First bet

WHICH CAR?

I recently purchased your magazine. Kudos to you guys for bringing out something that's the need of the hour, what with so many new cars being launched.

I am looking at buying my first car. I would use it to go to office which is a 40 km drive. On weekends I usually drive out of town for about 100 km. I am looking for a car that's good value for money, maintenance free and has good resale value two years later. I have shortlisted the Santro Xing, the Maruti Alto or the Maruti Wagon R/Duo. Also, is it worthwhile waiting for the new Zen. I am keen on the Alto since I think it would make a good first car.

Amresh Parika, Pune

The car you have shortlisted, the Alto, is a brilliant first car to buy. It rides better than the Maruti 800 or the Omni and is almost as economical and cheap to maintain. But that does not prevent you from buying something slightly bigger and better i.e. a Wagon R. It has much better performance and will be suitable for longer runs. You can consider the Duo version if you want the economy of a LPG powerplant. And yes, Wagon Rs will retain price better too.

Taxi!

I am planning to buy a car to be used as a taxi in Cochin. I am looking for a car around the Rs 6 lakh price range. Which one do you think should I go for? Should I be opting for a diesel or a petrol one? Please suggest.

Susmi Raj, email

The perfect taxi for your budget is the Tata Indigo Diesel. It's economical, and spares as well as maintenance are cheap. Since the car will cover distances in a short span of time, diesel makes sense. The Indigo is also spacious at the rear which makes it a good taxi.

The fastest Indian

I want to buy the fastest motorcycle in the world in India, is it possible?

Kishore Dalvi, Mumbai

The fastest production motorcycle in the world today is the Suzuki GSX-R 1300 Hayabusa which can do speeds above 300 kph. You can import one to India by paying the necessary import duty "" which may be in excess of 112 per cent. That should take the Hayabusa's landed price close to Rs 13 lakh. If you are desperate there are some used Hayabusas in the market "" especially in Mumbai and Delhi. Make sure that you are buying a motorcycle with legal title though since many of them have come to India through dubious routes.

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