Q :I am planning to upgrade from my Maruti 800 to a mid-size car, and have in mind the Honda City 1.3, Hyundai Accent or the Opel Corsa. I'm looking for a reliable, safe, trouble-free car with low-cost spares. The car will be self-driven, around 10,000 km a year. Keeping in mind my budget of Rs 6,25,000, which of these options do you recommend?
Manish Nimbawat via e-mail
A : We suppose you've had enough of small cars. So we'd avoid the Opel Corsa 1.4 GLS, because you can get bigger cars for similar money.
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That leaves the Hyundai Accent GLS with power steering (Rs 6,00,000 to 6,25,000) and the Honda City 1.3 LXi, from Rs 6,30,000 to 6,70,000. Since you plan to pilot the car yourself, our choice would be the Honda.
Besides being a real pleasure to drive, the smooth, revvy 1343 CC powerplant is bulletproof in terms of reliability, and will last you years without greying your hair. Spare parts will of course not be anywhere as cheap as those for your 800, but prices have been steadily falling, and spares for most mid-sizers are more or less on par.
Yes, the City will be marginally over your budget, but we feel the extra bit is well worth it. However, if you absolutely cannot spare the extra Rs 40,000-odd, the Accent can present a fairly strong case for itself.
Though not very involving to drive, the Hyundai is fairly spacious and comfortable, making it a good vehicle to be chauffeur-driven in. It is also undoubtedly great value for money, and comes loaded with features. So there you have it