Comparison review: Honda City, Holden Cruze, Kia Cerato
July 6, 2009 by Nadine Armstrong
2009 Holden Cruze CDX v 2009 Kia Cerato SLi v 2009 Honda City VTi-L
Small cars, big market…
By – Nadine Armstrong Pics – Paul Maric
Big cars are getting smaller, small cars are getting bigger, SUVs are multiplying like an alien life form and sexy hatches bring considerable street cred.
In an industry made up of more than 50 manufacturers, each offering a line-up of models, engine and transmission variants, and where customisation is king, it’s no surprise that buyers can experience an overwhelming sense of confused excitement.
The car industry is blurring the lines and pushing boundaries like never before.
However, not everyone takes to the task of buying a new car with the spec for spec rigour of a motoring journalist, analysing industry segments, gear ratios and wheelbase measurements.
Sometimes it’s as simple as determining needs, likes and dislikes and the all-important budget.
Here we look at three relative newcomers to Australia, all of which are stalking buyers from a similar market and all sit within a tight price bracket.
We also draw on the opinion and expertise of four motoring writers who represent a diverse consumer base and largely different personal preferences. With that in mind, our aim is to give you the best advice and insight on these vehicles as they compete for your attention, rather than announcing a definitive winner.
| Honda City VTi-L 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, petrol, five-speed auto |
Holden Cruze CDX 1.8-litre, four-cylinder, petrol, six-speed auto |
Kia Cerato SLi 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, petrol, five-speed manual |
| $25,290* | $25,990* | $ 22,990* |
| *recommended price before statutory and delivery charges | ||
| 88kW at 6600 rpm | 104kW at 6200 rpm | 115kW at 6200 |
| 145Nm at 4800 rpm | 176Nm at 3800 rpm | 194Nm at 4300 |
| 6.6 L/per 100km – manufacturer claim 5.6 L/per 100km – achieved on test route |
7.5 L/per 100km – manufacturer claim 9.3 L/per 100km – achieved on test route |
7.8 L/per 100km – manufacturer claim 6.2 L/per 100km – achieved on test route |
| 16” alloys | 17” alloys | 17” alloys |
| 3yr/100,000km warranty | 3yr/100,000km warranty | 5yr/unlimited km warranty |
| +: fuel efficient, nimble -: poor sound insulation, sparse interior |
+: premium spec, 5-star safety -: auto transmission, hard seats |
+: comfort, handling -: gear ratios mismatched, lacks polish |
The Honda City’s name speaks for its credentials. Around town, it excels as a petite and competent package of style plus form.
Its angular lines stay true to other Honda family models such as the Civic and Accord, but in more delicate proportions. Its 1.5-litre engine is well suited to short trip city driving and returns great fuel economy.
The City is incredibly nimble and simple to manouvre and I can see why this could be a great choice for city drivers who need more space than a smaller car or hatch has to offer.
Lure the City out of its natural habitat however, onto the open roads and more demanding country landscapes, and it suffers from performance anxiety.
While cruising at 100km/h is manageable, the high winds and steep hills pose a challenge for the City. The auto transmission is in indecisive and strains in the range between 90-110km/h. Freeway wind and road noise is also quite intrusive.
The City’s price point is a sticking point for all. David’s valid observation is that the City wouldn’t be in the comparison if it were priced correctly.
The Kia Cerato, currently a long-term test car at CarAdvice, continues to impress even the harshest of critics. Paul describes it as a wolf in sheep’s clothing – and for good reason.
In our line-up, the Cerato is probably the most conservative of all three cars to look at, and yet it boasts the biggest engine and most power.
The Cerato performed above our expectations in this comparison, with only a few low points, primarily to do with the gear ratios; it’s near impossible to achieve a smooth transition through the gears.
The chorus-like cry for a six-speed set the tone for the day in the Cerato, coupled with the fact that there wasn’t much else to complain about. The Cerato emerged relatively unscathed by its critics on the day.
The Cerato’s 2.0-litre engine is currently mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, which does it few favours. While power is good and the engine is responsive, the gear ratios seem mismatched and this results in a slightly unsatisfying result. Freeway cruising was no chore for the Cerato and it tackled high winds and steep hills with ease.
In the flesh, the Holden Cruze looks like it belongs in an entirely different class. Its styling, inside and out, makes the Cerato and City look like frigid wall-flowers. The Cruze exudes a confident sense of masculinity and pomp that neither of its rivals comes close to matching.
The overall aesthetic value of the Cruze adds great appeal. You feel like you’re getting so much more for your money, and you possibly are. Whether or not this makes up for a lack-lustre performance from the auto transmission is a matter of personal preference.
The engine also lacks refinement and regularly let out painful, thrashing howls, which rudely intrude upon the plush cabin, despite its good insulation.
Travelling identical drive routes that covered a variety of road conditions, fuel economy results delivered a mixed bag. The 1.8-litre Cruze came in at 9.3L/100km, the 2.0-litre Cerato returned an impressive 6.2L/100km, and the Honda City’s 1.5-litre engine drank only 5.6L/100km.
When all four of us poured into one car at a time, styling preferences, comfort and power challenges became obvious.
Starting with the City, surprise can best describe the overall opinion when it came to space – head, leg and shoulder – is quite good. With the exception of one product-assisted hairstyle, clearance is good and all passengers can be comfortably seated. Even pushing three adult passengers into the second row is doable. Just like its voluminous boot, which at 506 litres makes it the biggest of all three, the City’s interior is deceptively spacious.
The City’s interior design is sparse and doesn’t hang together cohesively. Although, this less traditional style may well appeal to a fresh, young market who loathe sweeping interiors that reek of wood grain potential.
Early in the day Matt voiced a concern shared by all, the lack of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) on the City, even as an option.
The Cerato came through as the most comfortable of all three cars, with good room all round and comfortable contoured seats. With three in the second row the Cerato remains comfortable. While the interior styling of the Cerato is not the most inspired, it covers all the basics and is far from offensive. It’s a very comfortable cabin and seating position and cabin ergonomics are good.
Jumping into the Cruze, the premium spec, which includes leather finish and heated front seats, makes the other two cars pale by comparison. However it fails to compete with the comfort and space of the Cerato.
Legroom is not as good and the seats are hard and unsupportive. The actual driving position however, rates as the best of all three. It feels more natural and offers greater adjustability than the Cerato, whereas the Honda City suffers criticism and induced child-like giggles because of its perky seating position.
On our uphill stress test, the City continued to surprise. While the cabin filled with engine noise as it screamed for help and dropped like a stone through the gears, the City’s 1.5-litre engine did it proud.
The Cruze gave off some similar cries of pain as we pushed up hill and, despite its six-ratios, it struggled to find the right gear, but not to the same extent. The Cerato, with a 2.0-litre engine and manual transmission on its side, performed effortlessly.
The steering of each three vehicles was typical for their size and weight. The City has light and direct steering, which is better suited to suburban streets than challenging bends taken at higher speeds.
The Cerato provides greater feedback through the steering wheel and can easily manage high speed cornering. It has a nice, confident turn in and tracks well on long freeway stretches.
The Cruze feels the heaviest of all cars and the steering feedback reflects this. It’s not quite as dynamic to steer as the Cerato but remains tidy and confident in all conditions.
On paper, engines aside, these rivals appear to compete on fairly even ground. All three tick most of the must have boxes, to include: a full suite of airbags; anti-lock braking systems, electronic brake force distribution and brake assist; keyless entry; cruise control; multi-function steering wheels; split fold seats; alloy wheels; iPod/Auxiliary/USB compatibility; tilt and telescopic steering adjust; power windows and mirrors; and full-size spare wheels.
The lack of ESC on the City could be a deal breaker for some. It comes standard on our Cerato SLi, and is optional on the Cerato S, while it is standard across the entire range of Cruze models.
The Cruze is also the only car to score a five-star ANCAP rating – again, this result is consistent across the entire range. The Cerato scores a four-star rating, because the non-ESC Cerato S was tested by ANCAP. The City is yet to be rated by ANCAP, although it shares its platform and mechanicals with the Honda Jazz, which has a four-star rating.
No car slides to home base without its flaws. So, sadly, it’s often a case of small compromises.
If you’re looking purely from a bang-for-your-buck perspective, it’s hard to look past the Cruze. If you want a more lively and competent engine, it’s the Cerato, hands down, but if you’re after a perky, everyday drive with great fuel economy, the City is for you.
Keep in mind that the intent behind this comparison is not to discover the biggest, fastest and coolest, but to assess the overall package within a defined budget.
On an individual basis, this is how we see it:
Matt votes; Cerato, Cruze, City
Cerato is my pick of the bunch. It’s powerful, frugal and well sorted dynamically, while at the same time affording owners exceptional value for money.
Paul votes; Cruze, Cerato, City
I’d have to go with the Cruze. The Cerato just doesn’t feel right on the road, while the City is abysmally gutless! The Cruze is my choice, but is let down by a dreadful engine/gearbox combination. Put a diesel in the Cerato and it could be a different outcome altogether.
Nadine votes; Cruze, Cerato, City
I can’t go past the overall value for money package that the Cruze offers. And the interior style and premium finish kills its rivals in this case. On any normal day, I’d continue to look elsewhere. But with these three cars to choose from, I pick the Cruze.
David votes; Cerato, Cruze, City
Kia Cerato because it is good looking, represents good value for money, has excellent safety specs and most of the little things I like such as iPod connectivity.
Should you wish to dig deeper, CarAdvice has conducted road tests of each of these cars in varying models.
Read more on the Holden Cruze
Read more on the Kia Cerato
Read more on the Honda City
Print it: 
Yeah I really liked the look of the TT-36 Torana.. Not only thaat but a number of design cues & features from the TT-36 Torana which made their way into the VE; so I suspect VF will just be a further “evolution” of those ideas.
I wonder if the LED Mood-lighting will be in the VF?
Yes it certainly seemed to be a pre-cursor didnt it… My only worry is that we havent seen a concept from the Holden camp in recent time.. Hopefully they are working on something in there!!!
Mood lighting LOL. Maybe a TT6 will rear its head~ haha.. if only.
^^ Forgot to mention the coupe60!!! Maybe thats coming!!! :/
The Coupe 60 is coming Crouchy – Classic Carlectables are releasing a 1:18 scale model in the next couple of months -
I’ve already ordered mine.. not sure about the TT-36 though
based on just the looks … i like the cerato … Saw cruze and it needs a little getting used to. City, looks odd from some angles ….
if i had to choose i would go for the Kia … better warranty and cheaper than the gutless honda.
As for Cruze i read they are planning to launch a 1.4l Turbo, in 2010 … anyone else hear the same??
City – needs full styling makeover
Cruze – needs Japanese engine and gearbox
Cerato – needs better interior materials
i choose cerato. lol at cruze with the fuel consumption. the honda looks like the hunch back of notadam and the cruza looks like a gangster wannabe with all the chrome.
Is that a typo?
Cerato missed 5-star not because ANCAP tested a non-ESC mode. The score barely made 4-star.
Its amazing how a 2009 Cerato and Barina achieves 26.63 and 24.89…when the older 2005 Yaris and 2006 Mazda 3 gets 34.95 and 32.49.
If I had to choose I would take the Cruze. Not the tested CDX model though. I rather a $30k medium/large car than a $25k small car.
I choose the Cerato > Cruze > City
Cerato
+
Great looking car, strong engine, competitively priced,
-
Bland Interior (cheap plastic look)
_______________________
Cruze
+
CDX Variant looks quite nice in the metal, 5 Star ANCAP Safety Rating, Stunning Interior
-
Thirsty, Smallish Engine (for weight)
_______________________
City
+
Fuel Economy
-
Cost, No Market (Have not seen one on the road since the launch)
That’s just my 2 cents.
I’m interested on how you arrived at you fuel consumption for the test CA. I think another person may have been driving (the Cruze) when compared to the other two cars.
If the fuel consumption came back as you suggest, then Holden is reporting a misleading figure and is breaking the law.
I also don’t like how the “salesman like pitch” of combined fuel consumption is given in these comparisons.
The Urban figure is a better representation of real driving. Cruze 11.1l/100km, Kia 10.6l/100km, and Honda City 8.6l/100km.
Ok, I will stand up for the poor shunned Honda City. I saw one only tonight on the road Brendon, a blue one. It looked very smart. It should definitely be available with stability control, that is unforgivable. However, I think people buy Hondas because they perceive the vehicle to have built in value and quality. This is how they justify paying the extra $5K to themselves when they decide against the Cerato. If a purchaser was planning to keep their new car for a long time, I would forgive them for choosing the City if only for the reason that after 10 years of motoring, not only is it likely the car will still be in terrific condition, the engine should still have plenty of life left in it. Basically, what Im saying is that a 10 year old Honda is still a nice car, where as a 10 year old Kia or Holden is past its ‘best before’ and should be handled with care.
Sam, i agree about the assessment of buying a Honda for longevity, but at this price, i think it’s better buying a base model Civic than the City. Civic is a better car with better engine, chassis, interior quality.
Of them, my choice is Cruze –> It’s a crappy car but it has nailed at correct spot: safety. 5 star –> offset crash score 15.06/16.
No, Cerato would still be 4 star with ESC. Frontal offset crash score 9/16. That’s fatal for any crash. Except safety aspect –> cerato is the best of them.
City is just a costly clown here. City is much cheaper in country like India – but I don’t know why it is so expensive here.
My real choice would be Lancer – value, safety, quality, warranty.
food 4 thought guys,
at the minute cruze is a winning thing 4 holden.the cdx looks like the big seller(at least so far),but i honestly can see the cd with a equipe pack in the not to distant future.try alloy wheels(holden now want $450 each for cd 16″,spare me)maybe fog lamps,rear sensors,leather wrap steering wheel and gear knob,for say $22-24k drive away…
The Cruze was always going to come up with the worst fuel economy compared to a manual & a much smaller car but it’s still a fairly poor result for an all new model.
The diesel manual really is the pick of the Cruze range, I wouldn’t say the petrol is terribly but it’s definitely a bit lacking.
I’d like to see the Cruze & Cerato (aren’t they two of the poxiest names) compared against some of the more established cars in the classs.
If its true that you can buy a Japanese Lancer for LESS than these Koran/Thailand made you would be made.
I think a test of the Lance or compare it to these above is in order.
Lancer-
Loaded with MORE gear, better warranty, roadside assist, longer service interval, safety pack included, cvt auto, better built and better backed as per the advert.
Would have lapped this lot
O/A
Hmm… pardon all for my earlier ignorance when I couldn’t believe Honda City is $25,290. I guess that says it all… What an overpriced piece of mediocrity, misplaced in the current economy…
Hey Peeps,
I’ve been a Ford man all my life and would never consider downsizing to a 4 banger.
Though that was seriously put to the test when I took my Mrs car shopping a few days back.
As per the above review, they were right in not including the lancer in the line up as I would seriously have it up against the Mazda 6 and Honda Accord.
We took the Lancer Aspire
( I think it is the model above the VRX ) out for a test drive and was amazed at how it performed. The 2.4 litre was slow off the mark but throw it into sports mode and you zoom away.
For what was offered I would not hesitate parting my cash for it.
Well if the only blight on the Cruze is performance and fuel economy get the diesel – no contest then.
Modern interior and all the safety equipment giving 5 stars makes for a very solid package.
So the City did 5.6 l/100k – was that what the trip computer said or was that the REAL figure as calculated by distance travelled/fuel used? The trip computer on the new Jazz/City is hopelessly optimistic, being (on my experience, with closely monitored fills and mileage) up to 11% inaccurate, and over 7% inaccurate on average, with the inaccuracy flattering the car.
Now even if the trip computer was reasonably accurate, it could still have around a 2% margin of error, but 7% is way too high.
Andrew M^^^^
“Agree with most,
But my bang for your buck would go to the Lancer.
If you cant afford dropping a couple of features or increasing your budget”
Errr, the Lancer already has MORE equipment and currently being sold for less than the other inferior 3.
Based on that the Lancer is EASILY the best V/F/M on the market at the low $20’s DRIVEAWAY
Cheers
F-0
Rick,
CA have tested the diesel Cruze and its summed up as not being the best drive train in diesel guise either.
From memory economy came in at near 9L too!!!!!
Frugal,
Thats exactlly what I said, Thanks for the echo.
I was talking in reference to the Mazda 3.
I said if you cant afford to stretch the budget further or sacrifice a couple of extras, then the Lancer satisfies because it is in the price range of these 3 and has good kit. But in saying that, price points aside, the 3 is easily the class leader
I will question you though, if you say the Lancer has more kit, does it now come with the extra airbags standard???
Previously the ES only got 3 bags standard.
F-O,
I have just re-read and have seen how you must have interpereted what i said.
Well I guess the Cruze should have worse fuel efficiency,smaller engine heavier car and from my experience auto cars are thirstier on fuel than manuals,which the Cerato is.
AndrewM^^^^
The Lancer ES has 3 airbags as std. a option for a further 4 [total of 7] is $800 extra.
It has traction control, stability control, trip computer etc all as std. while the others its optional, and in haondas case, not even available.
Hope that clears it up.
Oh, and “Made In Japan” best warranty and back up to boot!
Cheers
F-0
PS On the Mitsu. website they have them for $20,880 driveaway and then “09 runout model” so a new [improved?] MY10 must be getting released soon?
Sorry, a bit off-topic, but: I’d agree with the comments about the Lancer being good value, and with good levels of standard equipment. But, when I test drove one, it was so noisy! The road noise was very bad. I know noise is subjective – do others think the Lancer is noisier than the opposition?
John^^^^
*Maybe* this alleged issue has been adressed [i think?]
Sent a email to MMA and just got this reply:
“We acknowledge receipt of your enquiry regarding the new Mitsubishi Lancer.
With regard to the upgraded Lancer, which will be released later this year, there will be slight specification changes.”
They never said what is going to change, maybe C/A can shine some light in this area?
Cheers
F-0
F-O,
that clears nothing up……. in fact it confuses your point further
Damn right the extra bags are only 800 bucks extra, but then they arent exactlly standard are they????
Cruze has the bags and stability control as standard whereas you imply they arent…..
John I have to agree with you, the Lancer did not impress me with it’s road manners or vocal sound track either. If money was the Discerning factor and I had to get the most for my dollar I would struggle to go past runnout LT Focus CL, no thrills and WAAAY down on equipment but at under 19K drive away it’s the best driver (manual) or if driving wasn’t the be all, and I was looking a transport and room then but ugly Tiida wins. Of the tested three I probably lean towards the Kia, as it seems the better overall package.
Frontman,
they were doing the CL with frre alloys, safety pack and a couple of other goodies for that coin not so long ago. not sure if it still comes with that.
Either way 19K is good value for a car of its calibre.
Still, I would probably tick 8K worth of boxes on a Focus before buying a Kia badge even though it seems a little fresher.
I just cant help but feel the Cerato would be a bigger hit with at least a Hyundai badge on it
I’m not sure how CA came up with the fuel economy for the Cruze. The car I drove had around 2′500K’s on the clock and it was showing a combined average of 7.8L/100. I drove it for 190kms and gave it a good test and took it back with it showing 8.0/100. I spoke to the sales guys and they said that it had been give a bit of a thrash since being put on the demo fleet, all of which was in and around the suburbs bar one drive to Warragul and back where it averaged 6.5/100 after having the trip computer re-set. I would only assume that it would improve with more “k’s” up. I have read plenty of local and overseas reports that show much better economy. The end result of the drive is that a new Cruze will sit in my sisters driveway in 6 weeks time.
Tried to convince her to wait until later in the year when the new 1.4 turbo engine is released but she liked it so much, she had to have one. Like yesterday!
Believe me it is a good car. Much better than a Corolla, City or Cerato.
Interesting Comparison. I’d class City as a light car. But Cerato is certainly good looking. But Holden Cruze tops it. Better than a Corolla thats 4 sure. My friend has a 2009 Corolla sedan & it looks awful. Lines all over the place. Toyota couldn’t give a stuff really.
Holden Cruze looks really good inside & great outside. Holden always manage 2 take great attractive pics of their cars. It is selling, i know. Out of stock in some areas. Just the petrol engine is the only con. Once its made in Australia & has its facelift & 1.4 Turbo, it will soar. I don’t really care thats its made in Korea. Get over it. I’m sick of ppl not liking it cause its made in Korea. Can’t change it. Just accept it. Its 1 of the best cars to come out of Korea EVER! Go HOLDEN :)
BTW I’d rather any other small car to lead other than Corolla. F%$KING UGLY.
I’m with you Byron!
Life has just got a LOT more difficult for this trio, you can currently buy private buyer market-leader Corolla [most of the time] BigT[tm.F-0] in auto driveaway for $24k!
Koreans are DREAMING, this lot needs to be loaded [ie up spec.model] auto/driveaway for UNDER $20k, only a fool would buy one of these over a Japanese legend such as the Corolla at the price they are offering it.
Once again a bit of a nod for the Lancer due to its MY09 run out status.
Cheers
F-0
hang on frugal one,
24k corolla(with how many bags,no esp,no cruise,no auto lights,smaller boot,no rear powerdows etc)vrs 26k cruze(and lets face in,cruze is nicer inside than corolla).be fair now(and yes,i believe holden are making good coin on every one)…
F-O why would you chose the darling of the four cylinder fleet world with Equal road dynamics to the three tested here with ludicrously small boot area and poor equipment levels (comparatively) over these three vehicles?? Don’t give me the resale resale resale argument because the amount of ex renter and Govco Fleet Corolla’s comming back onto the market is driving them down in exactly the same way it did to th 6’s.
The Kia has more room better performance and more equipment and when driving the two back to back the KIA drives better.
Frontman^^^^
Noted your comments and seem spot on.
The Corolla will sell because its a BigT[tm.F-0] Corolla and is great vehicle for what your paying.
But yeah, no class leader, and almost pov.pack in what you get.
Once again, Made In Japan Mitsubishi Lancer ES [sedan/hatch] $20,880 DRIVEAWAY for a fully loaded quality vehcicle is the star buy ATM, better than any of this Korean/Thailand 3, and CHEAPER to boot!
NO idea what they are like or drive like, ask me after this Saturday a/noon!
Be great to know about the MY10 coming out in August, any news C/A?
Cheers
F-0
F-O,
The Lancer is a great drive. Some on here have complained of poor road noise, but I never noticed it to be bad let alone worth noticing.
The only performance cross it gets is for the CVT auto box.
It just feels sluggish, but in saying that its 0-100 time is what you expect from the class anyway. On the upside it returns great economy in comparison to others
The only one with any feel of get up and go in Auto is the Mazda 3. It was already quite punchy in the old gen, and since they have upgraded the inlet and a couple of other things, its notably punchier again.
Lancer is good value, I agree 100% with you on that
had a brief look at this months wheels mag giant small car comparison(11 cars).tiida last,lancer and corolla down low,cruze forth(everyone thinks its quiet but sluggy)focus third(but noisy,mismatched auto)mazda second(noisy)golf 1st(but big money)
now given mazda and corolla are the buy car leaders,its a safe bet that cruze will sell in good numbers to the holden faithfull.i have a BIG question mark over its fuel consumption.1.8lts,1500kg tare,7.5ltrs average(auto)i think not…
It doesn’t seem to matter how many cogs are in the box when it comes to economy or hill climbing so why the fuss about the Cerato’s four forward gears? IMO more gears mean more shifting around, I don’t like how a six speed is always hunting around for a gear, don’t forget the driver has the ability to hold a gear for as long as they like if need be.