Honda City owner impressed by Elevate CVT, shares over 25 pros & cons

The SUV seems like a good option for those who want a no-nonsense car with great ride quality & prefer a practical, reliable and "fill it shut it and forget it" type of experience.

BHPian MrEnthusiast recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test drove the Elevate ZX CVT. Here are my observations as a City 2015 V MT owner:

Positives:

1. The blue colour along with the front and side under spoilers look very premium and elegant.
2. Light steering with great maneuverability, should be super easy to drive around the city. Even the feedback was good enough.
3. Suspension is very well calibrated, bumps on the road were softened out very well without any suspension noise as such.
4. Doors felt heftier compared to my City 4th gen.
5. NVH levels were low and engine noise seemed lesser than the 5th gen (having travelled in it briefly).
6. CVT response felt very good compared to my Civic CVT which has a minor lag before it picks up pace (Obviously, once the Civic picks pace, it will be quicker).
7. For overtaking in the city, D mode is more than enough. S mode makes the throttle response quicker for those who might need it.
8. Even when I drove it on some slightly hilly type roads, the body roll was well-controlled and inspired confidence to push harder.
9. I am 5'10" and even though the movement range of the seat is slightly lesser than my City, I was able to find a comfortable driving position very quickly. Seats also felt comfortable both at the front and the rear.
10. I did not find the slight slope at the rear footrests to be an issue at all, unlike some other users who pointed it out.
11. The tan interiors were feeling fresh after being used to beige for my current car.
12. The driving position is something which many people will like.
13. Due to the bonnet being visible, even a newbie driver should be comfortable with the dimensions very quickly.
14. The connection for the wireless Android Auto was very seamless and even the audio quality was very good (I'm not an audiophile by any means, but the bass and clarity were good).
15. The lane watch and rear cameras were of good quality and the infotainment system was also crisp. Some YouTube reviews said that it lacked features, however, I think one might simply forget about it after the novelty wears off.
16. It surely has a good road presence and is a head turner on the road (maybe because of it being a new launch).

Negatives:

1. I don't get why Honda provides such a meek horn for its vehicles.
2. The side mirrors are a bit on the larger side, so one might have to be careful while turning.
3. Too many buttons on the steering wheel, although one should be able to get used to them very quickly. I liked the button placement in my City, especially the buttons for picking up calls.
4. Way too many options in the instrument cluster, they should have provided it in the infotainment system also.
5. I prefer the rotary knobs for the aircon of the City 5th gen compared to the Elevate.
6. I don't like why they removed the button for disabling ADAS which was present in the City Hybrid Prefacelift. Although I never felt the ADAS kicking in while driving around in the city. (I don't know if it activates only above a certain speed).
7. The width might be suitable for 4 adults and 1 child. 5 adults might be a squeeze. In comparison, the City 5th gen has acres of space (further enhanced by the beige interiors).
8. They should have provided a headrest and a 3-point seatbelt for the middle passenger like in the City.
9. Although not a major issue as such, Speedometer readings only till 180 give out a very bad feeling. Till 220 would have been preferred like in the City.
10. I really love the airplane-type lights interior lights in the City 5th gen, they give out a very premium feeling. They should have provided it in the Elevate as well.
11. Rain-sensing wipers would have been a good addition.

The Elevate seems like a good option for those who want a no-nonsense car with great ride quality and prefer a practical, reliable and fill it, shut it and forget it type of experience compared to those who prefer bling and features.

As a sedan lover, who digs the sharp looks of the 5th gen City facelift, I was not expecting to be impressed by the Elevate. However, after driving it, my views on it have changed and it also feels like a good competitor for those who are considering an upgrade.

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