I have been driving an Elite i20 petrol (70,000 km), mostly on highways (85:15). I am now thinking of an upgrade, but my current usage in Mysore is very low - sometimes I don’t even drive 200 km per month. Is it sensible to buy a new car given this low usage, and if so, what would be the best option?

Autocar India

•12w

For cars and bikes, purely from a financial standpoint, buy only if you truly need to; an emotional need counts too.

If your current car is running fine, there’s no reason to replace it. As long as it’s not giving you any trouble, it should comfortably last another 20,000-30,000 km. By then, you’ll also have many more new models to choose from.

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Deen

•2d

Hi Autocar, I own a 2021 Nexon XZA+S Petrol and am now looking for a replacement. My annual running is around 15,000 km, mostly in the city, with decent highway runs every alternate month. We’re a couple with two children under 10. My requirements are an automatic gearbox, family comfort, great driving dynamics, good boot space, and a good music system for long drives. My budget is a maximum of ₹30 lakh OTR in Gurgaon.

Autocar India

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Given your requirements, the Skoda Slavia would be a good option to consider. Within the Slavia range, we would recommend the 1.5-litre TSI engine with the DSG gearbox. This will give you the enthusiastic driving dynamics you want, which frankly, no mid-size SUV can offer. It also has fantastic handling manners and is extremely stable on the highways. The bootspace at 521 litres is massive, and it has a good ground clearance to clear most of our badly built roads.In the city, the Slavia also gets cylinder deactivation that helps save fuel, and it is light and breezy to manoeuvre. Also, the music system in the Slavia is one of the best stock systems out there. It is punchy, clear and feels properly high-end. If you're an audiophile, you will enjoy it compared to any other car or SUV south of Rs 30 lakh.

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Dr G A Rahi

•2d

Hi, currently I have been driving a Honda Amaze diesel top model since 2019. Now I want to upgrade my car to an SUV. My daily running is 45 km and monthly up to 1300 km, with 20% in the city and 80% on the highway. Please suggest a fuel-efficient and safety-loaded SUV under an ₹11-12 lakh budget. Please suggest.

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•22h

Since you prefer diesels, the Tata Nexon would be a good choice for your needs. It gets a frugal 1.5-litre diesel engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is rated 5 stars for crash test safety in BNCAP and has a confident ride on the highway. The braking performance is good too, and in your budget, you can get the Pure + S variant that gets you a decent kit like LED headlamps, sunroof, reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, etc.The Nexon returns an impressive 16.5kpl in the city and an even more impressive 19.4kpl on the highway. It is a well-rounded SUV for your needs and hence our top recommendation.

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I am looking for an upgrade. Does it make sense to buy the 3XO, coming from a Honda City? Please suggest. (Also open to other options)

Autocar India

•23h

If an upgrade necessarily means a larger car for you, the Mahindra 3XO won't be the right move after a Honda City. You'd be best served by midsized SUVs, which measure between 4.3 and 4.5m. Of the current crop of mid-sized SUVs, the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Tata Sierra are the best-rounded. The new-gen Renault Duster that launches on March 17 also has promise.If vehicle size isn't a dealbreaker, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is a good pick. It's got powerful petrol engines, feels solid, and ride and handling are also impressive. The interior is also spacious for what is a compact SUV, and higher-spec versions pack in loads of equipment too. In fact, a fully-loaded 3XO is better equipped than a fully-loaded City.Within the compact SUV segment, you could also consider the Hyundai Venue, which is a well-rounded package.

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