Honda cars in India (7)

autocar.india

•4m

Good evening, Nagendra. The Honda City is a fantastic sedan and one of our default recommendations for buyers looking for a comfortable, reliable and refined family car. However, ground clearance is its only real weakness. The City has a ground clearance of 165mm, which is adequate for most speed breakers, but some of the larger, unscientific speed breakers in Mumbai can be a challenge, especially when the car is fully loaded.If your daily routes include particularly tall speed breakers or poorly designed humps, you will need to be careful with your approach angle and speed. The City can clear most speed breakers if you take them slowly and at an angle, but it is not as forgiving as an SUV or a crossover.If ground clearance is a major concern, you may want to consider the Honda Elevate instead. It offers a similar ownership experience, a higher seating position and significantly better ground clearance, making it much better suited to Mumbai's speed breakers. If you are set on a sedan, the Skoda Slavia and the VW Virtus do offer better ground clearance than the City.

Honda Elevate

Honda City

Skoda Slavia

Volkswagen Virtus

autocar.india

•1h

With a monthly salary of Rs 88,000, 1,000km monthly running and occasional Gurgaon to Darbhanga trips, you need a car that is comfortable on long highway runs, reliable and easy to own as a first-time buyer. At 1,000km a month, petrol is the sensible choice as diesel will not justify its higher upfront cost and complexity. For your budget, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza petrol automatic is the best fit. It is a genuinely comfortable 5-seater, has a proven engine, low running costs and Maruti’s service network is a big advantage for long-distance ownership. The automatic gearbox is smooth in city traffic and the car is stable and comfortable on highways. If you want something a bit more premium and feature-rich, the Mahindra XUV 3XO petrol automatic is a strong alternative as it is more powerful and feels more modern inside, but the Brezza is the safer long-term ownership bet. If you are open to a sedan, the Honda Amaze petrol CVT is also worth considering as it is comfortable, reliable and the CVT is very smooth.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Honda Amaze

Mahindra XUV 3XO

autocar.india

•1d

Go for the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Zeta AT. It is the better fit for your requirements. The naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with the torque converter automatic is a proven, reliable combination that will serve you well over a long ownership period. The Grand Vitara also offers a comfortable ride, good rear seat space and a spacious cabin. Maruti's service network and low maintenance costs further strengthen its case for long-term ownership.The Honda Elevate VX CVT is also a good car, but Honda's CVT is not as refined as a torque converter automatic. The Grand Vitara's automatic is smoother and more predictable in everyday driving. Fuel efficiency between the two will be broadly similar, with the Grand Vitara having a slight edge in real-world conditions.Given your preference for a non-sunroof variant, the Grand Vitara Zeta is the more suitable choice. The Honda Elevate VX comes with a sunroof, which you specifically want to avoid. Overall, the Grand Vitara Zeta AT is the more complete package for your needs.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

Honda Elevate

autocar.india

•1d

The Kylaq 1.0 TSI Prestige+ AT makes more sense for your requirements. Your daily commute involves significant city driving, so the compact dimensions and torque-converter automatic make it easier to manage Bengaluru traffic. The 1.0 TSI does have some initial turbo lag, but it isn't significant enough to be a deal-breaker. Once the turbo is on boost, the engine has good mid-range performance, while the automatic makes progress smooth and effortless.The Kushaq 1.0 AT is the more mature and comfortable car, and its new 8-speed torque-converter automatic is a considerable improvement, particularly in low-speed traffic. It also offers more space and feels more substantial. However, spending around Rs 5.5 lakh more is difficult to justify when the Kylaq already meets your requirements well. The presence of an Elevate in the family also reduces the need to pay extra for the larger SUV.

Skoda Kylaq

Skoda Kushaq

Honda Elevate

autocar.india

•1d

The Kia Seltos naturally aspirated IVT is actually a very sensible choice for your usage. Your commute on Bangalore ORR is stop-start, and the IVT is smooth and stress-free in traffic. For weekend highway trips with family and luggage, the 1.5 naturally aspirated petrol has enough power to cruise comfortably and overtake when needed. It will not feel underpowered in normal driving, but it is not a performance engine, so overtakes require a little planning when fully loaded.CVT drone is most noticeable when you accelerate hard and hold the throttle, typically during long overtakes or on steep inclines. However, the Seltos is better insulated than the Honda City, so the engine noise is less intrusive in the cabin. In everyday driving, it is not a major issue.Alternatives worth considering are the Skoda Kushaq 1.0 TSI automatic and the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic. The Kushaq’s turbo petrol engine offers stronger mid-range performance for highway overtakes, and the torque converter automatic is smooth. The XUV 3XO is spacious and feature-rich, but the boot is smaller than the Seltos, which matters for family trips.Overall, the Seltos IVT is a well-balanced choice for your usage. If you want a bit more performance for highway driving, the Kushaq 1.0 TSI automatic is worth a test drive.

Kia Seltos

Skoda Kushaq

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Honda City