‘Honda City’, is the term that had ruled our automotive fraternity in the times when petrol prices was not that mountain ridden, and the maintenance cost use to fall very efficiently on the pocket too. Maintaining any of the vehicles at that time wasn’t such costly as of it is now. Though we hope those days may return soon, but it doesn’t seems so clearly to all of us. Lest, here this time we had the Honda City to explore the ‘used car review’ plethora which had taken place when one of our friend desired to buy a piece of it for his personal use and that too given down with the low amount of buying cost and more amount of space, should also be counted in the relative upmarket quotient.
Honda City was first launched in 2008 and had gone through three generations till date. Last generation was introduced to us in the year 2008 and had received the facelift in 2011. Yet known, new City is the flagship model of Honda, so it doesn’t falls easy on pocket, nor on buying cost and not even on maintenance. It is the preferred choice of assorted customers, as what we had seen in the market as per to our experience, and as said most of the customers also return to the showroom of Honda itself again in life when they need to buy another one after using it.
Those customers are not said to be going any of the else brands, unless and until they are not capable of handling the affair of marvelous and costly Japanese engineering. Apart from the history, it was our friend who is married and having the kids too. His job profile was of a reputed customer executive in a high profile bank, where one of his job responsibilities was also to make most of the impression while meeting the customers. Given at the adequate salary, he was able to spend Rs. 1 lakh only for the vehicle, and so getting a better profile car wasn’t that easy in this tightly restricted price band. One fine morning a posting came on our blog from one of the dealer where he had posted the first generation Honda City i.e. of 1998 make in a our desired price range. Without wasting any of the moment we called up the dealer and fixed and appointment to check the car. Here is the detail what we had found on that when we intercepted it in actual.
Exteriors:
It is was raining all day long and everything on or route seems to be washed out in the rain. And at the moment when we reached there, the dealer had already snagged out the car of our choice from the clutter and had parked it in the open area. Due to heavy rains, the car was given a heavy dose of shower by the nature, and it was looking like spanking new one.
The blue original paint job of company wasn’t in that bad condition to which we were expecting. Hope so the car would have passed the hands of several owners in its life, and expectedly the paper of the car also said the same what we just thought of. In fact, this Honda City wasn’t that bad despite clocking 140,000kms on the odo. Though however the owner had maintained it well and it was nick perfect to be driven in the city, whilst not too bad for the long weekend trips as well. Nope, it was the insurance that wasn’t available with the car, and when talked about it, the car dealer was willing to reduce some of the jerks from price tags too. And all was looking said and done from the exteriors side, now it was interior that was needed to do a bit of explanation in this context.
Interiors:
When opened the doors, the leather-type seats welcomed us in their lap. It was overwhelming to see that the leather-type seat was made available in the pricing reference of less than Rs. 1 lakh. Though it was a premium vehicle of its times, so this type of treats are a must when one look to buy out the Honda in the used car market. Interior was done in the two-tones, beige and brown, it was interesting to be there inside the cabin. Driver seat had also been done with ample of temperament but the modern-day one i.e. adjustable driver’s seat was not found missing here. Hopefully, the vehicle was overall in good condition from inside, and the view from driver’s seat was a bit different than other vehicles, exactly looking like a cockpit. As due to hereditary gene of lees ground clearance in all Honda cars, it means the low slung vehicle floor in India had been rubbed against the belly of our high risen speed breakers and this car wasn’t the exception too. Window glass had been tinted, but the windscreen was in a bit greener shade than its normal form. No doubt that, its visibility was one of the best in cars that was released during last millennium. Not much of the electrical problems had been reported, as the dealer had sorted it out in advance itself. The most impressive quotient that we had liked inside this Honda City is the build quality.
It seems Japanese had built it to last for generations, and yes it is doing its job successfully till date. Power windows and central locking was also available, so it wasn’t giving a feel of about being a whole era old.
Engine:
Powered by the 1.5L in line four-cylinder 16 valve petrol motor, the sedan of Honda has grabbed most of the market even at that time. The maximum power of 100 bhp @ 6500 rpm and the top-notch torque of 3.1 kgm @ 4600 rpm are making the car to do rounds of city very swiftly. Added with the benefits of power steering, a long drive in the urban jungle is also not the worst. It marks the patch of old and new in the striding reference to price tags, and the maintenance cost is also quite cool to be lucrative. That is what all we had experienced when we sat behind the steering wheel of 1.5 EXI Honda City 1998 make. Meanwhile, it is now the time to open bonnet and get ourselves beefed up with the other side of coin that is the most important, which is called ‘maintenance’. No doubt we were at the doorstep of a reputed dealer of South Mumbai, so it was clean as usual like most of the other cars in his yard. Fully serviced and fared enough to buy it out immediately. And without wasting any time, as we were so delighted, we handed him the cash and drove home the blue beauty that was completely drenched in the heavy rains in this long course of review.
Verdict:
The Honda City had afterwards then given us the burgeoning maintenance cost, but that was leveraged looking the run that our friend clocked in it. And most probably the Honda maintenance doesn’t occur again and again, once you had fixed the part genuinely in it. When the given metal is in form of sedan at the cost of a bike, it isn’t an issue to look deep into the negative side of Honda City 1.5 EXI!
