History
While the Civic laid down the foundation for Honda Cars Philippines, it was the City that spread the good word of the brand to a wider audience. The name was first used in Japan for a subcompact hatchback from 1981 to 1994. Honda then revived it in 1996 as a small sedan for emerging markets.
Five generations have been made since 1996 with each one being a strong-seller for the brand. The current-gen is the most mature yet, but that car wouldn’t be the way it is now if it weren’t for its predecessor.
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The fourth-generation Honda City rolled out in 2014 in the Philippines. Also known as the Grace in Japan, it introduced a whole host of features previously reserved for larger and more expensive cars. If anything, it was the generation that proved subcompact sedans don’t have to be limited in the way they ride and drive.
A decade has passed since it was launched, so there’s a lot of these around the used car market these days. But has time and miles been kind to this generation of the City? That’s what we’re here to answer today.
Value and costs
What we have here is the City 1.5 E Limited variant sold from 2016 to 2017. It slotted in between the 1.5 E and 1.5 VX, serving as the ‘value’ variant of the pre-facelift model lineup at P824,000. It wasn’t called the Limited just for the heck of it. Only around 100 units rolled out of the Santa Rosa, Laguna plant.
The Limited doesn’t crop up too often in online classifieds. On the rare occasion that it does appear, a fair price for it would hover in the P420,000 to P450,000, depending on mileage and condition.
For the other variants, an early, pre-facelift model with a manual transmission would range from P375,000 to P400,000 and around P400,000 to P430,000 for a 1.5 E CVT. A pre-facelift VX CVT can still ring up to P500,000, while a VX+ is still worth over P500,000. Go for the facelift version and you’re looking at a P500,000 to the low P700,000 range.
Exterior and interior
In terms of design, the fourth generation City isn’t exactly attention-grabbing. The exterior design can be best described as clean and uncluttered, if a little anonymous. It’s an evolution over the third-generation City, and you’ll see a couple of its cues at the front.
But its conservative body does give it an advantage. Because it doesn’t look radical or polarizing, the looks have aged well over time. The 2017 facelift saw subtle changes, but it’s enough for this era of City to still look modern and contemporary.
Inside, it looks and feels upmarket for a car in its segment, especially if you go for the higher trim levels. Lower spec variants have hard plastics all over the place, but the textures don’t make it feel too downmarket.
The VX-badged variants get more soft touch materials, (imitation) leather seats, and an instrument cluster with a multi-information display. Also, we’re glad that all variants of this generation of City has a seat height adjuster for the driver’s side, along with a tilt and telescopic steering wheel.
But regardless of the trim level, the fourth-get City packs far more space than what its exterior dimensions suggest. Legroom is abundant no matter where you sit, rivaling cars and some crossovers with a larger footprint. The cargo capacity can even give bigger sedans and subcompact crossovers a good scare with over 500 liters of available space.
What’s not to like? It might not sound like a big deal, but it doesn’t have armrests at the back. Also, the Philippine-spec model was not available with rear air-conditioning vents. Some cars also have a laggy and/or buggy display audio system.
Those aside, we say the car has held up well over time. It also helps that the car has some degree of street credit because of the availability of a Japanese Domestic Market version. The interior doesn’t look too old, either. If we’re being honest, some of us prefer the feel and textures of this model versus the current gen.
Engine
Honda ditched the 1.3-liter engine option for this era of Honda City. From that point on, you can have any variant you wanted as long at it came with a 1.5-liter mill.
The 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine in this City made 119hp and 145Nm of torque. Not exactly jaw-dropping figures, but it also meant the fourth-gen City was the most powerful non-turbocharged car within its segment. Most of the lineup shifted with a continuously variable transmission, and the only way to get a manual was with the base model.
It may be a humble sedan but Honda did a great job in calibrating its engine and transmission. Obviously, it’s not fast, but drivetrain feels smooth and seamless. CVTs get a lot of hate in the enthusiast community, but it suits the City and most subcompact sedans well.
Fuel consumption, you ask? In heavy traffic (average speeds lower than 15kph), the City can still muster around 8km/L. In slightly better conditions, it’ll do 9-12km/L with minimal effort. You’ll still get around 13km/L on the highway even with a lot of overtaking, while 16-17km/L is possible without the need to go hypermiling. If you’re being really careful, 20km/L is very much possible.
Driving impressions
Ride is very good for a car of its segment, offering a fine balance between comfortable and/or sporty. It also helps that it shares the same chassis as the Honda Jazz.
It can’t match the Mazda 2 in terms of sheer driving enjoyment and engagement. Steering feel is a touch too light for enthusiastic driving, but it’s good enough for most folks. However, if you compare it to its contemporaries (third/fourth-gen Vios, Ciaz, previous-gen Nissan Almera, etc.), the City feels like it belongs to a higher and more expensive segment.
In terms of ride, it feels smooth and, more importantly, composed. Handling is safe, secure, and a fair bit engaging. If anything, Honda (and Mazda) have the ride-handling compromise down to a tee. The City won’t stir your loins, but it’ll impress you with its big car feel and composure.
Verdict
Did we mention it’s crazy reliable? This particular City has done over 92,000 kilometers in less than a decade and has given its owners nothing but worry-free miles. Of course, some wear and tear items need replacing, but that’s normal for its mileage. The only bit of trouble it had was with the radio…which isn’t even made by Honda.
For those in the market for one of these, we say just go right ahead and buy it. Just look out for worn engine supports as these seem to be one of the first items that wear out in the City. If it’s never been changed, it’s best to skip it or use it as a bargaining tool to buy it for less.
Also, check the service records if the transmission fluid was changed with CVT fluid and NOT automatic transmission fluid. If it’s the latter and the seller insists “it’s all the same,” we suggest you run in the opposite direction as quickly as you can.
It’s not perfect, but its faults are hardly dealbreakers in this case. The pros far outweigh the cons as it’s spacious, practical, fuel-efficient, highly competent on the road, and dead nuts reliable. Exciting, it isn’t, but the fourth-gen City will impress people who seek a more elevated experience in the subcompact sedan market.
2017 Honda City 1.5 E CVT Limited
Sold: 2016 to 2017 (2014-2020 for other variants)
Price new: P824,000
Price now: P375,000 to 725,000 (estimate, all variants)
Engine: 1.5-liter inline-4, SOHC i-VTEC
Transmission: CVT
Power: 119hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 145Nm @ 4,800 rpm
Economy: 8.5-12km/L (city); 13-20km/L (highway)
