Moving upwards

We have a Suzuki Wagon R that has done about 75,000 km over the last six years. We would like to upgrade to a bigger car, maybe a three-box sedan, though a boot is not that important. The driving we do is about 1,000 km a month. Of that, the city driving is only about 10-15 km a day, while the rest is to different towns on the outskirts of Mumbai on work. Do you think we should go for a diesel car? We are a family of four, with two small children. Our budget is around Rs 7 lakh maximum. What cars do you recommend?

Dr Jayshree S, Mumbai

If you want to upgrade to a three-box car, for your budget you can get the Suzuki Dzire or the Mahindra Renault Logan. Both come with diesel and petrol options; however for the kind of driving you do, a diesel car is not that critical. A fuel efficient petrol car will do just fine, and both the Dzire and the Logan are pretty good when it comes to that. On the other hand, if you are not particular about a boot, then you have a host of options. The Skoda Fabia 1.2 and the Hyundai i20 are large hatchbacks worth upgrading to, and there are great deals on the Hyundai Getz as well. Also, the Honda Jazz and the Suzuki Splash/Ritz are just around the corner. Arrive at a decision based on your needs and ensure you buy a car with the maximum safety features.

Hot stuff

I am a 24-year old executive working at a multinational bank. I drive my father’s Suzuki Esteem but now it’s time to replace it with a new car. I love to drive and I like the way the Esteem moves. Is there something practical yet fun to drive in the Rs 6 lakh range? I am willing to overlook the car’s fuel drinking habits provided it's fun behind the wheel. The obvious replacement I can think of is the Suzuki Swift, but is there anything else?

Rohit Bhatt, via email

Actually, there are not many options when it comes to affordable hot hatches in the country. The Swift is definitely a fun to drive car, and we would recommend that for sure, considering your budget. If you don’t mind buying a used car, there can be several choices. Look out in the classifieds for a Honda City VTEC or even the Ford Fiesta 1.6 Duratec. Older cars like the Fiat Palio 1.6 or the first generation Honda City 1.5 are also decent buys for much less money. Maybe if you extend your search and your budget, you can even perhaps get yourself a second-hand Skoda Octavia 1.8 turbo petrol/RS. Though service and maintenance can be expensive, it really would be something else...

City beat

We own a Mahindra Scorpio that’s been serving us well over the last two years. But now we want a small car to supplement it, especially for doing the city rounds. My wife who works out of home will be using it most of the time, and it will be used only for short trips in and around Chennai. We were thinking of the Chevrolet Spark, Hyundai i10 and the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. Which one of these would you recommend? By the way, a Maruti Suzuki service centre is nearby, so we are well disposed towards the A-Star. Still, if the Spark or the i10 serves us well, we wouldn’t mind either one of these two.

Varkey Abraham, Chennai

As far as urban runabouts go, the three cars you have shortlisted are all excellent. The Spark offers great value while the i10 is a quality car. The A-Star is also a pretty decent runabout, but it comes with a three-cylinder engine. Not that it makes much of a difference when it comes to city traffic. You can go for the A-Star since owning it will be convenient for you. However we recommend you test-drive all the three cars, see which one comes with the maximum features, try bargaining with the dealers to see which is the best deal, and then take a call.

Any automotive questions? Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in