Jul 04, 2011 09:41 PM
69362 Views
(Updated Mar 11, 2013 08:49 PM)
I got used to driving a Honda city and a Baleno in the last few years. With a 15 lakh budget I checked out various available options. The new Toyota Corrolla Altis and Chevvy Cruze were two options. Chevvy was very tempting given the high performing diesel engine and so was Corrolla given the new engine, extra power and oodles of space. But I chose the civic as the test drive proved it had more finesse and handled better than these contenders.
I got a great deal. 12.4 lacs on road at Gurgaon, with a rear parking sensor and a teflon coating thrown in free. After 300 kilometers and four days these are my observations.
Observations by reviewers that it is a bit hard to drive in city traffic is a myth. With a Civic you can do city driving as comfortably as in any car of this class
Handling is superb. I took it for a 50 km drive on Sona road. Handles speed-breakers pretty well( I am yet to come across a seriously bad speed bump)
Mileage needs to improve. I managed 7.5 kpl in city conditions and 9.4 on the long stretch. This could be due to the fact the car is brand new.
The space in the front as well as in the back is superb. So is the space in the boot.
The music system with the aux input and a USB for the iPod is awesome.
The display and the various tiny little features that give you dope on things like outside temperature, mileage etc. is great.
25/07/2011
Completed over 1000 kms on the Civic. A drive on the Delhi Chandigarh highway contributed to that. Drove the car at 130 km. Handles beautifully. I am now getting an average of 10kmph driving within Gurgaon. It probably doesn't feel as torquey as the Baleno does in the second and third gear. But that doesn't bother you when you are shifting gears and picking up speed fast. The maneuverability is amazing. Particularly at high speeds. It hasn't disappointed me so far.
BTW, I got used to the rear parking sensor. It's a terrific feature.Makes sure you don't back into an obstacle and gives you a fairly accurate idea of where you are heading in reverse.
25/02/2012
I have now done about 6000 km, I get an average of 10.3 km in city and got about 13 on a trip from Gurgaon to Jaipur and back. The engine seems to have opened up a bit. But service from Ring Road Honda isn't up to the mark. They want you to utilize the first three services in six months from the time you buy the car irrespective of the number of kilometers you have clocked. Apart from that, it's still a great car to drive.
Will update this review once I have done 10000 km.
14/10/2012
I completed 10, 000 kms a week ago and got my car serviced. It's amazing that the mileage has improved. In normal traffic conditions in Bangalore the Civic returns me 11 km/liter with the AC. I am surprised as most people who reviewed the car say that it does no more than 8 or10. I took the car for a long distance drive a month ago. This car will not give you adequate steering feedback in terms of speed. I must have been doing a comfortable 150 km/hour on the highway. But I realized it only when I looked at the speedo. But it's easy to control at really high speeds. The only thing I am not happy about is the gearing. I wish it were taller. But I can't complain about a car that gives me the power I want and the mileage I need.
11/03/2013
I have done 16, 000 kilometers now. I get an average of 11 kms/litre in Bangalore city. I did long distance trips to Goa and Saligrama near Udupi and got a mileage of 14 despite speeds of 130 to 140 I did on some of the long stretches. My only issue though is some of those seriously large unscientifically built speedbreakers where I have to be very cautious to make sure I don't scrape the bottom.
