Why I chose the 4th-gen Honda City over the 5th-gen model

Fuel Efficiency in the city is anywhere between 9 - 10 km/l.

BHPian s.jain1990 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been working in Pune since 2017, but due to the work from home arrangement, I have been working from Delhi since June 2020. With more relaxations in lockdown and an increased frequency of outings, I felt the need of adding another vehicle to the family. The purchase timeframe was decided to be December 2021, and the groundwork started before the launch of Kushaq. I set the budget to a maximum of 15L.

The Search

1. Mahindra Thar: I was in absolute love with Thar, and I wanted it. The family was against it, but I was adamant about buying Thar. This is the only car I was ready to extend the budget.
2. Honda City: This had been on the list since my wife wanted Honda City and nothing else, and I considered Gen 4 and Gen 5.
3. Skoda Kushaq: I removed it from the list as soon as I saw the pricing and the issues coming up after delivery.
4. Honda Jazz: I took a test drive and realised that I would instead get Honda City 4 Gen by adding a little more.
5. Volkswagen Polo: The most fun to drive a car, but the rear felt very cramped, so I dropped it from the list.
6. Skoda Rapid: After dropping Thar from the list, Rapid was the next choice, and I was very close to purchasing Rapid, but I have shared the reason for not buying the Rapid in the next section.
7. Mahindra XUV300: I loved the test drive of the car and wanted to opt for XUV300. I would have purchased this one if I hadn't called the Honda dealer on 8 September 2021.
8. Ford EcoSport: I heard rumours about the Ford closing the business, which kept me away from taking the test drive.

Change of Heart

By now, I understood that I would not be allowed to get That, and I moved on to opting for Skoda. I called multiple dealers, and I felt the customer experience I wanted was missing. What turned me off was the dealer telling me that there was no discount and then changing the narrative to offer a Rs 70k discount as soon as I said I was not interested. I felt they lacked transparency. This was when I decided to settle for Honda City or XUV300.

Impulsive Booking

On 8 September 2021, I randomly called a Honda Dealer in Delhi to check all documents I would need for the loan. I wanted to ensure that I had the ITRs ready for the upcoming purchase. The very kind gentleman on the phone shared the documents and asked me about my requirements. I told him I was looking for a car, but I am not sure about the purchase timeframe; however, I am most likely looking for Honda City. I asked him about the ongoing offers, and he told him that there are no offers available on City except for corporate discounts. An hour later, he called me again and said he could deliver me a 4 Gen City in a week if I make the booking today. I was slightly sceptical, and I was unsure if it was because of a cancelled booking or a demo model. I anyways visited him in the evening. On the table, he explained to me that a car was available at the plant and it could be delivered to me in a week. He shared the VIN and the photo of other documents, which confirmed that the car was manufactured on 6 September 2021. He also offered me a good cash discount if I book it then. My brother was with me at the showroom, and I looked at him for an affirmation. He nodded, and I made the booking. The dealer immediately made calls to the bank representative and the Honda Plant to schedule a delivery. The pre-approved offer on ICICI was used for partial funding. The only problem was that the long weekend was coming, so the release could be delayed.
Engine Type & Variant - Only two models are available in Honda City 4th Generation with a petrol engine. I booked V MT.

Why 4 Gen and not 5 Gen?

I talked to a friend in Karnal who owns both, he suggested that the 4 Gen feels much better in drivability, and his 5 Gen developed some rattles two months post-delivery. This induced a certain level of bias. Later, I was in the process of a job change, which caused some anxiety, making me want to spend less than the initial planned budget. All this happened in the first week of September. I also got the job offer that I anticipated right when I was paying the booking amount. Also, the gen four was getting delivered in a week, and the need for a car was increasing with every passing day.

PDI & Delivery

On 9 September 2021, I got a call in the morning from the dealer to tell me that the car had been loaded and it should be there in the stockyard by night. He confirmed the VIN again. He also mentioned that he wants to deliver the car on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Still, the only problem is the loan can get delayed because of bank holidays. I was now surprised when he said he would get the loan released on Monday, but he could proceed with the car delivery the next day.

The night was sleepless and I rushed to the showroom in the morning with my dad for PDI. I followed the Team-BHP checklist and all the boxes were ticked. I selected accessories that included seat covers, bumper guards, door cladding, foot mats, door guards and a few other essentials. Also, the odo reading was 14 km. 8 km is the distance between the stockyard and the dealership. I also gave them a go-ahead to start the registration process and made the downpayment. The dealer requested me to arrive at 3:00 pm.

Somehow the registration was delayed by an hour and I was updated on a WhatsApp group created by the dealer every 30 minutes. Finally got the registration number and he told us to be at the showroom at 4:00 pm. The car looked perfect and I was handed over the documents. I was also explained about the features, service schedule and I was introduced to the service manager. After a small ceremony and Ganeshji’s Aarti, the car was delivered and, we were home.

So, in the last 46 hours, I went from being in dilemma about purchasing the car to getting the car home.

Likes

• Refinement & Comfort
• Engine's power delivery
• Features and Honda's Reliability
• The elegant design of the Car
• Leg space & Boot space
• DRL looks amazing

Dislikes

• 6 Month service interval
• The car gets noisy after 2500 RPM

Features I Love

• ABS, EBD and Airbags inspire confidence
• The rear defogger is a blessing in Delhi Winters.
• Headlights work very well and I have never felt a need for upgrading.
• Apple Carplay and Steering mounted controls.
• Cruise control makes it easy to drive on highways.
• The armrest also improves comfort level.
• The seats are very comfortable.

Features I Miss

• Sunroof..!
• Would have been nice to have Automatic Wipers & Auto IVRM.
• A limited number of airbags.
• Steering is not reached adjustable

Usage Pattern

My usage is very restricted. Right now I am working from home and most likely, I have permanent work from home. I only use the car on the weekend for outings. Apart from this, the car is used during vacations which are usually once every 6 months. At the time of writing this post, the ODO has clocked slightly less than 1500 Kms.

Personal Opinion & Experience

• Overall Build Quality - Since I am upgrading from the Dzire, I felt a significant improvement in the build quality. The door closes with the thud and there is a lot of refinement. The build quality doesn't match the Skoda Rapid which was initially on my list but I am happy with the City's build quality.
• Wheels & Tyres - No complaints about the wheels & tires as well. I feel a level of refinement and the allows offered with the car looks good. The spare tire is a full-sized wheel which is a positive point.
• Interiors - The interiors are an upgrade over the previous car. The piano black finish on the dashboard is hard to maintain. The armrest is a good addition but I wish it was a sliding one. The buttons and controls are within the reach and the City gives a luxurious feel.
• Space, Comfort & Ride Quality - In terms of space, the City is a lot better than some of the cars that I was considering. The rear seat is very comfortable and my wife loves the rear seating comfort. ride-quality is good however if a tall person is sitting in the rear, they end up bumping their head on the roof. The ride quality and NVH levels are highly refined. The long trips are especially comfortable. The brakes have enough bite and they behave as expected.
• Driving Positions, Controls & MID - The seat is height adjustable and hence it is easier to find the ideal driving position. The cruise control and the audio control on the steering are easy to toggle. The quality of the buttons seems to be slightly flimsy and I hope they won't stop working in the near future. The MID is basic with 2 trip meters, a bar for the instantaneous average. You can also check the range or the overall fuel economy on the MID.
• Visibility - I would rate the overall visibility as average because of the rearview camera. The daytime quality is fine but the quality at night is very poor. Also, the screen is not bright enough in sunlight. The OVRMs can be controlled and folded from inside. The IVRM is a major turn off. I wish it was an automatic IVRM or at least, there should be an option to upgrade with Honda accessories. The rear parking sensors work as expected.
• Air Conditioner - I don't have any complaints with the air conditioning as such but the rear vents concentrate the air on the knees of the person sitting in the middle of the rear seat. Also, the flow of the rear AC vents feels below. Once you press the Auto Button at the lowest possible temperature, the car decides to blow the air on your face.
• Audio System - The audio system is average. It doesn't lag and it has an average output. The Apple CarPlay is certainly a nice to have feature and it works very well with YouTube Music as well. The controls on steering can be used for changing the track on YouTube Music.
• Storage - There is ample storage in the car. The boot is large and the dashboard can also hold enough stuff. The armrest storage has a lot of space too.
• Engine Performance in City & Highway - The 1500 cc engine has a lot of power and it offers enough power to make the overtakes swift. I have driven about 600 Kms on the highway and I never felt that the car was underpowered. Even in the city, the car has enough torque.
• Gearshifts & Clutch - The clutch is smooth when compared with the Dzire and the gearshifts are also fine. Initially, I felt as if something was obstructing the shifts between the first and the second gear but this went away by the time I crossed 50 Kms.
• Fuel Efficiency - During the city, I got a fuel economy between 9 Km/l to 10 km/l. On the highway, I was easily able to extract 18 Kmpl while driving within speed limits. I am a sedated driver and I rarely floor the pedal. I haven't checked the average using a tank method but these numbers are what MID indicates.
• Steering - The touch and feel of the steering are nice and it offers you confidence on the highways. I felt the steering is neither heavy and nor light. It is easy to make U-turns and it inspires confidence.
• Ground Clearance - You will see many people complaining about the ground clearance of the Honda City but I haven't felt any issues with that. Until now, there has been no instance when the floor of the car touched the speed breaker while driving. It could be because I have never driven an SUV or CSUV but I don't see any issues with ground clearance in Delhi.

After Sales Support

I am pretty happy with the ASS that I have received until now. Whenever I visit the service centre, I am immediately attended. I am allowed to stay with the car during the services and there is not much up-selling. The technician is usually very specific about what is needed and they go by the book. They even offered services worth Rs 15,000 free when I purchased the extended warranty

Maintenance

For maintenance, I usually wash the car with soft water. I take it for a steam wash once every two months. Apart from this, I use Meguiar Ceramic Wax and it is a wonderful product. The car wash is used only when the car is very dirty and I use the one from 3M. I also purchased the tire cleaner, tire polish and glass cleaner. I prefer cleaning myself to avoid scratches.

Niggle?

The only problem that I came across until now is the steering making weird noise during winters. I face this only during the early morning and the noise goes away after driving the car for a few Kms. The ASS mentioned that the boots make this noise during winter (Not sure how true is that) but I never faced this issue in any other car.

Ceramic Coating & The First Scratch

I got the 7H ceramic coating on the car and I am sharing some of the pictures too. I also ended up with a cracked rear light when an underaged biker slammed in the rear hitting me and my parked car. The biker was coming to the wrong side and he lost control for reasons best known to him. The damage to the car was restricted to broken rear light and a small scratch (~3-4cm) on the bumper. The rear light was changed the next day and a touch up was done to hide the scratch. Damage on my body was slightly more. I had intense pain in my ear, two tennis ball-sized bruises on my stomach and thigh. The ankle was twisted with some bleeding as well. The motorcyclist fell face-first on-road (no helmet) but soon got up. He also had some bruises on his hands.

First Service

The first service was done a month later. The odo reading was 600. During the service, I got engine oil changed, underbody and silencer coating and regular check-ups. I also purchased the extended warranty for the 4th and the 5th year. I am yet to purchase the RSA.

First Road Trip

The first road trip on the City was in November. We planned a short trip to Agra and a stay at Oberoi Amarvillas. To reach Agra we took Yamuna Expressway. The ride quality was smooth and refined with the car offering enough power on demand. The overall mileage was 18 Kmpl. The property is worth a stay and their hospitality was amazing. Below are some of the pictures from the trip. The car behaved very well during the first trip and it was really fun to drive on the Yamuna Expressway.

Aspirations

Human aspirations are never-ending. The same is the case with me. Not that I am not satisfied with my City but the love for machines takes away the control. Now, after 2 years or so, I plan to purchase a pre-worshipped German car or a pre-worshipped Fortuner. I want to stick to a 25 L budget and I see many 2017-2019 A3/A4, C Class, GLA Class, 3 series and X1 retailing in this price range.

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