My fellow BHPians,
I recently got my Team-BHP membership in my 2nd attempt (THANK YOU MODS!) so I am excited to be an active member of this community.
I am in a dilemma here choosing my next ride between 5th Gen Honda City, 2nd Gen Creta and Kia Seltos. Can you guys please share your wisdom?
Background:
My current ride is a well maintained, fuss free November 2014 Tata Zest XT Revotron (Petrol top end), run approx. 61k kms. I love my Zest for its strong and heavy build quality (GNCAP 4 stars -
https://auto.economictimes.indiatime...-test/55473401 ), fantastic ground clearance, Harman Kardon infotainment and decent space and would be sad to let it go.
Reasons to upgrade:
1. Need for an automatic - My daily drive has been 50kms in bumper to bumper traffic for the past 6 years. Even with the current corona situation, our offices are open since May and I go to office at least 2 weeks per month. Traffic situation isn’t easing up either due to the ongoing metro construction.
2. More powerful engine – Zest’s puny 1.2L Petrol requires frequent downshifts in city as well as on highways. This takes a toll on my left leg no matter how light the clutch is or how smooth the transmission is.
3. A bigger and powerful car inspires confidence and urge to go on long drives/vacations and retain them longer.
4. Zest is out of production since April 2019.
5. I don’t achieve much by delaying the purchase because the segment of cars that I want to upgrade to won’t change with time. I have a tight parking spot which can accommodate only certain size of cars (up to midsize Sedans or Crossovers only). I don’t intend to upgrade to a higher segment by saving additional money if I delay the purchase. In fact, I lose money if I delay the purchase now – Zest depreciates even further and also the segment of cars that I want to go for keep getting more expensive.
6. The car would be financed no matter whenever the purchase is. This is a conscious decision based on my other financial commitments.
7. My neighbor is interested in my car for his relatives and has offered me a good price. Selling the car now ensures that the new owner has sufficiently longer period of ownership before the BS4 RC expires.
Upgrade criteria:
1. Must be more powerful than Zest – minimum 1.5L Petrol or Diesel
2. Must be an automatic – only CVT/IVT and TC are considered. No DCT due to long term reliability.
3. Better safety features:
Must haves:
a. 6 airbags
b. Electronic Stability Control
c. Traction Control
d. Hill Hold Assist
e. Vehicle Stability Management
f. All wheel disc brakes (desirable)
4. Spacious than Zest (interior space + boot). We are a family of 3 but are heavy packers. Boot should accommodate a minimum of 3 to 4 medium sized bags + 1 small duffle bag. For reference, Zest boot size is 390 liters and it accommodates 2 adult cabin sized bags + 1 small kid size cabin bag + 2 sacks + 1 small duffle bag.
5. Long term reliability since the ownership period will be 8 to 10 years.
6. Fuel type - any
7. Budget – 17 lakh on road but willing to extend up to 20 lakh.
Usage pattern:
1. 80% City and 20% Highway
2. My primary car for office runs + highway outings.
Shortlisted Cars:
Note that I am yet to test drive any of these cars. Only top end variants are considered.
1. 5th Gen Honda City ZX CVT Pros:
a. Meets all my criteria except all wheel disc brakes.
b. 5 Star ASEAN safety rating which may translate to similar or 4 star rating in GNCAP.
c. Reliability of the iVTEC engine for a decade or more compared to Hyundai’s Petrol engine. We have 3 iVTEC’s in my relatives lasting more than a decade without any issues.
d. Honda maintenance costs compared to Hyundai or Kia. My sister’s 15 year old Santro is more expensive to maintain than her 8 year old City.
e. Looks – I and my wife both love the City’s looks compared to Creta.
f. Feel of luxury and space inside the cabin.
Cons which aren’t deal breakers:
a. So called low ground clearance issue – My father drives a 2016 Jazz iDTEC and has had no concerns with the ground clearance till date. I assume Jazz and City have the same ground clearance. We have driven Jazz with 4 adults and boot full with luggage and did not face any issues. But Jazz is a size smaller than City. Will the front overhang of the 5th Gen City cause issues?
b. Entertainment head unit is average as per reviews with average quality of rear view camera and lane watch. I am yet to see it myself.
2. Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos: Pros:
a. IMO, higher ground clearance and all wheel disc brakes are the only major advantages of these cross overs.
b. Better screen resolution of the infotainment. And may be better sound quality of the Bose speakers compared to City’s music system.
c. Lesser length than City – could be an advantage for me given my corner parking spot.
d. Both sides’ blind spot monitoring and 360 degree parking camera of Seltos.
e. Front parking sensors of Seltos
f. Auto Hold feature of Creta.
Cons:
a. 3 stars in GNCAP for Seltos for a 21 lakh INR car. Will Hyundai score similar given the production efficiencies between Hyundai & Kia?
b. My wife has motion sickness and is of the opinion that this issue will aggravate in Creta/Seltos due to body roll and higher center of gravity.
c. Too many electronics – Ventilated Seats, Panoramic Sunroof, Electrically adjusted driver seat, air purifier – none of these are must have’s for me. How reliable are these in the long run? What’s the maintenance like? I have checked CarDekho’s pros-cons of Sunroof and kind of agree with them -
d. Lesser boot and cabin space than City.
e. Cost cutting – no full size spare alloy wheel; no auto up/down for all 4 windows; driver side window up/down buttons aren’t backlit; doesn’t have both tilt & telescopic steering for Creta – IMO, all these add to a positive driving and ownership experience. City checkmarks on all these.
f. Hard plastics behind the front seats of top variants is an eye sore.
g. Pricey – Creta petrol top end is 2.5 lakh over my budget and Creta/Seltos diesel top end is 4 lakh over my budget. But then I do agree with GTO’s
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buyin...to-longer.html (How a more expensive car can work out cheaper (if you hold onto it for longer))
Am I thinking on the right lines? Is this the right time to go for an upgrade? I would like to wait for Honda HR-V Crossover or Honda City Hybrid but given the pace at which Honda reacts to Indian market, I don’t think these cars will reach India shores till 2022 at least.
Thank you for reading this patiently.