Lux looker

I plan to buy a luxury car and have a budget that stretches up to Rs 21 lakh. I am rather confused about which one to go for. The car should be great to drive, have good features, look good and offer great value. Kindly suggest which one should I go for?

Abhishek Bhuwalka, via e-mail

There really is just one car that fits your budget and provides the kind of value you are looking for — the Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI. It has a nice motor that is powerful and decently efficient, a six-speed automatic DSG gearbox that is quite intuitive and the car on the whole provides good driving pleasure. It handles neatly, rides very well and is spacious on the inside. It is quite loaded too, with a touch screen interface, automatic climate control, powered seats and what not. Frankly you don’t need to look anywhere else — just go for it!

Of sixes and sevens

I want to buy a petrol car which is low on maintenance and has a good resale value, especially after six years. My budget is Rs 6-8 lakh, for which I have shortlisted the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire, the Maruti Suzuki SX4 and the newly launched VW Vento. Could you please suggest which one of these I should go for?

Amit Tungare, via e-mail

Well, most cars would have depreciated a whole lot after six years, so the difference in the resale value of the above three mentioned cars won’t be much. Sure enough, the Maruti SX4 and Dzire could enjoy slightly lower maintenance costs over normal use than the Vento, yet we would suggest the Vento for you. It not only drives better, but is more spacious, rides well and is better built. Considering you plan to hold on to the car for six years, overall comfort and refinement do matter, and in that regard the Vento is the better bet.

The simple life

I am a professional, looking to buy a car in the range of ' 4 lakh. What I am looking for is low maintenance, comfort and good value for money. I have shortlisted the Hyundai i10, Chevrolet Beat and Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo. Is the new Alto also worth considering as it is now loaded with features? Which one is the best suited for monthly use of around 500 km in city? What would be your preferred choice ?

Tushit Mangukiya, via e-mail

Yes, the Alto with the K10 engine is much improved now and is loaded with a host of features as you pointed out, but it still feels its age and doesn’t have as much space on the inside. Of the three, we’d suggest the Hyundai i10 for you. It is very well built, is comfortable and has decent space on the inside. It may not be as loaded as some of the other cars, but it does enjoy Hyundai’s very good service network, reasonable cost of maintenance and is fairly efficient too. Go for the 1.2 Kappa Magna which should suit you best. Also, Hyundai will launch a facelifted version of the i10 this festive season, so we suggest you wait until then.

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