Best of 2014: Top car comparisons

Car comparisons have always been popular reads, and for reasons understood. They tell you how good or bad a car is, and also pit it against competition as a litmus test to further verify if a new car is worth all the money you’ll spend on it. We’ve made a list of the most popular comparisons over this year, so can go through it. All at one place.

Hyundai Xcent vs Maruti Swift Dzire vs Honda Amaze comparison

The compact sedan segment in India witnessed a massive growth in popularity, but at one point of time, it was down to a two-car battle. The ever-popular big-seller Maruti Dzire was beginning to face heat from the car that put Honda back in the list of volume sellers, the Amaze. The Amaze was also the beginning of Honda's diesel engine era. Soon after, Hyundai jumped onto the compact sedan bandwagon, with the Xcent. Technically a booted Grand i10, the Xcent had a lot going for it – smooth running engines, lots of cabin space, high equipment levels and Hyundai’s capable service network. We have tried to find out if that was enough for Hyundai to go up against the established heavyweights. Read full comparison here.
 

Honda City diesel vs Skoda Rapid diesel comparison

The Skoda Rapid diesel was always a popular seller in the mid-size sedan segment. It also gave consumers a chance to own a car with the Skoda badge at a much more affordable price than the other models in its portfolio. On the other hand, Honda, despite having conquered the popularity charts for many years with its City sedan, couldn't compete at its best potential owing to the lack of an oil burner. Things changed when the latest generation of the Honda City was launched. Honda’s new 1.5-litre diesel plonked in the latest City was expected to stir things up. We decided to pit the two capable mid-sizers against each other to see which one comes on top.
Read full comparison here

Honda Mobilio diesel vs Maruti Ertiga comparison

Hyundai Grand i10 vs Maruti Swift vs Honda Brio comparison

Maruti Ciaz vs Honda City comparison

The Maruti Ciaz was one of the most anticipated cars this year. Maruti discontinued the SX4, and brought in the Ciaz to take on the sedan segment that has been the domain of the Honda City. Both cars offer quality engines, a spacious and well-equipped cabin and good overall ownership. Basically, both cars are a bang for the buck, and in the segment that is seeing a lot of players, these two cars do stand a shoulder above the rest. So, it was only a matter of time before both the cars were squared-off. We find out if the Ciaz truly has all that it will take to pip the City from the top spot, or if the City still has a one-up to continue as the undisputed king of the mid-size sedan segment. Full comparison here.

Honda City diesel vs rivals full comparison

Before the Maruti Ciaz came into the picture, the City was truly undisputed, well almost. One of the major reasons for the success of Honda’s superstar was the 1.5-litre diesel engine under its hood. But back when it launched, there were some established diesel mid-sizers namely, the Hyundai Verna, the Skoda Rapid and the Volkswagen Vento. All the three cars had received some updates during the City's launched, prepped to give the newcomer City, a not-so-pleasant welcome. We take the diesel models of all the four cars and critique them inside-out to see whether the City has the ability to come out on top or if the established players prove to be a little too much for the Japanese carmaker. Read our comprehensive comparison test here.

Tata Zest vs Maruti Dzire vs Honda Amaze vs Hyundai Xcent comparison

Honda City vs Volkswagen Vento TSI comparison

That four comparos on this list have the Honda City in the mix, should tell you a lot about how popular the newest generation of the Japanese car is. Back when it was launched, one of the things that created a lot of storm was the fact that Honda claimed that the automatic City was more efficient than the manual version. But what matters is not just popularity but also ability. We tried putting the Honda City automatic to test, and just to have a better perspective, we pitched it against another potent automatic mid-size sedan – the Volkswagen Vento TSI. Both have capable engines, claim good efficiency and have the convenience of the automatic gearbox. Comparison story here.

Maruti Celerio vs Nissan Micra Active vs Hyundai i10 vs Ford Figo comparison

We have quite a craze for small cars in our markets, and there is absolutely no dearth of options for people looking to buy one. Maruti launched the Celerio in the midst of huge expectations, and as expected, the masses went wild over a new Maruti small car. But is the Celerio truly the pick amongst all the cars the segment has to offer? Nissan has the economical Micra Active which does well on practicality, space and power. There’s the Ford Figo, which was always a fun-to-drive, good value-for-money hatchback. And finally, the Hyundai i10, which has always been a well-accepted product in the market, became even better value-for-money when its prices dropped a bit post the launch of the Grand i10. We try finding out which one is the best buy.

Datsun Go vs Hyundai Eon vs Maruti Wagon R comparison

Rules for a good entry-level hatchback are clear - Practicality, ease of use, low running costs and hassle-free ownership. Datsun made an entry into our markets with the Go, with an effort to get all these basics right. It got the pricing spot-on, but needed a lot more than just that to match the likes of the Marutis and the Hyundais. The Maruti Wagon R is a tried-and-tested, practical and no-nonsense car. The Hyundai Eon, on the other hand, is stylish on the inside and out, smooth, and also practical. The three cars are priced pretty close to each other and offer most of what small car buyers would look for. We look to pick the best option of the three. Full story here.