Civic lesson

WHICH CAR?

From your shortlist we would choose the Honda Civic as your car for the next ten years simply because it is the newest car amongst the three and should not look outdated even seven to ten years down the line. While both the Corolla and the Octavia will have new models (the Laura is the new Skoda Octavia in India). The i-VTEC engine of the Honda Civic is economical to a fault and if you choose the automatic version (with paddle shift) you will have an effortless car to drive in city traffic and a spirited set of wheels for when you choose to enjoy your driving.  On or off?  I have used two Padminis, a Maruti Esteem and now a Tata Indica, apart from various Japanese cars overseas. None of these cars ever gave any trouble, perhaps due to proper care and maintenance. My Indica is now getting old. Also its boot space is not sufficient when we have visitors to be picked up at the station/airport. It gives me 16 kpl (diesel) in Delhi. I am now thinking of changing to a Tata Safari. I have no idea of its comfort or fuel consumption. On a regular basis, my wife will be driving to her office which is about 12 km away. Occasionally I will be driving to the hills and wildlife sanctuaries near Delhi. Would you recommend a SUV for us? Or should I go back to a sedan like Chevrolet's Optra Magnum?

Ravi Padmanabhan, vi a email

The Tata Safari Dicor 2.2 VTT is an impressive car indeed. The new engine has transformed the character of the car