We are in the hospitality business and are looking for a mid-size luxury car fleet of 15 cars. Which car, according to you, will retain a quality image over say a period of five years? The cars will primarily be used for airport drops and pick ups.

Charles D'Costa, via e-mail

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If you are looking for great bargains and a good, economical mid-size luxury car, the Mercedes-Benz E 280 CDI is a good bet. The car will soon be replaced by a fresh E-Class, but that should not worry you much since the E-Class has the space and grace for the job in hand. And yes, it will age gracefully too. Also bargain hard and you may get a great deal from Mercedes-Benz who will be in a hurry to move the E-Class quickly from the showrooms. If you don’t want to go to Mercedes lengths, then the new Nissan Teana (a great deal when bought through the EPCG scheme) makes a reliable and economical fleet car. It is a rare breed on our roads and that adds to the charm.

Bike again

You can call me a “born-again biker” — it’s just that at 46, my bones are aching a bit. But I do believe that only motorcycling can give the sense of adventure, freedom and achievement, and hence the move to acquire a new bike. What would you suggest?

Madhusoman Nair, via e-mail

Now that is as romantic as a Which Bike? question can get. If you don’t want to ride long distances (like one-day to month-long rides), we urge you to buy something like a Hero Honda Karizma or the Hunk. But if you are in it for the whole experience, then a Royal Enfield will suit you better. The Thunderbird Twinspark 350 is reliable while the Machismo 500 has more character in the long run. Enjoy and ride carefully!

Fun factor

We want to graduate from our Maruti Suzuki Wagon R (four-year old, but still very good) to something that is more fun to drive. What is your report on the new Ritz? We are looking at petrol cars only.

Aziz, via e-mail

If you are looking at buying a fun-to-drive car, then the Maruti Suzuki Swift is a better bet as it is more dynamically capable than the Ritz. While the current 1300cc (Esteem-derived) engine is good, we hear a new 1200cc version — with the engine that’s debuted in the Ritz — is on the cards. Now that will make the Swift even more affordable and will offer similar levels of performance.

Any automotive questions? 
Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in

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