Katihar

•7w

Hi, I own a Kia Sonet, which I am extremely disappointed with. About 99% of my driving is in the city, and my budget for a new car is around Rs 15-16 lakh. My priorities are a sedan with a smooth and comfortable ride, particularly over city speed breakers and potholes, along with good mileage, relatively low and hassle-free maintenance, reasonable running costs, and good after-sales service. Unfortunately, I have found the Kia Sonet disappointing in all these areas. I am therefore looking for a decent sedan that better suits my requirements. I also believe sedans generally offer a smoother and more comfortable ride than many of the newer compact SUVs. Please correct me if I am wrong and suggest some suitable options within my budget.

•6w

Given your priorities, the Honda City is the clear recommendation. It is a proven sedan with a comfortable ride, excellent reliability and low maintenance costs. The suspension is well-tuned for city use, and it handles speed breakers and potholes with a level of composure that many compact SUVs struggle to match. Honda's service network is strong, and ownership experience is generally hassle-free. The petrol engine is smooth and efficient, making it a great fit for predominantly city driving.

Your observation about sedans is largely correct. A well-engineered sedan like the City often delivers a smoother and more settled ride than many compact SUVs, especially over broken city roads.

If you want a more premium feel and a slightly softer ride, the Hyundai Verna is also worth considering. It is a comfortable and refined sedan with good service support, but the Honda City remains the more proven long-term ownership proposition.

The key is to avoid turbo petrol engines with DCT gearboxes, as they can be less suited to stop-start city traffic. The naturally aspirated petrol engines in the City and Verna are smooth, reliable and well suited to your usage.

Overall, the Honda City is the most sensible and satisfying choice for your requirements.

Explore cars mentioned

Honda

City

from ₹14.02 Lakh

Hyundai

Verna

from ₹12.76 Lakh

•6w•

As SUV market is dominated in India compared to sedan due to Indian roads where sedan can offer you smooth ride and comfort but Handling speed breakers and pot holes is little challenge due to sedan ground clearance not like SUV. City also has less ground clearance and . One sedan that coming into my mind which has better GC is Skoda Slavia of VW Virtue 183 mm. But engine wise City is best .

•6w•

@benny.5 hi thanks for reply, had slavia in mind ,however had such bad mileage with sonet that now I wanted a car that has good mileage. Besides backseat space seem cramped up in these European vehicles. Also heard reg very bad service and costly maintenance reg slavia, not sure if that's true.

More posts on similar cars

•2d

Hi all, I’m considering buying the Skoda Slavia 1.0-litre facelift automatic, which will be chauffeur-driven. I’d like to know how the suspension and ride quality are from the rear seat, especially over potholes and speed breakers. Does it have any issues with excessive body roll or jerks over rough roads? Also, are there any cooling or AC issues, as I’ve heard some complaints about the older models? I’ve also considered the Honda City, but overall, I preferred the Slavia as it felt far better to drive. Would appreciate genuine feedback from existing owners, particularly on the above concerns. Thanks!

•1d

Go for the Skoda Slavia facelift. It is a genuinely good choice for your requirements. The 1.0 TSI is now paired with the 8-speed torque converter automatic and is a smooth and reliable combination. The facelift also brings in rear seat massagers, which, being chauffeur-driven, is something you will enjoy, and the ride quality is well balanced for Indian conditions. It is not the softest suspension in the segment, but it is well damped and handles potholes and speed breakers without feeling crashy. The AC issue was prominent on the pre-facelift cars, and Skoda has made improvements to the system and it now has a new compressor too, which has addressed the issue and there have been fewer complaints about cooling performance. The Honda City remains the more comfort-oriented option with a slightly softer ride, but the Slavia feels a bit more premium. Since you have already preferred the Skoda from a driving perspective, the Slavia is the right choice. Overall, it is a solid, well-rounded sedan that should serve you well.

Honda City

Skoda Slavia facelift

•2d

Had a puncture on my Honda City during a late-night highway drive and realised I hadn't checked the spare wheel since buying the car. Luckily it was properly inflated.

•2d

Currently driving an SUV but considering going back to a sedan with the Verna. The boot and highway manners are tempting, but not sure I'll enjoy the lower ground clearance after getting used to an SUV.

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Popular discussions right now

•21h

Hi, I am planning to buy a CNG SUV and am considering the Tata Nexon CNG and Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG. I will be driving around 150km every day for office, so my main concerns are fuel economy and maintenance costs. Many people have suggested the Brezza because of its mileage and lower running costs, but Tata is also a large company and has a wide service network. So, why do buyers generally recommend the Brezza over the Nexon CNG? I personally prefer the Nexon, but I am confused about whether it would be the right choice for my daily usage. Which one would make more sense for my requirements?

•12h

Go with the Tata Nexon CNG if that is your preference. At 150 km daily, CNG is the right fuel choice, and both the Nexon and Maruti Suzuki Brezza are factory CNG cars, so reliability and safety are not a concern. The Nexon CNG is a strong product with good performance, a comfortable ride and a well-equipped cabin. The reason many people suggest the Brezza is Maruti's reputation for low maintenance costs, wide service reach and a long-standing reputation for hassle-free ownership. The Brezza CNG is also a very reliable and efficient package. However, the Nexon CNG is the more modern car and feels more premium inside.At 150 km daily, the key is to choose the car you will enjoy driving every day. The Nexon CNG is a solid choice, and there is no reason to change your decision.

Tata Nexon

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

•3d

I want to know the launch date of the new Toyota Innova Hycross model.

•3d

The Toyota Innova Hycross facelift is expected to launch in early 2027. Toyota has already been testing the updated Hycross in India, with spy shots showing a revised front end, new lighting elements and a redesigned bumper. The facelift is expected to bring some interior and feature updates as well, while the existing 2.0-litre petrol and strong hybrid powertrains are likely to continue. Toyota has not announced a confirmed launch date yet, so early 2027 is the current expectation rather than a firm date.

Toyota Innova HyCross facelift

•6d

Hi, I want to buy my last car as I am 66 years old. I have been driving a Honda City for the last 12 years without any major hiccup. The Honda City engine and its reliability is excellent although its ground clearance is an issue. I have looked at Elevate and given its ground clearance as an SUV, I am impressed although the issues on E20 and abrupt blending issues are surely technical issues. Windsor EV was a great test drive but all controls on screen could be a bottleneck for me at my age and am planning to move to an automatic. Please recommend as experts. My monthly running will not be more than 500 km. Should I also look at Seltos. I will appreciate a feedback from experts. I want a reliable, easy to drive car with low maintenance cost and good family value with. There won't be any great pick ups or many highway drives will not be there.

•5d

Given your 12 years of trouble free City ownership, the Elevate is the most natural replacement. It retains Honda’s simple 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, adds substantially better ground clearance and gives you the easier ingress and SUV driving position you liked. The CVT is also very well suited to your low speed, low running usage and should make the transition to an automatic easy.On your E20 concern, we would not treat it as a reason to avoid the Elevate. Honda says all its cars manufactured in India since January 2009 are E20 material compatible, and the current Elevate is officially certified for E20. Honda also says E20 should not cause durability concerns or require any component changes. There can be a marginal reduction in fuel economy because ethanol contains less energy than petrol, but with your 500km monthly running, that is unlikely to be significant.The Seltos is worth a look, particularly if you want a more feature rich and premium cabin, but given your priorities of reliability, easy driving, low maintenance and long term ownership, the Elevate fits your requirements more naturally. The Windsor EV is also an interesting option, but at just 500km a month, there is little financial reason to move to an EV, especially when you have concerns about its touchscreen heavy interface.

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