When I decided to buy the car, pretty much everyone told me not to buy it. Why? Well, for the only reason people tell you not to buy a car i.e. resale. “Market kee garee nahi hai” or “Buy a new Corolla and be done with it!” What? I have not regretted buying the sleek CF3 one bit, since the 3 odd years that I have owned it.

The car drives like a charm. It gives me 8 to 9 kms to the liter. I had decided when I bought it that I will not install CNG to the car, and I am so far happy with that decision. At 1800 CCs, the Accord has smooth acceleration and nimble handling, thanks to the EPS (Electronic Power Steering). Of course, handling of a car has not ‘that’ much to do with the Power Steering, but the overall ‘feel’ of the drive is enhanced many folds.

I imported the Accord CF3 directly from Japan, and I registered it myself (for a whopping 60 thousand rupees or so). And before I bore you further, here are the pictures:

This car is now for sale, at PakWheels.com (Click here to see the listing)

Although the sales figures suggest that Accord has been outselling Camry looking at their specs the reason isn’t clear. Both have identical 70-litre fuel tanks, near-identical engine displacements (Accord:2354cc & Camry:2362cc) and similar Torque Ratios: 226Nm/4300rpm for Accord while for Camry it is 224Nm/6000rpm.

Top speed of Camry is listed on Toyota Indus Motors (www.indus-motors.com.pk) as 211kph for Manual Transmission version and 204kph for Automatic Transmission. Honda Pakistan (www.honda.com.pk) being more concerned with Safety & Environment hasn’t listed a top speed instead it focuses on the safety / environment-friendly features of the car.

Finally as always it all boils down to the physical ‘looks’ of the car & price of both cars. In that department Accord having a more sleek/elegant & less ‘bulky’ design that Camry (see photos for evidence) wins’ hearts & minds’ of the customer hands-down.

The other factor helping customers decide in favour of Accord is the price tag Rs.4.699M (for A/T) while Camry retails for Rs.5.999M (M/T) to Rs.6.199M (A/T).

The introduction of City (which is neither cheap nor expensive @ Rs.1.139M for 1.3L M/T & Rs.1.399M for 1.3L A/T) has ‘only’ allowed Suzuki to rias its products’ prices so that City is no at par with Liana and we being a nation ‘riased on a Suzuki’ will trust a Suzuki more while viewing the ‘reduced’  price of a Honda brand (City) with suspicion.

I myself (& those like me) have driven a Japanese-assembled Mitsubishi Lancer for about four years & it is yet to be taken to a garage so I will Insha Allah buy another Lancer once the current lease ends in May next year.

So the question is: WHOSE MARKET HAS THE CITY MOST ADVERSELY AFFECTED? I think its CIVIC’s which is (despite local-assembly) still priced slightly below the Lancer. (CIVIC 1.8L VTi Oriel @ Rs.1.734M to Mitsubishi Lancer’s 1.6L GLX @ Rs.1.899M – both M/T models).

I think Toyota has got it right. Instead of 2 brands they have ‘sub-brands’ within Corolla Brand such as Altis & 2.0D. (Altis of same displacement as Civic is a lot cheaper i.e Rs.1.639M while Altis 1.8 M/T SR is also priced below Civic VTi Oriel i.e. Rs.1.724M).

All manufacturers/marketers do make up their own names for similar technologies to ‘differentiate’ otherwise similar products. As far as I am concerned they all have engines, doors, windows, Steering, Gears & brake/clutch/accelarator pedals what else is there to have.

Although it may not be virtually unknown outside its ‘native’ Japan it won the 2007 Car of the Year award from the Japanese Automotive Researchers and Journalists Conference (RJC), and two other “Car of the Year” awards, from the Carview Corporation website and the Consumer’s Choice.

It also won the “Most Advanced Technology” Special Achievement Award at the 2006–07 Japan Car of the Year awards, where it was nominated unsuccessfully in the overall Car of the Year category, and ranked first in the Japan Mini-Car APEAL Study published by J.D. Power Asia Pacific in October 2006, with a higher score than any previous winner. Aside from the 2006 Good Design Grand Prix, its style won Design Awards from the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame (JAHFA), and the magazines Popeye and Car Styling.

Even the 2008 Car of the year 2008 Toyota’s iQ although better performance wise & designed by Toyota’s design studio in France pales in comparison to the sleek shape & georgeous look of the “i”. Agreed that microcars or ‘kei’ cars as they are known in Japan are made generally for the ladies &/or ‘sissies’ but offlate the modified versions of Smart Cars having superbike engines have been known to pack quite a muscle (0-100kph in under 3.5seconds.

“i”s breakthrough success with the said market came after a “Hello Kitty” customized “i” was put on display in a large Japanese Department Store for a week in 2007. Other close rivals include Smart Mortor’s fortow & K models, ZAP (zero air pollution), Toyota iQ the proposed Aston Martin-Toyota joint venture Cygnet & Honda’s Insight.

Suzuki has also marketed its own budget version of the smart car known as Suzuki Twin while rounding off the European competition are Mercedes-Benz’s Motsy & Subaru’s R2.

If you are the lazy type (is there any other type as well? :/ ), you probably have your car’s headlight in the dark for way too long. Changing the light yourself will not only save you money (some mechanics actually charge like Physicians), but will give you a chance to bond with your vehicle.

Here’s how it is done!

Step 1

Open the hood / bonnet of your car. Pretty simple, right.

Step 2

For the uninitiated (like I was), the car’s head light has two plugs at the back; one for head beam and the other for the ‘normal’ light.

Find the back of head light – it will have something like a round rubber covering/cap. Something like this:

Step 3

Now that you have identified the back of your head light, just reach out to the plug that goes into the light that you want to inspect/replace – and firmly pull out the plug:

Step 4

Now, remove the rubber cap, again using your hands to pull it off.

Congratulations, you have now reached the innards of your car’s light. In almost all cars (as verified by the car mechanic from whom I ‘learned’ this rocket science ), there is a small hook that fixes the actual bulb into place.

Step 5

Just give the hook a firm push and then rotate slightly upwards (or downwards, depending on the hook position in your car) – this should free the hook as you would feel it lighten up and give way.

You should be able to now easily pull out the actual bulb and holder out of the head light. Pull it out gently from the head light. The bulb is still in the holder.

Step 6

Now pull out the bulb – hold the bulb not by the glass, but by the metal casing underneath the bulb, and firmly pull the bulb and holder apart.

Now you can replace the bulb (that is why you took the damn thing out in the first place – no?! Because I took the bulb out and put it back again just to see if I can perform this surgical operation of the highest complexity)

Note, I own a Honda, and the mechanic fitted in a ‘genuine 2 number’ bulb, costing me Rupees Fifty. The ‘genuine’ bulb supposedly costs around Rupees 150. So I am told.

So, hopefully, next time you have a ‘dark side’ at the front of your car, you can replace it easily, safely and cheaply. Not to mention the affection towards your car that you feel after fixing her.

It’s brand new look, high-tech knobs and meters, smaller steering-wheel, well-researched seats, improved air-conditioning ventilators, aerodynamic exterior, is far more spacious than its predecessor. But the best feature of this City is ABS (Automatic Anti-lock Braking system). The DBW (drive by wire) technology and ABS form a lethal combo when it comes to controlling the vehicle.

Honda City’s standard version starts from Rs. 13,09,000, whiles it automatic (five speed automatic transmission) model will cost Rs. 14,29,000 seems to be a bit costly of the kind of consumers its predecessors had.

Atsushi Yamazaki, President & CEO Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Limited said, the launch of the new City marks a very important day in the Honda’s history in Pakistan. Honda City made its debut in 1996 to meet the requirements of Honda customers in Asia and as a result was introduced in Pakistan in 1997. Over the last ten years The City has grown to be an important model sold in 39 countries reaching beyond the Asian Region.

With the new City in town you can go ahead and treat yourself to a new Car in the new Year.
Mai tai Honda he lai saan!

The car is definitely a looker, but the most interesting part of this car is the engine. Hydrogen powered engines on a sports car, now that is conceptual alright! But Honda has done it, at least in concept:

“The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum,” Dan Bonawitz, vice president for American Honda, said in a statement. “People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future.”

The Honda FC Sports was revealed to the general public at the Los Angeles Auto Show this year (2008).

Honda FC Sport Pictures

P.S. There is a great list of concept cars put together at Listphobia, check it out LINK

There are some 17 pictures in the following albums of the new Honda City 2009 (due in Feb 09):

[Show as slideshow]

Some Tech Specs: The 2009 Accord Sedan is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in 13 trims (yes, you read that right, THIRTEEN trims!), ranging from the LX 5-Spd MT to the EX-L V-6 5-Spd AT w/ Navigation System. (But don’t worry, dear Pakistanis, we won’t be getting more than two trims (three tops) to choose from.) Now, moving onto the more interesting features of this car…

Aesthetics: Honda folks have pushed the aesthetics up a notch or two with their current Honda Accord (2008). I can not help but look at the car, drool, pray to own one, look some more. Then I compare the side view to BMW, the back view to BMW, the interior to a king’s castle surely and the front view to the back side of a bus! I know, I know,  this does not actually qualify as pushing aesthetics up a notch, but do not take my word for it. See the new Honda Accord 2009 for yourself.

Honda Accord 2009 Pictures

To review cars that qualify as luxury sedans, starting with Honda Accord 2009, one needs to be in the Jeremy-Clarkson mod; totally ruthless. Of course, the car in Pakistan costed 36 lacs before the rupee dipped 30 percent to the dollar, so yeah, the Accord will be comfortable, will repond to your requests, will not make you a cup of tea but will help bystanders stretch’n'twist their neck muscles. People who drive it as owners will have what any proud owner will say; it is nice :/. I await a chance to ‘properly review’ the Accord 2009.

By the way, review of Honda Accord 2002 CF3 is due anytime this week (with pictures), so stay tuned (meaning subscribe by email or RSS).

So now it is confirmed, Honda City 2009 is being launched in Pakistan in February of 2009.

A review of Honda cars in Pakistan in general, and Honda City in particular is coming up here at CarAdvice.pk, and if it is anything like the Suzuki Mehran review, you guys better stay tuned.

You can book the new Honda City for PKR 1,052,000. The engine size (and the engine technology) seems to remain at 1300 CC. (As opposed to the anticipated 1500 CC only).

Honda City 2009 is definitely more pleasing to look at as compared to the current City that you see on the road nowadays. The backside of a bus looks more pleasing than the current City, but let us leave that for another post .

If your internet connection permits, check out this video of the new Honda City at YouTube.