Quote Originally Posted by jut703 View Post
Between the Altis and the City, as cast_no_shadow mentioned, the question really is - do you want a fully-loaded subcompact, or a mid-level compact?

Personally, I want the most upscale-looking car for my budget. At this price range, the Altis definitely looks more executive, more commanding, and more appealing than the City.

But more than just looks and presence, going for the Altis also has the following advantages:

* More space - simply put, the bigger car has a more cavernous interior. It also has a bigger trunk, and 60/40 split-folding rear seats if you ever need to haul large/long items.

* Better ride comfort - in city driving, the Altis exhibits better insulation from outside noise, and stays more composed when going through ruts and potholes. The City has improved greatly in terms of its ride comfort compared to the old City, but the Altis is still on a different level. On the highway, the narrow profile of the City combined with its skinny 185/55R16 tires make it less stable and more prone to crosswinds compared to the wider Altis with fatter 205/55R16 tires.

As already discussed, the biggest advantage of the City over the Altis is that the former has more toys. Specifically, it's got the following features that the Altis doesn't have:

- Touch screen audio and aircon controls
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Smartphone mirroring on the head unit
- Push-button ignition
- 3 12V sockets vs just 1 on the Altis
- Backup camera

To be fair, the Altis also has some features that the City doesn't have. Not as fancy, but could be important to you as well:

- 60/40 split rear seats
- Full size spare tire (City only has a donut)
- Larger fuel tank (55L vs 40L) for less fillups during long drives
- 6 speakers (vs 4 on the City)
- An actual temperature gauge (vs just a warning light on the City)
- Rear armrest with 2 cupholders

Aside from features, the City also has the advantage of being easier to squeeze through tight traffic or small parking spaces because it's a narrower car. Then of course, there's the advantage that the City VX is a CVT which is much more comfortable to drive in heavy traffic compared to the MT Altis G.

And while you don't drive fast, you should still note that the engines of these cars are quite different, even if they have roughly the same power output (City has 120 ps, Altis has 122).

The City has very little grunt in the lower rev range (1000-3000 rpm), but still enough to putter around town. If you need brisk acceleration, you'll have to put your foot down and increase the revs to 5000 rpm and up to maximize the power of the car. With just 1,100 kg, the City is actually fast when pushed to its redline.

The Altis, on the other hand, feels much peppier from a standstill, even at lower rpms. It has a flatter powerband; no Jekyll-and-Hyde transformations when transitioning to the higher rev range, just constant torque and power as you floor the pedal. Fuel consumption is roughly the same for the two cars.

Ultimately, you'll have to weigh what criteria matters to you most. But you can't really go wrong with either car as both are good all-rounders.
Thanks Jut! I cannot answer that for now but based on what you've pointed, Altis will be a better pick. I may not be needing those added features that the City has except for the reverse camera which is very helpful in parking at night. This will be my first choice for now. Any known issues with the current Altis? I know that there is this "warranty" but just making sure.

Lastly, your thoughts / insight with the Kia Forte? Vs. the Altis, what I can think of is the resale value later on. I normally buy a new vehicle after 4 to 5 yrs of ownership.

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Quote Originally Posted by jut703 View Post
Between the Altis and the City, as cast_no_shadow mentioned, the question really is - do you want a fully-loaded subcompact, or a mid-level compact?

Personally, I want the most upscale-looking car for my budget. At this price range, the Altis definitely looks more executive, more commanding, and more appealing than the City.

But more than just looks and presence, going for the Altis also has the following advantages:

* More space - simply put, the bigger car has a more cavernous interior. It also has a bigger trunk, and 60/40 split-folding rear seats if you ever need to haul large/long items.

* Better ride comfort - in city driving, the Altis exhibits better insulation from outside noise, and stays more composed when going through ruts and potholes. The City has improved greatly in terms of its ride comfort compared to the old City, but the Altis is still on a different level. On the highway, the narrow profile of the City combined with its skinny 185/55R16 tires make it less stable and more prone to crosswinds compared to the wider Altis with fatter 205/55R16 tires.

As already discussed, the biggest advantage of the City over the Altis is that the former has more toys. Specifically, it's got the following features that the Altis doesn't have:

- Touch screen audio and aircon controls
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Smartphone mirroring on the head unit
- Push-button ignition
- 3 12V sockets vs just 1 on the Altis
- Backup camera

To be fair, the Altis also has some features that the City doesn't have. Not as fancy, but could be important to you as well:

- 60/40 split rear seats
- Full size spare tire (City only has a donut)
- Larger fuel tank (55L vs 40L) for less fillups during long drives
- 6 speakers (vs 4 on the City)
- An actual temperature gauge (vs just a warning light on the City)
- Rear armrest with 2 cupholders

Aside from features, the City also has the advantage of being easier to squeeze through tight traffic or small parking spaces because it's a narrower car. Then of course, there's the advantage that the City VX is a CVT which is much more comfortable to drive in heavy traffic compared to the MT Altis G.

And while you don't drive fast, you should still note that the engines of these cars are quite different, even if they have roughly the same power output (City has 120 ps, Altis has 122).

The City has very little grunt in the lower rev range (1000-3000 rpm), but still enough to putter around town. If you need brisk acceleration, you'll have to put your foot down and increase the revs to 5000 rpm and up to maximize the power of the car. With just 1,100 kg, the City is actually fast when pushed to its redline.

The Altis, on the other hand, feels much peppier from a standstill, even at lower rpms. It has a flatter powerband; no Jekyll-and-Hyde transformations when transitioning to the higher rev range, just constant torque and power as you floor the pedal. Fuel consumption is roughly the same for the two cars.

Ultimately, you'll have to weigh what criteria matters to you most. But you can't really go wrong with either car as both are good all-rounders.
Thanks Jut! I cannot answer that for now but based on what you've pointed, Altis will be a better pick. I may not be needing those added features that the City has except for the reverse camera which is very helpful in parking at night. This will be my first choice for now. Any known issues with the current Altis? I know that there is this "warranty" but just making sure.

Lastly, your thoughts / insight with the Kia Forte? Vs. the Altis, what I can think of is the resale value later on. I normally buy a new vehicle after 4 to 5 yrs of ownership.