Being a first-time buyer, I have a budget of around 10 lakh and am confused between the Hyundai Exter and the new Tata Punch. Can you recommend a good buy for mostly city rides with occasional (2-3 times a month) highway cruises? I am a new driver.

Autocar India

•20h

In terms of an elevated seating position and ease of getting in and out, the Tata Punch is the best fit within your budget. Its doors open wide, and the seats are comfortable and set high, so you step into it rather than down into it. The drawbacks are that the engine isn’t the most refined, and Tata’s service experience can be hit or miss in some areas.Alternatively, the Hyundai Exter automatic is a good choice too. The high, chair-like seats and wide-opening doors make getting in and out easy. The seating position isn’t quite as high as the Punch’s, so it is worth trying both to see which works best for you. On the plus side, the engine is very refined, the AMT is one of the smoother-shifting units in the segment, and Hyundai has a strong reputation for after-sales service.If you want something that is even easier to live with on a tight budget, look at the Maruti Wagon R AMT. The tall-boy design is excellent for seniors. Just know that while it is a great city car, it is not particularly well-suited to highway driving.

Tata Punch

Hyundai Exter

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R

Autocar India

•19h

The Tata Punch would be the recommendation here. As your family's first car, it offers a lot more versatility than the Tiago. The higher seating position gives new drivers better visibility in traffic, the cabin feels more spacious for a family of five, and the extra ground clearance is useful on broken roads and speed breakers. It is also a more comfortable car for occasional highway trips.The Tiago is still a very good hatchback, and the updated interior does make it feel fresher than before. It is easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces and offers excellent value for money. However, with a family of five, it can feel a little cramped, especially on longer journeys.The only thing to keep in mind is that a fully loaded Punch may stretch beyond your Rs 8.5 lakh budget. Instead of chasing the top-spec variant, it would be wiser to buy a mid-spec Punch that covers the essentials and gives you the benefits of the larger vehicle.

Tata Punch

Tata Tiago

Autocar India

•1d

Pick the Tata Punch CNG; it keeps CNG running costs low while giving you usable boot space with its dual CNG cylinder setup that sits neatly below the boot floor and this frees more luggage room than the others. The Punch CNG also uses a single ECU for the petrol and CNG fuel system, thus unlike other CNG cars which default start in petrol mode, the CNG Punch starts directly on CNG eliminating the need to manually switch over. The 5-star crash rating makes it a reassuring choice here for a first car. It is easy to drive in traffic, rides well on broken roads, and won’t feel out of depth on the odd highway run. If you find the purchase cost a bit higher you can also opt for the Tata Tiago CNG which also has the dual CNG tank setup.

Tata Punch

Tata Tiago