Owner Review: Japanese car, this is my belief that I will never change! - My Honda HRV 2015 V

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Basic information

Honda HRV 2015 V full specs RM118k

Reasons why I bought this car

We ( me and my wife) were looking for a car to become a daily drive to work. No racing or showing off. HRV was at that time a gorgeous car that everyone was waiting for. It was smaller and cheaper than the CRV. Looked a lot smarter than the competitors like Subaru XV, Kia Sportage etc. Many SUVs appeared in the market then, so SUVs were the prime candidates.

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: RM120k

• Models that I have considered include: Honda Civic, Toyota Altis, Mazda 3

This car was a big hit in 2015, the waiting list was 4 months after we booked. We just followed the crowd and booked the car without test driving it. We were not impressed with a Sedan then. The trend was shifting to SUVs and Crossovers. This trend is likely to continue for a while. With our country struggling with border closure, road trips in a spacious SUV is your only choice. It is also becoming common for our roads to flood after a downpour. Therefore the higher your car, the better.

User experience

• I have already done 75000 km

The car has been reliable and comfortable to drive and ride in. The soundproofing is not the best. The audio system can be better. The reverse camera resolution is not so good. But otherwise, the car has not deteriorated in the past 5.5 years. No creaks or funny noises anywhere. The car has never given us any problems and the car paint has retained its shine without any effort. So far no electronics has given me any problems, everything works and no funny warning lights to bother me.

Pros&Cons

pros

The build quality is of Honda standard. Not as refined as my Honda Civic 2007 but better than my old City. The car has not cost us any money apart from fees paid for regular servicing at a Honda-authorized workshop. The resale value of a Honda is always above average. It came with cruise control, Bluetooth telephony, touch screen, and keyless entry LED DRL, auto headlights. I have learned the hard way never to buy a car with low resale value. It's painful when you change your car a few years later. The Honda 5 year warranty offered a lot of peace of mind. No fear of huge repair bills. We had to pay for alternate service over the 5 years but the costs have been low and told to us upfront when we bought the car. The service provided by service centers varies. I suggest you find one near your home so that going to the workshop is not too big of an effort.

cons

The audio system can be better. The seats are not leather. The seats are not electric. No Honda Sensing then but I hope the new HRV will have it. But small issues because not having these features also a good thing, fewer things can go wrong. It's normal for me to accidentally try to open the doors of another HRV in a car park. It's simply too common! The engine gives you just enough power to move around. You are not going to win any race! The engine is naturally aspirated 1.8litre with 140bhp. Nowadays cars are inching up in horsepower. Anything less than 150 bhp is lame. New Hondas now come with a turbo with much higher bhp. But this HRV is good enough to get around town.

Ratings:

• Total Score:4

• Performance:4

• Quality & Features:4

• Space:4

• Ride Comfort:5

• Fuel Economy:5

• Price & Cost:5

Summary

In my entire lifetime, I have had many funny and memorable encounters with used car dealers. I have already given explicit instructions to my daughter never to date a used car dealer. Sadly in this country, we can only afford to drive a car that we can find a buyer for when we are ready to sell. Car purchases often take up a big chunk of household budgets. Most of the time we stick with Japanese cars no matter how unexciting they look. I have owned and driven, either new or used, and had experience selling, a Fiat Uno, Honda City, Proton Perdana, Kia Carens, Honda Civic, Mercedes C180, Peugeot 308, Honda HRV. You can always count on a used Honda catching the attention of car buyers. I had to beg a used car dealer to buy my used non-Honda car. If you ever have to sell a good Honda, accident-free, etc sell it to your friends and relatives. They will be getting a good deal. Used car prices now are so low it's frustrating to deal with used car dealers. Don't let them win!
This article is not meant to promote any particular brand, but facts support the belief that Japanese cars are reliable and good value for money. With all the attention on electric vehicles now, my personal belief is until the Japanese (meaning Honda and Toyota and Mazda) are into the electric vehicle game big time, I will stick with ICE cars. I also wonder if Malaysians are ready for rechargeable electric cars. Because we park our cars outside the house, fight with our neighbors for parking space, where are we going to charge the electric cars?

Interesting events that happened to your car

The HRV has taken me to most parts of the Peninsular. It fits a lot of luggage for your road trip. You can fill up the boot with so many veggies on your way down from Cameron Highlands. We can carry foldable bikes in the boot for the whole family. The Honda HRV has never given me any exciting stories to tell my friends because it has never broken down before. My experience with an old car of mine, (not a Honda), had my friends laughing and rolling on the floor. Sometimes life is like that. We need imperfections and adverse events occasionally to brighten up an otherwise miserable and unexciting life. With the HRV there is no story to tell. If you want stories to go buy a continental car! 
If I keep the HRV for up to 10 years I believe this owner's review will be pretty much the same, with additional stories of minor repairs of wear and tear items like engine mounting, aircon servicing, brake discs, etc, but no major repairs that would impoverish the car owners.

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