I’m a 35-year-old senior executive based out of Bangalore. My daily commute involves primarily city driving with some highway stretches as well, totalling about 70 km. The weekends generally involve long drives of 200 km or so with friends, in and around Bangalore city. I have a budget of Rs 14 to 16 lakh and am looking for a car that’s comfortable and economical with tons of features. Do you think my requirements fit well for a diesel car? If so, which one would you suggest?
Ateesh Sehgal, via email
We think you are the perfect example for a diesel car and you have the choice of either the Skoda Laura or the Volkswagen Jetta 1.9 TDI. Both cars are powered by the same engine and return more or less the same economy. While the Skoda has been around for quite some time, the Jetta is relatively fresh on Indian roads. Both cars are extremely good mile-munchers and offer decent space, equipment and ride. We suggest you try out both cars before making your decision.
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I am a middle-aged housewife who has just started dabbling in business. That means I need to travel a fair bit and I need to buy a car. Since this would be my first car, I have a tight budget of Rs 4 lakh. I need a small car that’s light on my wallet, easy to park and is well-built so that I don’t need to bother about maintenance. Service costs also matter to me. From among the contemporary small cars available in the market, which one would you suggest would be best for me?
Lata S, New Delhi
Why not try out the new Maruti Suzuki A-Star. It not only fits in your budget, it’s also contemporary-looking. It’s well-built for its price, has decent interiors and by virtue of being a Maruti is cheap to run and maintain. The steering, too, is light, while the car is compact, so parking shouldn’t be an issue either.
Up-grade
We are a family of four and since we are soon going to add a fifth member, we’ve decided to upgrade from our Chevrolet Aveo (whose experience we have enjoyed) to something larger. Our budget is for an SUV for around Rs 20 lakh that can seat the five of us in comfort while not being too expensive to run. That means a diesel SUV that should be comfortable for the odd long drive. I have narrowed down my choices to the Hyundai Tucson, the Ford Endeavour 4x2 and the Chevrolet Captiva. I am particularly interested in the latter two as they both are seven-seaters while my neighbour who owns a Tucson swears by it. I’m confused if I should go for a five-seater like the Tucson or opt for the Endeavour or Captiva. Kindly advise.
Manoj Saklani, via email
You are right about the Hyundai Tucson being the only five-seater, but remember it has been around for quite some time and it hasn’t really done very well. We suggest you try out the Chevrolet Captiva. It can genuinely seat seven people in relative comfort, has a frugal yet powerful engine that’s long-legged, while the car relishes long journeys. It also handles like a car and since you have had a positive experience with owning a Chevrolet, that makes the case even stronger.
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