Honda City hammered in review

**yfin** · 01-04-2009 06:10 AM

A not so glowing review of the City

http://autospeed.com.au/cms/A_111112/article.html

**yorrick** · 01-04-2009 10:32 AM

More comments and reviews
http://www.carsales.com.au/reviews/2...onda-city-7142
This was before the City had it's price confirmed. In Thailand, the City undercuts the Jazz in price. According to Autospeed, the City in Australia is matching with the Civic...

http://www.caradvice.com.au/24490/20...iew-road-test/
A much more gentler review (4 out of 5 steering wheels). Again - pricing was an issue and general interior comfort.

http://carsguide.news.com.au/site/ne...ve_honda_city/
Test drove in Thailand in October 2008. The comparisons with the City is against Yaris, Barina, Tiida.

It seems that Honda has goofed up with it's target market audience. If the City is supposed to replace the Jazz and go up against the Yaris, Accent, Mazda2 and Barina, then it's got a problem with pricing.
If it is supposed to go up against the Corolla, Civic, Mazda3 and so on, then it's got a problem with engine size, power delivery and value for money.

Worse still, the City is priced against the Jazz or Civic, it could well be the case where the City won't be taking any market share away from other maufacturers but itself - ie. A person laying money down on a Honda will pick between the Jazz, Civic or City. (A bit like Toyota with the Camry/Aurion series).

Simply put, get rid of the Jazz and price the City the same as the Jazz.

**aaronng** · 01-04-2009 11:16 AM

I don't blame the reviewers. Honda Australia must be smoking crack to price the City at the same level as the Civic. I know which one I would pick.

**AznEmpress** · 01-04-2009 02:02 PM

I think I'd say the City's in the market to vs the Corolla more than that of the Yaris and Jazz...

I have to agree that the pricing's a fair bit off but, each to their own I guess. I personally chose to purchase the City based on the cosmetic view of the car... that and it's possibility to be transformed into something beastly in the future (have you seen how much space is in the engine bay??!!? SR20 - maybe Baby

Lol...)

The interesting thing about it all is that, when talking about fuel consumption (re: AutoSpeed), I'm currently driving a new Honda Civic Hybrid, and after doing over 600kms, with approx 400kms at 110km/hr on the highway, the fuel consumption's at 6.8L/100km (at best) when it's touted at being 4.6L/100km... to that extent it's more about how the individual driver handles the car.
Ditto that for the lumber (seat) support - height and overall posture of the person driving would determine comfort.. guess I'm lucky I'm pretty small then. Lol..

**aaronng** · 01-04-2009 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by AznEmpress

The interesting thing about it all is that, when talking about fuel consumption (re: AutoSpeed), I'm currently driving a new Honda Civic Hybrid, and after doing over 600kms, with approx 400kms at 110km/hr on the highway, the fuel consumption's at 6.8L/100km (at best) when it's touted at being 4.6L/100km... to that extent it's more about how the individual driver handles the car.

Hybrids get their low fuel consumption from city driving. When you do highway driving, then fuel consumption is the same as a regular petrol engine car.

**AznEmpress** · 01-04-2009 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by aaronng

Hybrids get their low fuel consumption from city driving. When you do highway driving, then fuel consumption is the same as a regular petrol engine car.

Lol.. well then that's even worse - it was hitting 7.9L/100km driving on our standard streets... which, in hindsight, makes it worse than a 1.8L car??

**aaronng** · 01-04-2009 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by AznEmpress

Lol.. well then that's even worse - it was hitting 7.9L/100km driving on our standard streets... which, in hindsight, makes it worse than a 1.8L car??

That's better than an auto transmission 1.8L car. You have to use light to medium throttle so that you use the electric motors to take off, and then rely on the petrol engine only for cruising. So you're right in that driving habits affect it greatly because if you use aybe even 1/2 throttle when taking off, you could be engaging the petrol engine and not the electric motor.

**yorrick** · 01-04-2009 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by aaronng

I don't blame the reviewers. Honda Australia must be smoking crack to price the City at the same level as the Civic. I know which one I would pick.

A Toyota Vios?

**AznEmpress** · 01-04-2009 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by aaronng

You have to use light to medium throttle so that you use the electric motors to take off, and then rely on the petrol engine only for cruising.

The main catch to the Hybrid is that there's a time lapse due to the 'auto stop' function in the engine... I'm 'heavy footed' by nature

so... 'normal' cars aren't really for me. Hence my thoughts already of an EC. Lol...

**yorrick** · 01-04-2009 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by AznEmpress

I think I'd say the City's in the market to vs the Corolla more than that of the Yaris and Jazz...

In Malaysia and Singapore, the Honda City is up against the Toyota Vios.
A bit like Jazz vs Yaris or Civic vs Corolla. The problem is City vs What??

The problem is that the City fits between the Jazz and Civic - which is the proverbial "in between two seats" on price, size and features.

**yorrick** · 01-04-2009 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by AznEmpress

The interesting thing about it all is that, when talking about fuel consumption (re: AutoSpeed), I'm currently driving a new Honda Civic Hybrid, and after doing over 600kms, with approx 400kms at 110km/hr on the highway, the fuel consumption's at 6.8L/100km (at best) when it's touted at being 4.6L/100km... to that extent it's more about how the individual driver handles the car.

Wandering off the topic of Honday City reviews...

Bear in mind that the Civic Hybrid, the electric motor is to assist the petrol motor. The Toyota Prius, the electric motor can run without the petrol motor. The specs of the electric motor on the Prius is almost as powerful as the petrol motor - that's why the car costs significantly more.

**AznEmpress** · 01-04-2009 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by yorrick

Bear in mind that the Civic Hybrid, the electric motor is to assist the petrol motor. The Toyota Prius, the electric motor can run without the petrol motor. The specs of the electric motor on the Prius is almost as powerful as the petrol motor - that's why the car costs significantly more.

Yea, it's like a $5k difference off the mark (plus on-roads, et al), but I really can't see how the electric 'assistance' assists what-so-ever in the Honda Civic Hybrid... apart from the lag time (see previous post). Then again, maybe that's just me

Lol... had my hands on a Prius before, it's really not that nice to drive... tho, I AM talking about when it first came out...