First Impressions of the Honda Elevate: Three days behind the wheel<\/p>\n
Decision cycle:<\/h2>\n
After nearly a decade of faithful service from my Maruti Ertiga, I decided it was time for an upgrade. Safety, future-proofing, an automatic transmission, and a car that accommodated taller individuals were my top priorities. Last year, I had initially booked the XUV700 AX7L Petrol AT, but two concerns held me back: ongoing niggles and low fuel efficiency.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, I test-drove the 5th generation City and found it almost perfect, with the exception of headroom and ingress\/egress. Then came the Honda Elevate, a car I’d been keeping a close eye on since its announcement. Thanks to the valuable insights and debates in this forum, I made my decision. And now, after completing the buying cycle, I’m here to share my initial experiences with the Honda Elevate ZX CVT, which I purchased from Whitefield Honda, Bangalore.<\/p>\n
The Buying Experience:<\/h2>\n
The process of acquiring the car went relatively smoothly, with only a slight delay due to a recent bandh. I opted for basic accessories, a dash cam, and extended warranty. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many other deliveries, allowing my Sales Advisor to take the time to explain various settings and steering controls.<\/p>\n
Special thanks to @nreddy for the advice about the car’s fuel level. I wasted no time heading to the nearest COCO station to fuel up. The meter read 38.5L – should have been delivered with just 2 liters of fuel!<\/p>\n
Observations About the Car:<\/h2>\n
I’m thoroughly enjoying my experience with the Elevate so far, and while my observations may not offer entirely new perspectives, here are a few insights:<\/p>\n
Seat Comfort: The quality of the seats, in terms of firmness, softness, and contouring, is top-notch in both rows. However, I did notice that the driver’s seat felt positioned quite low even in the lowest setting, leading to a knee-up position and less under-thigh support. Adjusting the seat height didn’t make a significant difference. Nevertheless, at 6’3″, I find my driving position comfortable, although I’ll have a better sense of this during longer drives.<\/p>\n
Engine Performance: The engine operates smoothly and quietly at city speeds. In fact, I found myself checking if the engine was running while parked. During quick accelerations from a standstill, it does make some noise, which quickly settles down. The sports mode offers a distinct, enjoyable sound, and the paddle shift adds an extra layer of fun. At 100 km\/h, there was some noticeable tire noise inside the cabin, prompting me to consider switching to sports mode for overtaking on highways.<\/p>\n
ADAS: The Lane Keep Assist feature works like a charm on well-marked roads during the daytime. I tried the adaptive cruise control once, but I admit I was a bit puzzled by the set\/reset buttons. I received a collision warning on the dashboard twice, once when a scooter unexpectedly overtook me and again when I was at a safe distance from a moving bus on the highway. In both cases, I didn’t feel the brakes engaging. The lane-watch camera is incredibly useful and has quickly become my most-used feature. While a 360-degree camera would have been nice, I may not miss it once I get accustomed to the car’s dimensions.<\/p>\n
Audio System: I’m impressed with the quality of the speakers, even as a casual listener. The ability to customize audio settings, including adjusting volume balance between front and rear rows, is a nice touch. Wireless Android Auto paired seamlessly, although I did notice my phone heating up during use on a couple of occasions.<\/p>\n
Climate Control and Lighting: The AC system appears to do its job well, although ventilated seats would have been a welcomed addition. The headlight throw seems adequate for city driving, although I’ve yet to experience nighttime highway driving. The auto headlamps consistently function as expected.<\/p>\n
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