First wheels

We are planning to buy our first car, within a budget of Rs 5 lakh, for a monthly commute of around 200 km. We would like a fuel efficient car with low maintenance cost. Please suggest a suitable vehicle for us.

Rajiv Agarwal, via email

You have couple of good choices in this segment. The Hyundai i10 is the one we would recommend. There is also the Chevrolet Spark and the Maruti Suzuki Alto. You can also look at the Hyundai Eon. All of them are fuel efficient and reliable. Choose the one that fits your needs best in terms of space, comfort, driving pleasure, etc.

Tall boy

I am 51 years old and would like to buy a car that would suit my needs. I have a budget of Rs 5.5 lakh and need the car for a normal city commute that would include trips to the market, bank, etc. I tried the new Maruti Suzuki Swift but as I am 6 ft 3 inches tall, I can’t fit in it quite comfortably. Neither will my older child who is 6 ft tall. And I do take long drives on the weekends because I am posted out of the city. Is there no car that would suit my requirements?

Gurpreet Singh, via email

What you need is a car that has a higher seating position and decent legroom. You have a few choices like the Maruti Suzuki Ritz and the Hyundai i10, with their tall boy stance, that should suit you. Another option you could consider is the base Hyundai i20. You may also want to have a look at the Maruti Eeco, though we suggest you try out all the above mentioned cars before choosing one.

Sunny stuff

I have a budget of Rs 10 to Rs 12 lakh and I am considering buying either the Nissan Sunny diesel or the Hyundai Verna SX diesel. I am not sure which to go for. My driving is mostly in the city and sometimes on the highway. I drive around 1,000 km a month. Please advice.

Sandeep Shah, Hyderabad

The Sunny diesel is good as a chauffeur driven car as it has excellent rear leg room. The car is frugal as well and is good for the city. Unlike the Sunny’s, the Verna’s diesel engine is powerful, the car looks nice and is loaded with features too. Rear seating is good, but not as good as that of the Nissan. So it depends on what aspects highlighted above are more important to you.

Any automotive question? Ask us at srinivas.krishnan@bsmail.in