First love

I am planning to buy my first car and I have two options in mind — the Volkswagen Polo (Highline) petrol and the Honda Jazz X. I would essentially use the car for city driving, but would go out once a year on long trips as well. Could you please advice me on which is a better option keeping in mind, reliability, safety, aftersales service, maintenace cost and mileage? Is there any other option that I ought to consider?

Nilabhra Dasgupta, via email

The two cars you have shortlisted have their own distinct personalities and strong points. The Polo is a good-looking hatchback that has good quality going into it. The three-cylinder petrol engine may not be refined, but it is efficient and good for the city as well as the highway. The Jazz is a spacious hatchback — it is almost like an MPV in the guise of a small car. The motor in the Jazz is peppy and refined. Both cars are more or less comparable when it comes to all the aspects that you have highlighted — reliability, safety, aftersales service, maintenance costs and mileage. So it boils down to what aspects of the car are important to you. If you want interior room, luggage space and ease of use in the city, the Honda makes sense. If you want a trendy, high quality hatchback that’s fun to drive, it’s the Polo for you.

Swiftly moving

I would like to purchase a car for my daily commute of 60 to 70 km (city and highway). I have a budget of Rs 5 to 6 lakh and am considering buying a diesel car. I would like a fuel efficient vehicle with good resale value and low maintenance cost too. I am confused though, a friend adviced me to go in for the Ford Figo or Maruti Suzuki Ritz, but I like the Maruti Suzuki Swift.

Tejas Naik, Goa

If you are keen on the Swift, then we’re certainly not going to stop you! For your kind of driving conditions and expectations from your car, the Swift indeed makes sense. The diesel engine is efficient and yet fun to drive while the maintenance and spare parts costs are extremely competitive as well. However, the Ritz is not a bad choice either. It has the same attributes as the Swift and its taller driving position makes it easier to navigate city streets. The Ritz is due for a cosmetic upgrade in the coming months, so you could wait. Else, you can always use that as a bargaining point at the dealership.

Commute happy

I currently own a Tata Indigo and am looking to buy a second car for my wife to commute to office in. Her monthly running is around 1,100 km and I am keen that the car is fuel efficient, with power steering, power windows and air-conditioning. I have test-driven the Hyundai Eon, Nissan Micra, Volkswagen Polo, Honda Brio, Hyundai i10 and Toyota Etios Liva. Given the fact that I have a budget of less than Rs 6 lakh, ex-showroom, could you recommend a car?

Prashant Choudhari, via email

For the kind of monthly mileage that the car will cover, a fuel-efficient petrol car will be adequate. Of the cars you have shortlisted, the Brio and the i10 are excellent city commuters and are overall good cars for your wife to commute in. In case you are going to keep the car for seven years, then the additional investment in a diesel makes sense. Of these cars, you can look at the Micra diesel for your wife — though it is not a tall car like the i10, it is designed to be an excellent city commuter. It is easy to manoeuvre in the city thanks to its effortless steering and dimensions. The engine is efficient, interiors are of decent quality and the space is utilised well. Do get your wife to test-drive it and see if it meets her requirements.

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