Honda City 1.5 V: Enjoying the City life
I’VE GENERALLY disliked the Honda City. I felt that it was a safe, unimaginative and boring alternative to the fun and funky Jazz. And yet here I write, hours before I have to return the City, and I’m missing it already. Here’s what happened:
Day 1: Picking up the Honda City, I’m drawn to the new for 2011 color, Urban Titanium, previously an exclusive color for the Honda CR-V, but looks just as handsome in the City. The techno-style interior fabric looks somber, but feels military-grade tough yet premium and classy at the same time. Seating position is excellent, one of the things Honda manages to get right every single time in all their cars. The amber instrument cluster is clear and uncluttered in the driver’s line of sight, and everything is within easy reach. USB and auxiliary input integration for the iPOD / MP3 player is now available. The seat adjusts for height, and the steering wheel is both tilt and telescopic adjustable. Why aren’t all cars like this?
DYNAMIC styling with its aggressive front grille
Day 2: Despite having no tint and the sun blazing between 31 and 33 degrees Celsius for the last few weeks, the City’s climate control system keeps everything cool. Rear floor mounted a/c vents help cool down the interior quickly after leaving the City parked outdoors. To further chill down the mood, the audio system is actually quite decent for a car in this class/price range. While I only have MP3 files to play in my iPAD, you can hear some of the ambient noise from a live recording.
Day 3: Didn’t get to use the City much as I was testing other cars or stuck inside the office today. But friends and colleagues who see the City are drawn to the sleek new color. Everyone tries getting in and out, and a friend pops the trunk open to reveal a cavernous boot, big enough to carry four 9-inch wide golf bags. That is big!
Days 4 and 5: Coding so it stays home, then the following day I’m sick so I stay home.
City impresses
Day 6: It’s a weekend so I have to take out the City. I’ve mostly driven it in-city (pardon the pun) but have yet to try its highway abilities. A last minute decision to go to Tagaytay with some friends means I can try it out, and the City impresses. With four adults inside, the City makes mincemeat of SLEX, cruising comfortably at 120kph on the open road, thanks to its 120hp, 14.8 kg-m of torque and the 5-speed automatic transmission. The City’s refinement means high speeds are just as easy as 1-2-3, no fuss, no stress. The ABS-EBD 4-wheel disc brakes with Brake Assist are firm and progressive, easily slowing down our City from 140kph with ease consistently when I suddenly find myself speeding faster than the legal limit.
EVERYTHING is within easy reach. PHOTOS BY ALANAH TORRALBA
Day 7: Midnight at the Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Highway and the twisting and undulating terrain makes for an interesting session in 4-wheel physics. The City’s got the same accuracy and immediacy as the Jazz, which admittedly surprised me as the previous City felt like a dullard compared to the previous Jazz. But four adults inside a car is pushing it. And yet with as much weight and cargo the City held, we were able to speed up to Tagaytay averaging between 80-100kph on the tight twisty road. Leaving the transmission in S does the trick. The City’s steering seems intuitive on its own as I trace the lane vanishing into darkness just a few meters ahead. The City’s headlights are pretty powerful enough in high-beam to light up the path ahead, despite being regular halogen lights. As we step out of the car at one of the various establishments, people are amazed to find four adults, two of them supersized, to comfortably step out of the City. Going home later, despite going at a slightly slower pace, everyone’s impressed by the City’s smoothness, refinement, comfort, and more importantly the pace, space and driving dynamics. It’s perfectly at home inside the City, but just as capable on long distance journeys. The suspension has that magical balance between comfort and control, inspiring confidence when the going gets tough.
THE City is just as fun to drive and as game to play with as the Jazz.
I averaged 10km/liter during entire time I had the City but I’ve seen Honda engines loosen up significantly after 5,000 kilometers of use, giving more power and economy so the City, with just 900 kilometers on the odometer still has a long way to go.
I’ve changed my mind about the City. It’s just as fun to drive, as game to play with as the Jazz. It just has to wear a suit, albeit a sharp looking one compared to the Jazz’s jeans-n-sneakers. But the City can and will, like the Jazz, party hard.
