I own a Hyundai Accent and Maruti Zen and plan to replace the latter with an SUV. My requirements are for a vehicle that can seat up to six people in comfort, is efficient enough to be driven every day for 35 to 40 kilometres within city limits and about 100 kilometres once a week and has a good amount of safety features. It should be comfortable for long drives and be backed up by good reliability and cheap and easy availability of spares. Since I plan to keep the car for five to seven years, I hope the product is contemporary as well. My budget for such a vehicle is in the Rs 10 to 12 lakh bracket. Can you suggest a vehicle that matches my requirements?
Gaurav Madan, via email
You can opt for a sparingly used early example Honda CR-V. But we do think what will be ideal for you will be the Toyota Innova. It may look more like an MUV than an SUV but does a good job of carrying six people comfortably. It does not feature a 4x4 system, but you will be able to take it to some real rough road action if not off-road conditions. Additional space is a boon and the big Toyota is reliable, safe and economical too. Best of all, it retains its value over time.
Heavy fuel
I own an Opel Corsa and am planning to upgrade to a higher segment diesel car. I have narrowed my choice down to the Chevrolet Optra Magnum LT and the Skoda Octavia Elegance. The Octavia Elegance is turning out to be more expensive than the Magnum LT by a lakh of rupees and still doesn’t offer full leather interiors. Since I plan to use the car for four years, I’m a bit confused between the two. While the Octavia is a good product with decent resale value, the maintenance cost is expensive, at Rs 1 per kilometre and I hear that the car might be phased out. On the other hand, while the Magnum LT offers good value, I suspect it won’t enjoy the same resale value like the Octavia, while it does offer a three year maintenance package that works out to be just 40 paise per kilometre. Kindly suggest the best option for me.
Ashish Pujari, Navi Mumbai
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The Optra Magnum is an impressive piece of kit and the fact that the Octavia as we know it today is a dated car should decide the fate in the favour of the Optra. The Magnum is ruggedly built and can return decent economy too (we should know, since we have lived with one for a long time). We were impressed by the ride quality on offer and the seamless power delivery from the engine. To be fair on the Octavia 1.9 TDi, it is well built and a proven performer in India.
Power up
I’m a young businessman and due to family pressures have had to give up on my Honda CBR600RR for something on four wheels. My budget is Rs 8 lakh and while going through the classified section of a newspaper, I spotted an early 2005 example of a Skoda Octavia RS for Rs 8.3 lakh. It has about 40,000 kilometres on the clock and seemed like a fine car to me when I personally inspected it. And the owner is willing to bring the price down too. On the other hand, my friend suggested that I buy a new car instead and go for the Ford Fiesta 1.6S that is equally fun to drive and fits within my budget, even though it isn’t as powerful as the Octavia. Do you suggest that I buy a new car or just go ahead and pay my deposit for the RS?
Ravi Punjwani, via email
There’s nothing like the Octavia RS if you ask us. You will enjoy the 150 bhp of power, the great handling, the looks and features. However, for that sort of performance, you can expect about 7 kpl in the city. If you are okay with that figure and don’t mind a second-hand car, go for it. Yes, the Fiesta is a pocket rocket too and offers a fun drive, but it won’t tingle your senses the way the RS does.
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