The upper cut

WHICH CAR?

I own a Skoda Octavia diesel and I would like to replace it with a car in the Rs 25-30 lakh bracket. My daily running is around 100 km and I would prefer a diesel engine which offers good fuel efficiency and comes with good suspension as the roads I travel on are not that good. I'm contemplating between the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the BMW 320d, but can't seem to get a fix on which one to choose. Can you help me out?

Nipun Garg, via email

Ride quality and Mercedes-Benz go hand-in-hand and it's the obvious choice for you. The new C-Class also offers good backseat comfort, making long distance drives easy on you. Of course, the C220 CDI also offers a good balance between power and fuel economy, and will hold its value well in the long run.

Cetane or octane?

I am a resident of Mumbai and am looking to purchase a car in the next one month. I'm looking for a sedan for Rs 8-9 lakh and need a petrol and a diesel option. It should be comfortable for five persons, will be chauffeur driven and cover 50-60 km a day with a 500-odd km drive once in three months. It should have decent mileage, good resale value and good safety gear. I've shortlisted the Mitsubishi Cedia, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Honda City ZX/VTEC, Chevrolet Optra Magnum and Chevrolet Aveo. Which one should I go for?

Vikas Gupta, via email

Given your list, the Chevrolet Optra Magnum is a very good choice. It has all the features of a premium entry D-segment car at the price of a premium C-segment car with safety features like ABS and airbags thrown in. It's also comfortable for five around town and long journeys with sound suspension componentry and good ride quality. It's also fairly frugal, especially the diesel version. Choose from either petrol or diesel Magnum and you won't go wrong.

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