Owner Review: The True City Car - My 2021 Honda City RS

** This article is published on WapCar Community. Click the link below to enter the community for car enthusiasts in Malaysia
https://forum.wapcar.my

Basic information

2021 Honda City RS

Reason why I bought this car

Replacement for my second car. I have been using SAGA SE M-ine 1.3 Manual since 2010. It was a great and reliable car. Unfortunately it started to give me a headache for the past 2 years or so. It's a sign for me to change a car. 

Car selection process

• I had a budget of: Initially below RM100k. But had to top up because I want ADAS.
• Models that I have considered include: X50, Civic TC-, Ativa

The reason why I choose this car

It all started in 2018 when I drove a rental VW Golf in Germany. This is the first time I tested the functionality of adaptive cruise control. Did not know car technology has gotten so advanced since I last bought my Saga. So I tell myself, my next car must have ACC at the very least. Also, I want something that is reliable and worry free for the next 10 years or so.  In the market, the only car within my budget with ADAS was X50, City RS, and Ativa.

Well, Ativa is too small for a replacement car. It's even smaller than my old Saga. I fell in love with thr X50 Flagship at first. Really value for money with all the tech and the premium interior and exterior. However, due to the long waiting list, I manage to get full reviews from the professionals and car owners. I have even test driven it twice. Sad to say the deal breaker for me is the poor audio and the FC. Not to mention that there is a lot of self rectification work that needs to be done by owners (upgrading DSP, sound proof etc.) which is a hassle for me as I like my car stock. 

So while waiting for X50 (despite the poor audio) I have managed to test drive City RS. Immediately I feel the similarities between the 2 in terms of raw power, and the ADAS system. Most importantly, RS has much better audio compared to the X50. Therefore it's a no brainer decision for me to make. City RS has almost everything I wanted in X50, minus the flaws that I hate from X50. Not mentioning the reliability & after sales difference between H & P1. 

User experience

I have already done 5000km. 

First time driving an EV/Hybrid car. Feels a lot moe refined compared to a normal petrol car. Feel peaceful in the cabin. It has a futuristic feel compared to my old Saga. Looking forward to every drive even if the traffic is terrible. It can be both sporty when you want to have some fun, and economic for most of your daily drive. 

Pros & Cons

Pros

Fuel Consumption.

• Passive town/city drive = 25km/l
• Aggressive town/city drive (fun mode) = 20km/l
• Normal Highway drive 110km/h = 21km/l
• Slowpoke Highway drive 90km/h = 28km/l (as per Honda claimed)
• F&F highway drive 130-50km/h = 17-8km/l.

High Torque; immediately people will think it accelerates fast. This is however not true. Yes it accelerates pretty fast on straight flat roads, but the real power is the steep climb. Can easily tapao higher CC cars during hill climb (as advertised). And if you are using cruise control, the car can maintain its speed even on steep roads.

Decelerator paddle. Coming from a manual car owner for 11 years, this feature really helps me regain the feel of engine braking. It's not easy to get a manual car these days unless it is a high performance car. Those who love to drive manuals would understand. (Note: there are some owners who claim that this is not the way to use the decelerators, as it is recommended to be used on downhill only, but I do not agree).   

Audio system + Android Auto. No DSP & no additional APK needed. As good as it is stock. Just that in AA, waze will tend to freeze, using google map is just fine. 

LED headlamp. FYI this is a Malaysia made lamp. Awesome product. Very far reach, and clear cut-ff line. Feels like having a white blanket on the road.

Honda Connect, walk away lock, and hand sensors unlock. Really cool and futuristic feature. No longer need to press any buttons on keys or the car. Another step to the remote control car just like in the Bond movies (Note: to date, Honda Connect are still very unreliable. Connection fails 30%-0% of the time. Hope Honda can improve). 

Very quiet cabin and engine. Thanks to EV and cabin insulation, it makes the Audio system even better. This is the feedback I got from a frequent passenger who drove a Vios 2018. 

Honda Sensing. Especially ACC and LKAS. The main reason I bought this car. Makes long highway drives much easier and less tiring. 

Electronic parking brake with auto hold. Don't have to shift to N or keep depressing the brake anymore.

Cons

No auto fold side mirrors. Come on Honda, how hard for you to implement this when you already have an electric motor for folding mirrors? Had to restart my engine to fold the mirrors because I always forgot. 

No 360 camera and/or front sensors. RM90k+ Vios have both. The least you can do is give us front sensors. It's very useful in maneuvering tight spots. 

Adaptive Cruise Control. This feature is good to have, but it was not as refined as the one I drove in VW Polo. Abrupt acceleration and braking. 

Lane Keep Assist (LKAS) & Lane Mitigation (LMS). The system is good, just that it is not suitable to Malaysia road conditions where you need to make sudden maneuvers to avoid potholes, flood, motorcycles, constructions etc. 

Suspension & tire noise. Perhaps it was tuned for better handling. Still I can feel the tire vibration.

Fuel consumption. Well, it's just a bad feelings when you know your city drive is more fuel efficient than normal highway drive. Especially with such a big difference projected in front of you. 

Car interior. For a car that is over 100K, I would expect it to have a more premium feel for the interior. Unfortunately the interior is really inferior to the X50 which is RM3K cheaper. 

Ratings

Total Score: 4
Performance: 4
Quality & Features: 3
Space: 5
Ride Comfort: 4
Fuel Economy: 5
Price & Cost: 4

Summary

The Honda City RS 2021. The true City car. The only car that I know that has better FC in city/town roads compared to steady Highway drive. I will dive into the curious case of Honda City RS 2021 to analyze this interesting finding further to understand iMMD better. 

Many people refer to this as the King of Torque, and maybe the King of B-segment Sedan and rightly so, given its technology and pricing. Most importantly, I am waiting to see how the automotive experts review this car and compare to other B-segments. Let's not compare Honda City V spec with others, compare it with RS. 

We want to know if it's worth RM15K upgrade from Almera, or RM10K upgrade for Vios GR. Is it a better buy compared to X50 at the same price (I consider X50 price to include power tailgate)? Or is it even better than C-segment Civic 1.8? Over to you, WapCar.  

Some interesting events

Well, nothing much. This car was already delayed for 6 months. By the time it launched, there were already a lot of petrol versions (some even mods like RS) in the market. 

Things to note tho, this car is so new in the market, even the SA doesnt know the full function of the car especially the decelerators and the iMMD engines. 

📢📢Announcement:

After reading a countless number of Owner Review stories, are you interested in sharing your own story also? WapCar sincerely invites YOU to share the genuine feelings of your car!

You may receive special souvenirs from WapCar! Sign up now to know more! WapCar staff will contact you shortly after you sign up.