[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The City line-up from the E MT onwards, comes with factory-fitted HU which has orange backlighting and looks totally outlandish and out of place when matched with the blue backlighted instrument cluster. Get a nice little 2-DIN with blue backlight and you are all set.

Wait till you see my HU.

I agree completely, that orange blue combination is all kinds of weird. Either make it completely orange or completely blue, why the funny mish-mash? It's like they couldn't make up their mind!

Fancy HU lined up? Sweet! I've been thinking of changing mine too, but the current one does everything I need, so I really can't stomach paying a fair amount for something that'll just look better and work almost the same. Nonetheless, maybe your purchase might be enough to push me over the edge Bring it on!

[arup.misra]

RavenAvi heartiest congratulations for getting the "emperor" home. I don't think there's any match for the vtech in the sub-10 lakh petrol segment. Hence I'd prefer emperor over king.

A very heartwarming narration of your story. Was a pleasure to read and the great pics complemented it very well. So happy to see the "H" fan club increasing in size.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Silver Pegasus - Nice Name

Pegasus came shod with Goodyear GT3s - You'd need to upgrade to XM or Yoko the experience the true NVH. Moreover it'll give you more confidence in doing 140+ on highways. Believe me it's very difficult to tame your dragon. .


We started our journey home at exactly 8 AM and reached home at 2 PM (300 kms) - Would you have to drive 300km for service everytime

Overall mileage for the entire 310 kms trip was 18.2 kmpl - Wait and see what happens after first service. With such mileage who needs a diesel.

Pegasus starts off slightly coarsely when you crank it up the first time - Why is that? Haven't heard any such on my 6-month city

The horn is disappointing. - Try Hellas

[Valkyrie]

Congrats on the lovely car.
I guess for the price, the City CE is very hard to ignore.
You get an efficent engine, airbags and build quality, not to mention a good resale price.

However there is one thing that is bothering me.
The 2012 facelifted model seems to have a unique tail lamp.
The normal back light (red-with parking/headlamp swtiched ON)when it glows gives an impression that the lens is quite old.
It doesnt glow properly. DOesn't have the "chamk-dhamak".
I have seen this on all the new models in my city.

Can you kindly confirm if that is the case?

Rest I am too tempted to buy it, even if it is a petrol one.

[S_U_N]

Your opening post was probably the longest single post I have come across on Team-BHP. 5122 words in it. Is that a record of any sorts?

Well, good to see so much detail covered in a structured manner.

What I failed to understand is why you asked the dealer to fill in fuel for you (I can see them fueling through cans).
8.74 Lacs is a good price, though I find accessories to be expensive (maybe the alloys cost a lot).

But in the end a very reliable car with a fuel efficient engine.

Hope you have a trouble free ownership for a long time.

[bluevolt]

Fantastic Review!

Many Congratulations on getting the Honda City. I saw your review last night while browsing through mobile but could find time to log in just now. And yes I saw your car on FB as well. Honda City will easily outlast 10 years and lakhs of Kilometers.

What you have written in this review is right from heart and I can feel every word of it because of living with this car for last 1 year and 3 months. Another for the report!

You have rightly mentioned about the Good years. They are very noisy but have long life than others (hard tyres?).

I guess the service center is quite far from your place of residence but being a Honda I don't think you will require any unnecessary visit to service center.

Good luck and do keep the thread updated regularly with service updates.

Wishing you happy and safe driving!

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

I agree completely, that orange blue combination is all kinds of weird. Either make it completely orange or completely blue, why the funny mish-mash? It's like they couldn't make up their mind!

Fancy HU lined up? Sweet! I've been thinking of changing mine too, but the current one does everything I need, so I really can't stomach paying a fair amount for something that'll just look better and work almost the same. Nonetheless, maybe your purchase might be enough to push me over the edge. Bring it on!

I guess they couldn't change the backlight color of the HU to match the new Thai instrumentation cluster. Orange + Blue looks really quirky, specially at night.

Yep. The HU was a real toughie to get - Pioneer has revamped it's entire 2012 lineup and the new players were late in hitting the stores. Yet, my chosen Pioneer HU (AVH - P2490 BT) reached my accessory guy on 07th March.

Price on box is 23,999/-. I got it for 22,500/- with B & W.

You can check the features here - New Launches

Details and pictures the next time I am online.

Originally Posted by arup.misra

RavenAvi heartiest congratulations for getting the "emperor" home. I don't think there's any match for the vtech in the sub-10 lakh petrol segment. Hence I'd prefer emperor over king.

A very heartwarming narration of your story. Was a pleasure to read and the great pics complemented it very well. So happy to see the "H" fan club increasing in size.

Silver Pegasus - Nice Name - Thank you.

Pegasus came shod with Goodyear GT3s - You'd need to upgrade to XM or Yoko the experience the true NVH. Moreover it'll give you more confidence in doing 140+ on highways. Believe me it's very difficult to tame your dragon. - Not sure if roads around here will let Michelins survive, them being softer tyres. I ll see about sourcing either Yokos or something similar.


We started our journey home at exactly 8 AM and reached home at 2 PM (300 kms) - Would you have to drive 300km for service everytime - Yep, and back!

Overall mileage for the entire 310 kms trip was 18.2 kmpl - Wait and see what happens after first service. With such mileage who needs a diesel. - Indeed! I expect it to settle at around 20-21 kmpl, and that's a fantastic FE in itself.

Pegasus starts off slightly coarsely when you crank it up the first time - Why is that? Haven't heard any such on my 6-month city - guess I put it a bit differently. Pegasus starts off with a low growl which settles down into a nice quiet humming rhythm by the time he starts moving.

The horn is disappointing. - Try Hellas - Saw a pair in my Accessory guy's store. Am keen to hear them out. Will do. Thanks.

Thanks, my friend. Replies in the quote itself.

Indeed, "Emperor" suits the City more than anything else. But it has always been referred to as the King of the petrol segment, so it became the King for me. Plus, the journey of a commoner like me (working middle-class) to the King of all C-segment sedans was itself an experience, ergo my reference (and reverence) to the King.

Originally Posted by Valkyrie

Congrats on the lovely car.
I guess for the price, the City CE is very hard to ignore.
You get an efficent engine, airbags and build quality, not to mention a good resale price.

However there is one thing that is bothering me.
The 2012 facelifted model seems to have a unique tail lamp.
The normal back light (red-with parking/headlamp swtiched ON)when it glows gives an impression that the lens is quite old.
It doesnt glow properly. DOesn't have the "chamk-dhamak".
I have seen this on all the new models in my city.

Can you kindly confirm if that is the case?

Rest I am too tempted to buy it, even if it is a petrol one.

I checked the glow of the tail lamps and I am happy to report that they don't look or feel old. On the contrary, they are nice and bright and have a rather unique contemporary look about them.

Here are some pictures (how the traffic following you during night time will see your tail lights) sorry about the bad picture quality :-

When the parking lights/headlight beam is turned on.



When the brakes are pressed.



When the reverse gear is engaged.



Right turn indicator (with reverse gear engaged).

Originally Posted by S_U_N

Your opening post was probably the longest single post I have come across on Team-BHP. 5122 words in it. Is that a record of any sorts?

Well, good to see so much detail covered in a structured manner.

What I failed to understand is why you asked the dealer to fill in fuel for you (I can see them fueling through cans).
8.74 Lacs is a good price, though I find accessories to be expensive (maybe the alloys cost a lot).

But in the end a very reliable car with a fuel efficient engine.

Hope you have a trouble free ownership for a long time.

LOL! Someone contact GTO to send me a prize or certificate for that.

The reason why I asked them to fill Pegasus up was because the next day was a Sunday, and the dealership is closed + most of the nearby petrol pumps start their Sunday in the capital a bit later than usual, and I had to leave for my city within 8 AM. All Honda dealerships have certified petrol pumps so no qualms about the quality of petrol, plus I was spared the hassle of driving to a petrol pump far away (at least 20 kms from the dealership) to fill Pegasus, and that saved me a bit of time as well.

The set of 5 alloys (the new 10-spoke "Accord"-ish ones) cost me 33,500/-.
Fog lamps are priced at 19,634/-, and side step garnishes are priced at 10,511/-. You can see where all the money went!

Thanks, mate.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Fantastic Review!

Many Congratulations on getting the Honda City. I saw your review last night while browsing through mobile but could find time to log in just now. And yes I saw your car on FB as well. Honda City will easily outlast 10 years and lakhs of Kilometers.

What you have written in this review is right from heart and I can feel every word of it because of living with this car for last 1 year and 3 months. Another for the report!

You have rightly mentioned about the Good years. They are very noisy but have long life than others (hard tyres?).

I guess the service center is quite far from your place of residence but being a Honda I don't think you will require any unnecessary visit to service center.

Good luck and do keep the thread updated regularly with service updates.

Wishing you happy and safe driving!

BV, your thread is a milestone for City lovers and prospects alike. I follow your thread religiously and all your suggestions and advice have been a fantastic learning experience for me. Thank you for your wonderfully detailed and constantly updated ownership thread, my friend.

No idea about other Goodyears, but the GT3s are noisy as heck. I checked them and felt them to be a bit harder than the MRFs. If they can last the distance then no problem - roads in my city are not made for soft, comfortable tyres like Michelins. IMO MRFs should be the best option for these parts, or similar rough tyres. If only the tyre noise wasn't so prominent.

Yes, I am pretty confident that only the regular servicings would be required. I asked them to waive my first free service (check up + washing after 1 month) and I would bring Pegasus in for the second one (after 3 months when they change the oil), and they agreed. Roadside Assistance is also with me, although I have a feeling I might never need it. But still, you never know. Better to be safe then sorry.

I will post my updates regularly for sure. This might help prospective buyers of the 2012 City (specially the Corporate) and if it helps even one person out there, I will be happy.


Thanks for all the good wishes, folks.

[libranof1987]

Congratulations on the City! I'm very happy for you; it's been a long wait

The CE allows for a very individual-specific customization and you've done a good job. I am silently contemplating changing the instrument display on my City to the one that's there on the 2012 City!

Btw, I noticed the various texts (Cruise Control etc.) on my City's instrument console too.

So, accessories - check
ICE - check.

What's lined up - tints? Reverse sensors?

Yes, the OEM IVRM is too small; luckily I have a bigger one thanks to the reverse sensors on my City.

Have a wonderful ownership period!

PS : In case you haven't, do remove the ribbons please. You don't want anything to happen to the paint, do you?!

[PhX]

Extremely pleased for you. I'm slightly jealous at the number of freebies you got, but then again, I barely haggled with them for anything.

Now, it's a race of you vs me to see who gets their ICE faster.

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Pegasus reaches home at 2 30 PM in the afternoon, on Sunday, 4th March. Wifey on left, Dad & Mom on right.

Big Thanks go to - mdsaab, charthom, Remington Steele, bluevolt, libranof1987, arup.misra, nitin.rai, PhX, nanduchitnis, Habanero City (for City), mathranik, Tassem, dhanushs (for Verna), Swanand Inamdar, souravc, ninjatalli, bala80, prabhuferrari, nileshch, noopster, evilshantanu, mikon, STARCHILD (for Vento), aaren, selfdrive, adimicra, akp, suhaas307 (for Jazz), Poitive, dot, ajay_satpute (for all of them, basically), GTO and the entire Team-BHP team for their reviews and inputs, and everyone else who contributed.

That was a superb write-up RavenAvi. What a flair for writing you possess? I could imagine the conversation between you and your dad in front of my eyes with those penned words.

Congrats on your City! The on-road price is shocking for a superb car with all the safety features and a true gem of an engine. Your love and passion is quite evident with the sheer volume of snaps that you have taken, painstakingly covering every minute detail. I think you were with Pegasus right from the moment it was off-loaded from the truck until the time it was delivered to you watching the entire process at the dealership.

Wishing you miles and miles of happy ownership! As you said, I will be constantly watching you over your "Car will be with me for 10 years" statement. Because, when I bought my pre-owned Civic, I made a similar statement to my parents. Let's see who (whether we or our parents) win the race!

[nitin.rai]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

COMING SOON - ICE installation pics, and shots of the installed HU in action.

A teaser pic to whet the appetite till then:

Congratulations buddy and wish you many safe miles with your king!
Awesome write up; loved it and you definitely have a flair for writing.

Waiting for the HU install and updated pics.

As far as the coarse engine note on start-up, I haven't felt any. May I suggest comparing with another IVtec in your circle?

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Congratulations on the City! I'm very happy for you; it's been a long wait

The CE allows for a very individual-specific customization and you've done a good job. I am silently contemplating changing the instrument display on my City to the one that's there on the 2012 City!

Btw, I noticed the various texts (Cruise Control etc.) on my City's instrument console too.

So, accessories - check
ICE - check.

What's lined up - tints? Reverse sensors?

Yes, the OEM IVRM is too small; luckily I have a bigger one thanks to the reverse sensors on my City.

Have a wonderful ownership period!

PS : In case you haven't, do remove the ribbons please. You don't want anything to happen to the paint, do you?!

Thanks, libran. If you have the default orange HU, then I would suggest sticking with the original one.

Tints are on the list but will have to wait for awhile. Haven't felt the need for either sensors or camera yet but we will see. I had reverse camera listed originally but dropped the idea. No problem backing up so far.

The ORVMs more than make up for the IRVM. Both of them offer a great range of view and are sufficient for me when I back up.

Done! All ribbons are off as of this morning.

Originally Posted by PhX

Extremely pleased for you. I'm slightly jealous at the number of freebies you got, but then again, I barely haggled with them for anything.

Now, it's a race of you vs me to see who gets their ICE faster.

Well, I had a weapon in hand - the late delivery. Plus I showed them the newspaper clip of the recent law passed in Delhi about Logistics/Transportation charges. Although they had to show the Logistics in their final billing, they more than made up for it by offering me freebies. Given a choice between 3M Teflon coating and 3M Anti-Rust treatment, I chose the latter.

Oh, but I have already got my ICE installed on 7th March itself (the day before Holi). I was just waiting for an opportune time to shoot the pics.

Originally Posted by arvi86

That was a superb write-up RavenAvi. What a flair for writing you possess? I could imagine the conversation between you and your dad in front of my eyes with those penned words.

Congrats on your City! The on-road price is shocking for a superb car with all the safety features and a true gem of an engine. Your love and passion is quite evident with the sheer volume of snaps that you have taken, painstakingly covering every minute detail. I think you were with Pegasus right from the moment it was off-loaded from the truck until the time it was delivered to you watching the entire process at the dealership.

Wishing you miles and miles of happy ownership! As you said, I will be constantly watching you over your "Car will be with me for 10 years" statement. Because, when I bought my pre-owned Civic, I made a similar statement to my parents. Let's see who (whether we or our parents) win the race!

Thank you so much, arvi. Yes, from the moment I walked into the dealership right till the evening, I was with Pegasus all the way (even skipped lunch on that day). My legs were hurting and sore when I turned in for the night at the hotel, but all the pain was worth it. Besides, the joy and excitement of having your own car for the very first time negates every other feeling in your body!

LOL! I really hope I am faithful to Pegasus for at least 10 years, if not more. For one, I would like to prove Dad (and myself) wrong. And two, it's my first car! (previous M800 was in my wife's name)

Originally Posted by nitin.rai

Congratulations buddy and wish you many safe miles with your king!
Awesome write up; loved it and you definitely have a flair for writing.

Waiting for the HU install and updated pics.

As far as the coarse engine note on start-up, I haven't felt any. May I suggest comparing with another IVtec in your circle?

Thanks, nitin. I am glad you approve. I think the start-up growl has more to do with the cold engine crank-up than anything else. I reversed Pegasus out of the parking space just now and it was more a deep, throaty growl than anything else. As soon as I slotted in the 1st, it was gone, replaced by a slow hum.

------------------


As promised, here are the pictures. Apologies for the picture quality as all pics have been taken by my Samsung Galaxy S and my Blackberry Curve, both of them with very average camera quality.

First, those which were requested by T-BHP members through PMs. Here you go, folks:


Driver's side ORVM offers a wide range of view.



Same goes for the passenger's side ORVM as well.



The boot. Huge. As in H-U-G-E. 506 liters of sheer space.



Rear seat leg space, with the driver's seat set to maximum.



---------------------------



I went for a very simplistic ICE install - a touchscreen DVD Head Unit, front components and rear co-axials. Bluetooth is important for me because I get a lot of calls constantly, and USB was imperative as well. It was difficult to source a 2-DIN CD Receiver with both these features, so I stretched my budget to get the DVD-supporting Head Unit.

Did a lot of research and zeroed in on plenty of companies. But neither Alpine nor Blaupunkt were easily available, so my choices were limited to Pioneer and JVC. The lower-priced touchscreen models of JVC weren't available easily either, and just then Pioneer had launched it's 2012 line-up. One of them caught my fancy, with a decently-sized screen, Bluetooth & USB support, and reverse camera integration as well. I promptly got it ordered, and went to get it fitted the day it arrived at my local accessory store.

I must say I am unhappy with the ICE guys. They couldn't get an OEM fitting because they couldn't source a 2-DIN inner bracket for the HU (according to them), and Pioneer doesn't provide one with the HU itself. Will get the Honda fellas to fit it properly.

Folks, say hello to the Pioneer AVH - P2490 BT.



Look at how it protrudes out of the 2-DIN space! *shaking head*



Bluetooth Calling enabled.



Song-playback screen.



Home screen. Gels beautifully with the blue instrumentation of the 2012 City.



Volume controls and Track skipping. USB and AUX side-by-side in front.



Audio settings - Screen 1.



Audio settings - Screen 2.



Fader/Balance adjuster.



The 5 default equaliser settings given with the Head Unit are disappointing. 2 custom equalisers are provided. I strongly suggest to listen to your favorite tracks and adjust these to get your perfect sound.



Video playback settings.



The AM/FM radio.



Drop-down menu on the top left to choose your source.



Call receiving and enabling when a song is being played.
Sound is muted but playback doesn't pause. One downer.



List of songs from your chosen source to browse through.



You can even rummage through pictures from your USB. And it plays DVDs as well.



The Bluetooth microphone, attached to the A-pillar on the driver side. Came with the Pioneer 2490BT.




The AVH-2490BT is a nifty little player, with all-round capabilities and producing some neat, crisp sound. It is complimented beautifully by my Focal components in front and the result is music nirvana. I am no audiophile but I am fully satisfied with the fantastic sound of this setup!

[freak1201]

Excellent story buddy! Loved reading it!
Enjoy Silver Pegasus!

[arvi86]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Thank you so much, arvi. Yes, from the moment I walked into the dealership right till the evening, I was with Pegasus all the way (even skipped lunch on that day). My legs were hurting and sore when I turned in for the night at the hotel, but all the pain was worth it. Besides, the joy and excitement of having your own car for the very first time negates every other feeling in your body!

. For us folks who loves cars, buying our first set of wheels will always be an experience to cherish for a lifetime.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

LOL! I really hope I am faithful to Pegasus for at least 10 years, if not more. For one, I would like to prove Dad (and myself) wrong. And two, it's my first car! (previous M800 was in my wife's name)

I am sure both of us will stay true to our words, more so for the first reason that you stated rather than the latter.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

I must say I am unhappy with the ICE guys. They couldn't get an OEM fitting because they couldn't source a 2-DIN cabinet for the HU, and Pioneer doesn't provide one with the HU itself. Will get the Honda fellas to fit it properly.

Folks, say hello to the Pioneer AVH - P2490 BT.

That's a nice ICE unit. How much was the total cost including the fitment charges? As you said, the fitting is not up to the mark and will, over time, spoil the look of the interiors. Get it re-fitted by Honda A.S.S soon.

[parsh]

RavenAVI,

That fitting looks bad. Look at the fitting below of the Pio 2DIN in Innova.



Leaving aside the side fillers in above picture, the problem with your fitting is that they have not removed the faceplate ring. That is stopping from the HU assembly to go inside completely in the HU socket. Do that and it should be alrite. If there are gaps still left besides the HU, then the fillers like in this pic would help fit it properly. Any good ICE outlet should be able to do this properly.

Congrats on the fab ride. 18kpl is quite commendable for a P sedan when people are running for D.

[bala80]

Dear RavenAvi - Fantastic review, full of passion,very well written and complimented with detailed photographs, appreciate your effort in penning this down. And thank you very much for your compliments, happy to be of some help, feels very good indeed.

Like the car, equally good choice of HU and components, I used the 3200BT for 4 years and have only good things to say about pioneer. When you do feel the need to add in some additional punch to your music, you can add a 4 channel amp and may be a subwoofer in the near future.

It's sad to note how many customer's VW has lost due to the dealer attitude, they didnt deserve your business anyways and you have taken the right decision to go for a tried and tested honda. You've got yourself a lovely car and I wish you have a very pleasant and memorable ownership experience.