Honda City: How does it stack up against its rivals?

Needless to say, the subcompact sedan segment is one of the most competitive markets in the Philippines. This segment offers the country value-packed small sedans at affordable price points, attracting most Filipino car buyers that are in the market on a budget.

Honda City RS variant

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI), the official business unit of Honda in the country, uses the City sedan as its contender in the said segment. The model offered by the Japanese automaker is in its fifth generation, introduced in October 2020. It now bears a sportier design compared to the previous version that almost reflects the renowned design of the Honda Civic.

With various competitively priced subcompact sedan options in the country, how exactly does the Honda City stack up against its rivals? These include the Toyota Vios, Hyundai Accent, MG 5, and Mirage G4. Let’s take a deep dive into the spec sheets of these models to see which would best suit you.

Honda City: Summary of specs

The Honda City is a 5-seater subcompact sedan that utilizes a front-wheel-drive layout. Power is generated from its 1.5-liter 4-cylinder DOHC i-VTEC gasoline engine that makes 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque. Either a 6-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is coupled to the engine.

As for the dimensions, the Japanese subcompact sedan comes with measurements that span 4,553mm in length, 1,748mm in width, and 1,467mm in height. Other key stats include a ground clearance of 134mm and a 2,600mm wheelbase.

Inside the Honda City RS

Inside, the Honda City is equipped with either a 2-DIN audio head unit or an 8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, depending on the variant. The top-spec variant benefits from leather and suede seats, red trim, and eight speakers.

Standard safety features include driver, front passenger, and side airbags, vehicle stability assist (VSA), hill start assist (HSA), anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), emergency stop signal (ESS), power door locks with speed-sensing auto-lock, and ISOFIX tethers.

A sporty yet classy looking subcompact sedan

HCPI offers the Honda City a Honda City price Philippines that starts at Php 848,000 for the base 1.5 S MT variant and goes up to Php 1,058,000 for the flagship 1.5 RS CVT variant.

Honda City vs Toyota Vios

We’ll start with arguably two of the most popular subcompact sedans available in the local market, the Honda City and Toyota Vios. The Toyota Vios has an advantage over the Honda City when it comes to the options, as the former offers a total of seven variants compared to the latter’s four, to cater to the different mobility needs in the market.

Toyota Vios G variant

When it comes to size, the Toyota Vios is 4,467mm long, 1,730mm wide, and 1,475mm high, making it 86mm shorter, 18mm narrower, but 8mm higher than the Honda City. The Toyota subcompact sedan also has a wheelbase measurement that’s shorter by 50mm than its rival.

The Toyota Vios gets a smaller 6.75-inch infotainment screen, and both models support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But the Vios starts to offer leather seats at a more affordable price via the 1.5 G variants. Toyota’s subcompact sedan posts similar safety features as its Honda rival, except that it comes with an extra knee airbag for the driver.

The king of the subcompact sedan hill for years

Comparing the Honda City vs Toyota Vios in terms of drivetrain options, the Toyota Vios is offered with two engine options, namely the 1.3-liter 1NR-FE that makes 98 hp and 123 Nm of torque, and the 1.4-liter 2NR-FE engine that makes 106 hp and 140 Nm of torque. The engine can be paired to a 5-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT), much like the Honda City.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is offering the Toyota Vios at a starting price of Php 681,000 for the 1.3 Base MT variant. It can go up to Php 1,020,000 for the sporty-looking GR-S variant. With those numbers in mind, the Toyota Vios is more affordable than the Honda City, while offering more variants to suit the different needs of car buyers.

Honda City vs Hyundai Accent

Dimensions-wise, the Hyundai Accent comes with a measurement that spans 4,440mm in length, 1,729mm in width, and 1,460mm in height, and a wheelbase rated at 2,600mm. This makes the Accent smaller in almost all respects compared to the Honda City except for the wheelbase.

Hyundai Accent

The main difference between the Honda City vs Hyundai can be found in the powertrain option. The Korean subcompact sedan is offered with a diesel engine, namely the 1.6-liter CRDi VGT engine that makes 126 hp and 260 Nm torque. A 1.4-liter gasoline powertrain is also offered on the lower variants that make 99 hp and 132 Nm of torque.

Both the engine can be coupled to either a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The Hyundai Accent power to the front wheels only, just like its Honda rival. A 15-inch steel rim is used on the Accent as standard, while the City can be equipped with either a 15-inch or 16-inch alloy wheels, depending on the variant.

The model's diesel powertrain is arguably its best selling point

One can say that the Honda City gets the upper hand in terms of features and safety tech as the Accent only comes with driver and passenger airbags, and 3.8-inch LCD radio with AUX and USB connectivity. Hyundai Philippines is offering the Accent at a price that ranges from Php 790,000 to Php 1,038,000.

Honda City vs MG 5

The newest rival of the Honda City, the MG 5, is entering the local market with plenty of features car buyers can enjoy. Standard safety features of the MG 5 include the two airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with EBD, cornering brake control (CBC), and brake assist (BA), while higher-end variants get electronic stability control (ESC), electric parking brake, tire pressure monitoring system (TMPS), and four more airbags.

MG 5 subcompact sedan

Comparing the dimensions of the Honda City vs MG 5, the British-bred subcompact sedan is 4,601mm long, 1,818mm wide, and 1,489mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,680mm. Looking at these numbers, the MG 5 is larger in every aspect than its Honda rival.

Under the hood, the MG 5 is powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine capable of generating 112 hp and 150 Nm of torque, which is quite similar to the Honda City. The engine of the MG subcompact sedan can be coupled to either a 5-speed manual transmission for the base MT core variant or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with manual mode.

A relatively feature-loaded vehicle for its segment

Pricing starts at Php 658,888 for the 1.5L 5MT Core variant and goes up to Php 938,000 for the flagship 1.5L CVT Alpha variant. One can say that the MG 5 can compete at the same level as the Honda City in terms of features, but is more affordable which is beneficial for car buyers who are on a budget.

Honda City vs Mitsubishi Mirage G4

One of the toughest rivals of the Honda City is the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 due to the latter’s popularity locally. Both the Honda City and Mitsubishi Mirage G4 are 5-seater subcompact sedans that utilize a front-wheel-drive layout.

The difference is that the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 gets skimps on more features than the Honda City. Inside, the Mitsubishi subcompact sedan is equipped with a 2DIN Tuner or 7-inch touchscreen (depending on the variant), an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with EBD, and power side mirrors with integrated LED-type turn signals.

Mitsubishi Mirage G4

Powering the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 is a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine that makes 77 hp and 100 Nm of torque, sending power to the front wheels via either a 5-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Mitsubishi Mirage G4 might produce less power than the Honda City, but a smaller engine generally means better fuel efficiency, making it an ideal choice for those on a budget.

As for the dimensions, the Mitsubishi subcompact sedan bears a measurement that spans 4,305mm in length, 1,670mm in width, and 1,515mm in height. Other key measurements include a 2,550mm wheelbase and a 170mm ground clearance. Comparing the Honda City vs Mirage G4 dimension-wise, the Honda model is longer and wider, while its rival is higher.

One of the bestsellers in the subcompact sedan segment

Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corporation (MMPC) is offering the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 at a price that starts at Php 735,000 for the base GLX MT variant and goes up to Php 869,000 for the flagship GLS variant. As mentioned earlier, the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 cuts costs in more areas, making it the more affordable option over the Honda City.

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