Confused: Do I buy a new Honda City 4th-gen or a used Ford Freestyle

I have a Maruti Alto which will be limited to wading through traffic, while the new car becomes my primary vehicle for city & highways.

BHPian SRV recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey forum, Please help a newbie here.

Should I buy a brand new Honda City 4th Gen V variant for Rs 11.5 lakhs (on-road) or should I opt for a used Ford Freestyle diesel Titanium+ which has less than 25k km on the odo and also gives a mileage of 20+ km/l easily for 7 lakh? It's a well-maintained car.

Which one should I choose?

The intention is to keep it till it breaks and screams for an upgrade. So it should be for 10 years minimum or even more than that.

I have an alto K10 Automatic which will be used inside city traffic. So the car I'm planning to buy will remain as the "Primary car" and the car will be used in both city and highways. City 25% and highways 75%

In a month it will be close to 700 to 1000 km.

I keep any product for a long period of time and I would like to keep my car for a very long period of time. I don't like to upgrade things frequently.

The main two competition is between Ford Freestyle vs Honda City 4th Gen

Ford Freestyle

Things I like:

• Excellent ground clearance
• Fabulous steering feedback and performance.
• TDCI engine is a gem
• A mileage of 25 km/l is outstanding
• Diesel

Things that make me think:

• Ford is closed. Not sure about the reliability factor.
• Spending 7 to 8 Lakhs for a car that is not on the market
• Average looks

Honda City

Things I like:

• Sedan
• Honda is a honda is a honda
• iVTEC engine is equally a gem
• comfort
• Reliability factor
• New car for 11 Lakhs on road price

Things I don't like:

• Steering feedback is poor
• The mileage is not great
• Interiors do not create a wow factor
• Pour in your thoughts, please.

Update:

Primary requirements: To own a good car with 4 cylinder engine that has a good reliability with safety features. Driving dynamics and steering feedback are very important to me. I just love to have good steering feedback, don't know the reason behind it. I have an alto K10 AMT to drive inside the city or in dense traffic. So predominantly this car will be used mainly for highways and occasional city drives.

Secondary requirements: Mileage as this will be used for long trips. Reliability and of course a good-looking car.

Yearly running will be close to 10K km for sure.

Space requirements: Mostly it will be 2 people - me and my wife. 30% of the time my parents who are senior citizens will be accompanied.

Use case: 75% Highways and 25% city.

Yes as you suggested, Honda city is on my top list. But I'm genuinely afraid of the ground clearance as this will be used for a lot of trips across south India. A mileage of 10 or 12 is really too low for the km I will be covering in a year.

The reason why I can't reject Ford Freestyle is because of two reasons,

Driving performance: Steering feedback

Mileage: A single tank full is going to give me a 1000 km range which is insane.

Out of all the cars, after all the analysis I'm stuck between these two. I understand these are two different segments. But clearly confused will be the right statement here.

Here's what BHPian KPR had to say on the matter:

Honda City 4th Gen will be a proper car. Freestyle at the end of the day will be a hatchback with a compromise on passenger and boot space. If you need comfort and love to own a proper full-fledged car Honda city it is. If you can drive a hatchback for the next 10 years Freestyle it is. All the very best. If I were you I will try to get Honda city. But you may have to check the ingress and egress comfort levels of your parent in low slung sedan.

Here's what BHPian Gearup_1111 had to say on the matter:

With your requirements and Alto already in place, I would suggest Honda City. Life will be 15 years along with a full-size no-nonsense car.

Freestyle would feel obsolete 2-3 years down the line.

Here's what BHPian NEMatters had to say on the matter:

For Honda City, I can say the following:

1. The mileage is not groundbreaking best. But still, in its segment, it is quite good. Considering it a petrol 1.5-litre engine.
2. For highways you got loads of space
3. You already have a small car for the city. Makes sense for highways to have a bigger cars.
4. Ground clearance is a concern yes! But if you are careful it is okay to live with. And highways are comparatively better that way.

For Freestyle:

1. You are getting a hatch again with a good engine
2. Do you think space would be okay for your future requirements too?
3. Parts availability can be a concern considering a horizon of 10 + yrs
4. You might save some money now but there is a possibility of buying a headache of maintenance.
5. Put your thoughts on a piece of paper and decide mate.

Here's what BHPian UD17 had to say on the matter:

Knowing the Ford had already left India and ownership experience will probably go southward only, and Honda city Gen 4 is still quite fresh (with a mid-life facelift).

I would any day go with Honda city:

1. A full-fledged upgrade as you require
2. Performance of the machine itself, power delivery, comfort, convenience, and ergonomics = better than Freestyle
3. Reliable, fuss-free ownership, competent ASS
4. Easy on pocket yet friendly on longer trips
5. Snob value of City brand

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.