To boot or not

I require a car for my daily commute of 30 km a day — the car will mainly run from home to office and back. I am considering buying a petrol car — either the Hyundai i20 or the Honda City. Which do you think is the better option in terms of driving comfort and value for money in the long run?

Balasubramanian, Bengaluru

You do have a rather varied choice. If the primary reason is a commute, then you can go in for the i20 since its dimensions are more compact, is easier to park and manoeuvre and you could save money by going in for a less expensive variant as well. However, if you do need the large boot and that extra bit of performance and space, then the City works out just fine. You should consider your ease of driving and requirements before choosing either.

Petrol runabout

I want to purchase a petrol hatchback for my city drive of about 500 km per month. I am confused between the Hyundai i10 1.2 Magna and the Honda Brio SMT. My priorities are good fuel efficiency, low maintenance costs, pleasant interiors, sturdy build quality and the option of adding a sequential CNG kit in the future.

Satendra Kumar, Ghaziabad

Both the Brio and i10 are excellent city cars and are reasonable enough to run and maintain. However the Brio has a small aperture for the boot and it isn't as spacious, so you may not have enough boot space left after the CNG kit is placed. In that case the i10 may work out to be a better option since there should still be decent boot space after you place the kit.

Jazz and use

I currently own a Maruti Suzuki Alto and am planning to buy a new hatchback. The Honda Jazz appeals to me the most, with its overall design and other features. The only hitch is the engine — is the 1.2-litre powerplant enough to give me good pickup and acceleration as compared to the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Swift?

Viral, via email

The 1.2-litre petrol motor on the Jazz is more than sufficient for most tasks — city or highway driving. The Swift has the advantage of a lower kerb weight and a more rev-friendly motor, but the performance gap isn't much. Add the overall practicality factor associated with the Jazz and it makes for a good buy. Feel free to go ahead with it.

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