The Honda City has been around since 1981, but its restriction to Japanese, European, Australasian, and Latin American markets means that most Americans have never seen one. But on the off chance that you own one of these rare subcompacts, be warned: it’s as unsuited to mud, sand, and gravel as a French poodle.

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2009 Honda City ground clearance by trim level

Selecting the right trim level of an off-roading champion like the

Toyota Tundra

makes a world of difference. The Honda City? Not so much. Neither trim level will get you very far off the ground:

VTi: 5.9 inches

VTi-L:5.9 inches

That’s not to say the VTi-L doesn’t have its charms—with a leather-appointed interior, power mirrors, climate control, keyless entry, and alloy wheels, you’re sure to ride in style as long as you stay in town.

Honda City ground clearance over the years

Different generations brought big changes to the Honda City. If you can find a used example from 1996 to 2007, you might be able to take it on gravel, assuming the suspension is up to the task. Newer iterations, however, have only gotten shorter and shorter.

Take a look at the difference between the first and seventh generation of the Honda City:

1st generation (1981 - 1985): 6.3 inches

2nd generation (1986 - 1995): 6.3 inches

3rd generation (1996 - 2001):6.7 inches

4th generation (2002 - 2007): 6.7 inches

5th generation (2008 - 2013): 5.9 inches

6th generation (2014 - 2018): 5.3-5.9 inches

7th generation (2019 - present): 5.3 inches

MORE: The 10 best SUVs for towing

Why you should care about ground clearance

Put ground clearance at the top of your off-roading checklist: it’s the distance between your vehicle’s chassis and the ground below. It’s also the difference between driving over an obstacle and crashing into it. In the best-case scenario, driving a vehicle with low ground clearance off-road will leave your vehicle’s undercarriage scratched and damaged.

Off-roading pros recommend 6.6 to 8.7 inches of ground clearance for gravel, 8.8 to 9.4 inches for over-landing, and 10.8 inches for rock crawling. At 5.9 inches, the Honda City doesn’t even meet the minimum height for speeding down an unpaved road.

MORE:

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Is the 2009 Honda City a good off-road vehicle?

No, the 2009 Honda City is not a good off-road vehicle. Set your sights on a

Jeep Wrangler

Ford Bronco

, or

Dodge Ram 1500

if you plan to explore uncharted (and unpaved) territory.

MORE:

The top 10 cheapest SUVs to insure

The best coverage for a Honda City

Congestion, vandalism, and sky-high accident rates—you might not want to take your 2009 Honda City off-roading, but there are plenty of dangers in town. Even if you live in an urban center like

L.A.

New York

Jerry

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