People's choice

Of the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Xylo, which do you rate best? You may base your reply on factors such as engine, fuel economy and reliability. Looks and safety features aren’t of prime concern. Budget isn’t an issue as well. Most of the driving will be in an urban environment.

Anurag Rohatgi, Delhi

When budget is not a constraint, you say safety is not important? Surprising. Most of us Indians are not willing to pay extra for safety, and here you are with a good enough budget, but are not willing to pay for safety. The Xylo is better than the Innova when it comes to its engine and mileage, but the Innova is better when it comes to long-term reliability. It also comes with safety features. And for that reason, the Innova is a better machine.

Elevated status

I currently drive a Toyota Corolla and I plan to upgrade. For my next vehicle purchase, I need an SUV that is good to drive in Vadodara traffic conditions. How do you rate the Mitsubishi Outlander, vis-a-vis the Honda CR-V and Chevrolet's Captiva LT?

Rumin B Shah, via email

We recommend the CR-V 2.0 for driving within Vadodara or the highway. Honda Siel will be increasing the price of the CR-V, so we recommend you pick it up soon. Otherwise the Outlander is equally good, you can go for it also.

From four to six

I currently own a 2005 Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI and am planning to move to another saloon. Given the overall cost of ownership with the Mercedes, I plan to move to a Japanese brand as I feel that their cars are more reliable in my experience. I wanted to know if Honda will be launching a V6 version of the Accord and what kind of performance can I expect from it? Will it handle better than the 2.4 Accord and what sort of pricing can we expect from Honda? I've heard something to the tune of Rs 20 lakh. Is it true?

R Parekh, Mumbai

You would be surprised to know that Honda have just launched the Accord V6 this week. It isn't for Rs 20 lakh — in fact pricing begins at Rs 24.8 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi, so it isn’t cheap. But what you get is a 3.5-litre engine with 273 bhp that shuts off half the cylinders while you cruise for better economy, stability control, six airbags and a whole host of creature comforts. You also get a five-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifts to allow some manual control. It might not be a tight handler like the German cars, but will offer a good balance between ride, comfort and neutral handling. And at even this price offers pretty good value. We suggest you go for it.

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