Respected members, we are a family of five, and I want to buy an SUV. My driving will be about 70% city and 30% highway. I am looking for a car with good fuel economy and an automatic transmission. Which one should I buy, considering both 5-seater and 7-seater options?

Autocar India

•2d

For a family 7 seater mostly used in the city with some trips, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga petrol manual fits your brief better. It is simpler to own, cheaper to service almost anywhere, and you will never have to worry about a diesel filter. In daily traffic, it feels light to drive, the steering and clutch are easy, and the petrol with the small hybrid assist is smooth and uses less fuel than most expect for a car this size. Ride comfort is fine for city speeds, and your family will find the cabin airy with good space for five plus two when needed.Two trade-offs to keep in mind. On bad roads at higher speeds, the Ertiga can feel a bit bouncy, more so with seven on board. And yes, many are used as cabs, but a nicer colour, higher trim and good seat covers do make it feel more upmarket at home.If your routine includes regular highway runs - say one longer drive every week or two - the Kia Carens diesel manual becomes the stronger pick. It rides more comfortably on uneven highways, pulls better with a full load, and will give better mileage on long trips. About your DPF worry: the diesel has a DPF, a filter in the exhaust that needs steady, warm running to clean itself. If your use is mostly short city hops, this can clog over time. If you do those regular, longer runs at steady speeds, it stays clear and is usually trouble-free.So, for mainly city and easy upkeep, go for the Ertiga petrol manual. If you do frequent highways, pick the Carens diesel manual instead.

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Kia Carens

Autocar India

•3d

With five very tall adults and 15-20k km a year, a spacious three-row makes the most sense in your ₹15-16 lakh window, and I’d lean toward the Kia Carens 1.5 diesel manual in a mid variant with the second-row bench. It gives you real stretch-out space, good headroom, and a wide middle row so three adults can sit without rubbing shoulders too much. The low floor makes getting in and out easy for parents and kids alike, and the suspension takes bad patches calmly, so long drives feel relaxed. With your yearly distance, the diesel will use less fuel on highways and needs fewer fuel stops, which matters on family trips.If you want lower running cost in the city and can live with slower pick-up, the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXi CNG is a strong value new car. For five tall adults it works well across the first two rows, and you can fold the third row for luggage, but with the CNG tank in the boot, there is little space if all seats are up.Given you’re open to used, a well-kept Toyota Innova Crysta 2.4 diesel is the most comfortable way to carry five tall adults and luggage. It is easy over long distances and feels very solid; just focus on service history and avoid abused fleet cars.

Kia Carens

Maruti Suzuki Ertiga

Toyota Innova Crysta

Autocar India

•12h

Yes, priced at Rs 39.99 lakh, ex-showroom India, the Skoda Kodiaq Lounge represents great value for money. It's a full Rs 4 lakh cheaper than the Kodiaq Sportline and Rs 6.5 lakh cheaper than the L&K variant, and you don't miss out on that much. The main difference, of course, is the lack of a third row, though these seats were quite small to begin with. It misses some features too, but none of them is essential. For instance, the boot is still powered but loses its hands-free-opening function, the touchscreen is slightly smaller, the front passenger seat is not powered, there's just a rear-view camera instead of a 360deg camera, and the 13-speaker Canton audio system is replaced by a simpler one with 9 speakers. What remains unchanged is the powertrain - a 204hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with AWD and a 7-speed DSG gearbox. Also unchanged is the well-sorted chassis, high interior quality and solid build, which is really what you're getting a Kodiaq for in the first place.

Skoda Kodiaq