I need to buy my second car purely for driving pleasure. Budget is within ₹25 lakh, and I definitely want an ICE petrol vehicle. Sedan, SUV, or MUV, anything works. Please advise.

Autocar India

•18w

Since driving pleasure is your main priority, you’ll appreciate the dynamics of a sedan. Consider the Volkswagen Virtus or the Skoda Slavia, both powered by a punchy 150hp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine.

The Volkswagen does have the advantage of being available with a 6-speed manual gearbox, which will be more engaging to drive. Alternatively, you could consider the Hyundai Verna, which gets a slightly more powerful engine (160hp, 1.5 turbo petrol), but it isn't as dynamically sorted as the VW or Skoda.

Explore cars mentioned

Skoda

Slavia

from ₹11.30 Lakh

Volkswagen

Virtus

from ₹12.23 Lakh

Hyundai

Verna

from ₹12.79 Lakh

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Shivathmaja PS

•1d

I am looking to buy a car for my parents, who do not drive, so it will mostly be chauffeur-driven. My main priority is rear seat comfort. We are upgrading from a 2011 Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire. The car will mainly be used for highways and long trips, with minimal city usage. However, I would prefer an automatic transmission in case I need to use it occasionally in the city (Bengaluru). Before starting test drives, I wanted your suggestions on some suitable vehicles. Based on my initial research, I have shortlisted the following options: Honda City ZX CVT Kia Seltos HTX iVT Honda Elevate ZX CVT Škoda Slavia 1.5L Sportline DSG or 1.0 Monte Carlo AT Volkswagen Virtus Topline AT My budget is around ₹20–21 lakh. Which option would you recommend, especially considering rear seat comfort and highway usability?

Autocar India

•1d

Go for the Honda City ZX CVT. For chauffeur‑driven parents, it offers the comfiest rear bench, ample legroom, and a smooth CVT for Bengaluru traffic within your ₹20-21 lakh budget.Rear comfort is its strength: the 2,600 mm wheelbase helps knee-room, the rear seat is well-cushioned with good thigh support, and the ride is tuned soft for long trips. The 506‑litre boot easily swallows luggage for highway runs. ZX adds 6 airbags and ADAS with adaptive cruise control, useful on long highways. The CVT’s smooth creep and no shift‑shock make occasional city use easy. Versus your shortlist, Elevate’s rear bench feels upright, while Slavia/Virtus ride firmer and are more driver‑centric for back‑seat comfort.The one thing you give up is ground clearance in comparison to the Elevate. Also, if getting in and out is a concern, the Elevate's high-set seats would make it easier. A test drive should sort that out. For now, we recommend the City for its hassle-free ownership experience, reliability and most of all, a refined and comfortable cabin.

Jithin

I am looking to buy my first car. I am currently looking at the Kia Sonet Diesel Automatic 1.5, which comes at ₹16.25 lakh and the Skoda Slavia Sportline Auto at ₹17 lakh. My main usage would be travelling between Kochi and Bangalore and occasional city drives in and around both cities. I had a Ford Figo 1.5 TDCi earlier, which I loved and would prefer something with a similar driving punch. Which would be an apt choice?

Autocar India

•16h

Since a large part of your driving will be on the Kochi-Bengaluru highway and you enjoyed the performance of your old Ford Figo 1.5 TDCi, choosing a car with strong performance and relaxed cruising ability will make your drives more enjoyable.Between the two, you will likely be happier with the Skoda Slavia 1.5 TSI with the 7-speed DSG. It offers superior performance and refinement compared to the Kia Sonet diesel automatic, especially for highway usage. The Slavia’s turbo-petrol engine delivers effortless acceleration, and the DSG gearbox shifts quickly and smoothly, which makes overtaking and long-distance cruising feel easy.Another advantage is that the 1.5-litre engine features cylinder deactivation, which shuts down two cylinders under light loads such as steady cruising. This helps improve fuel efficiency when driving on the highway. The Slavia also feels more planted and stable at higher speeds, which will be noticeable on your frequent intercity drives.However, we would recommend waiting a little before making the purchase. The Slavia facelift is expected soon, and with it around the corner, it makes sense to see what updates and features the refreshed model brings before committing to the current version.

Skoda Slavia

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Dinesh Kotwani

•6w

Hello Autocar Team, I currently own a Honda City 4th-gen CVT V (2016) and am planning to upgrade to a new car. My monthly running will be around 500–800 km, and I am looking for a comfortable and solid-built automatic car. I have taken long test drives of the Škoda Kushaq 1.0, Skoda Kushaq 1.5, Kia Sonet 1.0 DCT, Honda Elevate CVT, and Skoda Slavia 1.0 AT. Out of these, I enjoyed driving the Slavia 1.0 AT the most, while I did not like driving the Elevate and Sonet at all. However, I am concerned about the long-term reliability of the Slavia 1.0 AT for city usage, as I plan to keep the car for around 15 years. Do you think I should also test drive the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos IVT? Also, could my preference for sedans be influencing my bias against SUVs? Please advise whether I should stick with the Slavia AT or seriously consider the Creta/Seltos IVT. My maximum budget is ₹20 lakh on-road in Mumbai.

Autocar India

•2h

SUVs, no matter how well honed and engineered, are unlikely to be as enjoyable to drive as their sedan counterparts, simply because of their higher centre of gravity and relatively greater mass. That said, Skoda and Volkswagen have knocked it out of the park with their India 2.0 cars, whether sedans or SUVs, and all are exceptional to drive. If you enjoyed the Skoda Slavia, go for it. You should have no issues if you drive and maintain it properly, and Skoda's service has improved significantly in recent years, both in quality and cost. You could try the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta, which are better all-rounders than the Slavia, but given that you enjoy the Skoda sedan, we think you should go for it.

Skoda Slavia

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