I want to buy my first car within a budget of ₹15 lakh. I’m considering the Honda Elevate CVT based on reliability. How is it, and is there any better option that is good in all aspects?

The Maruti Suzuki Brezza is a good choice for your requirements. It is economical to run and maintain, and promises a stress-free ownership experience. What also works in the Brezza's favour is a roomy enough cabin, comfortable seats and plush ride comfort.If you are open to the MPV body style, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga is also worth a look. It's comfortable and works surprisingly well as a chauffeur-driven vehicle. If you want a spacious vehicle within a small footprint, there's also the Kia Syros that you could look at. However, maintenance will be costlier than with a Brezza.

The Kia Seltos HTX 1.5 petrol with a CVT automatic transmission (IVT) is a good option for you since you drive quite a bit in the city. The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine is refined, and the IVT gearbox is seamless and responsive. Also, a CVT gives you more convenience than a manual, and it will be more reliable than a dual-clutch transmission (DCT), too.

If you are in the market for an SUV to buy right away, we suggest you go for the Kia Seltos. While the two SUVs are closely related, the recently launched Seltos is based on a new-gen platform and comes with advancements in safety, tech and refinement, and is also significantly more spacious. The next-gen Hyundai Creta that will be based on the same platform is about a year away from launch. What also makes the new Setlos' case stronger is the fact that pricing is very tempting, being about at par with the now gen-old Creta.

If you can account for home charging, the Mahindra XEV 9S will be the ideal choice for you, not only from a tech and features point of view, but also being an electric vehicle. You will significantly benefit from lower running costs than any comparable ICE-powered vehicle.This electric car is smooth to drive, acceleration is strong, and you can easily expect around 400-450km on a single charge, which is impressive. Do keep in mind that the suspension is overly soft, hence it does move around a bit, especially on long drives, and for that reason, we'd recommend you look at the Mahindra XEV 9e instead, which is a 5-seater, has a far better suspension tune, and with good discounts ongoing, you could get a mouth-watering deal on it.