Supersize me!

I am in a dilemma. I am 6'5" and would like to know which car would suit me best. The only two options I have are the Tata Safari Dicor and the Toyota Innova. The reason I have narrowed down to these two is that they are the only two cars I can drive and they suit my personality. Besides both run on diesel. My family is also a large family, with six of us. We love travelling by road, so that is a concern. Which car would you suggest? Even when it comes to daily usage, maintenance, etc? Also, could you tell me which variant I should go in for? I am not looking at the top-end model as it stretches the budget. The Dicor's driver seat is not as spacious as that of the Innova. Is there anyway I could replace the seat by setting it a bit back? I prefer the Dicor as it is an SUV. Please help me.

Sanat Shetty, via email

The answer is simple "" please go ahead and buy the Innova for the simple reason that you can buy a seven-seater version and you do have six members in your family.

When you have a large family to move around, it makes sense to go for a reliable, economical MUV than a sporty SUV. While the Tata Safari will give you the image that you are looking for, your passengers will appreciate the additional space available in the Innova. The diesel engine of the Innova is state-of-the-art and the car should give you sterling service over a long period of time.

Fuel tilt

I am planning to buy a new car in the Rs 6 to 9 lakh price range. I will be driving the car about 1,000 km a month and will be taking it out for weekends as well. So should I go for a petrol or a diesel car? Which car do you recommend?

Ashok Kumar, via email

Though your driving requirement is not enough to warrant a diesel engine, there's nothing stopping you from going for one. The market is now getting populated with frugal diesels that are equally easy and fun to drive as comparable petrols, so why not?

If you really value economy, then the car to buy is the Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi that recorded 25 kpl plus in the recent BSM Mileage Run. If you want more performance from a diesel car, then go for the Hyundai Verna CRDi "" even it can return 18-20 kpl on highways.

Heads or tails

I am looking forward to buying a car. My priorities are good mileage and easy maintenance, good legroom (convenient for elder people) and a price below Rs 4.5 lakh. I have shortlisted the Hyundai Santro. I still have an inclination towards the Maruti Swift VXi for its looks, but have heard that it does not offer good mileage. I am not a regular car user and the usage would be the occasional city and out-of-city drives. Please let me know about the mileage of the Swift VXi, and which car should I buy between the two.

B Vivek

The Hyundai Santro is a good choice indeed. It is easy to get in and out and the elders in your family will certainly appreciate that.

The Maruti Suzuki Swift is the more fun to drive car between the two, but if you are looking for rear seat/leg room, then you will be disappointed. The Swift VXi can return 10-12 kpl in heavy traffic and will stretch a litre to 14 kpl in highway traffic.

Any automotive questions?Ask us at
bijoy@business-standard.com