I am planning to buy an SUV. How is the MG Hector?

autocar.india

•21h

Go for the Mahindra XUV 7XO petrol automatic. It suits your city-heavy use, is the most feature-rich here, and its turbo petrol has serious shove for highway and mountain climbs. It is easy to drive in traffic, rides comfortably, and the automatic is smooth. Tech like a 360 camera helps in tight city spots, and the safety and ADAS kit are handy on long trips.One thing to live with: fuel economy in the city will be far lower than your Grand Vitara. Expect single-digit kpl in heavy traffic.The next best alternative is the Tata Safari petrol automatic. It's got a refined engine and very smooth automatic gearbox. Again, fuel economy will be significantly down on your Grand Vitara, so account for that. The Tata feels tough and packs in plenty of equipment in the top end. Of the others, the Scorpio N and Thar Roxx aren't as comfortable while the MG Hector's high speed ride comfort and engine performance aren't great for highway and mountain drives.

Mahindra XUV 7XO

Mahindra Scorpio N

Mahindra Thar Roxx

Tata Safari

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara

MG Hector

autocar.india

•31m

The Hyundai Creta 1.5 IVT is a great buy and is our pick of the Creta range. Its smooth gearbox and refined engine are highlights. You'll appreciate the seamless performance in town, and the power is fair for highway use too.The all-new Creta is due in the coming months and promises to be larger, more refined and more tech-laden. If these are key considerations for you, it might be worth your while to wait for the new Creta. Otherwise, there's a good opportunity to haggle on a current Creta IVT and get a good price. About the ethanol worry, the Creta is built for E20 fuel and should support higher blends of ethanol (such as E30) without any undue wear and damage. Do note, the manufacturer has not given any official communication on this.

Hyundai Creta

autocar.india

•1h

Keep it. You’re happy since it’s in excellent shape. Its 1.3 diesel is a long-life motor that easily does 3-5 lakh km if serviced right. At 2.5 lakh km most of the depreciation is done, so every extra year you run, it is cheap motoring compared to a new car EMI. It’s BS4 without a DPF, so fewer headaches, and parts are easy and reasonably priced.Two checks before you double down. If you live in Delhi-NCR, diesel cars are banned beyond 10 years, so you’ve got roughly a year left. Elsewhere you can legally run it till 15 years, so about 6 more years before a fitness renewal. Also, accept that an older car can spring surprise bills and it won’t have the latest safety kit.Do some preventive work and carry on: get a compression test, inspect turbo for play and oil seepage, clean or calibrate injectors, check clutch slip, refresh suspension bushes and dampers if tired, change engine and gearbox mounts if vibey, and listen for timing chain rattle. Replace coolant hoses, belts, fluids, and brake lines if due. Budget Rs. 60,000-1 lakh over the next 1-2 years for this tidy-up. If it passes these checks, keep enjoying it.