I am planning to buy a TC or CVT automatic car around 15 lakhs. City driving of about 30 kms daily, and on weekends about 100 kms. Highway trips once every 6 months (mainly to a hill station). My priorities are safety, features, comfort, low running costs, and a sunroof. Please suggest the best options.

Should I buy petrol or diesel car? My budget is Rs. 10 lakh through the CSD route for long-term ownership. I currently own a 2022 Hyundai Creta Diesel, but my monthly running is relatively low. I am also concerned about future fuel regulations. If I buy an E20-compatible petrol car today, will it be able to handle higher ethanol blends that may be introduced in the coming years?

Hi, autocar, My daily running is around 30km in city traffic, with occasional road trips of around 200km. I'm looking for a car in the SUV segment with a budget of 11 - 13 lakhs. I'm confused between BREZZA zxi, Victoris Vxi or Venue hx5, all in petrol manual variant. Which is a better option in terms of mileage, performance, features and comfort? Also, suggest any better option.

Hi Autocar team, I'm replacing my 2017 Maruti Baleno Alpha petrol and would appreciate your recommendations. Location - Currently based in Pune - BH registration planned because there is a reasonable possibility of moving to another state in the future (likely Madhya Pradesh or Bangalore or Delhi) Usage - Primarily city driving (90%+) - Occasional highway trips, sometimes very long (up to 1,000 km) - Usually 2 adults + 1 child - Must comfortably accommodate 4 adults + 1 child when required - Annual running currently under 8,000 km, but could increase significantly because there will be two drivers and an automatic car is likely to be used more Drivers - One experienced driver comfortable with any size car - Second driver is relatively new and gets intimidated by judging the front-left corner and vehicle dimensions - Features such as a rear camera have helped significantly in building confidence Budget - Initially started looking around the Rs. 10 lakh on-road mark - Comfortable spending around Rs.14-16 lakh if the improvement in safety, confidence and ownership experience is clearly noticeable - Looking for the best overall fit rather than trying to maximise budget Priorities (in order) 1. Reliability and hassle-free ownership 2. Safety 3. Easy manoeuvrability and confidence in city traffic What I dislike about my current Baleno - Feels flimsy and dents very easily - Doesn't inspire confidence on highways anymore - Braking confidence is not great Preferences - Automatic transmission is mandatory - Open to petrol, hybrid or EV - Dedicated parking is available, and home charging is possible - Mostly good roads with occasional monsoon-related road damage - I value predictable ownership, service quality and peace of mind more than outright performance Test-drive observations We have driven a few hatchbacks and compact SUVs with automatic transmissions. One thing that became clear is that a commanding seating position and a clearer view of the road ahead significantly increase confidence, especially for the newer driver. However, we are still unsure whether this benefit alone justifies moving up from a hatchback to an SUV. Long-term thinking Initially, I thought a small hatchback would be ideal because I could pass it on to my parents after 3-5 years. However, if a slightly larger vehicle provides substantially better safety, comfort and confidence, I would rather keep it for 5-10 years and buy my parents a separate car later. Question Based on the above requirements, what would be your top 5 recommendations and in what order? More importantly: - Which body style would you choose: premium hatchback, compact SUV, midsize SUV, hybrid SUV or EV? - Which popular models would you eliminate despite their popularity, and why? - How much weight should I give to reliability versus crash safety when choosing a family car that will mostly be driven in the city but occasionally undertake long highway trips? - Am I likely to regret staying with a hatchback, or is moving up a segment the more sensible long-term decision for my use case?