Preferred options

I am planning to buy a new car which offers me good mileage and I am open to both diesel and petrol cars. My budget is in the range of Rs 5 to 6 lakh. I will be using the car about two to three days in the week and once in a month, will be taking it out of town. I am confused between the Suzuki Swift VDi, the Tata Indica Vista Aqua 1.3 Quadrajet and the Fiat Palio — all of them share the same engine! Though these are my preferences, they are not necessarily my only options. What would you advise?

Nagaraj, Bangalore

From your shortlist, it is the Swift that we would rank as the best buy. And we would certainly avoid the Palio since it is past its sell-by date. The Indica Vista with the Fiat-derived engine is a good choice indeed — it is economical and good looking too. Consider the fact that there is a long queue out there for the Swift diesel and the verdict tilts towards the Tata.

Yes or Nano?

I am looking forward to buy the Tata Nano, and its better mileage also lures me. But before buying it, I would like to know if it is as good, reliable and comfortable as the Maruti 800. Also tell me if there are any special reasons not to buy the Nano —for example, it may not be suitable for bad roads. For me, the other option could be to buy a used car at the same price. Should I go for that instead? However, I would like to add that I am not enthusiastic about buying a second-hand car. And I would also not like to buy a car that breaks down every other month, whether it’s the Nano or something else. What do you recommend I do?

Showkat Shah, via email

The Nano is a well thought-out mode of transport for city streets. It is capable of moving four people in relative comfort across most road conditions. Sure, with a top speed of only 105 kph, overtaking on highways is not as easy as in the case of a Maruti 800. The Nano delivers what it promises and hence we do recommend the car. Now, it is up to you whether you want more car for your money — in that case, a used Alto or a Chevrolet Spark makes sense.

Mitsu-busy

I am about to go in for a Mitsubishi Pajero SFX. Please advise me on its mileage, running costs, maintenance, etc. Also should I go in for it at all, as I wouldn’t want it to go out of production any time soon after my purchase.

Sanjeev Malhotra, via email

The Pajero SFX comes with a 2.8-litre turbocharged diesel engine that produces about 118 bhp. It also has a pretty interesting two-tone finish, decent interiors and build quality. While it might not be the most powerful or potent in its class, it does handle the off-road bits very well, so if you are the outdoorsy kind, this will suit you well. However, if most of your driving is going to be on normal roads with the odd off-road excursion, we suggest the Chevrolet Captiva Automatic that is more powerful and is more car-like to drive. Besides, it also is more efficient and might work out better in the long run when you decide to sell it.

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