Though I have been doing my research for a long time, choosing a hatchback option is still driving me crazy. I wish I had bought my first car two years back, when options were fewer. Anyway, I have shortlisted the following: 1. New Hyundai i10 Kappa2 (Sportz): Rs 5.15 lakh on-road Pune 2. Ford Figo Diesel (1.4 ) EXI: Rs 5.40 lakh on-road Pune. I am a little inclined towards the Figo because of the obvious reason of getting a diesel engine for Rs 25,000 more. Though I will not be driving on a daily basis, most of my driving is on the highway (Pune-Mumbai). My wife would be driving the car for almost 50 per cent of the time. Request you to help me make my decision.
Kapil Budukh, Pune
If you are inclined towards the Figo, then go for it. Your driving is on the highway, and the diesel will bring your running costs down considerably. It is also a decent and stable highway cruiser, but we must add over here that the i10 is unbeatable as a city car. Then of course the Figo is terrific value for money. The major negative with the car is that the diesel engine noise intrudes into the cabin — which you will have to live with. Hope this solves your dilemma!
Mix-n-match
I’m from a small town in Kerala, called Thodupuzha. I have been driving a Skoda Octavia for the last four years and it has done almost 80,000 km. My other cars are a Ford Ikon and a Hyundai i20. Now I need to upgrade to something in which all six (adults) of my family can travel in comfort. I am confused about the choices.
1. Exchange the Skoda Octavia for a Skoda Superb plus a Toyota Innova.
2. Retain the Octavia, and buy a Mitsubishi Pajero or a Toyota Fortuner.
3. Forget about travelling together, and go for a Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
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My budget is a maximum of Rs 35 lakh and I intend to drive the new vehicle on my own, with a daily usage of around 50 km plus weekend drives of around 200 km. And I prefer only diesel cars. Hope you’ve got some idea about my problem! I’m really confused about what to do.
Mathew G P, Kerala
The first option looks good, as the Superb is really an excellent car across all aspects while the Innova of course is the best people mover we have. The Superb is like a spacious limousine, but still enjoyable to drive. The Innova, of course, is a refined MPV and is comfortable for six passengers. If you would like to, you can check out the Tata Aria as well, as it’s quite loaded with features and has many things going for it.
First choice
We are planning to buy a car, our first one. We are a family of three and the car would be used mostly for driving in the city. It wouldn’t be more than 300 km in a month, but we will also take it on a 600-km round trip to our village occasionally. Fuel efficiency and space must be the superlative features in the car. Our budget is around Rs 2.5 to 3 lakh. We have shortlisted the following three cars: Chevrolet Spark, new Hyundai i10 and the Maruti Suzuki Alto K-Series. Which one of the three should we go for?
Chinmay Kulkarni, via email
If the Hyundai i10 fits in your budget, then nothing like it. As a first car, it’s quite good — it’s easy to drive, tall for easy entry and exit, well-built, has quality components going in and has good after-sales service to match too. It is fuel efficient and is indeed comfortable for three. If the i10 goes over your budget, then the Alto is the other option for you. It is also pretty fuel efficient and is a good entry-level car.
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