Honda City pros and cons — Lost in time?

The Honda City once stood as the benchmark for executive sedans in India, and it was a highly desirable car through generations. But, the City has lately been losing its ground to other cars in the segment, which is evident in its sales numbers. Despite this, the sedan still has some aspects where it comes out to be the best in class. Here are the top Honda City pros and cons to help you make a better buying decision.

Honda City pros

Rear seat comfort

The City is one of the most comfortable sedans on the market, especially when we talk of its rear seats. While the fixed headrests do limit adjustability, the cushioning and overall setup of the seats make up for the downside. The centre armrest and the extended side cushioning add to the comfort factor.

Good NVH levels

The Honda City has the best NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels of any executive sedan in India, when all factors are taken into account. While the engine and transmission noise isn’t the most controlled, the overall insulation of the cabin reduces the tyre and road noises to a great extent. The car drives smoothly over tough roads and makes you feel like you’re sitting in a luxury car.

Appealing styling

The City still remains as one of the better looking sedans in the country, owing to its dolphin-like silhouette, long overhangs, stylish front and rear lights, and an adequate use of chrome throughout the exterior. The styling does its job well in making the City look like a premium car.

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Only hybrid sedan in India in the segment

Being the only hybrid sedan available in its segment, and the next one costing more than double, the City Hybrid has virtually no direct competition. While the Honda City e:Hev variants are priced significantly higher, they deliver a satisfactory fuel economy and additional power when compared to the Honda City petrol variants.

Reliability and brand value

Honda cars in India are known for their reliability factor, as is the case with most Japanese carmakers. Moreover, Honda has conventionally been perceived as a premium brand in India, credited to cars like the City and the Civic, and the notion is still prevalent among a large number of buyers. All of this adds to the sedan’s appeal and desirability quotient. Adding to that, despite Honda not doing so well in the new car market, the carmaker is the third-largest player in the used car market, as per CARS24's internal data. You can consider checking out some used Honda City cars in India here.

Honda City cons

No turbo-petrol or diesel on offer

There’s only a naturally-aspirated petrol engine on offer, apart from the hybrid version, neither of which are exciting to drive. Main Honda City rivals such as the Volkswagen Virtus, Skoda Slavia, and Hyundai Verna get the option of powerful petrol engines, and the latter even gets the option for a diesel engine

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Low ground clearance and long overhangs

The lower ground clearance and the long front overhang make the City scrape its underbelly quite frequently on city roads, demanding the driver to be more careful and attentive over speed bumps and undulations. Other mass market sedans in India offer a better clearance as well as shorter overhangs that suit Indian roads better.

Missing features

Despite having features such as a camera-based ADAS suite and wireless smartphone connectivity, the Honda City feature list misses some key features that you expect from a car of this segment, such as ventilated front seats, adjustable headrests for the rear seats, a cooled glovebox, and more.

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