Mumbai

Kiran G

•2h

I am a new driver planning to buy my first car with a budget of around ₹10 lakh. My usage will mainly involve highway driving. Could you please suggest the best options considering safety, stability at highway speeds, comfort, fuel efficiency, reliability, ease of driving for a beginner, and long-term ownership experience?

Autocar India

•27m

For your needs, you should consider the Maruti Suzuki Dzire ZXI. It comes with a refined 1.2 petrol engine paired with a slick 5-speed manual gearbox, and combined with its light controls, makes it very easy to drive in city traffic.

The Dzire is also an efficient car, with Maruti claiming it'll do 24.79kpl with the manual and 25.71kpl with the AMT automatic. The cabin is comfy, the ride quality is absorbent, and it also has a reasonably sized boot, all of which you'll appreciate on your long drives. The sedan has also proven to be safe, as it has a 5-star crash safety rating from Bharat NCAP. And to round it off, it's backed by Maruti's widespread service network, which will give you peace of mind, especially since this will be your first car.

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from ₹7.38 Lakh

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More questions on similar cars

Saran s

•2d

I currently own a 2019 Maruti Suzuki Dzire ZXi Plus, which has covered 85,000 km. I have received an exchange valuation of Rs 4.85 lakh against a new Hyundai Venue or Maruti Brezza. Considering my monthly usage has now decreased to just 600 km, would it be financially prudent to proceed with the exchange, or would it be wiser to retain my current car for another few years?

Autocar India

•1d

Since your usage has reduced, it makes sense to retain your Maruti Suzuki Dzire if it is serving you without any issues. Even if you have a major service coming up which involves changing its suspension, tyres, brakes, clutch, etc., the total cost to keep your car in top shape will only be a fraction of what you'll otherwise have to spend to purchase an all-new car.And being a Maruti car, it is likely to hold its value, and even if you decide to sell a few years down the line, its resale price is not likely to drop too sharply.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

ronak Lalwani

•2d

Which car should I buy with an Rs 8-9.5 lakh budget and 15,000km annual running? My highway-to-city usage is 70:30. I am posted in Maharashtra, and my hometown is approximately 1,100km away. I need good boot space and mileage, and the car will be registered under the BH series. Should I go for petrol, diesel or EV? I have looked at the Tata Altroz diesel, Tata Nexon diesel and Maruti Dzire petrol.

Autocar India

•1d

The entry-level Tata Altroz diesel-manual fits your budget. It is spacious, fuel-efficient, and has a decent-sized boot by hatchback standards, too. The Tata's highway stability is excellent, refinement isn't one of its strengths, and it does get quite noisy.Alternatively, you could consider the mid-spec Maruti Suzuki Dzire. Even though it is only petrol-powered, its 3-cylinder engine is extremely fuel-efficient. The clutch, gearbox and steering are light, the car is very spacious, and its boot is large. While the Dzire is a very comfortable car, engine performance on the highway is a bit dull. However, if you are a sedate driver, this is the one to go for.

Tata Altroz

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Aditya Singh

•2d

Hello Autocar Team, I'm looking to buy my first car with a budget of 10-11 lakh on-road price. My monthly drive would be around 750 kms with mostly city rides and rare highway trips. I am looking for a premium cabin, petrol manual with safety ratings and smooth comfortable ride.

Autocar India

•2d

Go for the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire. It is the most well-rounded choice in this budget with a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating, a comfortable ride, spacious cabin, genuinely usable boot and very easy city manners thanks to its light clutch and effortless controls. It also feels premium enough inside for the price.The one trade-off is the new 3-cylinder petrol engine. It is impressively efficient, but if refinement and outright performance matter to you, it is not as smooth or punchy as a good 4-cylinder petrol.If that matters, the Honda Amaze is the alternative worth considering. Its 4-cylinder petrol engine feels smoother and more refined, though the Dzire is the more comfortable and better-rounded package overall.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

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Popular discussions right now

•1w

My wife and I earn around ₹4.5 lakh per month. We are planning to buy our first car, and we prefer the EMI to be around ₹15,000-₹20,000. What car would you suggest we should buy?

Autocar India

•3d

It really depends on how much down payment you are comfortable putting in, because your EMI target of Rs 15,000 to 20,000 can get you very different cars depending on the loan tenure and upfront payment.That said, for a first car that is easy to drive, safe, comfortable and still feels special, one of the strongest picks today is the Skoda Kylaq Signature automatic. Skoda’s official pricing puts the Signature automatic in a range where, with roughly Rs 2.3 down payment and a 7 year loan, your EMI can sit broadly in your target bracket. The turbo petrol engine feels punchy without being intimidating, the torque converter automatic is smooth and fuss free, and the size is just right for a first time buyer.If you want to spend less and prioritise maximum ease of use, the Hyundai i20 IVT is another excellent first car. It is easier to drive than most SUVs, the IVT automatic is extremely smooth in traffic, and ownership is straightforward. You give up the higher seating position of an SUV, but for urban use, it is arguably an even easier first car.

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Nirmil Shah

•3d

I am interested in the BYD Seal, but I’m concerned about its low ground clearance of the car. Is this a serious issue on Indian roads, speed breakers, and basement ramps?

Autocar India

•2d

The low ground clearance of BYD Seal is something you can live with, especially if you're used to driving sedans. Its nose sits low and the distance between the wheels is long, so tall, badly built breakers and sharp ramp crests can make it touch, especially with four or five people and luggage. However on regular speed breakers, it is likely to clear if you slow right down, and you don't necessarily need to take them at a slight angle.The underbody and battery are protected, so even if it scrapes a few times, it should not be a cause of concern, however, it will feel gut-wrenching to hear the underbody scrape over the unscientifically-built speed humps.Before finalizing, if your daily route has extra-tall breakers or a tricky ramp, take a test drive on that exact path. If it clears there, you’ll be fine in regular use.

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Amithab

•2d

Hi, my budget is ₹15 lakh on-road, and I’m confused between buying an EV or a petrol car. My usage will mostly be in the city, with only occasional highway trips.

Autocar India

•2d

For your usage, we would lean towards the Tata Punch EV Long Range. With mostly city driving and only rare highway use, an EV makes more sense than a petrol car because you will benefit from the low running costs, quiet and effortless driving experience, and minimal maintenance. The updated Punch EV Long Range offers substantially more usable range than you are likely to need day to day, which also gives you a comfort buffer for occasional outstation trips rather than locking you into a strict city only use case. The reason to specifically pick the Long Range even if your current use does not demand it is flexibility. You may not need the extra battery every day, but if your usage changes or you decide to do the occasional road trip, having that headroom makes EV ownership much easier and less stressful.

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