[IshaanIan]

I have always found Hyundai petrol motors to feel a little lacking in terms of outright performance, as well as useable performance. However I was recently shocked when a friend of mine told me that he felt his Grand i10 had a better engine than his old G13b Swift Perhaps it is the meek nature of Hyundai NA petrols or the throttle delay or the fact that they don't sound happy being pushed so they invite you to remain at very awkwardly low rev-bands within each gear, that makes people feel they are smoother or something. Perhaps the motor in this Seltos is different but if it has to be a normally aspirated petrol manual, then just stay away from the Kia would be my advice since there really isn't any pleasure to be derived from an NA Hyundai petrol motor IMO

[shancz]

Voted City.

Because it gets the basics spot on and misses out on the features which are good to have.
Seltos, in your case, compromises on one of the essentials which is seating comfort.

[rkv_2401]

I would go for the City in your case - comfort is important and becomes more important the longer you keep the car, the City has a higher safety rating AND 6 airbags, looks classy, and undoubtedly has the sportier of the two engines.

If you found the Seltos to be uncomfortable, unresponsive in the lower gears when driving in the city (which is where you're going to be driving it), and less safe, I don't really see why spend 2 lakhs over your budget to go with it.

From my experience with my friend's 5th gen City ZX CVT, the engine noise is quite irritating but he says you get used to it over time. And if that does turn out to be something you can't live with, it probably would not cost too much to get it damped, whereas making a stiff-sprung car more comfortable is going to be quite a lot more challenging. If you think it's stiff now, wait till 3-4 years in and the suspension starts wearing out.

[headbanger]

Unless high seating is a must have, City is a better choice in this comparo.

[The Rationalist]

There's no contest between City and Seltos, especially as your first car. I test drove the City on Sunday and came back impressed. It is very stable at speeds upto 100 km/hr and good steering feedback & handling. At the price point, it's good value for money. You won't regret the purchase. Good luck mate.

[Raghu M]

Both are from different segments, not sure why there is a poll for this. Seltos caters to different needs while City is a comfort sedan. The requirements are not that clear too. It's like comparing oranges with apples.

[SolitaryRabbit]

I was in the same situation last year. I would suggest you to drive both cars back to back and see which one makes you feels special and gives you a comfortable driving experience. For me safety and the love for the Honda engine were the key factors for choosing the City over the Seltos (also the Kia showroom attitude and insane waiting period pushed me towards Honda). I would definitely agree the head unit in the City leaves much to be desired but once you put Apple CarPlay (or Android Auto - never tried this thought) the issue doesn't bother me much. With respect to the engine note, I have started to love it especially on higher revs. However, if it is bothering you, there are few posts in the City thread where people have been able to reduce it by putting damping sheets in the engine bay and doors (I would not advice to think of this as a resolution and buy the City though). Happy car shopping - it's not everyday we have such beautiful dilemmas in life

[ron178]

Originally Posted by venkat07_

1. Driving position, felt a bit wierd, may be because of my all hatchback experience. Seats were not so great when compared to the ones from the city.

The big case for the Seltos would be its high driving position, considering you're comparing a top-variant City with a mid-variant Seltos. If that's the part you have a problem with, I'd definitely recommend the City.

Originally Posted by venkat07_

2 airbags, could have got all 6

It also misses out on Electronic Stability Control, which the fifth-generation City has as standard. That said, if you're willing to wait it out for a few months, rumour has it that all Indian Kias might get side body and head airbags and ESC as standard. Still won't fix the SP2i Seltos' marginal frontal impact performance, but it's a good thing nevertheless.

With the Seltos you'd end up paying more for a less equipped car, primarily because of a higher driving position - which you don't like. The City does seem like a bit of a no-brainer here. That said, make sure you can be at peace with the infotainment system because, as you pointed out, the Seltos' is much more modern.

A Kia Rio sedan would've been nice, wouldn't it? Quieter engine + better infotainment + low driving position.

[karan10]

Your requirements say City all the way! I'd have been confused if the choice would have been between the City and 1.4 turbo petrol Seltos. But in the NA comparison, there's nothing better than the city.

Since your usage is primarily urban, I'd definitely suggest having a look at the CVT version though.

[C300]

Voted Honda City for Its higher safety rating. Why not add Slavia/Virtus to the mix? Virtus looks beautiful with typical VW ageless design. Take longer back to back TDs of shortlisted cars.

[venkat07_]

Originally Posted by ron178

The big case for the Seltos would be its high driving position, considering you're comparing a top-variant City with a mid-variant Seltos. If that's the part you have a problem with, I'd definitely recommend the City.

It also misses out on Electronic Stability Control, which the fifth-generation City has as standard. That said, if you're willing to wait it out for a few months, rumour has it that all Indian Kias might get side body and head airbags and ESC as standard. Still won't fix the SP2i Seltos' marginal frontal impact performance, but it's a good thing nevertheless.

With the Seltos you'd end up paying more for a less equipped car, primarily because of a higher driving position - which you don't like. The City does seem like a bit of a no-brainer here. That said, make sure you can be at peace with the infotainment system because, as you pointed out, the Seltos' is much more modern.

A Kia Rio sedan would've been nice, wouldn't it? Quieter engine + better infotainment + low driving position.

Yep, The sales guys in Kia has also mentioned that there is a probable price hike in April, mostly because of the mandatory 6 airbag set up in all trims.

And on to the good news,

Went ahead Booked the Honda city ZX Petrol Manual(Lunar silver Metallic). As my brother Phani says I was already there since the time I took the first test drive. Took another test drive yesterday and sealed the deal.

The seltos and CITY may not be comparable as they belong to different segments, the price point and the fact that both of these are good in their own offerings made me consider and compare them in the first place.

Thank a ton everyone for the help on my first post of my first ever car, here's to more in the coming days. Cheers!!!

[AutoConsultant]

Well that was some quick decision making



The primary differentiator, apart from the engine, is the safety aspect here. Paying extra for a car with 4 less airbags and a proven low GNCAP rating just doesn’t make sense.

I remember around 5th gen City’s launch there were many videos/comments highlighting the initial niggles the car was facing an overall not that well received. However, with time it is good to see that customers are finally realising what a brilliant overall package this car offers. And with Slavia and Virtus coming in, I feel City is only going to benefit.

[aniket13]

Originally Posted by venkat07_

I test drove two different vehicles of same variants, and the experiences have been completely different. The first one had around 8k kms on the odo, was showing FE of around 15 and the car was well maintained, one could say by looking at it. I've driven this on empty stretches for most part and I must admit I've almost decided Honda City is the one. The launch was great and shifts were a breeze too. And I went hard on the pedal while cornering too and had not lost the confidence. Breaking was decent and the car handled it smoothly at 100+ speeds. The audio system was pretty impressive(this is important for me). Engine noise felt inside the cockpit but was music to my ears.

And at the second test drive, this car did about 16k kms and the FE on this was around 8'ish. This was in the city conditions. Revving noise felt inside the car and was kind of irritating (may be partly because I've driven the seltos an hour before). But the car handled all the bumps and potholes smoothly, no complaints there. And this time the infotainment system felt a bit old fashioned, again the seltos is the winner here.

You look pretty convinced on City reading your overall TD experience, barring one point that seems to be repeating - Engine Noise. And this has got me head-scratching! You see, from my experience, it's the CVT that makes the noise a bit intrusive in the beginning due to the way it works (you get used to it). Few points from my daily experience of riding a 4th Gen City MT:

1) Engine is extremely silent inside-out. It feels almost hazardous when people don't realize there's a car creeping in from behind.

2) Inside: I have cranked the car a fair bit of time initially as I thought it had switched-off. You can't feel if the engine is on or not when stationary

3) Beyond 4000 RPM is nirvana with the roaring ivtec engine - pure eargasmic! Frequency of which feels intrusive in the CVT (although settles down quick). In a manual, you are the captain. City is extremely rev happy, but as I said, you are the orchestrator in a manual.

It is also pretty evident from your TD experience that there might be some issues with the 2nd car. 16k is a lot for a TD vehicle and given how abused they are on daily-basis, I won't be surprised at all if it misbehaved. If at all possible, please take a test drive again, maybe from another showroom. Also, are you sure you weren't flooring hard frequently in lower gears?

Originally Posted by venkat07_

First of all I enjoy the overall experience of driving a car, and would need comfortable seating for that. Love to drive manual cars and the engine's response when I gas is important whether I'm in the city or on an open stretch, That gives me pleasure. Passenger comfort is as important, as my parents would frequently join me. If I get mileage as a bonus, I'll take that.

Only other things seltos has for me is the noiseless engine and the fresh looks.

Honda has blasphemously under-tyred the City - you'd be quite surprised with the difference in ride and handling after upgrading to better rubber. As GTO said, City has the best 1.5L NA petrol engine in the country. Mate it with the slick manual transmission and you have a legendary combo, adding to that your clear preference towards MT. Also, if going with Honda City, please go for the 5th Gen which is a much-improved package, instead of the 4th Gen as it had its fair share of build-quality related issues and niggles.

[sukhbirST]

Honda city has proven itself over the years with various models. Suggest keep updated on the thread by Aditya on - Skoda Slavia vs Honda City vs Maruti Ciaz vs Hyundai Verna vs others. By the way, choosing between two different type of cars - sedan vs crossovers is not easy.

[Fan@Automotive]

Voted for City.

City is probably the most proven sedan in India, period.

Ground clearance is a concern with the car and the long front overhang with poorly designed lower bumper adds more to the issue. Upsizing the tires help, but comes with its own set of pain points.

I do not know about the condition of roads in Hyderabad, but there are hardly any good patches of roads in the cities (read Bengaluru), and a lot of never ending road repair/improvements happening everywhere else.

Looking for a car with higher ground clearance and a suspension setup that can handle broken tarmac at highway speeds is a good idea. Seltos or any other is debatable.