Altis 1.6 review and my ownership experience
Bought the car a year ago, clocked 15k kms on it.
I upgraded from a pre-facelift grande (2015) to a civic rebirth then finally settled for an Altis. Initial experience was that, because i downgraded from 1.8 so there definitely was a power loss (although not a significant one) mostly in low end torque. Other than that, the power is there when you need it and flooring the car once in a while definitely is fun. Fuel economy because of a 4 speed tranny is similar to that of Rebirth i.e. 9-10 city 13-14 highways. Grande’s fuel economy was slightly better. Comfort is excellent and the suspension felt a lot better compared to pre-facelift grande (mostly in handling terms). Brakes are EXCELLENT i mean i am genuinely impressed. I do miss the cruise control but I don’t really miss the CVT idk it’s just me i prefer a conventional auto. Handling is better compared to a 2015 grande but still drives like a corolla. Speakers ughh don’t even get me started. Just change em as soon as you buy the car. Unfortunately even spending 3.4m won’t be enough to get good speakers lmao.
To sum it up i’d say Performance: 8/10 Handling 6/10 Brakes: 10/10 Comfort: 10/10 Ride Quality: 8/10 Fuel Economy: 7/10. Maintenance: Corolla/10
Verdict
If you’re upgrading from a JDM, you’re gonna miss excellent cabin insulation, ride quality and comfort. However, you’re gonna gain peace of mind (new car), Reliability (corolla hai bro), confidence over speed breakers and potholes (unlike JDMs), cheaper maintenance and easily available parts and last but not the least; EXCELLENT resale value. If you’ve got the budget, i’d say go for a grande or civic. If not then 1.6 will be enough to make your ownership experience a pleasurable one. Hope it helps you get a clearer picture
