cars w.r.t. to City ZX Gxi.
1) With Optra 1.6 :
I was getting a discount of 82000 on Optra 1.6 and even then I opted for City ZX because
i) AC is very very very poor. And even the dealer agreed that it’s an issue in Optra.
ii) Gear shift is on harder side as compare to City.
Iii) I didn't find performance of Optra much better then City infact I found NHC easier to drive in city traffic.
Iv) City's interiors are much more smarter then Optra Elite. No doubt Optra Royale has great interiors.
V) Most importantly, Optra's fuel efficiency is very less. Even with VGIS, I think it doesn't give more then 9-10 KMPL in
city.
Vi) Maintenance cost of optra is much higher then City.
2) With Fiesta 1.6 :
Engine of Fiesta 1.6 is definitely more responsive then City ZX Gxi. Interiors(only Sxi variant) are also good looking but
not as spacious as City ZX. Leg room at the front side seat is very cramped(especially sideways). Rear seats legroom is also
very less.
Looks of the car is okay from front and rear but side view doesn't give it a big car look certainly not as big as City ZX.
Suspension of Fiesta is not as good as of City or Optra. Even small path holes made the ride very bumpy. A/c is though
effective but is very noisy.
Apart from these, other reasons for not buying Fiesta was high cost of maintenance and lesser fuel efficiency. So, if someone
is only looking for the power and he is not bothered about the other things like looks/interiors/fuel efficiency and
especially the cost of maintenance then one can look at Fiesta 1.6 SXi but but even then with little extra money one should
consider City V-Tech simply because of peace of mind that Honda gives to you.

kashd · 5th February 2006, 22:33

Good that you are fan of your car but please dont overdo as people may get distracted from real facts. With 77 bhp it is highly short in power. Fiesta 1.6 is 101 bhp. You may ride at 140 kmph but that dosent prove anything about power and performance. Also dont compare interior of city with Optra. Its sheer madness to think city even near Optra elite which is a D segment car. Also fiesta 1.6 is being compared with city Vtec and not zxi. Fiesta sxi is atleast Rs 1 lacs cheaper than City V-tec. You may park the additional fund to overcome fiesta's 1-2 KMPL less mileage than city.You may visit various threads in this forum for that. Anyway OHC is much better tha NHC for both performance and design. Ofcourse thats my opinion and opinion will differ specialy when one invests money one will tend to support the decision

sridhar24 · 5th February 2006, 22:44

The NHC is a great city car with great comfort but isn't good enough on the highways.

abhibh · 5th February 2006, 22:47

Comapring NHC with Optra.. Man you should go drive optra. I wont even compare Skoda with optra in terms of Comfort and interiois. Also I also loved the OHC. That car looked like a D segment beeing a C Segment.

Also i cant say anything regarding the underpower thing. As i own a 1.4 TDCi but dont feel it undepowered. I think we can't comment on underpower or overpower issues as a company sees all the aspects while making a car. I also had the same impression about that cars are underpowered but now i understand.

Also NHC is too much over priced.. They do not provide safety features like Fiat, Ford fiesta or others. For the same / lesser price than NHC i can get a Brand new petrol elentra.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kashd

Good that you are fan of your car but please dont overdo as people may get distracted from real facts. With 77 bhp it is highly short in power. Fiesta 1.6 is 101 bhp. You may ride at 140 kmph but that dosent prove anything about power and performance. Also dont compare interior of city with Optra. Its sheer madness to think city even near Optra elite which is a D segment car. Also fiesta 1.6 is being compared with city Vtec and not zxi. You may visit various threads in this forum for that. Anyway OHC is much better tha NHC for both performance and design. Ofcourse thats my opinion and opinion will differ specialy when one invests money one will tend to support the decision

adya33 · 5th February 2006, 23:13

Quote:

Its sheer madness to think city even near Optra elite which is a D segment car.

Optra D segment car?

Quote:

Also fiesta 1.6 is being compared with city Vtec and not zxi. Fiesta sxi is atleast Rs 1 lacs cheaper than City V-tec.

read the first post zoom went for GXi & NOT VTEC which is more expensive

Quote:

I wont even compare Skoda with optra in terms of Comfort and interiois.

I assume you are talking about Octivia. Just ask tsk about interior comfort

devarshi84 · 6th February 2006, 08:25

NHC is futuristic looking, no doubt. but its looks certainly are not the best around.

FE is good no doubt but again there is hype surrounding it.

Power is just sufficient for city use, though it can also be used on highways.

IT's priced really high with against the competition which reals mars it value

the interiors are good though

optra in the higher price band, fiesta and petra in the lower price band are equally competitive along with baleno and lancer in the same segment.

It certainly not a bad car but it also has its own flaws.

extreme_torque · 6th February 2006, 09:48

In city the honda is definitely better no doubt... the control are light, engine is pretty responsive, the car is nimble and ligh footed but it cannot even be compared with the Optra on highways.... Optra is a mighty fine car on the highways. The stability, the ride are absolutely awesome... its the only car that matches the skoda on highways.
An issue with Honda's car have always been the ride quality and the feel.... it just doesnt feel solid enuf. Even the new one has acceptable levels of ride quality, nothing great.... its still not a patch on Corsa or even Palio, Optra is leagues ahead.

karizma_devil · 6th February 2006, 11:37

man am a big fan of OHC..but its really stupid comparing NHC ZX..with skodas ! man i have driven my uncles skoda RS..its yellow colour..looks roboust..interiors great..huge leg room..perfect ride hight..feels safe even at 160kms/hr..superb road grip..i have never driven an optra..so no comments..i have driven NHC a few times abt 400 kms..poor braking..didnt feel safe drivn fast..wheels looks too small compared to the car..looks lika space ship rather than a car !!

Boom Shiva · 6th February 2006, 13:04

Zoom2, congratulations on your new car!

However, I think you may have gotten a little carried away. I'd say the NHC is more practical than the Optra for everyday city use (better FE and easier to park), but that's just about it. You can't compare the two for luxury or performance.

I chose the Optra between the two. You're right about the gearshift, but I find I'm getting used to it. Also, the A/C may not be as outstanding as the Baleno's, but I drive through some hellish Bombay traffic in the peak of the afternoon, and I've never felt like it was inadequate (this coming from someone who absolutely needs that "cold" feeling).

Also, in reference to buying Honda for peace of mind, there are many Honda owners whose minds have been left in pieces after their cars got submerged in the July flood, and Honda literally abandoned them on the roadside. Until that point I would have agreed with you, but now I would not so blindly go for Honda.

As for highway performance between Optra and City, I guess there's only one way for us to settle it...on the Expressway!

shuvc · 6th February 2006, 13:10

Hey all ! Let him enjoy his new car !
@zoom .. congratulations on your new car ! It's good to see the effort you put in to narrow down your choice to the GXi. You would obviously have your own opinion of all the cars you considered and so would everyone else of the cars they have experienced.
What matters is that you should be happy with your choice and it's quite apparent that you are .. so enjoy !!

I would just like to add a 3rd category of cars to the two you have mentioned. 3rd category is where you pay less initially AND also don't have to bother in a lifetime. The Baleno, IMO, falls in this category

goldie_malhotra · 6th February 2006, 13:59

hey zoom - congrats on your NHC - ZX, its a really luxurious vehicle no doubt - and is only beaten in its highway manners & ride comfort by Optra

but then, as an overall package, nothing like it @ the price of course.

I just returned from a trip to corbett this weekend, and despite the 6-7 hour long drive on some bad roads, with loads of overtaking and traffic, we were very relaxed at the end of the trip - hardly any fatigue at all - a wonderful testament to the ride comfort of the car

DRC · 6th February 2006, 14:43

Welcome Zoom into the forum.. You will find a wealth of info here.

Congrats on your new ride.. It is evident from your review you are enjoying it...

I agree NHC is a very good city car, but no match to the optra in any terms .. After all, ~35 bhp must make some difference.

Beeman · 6th February 2006, 14:46

im sure 35 bhp makes a hell lot of a difference especially at that level....

ashish_11 · 6th February 2006, 17:36

hi people

i test drove the NHC Vtec yesterday

i must tell you the acceleration is mind boggling

well for i-dsi if you take look at autocar mag(not sure which issue)

there is a comparison of diff cars the optra 1.6 & NHC i-dsi do 0-60mph in exactly 11.7 sec
&
the top speed exactly 175kph

well if you do not beleive me i'd rather let you stay you in your dreamworld

last but not the least congrat's zoom

sadesaath · 6th February 2006, 18:15

Zoom,

Congragulations, i too got my ZX VTEC 2 days back.

I found this car a good overall package.

All TBHPIANS,

Thank you all for helping me decide on my Car.
Got it 2 days back, a Honda City ZX VTEC.
I was actively monitioring the TBHP forum for past may months.

Quite effortless in city, still in the run-in period, may be in a week or so after the initial 1000Km will try out the expressway.

5th February 2006, 21:32	#1
zoom2_ash BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 74 Thanked: 5 Times	Honda City ZX: Most luxurious car in its class with outstanding performance.... After doing a lot of search and R&D through internet, dealers, experts, customer feedbacks and test drives, I decided to opt for Honda City ZX Gxi. And after driving it about 2000 KMs, here are my sincere views on my car. I hope it might be useful for the readers who are also planning to buy a car in this segment. Looks: I think Honda has come up with the real winner. With minimum of changes, Honda somehow manage to make CITY ZX look much more bigger, bolder and more importantly a smarter car. It makes a great on road presence much better then Fiesta and other competitors. Interiors: Interiors are same as the earlier NHC Gxi which are still unmatched in its segment. They are just class apart, even better then Optra Elite. They are beautiful and very spacious. Absolutely silent, Once inside, I can't hear any noises from outside. Gives you a very luxurious feel once you are in. No other car in its segment can beat City in this. Closest is I guess Fiesta Sxi but again nowhere as spacious as City ZX. Performance: I have heard/read a lot about the lack of power in this car. Actually, 77 BHP suggests the same thing to me also but believe me or not the lack of power is never felt neither in City nor on Highway by me. I have driven it at a speed of upto 140 KMPH quite effortlessly without even realizing it before reading the meter. I found the engine and its steering very smooth and responsive for city driving. And the best thing: The gear shift, which is so important in city traffic…gear shift is so smooth that I found it best in any segment. I found it the easiest to drive in city, you will never feel that you are driving such a big car may be due to very low turning radius and very smooth steering and engine. You will believe this only once you drive it yourself. Fuel Efficiency was always its plus point and its no different with my car. Its giving me 15-16 KMPL with AC in mix conditions(75% City, 25% Highway). Also, I had read a lot about its poor head lights, brakes and suspension. But I have not faced any such issue with my car so far. Company has improved the headlights and suspension in ZX. So, they seem to be fine now but I agree HONDA must also try to give disk brakes and ABS with such a great car. That is still missing. So, overall a great car with excellent interiors, great comfort and drivability. May be little expensive then the other cars in its segment but certainly worth paying that extra money. There are two categories of cars, 1st where you pay less initially but you pay again and again and 2nd where you pay more initially but you dont have to bother again in your life time. Honda City comes in this 2nd category whereas Fords, Tatas, GMs all come in the 1st category. Comparison: I had taken test drives of many cars including Accent petrol, Baleno, Optra1.6, Fiesta Sxi, Tata Indigo GSX(with luxury features) etc. before finalizing on City ZX. And I realized that City ZX is actually a way ahead of Accent, indigo GSX and baleno so should not be compared at all. Closet came were Optra 1.6 Elite and Fiesta Sxi and here is my opinion on both these cars w.r.t. to City ZX Gxi. 1) With Optra 1.6 : I was getting a discount of 82000 on Optra 1.6 and even then I opted for City ZX because i) AC is very very very poor. And even the dealer agreed that it’s an issue in Optra. ii) Gear shift is on harder side as compare to City. Iii) I didn't find performance of Optra much better then City infact I found NHC easier to drive in city traffic. Iv) City's interiors are much more smarter then Optra Elite. No doubt Optra Royale has great interiors. V) Most importantly, Optra's fuel efficiency is very less. Even with VGIS, I think it doesn't give more then 9-10 KMPL in city. Vi) Maintenance cost of optra is much higher then City. 2) With Fiesta 1.6 : Engine of Fiesta 1.6 is definitely more responsive then City ZX Gxi. Interiors(only Sxi variant) are also good looking but not as spacious as City ZX. Leg room at the front side seat is very cramped(especially sideways). Rear seats legroom is also very less. Looks of the car is okay from front and rear but side view doesn't give it a big car look certainly not as big as City ZX. Suspension of Fiesta is not as good as of City or Optra. Even small path holes made the ride very bumpy. A/c is though effective but is very noisy. Apart from these, other reasons for not buying Fiesta was high cost of maintenance and lesser fuel efficiency. So, if someone is only looking for the power and he is not bothered about the other things like looks/interiors/fuel efficiency and especially the cost of maintenance then one can look at Fiesta 1.6 SXi but but even then with little extra money one should consider City V-Tech simply because of peace of mind that Honda gives to you.
	() Thanks

5th February 2006, 22:33	#2
kashd BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 76 Thanked: 8 Times	Good that you are fan of your car but please dont overdo as people may get distracted from real facts. With 77 bhp it is highly short in power. Fiesta 1.6 is 101 bhp. You may ride at 140 kmph but that dosent prove anything about power and performance. Also dont compare interior of city with Optra. Its sheer madness to think city even near Optra elite which is a D segment car. Also fiesta 1.6 is being compared with city Vtec and not zxi. Fiesta sxi is atleast Rs 1 lacs cheaper than City V-tec. You may park the additional fund to overcome fiesta's 1-2 KMPL less mileage than city.You may visit various threads in this forum for that. Anyway OHC is much better tha NHC for both performance and design. Ofcourse thats my opinion and opinion will differ specialy when one invests money one will tend to support the decision Last edited by kashd : 5th February 2006 at 22:35.
	() Thanks

5th February 2006, 22:44	#3
sridhar24 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,049 Thanked: 90 Times	The NHC is a great city car with great comfort but isn't good enough on the highways.
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 08:25	#6
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 213 Times View My Garage	NHC is futuristic looking, no doubt. but its looks certainly are not the best around. FE is good no doubt but again there is hype surrounding it. Power is just sufficient for city use, though it can also be used on highways. IT's priced really high with against the competition which reals mars it value the interiors are good though optra in the higher price band, fiesta and petra in the lower price band are equally competitive along with baleno and lancer in the same segment. It certainly not a bad car but it also has its own flaws.
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 09:48	#7
extreme_torque BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,462 Thanked: 5,534 Times	In city the honda is definitely better no doubt... the control are light, engine is pretty responsive, the car is nimble and ligh footed but it cannot even be compared with the Optra on highways.... Optra is a mighty fine car on the highways. The stability, the ride are absolutely awesome... its the only car that matches the skoda on highways. An issue with Honda's car have always been the ride quality and the feel.... it just doesnt feel solid enuf. Even the new one has acceptable levels of ride quality, nothing great.... its still not a patch on Corsa or even Palio, Optra is leagues ahead.
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 11:37	#8
karizma_devil BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: mumbai Posts: 421 Thanked: 21 Times View My Garage	man am a big fan of OHC..but its really stupid comparing NHC ZX..with skodas ! man i have driven my uncles skoda RS..its yellow colour..looks roboust..interiors great..huge leg room..perfect ride hight..feels safe even at 160kms/hr..superb road grip..i have never driven an optra..so no comments..i have driven NHC a few times abt 400 kms..poor braking..didnt feel safe drivn fast..wheels looks too small compared to the car..looks lika space ship rather than a car !!
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 13:04	#9
Boom Shiva BANNED Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,044 Thanked: 19 Times	Zoom2, congratulations on your new car! However, I think you may have gotten a little carried away. I'd say the NHC is more practical than the Optra for everyday city use (better FE and easier to park), but that's just about it. You can't compare the two for luxury or performance. I chose the Optra between the two. You're right about the gearshift, but I find I'm getting used to it. Also, the A/C may not be as outstanding as the Baleno's, but I drive through some hellish Bombay traffic in the peak of the afternoon, and I've never felt like it was inadequate (this coming from someone who absolutely needs that "cold" feeling). Also, in reference to buying Honda for peace of mind, there are many Honda owners whose minds have been left in pieces after their cars got submerged in the July flood, and Honda literally abandoned them on the roadside. Until that point I would have agreed with you, but now I would not so blindly go for Honda. As for highway performance between Optra and City, I guess there's only one way for us to settle it...on the Expressway! Last edited by Boom Shiva : 6th February 2006 at 13:13.
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 13:10	#10
shuvc Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 2,911 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	Hey all ! Let him enjoy his new car ! @zoom .. congratulations on your new car ! It's good to see the effort you put in to narrow down your choice to the GXi. You would obviously have your own opinion of all the cars you considered and so would everyone else of the cars they have experienced. What matters is that you should be happy with your choice and it's quite apparent that you are .. so enjoy !! I would just like to add a 3rd category of cars to the two you have mentioned. 3rd category is where you pay less initially AND also don't have to bother in a lifetime. The Baleno, IMO, falls in this category
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 13:59	#11
goldie_malhotra BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 757 Thanked: 12 Times	hey zoom - congrats on your NHC - ZX, its a really luxurious vehicle no doubt - and is only beaten in its highway manners & ride comfort by Optra but then, as an overall package, nothing like it @ the price of course. I just returned from a trip to corbett this weekend, and despite the 6-7 hour long drive on some bad roads, with loads of overtaking and traffic, we were very relaxed at the end of the trip - hardly any fatigue at all - a wonderful testament to the ride comfort of the car
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 14:43	#12
DRC BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cockpit Posts: 907 Thanked: 67 Times View My Garage	Welcome Zoom into the forum.. You will find a wealth of info here. Congrats on your new ride.. It is evident from your review you are enjoying it... I agree NHC is a very good city car, but no match to the optra in any terms .. After all, ~35 bhp must make some difference.
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 14:46	#13
Beeman BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Treasure island Posts: 335 Thanked: 2 Times	im sure 35 bhp makes a hell lot of a difference especially at that level....
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 17:36	#14
ashish_11 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 0 Times	hi people i test drove the NHC Vtec yesterday i must tell you the acceleration is mind boggling well for i-dsi if you take look at autocar mag(not sure which issue) there is a comparison of diff cars the optra 1.6 & NHC i-dsi do 0-60mph in exactly 11.7 sec & the top speed exactly 175kph well if you do not beleive me i'd rather let you stay you in your dreamworld last but not the least congrat's zoom
	() Thanks

6th February 2006, 18:15	#15
sadesaath Newbie Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 9 Thanked: 0 Times	Zoom, Congragulations, i too got my ZX VTEC 2 days back. I found this car a good overall package. All TBHPIANS, Thank you all for helping me decide on my Car. Got it 2 days back, a Honda City ZX VTEC. I was actively monitioring the TBHP forum for past may months. Quite effortless in city, still in the run-in period, may be in a week or so after the initial 1000Km will try out the expressway.
	() Thanks