We’ve all been new drivers at a certain point in time. The rule of thumb was to practice in a vehicle that was just the right size, with all the basic features to keep you in check. Some say that modern-day vehicles and all their high-tech safety technologies have dulled drivers’ senses though. We believe that the base-model Honda City S 1.5 CVT successfully strikes the balance between new-school gadgetry and old-school driving dynamics. Arguably, it’s the best vehicle to learn how to drive in, eventually becoming one’s first car and something the family can reliably use if needed. Here’s why.

It’s Extremely Maneuverable

One look at the Honda City S and you’ll notice how compact it is. Save for the front fascia and its sizeable chrome bits running alongside its Halogen Projector headlights, the rest of the body is slender. Everything has a purpose and no space is wasted at all. For example, those black accents at the front aren’t functional vents like you’d see on performance-oriented vehicles, but they definitely add a hint of aggression to the car’s exterior.

As a result of its size, the vehicle is perfect for Philippine city streets and side roads. There are quite a bit of detours that Waze will send you to, due to the holiday traffic on major thoroughfares. Some of these may only be a lane and a half in width, sometimes even obstructed further by parked cars and tricycles. The Honda City S manages to squeeze through these tight alleyways with relative ease.

This maneuverability will put a new driver’s spatial awareness to the test, but won’t make it impossible to be successful.

Safe, But Will Still Polish Driver Skill

Admittedly, before this Honda City S, it had been years before we had driven a vehicle without a reverse sensor or a camera. Our parking skills had definitely grown a bit rusty. With this car and its beginner-friendly drivability, it’s the perfect platform to teach someone the necessary skills to park without the assistance of technology. Whether that’s your conventional methods of parking or something as intimidating as parallel parking, either one would be doable here.

Especially as a new driver, that feeling of relief after having parked the car in a tight spot and leaving it behind is incomparable.

Now you may think that the vehicle is ancient for not having parking assists. That’s a wrong assumption, as even the base Honda City S comes equipped with Dual SRS airbags, adjustable three-point seatbelts with front electronic reminders, ABS, electronic brake-force distribution, hill start assist, emergency stop signals, and speed-sensing door locks. It’s by no means analog – which makes it a safe option for new drivers just about anywhere.

Practical Interior With Great View

Step into the cabin and its ergonomic design will immediately catch your eye. It’s a no-frills interior wherein everything is easily within reach and it’ll fit right into your daily life. As expected of the base-model Honda City S, we don’t get much of anything besides plastics here. However, everything still has that solid Honda feel that screams “well thought-out” and “refined” despite its simplicity, something we find exceptional in this vehicle. One fine example are the A/C controls. While they’re quite minimalistic-looking knobs, the mechanical clicking sound they give off is reassuring and a symphony to our ears.

New drivers won’t have a difficult time navigating the interior or reading the speed or revs off the speedometer. Honda has opted for a simple analog gauge cluster rather than those complicated digital dashboards. Visibility is astounding as well with vast windows and a lack of terrifying blind spots.

While we did mention that simplicity was the name of the game here, there are still touches of modernity present within the cabin. An engine start-stop button makes itself available to press instead of your conventional key setup, while a touchscreen display with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto featuresets enhance your drive by that much. It’s an unusual sight to see the same head unit available across the range, all the way to the base model.

We’re not exaggerating when we say that having your navigation, music, and everything else displayed on the screen is a million times better than having to look at it from your smartphone. It definitely minimizes distractions while driving as it’s within your line of sight – another important learning milestone for new drivers. There are also USB ports aplenty throughout the interior to make sure your devices are topped up and ready to go.

Engine Power Is Not Too Plenty, But Not Lacking

The Honda City S comes with a 1.5-liter DOHC i-VTEC four-banger coming up to a total power figure of 121 PS and 145Nm of torque. Considering the vehicle’s barely over a thousand kilos at 1,120 kg, this power is more than enough to make the car feel peppy just about anywhere. It won’t make you feel like you need more power, nor will there be questions of “makakaakyat ba ‘to ng Baguio?”

It’s already a big plus to have sufficient power on urban streets, but it shines on the highways. You can conduct overtakes without struggle which definitely helps in learning expressway lane etiquette. Another perk of possessing overtaking capabilities are on provincial service roads where you would need to drive past slow trucks and jeepneys. Doing so would require being on the opposite lane and counterflowing just a bit to get to the front. Minimizing the time spent on the opposite lane by making a smooth, speedy overtake is something that can easily be performed in the Honda City S.

Despite the presence of mechanical thrust, it’s not a rocket ship. It will definitely never feel like you can’t control it or dangerous to drive. It’s forgiving towards heavy-footed individuals but still will allow new drivers to be able to feel out a sense of speed. The CVT installed isn’t anemic at all which is a huge win in our books. Sure, having knowledge of how to drive a manual transmission could be a benefit, but it isn’t nearly as common nowadays.’

The Honda City S Is Fuel Efficient For Any Purpose

What’s the best way to refine your driving skills? There are a million theories, but experience is always the best teacher. Simply driving around gives any driver some time to get used to the vehicle and to driving in general. In the Honda City S, it doesn’t as expensive as it would get in most other vehicles.

The brand actually advertised controlled highway numbers of 25.17 kilometers/liter which are splendid numbers. On the other hand, this was done with an extremely fuel-efficient drive in mind; minimizing A/C fan speeds and RPMs to do so. In our real-world testing the Honda City S achieved figures closer to around 12-13 kilometers/liter in gridlock Metro Manila traffic and 18-19 kilometers/liter on the highways, but with the A/C blasting on high and various instances of overtaking.

While not as eye-catching as the advertised number, it’s still impressive considering I would turn the “ECO” mode off to get a better feel of the car’s performance. That also includes some spirited driving on mild twisties on an out-of-town trip.

Honda City S: With all that being said….

The Honda City S CVT remains to be a brilliant vehicle for new drivers or growing families. It’s simple yet refined, which makes it ideal for the everyday commute as well. It’s the dependable type of car that can be anyone’s first and will definitely be staying in the owner’s garage for a long, long time.

It’s currently priced at just below a million pesos: PHP 938,000 to be exact. Check out more details on the brand’s official website, here. To check out our review on the range-topping RS hatchback version of the City, click here.