Pros & Cons of Honda Elevate over Creta after a 5 km test drive.

After considering all the points and weighing the pros and cons, we rejected Creta and booked a Red ZX CVT Elevate.

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Yesterday, I could lay my hands on the new Honda Elevate (2023 ZX MT) and was able to test drive it for about 5 Kilometers( 1 Km in the city with very broken roads and 4 Km on the highway), also sat in the back seat for another 5 Kilometers. Previously, I test-drove Creta (2023 SX MT) on the same route and in the same style. Here is what I think about Elevate:

Positives:

  • 1. The ingress and egress was easy and the doors had good aperture plus opened wide.
  • 2. The rear seats were comfortable and supportive, there was no lack of under-thigh support once I placed my ankles on the inclined footrest (am 174 cm). However, The front passenger seat could support my thigh only when I pushed it halfway back but was comfortable after that.
  • 3. There was ample space in the cabin and it felt very airy and cozy, the fit and finish were good. The buttons didnโ€™t feel flimsy, quite to my surprise, not even the temperature and blower controls. The infotainment system was very smooth and easy to operate, music system was good.
  • 4. The Engine was very smooth and I couldnโ€™t feel any noise or vibration in the cabin. The rev-happy engine when tickled above 3k, became audible but it wasnโ€™t bothersome.
  • 5. The driving visibility was good, the full perimeter of the hood was visible and it felt as if I was driving a proper SUV. The lane watch camera eliminated the blind spot created by the passenger side C pillar. The ORVMs were good and provided a good view.
  • 6. The driving dynamics were good, the steering gained proper weight at highway speed (unlike Creta) and I felt no body roll.
  • 7. The brakes were very good and confidence-inspiring, while I was cruising at 70 Kmph, had to apply emergency brakes when out of the blue a dog appeared in my lane. The vehicle stopped in a straight line without losing composure, also the hazard light automatically turned on and turned off once I continued moving.

Negatives:

  • 1. The interior was good but not to the level of the Koreans, I could especially feel this when touching the headliners and the sunroof curtain.
  • 2. There was tyre noise inside the cabin once the vehicle went above 70 Kmph.
  • 3. Lack of Features; I was surprised to see such a poor rear view camera and without adaptive guidelines at this price point, no ventilated seats nor a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Although the latter two are available as accessories, I feel factory fit is always better.
  • 4. The hump in the rear seat is a nuisance, donโ€™t know if the third passenger can sit comfortably. Also, the lack of a headrest and three-point seat belt for the middle passenger is an annoyance.
  • 5. The foot area was small for the front passenger when compared with the competition.
  • 6. Not the car but the dealer network, I have no dealer in my city (Bokaro, Jharkhand). The nearest is 67Kms/90 mins away and the next to nearest is 100 km/150 mins away. This is one of the biggest reasons not many in my city even consider Honda cars, they should improve upon this. Even so, Jharkhand has only 3 Honda dealers while Maruti Suzuki has 37 dealers and Hyundai has 16 dealers.

After considering all the points and weighing the pros and cons, we rejected Creta and booked a Red ZX CVT Elevate. The primary reason for rejecting Creta was a lack of safety. The SA has told us to expect the car just before Diwali.

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