Honda Jazz OR Honda City?

[balan.vip]

Hi Experts,

This is Bala from Chennai. Like all others i am a great fan of HONDA, Jazz and City in particular. Since i am not able to afford a brand new jazz or city i am planning to buy a pre owned car 2012 model. My budget is 5 - 5.5 Lakhs. Due to last year flood in chennai still i am confused to buy city from chennai. Yesterday i met my ex office friend he was telling that he is planning to sell his 2012 top end Jazz. I am aware that he is using Renault Duster and his wife using this jazz (Urban Titanium) and its a lady driven car and just touched 19000 kms until yesterday. It seems Sundaram Honda inspected the car and offered him 4,50,000. Yesterday i saw the car looking in pristine condition.

So until yesterday my mind was clear in buying a city and not jazz but now i am getting confused to buy well known friend's jazz or a city used by an unknown person. A big Hiii to DR MUDHAN :-). Experts advice needed.

Thanks,
Balan

 

[balan.vip]

Buying a Pre-Owned Honda City: Need Advice

Hi experts,

I am planning to buy a pre owned honda city. Confused which year model to buy.

1. 2012 mid variant
2. 2011 top end MT or AT
3. 2010 top end MT or AT

My budget is 5 to 6 lakh. Also wanted to know the

1. maintenance cost in AT.Does AT gives less mileage than MT ?
2. From where to buy unknown user, honda pre owned cars, or from local dealer. Due to financial constraints I am opting for pre owned cars so I want hassle free usage after purchase. Need experts advice for the above listed points and reason. Thanks in advance. I am from Chennai. Preferred color is white.

Thanks,
Bala

 

[Akash]

Depends on your needs. But if i were to go for a used vehicle, I would prefer your friends Jazz since its a known car. You may be knowing how good the driver has taken care of the car (i meant riding the clutch, speeding etc) and ofcourse, the history of the car.

 

[Prabhagar]

I up-vote Akash. Make sure to get it inspected by a known FNG mechanic or HASS to identify parts that are due for replacement (will help with your negotiation too).

 

[kkn13]

I think its a tough choice thats yours to make
I test drove the Jazz while I was in the showroom awaiting delivery of my City back in 2010
Jazz was pretty underpowered and should be considered a personal preference

Id say go for Jazz since its your friends car but if you can find an equally good City from 2009-2013 period, the City will be the clear winner with features, engine etc

The 2010 Jazz lacked alot of features from the 2010 City hence it didnt sell as well as the city , the new one is a massive improvement
General fit and finish of Jazz is nothing compared to the City overall and has cheap looking AC knobs,No alloy wheels, rather dull speedometer, etc
Another point of difference is the music system , City has a much better music system and speakers but it lacks CD drive but it has USB and aux
Jazz has CD drive and Aux but no USB
The whole USP of the Jazz over the City is the slight increase in legspace and huuge boot for a hatch
The car is practical but very utilitarian compared to City

That being said the Jazz is a true Honda and you wouldnt regret it at all

4.5 is a bit high for a Jazz, I myself got an offer for 4L for my 2010 City which has also run 20,000km , also in pristine condition and was also lady driven sedately(my mom)

An added +ve point for the Jazz is ground clearance, City slightly touches unless you upsize tyres from 175 to 185 or better 195 rubbers, though not bad at all once I got 185
Though whichever car you buy , you probably will need new tyres

 

[RockyBhai]

I think its a tough choice to suggest but should be relatively easier for you to decide after checking both the cars and being absolutely sure of what your want viz a premium hatch back vs a mid segment sedan.

I have driven the Jazz extensively and feel that its a bit underpowered for the city usage as well as the quick highway sprints. This said, its difficult to take away anything from it as a good small daily use car. Also, do put some peace to the conflict within you to buy a Jazz or a City. If its the city which you truly love, then after some time of buying the Jazz, you may actually start longing for the City again every time you see that beauty on the road. It will help if you scout for a sedately used City within your friends/colleague circle.

The advantage on your side is that the Jazz has been lady driven and is from a known person, but do bear in mind that, though the Jazz may be a cute looking little car but is certainly not as successful as the city. This might adversely bite into your resale value if & when you put it up for sale.

 

[kkn13]

Re: Buying a Pre-Owned Honda City: Need Advice

Id say get MT top end
I own 2010 VMT , very good car and low maintenance

Upsize tyres to 185 or 195 and your set

Pricing should be around 3.5-4L for a low run car

AT is not bad but I personally love the clutch and gear of MT, very very smooth and reliable
ATs always look confused to me when I drive, no matter which car

 

[generalmax]

Re: Buying a Pre-Owned Honda City: Need Advice

If you get MT, go for that. There where some issues with AT in the 2009 model. With Honda MT you need not worry about maintenance cost for a long time. However, take a good mechanic friend with you to inspect.

 

[Vishwas]

Note: Threads Merged.

 

[kkn13]

Re: Buying a Pre-Owned Honda City: Need Advice

If you get MT, go for that. There where some issues with AT in the 2009 model. With Honda MT you need not worry about maintenance cost for a long time. However, take a good mechanic friend with you to inspect.

Theres no issues with the AT model as such, its just that it suffers from rubber band effect and is a bit annoying to drive compared to the MT
But yeah I agree about maintenance , AT might require a bit more , MT is peanuts to maintain even 6 years after I purchased

My friend has AT, I have MT ,both purchased at same time

 

[Akash]

I would suggest looking for a couple of more options such as certified used. If you have a good mechanic who can inspect the car (yes, i do not trust certified cars completely), you should definitely give those cars a chance. Also if possible, do negotiate with the price with your friend, i know sometimes its harder to negotiate with somebody you know than a stranger.
I am personally a fan of hatchbacks for the simple reason that personally, i find them more fun to drive because i dont have to bother with the tail.