Behind the wheel

I currently drive an August 2005 Mahindra Scorpio CRDE SLX. I love driving and am also very passionate about it. I am looking at replacing my Scorpio and I am very confused. Ideally, I would like to buy an SUV, but my budget is about Rs 15 lakh and I don’t want to buy a Scorpio again or a Tata Safari. I’d prefer a diesel as I drive 60 km daily to office and back, make a trip of 600 km every two months and one trip of 2,000 km a year. Usually, we are only three (my wife and I and our 12-year old son) in the car.

I was looking at the Skoda Laura TDI (though the petrol is more exciting at 160 bhp), Honda Civic or a Volkswagen Jetta (unless you can recommend a fourth alternative). The vehicle should be fuel efficient, comfortable and fun to drive. I love driving fast (when the road permits) and pushing the car to its limit, hence it should be a driver’s car.

Oh that reminds me, I am not comfortable with a driver, so I prefer driving myself even in Mumbai traffic. I am ready to wait for 3-4 months if you expect any new launches which could fit my bill.

Tushar Patankar, Mumbai

You drive a lot and love driving and you need a diesel performance car — correct? The Laura fits the bill (or even the Jetta for that matter). Both cars are fuel efficient and offer torquey performance. But as you suggested, if we can have a fourth car, we would include the Toyota Innova in the shortlist. It will be a nice partner for your long drives and will take in most road conditions easily.

Easy drive

I am 61 and retired. I love driving. I have a Maruti 800 which I intend to replace. My overall budget is Rs 5 lakh. The factors I am looking for in the car are: driving comfort (especially on highways), good suspension and road grip, good airconditioning, power steering, ease of shifting gears and enough power to be able to overtake quickly. After-sales service and availability of spares is also important. Fuel economy is not an issue since my driving — other than the occasional highway run — is limited to short distances within the city. I am therefore looking only for a petrol car. Also, space for luggage/passengers is not an issue either. I have shortlisted the following: Maruti Suzuki Ritz, Swift, Tata Indica Vista, Indigo CS and Hyundai i10. Which one should I go for?

Raviprakash Sathe, via email

We think you will be very happy with a petrol-powered Ritz — it is modern, is easy to get in and out and is even fun to drive. The 1.2-litre engine is new and returns 12 kpl even in traffic. Add to that the extensive network of Maruti Suzuki and you have a winner.

Chosen few

I want to buy a car within my budget of Rs 4-6 lakh. My daily driving is around 25 km. My choices are the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, Hyundai i20, Hyundai Accent Executive and the Maruti Suzuki A-Star. Which car is the best among these? If there’s any other car you recommend apart from these, please let me know.

Manish Bansal, via email

Among the cars you have shortlisted, the A-Star is cramped while the Accent is dated. The i20 is a contemporary, good-looking car, but for your budget you can get a competent car with a boot too. So we’d recommend the Swift Dzire. It offers excellent value for money as well. The petrol version will fit in your budget easily.

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