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| Yank this |
| BSM Desk / Mumbai Sep 19, 2009, 00:12 IST |
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I’m looking for a hatchback, which will be used in the city. My budget is Rs 5 lakh, and the car should seat a family of four comfortably. Seeing the state of the American motor industry, could you suggest a hatchback with no servicing or parts problems in the future? Thanks in advance!
Gaurav Suryawanshi, via email
Seeing that you have reservations about GM (they’re the only American company in India currently making hatchbacks), we’d like to point you towards the Suzuki Ritz petrol. It’s a contemporary small car, with neat European styling and good build quality. There’s enough room inside for four adults, the engine is refined, peppy and efficient and there’s Maruti’s extensive sales and service network as the icing on the cake.
Going green
I am planning to trade my 5-year old Corolla Automatic with the greenest car available in the market today in the luxury segment. My budget is around Rs 20-25 lakh (including the trade-in value of my old car). Could you please advise on the following:
1) The greenest car, in terms of size and fuel efficiency on sale.
2) If I wait for another 5-6 months, can we expect the launch of the GM Volt or Toyota Prius or the Blue Efficiency Mercs?
3) I like the VW Beetle for its size, but the fuel efficiency is a dampener
4) My choice is preferably an automatic transmission model
Chandrashekhar Pitta, via email
Now, that is an unusual Which Car? question indeed. Since you are looking for a car in the Rs 20-25 lakh league, you need some luxury but you don’t want to burn a lot of fuel doing it, right? Since the GM Volt and Toyota Prius will take time coming to India, we suggest you choose between the Skoda Superb and the VW Passat — both offer decent luxury and are available with earth-friendly diesels. If rear seat comfort is paramount, then the Superb should win. Unless you want to go to the other extreme and buy a Reva!
Seconds, anyone?
An acquaintance of mine who’s got a job in the Gulf wants to sell his Ford Fiesta diesel. The car has done about 40,000 km and is two years old. It is well maintained too. He is asking Rs 3.5 lakh for the car. Is that a good price to pay for a second-hand Fiesta? The thing is the car is in Kerala, and I would have to drive it down to Mumbai. Plus there is the cost involved of transferring the car in my name and re-registering it in Mumbai. I was in the market to buy a large hatchback when this opportunity came up. So what do you recommend I do, buy a new hatchback or get the Fiesta? I drive about 50 km a day and drive to Pune and Kolhapur once in two months.
S Ravindran, Mumbai
The asking price for the Fiesta seems quite reasonable, and even if you include the overall costs of acquiring the car, it is still a good deal for you. And it is always safe to buy a used car from an acquaintance who has maintained the car well and can provide you with the service history too. Getting a good, fuel-efficient three-box — even though it’s second-hand — for the price of a small hatchback is nice. Go for it.
Any automotive questions? Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in
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