Owner Review: A decision made with my heart - My 2017 Honda City

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_{The car and the proud owner.}

Basic information about my car:

2017 Honda City 1.5 E FL

Reasons why I bought this car(purpose)

I was using Perodua Myvi 1.3 year 2010 and it is time for an upgrade. I made my way to the nearest Nissan showroom last November 2020 as I originally planned for a Nissan Almera Black Series because of the price and good review given by office colleague who is frequently using it for a long distance drive. I did check out the Nissan Almera Black Series but I was also given a suggestion to take a look at the second hand car dealers for more options. This is where I found this 2 year old Honda City in a very mint condition and it quickly captured my heart. It was under-sed (34,000 km) and has about 3 years original Honda warranty left. In a few days, I drove out with this very Honda City with a smile.

By the way, the reason of the previous owner to trade in this is to upgrade to a SUV. I also did my homework to ensure this car is accident free, which to my good luck, is accident free. Mileage shown on the odometer does tally with Honda service records and has always been serviced at Honda service centres.

Transition from Perodua Myvi to Honda City

Car selection process

● I had a budget of: Around RM 70,000

● Models that I have considered include: Nissan Almera Black Series 1.5. I also didn't mind a Toyota Vios.

_{Front View}

Reasons why I chose this car

To be honest, I never did a test drive. It may sound stupid but I just followed my heart. All I did was opened the front hood and asked the salesperson to start the car. The engine was so smooth and silent. Next, I sat in the car just to inspect if there is any bad odour just in case the car was submerged or not due to many submerged cases and given the car age of 2 years. To my surprise, it was all good. Next thing I know was that I am paying the booking fees and getting my good ol' Myvi trade in price which came to RM 9800. I am glad of the timing as when I just paid the booking fees, a call came in for the very same car. 

_{Front Strut Bar, Type One, installed.}

User Experience

● I have done: 14,000 km

● My average fuel consumption is 14.6 km/l

Overall I have good comments of this car.

The engine is very responsive and the driving comfort is quite good. The arm rest is really comfortable for cruise driving and the original sound system is good enough for my auditory entertainment needs. The pedal-hifters is a bonus although it is rarely used. The cruise control also helps on the long drive when you wish for a relaxed drive which is really saving when the ECO mode is turned ON. My daily driving is with the ECO turned off. Pick up is good (obviously after you upgraded from a 1.3 compact car to a sedan). We don't need to touch on the Vtec and CVT as gearbox as all are aware of it but it does add on the driving experience.

Overall the car gives me 14.6km/litre.

_{Well hidden Back Anti Roll Bar.}

Pros and Cons

Pros of my car

1. Engine responsiveness is good.
2. Comfortable for driving in the city or the highways.
3. Spacious car space and booth space.
4. Aircond vent for back passengers comfort.
5. Fuel saving.
6. Good capacity fuel tank (about 400 km range in city driving and up to 600 km range on highways).
7. Reverse sensors and reverse cam for easier reverse parking.
8. A very comfy arm rest.
9. USB ports (great for charging phones or electronic devices)

_{195/50/16 OZ Racing Sports Rims with Toyo Proxes TR1 tyres.}

Cons 

1. Handling is not too good at high speeds.
2. Servicing at Honda service centres may cause some damage to the pocket economic stability.
3. Not enough airbags especially for back passengers as compared to the full specs.
4. Well known axle beam issue (but I am lucky for not experiencing this).
5. Issues with connecting your phone to the car (still standard panel). Still unable to do so but the USB will do.

Ratings:

Total Score: 4

Performance:4

Quality & Features: 4

Space: 5

Ride comfort: 5

Fuel Economy: 5

Price & cost: 4

_{Spacious car interior} 

Summary:

The car remained in stock condition for only 2 weeks. Here are the minor upgrades made for a more satisfying driving experience. The changes made are as follows :

1. Installation of bigger and wider tyres. Installed black OZ Racing ET38 rims -195/50/16 with Toyo Proxes TR1 tyres. The absorbers, springs are however maintained standard.
2.  Remapped engine stage 1 for self satisfaction (translated as "greed") and some HP gain. This does gives a difference in the pick up and speed. Driving in 'D' is enough and you don't always need to engage the 'S' to overtake. The exhaust system is maintained standard for now.
3. Installation of front strut bar and rear anti roll bar (stage 1 is enough) of Type One brand for better handling when turning at higher speed. It also helps in steadying the car. This comes with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer and the rear anti roll bar is quite nicely hidden.
4. And of course, the tinting of mirrors that goes without saying.

_{A comfy arm rest that really makes a difference in driving comfort.}

Interesting things:

I found a very minor leak at the back of the engine. I just brushed it off as a oil spill during servicing and got it washed. After a while the leakage is still there and I took it to the Honda Service Centre for a checked. Turned out it was a minor manufacturing defect and was sorted by opening and re-ealing the timing chain compartment. The car is all good and there is no any difference in the engine performance. 

This is my personal sharing to you and of course different people have different opinions. I am very happy with this car and have no regrets at all in owning this car despite its status as a 2nd hand vehicle.

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