Honda City ZX User Reviews

I bought a Honda City zx Vtec in Oct 2006. Have driven it for a past 10 months.

Performance - Good initial pickup, when the rpm goes over 3500 and all valves kick in, the vehicle literally leaps forward and you can feel it. Cannot take the rpm past the red line as the ECU seems to cut off the acceleration but anything above 3500 rpm is fun in this car. I have driven the car at 165kmph and found it pretty stable once you get a feel of the steering.

Braking : Most people say that the brakes lock up, I have braked hard in this car to bring the vehicle down from 150 kmph to 10 kmph (thanks to the bullock cart on the highway !) and it did not lock up. All wheel disc really helps and the braking is pretty good

Mileage : The car gives me 12-13:5 kmpl in the city and gives 17-18 kmpl on the highway which is brilliant.

Comfort - Very comfortable seats both in front and rear, leg room is also pretty good. Oustanding alpine music system (not integrated) with built in sub-woofer. The A/C is excellent and cools the cabin almost instantly. the instrument cluster and controls are decent, the optitron illumination is good. The boot is enormous (500 L).

Ride Quality and Stability : The ride quality is good but not excellent. the ride euality can be improved by playing aaround with the tyre pressure. I found that 28psi (solo) or 29psi (4 adults) improved the ride quality.

Running Costs and After Sales: So far, I have had to re-paint the front bumper as someone dashed into it in a parking lot taking a considerable amount of paint from my car with them !. It cost me less than 3k which I feel is not very expensive. No other issues with the car so far and hence nothing to spend on !. After sales is pretty good. The service dealers are polite and prompt. They have never been rude or unreasonable as stated in some reviews. The build quality is excellent. I drive through mud and gravel (caused due to road works) everyday and no rattles so far.

Overall the car is easy to maintain and practical. I agree that the features list is pretty less and ABS, EBD, Airbags are not to be found in a car that costs close to 9L. I guess the premium is for the quality that has gone into the car which can be found in every aspect of it. Even the floor mats have been designed to please the customer with the driver's side getting an additional grip and button which keeps the mat in place.

There are some features that are not mentioned in most reviews

Height adjustable front seatbelts.

5th wheel is also an original Honda alloy.

There is a lot of storage space under the rear seat of the car.

The brightness of the instrument cluster can be adjusted to reduce fatigue.

Theatre Dimming Light

Excellent Fuel Economy, good build quality and high quality plastics and fabricSuspension is a bit hard, Paint fades faster, headlight not very powerful

The GXi variant is now about 4.5 years old but looks futuristic. The car does not give a solid feel like Fiesta or Optra. Is quite sluggish to drive with AC on. Handling is decent but nothing extraordinary, better than SX4 but a lot less than Fiesta.

The bad part is after spending so much of money you end up getting an underpowered car the chasis of which hits at every large speedbreaker if 4 people are travelling.

If you really like the looks of the City go for the VTec version, which is good to drive on plane surfaces. That is what I thought, but its rediculously expensive. On checking with sales staff, they said it meets the RTO approved speedbreakers, which have an angle of incline, with 4 loaded. In India the roads are horrible and after spending so much you feel real bad each time your chasis is hit. The Indian model of Corolla has modified the suspension to solve this problem.

All that apart its a very slick car to drive. It gives the Japanese feel, the interiors of VTec are good with wood finish.

If your heart is really on the City get the VTec. But be ready to pay a hefty price that Honda charges for its brand.

Good interiors, decent fuel economyLess power, Low clearance

this is all about honda city from my experience.
good things first:
honda is honda and nothing beats as that perfection with the engine.though it have peepy 77bhp,its more than enough to cross cut maruti sx4  in perfomance.the reason is with flat gear ratios and shorter 4th gear.

honda city got highest resale value in india compared with verna and fiesta.just think wer wila present verna aftr 5 or 6 years?it will b like old accent....itz the class and make difference.

wow factor with hondacity is with interior space,one wil amaze sure whn realize the space inside compared to sx4.

the most imprtant is the effiency of honda as we all know very much...let me tel..if you r a expert in driving at normal speeds then you will b surprised with fuel efficiency ie 20+

the aircondition is best in class as v can c large ac equpments in front  inside bonnet...

the steering is lectric assisted completely so no power taking from engine..also the steering power turns off when car reaches 40kmph....

when v take the built quality honda is ligh years above sx4  and fiesta.

bads:

major issues with servicing experience here at south kerala.we have to check all done or not after service...this is really bad with  honda

itz sure,honda takes maximum advantage of itz brand name n the price....bit high..

the ground clearance is stil very bad but v can adjust clever ......

nothing more....this is best and im happy with this

best in class interiors and enginebit over priced,service problems

Bought the city in Feb2009, the 10th Anniversary edition. My selection narrowed down to city after a month of research and test drive of different C segment cars and SUVs. Reasons for my selection -

Pros:

- Hassle free maintenance

- Decent car for everyday office and occasional highway rides

- Good fuel Economy

- Comfortable Ride.

I recently drove from Bangalore to Hyderabad and enjoyed the drive. The Car is stable at speeds of 140km/hr. It can take unpaved roads with ease. Car is very comfortable in the city. Some of my colleagues from US came for a visit recently, looked at the car and are really impressed about the practicality, build quality and fuel efficiency.

Cons:

The only con I experienced is the ground clearance. The car fully laden tends to scrape the big speed brakers. I felt the ground clearance should have been 170mm and this will also stamp city perfect car for Indian roads. I experienced this difference when returning from Hyderabad. The tire pressure guy set the tire pressure at 40 instead of 32F/30R and I have not noticed this. While there is no noticeable difference in the ride, I felt quite a difference in handling the big speed brakers along the Hyderabad- Bangalore highway. Car even fully laden took the speed breakers with ease. Only at the next tire pressure check in Bangalore, I noticed the pressure set too high. The tire pressure was reset to standard specification as it will not be safer. If Honda can increase the ground clearance, Honda City would be a perfect car for Indian roads.

Overall: Having driven the different cars in US, I enjoy the Honda City GXI now. It is a great car perfect for everyday office if you want a hassle free, fuel efficient and a practical car. The build quality is great and am sure it will last me a number of years. When compared to cars in the same segment, I definitely recommend city if you can live with the ground clearance. Offcourse the positives are huge as well - reliability, build quality, fuel efficiency compared to ground clearance.

Looks premium like a scaled down accord.Ground clearance

Honda city zx superb look ND it's a very comfortable car for a family I like very much seating comfort in car and smooth engine , ND good Ac in car, I will 100% suggest this car for second hand buyers

My company car ZX CVT just went back after having done nearly 12000 km. I must say I have been quite happy with it. driving has been so smooth and effortless in Delhi with an automatic.

Who says fuel economy is poor? Sure, if you have good roads, and aren't changing gears often, the manual will give better mileage. But in Delhi traffic, its best to let the computer do the thinking. As long as you are less than 2000 rpm, you will get between 13 and 14 kmpl. I was using Speed from Bharat Petroleum.

The only poor part is the comfort of people riding behind. during the last 2000 km, I would find people in the rear seat groaning from feedback given by the Delhi road potholes. No amount of slow driving would help.

In summary, if I had to get an automatic again, I would go for the ZX CVT once again, if my budget was tied to less than 10lacs.

Good fuel economy, effortless drivingRear ride quality is bad

This is subsequent to my earlier review, 'A good car to own' in July 2007. The car has returned a mileage of 14km / litre with AC on in city conditions in Bangalore. The mileage on long runs is really good - more than 19-20km/litre. The car has given me excellent service, no rattles, no breakdowns of any kind, continues to be smooth and silent. The initial 'stickness' of the gear has smoothened out and is a pleasure to drive. The servicing costs have been restricted to oil and filter changes only, i haven't had to spend anything on this aspect. The servicing at Whitefield Honda is at best 'Fair', don't be surprised if u find water marks all over the body works, a scratch or two contributed by the mechancis, a dirtied seat from the mechanics sweat stains, or the interior being not vaccum cleaned, i wrote to Honda at Delhi regarding this - they replied with their standard corporate gargon on 'quality' being followed by them, so don't expect any help from them on this regard. Lack of safety in this model is a serious draw back with even a the basic ABS missing. Other wise a great car. You couldn't go wrong buying this oneGreat fuel economy, Good for long drivesNo saftey features, low ground clearance

 I have a honda city exi Nov. 2004 model. Initally we really liked the vehical becasue of its great interior space , feul economy and styling but very soon practicle problems started surfacing.

For your information, we are qualified architects living in Delhi. Our vehicals is self driven.Our house is in pitampura and office in C.P. Approx. 20km's one way drive on good roads. Site visits in Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad Faridabad. Highway tour to Punjab once in 6 months. Max. drive in a year 25,000 kms. Serviced routinely at 5000 kms.

a) Really bad Bumpers: The bumpers are soo bad that they are  ready to come off at the slightest hint of an impact. The are like a huge volumonous skirt ot "TUN TUN" wrapped around aishwarya rai's waist. Oversized, flimsy and complete misfits. You would never come accross a Honda City on the road with bumpers completely intact. They are the worst part of the Honda City. What the hell is a bumper meant for if it cannot take even a small touch on a red light.?? 

Cost wise they are Rs.3000/- a peice after insurance claim.

b) Door Locks. : We did'nt get keyless entry installed as we wanted a gear lock. Amazingly the door lock set has konked off twice in a period of 3 years. They cost Rs.8500/-+ tax and installation a set.

c) Bearings: After a period of 1 year approx. 30,000 kms an amazing noise started coming from the rear tires. We took the vehical to ring road honda . The bearings had worn out.

Cost 15000/- a set . Not covered in insurance

d) Engine Mount Cracked. There was a slight creaking sound from the engine area everytime the vehical stopped on a curved area (our ramp) from almost day 1. We asked the service engineer about it and they said it was normal. 

During the last service the service engineer fellow told us that the engine mount has cracked

Cost Rs. 5000/-

e) Poor Drivability and shit grade goodyear tires. :

I think they buy the export rejected tires from the plant and fit them in the honda city. The vehical moves like a drunken duck at 120 kmph. It is such a unsecure feeling. I have driven a maruti 800 at 140, a zen at 150, an esteem at 160 an indica at 140, but i can never even think about driving this vehical at that speed. It is the safest at 80-90 kmph.

If you want to have a big petrol car, then buy the Toyota. Don't waste your time at Honda.

Best wishes

swaran

Good Fuel economy, styling, interior spacepoor build quality

I bought the car (City ZX , GXI)based on general reviews and perception

I am totally disappointed with the mileage in city which is never more than 7 km / litre of petrol

Repeated visits to Arya Honda Service ,from whom I bought the car, has yielded no change in fuel average.

The other very poor design element is bright reflection from the dashboard when driving in bright sunlight.

Prior to this, I drove an Indica and this vehicle , for all it's lack of sophistication, was a much better value for money.

I hope people wise-up to the fact that this is a vastly overrated vehicle and I would NEVER recommend it to anybody else.

I would very much appreciate  advice from you all as to how I should get better value from my lemon of a car.

Good looks and style. That is all.VERY poor mileage , I am getting max 7 km / lt in city and 11 on Highway