2000 km road trip in Honda Elevate: Comfort, fuel economy, ADAS & more

The fuel efficiency was around 15-16 km/l but the star of the show was the car's generous boot capacity.

BHPian akhilshenay recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I recently completed a 2000 km trip from Trivandrum to Chennai and back in my Elevate, and I'd like to share my experience.

The journey was remarkably comfortable on both legs of the trip. The route to Chennai was congested, extending the travel time to 16 hours, especially with the added challenge of traveling with a toddler, necessitating frequent stops. The return trip, spanning 14 hours, was equally pleasant.

The Elevate proved to be exceptionally comfortable, surpassing my previous long-travel vehicle, the BRV, notably in its suspension. The seats were especially comfortable, but needed to purchase a neckrest in Chennai. However, I'm looking to upgrade to a higher-quality option that complements the tan interior without appearing out of place. Suggestions are welcome.

Despite the extended travel time and the challenges of a toddler on board, we experienced zero fatigue after the trip, a testament to the overall comfort of the Elevate.

Mileage received was around 15-16 kmpl for the whole trip which included a few hundred kilometers in Chennai city with heavy traffic. During my stay in Chennai, I installed a DDPAI mini dashcam by myself, driven by concerns over the chaotic traffic. While the dashcam provides crucial evidence, it struggles to capture number plates clearly under specific lighting conditions. Despite this limitation, I find overall satisfaction with the product.

The Honda Connect tracking feature demonstrated reliability in recording our travel routes. However, the displayed metrics proved to be less dependable, often showing instances of hard braking that didn't occur or failing to register when it did. Instant notifications for ignition start/stops, fuel warnings, and other alerts were consistently delivered. On the downside, the remote locking feature via the app exhibited sluggishness, with responsiveness depending on the mood of Honda servers, which occasionally failed to respond. The Alexa control feature, unfortunately, proved to be a disaster, never working successfully during my experience.

The braking performance of the Elevate stood out as extraordinary, consistently providing smooth stops even before reaching the intended mark.

The usual issue of Android Auto disconnecting was noted but occurred less frequently during this 2000 km journey. This may be attributed to keeping the cable consistently plugged in, mitigating the problem to some extent.

Other notable aspects include the impressive headlight throw, effectively illuminating the road. The speakers, satisfyingly good for my preferences, kept me engaged with enjoyable beats throughout the journey.

The star of the show, however, was the Elevate's generous boot capacity. Accommodating all the necessities and more, it stood out for its practicality and convenience.

Tried out all the ADAS features.

Lane Keep Assist: It's so good and makes driving effortless on highways. Even feeble lines are detected equally during both day and night.

Lane departure mitigation: This feature actually makes you a better driver. If you are changing lanes without using the indicators, the system will steer you back to the lane. So you will have the habit of using indicators even if you are about the overtake a scooter. If you decide to ignore the warning and continue, the system will let you do so without any issues.

Collision mitigation braking: If you are already a cautious driver, you might not encounter this system getting activated unless it was something you couldn't see. However, if it brakes, it will be quite harsh. A truck in front of me didn't notice the speed breaker barricade and braked at the last moment. I am a person who tries to brake as smoothly as possible even if it is an emergency. So I braked calmly and the vehicle was about to stop within safe distance. So I reduced the braking force to ease it out. Suddenly, the CMBS kicked it and it was quite harsh.

Auto high beam: It's a hit or miss. It doesn't seem reliable to me.

Adaptive cruise control: This is the most hated feature by me. The system's braking and acceleration are very aggressive. I have set 100 as my required speed, and if it detects a bike/ scooter on the side of the road, it brakes and reduces the speed quite early without even letting me drive pass safely. And after speed is reduced I changed the lane so there are no obstructions ahead. By that time, the speed might be 80, the system accelerates very hard with more than 4000 rpm. Since it's a new vehicle I haven't tried beyond 3000 rpm. So I stopped using ACC since it was not smooth.

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