Latest questions answered by experts

Arka

I am looking forward to buying a car, for which my budget is 12 lakhs. I do not drive, and my daily commute is around 90 kms, of which 70% within the city. I can stretch my budget till 14 lakhs if I get the value for my money in terms of rear seat comfort and mileage. I want to buy a petrol car with a manual transmission. What would be my choice of car if I want to avoid entry-level models?

Autocar India

•26m

Consider the Hyundai Venue HX5+ with the 1.2 petrol manual. It fits comfortably in your budget, has a spacious and comfortable back seat and gets features like rear AC vents and a rear window sunshade. If you'd like, and even a roomier rear seat, the Kia Syros is a great choice, but it only comes with the turbo petrol, which will be slightly less fuel efficient.Stretching your budget to Rs 14 lakh gets you options from the midsize SUV segment. Among these, the Kia Seltos and the Honda Elevate 1.5 petrol manuals are strong choices. The will be roomier than the Venue, with more comfortable rear seats, and will be relatively fuel efficient in the city. However, your budget will get you the lower-end trims, which may lack some features. Alternatively, you could consider the Honda City.Overall, for your budget, the Venue is a great fit.

Rohit

Looking to buy my first car, my budget is 8 lakh. Currently, I'm at that stage where I don't know how much my car will be driven every year. I am thinking of i20magna petrol manual as I am getting 7.25lakh with infotainment on road price. So what are the pros and cons of this car? If any other car you would recommend in this budget.

Autocar India

•1h

Your i20 Magna deal at Rs. 7.25 lakh on-road is tempting. It is very comfortable, has a smooth light clutch, and the cabin is spacious for family use. Hyundai service reach helps if you are unsure about yearly running. But the Magna is fairly bare-bones and doesn't come with a screen, so what you are referring to is probably a dealer fitment. The 1.2 petrol is refined but can feel a bit lazy for quick highway passes. Expect mid-teen kpl in mixed use, not class-best. Also, check that you are getting recent stock and that the infotainment comes with a warranty. If you want a more fuel-efficient choice, then consider the Maruti Suzuki Swift VXi.

Hyundai i20

Maruti Suzuki Swift

•3d

I am a senior citizen with orthopaedic problems. I would like to buy a sub-4-meter car or SUV with a good suspension, for slow traffic on bad roads in a city. Prone to flooding during the rains. Wide doors and convenience in getting in and getting out. Price 10-12 lakhs.

Autocar India

•2h

For your requirements, the Punch offers the right combination of comfort, ease of use and practicality. The higher seating position makes getting in and out easier than in a hatchback, while the 90-degree opening doors are particularly helpful for those with knee or hip issues. Its suspension is well-suited to broken city roads, and the generous ground clearance provides added confidence during the monsoon and on waterlogged streets.The automatic gearbox removes the need to operate a clutch in slow-moving traffic, which can make daily driving considerably less tiring. It is also compact enough to be easy to manoeuvre and park in the city.The Hyundai Exter AMT is another option worth considering, but the Punch feels more substantial and offers better ride comfort on poor road surfaces.

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Bharggav Paranjape

•2d

I was planning to buy the Honda Amaze CVT earlier, but due to uncertainty around a higher percentage of ethanol blending, I have decided to go with the Tata Altroz diesel. But now I read that the government is also planning to blend isobutanol in diesel. Should I buy a diesel vehicle or not? Will isobutanol adversely affect diesel engines and affect fuel economy?

Autocar India

•3h

There is no reason to avoid either a petrol or a diesel car purely because of future fuel-blending plans.Just as modern petrol cars are being engineered to handle higher ethanol blends, any future diesel blend regulations will be accompanied by corresponding changes from vehicle manufacturers. If isobutanol blending is introduced, it will be done in a controlled manner, and vehicles sold in the market will be calibrated accordingly. There is currently no evidence to suggest that such blends would cause adverse effects on modern diesel engines when used within the prescribed limits.The more important question is whether a diesel suits your usage pattern. If your running is high and includes regular highway trips, the Altroz Diesel remains a compelling option. However, if your usage is predominantly urban, the Honda Amaze CVT is still the more sensible choice. It offers a smoother driving experience, lower complexity and none of the DPF-related concerns associated with modern diesel engines.

Tata Altroz

Honda Amaze

Nishant Priyadarshi

•2d

I want to buy a car, and my budget is 22 lakhs on road. I personally prefer a sedan, but I am open to buying an SUV as well. I need something which is powerful, fun to drive and is feature-loaded (ADAS, 360 camera, ventilated seats etc). I have shortlisted the following: Verna, Seltos, Slavia and Virtus. Which one should I go for? I am planning to buy it in the next 3-4 months.

Autocar India

•4h

Considering the features you've listed, namely ADAS, a 360-degree camera and ventilated seats, the shortlist effectively narrows down to the Hyundai Verna and Kia Seltos.In fact, the car that would normally be recommended to an enthusiast is the Volkswagen Virtus 1.5 TSI DSG. It remains one of the most rewarding cars to drive in this segment, and there are attractive discounts available at the moment as a facelift is expected in the near future. However, it misses out on some of the features that are clearly important to you.Between the Verna and Seltos, the nod goes to the Seltos. It is the newer product, feels more premium inside, offers greater practicality and has a more spacious cabin. It also benefits from the same excellent 1.5-litre turbo-petrol and dual-clutch automatic combination as the Verna, so you are not sacrificing performance. Over the long term, it is also likely to hold its value better.

Shyam S

I drive a Polo GT TSI. Now, I am looking to buy an EV, mostly for city use as an add-on car for my wife and me. Looking at the XUV 3XO EV, seems cheaper than its ICE option. Need your opinion. My budget is 20L.

Autocar India

•5h

For your usage as a second car that will spend most of its life in the city, the Tata Punch EV Long Range would actually be the first choice. It is compact, easy to manoeuvre, offers more than enough range for daily duties and is based on a dedicated EV architecture rather than an ICE conversion. It also gets a modern feature set and feels purpose-built as an electric vehicle.If you want something larger and more spacious, the MG Windsor EV is the alternative to consider. It offers exceptional cabin space and comfort, and feels like a segment-above product for the money.As for the Mahindra XUV 3XO EV, it carries over the 39.4kWh battery pack and electric motor from the XUV400, rather than using the newer INGLO-based technology seen on the BE 6 and XEV 9e. So while it benefits from the new 3XO interior and feature set, the underlying EV hardware is not all-new.