Since you are convinced about the Innova, go for it. Other than your wife's opinion that it belongs to the tourist trade, there's nothing wrong with this Toyota as a personal vehicle. We in fact highly recommend it because it is comfortable, safe, fuel efficient and enjoyable to drive too. Go ahead, spruce it up if you want to. The Tavera is not as refined as the Innova, while the Scorpio won't be as comfortable.
Amrit Pal, via email
Frankly, both are great diesel cars for performance. Unfortunately, neithercan cross 200 kph in stock form. The Verna does 175 kph while the Optra, 185-odd kph. At those speeds, it is the Optra that has better composure and high speed stability. In fact it can go even a bit faster if tuned for performance. For that you will need the Pete's diesel tuning box (www.petes.in). It isn't currently available as the box is under development, but once on, expect power to go up from 120 bhp to 150 bhp and torque gets a boost as well. Then it should pretty much be capable of 200 kph. What we suggest is, go ahead with the Optra and then wait till the Pete's box is available. The combination will be brilliant.S K Bal, via email
For your needs, we recommend either the SX4 or the Logan. The SX4 has great ground clearance, larger wheels and 100 bhp on tap. If fits your budget, then the ZXi version is a good bet as it comes with comprehensive safety features and other creature comforts too. Though it is does not exactly fuel efficient, for your kind of driving, it is acceptable. If you are not comfortable with the SX4, try the Logan instead. In your budget, you can accommodate the 1.6 version, which is more powerful than the 1.4. Besides that, the Logan offers plenty of space inside and rides very well.
