Mumbai

•14w

I am confused between the BMW 330Li M Sport and the 320Ld. Which one should I buy?

•14w

The greatest advantage of the BMW 3 Series LWB is its dual nature. It is excellent to drive, embodying those typical 3 Series traits of sharp steering, near 50:50 weight distribution, a taut chassis and rear-wheel drive. However, owing to its long wheelbase, it provides an excellent chauffeur driven experience too, with a spacious back seat and a surprisingly pliant and comfortable ride. The advantage here is of choice - unlike its bigger sibling, the 5 Series, the 3 Series LWB is available with a petrol engine (330Li) and a diesel engine option (320Ld), both of which come with the M Sport exterior and interior styling pack. Which you choose is dependent on your usage. If you have heavy highway usage regularly, only then would we recommend the 320Ld, as that's where you'll see the main benefit, which is fuel economy. Such driving will also allow you to regenerate the DPF regularly, which is a necessity in modern diesel cars. If that's not your use case, we would stick to the 330Li petrol, which is slightly more affordable too. The powerful and smooth 258hp engine is well suited to a sharp-handling sedan like the 3 Series, and it is the more refined option as well. Yes, fuel efficiency won't be as good, but if used mostly in the city and driven carefully, the real-world gap is not that much.

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•14w

nice exxplanation

•13w

Electric

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•4d

Which is the better car between the Kylaq and the new Brezza 1.0-litre turbo? Most of my driving will be in the city, but on road trips, the car will cover around 600-700 km in a day. My priorities are decent suspension, good handling and drivability, along with confidence-inspiring highway manners. At speeds above 100 kph, which of the two offers better stability and performance?

•5h

Go for the Skoda Kylaq 1.0 TSI. It is the better fit for your usage. The 1.0 TSI turbo petrol engine is punchy and offers strong mid-range performance, which makes highway overtakes easy and the car feels stable and confident at triple-digit speeds. The suspension is well-tuned, offering a good balance between ride comfort and handling, and the steering is precise, which inspires confidence on long highway runs. The Maruti Suzuki Brezza 1.0 turbo is a good car, but the Kylaq feels more engaging to drive and is better suited to your requirements. The only thing to keep in mind is that the Kylaq's boot is on the smaller side, so if you regularly carry a lot of luggage, that is something to consider. Overall, for your mix of city driving and long highway trips, the Kylaq is the better fit.

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

•6d

Hi Autocar, I’m looking for a petrol SUV under Rs 18 lakh with a manual transmission. I live in a small town and travel to Bengaluru occasionally. Most of my driving is a mix of city and highway use, with some hill driving, and I expect to cover around 5,000–8,000 km a year. I’m not looking for excessive features, as I feel the more electronics and automation a car has, the higher the maintenance costs can be. My priorities are a strong SUV stance and commanding driving position, good safety, annual maintenance costs below Rs 10,000, decent mileage, good road presence, predictable handling and comfortable ride quality. I also go trekking and take part in other outdoor activities, so some light off-road capability would be useful. Nothing extreme, but enough ground clearance and confidence to tackle rough patches and uneven roads. At the moment, I’m considering the Honda Elevate and Renault Duster, but I’m slightly concerned about long-term maintenance and after-sales support. From what I understand, Honda parts are generally sourced through its authorised network, while the Duster is not particularly known for having strong after-sales support. Could you please suggest which SUV would be the better choice for my requirements? Any other recommendations would also be helpful.

•8h

We would recommend the Renault Duster with the turbo-petrol engine paired with the six-speed manual. It is the best fit for the stated usage and priorities. With relatively low annual running, a petrol engine makes more sense, and while the Honda Elevate’s naturally aspirated engine is smooth, reliable and easy to live with, it does not have the Duster’s sense of toughness.The Elevate also feels less modern inside compared with the Duster. The Duster has a strong SUV stance, a commanding driving position and good ground clearance, which should provide greater confidence on rough patches and light off-road trails. Its handling and suspension are particular strengths, while the overall build quality also feels reassuring.Renault’s service network is not the strongest, but support should be better in Bengaluru, given that it is a major city. As an overall package, and considering the requirements, the Duster makes for the better choice. A relatively limited service network for Renault cars is a drawback, but the Duster’s strengths make it a more suitable option for this particular usage.

Renault Duster

Honda Elevate

•6d

Hi Autocar Team, I currently own a 2021 Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXi (P) and have covered 100,000 km. My daily running is around 90–95 km for my office commute, and I live in Delhi-NCR while working in Greater Noida. I am a family of two, and my ownership experience so far has been completely hassle-free. The Swift is still running perfectly and delivers an average of around 22 km/l. Since I have now crossed the 100,000 km mark, should I consider upgrading? Given my daily running and the fact that I can manage home charging, I feel an EV could suit my requirements. Should I consider the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Alpha or the VinFast VF6 Wind?

•9h

Given the usage, the Maruti Suzuki E Vitara Alpha is the better fit. A 90- 95 km daily commute, combined with the ability to charge at home, makes an EV a sensible upgrade. The E Vitara is a well-rounded package, backed by Maruti’s extensive service network and established ownership experience.The VinFast VF6 Wind is an interesting alternative, with a larger battery and a longer claimed range. However, VinFast is still a new brand in India and does not have the same service reach or long-term track record as Maruti. The e Vitara’s 50.8kWh battery and 550km ARAI-claimed range are more than adequate for the daily commute, while the service network of Maruti Suzuki cars across Delhi-NCR and Noida is a significant advantage for long-term ownership.The VF6 Wind’s 59.6kWh battery and 525km claimed range are impressive, but its limited service footprint and lack of an established ownership history make it a riskier choice at this stage. The E Vitara Alpha also gets a good set of features, including a 360-degree camera, ADAS and a 12.3-inch touchscreen, making it a well-equipped and practical upgrade from the Maruti Suzuki Swift.The VinFast car does have an advantage in terms of rear-seat and boot space, although for a family of two, the e Vitara should be more than adequate. It also feels more solid and planted at higher speeds, while offering considerably more power and a more engaging driving experience. However, these advantages are not enough to sway the overall decision. For this particular use case, the e Vitara Alpha remains the safer and more sensible choice.

Maruti Suzuki e Vitara

Vinfast VF6

Maruti Suzuki Swift

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Popular discussions right now

•1w

I have been using Honda City manual for the last 21 years. Now, I want a car with automatic transmission for city running mostly. My average running is around 1000km a month. Can you suggest whether I should buy Seltos, Creta, Kushaq or Elevate?

•5d

Given your usage of around 1,000 km a month, mostly in the city, the priority should be a smooth and reliable automatic transmission, good ride comfort and ease of ownership. The Kia Seltos IVT is the most natural recommendation here. The IVT gearbox is also very smooth, and the Seltos feels more premium and feature-rich than the competition. Alternatively, consider the Honda Elevate. The CVT is exceptionally smooth in stop-start traffic, Honda’s ownership experience is proven, and the car is simple, reliable and easy to live with.The Skoda Kushaq is the driver’s choice, with a more engaging driving experience, but in city running, that doesn't matter much. The Hyundai Creta is a good all-rounder, but it is due for a full model change in 2027, which makes the Seltos and Elevate stronger recommendations at this point.

I am a lady driver and drive around 65 km every day on the expressway. Twice a month, I also drive in the city and traffic. I am currently driving a Celerio, but it is 9 years old, so I am looking for a change. My budget is Rs. 10-12 lakh.

•5d

For your usage, the Skoda Kylaq is a good upgrade. Your 65 km daily expressway run means you need a car that is stable at speed and comfortable over long distances. The Kylaq delivers that very well. At your budget, you could get a lower-spec automatic, which would make it easy to drive in city traffic, which matters for your twice-a-month urban runs. The automatic gearbox is a torque converter, so its shifts are very smooth and it is very reliable too. The only possible downside is that fuel efficiency is not going to be very high, and given your high daily running, this is something that might bother you. If so, opt for the Maruti Suzuki Fronx 1.2L, which is also good at higher speeds and would be more fuel efficient. The auto box in this case is an AMT, which would not be as smooth, but this would only be a bit of a bother in city traffic and not on steady highway cruising.

Skoda Kylaq

Maruti Suzuki Fronx

•1w

Hey, We are planning to buy a sub-4-metre SUV, and our main requirement is good suspension for Bengaluru’s pothole-filled roads, especially as my wife is pregnant. We have shortlisted the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Mahindra XUV 3XO, and Tata Nexon. Which one would you recommend for our requirements? I was also considering a larger SUV like the Honda Elevate, but a well-equipped variant costs around Rs. 18 lakh on-road, which is beyond my budget. Could you suggest some good options in both categories? I can stretch my budget up to around Rs. 15 lakh on-road if required.

•5d

Given your priorities, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is the best fit. It has the most comfortable ride in the segment, with a suspension that deals with broken roads and potholes better than the Brezza or Nexon. The wide rear seat and good cabin space will also make a difference for your wife and family. The Brezza is the more reliable long-term ownership proposition, but its ride is not as plush as the 3XO. The Nexon is a good all-rounder, but the 3XO has the edge on ride comfort and rear seat space.On the Honda Elevate, it is a solid, reliable SUV with a comfortable ride, but at Rs 18 lakh on-road for the well-equipped variants, it is not worth stretching your budget for. The 3XO gives you a better ride and more features for less money.Overall, the 3XO is the best balance of ride comfort, space and value for your requirements. Go for the petrol automatic variant for the smoothest city driving experience.

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