I’m looking for a luxury car and my budget is Rs 20 lakh. My topmost priorities are excellent comfort over Mumbai’s potholed roads and good brakes. I’m not concerned with whether it’s a petrol or a diesel car, but I’m leaning towards an automatic gearbox given the ease of driving it offers. A knowledgeable friend has suggested the Toyota Corolla, the Volkswagen Jetta, the Hyundai Sonata and the Honda Accord as good options. Which of these would you recommend? Is there another car that suits my requirements better?
Aditya Binani, via email
Since comfort and brakes are a priority here, we suggest the Honda Accord for you. Its ride quality is very good over varied speeds, even at low speeds where most modern cars tend to feel stiff. The rear seat provides excellent comfort and five persons can make themselves comfortable without having to fight for shoulder or legroom. The brakes on the Accord provide very good bite and help haul the car down to a halt without much fuss or drama. It comes with both manual and auto options, with the automatic option being a decent choice. In case the
Accord turns out to be too much of a stretch, go in for the Corolla automatic that is nearly as good at handling bad roads and has decent brakes too.
Shortchanged?
I want an MPV and am having a tough time deciding between the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Xylo. My budget is Rs 8-10 lakh and I’m interested in the top-spec Innova. However, I find it to have less features than the Xylo E8. Which one of these two do you think I should go for?
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Rajesh Kumar, via email
You are right when you say that the Xylo comes with more features than the Innova. Hence, we recommend the Xylo E8 with ABS and airbags. The Innova is a good car and is more refined than the Xylo, but the latter does almost everything the Innova can. The Xylo is spacious, fuel-efficient, reliable and handles our road conditions well, though it loses out a little in the refinement stakes. In the end, the price difference between the top-spec models of each car is too much for you to consider the Innova.
College days
I want a car for my daughter to travel from home to college and back. My budget is Rs 4-4.5 lakh and safety is the most important requirement. The car should be sturdy, reliable and frugal. Also, service and maintenance should not be a hassle. Which car do you recommend?
Anand Shetye, Mumbai
The Maruti Ritz VXi fits your bill perfectly. The car has been designed with crashworthiness in mind, so safety is as good as it gets in a hatchback. It is fuel efficient and reliable, while Maruti’s sales and service network will give you peace of mind after you’ve bought the car.