I changed my 5 year old Santro Xing XG in November 2010 and got myself a Honda City VMT. Now before deciding on the Honda City I had considered the VW Vento and MS SX4. I was very clear that for my kind of driving a petrol car would suffice.
The VW Vento was good looking with solid build (could feel this in the heavy doors) and decent quality interiors. In Nov 2010 , it was the new kid on the blocks and that really swayed my mind towards it. However the 2-3 month wait and amateurish showroom response put me off.Maruti Suzuki has more than one dealerships in Trivandrum and I soon managed to get a good offer for the SX4. I liked the SX4 for its ground clearance and seating position. The seating position(front) was almost SUVish. I had already read/heard about the great after sales service offered by MS.
Overall the SX4 is no doubt a good car - though it did not excel in any department. The only negative that I could perceive was the pathetic resale value(this was confirmed when I kept getting better offers from the dealers as I delayed my decision) The ANHC truly stole my heart. It looked like a car from another planet when compared to the others. I felt very comfortable driving it during the test drive. Before the test drive, I had a feeling that the bigger dimensions (compared to the Santro) might hinder my confidence. But believe me I was more comfortable driving the City than the Santro.
It just wraps around you so tight and just goes where you want it to. I had read and re-read about all the options available and knew the most of the pros and cons of these sedans. I was a little apprehensive about the After Sales Service of Honda. However I have had no reason to complain till now. Peninsular Honda Trivandrum have exceeded my expectations all the time.Another point most of us are interested in is the fuel efficiency of ANHC. After 3 months what I have realized is that it is totally dependent on the way you drive. I have got 24.1 KMPL driving consistently at 40 to 50 KMPH. I have also managed 9.1 KMPL on the same stretch of road but with me trying some rash maneuvers. Usual average with 50-50 city highway should be around 15 KMPL.
Overall I am very happy with the ANHC. It has exceeded expectations in all departments and truly is the undisputed segment leader