A new Corolla-ry

WHICH CAR

I own a June 2003 Toyota Corolla. It has been self-driven and is in showroom condition; I am quite happy with it. I also had a Maruti Suzuki Esteem which I have now sold off, based on your advice. Since I used to do most of my driving in the Esteem, the Corolla has done just 19,000 km in almost five years. With the occasional out-of-station trips and some social outings, my driving is about 600 km in a month or sometimes even less as my workplace is only six to seven km away. We are just two in the family, self and wife. Can you advice if I should go for a change at all or should I buy another car that won't show a "decline" in status but won't be expensive at the same time? My wife teases me by saying, "Lucky will be the man who will buy your Corolla, as he would get a showroom condition car for dirt cheap."

Colonel Kapoor, via email

Keep the Corolla for another 40,000 to 50,000 km minimum. Corollas are built to last and at 19,000 km, its engine is just loosening up. Maybe you can consider a second car (a small one like the Hyundai i10) which will ensure that your Corolla remains young.

Nuclear family

Our family consists of five members based out of Ludhiana. We own a Hyundai Accent CRDi, a Maruti Suzuki Swift and a Honda City. The Accent is most frequently used within the city and on highways and has already clocked 74,000 km. Its warranty is about to expire in five months and I am looking to replace it as well as the City, which has done 52,000 km, with a new car. My requirements are for a car that can accommodate five of us and a driver while being easy enough to be self-driven. In my buying decision, I have placed high weightage on fuel efficiency, maintenance and replacement costs. My daily mileage is about 80 km and I have a budget of up to Rs 10 lakh. Please suggest the best option.

Hitesh Bathla, Ludhiana

The buck stops for you with the Toyota Innova. It's spacious, can seat 7-8 people in good comfort, has a very good suspension setup that can chew away bad roads with ease and should give you 11-12 kpl easily. It's also very easy to drive, is reliable and will hold good resale value over time.

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