Five lakh wonder

WHICH CAR?

Going by your letter, you want ultimate economy and reliability. The car we would recommend you is the Maruti Esteem. It is old but should get a facelift anytime now.  If you are happy to live with a car that does not stand out in a crowd, then the Esteem should serve you well over the next 5 to 7 years. As for new cars, the Hyundai Getz is just around the corner. It is a modern-day, big hatchback and should come with diesel and petrol powerpacks.  Ford blues  I have been driving a 1.6 CLXi Ford Ikon for the last four years. The first three years were good, but then it started giving lots of problems. Expensive to maintain, with poor fuel economy.  I want a change and am looking at the next level. The Corolla is a good option, but I would like to weigh it against the Optra (though given my experience with US cars, I am not too inclined) and Hyundai's Elantra.  Besides the cost angle, I want good resale value, mileage and low maintenance after, say, three years. I drive mostly in the city, so power and zip are not that critical. No diesels please!

Deep Sen, via email

Looks like Toyota built the Corolla for prospective buyers like you. You are ready to pay the premium for reliability, build quality, economy and refinement.  The surprise here is a lot of performance too