Thread Starter
#1
Hi. This is my first ownership review. Please forgive if there is any mistake.
We have a 2002 Maruti 800 euro two model. The car is in very good condition. Just 78000km in 13 years.
We use the car for daily commute. But the car was ageing an we realized a need of upgrade. our budget was within 11l. So we consider some b segment hatch as well as c segment sedans. Our monthly commute is <200 km. So we need a petrol. The cars we considered were-
(1)Honda Jazz ivtec vx
(2)Maruti Suzuki baleno alpha
(3)Volkswagen vento tsi
(4)Maruti Suzuki ciaz zxi+
(5)Honda city ivtec v
(6)Ford ecosport titanium ecoboost
Honda Jazz- We went to SPECTRUM HONDA at Dibrugarh(I am from Assam) to check out the new Jazz. The car looks great, a complete sportier stance, the features are great. But I told my father that why we took this hatch as Honda city s ivtec was just 1.5l above than jazz vx. Father agreed with my opinion. Then the Jazz was out of our list.
Maruti Baleno- My father was impressed with the looks of the car when the advertise of Balno was released. But when we saw the car in person, then mother and I says a big NO because the rear view of the car is not match with the stylish front end(no offense please, our personal opinion). So leave the Baleno.
Volkswagen Vento-One of my fathers friends owns a vento tsi. We drove his car for few moments and the ride surprised us. But it was handling which I did not like. Although there is only one Volkswagen showroom in Assam. VW has a bad image of A.S.S. Then how can we think about to buy a car in a state having only one showroom and that is 500kms away from our native place.
Maruti Ciaz-Checked the Ciaz when I went to Anamika Motors to take the delivery of our uncle’s WagonR vxi. I checked the interiors of the car and that was good, a premium feel. The exterior also looks good. But when we came to know the power of the engines for such a big car, leave the ciaz in no time.
Personally I prefer 100+bhp for a proper sedan.
Ford Ecosport- Checked the ecosport that our neighbor owns. We did not like the rear seat. And the interior also feel cramped. So leave Ecosport.
Not consider verna because there are many vernas in our locality and I don’t like the interior design and comfort.
Fiesta is also out of our list because we need a petrol. Lack of petrol option is a weak point for fiesta.
No Skoda showroom nearby. So we have to eliminate Skoda rapid.
Honda City- This was our last option. Once again went to SPECTRUM HONDA. We checked the city when we went to check the Jazz. Once more time we checked City and took a TD. Start the engine of the car. Wow! Impressed with tho sound of the engine when it starting. A “Whiiicchh” sound. Never noticed in a petrol motor. Then we took the car in NH-37 for 30 kms. Initial impression of the car was-
1) The refinement of the ivtec engine is excellent. No engine sound filtered into the cabin. I did a mistake with the TD car when the car was idle but engine was running. I thought that engine was not running and and turn the key to the 4th position….”ccccrrrrraaasshhss”…..![[confused]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Confused.gif "Confused [confused]")
the TD guy loughed and told me that this is a Honda car. I need to see the RPM meter to see if the engine is running or not.
2) The seats are so comfortable, I was murmured with myself. Some higher segment cars falls short in terms of seat comfort and space. The ciaz has more space than city but city’s seats are way better. Back seats are a place to be seat.
3) Surprising straight line stability![[surprise]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Surprise.gif "Surprise [surprise]")
. The car do feels unstable at low speeds(<40kmph),but surprisingly the car is more planted as the speed increase. Even in the NH-37 of north east, the car feels more stable. I do some sharp turns and no amount of body roll is there.
4) The safety feature that the car provides. Airbags and ABS is standard across all variant. Honda GCON technology, SRS seatbelt retractors etc. are some good safety features. Even when the ignition is off, the seatbelt locks suddenly when it sense sudden movement of the passenger.
5) OEM music system in v or vx variant is one of the best in segment.
6) Engine sounds in sporty manner when pushed above 4500 RPM.
So, we booked the v variant, not go for the vx. We found vx is more costlier comparing with v(almost 1.3l) providing only sunroof, smart key and leather upholstery. Personally I don’t like some features such as smart key. I prefer ignition key, using a manual key give me a smile(don’t know why). And sunroof is not for NorthEast weather condition. We booked the car in November 10 2015. Colour choosen was orchid white or taffeta white. Our SA was very polite. He told us that it would take 1or1/2 month to arrive the car in their showroom. In December 15, SA called us and told us that there is a car in taffeta shade. We told him that we have a problem and we take the delivery after 20 or 25 days. The SA was so polite that he told us no problem; he will kept the car for us.
Finally in January 12, we called the SA if the car is available or not. He replied that car is available. So in 13 January, we went to dealer at 12:00 pm. The car is ready. But we need seat covers. Opted for that and they said it will take 1 hour to install. By the time we did the all documents and me and my cousin did a inspection of the car. Odo shows 6km which is good. Tyres are MRF ZVTV. I know that these tires have much grip than other 175 sections. So don’t replace them. The ex showroom price of the car was 9, 72,200. On road was 10, 90,000 with seat covers(those are of 4500rs provided by HONDA). We took ADONE insurance instead of 2 years extended warrenty. A small pooje was provided by the dealer. Then we drove the car for home. Now the cars age is 1 month and 27 days. Before firs servicing, odo shows 884 km. Now odo is showing 1982. Mileage is also good for this type of sedan. At first 800 km, it was giving 13.7kmpl as average. Now the odo is showing 15.7 avg. I calculated the FE by tank full method, it was 14.8 in real life, but odo was showing 15.1. A gap of 0.3kmpl.
The car is very easy to drive. It can pulls cleanly from 30kmph in 5th gear. in 20kmph in 3rd gear, the car did not hesitate to pull, the engine also super smooth. Salute for Honda engineers to make such an engine. The gears are for city driving as well as long for performance. This car is truly a performer. When you are over 4500 RPM, the engine sounds really awesome. At 6000 RPM you will find sitting in a sports car, and cleanly pull to 7000 RPM. In second gear, the car is at 98kmph at 6800RPM. This is the fastest car in c segment(if I am not wrong). It takes just 10 seconds to achieve 100kmph. Brakes are effective too. I can manage 100-0 within 3.5 seconds. The car is lightest in this segment, but trust me, at higher speed it feels much stable than some heavy cars of same segments. Handling is also good. Without stabilizer bar, the car surprisingly handles corners nicely. The interior of the car is also eye striking.
The black dashboard with silver T finish and piano black consoles looks good. The features of the car is also good. Feather touch automatic climate control, electrically foldable ORVM, Bluetooth telephony,8 speaker music system with 5” LCD display, rear ac vents with two power sockets, cruise control, steering mounted music control, immobilizer anti theft system with security system alarm etc etc. The seats of the car are the most comfortable and better than any other car of this segment. The suspension is also good. It is stiffer and provide comfortable ride and handling at higher speed, though some might found the low speed ride a bit bouncy, but for me it’s ok. Personally I prefer stiffer suspension than softer one. Build quality of the car is also not as good as Germans or Italians. But why build quality, we thought that if the sheet metals are thin, then the car is not safe. But Honda city broke the all records of ASEAN NCAP crash test.
First I thought that Indonesian city is heavier than Indians, but when I compare the weights between all the models in the manual book, I found just 20 or 40 kg difference between each of the international models, because there are some more features such as VSA, Hill hold assist, brake assist etc. So don’t go by the build quality, please see the crash test records and then pass some comments. When I was searching about Honda city, some says that flimsy built quality, interior plastics are cheap bla bla.. At first,I also thought that Honda city is not a safe car. But when I see the news of breaking records of ford fiesta by Honda city, then my eyes opened. So I request the writers not to comments about anything without checking, this made some new buyers nervous. What can we do with soft interior plastic etc etc… Honda city is a practical car.
Positives—
1. Excellent engine refinement. Best in class.
2. Excellent performance.
3. Excellent mileage. The car is now showing 15.7 as avg.
4. Best in class interior space and comfort.
5. Safety features are great.
6. One touch lane change indicator is very helpful.
7. OEM music system is good.
8. Straight line stability and grip of MRF ZVTV tyres.
9. Security system alarm is good. Even opening the boot with key also started alarming.
Negatives—
1. The plastic cladding in the wheel arcs are incomplete. It makes some noise when a pebble strikes the underbody arcs.
2. Head light throw is weak. Have switched on the fog every time.
3. Honda should provide some 195 section tyres.
4. Lack of temperature gauge. Only a indicator with red or blue light is there to indicates if the engine is cold or hot.
some pics of our bombardier-
We have a 2002 Maruti 800 euro two model. The car is in very good condition. Just 78000km in 13 years.
We use the car for daily commute. But the car was ageing an we realized a need of upgrade. our budget was within 11l. So we consider some b segment hatch as well as c segment sedans. Our monthly commute is <200 km. So we need a petrol. The cars we considered were-
(1)Honda Jazz ivtec vx
(2)Maruti Suzuki baleno alpha
(3)Volkswagen vento tsi
(4)Maruti Suzuki ciaz zxi+
(5)Honda city ivtec v
(6)Ford ecosport titanium ecoboost
Honda Jazz- We went to SPECTRUM HONDA at Dibrugarh(I am from Assam) to check out the new Jazz. The car looks great, a complete sportier stance, the features are great. But I told my father that why we took this hatch as Honda city s ivtec was just 1.5l above than jazz vx. Father agreed with my opinion. Then the Jazz was out of our list.
Maruti Baleno- My father was impressed with the looks of the car when the advertise of Balno was released. But when we saw the car in person, then mother and I says a big NO because the rear view of the car is not match with the stylish front end(no offense please, our personal opinion). So leave the Baleno.
Volkswagen Vento-One of my fathers friends owns a vento tsi. We drove his car for few moments and the ride surprised us. But it was handling which I did not like. Although there is only one Volkswagen showroom in Assam. VW has a bad image of A.S.S. Then how can we think about to buy a car in a state having only one showroom and that is 500kms away from our native place.
Maruti Ciaz-Checked the Ciaz when I went to Anamika Motors to take the delivery of our uncle’s WagonR vxi. I checked the interiors of the car and that was good, a premium feel. The exterior also looks good. But when we came to know the power of the engines for such a big car, leave the ciaz in no time.
Personally I prefer 100+bhp for a proper sedan.
Ford Ecosport- Checked the ecosport that our neighbor owns. We did not like the rear seat. And the interior also feel cramped. So leave Ecosport.
Not consider verna because there are many vernas in our locality and I don’t like the interior design and comfort.
Fiesta is also out of our list because we need a petrol. Lack of petrol option is a weak point for fiesta.
No Skoda showroom nearby. So we have to eliminate Skoda rapid.
Honda City- This was our last option. Once again went to SPECTRUM HONDA. We checked the city when we went to check the Jazz. Once more time we checked City and took a TD. Start the engine of the car. Wow! Impressed with tho sound of the engine when it starting. A “Whiiicchh” sound. Never noticed in a petrol motor. Then we took the car in NH-37 for 30 kms. Initial impression of the car was-
1) The refinement of the ivtec engine is excellent. No engine sound filtered into the cabin. I did a mistake with the TD car when the car was idle but engine was running. I thought that engine was not running and and turn the key to the 4th position….”ccccrrrrraaasshhss”…..
the TD guy loughed and told me that this is a Honda car. I need to see the RPM meter to see if the engine is running or not.2) The seats are so comfortable, I was murmured with myself. Some higher segment cars falls short in terms of seat comfort and space. The ciaz has more space than city but city’s seats are way better. Back seats are a place to be seat.
3) Surprising straight line stability
. The car do feels unstable at low speeds(<40kmph),but surprisingly the car is more planted as the speed increase. Even in the NH-37 of north east, the car feels more stable. I do some sharp turns and no amount of body roll is there.4) The safety feature that the car provides. Airbags and ABS is standard across all variant. Honda GCON technology, SRS seatbelt retractors etc. are some good safety features. Even when the ignition is off, the seatbelt locks suddenly when it sense sudden movement of the passenger.
5) OEM music system in v or vx variant is one of the best in segment.
6) Engine sounds in sporty manner when pushed above 4500 RPM.
So, we booked the v variant, not go for the vx. We found vx is more costlier comparing with v(almost 1.3l) providing only sunroof, smart key and leather upholstery. Personally I don’t like some features such as smart key. I prefer ignition key, using a manual key give me a smile(don’t know why). And sunroof is not for NorthEast weather condition. We booked the car in November 10 2015. Colour choosen was orchid white or taffeta white. Our SA was very polite. He told us that it would take 1or1/2 month to arrive the car in their showroom. In December 15, SA called us and told us that there is a car in taffeta shade. We told him that we have a problem and we take the delivery after 20 or 25 days. The SA was so polite that he told us no problem; he will kept the car for us.
Finally in January 12, we called the SA if the car is available or not. He replied that car is available. So in 13 January, we went to dealer at 12:00 pm. The car is ready. But we need seat covers. Opted for that and they said it will take 1 hour to install. By the time we did the all documents and me and my cousin did a inspection of the car. Odo shows 6km which is good. Tyres are MRF ZVTV. I know that these tires have much grip than other 175 sections. So don’t replace them. The ex showroom price of the car was 9, 72,200. On road was 10, 90,000 with seat covers(those are of 4500rs provided by HONDA). We took ADONE insurance instead of 2 years extended warrenty. A small pooje was provided by the dealer. Then we drove the car for home. Now the cars age is 1 month and 27 days. Before firs servicing, odo shows 884 km. Now odo is showing 1982. Mileage is also good for this type of sedan. At first 800 km, it was giving 13.7kmpl as average. Now the odo is showing 15.7 avg. I calculated the FE by tank full method, it was 14.8 in real life, but odo was showing 15.1. A gap of 0.3kmpl.
The car is very easy to drive. It can pulls cleanly from 30kmph in 5th gear. in 20kmph in 3rd gear, the car did not hesitate to pull, the engine also super smooth. Salute for Honda engineers to make such an engine. The gears are for city driving as well as long for performance. This car is truly a performer. When you are over 4500 RPM, the engine sounds really awesome. At 6000 RPM you will find sitting in a sports car, and cleanly pull to 7000 RPM. In second gear, the car is at 98kmph at 6800RPM. This is the fastest car in c segment(if I am not wrong). It takes just 10 seconds to achieve 100kmph. Brakes are effective too. I can manage 100-0 within 3.5 seconds. The car is lightest in this segment, but trust me, at higher speed it feels much stable than some heavy cars of same segments. Handling is also good. Without stabilizer bar, the car surprisingly handles corners nicely. The interior of the car is also eye striking.
The black dashboard with silver T finish and piano black consoles looks good. The features of the car is also good. Feather touch automatic climate control, electrically foldable ORVM, Bluetooth telephony,8 speaker music system with 5” LCD display, rear ac vents with two power sockets, cruise control, steering mounted music control, immobilizer anti theft system with security system alarm etc etc. The seats of the car are the most comfortable and better than any other car of this segment. The suspension is also good. It is stiffer and provide comfortable ride and handling at higher speed, though some might found the low speed ride a bit bouncy, but for me it’s ok. Personally I prefer stiffer suspension than softer one. Build quality of the car is also not as good as Germans or Italians. But why build quality, we thought that if the sheet metals are thin, then the car is not safe. But Honda city broke the all records of ASEAN NCAP crash test.
First I thought that Indonesian city is heavier than Indians, but when I compare the weights between all the models in the manual book, I found just 20 or 40 kg difference between each of the international models, because there are some more features such as VSA, Hill hold assist, brake assist etc. So don’t go by the build quality, please see the crash test records and then pass some comments. When I was searching about Honda city, some says that flimsy built quality, interior plastics are cheap bla bla.. At first,I also thought that Honda city is not a safe car. But when I see the news of breaking records of ford fiesta by Honda city, then my eyes opened. So I request the writers not to comments about anything without checking, this made some new buyers nervous. What can we do with soft interior plastic etc etc… Honda city is a practical car.
Positives—
1. Excellent engine refinement. Best in class.
2. Excellent performance.
3. Excellent mileage. The car is now showing 15.7 as avg.
4. Best in class interior space and comfort.
5. Safety features are great.
6. One touch lane change indicator is very helpful.
7. OEM music system is good.
8. Straight line stability and grip of MRF ZVTV tyres
.9. Security system alarm is good. Even opening the boot with key also started alarming.
Negatives—
1. The plastic cladding in the wheel arcs are incomplete. It makes some noise when a pebble strikes the underbody arcs.
2. Head light throw is weak. Have switched on the fog every time.
3. Honda should provide some 195 section tyres.
4. Lack of temperature gauge. Only a indicator with red or blue light is there to indicates if the engine is cold or hot.
some pics of our bombardier-
Last edited by a moderator:
![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
And I request you to take things a bit easy. 6800RPM in 2nd gear, 100-0 in 3.5 seconds. It is still new, remember.
