I have been using cars since 1960 onwards. In my working daysin India and abroad, I have driven Hondas, Mercedes-Benzes and various other cars. Today, after retirement and at 79 years of age, for the last six years I have been using a Hyundai Santro Xing. On an average, per day, I drive 12 to 15 km and once a month, whenI go out of Pune, I do about 100-150 km. My only problem is accommodating my luggage in the boot, and therefore I’m thinking of buying a new car with large luggage space. I had zeroed it down to the Swift Dzire, but the dealer said ‘no bookings’. I am in no hurry and can wait. Do you have any suggestions, and can you recommend any other car? My budget is Rs 6-7 lakh.
Yashwant Potnis, Pune
Congratulations on nearly half a century of driving! Given your usage pattern, it’s clear that you don’t require a diesel car. Several options come to mind here — the Ford Fiesta, the Mahindra Renault Logan, the newly-launched Tata Indigo Manza and the Hyundai Accent. They all have their relative strengths and weaknesses, but the Logan fits the bill as a spacious, comfortable, rugged car with a large boot. If you can stretch your budget further, the Honda City is an excellent bet. We wish you many more years of happy motoring!
We are family
I have been researching mid-size and entry level petrol sedans for a year. My father needs a car that is efficient and has a good height and ground clearance. I need a good power output at low rpm, my mother and sister need comfort. So which car is better, the Tata Indigo Manza or Maruti Suzuki SX4? How about an automatic option in the SX4? Will it lessen the fuel efficiency?
R Amirtaraj, via email
Interesting question indeed! Firstly, the Suzuki SX4 does not come with an automatic transmission option, so if that is a requirement, the car is ruled out.
Otherwise, it’s a better overall vehicle than the Tata Indigo Manza, whose long-term reliability and so forth will only emerge over the next few months. The SX4 is fun to drive, which ticks your box. It has decent ground clearance and a relatively tall stance, which your father will like. Finally, it’s a pretty comfortable car, which ticks the last box. The Manza, however, has been very aggressively priced and is likely to be more fuel efficient.
What’s in a name?
I am a regular reader of Business Standard and particularly enjoy the Motoring segment that appears every Saturday. This time I have a dilemma of my own, for which I would like your guidance. Two years back I bought the Honda Accord 2.4 AT, which is a great car to drive, as I self-drive 90 per cent of the time. I am really happy with the car and it gives me great driving pleasure. Now, I have decided to splurge a bit and get myself one of the new vehicles in the market in the Rs 40-50 lakh range. I now want you to help me decide, whether I should: 1/Sell my two year-old Honda Accord and get a new sedan, either the Audi A6 3.0 petrol Quattro or the BMW 525i and for my daily and regular commute to work and general use (which is about 50-75 km per day) get a Hyundai i20 petrol automatic. OR 2/ Keep my Honda Accord as a sedan for my daily and regular commute to work and general use and get an SUV, say either the Audi Q5 petrol or maybe the BMW X3 petrol. Please help me sort out this confusion. If you feel the first option is better, then which of the two cars should I opt for and if you feel the second option is better, then which of the two SUV’s should I go for? In case you decide to publish this letter, I request you to please withhold my name.
‘Agent X’, via email
Oh mysterious one, we wish we all had dilemmas like yours! Our recommendation would be to sell the Accord, for which you’ll get a good price, and get a BMW 525i and a Hyundai i120 petrol automatic. The BMW is a far better driver’s car than the Audi, with an absolute gem of an engine — and you sound like the sort of person who enjoys driving. The i20 will be the ideal companion for comfortable city commuting as well. Go for it!
Any automotive questions? Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in
