3rd-gen Honda City ownership review: 11 years & 1.3 lakh km

I asked my mechanic whether to sell the car and he was emphatic with a 'No'. He said it will run for another 10 years, with no problem.

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I bought the 3rd gen in India, Honda City SMT in May 2010 and the family wanted the Habanero Red colour. I was also keen on only a petrol engine.

My son who was 7 at that time insisted on a dovetail spoiler believing it improved aerodynamics which however cost me 13 grand. This was my first new car, after having had 2 pre-owned cars, a Zen, prior to 2007, and another one in New Zealand. This buy turned out to be one of the best decisions in my life and the start of a great relationship with the VTEC NA engine. It was not a bad looker, either.

It took a month to be delivered, and finally arrived in May 2010 with the customary ribbon and cheap chocolate. I removed all the plastic covering the seats immediately and the very next day, took the car out to a nearby hill station at a distance of 80 km. Just loved the turning radius and the total control with engine braking on hairpin bends and going downhill. What struck me then and thereafter was the quietness of the engine and when pushed emitting the most delightful revving noise one can hear.

Having been a fan of engine braking from the motorcycling days in college, I never even thought of getting an automatic, though I know I am in the minority here. Besides going downhill, or on curves with the engine revving and downshifting on turns in anticipation where vehicles often wander over the white line at great speed from the opposite side, I've found the MT more than useful, as well as thrilling. In addition my wife and children enjoy driving the MT.

The first time I scraped the bottom (the anticipated Honda City problem) was over an unregulated speed breaker on a village road and with the horrible grinding sound my heart sank. I took it to the garage, got it hoisted and surveyed the bottom for any damage. There was none and the mechanic laughed saying, "Nothing will happen, sir". Avoiding the bottoming out in the soft suspension did take some time to get used to on obstacles as one has to get the speed in first gear exactly right.

I was determined to use it and use it well. Thereafter, I've scraped over countless speed breakers, gone on dirt roads, mud roads, sometimes on lorry tracks, basically everywhere a City is not supposed to be driven, and it has survived them all.

Driving comfort and ride quality

The driving position was comfortable with good visibility. The height adjustment and position could be adjusted for 2 other members in the family who were comfortable, as well. The arm rest was in the correct position as well as the controls on the windows and one didn't have to strain to reach them.

Lumbar and under thigh support was good. Driving for 12 hours was a breeze and not tiring. Rear vision was good and I managed all these years without parking sensors.

While comfortable on good roads, bumps on other roads are felt with the wallowing effect of the soft suspension. It's really becomes a problem on very bad roads and the GC is not of help here.

The back seat, though reasonably spacious is a bit cramped for a six footer and can get a uncomfortable on bad roads with the soft suspension they do feel tossed around, though belted in.

The elderly do find it difficult for getting in and out as the seats are low, however.

Stability, handling and steering

Straight line stability is good. While it can handle speeds at 3 digits well, at a certain point, because of the light weight, you get a floating feeling and I always kept the speed well below this, as you can sense the beginning of loss of control

Where it comes into its own is corner handling and acceleration.

The steering was comfortable to hold, calibrated well with good feel of the road. It never gave any problems till now.

The engine

The VTEC can only be described as a driver's delight. In the earlier days, on idling, it was so quiet that I've cranked the engine, by mistake.

Besides, the engine responds to your input getting needed acceleration on downshifting to overtake/ get out of a tight spot. The only issue is when fully loaded, the extra weight does show and one has to down shift more than usual, especially while going up an incline.

The brakes are adequate with ABS kicking in when needed in an emergency, keeping things under control.

The volume of the horn used to be the butt of jokes then, but I didn't change it so as not to startle and paralyse a jaywalker.

Maintenance:

• I used to service it every 5000 km religiously and cost around 4 -6 grand each visit.
• The brake pad was changed once.
• The rim bent once when going over a crater.
• The tyres were changed at 50,000 km to Michelin and at 110000 km to Energy XM2.
• The AC compressor was changed last year, at 10 years and working well.
• The front windshield was leaking 3 weeks back, was taken out and resealed with sealant.

Dealership and servicing:

The dealership where I bought the City changed over to Hyundai the following year. However, they gave their assurance of looking after the car, as I had bought it there. As there was a good relationship with senior mechanic, it functioned more like a FNG and must have saved quite a bit of money as well.

Fuel economy:

11.5- 12kmpl in city traffic.

Generally 14.5 - 16 kmpl on highways.

Once, driving to Pondicherry, a distance of 160 km, I held myself back with immense self-control at a sedate 80 kmph and got 19.5 kmpl.

The FE has remained the same, through all these years.

Enjoyable trips:

Countless, but a few stick out as below;

Kottayam to Cumbum on the the way home through the Ghat road.

Driving to Coorg and taking the curves in 2nd gear with the beautiful sound of the engine revving.
From Masinagudi to Ooty with the car fully laden in bumper to bumper traffic. The most interesting part of this trip is a stretch called the Kalhatty ghat road. The road is 12 km, very steep with 36 hairpin bends. This road is a challenge and is accident prone.

While most sedans had their wheels spinning, it was a real test to not do so. Moreover, it was enjoyable to start on the incline from 'stop' without reversing an inch using the time honoured handbrake, first gear technique. I guess, driving quite a bit in South Island, NZ helped where one has to start often on an incline after stopping at the traffic lights without backing an inch. Here again, the City was more than upto its task.

Each time I go through the Thoppur Ghat there is a thrill as well as the trips to Kodai and Ooty.

The trip I didn't enjoy at all:

Thekkady to Munnar 3 years back with the car fully loaded. The road was so bad that it took nearly 5 hours to cover 79 kms.

The trip which got me worried:

The end of last year I drove from Tharangambadi, on the coast, to Tirunelveli. I started at around 5 am and then it literally started pouring cats and dogs. I was using Google maps, on village roads with near zero visibility. I thought, mistakenly, that there would be some light around 6 am. However, that day there was natural light only from around 7.30 am. On top of it there were no coffee shops to stop at, with only the occasional passing lorry showing some signs of life on the road. This trip on a road covered with water and sometimes just slush was testing, yet the City came through. Of course, once I reached Thanjavur and good roads, it came into its own.

What I didn't like:

• The AC can be described as adequate at best for the front seats and definitely inadequate for the rear, especially in summer.
• I also wish the car was heavier, from the safety point of view, though I know it would affect almost everything else including the FE.

What I liked most:

• No niggles at all.
• Driving comfort, safety, handling, spacious interior and a huge boot.
• Low maintenance.
• No problems with suspension.
• I know, the GC is low but the trade-off is added stability.

Things I thought of changing, but didn't:

• The tyres do look thin for the capability of the car. Yet it was reliable with all the corner carving and on wet roads, so I stuck to the original size.
• The lights are just about adequate and being low slung, one can get blinded by lights of oncoming traffic. However, instead of getting more powerful headlights, I try to avoid driving at night.

Signs of ageing:

• Start of rusting on the doors and some peeling of paint on the front grille.
• Surprisingly, the interior has not aged in all this while.

As 11 years approached, having been a sedan aficionado all the while, after the last 2 trips mentioned, I thought I should get a CSUV or 'pseudo SUV' as some would call with a hint of derision and condescension, for more adventurous driving. As I said earlier, my only priority is a great engine and safety and settled, against most local advice, on a XUV 300, a choice mostly guided by the excellent TBHP review by Aditya with input from GTO.

I asked my mechanic whether to sell the car and he was emphatic with a, 'No'. He said it will run for another 10 years with no problem, but if I really wanted to sell, he would take it for 4 lakhs. I, then gave it to my daughter who is a keen driver, knowing after 11 years, it still feels and sounds the same as the day I bought it in 2010. When giving up your car, you know you're giving up a bit of history as the kids have grown up with it and our dog was a pup when he had his first ride and is now an old feller but still loves his car ride.

Having given it to someone in the family, at least you get to see the car at least once a fortnight.

In short, this car gave me more than I asked for and some and is surprisingly rugged for its appearance.

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