Nov 18, 2006 09:25 AM
25760 Views
(Updated Jul 03, 2008 06:50 PM)
Buying a good car in India is a very tough decision unlike in US where you get very reliable and good cars at second hand rates. I have driven Corolla, Camry and Ford cars before (in US) but was very apprehensive about buying a big car in India. Indian roads are not that great, the traffic conditions are horrible in cities, people don't follow any rules and to top this we have very high fuel costs. SInce last 5 years I had been trying to make up my mind to move from my two wheeler Honda Activa to a 4 wheeler car and 2006 was that year which convinced me to do so.
I have driven in SWIFT, GETZ, Ford Ikon, Maruti Esteem (got my DL with this car), Hyndai Acccent and of course the new Honda city. There are many parameters on which I evaluated the cars and Honda city proved itself to be the best in all parameters. I am now the proud owner of Honda City Zxi with CVT (automatic gear transmission).
Cost:With the facilities they have provided, on road 8.9 Lakhs is decent. Alhough Bangalore road tax claimed nearly a lakh, the car would be much more offordable in smaller cities. I would like it if they can make this car a lakh or so cheaper. Its market will explode and kill most other competitors. It is much cheaper than a Skoda and is a good starting point for those interested in bigger cars with better facilities.
Looks:One of the best looks in the industry with sleek aerodynamic design (only problem is in ghat section where the strucutre creates a blind spot). There is a good choice of colors for exterior and the interior Beige colour finish tops it. The wooden finish at places gives it a classy touch too.
Space: Two six feet tall people can sit behind one another in this car and still have good leg space. Not many cars can claim this and I have done this test with most of the cars in India.
Driving: One of the smoothest rides ever! The automatic transmission is a boon for city driving. I can drive around in tough traffic conditions using only the brakes (car moves at 20KMPH in the S mode by default)! I have taken the car to 160 KMPH on outer ring road with no feeling of loss of control and the car maintained its stability very well. The power steering is amazing as it allows me to manouver this big car with very slight movements. Brakes are very reliable and sensitive. The design of the car is such that the bumper ahead is very small, so this avoids scooters and other drivers from accidentally scraping the car as they try to over take you at traffic junctions. With Corolla I have seen lots of bumper damages due to its huge size and wrong estimations by drivers. City has a small turning radius and this allows it make tight turns very easily even in small roads. I also find that the car is not very wide, so fits narrower roads better. Plus the car hardly makes a noise. With music on, I feel driving in the car like zen meditation, me myself and the car!
Road Clearance:This is where Honda lags behind in adpating to Indian road conditions. Every big hump (Indian roads are filled with them) and every pothole will make you cringe as the bottom of the car scrapes through on the road. Honda needs to improve its design on clearance for Indian conditions.
Mileage: City driving with AC gives 12KMPH. On highway I am expecting 14KMPH. Not bad for a big car!
Accessories: Tubeless tyres, Good Alpine music system, 2 big cabin boxes, 2 retractable cup trays, head light incline adjustors, rear view mirror adjustors, automatic window locks, child lock system, ash trays, window defroster make it all a good package deal.
Re-sale value: Japanese engines have a very long life and have better resale value than american cars. Plus you can trade Honda car for an upgrade with the dealer. No problems with spare parts so far.
Dealer:Whitefield Honda have been very courteous, helpful and on time so far. First servicing experience was very good and I am hoping that it would continue.
Overall: If you are planning to buy Baleno, Esteem or Getz, put a lakh more and go for City. It will be worth it. Although I have not driven a SX4 I have heard that its interiors, finishing and driving conditions are not as easy as a Honda.
