Story & photos by Patrick Tulfo
WHILE stuck in traffic on the northbound lane of Edsa aboard the 2015 Honda City model E with continuously variable transmission (CVT) on Saturday. This scribe saw several Honda Cities of various models also waiting for the traffic to move.
This scene was repeated several times during my stint in traffic or while cruising down the highway the duration of City’s stay with me.
To this writer’s mind, it’s a clear testament to how popular and durable Honda’s vehicles are. The Honda City, which was lent to this writer on Thursday last week, was put through its paces immediately after it was fetched from the BusinessMirror office along Pasong Tamo in Makati.
When stepping inside the vehicle for the first time, one is greeted with the familiar “brand-new car smell.” Glancing at the electronic odometer after starting the engine confirmed that it was a brand-new rig and had only 220 kilometers on it.
The dashboard, which is a bit bare, has the typical Honda layout, that is, all the controls are logically placed, including the Econ button.
The four-speaker Kenwood Audio System produced good sound quality, unfortunately, it took some time to get used to the controls and their functions. Worst, the orange color of its monitor is hard to see under the midday sun, which could leave one stuck in certain radio station if one is not familiar with the control. On the plus side, it plays your favorite music via CD or auxiliary cable. It also has Bluetooth to make or take hands-free calls.
The speedometer and the tachometer, as well as the fuel gauge have a sporty orange illumination, but conspicuously missing, even on the top rung VX variant, was a temperature gauge. The only way of knowing if the engine has exceeded its operating temperature after starting it in the morning is when the water temperature icon, which is just beside the Econ icon, lights up. In fact, the icon lights up after the engine is started in the morning and goes out after a few seconds.
The Econ icon itself, which can be switched on or off via a button located just below the leftmost air-con vent will be impossible to miss because of its green color. The Econ symbol, which is a leaf, also sports a bright green color that stands out beside the orange illumination of the other gauges. There is also the Econ coaching symbol, which is a now common among all models of Honda being sold today. It reminds me of the Econ meter in my old Nissan Maxima, which I had during my college days. It lit up whenever the driver stepped on the accelerator lightly and maintained constant speed, indicating optimum fuel efficiency. The CVT is a perfect match to the engine as it always has the right gear however one drives. Although it had a Sports Mode, I found no use for it during my test-drive as the D or Drive mode was enough for the city or even when driving outside of Metro Manila. My only gripe was the placement of the shift lever. I had to take a glance whenever I shifted from Neutral to Drive coming from a stop because I always made a mistake of shifting to the S mode.
There is only one engine available in all variants, which is the 1.5-liter four-cylinder single overhead camshaft 16-valve engine equipped with Honda’s patented Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, or I-VTEC. The powertrain is good for 120 horses and 14.8 Nm of torque. It’s also very quiet, a boon to those who like to meditate when stuck in traffic. It has been more than 15 years since Honda introduced VTEC technology in all of its engines but it is still a marvel even today. Squeezing out more horsepower from a small displacement without the aid of turbocharging or supercharging is truly a credit to Honda’s engine designers.
The independent Macpherson Strut suspension up front and the H-shaped torsion beam in the rear provide for good-handling, as well as ride. The electronic power steering, or EPS, becomes a bit light whenever the vehicle reaches triple digit speed.
Fuel economy was very impressive, especially when the Econ mode is on. In the two trips that I made to Angeles City and Pampanga coming from Mandaluyong City, I got different results. On the trip to Angeles City with the Econ mode off, I followed the Econ coaching display judiciously. There was still a quarter tank of fuel even after being stuck in traffic and I had to use shortcuts to get home. On the second trip to the same location with the Econ mode on combined with judicious driving and with the Econ coaching symbol on most time, the tank still had more than half of the fuel left after the trip—proof that Honda’s fuel-saving feature works.
In terms of the cabin, legroom was also very impressive in the front and the rear—even for tall passengers standing more than 5′ 8, although it might be a squeeze for three passengers in the rear if they’re on the heavy side. The air conditioner is very powerful, taking only a few minutes to cool the entire cabin. In fact, I had to dial down the thermostat several times even at midday, when it was the hottest.
Outside, the City sports a modern aerodynamic look. The one-piece silver grill looks great and the sexy rear looks elegant. Who says you can’t have a pretty face and sexy back all at once? The steeply raked windshield was so slippery that raindrops slid upward while cruising the North Luzon Expressway in a downpour. Hardly surprising since the City possesses one of the lowest drag coefficients in the market today.
All power features like door locks, side mirrors and an integrated keyless entry are standard. The environment conscious will also like the fact that all Honda vehicles are Euro-4 compliant, thereby lessening the guilt whenever you use one.
Image credits: Patrick Tulfo