Scootable?

Ask him to do a bit of Internet shopping "" and get a bargain on a forecourt offer for something new and simple to use. As a rule, contemporary scooters can be expensive, but US dealers are known to discount heavily on scooters from the last model year.

Lag in

I want your opinion on which car to buy between the Skoda Laura DSG and the Mercedes-Benz C200 Kompressor. My prime concerns are performance, handling, ride quality, comfort and build quality. I recently drove an E200 Kompressor with an auto'box in which I found a bit of a performance lag or delayed throttle response. This kind of lag was absent in the Laura, probably because of the DSG 'box. But the E200 K which I drove had covered over 53,000 km. Will the same lag be there in the C200 K?

Vilas J Pangarkar, via email

Let us go by value terms here. If you buy a brand new C200 K, it will retain its value better than the Laura over the next five years, so the Mercedes is the better buy.

But then, the Laura is a diesel and the C200 K is a petrol "" do you have a preference here? The obvious option is to try out the C220 CDI diesel. We think the Laura is far too expensive for a car of its size, despite the technological edge it offers, so our decision will favour the Mercedes.

Starter kit

I work in a private sector company in Orissa and have just learnt to drive. Now I want to buy my first car. My daily running would be on an average 30 km. I am confused between buying a new sedan and a new small car. Or should I start with a good second-hand car? I confess that I love big cars. I can stretch my budget up to Rs 5.5 lakh. Now what I require from my car is reasonable power, attractive looks and average maintenance costs. My choices are the Hyundai Santro and Maruti Alto in hatchbacks and in sedans, the Ford Ikon Flair, Fiesta 1.4, Chevrolet Aveo, Maruti Baleno and Hyundai Accent GLE. Should I go for a used car instead? Please guide me.

Debasish Sahoo, via emaill

Why don't you take a look at the Accent GLE "" it should fit the bill, is good looking and has a very good reliability record. And yes, it is a sedan. Though the Accent has been around for a while, it is quite contemporary when it comes to ride and handling. And Hyundai will keep it in production for some time as well.

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