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WHICH CAR?

The Ford Ikon is the fun car of the two. It has decent performance from its 1300cc engine, handles quite well, is better built and has above average ride quality. Also, if you are lucky, the dealers might also dole out some discount in as well. In our book, the Ikon seems like a good proposition for you.  Snap decision  I need your help in buying a small car. As a resident of Goa and a regular reader of your magazine, I was looking forward to a petrol hatchback for around Rs 5 lakh that is spacious with good boot space, decent mileage and good performance overall. Since I work on a passenger cruise line, I wanted to make the purchase before I head out to sea. What do you suggest?

Maxie Rodrigues, via email

You need a reliable yet fun to drive car and we strongly recommend the Suzuki Swift VXi (going by your budget). It is refined, reliable and economical to run. If you can raise your budget by a bit, go for the ZXi which has more safety features.  Automatic choice  I am confused between the new Toyota Camry (A/T) and the Honda Accord (A/T). Price is not a major concern for me, performance is more important. Which one do you recommend out of the two?

Varun Sehgal, via email

The Camry is the newer car here and we would recommend it to you. The four cylinder versions of both these cars are very good and there is little to choose between them. However, if you want more performance then the Honda Accord is available with a V6 motor which Toyota does not provide. Again, if you are comparing four cylinder packages then the Camry is the better overall car.

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