The simple life

WHICH CAR?

I am planning to buy a new car in the price range of Rs 7-8 lakh. I’ve shortlisted the Honda City and Maruti Suzuki SX4. Please advise me as to which one I should buy taking various parameters viz cost, maintenance, fuel efficiency, resale value etc into account. It is required mostly to be driven in Delhi and very rarely out of Delhi and will be self-driven pretty much all the time. Kindly suggest which would be the best choice.

Satish Vohra, via email

The new Honda City is quite a revelation and has moved the game forward. It costs a bit more over the Maruti SX4, but has improved in terms of road dynamics and road holding. While it’s also more powerful than the outgoing Honda City, it still retains some of the City’s traits such as being spacious, highly maneouvrable, and very fuel efficient. We also believe the new City will continue to build on the old City’s good resale value. It easily is the better choice for you.

SUVs me right

I’m in the market for a Rs 16-18 lakh SUV and since my driving is primarily highway biased, have narrowed down my choices to the Ford Endeavour and Chevrolet Captiva. I like the fact that both are seven seaters since it allows for my family of four and my dog to travel on outstation trips. Every month I cover a distance of 2,500 kilometres, of which not more than 30 per cent is city based. My primary requirements are for a car that is inexpensive to run, is comfortable and has a decent ride. Which one do you suggest?

Akash Sinha, via email

We think the Chevrolet Captiva makes a lot of sense for you. It has the best balance between ride and handling and is also more comfortable, with better legroom and thigh support for rear-seat passengers, especially on long distance drives. The third row can be hidden under the floor, so that also means better space for your dog. While both the Endeavour and Captiva are quite powerful, the Captiva is also more efficient. Its compact dimensions also mean it is easier to park in narrow spaces.

Gas gas

At present I’m using a 2008 Hyundai Santro GLS and my regular mileage is about 50-75 kilometres. I would like to know about LPG and CNG’s it advisable to convert the car to run on either of the two. At present I get an average of about 12 kpl with the AC running pretty much all the time. Do you suggest that I should convert, if so whom can I approach for the same?

Uma Maheswara Rao, Hyderabad

It is possible to convert to either LPG or CNG, though you should consider what is easily available in your city. Check with your dealer regarding warranty issues before you plan to convert. Ideally, you can approach your dealer who can get the conversion done with the necessary warranty issues handled by him. You can alternatively approach authorised service centres that provide gas kits like Lovato or Longas. Ensure that all safety procedures are followed by the service centre while fitting the kits. These could cost in the range of Rs 15,000-30,000 and will drop your cost of running by a rupee per kilometre at best.

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