My "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT Ownership Review

Indian · Apr 12, 2014

The need for new Car

The beginning of search: I own Maruti Swift Zxi petrol purchased about 7 years back. It has been very reliable humble work horse and working just fine. But then why new car? Yes valid question, still I don’t have answer yet. I guess, I am bored driving the same car for very long time. You see things have changed so much in automotive industry and so does my perception of owning the car. So basically I needed an upgrade and wanted to feel good about driving something latest and be more comfortable. But don’t think I just bought a car just for the sake of buying, Swift however good is getting old; children are growing bigger and I am getting older, so need more space and comforts are in demand. Now a days everyone drives better cars so why to stick to 7 years old technology and luxuries?

The hunt: Since it took almost 1 and half year for me to finalize, I don’t want to write the whole story. But here is my initial request on TAI about my quest for new car(At that point had not done TD of any of the below cars)

Here below is my first question on my thread here asking for suggestion for new car in a thread here.

See, I am a Libran and so naturally confusion and over analysis in my blood. Basically I wanted all best possible features from all the cars mentioned above! Someone on that thread replied, “You need a custom built car”. [evil]

I do agree! [frustration]

Quick links to some of the important posts. [Updated on 07-05-14]

Indian · Apr 12, 2014

Re: Ownership thread for my "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT

The Purchase:
Now a short assessment of my each car in my list. (But please do understand, these are my personal view and no way to insult anyone’s decision on buying any of the below mentioned cars. Please don’t get offended by my comments below.)

Honda Jaaz: Liked it very much but got discontinued later, wife did not like it as it was not considered upgrade from Swift. So did not wait till the new release of Jazz later this year.

Duster: Drove my cousin’s car a lot and really liked the drive, ride and handling. But a big ‘no’ on the aesthetics, and safety offered. With all the options added the car (85PS version) would cost close to 14L OTR in KA and I sincerely feel it’s too much for that ‘Car’. It’s not SUV or premium car to justify that price. But in Mangalore we are selling Duster like a hot cake! So Duster and Terrano our of my list.

Ecosport: Based on the reviews and leaks I was very much excited about the Ecosport as it satisfied almost all of the requirements I had in my mind. When the vehicle unveiled and price got released I booked it immediately. But then the wait started, misinformation from the dealers, insider deals, no priority list for customers who booked long time back and then the hefty price hike(without even releasing any Petrol car in Mangalore), that was a tipping point. I just hated ‘Ford’, cancelled the booking happily. From that day Ecosport started looking like a hatch to me. (Yes I do agree, it looked pretty good while booking but once I started seeing the car on road it looked too small. So I was very happy that I cancelled the booking.)

New Fiesta: Extremely good handling and good ride, but back seat space was really disappointing. The Ecosport episode made me never to think about Ford again.

Verna: I spent lot of my time in US/Canada, so while I was there the perception of Hyundai brand was not that great by people there. People generally avoided them and there was a negative bias on buying Korean car. So I never paid attention on Verna at all. But one day I went ahead to check out Verna. My whole perception changed, what a beauty! Feature rich, market leader at that time and what more you need? Test drove both Petrol and Diesel and that was it, I liked it. BUT, Verna has almost completed its life cycle and anytime the new generation is due. So wanted to wait and see...

Honda City 3rd Gen: Liked the car very much, very decently styled from outside very elegant and executive class. It fitted my profile very well. But inside is different story, no ACC (Biggest let down) also City was due for end of life cycle. So again wait and see.

Did not consider, Vento, Rapid, Sunny and Linia as I did not like the appearance form outside and inside as well.

At last end of 2013 big news on Honda City, redesigned Honda City 2014 was expected anytime.

New City 2014: News of the new City in the air and it was the most top secret event I ever saw. No pictures, no leaks, no spy work. I was amazed about the company’s integrity maintaining the silence and quietly re-designing the new City. The car was unveiled as scheduled, just one word ‘Wow’. It satisfied almost all my requirements and there was no going back to any other car. Pre-booked very same day.

Prices got announced and it was good pricing considering it is a Honda and new generation release. Generally I book top end versions as I feel with top end there is some uniqueness in my car. But the price of VX-MT was just about 8K more than 10 L. And in the great state of Karnataka for some reason we have a tax bracket of 10L ex showroom over which road tax would go up by another 40K, so booked V-MT .

Then came the election gimmick from the central government, reducing the excise Tax on the cars which resulted in VX-MT price going below 10 L, quickly moved my booking to VX-MT. Lucky there was no one in waiting list on VX-MT so I got my priority. First time in my life I loved our FM Chidambaram! [lol]

The happiness of getting the discount by the government did not seamed lasting forever, Honda become bit greedy for some reason, even though they did not pass on the full discount we got from the Tax reduction (basically that was a one unannounced price hike which most of did not notice), now got tensed up, I was all set for VX-MT and very difficult to go back to V-MT. Wrote an email to Honda customer service about the delay in my vehicle delivery. Got an automated reply. But that prompted my dealer to call me back and atleast become bit active about my issue. But for my surprise the car got allotted within 3 days of my email. But I feel it’s just co-incidence not because of the email I sent. So there was only one day left before the price hike as expected. So quickly did arrange for the finance and other formalities and my car was billed last day before the price hike. 4th April got an information that car had arrived at the dealership. Scheduled for delivery of the car on 7th April.

The Delivery: Took possession of Zuria on 7th as planned.

The sleeping beauty Zuria

Two beauties together!

And there she is "White and Lovely"

A photo set on the delivery here..

Zuria got following config/addons
• Zero depreciation Honda Assure
• Underbody rust protection
• Tire upgrade to Michelin XM2 195/60/15
• Extended warrantee 4 year.
• Honda Roadside assistance for 4 years.

On road price was at 12 Lakhs (Excluding the tire upgrade which I got it from outside shop as tires were not available) I got 2400rs for my stock Good years and paid 5900 for Michelin XM2.

Stock tires(Good Year)

Michelin XM2

Indian · Apr 12, 2014

Re: Ownership thread for my "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT

The ownership and initial assessment:

Now that I have been driving my City and covered about 100Kms, I think I can write my short experience and both sides of the coin. So here are some annoyances or shortcoming as per my liking, please go through it, it might help you in your decision making on Honda City if you are looking to book one
• City has touch screen interface for ACC, IMO it’s not really required and it’s a bad idea, there should have been a touch screen interface for audio interface. Right now when you are changing gears you can easily touch the ACC controls accidentally and screw up your AC settings. (International model gets the touch based audio controls) Thanks to all country manual, makes me jealous each time I read it.
• Hands free device control on the steering does not allow you to browse lists (contacts/call history, speed dial) from the steering mounted control. You need to use the rotary knob on the dash to do it; this is a serious safety flaw.
• No 6 airbags, common Honda, you are the one talking loudly about safety. You introduced pedestrian safety program to your design, how can you forget 6 airbags on a so called premium sedan? This is the biggest let down for me. Only with the 6 airbags the price difference between the V and VX is justified.
• Front seat comforts, just ok. Seating position is ok, but seat is good for someone with slim to medium fit. Large bodies will not be comfortable IMO. Still I feel my Swift has better front seats.
• Even though I have my driving seat position way back, each time I get in to my driving seat my left knee hits the steering column. Never happened in my Swift.
• The front center hand rest should have been slightly longer and towards the gear shifter that way you could place your elbow on the hand rest and make gear changes. Now you have to lift up your arm to shift gears. This arrangement would have offered excellent comfort during driving. Three as actually enough space for this arrangement, but Honda engineers ignored it.(I am able to shift gears to 2 and 4th as they are closer to the hand rest)
• Front seat back pockets, Honda thought it to be a premium feature, wake up Honda, even Nano offers seat pocket in base version.
• Rear seat head room not at all sufficient, even for shorter people. My wife and son both 5’4” were hit on the head during passing a moderated road hump. (Specifically if you are leaning towards the window as they were)
• Non foldable rear seats, biggest miss. Our international friends get it.
• Skinny tires, ofcourse that was the first thing to get it upgraded.
• The dash and the rear view are kind of high, so first time drivers and short people might find it difficult to get used to. I have been driving since very long time and I had no issues at all.
• Lot of cost cutting is very evident. For example the sunroof cover is just a card board, HDMI connectivity is removed from international version, multi-information display absent (there in the manual), and lot of customization options in the dash are removed. Probably each facelift these features are added.(Nice trick, and Indians will love it for sure)

Now the good things:
Overall Honda City is a good package, it’s not too big, but not small either. More space than any car in the same category, Honda brand and the past experience adds value. With the new model everyone will agree that new City has one of the best futuristic designs with very feature rich package. At the moment only Verna might challenge City on the feature list. But then City has the advantage of very well recognized iVtec engine under the hood, not to mention about the Honda reliability. So here are my initial assessment and appreciation of my new buy.
• Butter smooth engine, and very quiet cabin, only thing I hear is the slotting of the gear. I love it!
• Very bright interior and spacious feeling.
• Keyless entry is a big plus, I did not realize it when I placed an order, but ability to have the key inside the pocket and do almost all the driving activities is really amazing feature. Sadly the VMT does not get it.
• Very futuristically designed dash and feels new and superior when compared to other cars in the same category. (Verna also is a contender here), But I like the City dash to be more modern.
• Very good mileage, I have not still calculated the mileage by full tank method. But as per the MID my mileage hovering around 12 to 13, in drive where I am mostly on 3rd and 4th gear. On a highway I am pretty sure it will easily shoot up to 15 with the AC on.
• Extremely good rear seat comforts. With my very relaxed front seat position still so much space on the rear seat leg room. This is the biggest feature for Honda City. This was the major turning point towards buying City against Verna in my case.
• Rear seat position, again a winner, raised seats, gives full side window view, again scores high points against Verna. The inclination on the floor in the rear seat area adds to the comforts still better.
• Having a sun roof may not be considered as a big feature, but it’s become my neat feature now, I have to park my car in bright sun for 8 hours, I pop open the sunroof and park my car. I don’t have to crack open my windows now.
• I am a sedate driver, but power punch available when you crack your engine over 2000rpm is amazing.
• Ride quality is good even though the suspension is tight and somewhat hard. You feel the medium and above sized imperfections of the road. But for me it’s a good thing as I control my speed based on these feedback, missed that in Verna.
• Car shoots like an arrow, very confidence inspiring while overtaking.
• The tire upgrade improved the cars smoothness and feel inside, but very little. But I have driven it only in the city environment. HW experience might be different. And I have seen drop in the mileage say maximum about 1 Km/L(just a rough figure). But cars stance looks way better now.
• In comparison to my Honda Accord 2003 iVetc Automatic, I feel car is much smoother and quieter now. Yes its more than 10 years and lot of development has gone it to iVtec for sure. Cabin insulation is excellent now(I know I am comparing oranges with apple). My Accord always roared when power hungry.

At the end I feel new City iVtec is a very good buy if you are planning for a purchase in the short run. All the competition available now is due for a facelift badly as they all have been in the market for some time now. I wanted to drive my new car as 'New Car' for atleast couple of years before it is considered old generation. Plus I have bought my favorite brand once again. This is my 3rd Honda. So very happy and proud to own it again. I still have concerns about the after sales and Honda service quality just because I am new to Honda in India. Considering new lineup of Jazz, Mobelio and hopefully the Mini Suv the Honda should become more active and try to catch up with Hyundai and hence more service stations and quality of service. So far their direction looks very strong and positive.

Lastly, thanks for checking in my ownership thread, I know its long but I hope it will come handy who is in the market for Petrol sedan. Please chip in your feedback and suggestions. My purchase decision is basically based on the feedback here on TAI. We have a very friendly atmosphere to discuss and do our analysis. Lots of people have given me valuable feedback, thanking each one of you for your support.

Thanking you all and TAI once again,
Indian and the tribe at home including 'White and Lovely' 'Zuria'( a French name)

Indian · Apr 12, 2014

Re: Ownership thread for my "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT

Exterior photo shoot:

Pictures taken in front of Town Hall Mangalore, one of the landmarks of the city. So here is Zuria at center of City [:D]

I like this angle a lot, it looks more premium.

Very sober front, I think DRL(Tube based) and a projector head lamps would enhance the attitude a lot better.

I should have turned on the head lights for this shot, check the reflection on sky on the front windscreen.

Side profiles, check the Michelins giving some 'legs' to Zuria to flaunt [roll]

Very well designed rear view. Needs a spoiler, But I will wait for aftermarket to arrive.

Thank you.

(Interior pictures coming soon, so making this thread live now and will add more pics later)

Indian · Apr 12, 2014

Re: Ownership thread for my "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT

Dealership Experience:
Peninsular Honda, is the only one Honda dealership here, so naturally you know what to expect [evil]

.
* First time when I stepped in was the day of 'Amaze' release, there were lot of food drink etc on table, sales person asked me if I am there for Amaze and I said no I am interested in City, he just dropped me there. He tried to convince to buy Amaze as according to him both are 'almost same'! [frustration]

. So nothing to eat or drink was offered.
* Honda City released, and I had already pre-booked city by then. In the evening when I went to see the car, again nothing was offered to eat or drink. So looks like dealer has learnt couple of tricks to keep the prices down. On the contrary every time I stepped in Hyundai showroom, they greated and offered drinks and forced us to drink sometimes. Its not about the food or drinks but the curtesy and relationship. Unfortunately it was not a priority at Honda.
* My purchase process wrt documentation, and paperwork all went fine. Also they helped me to get my car billed on last minute and also the insurance on the last day. I saved atleast about 40K for which I am happy, may be its just the luck.
* Inspite of spending 12 Lakhs nothing was thrown as a freebie. I asked for a floor mat costing 1K, but dealer said not possible. On the other hand he said if you are buying a low end version we would have considered [frustration]

So in nutshell nothing to write home about dealership.

Some documents received as part of my purchase.

Invoice copy

Zero Dep Insurance from Honda Assure from Bajaj Allianz

Honda Care road side assistance for 4 years.

Honda Care extended warrantee for 4 years.

350Z · Apr 12, 2014

Re: Ownership thread for my "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT

Note: Thread Now Live.

Drive Safe,
350Z

anshumanpurohit · Apr 12, 2014

congratulation on your new acquisition [clap]

enjoy your new ride and drive safe. Also Please throw some more lights on the VX features viz. Sunroof, Key Less Entry and Leather Seats as i am unable to find more details about them.

Eagerly waiting for my VX MT iDTech to arrive.

vijay · Apr 12, 2014

Heartiest congratulations on your Zuria, superb pictures and narration of your buying experience.Awaiting for your second set of pictures.
I somehow loved the previous generations alloy wheels compared to this one.
Enjoy the ride and keep updating your ownership.

gandhi · Apr 12, 2014

Have a great ride. Particularly being in Mangalore with Sunroof a nice selection. I lived in Mangalore for 6 Months. Still I scold myself, to vacate the calm city. [anger]

. Being in Pondicherry / Hyderabad the Sunroof will bring more dust, more stains on the seat. So V is better for us.

_Ankit_ · Apr 12, 2014

Hi
Congratulations on your new car. Drive safe.
Wishing you trouble free ownership.
You have nice writing skills and good photography skills.

Ankit

NH08 · Apr 12, 2014

Excellent car with some equally excellent pictures. I am also a fan of Honda's outstanding petrol engines and the reliability of its cars.

Indian · Apr 12, 2014

anshumanpurohit said:

Thanks anshuman, sunroof actually used only when my care parked [evil]

Its about 35 degrees here in Mangalore so, pretty much AC on all the time. Probably when driving in the hill stations or on our western ghats the sunroofs might compliment itself.
Keyless entry is really a very big feature for me, basically you need to have the lovely key in your pocket, you can open both front doors and the trunk while it is locked. It has very short radius so if you are standing with the key say about 10 feet away someone else cant open the door. Also if you are at the front right door and if someone tries to open it from left front door it does not open. Thats very cool. Same way you can also open the trunk. You also start and stop the car by clicking the button. To start you would press the clutch and push the button and for stop you just have the push the button. If the engine is off and if you press the 'Start' button without pressing the clutch then only accessories would start(not the car). If your keys inside the trunk and if you try to close the trunk lid it wont close. Also if you are in the car and started the engine if you get out of the car it warns "No key" in the display behind the wheels. So lot of logic built in to them and I feel that's one of the biggest feature to me now. You can also open the trunk lid form the remote key.
Leather seats are of good quality, and its made of soft leather, so dont know what will happen on long run, but I like the feel of it. Leather wrapped steering really feels very good while driving.

Let me know if you need more info. BTW, welcome to TAI and have a great stay here.

vijay said:

Thanks Vijay, second set of pics to be taken this weekend which will be the inside view. Yes I agree on the alloys, but I checked couple of aftermarket options but then I felt that putting the after market also might degrade the looks as 'modified' so kept it as it is. But now slowly I started liking it(as its digested in my brain I guess)

gandhi said:

Thanks gandhi, yes Mangalore is clean and non polluted when compared to other places, but humidity and the hot weather makes the AC a necessity so don't know when I actually will enjoy the sunroof.

anshuman8 · Apr 12, 2014

Congrats on the Honda City white Zuria. Wish you may miles ahead. I think at the end it was worth a wait for you.

anshumanpurohit · Apr 12, 2014

Thanks Raj for the quick reply. My Concerns are with the key less entry as my SA was insisting me to go for V variant quoting that the keyless entry in VX is causing battry to drain quickly, but he was unable to explain me the reason behind it.
Also is there any wind noise in the cabin while cruising with sunroof in open condition on highways? My dealership has till date not provided me a top model for test drive as they say the production is very less for VX models and no test drive vehicles are available.
Also the Leather Seats being of Beige Color how do you plan to take care of them?

MrRanger · Apr 12, 2014

Congo Bro, enjoy your new ride, happy drive [:)]

My "White and Lovely" Zuria: Honda City 2014 iVtec VX-MT Ownership Review

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