[Goldenboy]

Hi Everyone, this is my first post ever on Team BHP . Hope everyone reading this is doing good.

I would like to provide a little background on my requirement for a vehicle.

Before the pandemic hit, I used to work in Chennai and rarely used a car outside of the city. The car I have in Chennai is a Celerio AMT purchased in 2015. I wasn't as aware of car safety and other such aspects back then and I purchased a car without any safety features, a choice I have regretted quite a bit since.

My experience with the Celerio in the City has been okay. It's a good vehicle for going from point to point and the small size and the AMT make it very useful in traffic. The gearshifts are definitely jerky though and the car isn't too stable at high speeds, although I drive with a light right foot and rarely push it above 80km/h so those haven't been major issues.

Anyway, I have a family home in Coimbatore, and before the pandemic my family always travelled between Chennai and Coimbatore by train or flight, so the Celerio has never made a long highway trip. On the rare occasions where I needed a car for a highway journey, I used Zoomcar.

Now, my organization has told us we will have a blended model of WFH and working at the office permanently going forward. As I want to spend more time in Coimbatore, I will need to travel frequently between Chennai and Coimbatore. I now want a car that is appropriate for these highway trips (maybe as many as 8-10 round trips a year).

In summary, these are my requirements:

1. Safe, stable car for highway trips with solid build and good ride quality
2. Maneuverable in the city (i.e. not too big)
3. Airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, any other safety features
4. Automatic
5. Supportive seats at the front and back with decent legroom and under thigh support
6. Not very particular about feature such as sunroofs, touchscreens etc. (I have had no issues in terms of navigation or music with my phone, a phone holder and some decent after-market speakers)
7. Not too much more than 15L on the road (I have a bit of flexibility but not too much)

I am leaning towards a petrol AT because I want to keep this car for 7-10 years and I have heard (maybe this is wrong?) that petrols age better and have lower long-run maintenance costs.

I had though about going for Creta or Seltos but I was put off by the 3 star crash test rating and I have read that Hyundai isn't focusing on the strength of their sheet metal.

I am now debating between the 2020 City base CVT variant (which has 4 airbags, TPMS, ESP etc.) or the Veto Highline Plus AT. I would like to know if there are any other cars I could consider, and also which is better between the Vento and the City. I am planning to make the purchase in September or October and will be test diving both vehicles and any other options soon.

Right now, this is how I see both cars (haven't driven them yet):

City
Pros: Space, good engine, good safety, lower service and spare costs than Vento (I think)
Cons: Not as good as the Vento at high speed (I think)

Vento
Pros: Excellent build and ride, good safety
Cons: Dealer quality, service and spare costs, very old model

I would really appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on which car, which dealer in Chennai and anything else. Thanks!

[Kosfactor]

Chennai - Coimbatore, roads are really good. No real need for a crossover \ SUV. City \ Ciaz \ Verna are a good place to start. Ciaz has an added advantage of being able to trade in your car with True value and get excellent deal in return.

[Bibendum90949]

Welcome to the forum Goldenboy. The City ticks most of your requirements. It would suit your sedate driving style too and can cruise effortlessly at 100 kmph all day. You don't have many sedan options in that price bracket when safety is a priority.

If you don't mind cross-overs, two other cars which you can have a look is Ford Eco Sport AT in Titanium plus variant and Tata Nexon, both of which are loaded with safety features and the latter having 5 star crash rating. Skoda Kushaq is another one worth considering.

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

I have heard (maybe this is wrong?) that petrols age better and have lower long-run maintenance costs.

Modern day diesel cars are almost on par with petrol when it comes to maintenance costs. The marginal difference is well and truly offset by better fuel economy.

[abhishek46]

If I were in your position, I would wait just a bit longer.

The new generation Vento/Rapid/Slavia will arrive soon (Most likely Dec 2021).

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4954608

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4712354

[Nav-i-gator]

If a Sedan, it's hard to ignore City and buy anything other. As GTO mentioned in the drive report for 5th Gen City - If there is a worthy contender to CSUV's (a fight CSUVs are winning handsomely), it is the City.

Here is where City will suit you -
1. You are a "generally" sedate driver and only occasionally drive enthusiastically.
2. You can compromise on not doing hard cornering at high speeds but still want to have the safety features and handling to be able to pull it off just in case (Vento/Rapid are better suited)
3. Space and comfort inside the car is more important than sunroof over your head (and other gimmicks - where Verna gives you everything and more)
4. you need mechanical reliability and can live with minor quality gaps (as compared to Verna)
5. You still want an executive sedan level comfort, social approval (Yes, I never thought that while buying it, but City does have a wide spread notion of middle class luxury car), a bit of fun every now and then (Engine note is sweet when you Revv it hard).

[saisree]

If you are looking for a sedan, look no where else, its CITY always. Get a POLL added.
There is an similar thread here (Skoda Kushaq vs Honda City)trying to decide between City and Kushaq

[Goldenboy]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

If I were in your position, I would wait just a bit longer.

The new generation Vento/Rapid/Slavia will arrive soon (Most likely Dec 2021).

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4954608

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post4712354

I had initially thought about this but I really doubt the automatic versions of this car will be anywhere near 15-16 lakhs OTR.

Also, we need the car by October at the latest.

Originally Posted by saisree

If you are looking for a sedan, look no where else, its CITY always. Get a POLL added.
There is an similar thread here (Skoda Kushaq vs Honda City)trying to decide between City and Kushaq

Sorry for the Noob question, but how do I add a poll?

[Shreyans_Jain]

I don’t see how the City fits the bill for anyone who wants to hit the highways on a regular basis. The City’s rear suspension is bouncy and the car gets unsettled very easily. The back seat passengers have to suffer through continuous up-down motion. High speed stability is average at best. Sound insulation is also poor. Long story short, City has the worst highway manners in its class, about par with the far cheaper Ciaz. Verna, Rapid and Vento are decidedly more sure footed.

Build quality is again meh. It is definitely superior to the Celerio you are upgrading from, but again it is pretty much the tinniest car out there for 15L, along with the cheaper Ciaz. Everything else is better built and feels more substantial, be it the aforementioned 3 sedans or the likes of Creta, Seltos, Sonet or even Nexon. Truth be told, all these crossovers have better highway manners too.

[PetrolHead2272]

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

In summary, these are my requirements:

1. Safe, stable car for highway trips with solid build and good ride quality
2. Maneuverable in the city (i.e. not too big)
3. Airbags, ABS, EBD, ESP, any other safety features
4. Automatic
5. Supportive seats at the front and back with decent legroom and under thigh support
6. Not very particular about feature such as sunroofs, touchscreens etc. (I have had no issues in terms of navigation or music with my phone, a phone holder and some decent after-market speakers)
7. Not too much more than 15L on the road (I have a bit of flexibility but not too much)

Welcome to the forum, Goldenboy!
Out of the two options you're considering, I'd recommend the Honda City for sure.
- It is a very stable car at high speeds, though not as stable as the Vento.
- Steering is very light and the car is easy to manoeuvre in the city (it honestly doesn't feel like a 4.5m+ long car)
- Even the V variant of the City packs in all the safety features. Safety should be your least worry in the City as it scored a fantastic 5 stars in the ASEAN N-Cap.
- V CVT commands a price of less than 15 lakhs OTR
- Seats are supremely comfortable, one of the USPs of the City.
- The V variant gets enough goodies like a touchscreen, auto a/c and more. It misses out on sunroof, digital speedometer and a few more new age tech.
- V CVT would be easily bought under 15 lakhs OTR, whereas VX CVT might be around a 30-40k stretch.

Originally Posted by Goldenboy

Sorry for the Noob question, but how do I add a poll?

According to Team-BHP forum rules, newbies aren't allowed to vote in or create polls. Read about the levels of Team-BHP membership here - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/annou...-benefits.html (Explanation of Membership Levels (Newbie, BHPian etc) & Their Benefits)

[dr_TJ]

My father owns a Maruti Suzuki Celerio AMT - 2017 model, which is my daily commuter car.
Last year, I decided to buy a car myself and I wanted a automatic, Fuel type was not a concern. Evaluated the Honda Amaze CVT and City CVT, But I soon realized sedan is not the answer for my quest.
Then decided on the Tata Nexon Petrol AMT but Tata Dealership's experience was extremely poor since they asked me for full Downpayment before transporting my car from factory stockyard. So it got rejected.

Ended up evaluating the Ford Ecosport AT and it just sealed the deal for me. A good upgrade from the Celerio AMT.

Never even considered any DCT or 4 Speed AT.

In your case, if sedan is the preference, Honda City CVT is a better choice

[AJ56]

Are you open to used cars? Since the budget only allows for small subcompacts that are not great on the highway power/safety wise. For the same money, a Camry or Accord would fare much better for long distance cruising while also having much better interior quality and space.

If strictly new, would recommend Vento/Rapid any day over city, the latter has too much road and tyre noise at higher speeds and bounces around like a kangaroo on road undulations, also feels cheaply built with thin sheet metal all around. The euro cars have much better high speed ride quality. Test drive both back to back at high speed to see for yourself. Good luck!

[Turbohead]

Honestly, if driving in the highway is your primary requirement, please ensure you have a detailed test drive of all the cars you have shortlisted in the highway and city.

A lot of people here would suggest the City for being a cruiser but the suspension is designed more for city use than the highway and this is where the Vento trumps it. Also the Vento is easier to drive in the city thanks to its nimble character.

I'd suggest the Vento if you will be driving regularly on the highway.

The only downside is that a replacement is coming at the end of the year. Also please check if the rear seat space is sufficient.

[anb]

Originally Posted by PetrolHead2272

the City as it scored a fantastic 5 stars in the ASEAN N-Cap.
-

Indian City is never crash tested. 5 star rating is for Thai spec City with 1 L turbo petrol engine.

[saikishor]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

The City’s rear suspension is bouncy and the car gets unsettled very easily. The back seat passengers have to suffer through continuous up-down motion. High speed stability is average at best.

This is the exact same opinion I have on the City. Sure, it has a great engine and that legendary Honda reliability, but it has a very bouncy rear seat. Also, I have read somewhere in the forum that Honda no longer builds cars just like the global spec Honda’s; this was there with the 2nd gen “Dolphin” City or even the 3rd gen City. If you need a car right away, Vento would be my pick. Vento has a wide range of parts in the aftermarket scene. So if you get bored after 2-3 years, customisation options will welcome you with a big warm hug.

Or,
the new Vento-Rapid is just around the corner and I’m pretty sure it will be worth the wait. Will be a better purchase for sure. If not, current Vento is your best bet.


Happy shopping!

[NevGin]

The only reason I would suggest a Vento is because you are in Chennai. If you are going to keep the car long, the City (as do all Honda's in coastal regions) will rust. Vento on the other hand has top quality paint and has a long rust warranty.

From ALL other perspectives, the City is a remains unparalleled.