Pure value for money. Review on Honda City ZX VTEC

Honda being a japanese company has always been known for its superior engines. not only they deliver superior performance but also economy in real sense. after a lot of survey in high c segment cars and reading almost 100 reviews, I finally bought honda city zx VTEC in 2nd week of jan'06.

it is pure value for money. when I bought this vehicle I understood what this VTEC technology is. no 2 doubts its a very superior technology as it gives power along with economy. but to my surprise when I took test drive, the dealer of honda didnt know what this VTEC technology is all about. there is high chance that the dealer misguide the customer is what I realised. to explain abit about VTEC engine... there are 16 valves which like other cars do not open all together. in the city driving when the car is moving at low speed only 8 valves will open at a time which enables the engine to obtain high fuel economy due to the fact the the fuel is passing though only 8 valves n thus less combustion... talking about good drivers, one would try to run the car at high speed ideally on an open road where u need power when u press accelarator... at that time these 16 valves come into function. and with consistent rpm ... it is bound to give good fuel efficiency at high speeds as well.

talking about the vehicle, its an amazing car. best thing I liked about it is the overall looks, the lavish 2-tone premium interiors and the steering wheel which is so smooth that it can be moved with the little finger with ease. also the turning radius is 4.9m which is the same for all small segment cars. the exterior is now based on accord considering the front grill and the overall shape. the cabin is totally soundless. the dials present a very sporty yet elegant look which is same in accord. A/C undoubtedly best in its class. and fuel efficiency is about 16-17 kmpl in city driving depending on the driving style without AC. With AC and perfect gear ratio.. its gives an efficiency of about 11-13 kmpl... the car is made specially for india so the fuel to be used is also not speed but normal (octane 86 or more). also the trunk is huge (500 litres). the ground clearance is great, I think its much better than it competitors... perfect for any surface... but still its an urban car so one should not compare this car with SUVs which is off road vehicle. ..One exclusive feature of VTEC is the Height adjustable Driver's Seat... it is something really beneficial... for me being 5'10 height gives me a much better visibility..

but I think there are some lacunas present which surprisingly honda left out.

1) there is no foot rest near the clutch

2) there is no clock in dash (only stereo has it if enabled)

3) no ABS which is present in cars like swift, accent, fiesta etc

4) the rear arm rest is sealed n does not give space inside it.

5) there are 2 glove boxes. the top one which is to be used frequently does not have space to even hold cd wallet. its very narrow. the 2nd glove box is low enough to be used conviniently.

6) absence of rear wiper which is again available in lower segments

7) absence of leather upholstery which should have been there being the top end model of honda city. the fabric upholstery is very dust catchy and also gets hot quickly.

8) expensive spares which are only available at honda service centres but cheaper than german or american cars.

9) no tweeters for audio system which misses the real live effect

10) front arm rest is missing (like one in Skoda octavia)

11) suspension not as good as hyundai elantra but still decent... in city one wont feel the difference but in tough terrain yes..

12) rear

ive had 2 services now... ... and its way too expensive... spares again very expensive... I got anti-rust and lamination done from the company which costed me 8500... which cud have been done in less than half price from outside...

also for delhi residents... I faced alot of issues with ring road honda service centre...

overall its a brilliant car. I think it rules out other cars like octavia, accent and optra. absolutely no comparison. it just zooms the moment u press the accelarator. this vehicle should be bought by those who want power with economy. I think by giving 80k extra for VTEC engine n other benefits which when sum up cross over 1.5 L, its a better deal to buy VTEC than to buy normal DSi engine.

I have got lotsa emails about queries and comments on this article... so based on it I would like to tell that honda city is upper C segment... so it would not be justified to compare this care with D segment cars like Corolla, Octavia, Accord, Camry etc... The nearest competitors are hyundai elantra, chevrolet optra, Mitsubishi Lancer etc... so it would be justified to compare honda city with competitors and not other cars.

( another thing which came to my notice was that alot of people are trying to copy my review for this car.. I would like to tell them to be original and write review on your point of view and not what others think )

anyone who thinks this review is of any use to u... do rate this article which could enable me to write better in future.

do leave your comments after reading this review... this will help me to improve it...