Engine-ering

WHICH CAR?

I am thinking of buying the Toyota Innova, but I am not sure of which engine to go in for "" the petrol or the diesel. My yearly usage will be around 7,000 km. Can you give me the pros and the cons for both the models please? Which will give me greater driving pleasure?

Adler, via email

Let us understand the Innova as a personal vehicle first. It is a rear-wheel driven car with conventional truck architecture, that is it has a chassis upon which the body is built. So do not expect the Innova to have the dynamics of a modern monocoque/unibody construction sedan like say the Honda City or Toyota Camry. That said, the Innova is easy to drive despite its bulk and handles very well on most conditions. One advantage it has over sedans is that it can take a bit off-roading if need be. We like the petrol Innova for the price it is offered at, and for a vehicle of its size, its fuel consumption is not bad either. But the diesel, as expected, is cheaper to run and the engine is a contemporary unit that is far more refined and performance-oriented compared to, let's say, the one that powered the Toyota Qualis. Our choice? The diesel. But if you are only looking at driving pleasure, the 136 bhp 2.0 VVT-i petrol it is.

Avenging angle

I am planning to buy a new bike, my budget is between Rs 50,000 and Rs 70,000. I expect an average fuel consumption of 40 to 50 kpl. I will be riding the bike mostly in Gurgaon and Delhi. I like the looks of the Bajaj Avenger, but my friends say that it is not good for riding in the city "" it's better for longer rides. Is it so? I think the Bajaj Pulsar is too common, what about the TVS Apache instead?

Raman Tiwari, Gurgaon

The Avenger works just fine in the city as well. However, on broken roads, ride quality can be an issue. 40 to 45 kpl is possible on the Avenger. On the Delhi-Gurgaon stretch especially, we think the Avenger should be just fine. It's the same with the Apache, except that it will give you a better average (45-50 kpl) under all conditions. Ride quality of the Apache can be a bit bouncy. Go for the Avenger if you like to cruise.

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