[Anghammarad]

My fascination with cars started young, enjoying the long drives my father took me on in his Fiat. I admired their sturdy build, and longed for the day I could drive around in my own vehicle. Decades passed, Bombay traffic got hectic and cabs and ricks seemed preferable to driving for a while. Sometime last year my father suffered a femur fracture and the hunt was on for a vehicle. Around that time, I started looking around for a vehicle, and chanced upon Team-BHP. Did some research and lots of reading, and decided to go in for an AT.

To that end I registered on the forum, ( got lucky and was accepted), and posted here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...t-fluence.html asking for advice. I had looked at showroom models, but one of my stipulations was the requirement of rear leg room for my father and all the smaller sedans were omitted from the running.

I saw this Renault Fluence AT, selling in Mahim, around 10.75 L (22k kms on the odometer), test drove the Fluence and really liked the looks and the feel of the car. People suggested I go in for a Honda or a Toyota instead, because of their reliability. And thus began the elimination process.

I called up Renault India, and since the idea was to CNG Fit the car, asked them if it was possible to CNG fit a renault fluence. They informed me that it had not been authorized by the company and they had no idea when/if it would be. Thus a no on the Fluence for me.

I then met with several dealers, called up sellers, saw a few cars. And then finally happened upon this Honda Civic AT at CaravanKaramax. Really liked the look of it, 2011 Model Honda Civic AT, white with 14000 kms clocked. The dealer assured me the car was accident proof, tamper proof and mileage was not tampered with, and that they would supply an authentication certificate to that effect.

So all that remained was the test drive. Being relatively paranoid I took 3 td's, with separate groups of friends. Fell in love with the feel of the car and the power underneath the hood.
My friends told me to take it straight off, but I was hoping to bargain with the dealer some.

There were a few issues that cropped up. The dealer was not ok with me taking the car to a service center, he said it was within the warranty period and as such any problems would be easily resolved before Feb 2013. He also claimed that the service center folk usually fail dealer cars because they want people to purchase cars from the used car service providers at the service centers.

Interior wise the car looked and smelled completely new, having been used for primarily driving around the lot to maintain the engine for around a year. I had a friend and neighbour accompany me, he has automobile engineering experience and his inputs were invaluable. He felt the car was a sure buy, said it's in factory condition (which it was except for a few scratches on the front)

The inputs of the last person I took along pretty much cemented my decision, so got right down to the haggling over the prices.

Unfortunately the gentleman refused to drop below 11.10, which at the time I felt was fairly reasonable because I had fallen in love with the car. The dealer had the oil changed and the car tuned up at his mechanics, said I did not need to bother with any servicing for at least 5k kms since he had taken care of the details.

(I test drove a friends new Civic AT to see if the feel of this car was any different, and was amazed at how awesome the one at the dealer's was in comparison to his, it felt more responsive and balanced - bias I know, but hey)

The issue of financing came up, loan options were put in front of me, but I had saved up the cash for a vehicle purchase for a while, so just went ahead and paid upfront , aside from the deposit. The dealer informed me that the RC book would take a while to come through because the car would have to be transferred to the South Bombay RTO from the Andheri RTO. Topped it up at the nearest petrol pump and drove it home, picking up a cover along the way. The drive back was superb, it took me all of 30 mins to acclimatize myself to the controls and the feel of the car, and it's been a pleasure to drive ever since.

Likes -
1. Very comfortable drive, effortless power and acceleration, the automatic oddly enough allows more control at speeds because you can concentrate completely on the road.

2. Superb braking system, have had a few incidents where auto rickshaw drivers and what I term 'hero drivers' have forced me to brake hurriedly, and I have not been disappointed with the response.

3. Great interiors, lots of space on the inside and rear, for my entire family. My father is quite pleased with the seating at the back, and has even refrained from his back seat driver shenanigans, choosing instead to relax and enjoy himself. (He's in his 80s, and since we joke about him having been around since before the wheel was invented, I am really glad that he likes the drive experience)

4. Excellent music system (Audiophiles will probably disagree with me, but the music is crisp, and I get to play and listen to all my music clearly at around 15-16/40 on the volume scale.) There are few things as blissful as blasting Hendrix or the Doors or Maiden or Steely Dan on the open road.

5. Sunroof - When I first got the car, I wasn't sold on the sun roof concept, felt it was ostentatious ( still sort of do) , but there have been moments driving in the night when you open up the sunroof and the moonlight just sets the mood.

6. Comfortable interiors (factory leather interiors), since I am essentially lazy, I like to sprawl in the car, and the seat while not the best I've sat in are extremely easy to sit in for hours at a time.

7. Pure white colour, though a pain to keep clean, there's something pristine about white that sets the pulse racing.

Dislikes -

1. Fuel efficiency of 7-8 km/l

2. Difficult reversing ( Well I was used to a Fiat 1100, so a Civic is completely different to drive obviously, reversing was something that took quite a lot of getting used to.) So much so I still ask friends/security guards etc to guide me while reversing. Better safe than sorry and I'd rather err on the side of being deemed an amateur driver than damage the car.

I also faced an initial difficulty with assessment of the length of the car in front and on the passenger's side. I am slowly improving when it comes to this, but learning curve.

3. Handling narrow streets because of the point mentioned above.

4. Weak headlights, I am considering changing these out, the high beams are fine, the low beams are.. not bright enough I think.

Point wise likes & dislikes of the car (summary). Ideally, this would be either at the start of the thread, or at the end. This summary list of likes & dislikes is very important

-All the alternatives that were considered, and why you zeroed in on this particular car
Renault Fluence AT, VW Vento AT, Sx4 AT, City AT, Civic AT , finally chose the Civic ( The heart wants what the heart wants)

- Complete booking & delivery experience from the dealership
caravankarmax.com , these guys , at 7 Bungalows, Andheri. Really good service, seem very trustworthy.

- On-road price, discounts etc.
11.10, random small things, mats, full tune up, I was offered a subsidized insurance, but a friend's contact said he would get it done for cheaper.

- Be sure to list the engine type & variant you opted for
Honda Civic 1.8 Ivtec, 4 cyl

- How many kms you have completed at the time of writing your review
2000 ish since purchase

- Your usage pattern (e.g. 12 kms daily in dense traffic)
Erratic, 30-40 kms a day, but on average I've been driving around late at night on certain days to get a feel of the car

- Comments on the exterior styling & design
Exquisite, can't go wrong with the civic

- Overall build quality and fit & finish
Ditto

- Interior design & quality
Ditto, though I wish I had music controls on the steering wheel

- Engine performance & driveability in the city
Easy in bumper to bumper traffic, because of the AT gears. Have to be careful because I am noticing a lot more reckless drivers on the roads now.

- Engine performance & driveability on the highway
Brilliant, on the highway is where the civic excels, effortless acceleration and tight controls.

- Additional comments on the engine (outright power, refinement, turbo-lag etc.)
I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the outright power/refinement/turbo lag etc. From a layman's point of view, I love the drive.

- Gearshift / transmission quality, smoothness, response time etc.
Have to test the S Mode some more, but from what little I have seen it performs adequately.

- Fuel efficiency : City and Highway
7-8 km/l in the city, 10 on the highway

- Suspension & ride quality
The suspension is pretty good, it's often hard to keep track of the speed because the ride quality is so good on good roads. However ground clearance becomes an issue in areas with bad roads, and speedbreakers too. Any advice on dealing with the ground clearance is appreciated. Excellent control at high speeds though, feels very grounded in the car at 140-150 kmh.

- Cost of upkeep & maintenance
Services are sort of expensive, and petrol consumption was getting to be a bit on the expensive side. Opted for a CNG fitting, will be posting about my experiences with that later, having just gotten CNG fitting done 3 days ago.

Have had 2 services done at the Lalbagh honda place, they've been very helpful, Highly recommend going there to get your service done.

Upgrades planned

1. CNG fitting for the car ( Has been done, will be posting an update after I've had CNG tried and tested for a week or two.)
2. Considering something for the ground clearance, am hoping I can glean some information from these forums, as well as the installation
3. I am wondering if there is any way I can upgrade the security system on the car
4. GPS system for long distance travels ( Idea of CNG was to allow me to travel long distances, more on that in another thread)
5. Customized controls for the music system on the steering wheel ( if possible, if not I'll settle for manual adjustment from the mp3 player, as I do it now)
6. Low beam lights - considering a possible change, they seem very light and don't illuminate superlatively.

I would like to thank everyone who posted on my http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...t-fluence.html thread here, and everyone else who I bugged for advice. I would name names, but there's quite a few and I do want to get on to the pictures. Your inputs, opinions and thoughts were invaluable and I owe you all a debt of gratitude.
Here's hoping I can return the favour one day.

Thanks for reading and a good day
Anghammarad.

PS: Finally the pictures.
PSS: I apologize for the rubbish quality, apparently I am not cut out to be a photographer.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[saurabhkum]

Good writeup, clearly tells a lot about the car. I'll be waiting for more info on CNG as I'm also just waiting to convert my Civic A/T into CNG. All the best on your ride.

[MetalBuff]

Mr. Anghammarad,

How are you, man? Was really anticipating this review from your end for quite a while. BTW, thanks for dropping a note.

Superb write up, there! Congratulations to you. The white ride looks pristine and very beautiful, indeed.

Karmax, huh! There guys are just a stone's throw from my place and are the only one's on Carwale that sell relatively new cars (Say, max of 2-3 year olds). Have spoken to them many times and always found them to be overpriced but, for a gem like yours, that's a fair price to pay . Guess, I can safely recommend these guys, going forward.

And did you say, 2000 kms already done? That's a fair bit of running in less than 2 months. Looks like you really enjoying her to the hilt.

After reading through frankmehta's thread, was expecting the Civic's OEM stereo to be entry level quality but, was surprised to hear that in person. Though, the sound was a little too bright (slightly high treble), the clarity and punch were top notch. Nothing a few adjustments couldn't achieve. Yeah, I know we are surrounded by car nuts and audiophiles alike

Looking forward to the update on the CNG fitting.

As for the headlights, since the car is out of warranty cover, do get a nice set of projectors. Alternatively, Osram NightBreakers+ should also suffice.


Again, my hearty congratulations to you. Hope, your dad for whom this car was bought really likes her as well.

Fancy name for the car, eh!

-Shivang Gandotra

[Anghammarad]

Originally Posted by saurabhkum

Good writeup, clearly tells a lot about the car. I'll be waiting for more info on CNG as I'm also just waiting to convert my Civic A/T into CNG. All the best on your ride.

Much obliged, do let me know how that turns out

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

Mr. Anghammarad,
Karmax, huh!

I do believe they are a bit on the pricey side too, but hey I don't know much about cars.

And did you say, 2000 kms already done? That's a fair bit of running in less than 2 months. Looks like you really enjoying her to the hilt.

So far yes, but some cosmetic work to be done for repairs thanks to some hero in a Swift.

As for the headlights, since the car is out of warranty cover, do get a nice set of projectors. Alternatively, Osram NightBreakers+ should also suffice.

I'll definitely look into this thanks. Any recommendations outside of Osrams? And where might I pick them up/install them from?

Hope, your dad for whom this car was bought really likes her as well.

Ye he most definitely does.

Fancy name for the car, eh!

Alma mater motto :-p Seemed apt.

[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by Anghammarad

I do believe they are a bit on the pricey side too, but hey I don't know much about cars.

That's when T-Bhp comes into play.

Originally Posted by Anghammarad

So far yes, but some cosmetic work to be done for repairs thanks to some hero in a Swift.

Oh mate! Wicket lost already ? Take all this with a pinch of salt. Hope that "hero" didnt have broken teeth after he rammed into your Civic. Where do you intend to get this repair work done from? Hope the damage is just cosmetic.

Originally Posted by Anghammarad

I'll definitely look into this thanks. Any recommendations outside of Osrams? And where might I pick them up/install them from?

Philips Extreme Vision! You can procure either of them through ebay india (do mention the bulb size when plaing the order). These are pretty much a direct fit. Just go through the manual and you should be good. That said, since there are no relays involved in the installation, is pretty straight forward

Alma mater motto :-p Seemed apt.[/quote]



I am really running short on smileys now, haha!

-Shivang Gandotra

[Anghammarad]

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

That's when T-Bhp comes into play.

Oh mate! Wicket lost already ? Take all this with a pinch of salt. Hope that "hero" didnt have broken teeth after he rammed into your Civic. Where do you intend to get this repair work done from? Hope the damage is just cosmetic.

Yes, small damage, but still, sore sight:-p

Philips Extreme Vision! You can procure either of them through ebay india (do mention the bulb size when plaing the order). These are pretty much a direct fit. Just go through the manual and you should be good. That said, since there are no relays involved in the installation, is pretty straight forward

Thanks, I'll definitely look into this. Worse case scenario I'll ask Honda to install it for me :-p

[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by Anghammarad

Worse case scenario I'll ask Honda to install it for me :-p

That should be fine. The max they will charge are labor charges. That's about it. Should not exceed a 100 bucks.

-Shivang Gandotra

[Caffeinated]

Congratulations Anghammarad on your new car. As they say, you cannot go wrong with a Honda. Hope you have many happy hours of mile-crunching.

Regarding the difficulty while reversing, that is why reverse parking sensors/camera are here for. Immensely helpful when you don't have people around you for guidance while reversing. Go for one(if not present already)

[saurabhkum]

My car is gone today for conversion to Suraj Auto. Will be getting it back on Saturday. Will keep everyone posted on how things progress. Thanks for giving me confidence to go ahead with my Civic AT.

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

As for the headlights, since the car is out of warranty cover, do get a nice set of projectors. Alternatively, Osram NightBreakers+ should also suffice.

Immaculata is a '11 Civic, so, warranty should be on till '15 rite?
After 2009, the 2+2 years/40k warranty is standard on the Civic. Can you please recheck and confirm?

[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Immaculata is a '11 Civic, so, warranty should be on till '15 rite?
After 2009, the 2+2 years/40k warranty is standard on the Civic. Can you please recheck and confirm?

Hello sarathlal,

So, the extended warranty kicks off post 4 years? Or does that mean, that the extended warranty following the lapse of the 2 year standard one comes for free now? I was under the impression that the Civic's warranty period is exactly akin to the Honda City (2 years standard + 2 years extended). Please advice.

Since, you got yourself a similar vehicle days ago, you would be the best go-to guy .

-Shivang Gandotra

[sarathlal]

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

Hello sarathlal,

So, the extended warranty kicks off post 4 years?

No

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

Or does that mean, that the extended warranty following the lapse of the 2 year standard one comes for free now?

Yes

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

I was under the impression that the Civic's warranty period is exactly akin to the Honda City (2 years standard + 2 years extended). Please advice.

Since, you got yourself a similar vehicle days ago, you would be the best go-to guy .

-Shivang Gandotra

You are right on the Civic's warranty being akin to the City. The only difference is, for Civic, the extended warranty is included in the package.
2 years standard + 2 years extended comes as default for the Civic now. And the dealer has confirmed that, this is so since 2009 September or so.

While buying the car, I checked on the warranty expiring date with the Honda Sales, and they confirmed it as Dec 2014.

[sarathlal]

Here is the press release during the facelift launch which mentions about the change in warranty duration for the Civic. Refer the very last part of the release.

http://www.hondacarindia.com/mediaCe...aspx?pr_id=180

[Anghammarad]

Originally Posted by sarathlal

Here is the press release during the facelift launch which mentions about the change in warranty duration for the Civic. Refer the very last part of the release.

http://www.hondacarindia.com/mediaCe...aspx?pr_id=180

Honda is being wishy washy about the 2+2 service warranty citing 2nd ownership of the car. Taking it up with one of their Service Center people today.

Thanks though, I had no idea about this. :x