Pet stop

I plan on buying a car within a budget of Rs 5 lakh to 7 lakh. I primarily require the car for weekend commuting and occasional trips to my native place too, which is at a distance of 200 kms from Delhi. I will also sometimes commute to my office, which is 20 kms away from my home. I have already booked a Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire LDi, however, people have been recommending that I opt for the petrol variant instead. Please help me decide.

Gaurav Singh, New Delhi

Given the fact that you will only be driving the car occasionally and not on drives that are too long, we don’t think there is any reason for you to opt for a diesel car. The premium you would need to pay on the diesel is not justified. You could opt for the petrol version of the same car — it is an equally good car and is smooth, refined and fuel efficient too.

Newbie wheels

I have started working rather recently and would like to buy a car for my daily commute of 50 to 70 kms within the city. I am considering the Tata Nano and Chevrolet Beat, but I haven’t finalised my budget yet. I do not want to spend too much money on the car, but I’d like something that would offer me good value for money. Please suggest a car.

Ankita, Pune

Since you drive between 50 and 70 km a day and would want to cut your commuting costs, look at the Beat diesel. The car is efficient, which will be a boon in terms of fuel savings. It is also good for city driving conditions. Overall, the Beat is a better car than the Nano. Do read up on the Beat diesel on www.bsmotoring.com and test drive the car before you make your final decision.

Definitely diesel

I want to buy a sedan that is comfortable, easy to drive, has good pick up, delivers good mileage and is low in terms of maintenance costs too. My monthly usage is around 1,000 to 1,200 kms per month in the city and on the highway too. I want to go for the Nissan Sunny diesel because of its features list. However, a friend suggested I opt for a petrol car and then add a CNG kit. What would be the best option for me?

Divyesh Dabhi, via email

If you are interested in the Nissan Sunny diesel, you can certainly go for it. We recommend diesel cars over CNG/LPG conversions. Your requirements are comfort, ease of driving, decent pick up, fuel efficiency and reliability — considering these parameters, you won't go wrong with the Sunny diesel. If you don't want to pay that much of a premium for a diesel car, you can opt for the Sunny petrol — it is also pretty efficient and considering what you cover in a month, it won't be that heavy on the pocket either.