[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/35938330800/[/flickr]
The car has well-balanced driving dynamics
Also, I’d like to take the liberty of saying that the Honda Amaze is a very fun car to drive around. The chassis feels well-balanced to me, with ride and handling characteristics pretty much on point. The ride isn’t the plushest out there but it is far from bad and I love this balance. The steering also offers good feedback and the agile chassis mated to the compact dimensions of the car make it interesting to drive. The gearbox is also slick with very short throws. I used the boot of the car on just one occasion and the first thing that I noticed is that even though the cargo-carrying capacity isn’t the best on paper, the boot is actually shaped nicely, allowing you to fit your luggage comfortably.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/35938330280/[/flickr]
Interiors of this facelifted Amaze are way better than the older car
Honda knows how to cleverly extract the most space from the cabins of their cars
Moreover, there are good storage spaces in the cabin with large bottle-holders in each door, and some small storage areas on the centre console as well as the dashboard. The black and beige colour theme works well and the interiors feel pleasant in aesthetics. The seats are also beige, which means they are prone to stains. In fact, my long term car also came with a couple of stains on the seat which didn’t really look pleasant. The exteriors of the car look good and the compact dimensions make driving and parking so much easier, though I would personally still prefer a premium hatchback to a compact sedan.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/35938330010/[/flickr]
The Amaze would’ve felt much better with some more features
However, even though the Amaze didn’t disappoint, I do have some grouses. First up, it misses out on a lot of equipment. It doesn’t get a reverse camera, no parking sensors, no push-button start, no auto-unlock doors and no touchscreen! While push-button start isn’t really a must-have feature, the least Honda could’ve done was provide parking sensors because they do come in quite handy in tight parking spots. Pressing the door unlock button after shutting the engine was another thing that bugged me. The quality of materials on the inside isn’t the best but it isn’t bad either, somewhere in the middle ground. What I must mention here is that there were absolutely no rattles from anywhere inside the cabin and everything felt nicely put together. The front seats are good in size but somehow I felt my lower back to be aching after 2-3 hour long drives in the car.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/36166128982/[/flickr]
Amaze is one of the cheapest cars to maintain in its segment
Honda Amaze i-DTEC Service Costs
1. Service Schedule – 10,000 kms/6 months (whichever is earlier)
2. Cost of Service per 1,00,000 Km – Rs. 49,081/-
3. Cost of Spares –
* Engine Oil Per Service – Rs. 1785/-
* Brake Oil – Rs. 322/-
* Oil Filter – Rs. 426/-
* Fuel Filter – Rs. 1323/-
* Brake Pads (Front) – Rs. 3000/-
* Front Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 2500/- (est.)
* Rear Bumper (without painting) – Rs. 2800/- (est.)
* Headlamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 3200/- (est.)
* Tail Lamp Assembly (Each) – Rs. 3700/- (est.)
