Hello Autocar Team, I obtained my car driving licence over a year ago, but I have almost no real-world driving experience apart from the driving test. Since my father drives a Mahindra XUV300 Manual (he lives in another city), I was initially inclined to buy a Mahindra XUV 3XO AT (AX5/AX5L/REVX A). However, some advice I found online has encouraged me to consider buying a smaller, less powerful used car to drive for a year. After giving it some thought, I completely agree with the idea of starting with a smaller car, especially since I'll mostly be driving alone. After some research, I narrowed my options down to the Hyundai i20 AT (2021-2023 IVT) over the Toyota Glanza and Maruti Suzuki Baleno in Bengaluru. My plan is to use the car mainly for highway trips (I'm planning lots of temple visits across South, East, and West India) while also practising city driving over the next few months. As a motorcyclist, I've been riding a Triumph Scrambler 400 X for the past two years and occasionally go on highway rides. Although I'll be a new car driver, I don't want to feel that the car is underpowered after a short period of ownership. Along with the i20 (and the Glanza/Baleno), I've now also added the Hyundai Venue to my shortlist. P.S. I'm also planning to enrol in a 10-day doorstep driving instruction course. Could you please suggest which car would be the right choice for me? My key requirements are: Automatic transmission, beginner-friendly automatic gearbox, reasonably quiet cabin, good highway stability, and good or decent resale value after 12-15 months

autocar.india

•2d

Given your priorities of hassle-free ownership, decent mileage and a comfortable city driving experience, the new Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi+ AMT is a sensible choice. The Swift is reliable, easy to drive in traffic and offers good fuel efficiency, which aligns well with your daily commute and weekend highway runs.However, since you already own an Ertiga, it is worth considering the recently-updated Maruti Suzuki Baleno AMT as well. The Baleno offers a more spacious cabin, a larger boot, more features and a more premium feel, making it a better all-rounder for both city and highway use. It is also easy to drive and delivers the same reliability and efficiency.If you are open to looking beyond Maruti, the Hyundai i20 IVT is another strong contender. It offers a comfortable ride, a well-built cabin and a smoother CVT automatic gearbox, making it well-suited to Bangalore's traffic conditions.Overall, the Swift remains a solid choice, but the Baleno AMT is worth serious consideration given its additional space and comfort.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Hyundai i20

autocar.india

•4h

With a daily 55-60 km commute that is split between highway and bumper-to-bumper traffic, your priority should be a car that is comfortable, easy to drive and fuel-efficient. At around 1,100 km a month, you are right on the threshold where fuel efficiency starts to matter, but not enough to justify the higher cost and complexity of a diesel or hybrid. A petrol engine with a smooth automatic gearbox is the sweet spot here.Given your budget of Rs 11 lakh, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno is the most sensible upgrade from your Honda Amaze. It is a spacious hatchback with a comfortable ride, a refined petrol engine and a smooth automatic gearbox that makes daily traffic far less tiring. The Baleno also offers excellent fuel efficiency, low maintenance costs and Maruti's unmatched service network, which is important for long-term ownership. The AMT gearbox works well in the city and takes the sting off your left foot in traffic. If you are set on a compact SUV, the Maruti Suzuki Fronx is the best fit within your budget. It gets a four-cylinder petrol engine that is refined and punchy and offers a higher seating position and better ground clearance, which can be useful on rough patches and speed breakers. However, you will have to settle for a lower variant compared to the Baleno.Between the two, the Baleno is the better choice for your usage. It is more spacious, more comfortable and better value for money. The Fronx only makes sense if you specifically want the SUV stance.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Honda Amaze

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

autocar.india

•7h

With your budget of Rs 15-16 lakh on-road and a monthly running of 1,000-1,500 km with 70% highway usage, the Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel automatic is the best fit. The diesel engine will deliver significantly better real-world fuel efficiency on highways compared to petrol automatics, which is important given your running. The 3XO is also one of the most spacious and comfortable compact SUVs, with a wide cabin that makes it a genuinely comfortable five-seater for long journeys. This Mahindra car is also one of the safest cars in the segment, with a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, and Mahindra’s service network and maintenance costs are reasonable. The diesel automatic is a torque converter unit, which is smooth and reliable, and the car is well equipped with useful features without being overly complex. If you are absolutely set on petrol, the Hyundai Venue in its top-spec HX10 guise, with the turbo petrol automatic option, is also worth considering. It is a newer car, has a fresher design and a nicer interior as well, and gets all the bells and whistles that you get on the Mahindra. Efficiency definitely won't be as much as the diesel version, but if a turbo petrol is what you want, the performance is very good on the Venue. The Venue also has a diesel option that is worth considering. Although it's not as punchy or as good in performance as the Mahindra, it will still give you much better efficiency than the turbo petrol.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Hyundai Venue