Latest questions answered by experts

Hello Autocar, Can you please advise on the following options? Buying my first car, daily city commute 25 kms, weekends 100, once in 6 months highway 300kms. Toyota Taisor AMT S variant Honda Amaze CVT VX Kia Sonet DCT HTX(O) Regards Deb

•3h

Pick the Honda Amaze CVT VX. It’s the smoothest in stop-go traffic, which is where you’ll spend most of your 25 km daily, and its easy, linear responses make a first car feel friendly from day one. It’s compact to park yet has a big boot for your weekend runs, and the ride is comfy enough to shrug off bad patches. For the rare 300 km highway trip, it cruises calmly, though you’ll need a firmer press for quick overtakes.The Kia Sonet DCT HTX(O) is the fun one and sits taller, but that twin-clutch setup can feel a little jerky in crawling traffic and tends to drink more fuel in the city. The Toyota Taisor AMT S gives you a higher seat and light controls, but the AMT’s shifts are slow and can get in jams, and the S trim feels bare for the money.Only honest catch with the Amaze: it isn’t tall like the SUVs, and it won’t feel as quick as the Sonet on the highway. For your usage mix and as a first car, the Honda still makes the most sense.

Honda Amaze

Kia Sonet

•1d

I am planning to buy Kia Carens Clavis, and my usage is close to 4000 to 5000 km on the highway. Confused whether to buy petrol or an EV with the increase in petrol prices day by day

•4h

It isn't clear from your question whether your 4,000-5,000 km highway usage is per year or per month, and whether you have a home charging provision. If your monthly usage is high, and you have a charging provision, the Clavis EV is a no-brainer. You can expect a real-world range of around 350km (on the highway), and with 60kW DC fast charging along the way, you can easily add 100km of additional range in 30 minutes. However, with a home charging, your running costs will be much lower than public charging.On the other hand, if your 4,000-5,000 km is annual usage, pick the Kia Carens Clavis petrol - the fuel bill difference won’t recover the EV’s higher price premium for a long time, so you’re paying more up front for savings you may not fully use. For long highway runs, the simple truth is petrol gives you certainty - five-minute refuels anywhere and no planning around chargers, especially while travelling with family on board.

Kia Carens Clavis EV

Kia Carens Clavis

•1d

Hi, My daily usage is only around 20 km max with one or two trips up to 100km a month, and a few trips a year of 200-300 km(2-3) Budget is from 15 to 30 Confused between EV and petrol automatic due to the current petrol mixing Have looked at Syross, Seltos, and the 9e pack three ( just for the looks and features) Plz help me decide

•5h

Go for the Kia Seltos IVT. With 20 km a day and only a few 200-300 km trips a year, the Seltos keeps life simple on highways and in the city, with wide service support and no charging stops to plan. It also gives you the most rounded mix of space, features and safety from your shortlist, and it feels easy to drive every day.The Seltos is E20 compliant, and material-wise, it should be fine with slightly higher blends. A drop in fuel efficiency, though, is to be expected from higher ethanol content. The honest catch is the running cost. An EV like the Mahindra XEV 9e will be cheaper per km and quieter. If you have a fixed parking spot with a plug at home, the XEV 9e starts to make sense for your short daily runs, but fast-charging on intercity routes can still be hit-or-miss outside big cities. Alternatively, consider the Hyundai Creta Electric.Overall, the Seltos makes the most sense for your usage.

Kia Seltos

Mahindra XEV 9e

Hyundai Creta Electric

•18h

Want to buy a car with an on-road price of approx 18 lakh. Easy to handle & maintain. My usage is moderate with few upcountry trips. I would prefer a moderate EV.

•6h

Pick the Tata Nexon EV 45. It fits your Rs. 18 lakh on-road target, is super easy to drive and park, and its high seating and ground clearance take bad roads and speed breakers in stride. For your moderate use, the larger 45kWh battery is enough for a week of city runs, and those occasional roadtrips with just one planned charge stop, and Tata’s charging and service network is the widest right now, which makes EV life simpler outside big cities. It is light on upkeep, too - no oil changes, fewer wear parts, and Tata’s EV service costs have been reasonable.

Tata Nexon EV

•1d

Planning to upgrade from Alto K10 to an SUV. We are taller(6ft) occupants and need a spacious cabin where 5 people can sit comfortably. Can run 1000km round a month & 80% on highways. My priorities are Safety, Comfort for tall passengers, Basic tech and mainly an automatic vehicle. Confused with the review of 3xo MX2 pro AT, Nexon Diesel, Venue facelift HX5, Kia Syros HTK plus. Budget is around 11-12 lakhs on-road. Kindly suggest.

•6h

Go for the Mahindra XUV 3XO, and get the petrol with the 6‑speed automatic. It gives you a roomy back seat, a strong crash rating, and a planted and secure highway ride that suits your 80 percent highway use. The turbo petrol engine is the strongest here, and it's the only one of your shortlist to get a smooth torque-converter automatic gearbox. The only real downside is that the boot is not as big as that of rivals, and fuel economy won't be as good either, but for your largely highway use, the difference won't be so bad.The Hyundai Venue HX5 is fine for four but tight for five on long trips, and while the Kia Syros HTK Plus feels the largest, rear width and thigh support are only average, and its ride quality is quite choppy. Tata Nexon diesel would be lovely on highways and is safe, but the diesel automatic is an AMT, which is nowhere near as smooth as the XUV's torque converter, or even the Hyundai/Kia's DCT.

Hi, autocar, My daily running is around 30km in city traffic, with occasional road trips of around 200km. I'm looking for a car in the SUV segment with a budget of 11 - 13 lakhs. I'm confused between BREZZA zxi, Victoris Vxi or Venue hx5, all in petrol manual variant. Which is a better option in terms of mileage, performance, features and comfort? Also, suggest any better option.

•7h

Pick the Maruti Brezza ZXi manual. For a 30 km daily city run, it’s the easiest to live with and will consistently return the best real-world mileage here. Its light controls make it easy to drive in town, and its 1.5 petrol feels stronger than the Venue’s 1.2. Ride comfort over broken roads is better too, and the ZXi trim packs all the features you’d need and stays within your Rs. 11-13 lakh budget.The Venue HX5 petrol manual is fine in town, but with four people and the AC on, it feels short on punch on the highway, and the mileage gain over Brezza isn’t big enough to matter. The Victoris is mechanically identical to the Brezza, but the VXi is out of your budget. Do note, the Brezza isn’t exciting to drive, and quick overtakes will need a downshift.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Venue