Diesel double-fry

It is not everyday that we get to answer a Which Car? question where the prospective buyer is not bothered about the budget. It is also clear that you are driven by technology and features rather than the size of the automobile. Great, since it makes our task easy too. The Skoda Laura with the Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) is a brilliant car indeed and it works well in traffic as well as in highway situations. The Pumpe-Duse technology diesel engine is as state-of-the-art as it gets too. Buy the Laura automatic if you can afford the Rs 17.5 lakh price tag (which does not make it a VFM proposition by any means). The Honda Civic is a Corolla-sized car which will be priced around Rs 11 lakh. The Honda Accord is the all-rounder of a big car that is real value for money at Rs 16 lakh.  The other car  Help! I am torn between the Suzuki Swift ZXi and the Ford Fusion with ABS. My driving is in Chennai, about 20 km a day, with occasional weekend trips (around 400 km). During peak hours in the city, my driver does the driving, at other times, I usually drive, including on weekends. I like to drive and fuel efficiency is not a consideration. I am single, but take my friends/parents along in the car once in a while. I like the ground clearance and size of the Fusion (helps in the iffy roads around here) but it has no airbags. Your suggestion between the two? Do I need to consider any other vehicle in the same price range?

Siva, Chennai

If you plan to use the services of a driver, then the Fusion, or for that matter, even the Ford Fiesta 1.4 makes more sense than the Swift. Rear room is at a premium in the Suzuki and it makes great sense only if you plan to drive it. It is a fun car to drive, and the ZXi version comes loaded with safety kit too. And the Swift will retain value better than the Ford. However, we suggest you try the Fiesta 1.4 and the Fusion and then decide.  Metro motors  I want to buy one car for the 20-km office commute in Chennai and another car in Delhi/Noida for my family (wife, two sons) and for me when I am there (a daily run of about 25 km). My budget for the Chennai car is around Rs 7 lakh and for the one in Delhi, around Rs 5 lakh. The cars should be new, preferably with a good resale value after maybe three years. For Chennai, I am considering the Honda City or maybe the Toyota Corolla. And for Delhi/Noida, would a Ford Ikon Flair be okay?

RK, via email

You have done the shortlisting for us. Since you seem to be willing to stretch your budget enough for the Chennai car to buy a Corolla, we urge you to check out the Honda City CVT Automatic. This is one version of the City that we are never tired of recommending to metro dwellers. It is easy to drive in city conditions and still returns close to 12 kpl on a regular basis. For Delhi, the Ford Ikon Flair is not a bad choice at all.  You may also consider the Fusion (now available at a good price point) with ABS as an option. It is not a conventional car but it is really practical.

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