I’m a 40-year-old, 6-feet-tall rider. My daily office commute is 60km, and I occasionally go on long rides of up to 500km. I’m planning to upgrade my bike but am confused between the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and the Honda H’ness CB350. Please suggest a bike with better suspension, service network, and mileage. My budget is around ₹2.5 lakh.

autocar.india

•4d

Since you want comfort as a top priority in your next purchase, the two bikes that will deliver that much better than the others in your shortlist are the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 and the 350cc Triumph Scrambler 400 X. The Himalayan is more adept on the highway front, but the Scrambler is the better city bike, so depending on where you spend more time, pick between these two. The TVS Apache RTX 300 is a phenomenally capable bike (especially for the price), but its engine feels a little dull once you spend some time with it. If you are okay with that, then as an overall package, the TVS is quite hard to fault. If you decide you want something more road-biased, then the 350cc Triumph Speed 400 and Honda CB350RS are good options to consider. We'd skip the RE Meteor models because the Super Meteor has stiff rear suspension, and instead of the Meteor, look at the Classic / Bullet if you want more comfort with an old-school relaxed retro vibe. These are all very different machines within a broad price range, so depending on the segment you are looking at specifically, we'd advise you to take test rides of the options above and then make your decision.

autocar.india

•1d

Since you already have a steadfast family scooter in the Suzuki Access 125, opting for another one of its ilk in the Honda Activa 125, which will give you more or less a very similar, if not identical, ownership experience, would be like going into a huge candy store and still opting to buy two of the same toffees when there's so much variety to be had.We'd recommend you change things up a little and opt for the TVS Ntorq 125. It is a fun, engaging, and sporty-feeling scooter, yet it does not compromise on practicality, comfort, or everyday convenience.

autocar.india

•2d

Given the budget, usage and long-term ownership focus, we would recommend the Renault Kiger CVT over the Hyundai Venue or Kia Sonet DCT. A daily 15 km office commute with frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic, along with occasional highway trips, is better suited to a CVT than a DCT. CVTs are smoother at low speeds and work well in stop-start traffic. They can also be less demanding in such conditions over the long term.DCTs can be reliable when maintained properly, but they are not the ideal choice for regular stop-start traffic. Repeated low-speed crawling can generate heat and accelerate clutch-pack wear, potentially leading to expensive repairs over time.The Kiger also offers a modern design, a spacious cabin and a good feature set for its price. Renault's after-sales service has improved in recent years, while the Kiger offers strong value for money in this segment. The budget also stretches further with the Kiger CVT, allowing a higher-spec variant with some money left over. In comparison, the Sonet and Venue are positioned slightly higher, so the same budget would typically mean settling for a mid-spec variant.

Renault Kiger

Hyundai Venue

Kia Sonet