I am confused between the Honda City and the Fiat Linea. The Linea is loaded with features, it looks bigger and is also cheaper than the City. Should I still go for the reputation of the Honda brand and buy the City? Or shall I buy the value-for-money Fiat? The car will be driven both in the city as well as on the highway.
Mohan Pillai, Kollam
This debate will go on for a while. The Linea is indeed packed with lots of features, especially the top-end model, while the new City is a better car overall. So let's put it this way: if you have lots of driving to do, then you need the Linea, since it comes with a diesel engine option. The engine, of course, is a more powerful version of the famous Fiat 1.3 Multijet that is seen on many other cars in India. However, between the petrol powered versions of both the cars, it is the City that we would recommend — its iVTEC engine is more refined and powerful than that of the petrol engine currently offered by Fiat. The City is also a more fun to drive car than the Linea.
B-positive
I wish to buy a hatchback in the B-plus segment. I am presently driving a Suzuki Wagon R. My main use for the car is within the city of Varanasi, with an average run of 40-50 km per day. I am looking for comfort and fuel efficiency in the new car. My budget is around Rs 5 lakh. Which car do you recommend between the Hyundai i20, Tata Indica Vista and Suzuki Swift. What do you think of the Honda Jazz?
Anant Kediya, Varanasi
We expect the Jazz, which will be launched sometime in June/July this year, to be priced above your budget of Rs 5 lakh. However, amongst the cars you have shortlisted, each one of them has its own strong and weak points. The i20 is well-built, spacious, good-looking but underpowered. The Vista is fuel efficient — both the diesel and petrol versions — and is spacious too, but it's not fun to drive. The popular Swift is a great car to drive (both diesel and petrol versions) and is fuel efficient too. But it is cramped. If you are particular about fuel efficiency and comfort, you can choose between the Indica Vista and the i20. The Hyundai is a better overall car, while the Vista will stretch the litre well.
Boot suit
I am 56 years old. I have driven the Maruti 800 for 10 years, then the Zen for nine years. Now I want to change my car to take advantage of the recession. These are my requirements:
1. It has to be a small car, but with a boot.
2. I drive 40 km daily in the city, so it should be easy to drive and park. 3. The make of the car and the budget are not a concern.
4. The car must be loaded with all the accessories, including a music system. Which car do you recommend for me?
K K Modi,,Vadodara
If you want a compact car with a boot, then the Tata Indigo CS makes sense, as it is the smallest car in the market today that has a boot. The Indigo CS is a value-for-money car and should be easy to drive and park too. However, if budget is not a constraint, you should also look at the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. It is also a pretty compact car with a spacious boot, and it is also comfortable to drive. It is overall a better car, and we recommend you test-drive it before arriving at a decision.
Any automotive questions? Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in
