Honda Elevate Long Term Report: Month 2 - Fuss Me Not

We had the Elevate with us for just two months, and as I type this, it has already gone back to Honda. So yes, this was a short long-term test. Still, our time with it was enough to understand exactly where the Elevate shines and where it falls short.

Let’s start with the positives. The Elevate’s biggest strengths are its reliability, comfort, and overall space and practicality. It’s fuel-efficient, honest in its execution, and very much a form-follows-function kind of SUV. Its ADAS suite is among the best in the mass-market space — as our Mega ADAS comparisons have repeatedly proven.

There are, however, more than a few occasions when the Elevate feels out of its depth. My biggest complaints are its high NVH and mellow performance, especially when compared to its key rivals. As you may have read in Sid’s report last month, I took the Elevate on a road trip to the hills. On the first leg, cruising at 90–100km/h, performance wasn’t an issue per se, but the cabin got so noisy that it constantly felt like the engine was being stressed. Over long distances, that gets tiring.

The climb to Shimla was when it went even more downhill for the Elevate. Overtakes demand frequent gear changes, and even at 4,000rpm, refinement is nothing to write home about. The handling is tidy, but you’re so busy figuring out the right-gear-right-rpm that you’re not really having fun. All things considered, the Elevate is mechanically sound, but it lacks the effortless nature and finesse of its main rivals. In isolation, you could easily live with it. Start comparing, though, and it does feel a bit yesterday next to the competition.