I'm getting a Tata Safari 2025 pure plus diesel manual model in May 2026 at a discount of 3.10 lacs in Ambala, Haryana. Should I buy or get a new model?

Autocar India

•3h

At your kind of running, moving away from petrol does make financial sense, but we would first look at how that 2,500 to 3,000 km a month is split between city and highway use.If a large chunk of it is on a highway, a well-maintained used BS6 diesel can make sense because the fuel savings will be meaningful, and the usage pattern suits modern diesel engines far better. If, however, this mileage is mostly city traffic, we would avoid a BS6 diesel because DPF-related issues can become a headache with repeated stop-and-go use.Installing an authorised aftermarket CNG kit on your Maruti Baleno is absolutely legal, provided it is a government-approved kit, fitted by an authorised installer and the RC and insurance are updated accordingly. Financially, this is the lower-risk route if your Baleno is otherwise mechanically healthy, because you will recover the conversion cost relatively quickly with your kind of running. The trade-off is some loss of boot space and a drop in performance.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Autocar India

•2h

We would suggest the Honda Amaze CVT as the primary pick. Since you already have a large SUV, this second car’s job is to be an easy, fuss-free city runabout, and the Amaze fits that brief really well. It gives you a proper automatic rather than an AMT, so smoothness in stop-and-go traffic is far better, and the latest Amaze has a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating, making it a strong fit given your safety priority.If you would prefer something hatchback or compact SUV-like, the Tata Punch AMT is worth considering, but the gearbox simply is not as smooth or polished as the Honda’s CVT.If you are open to electric cars and have reliable home charging, a Tiago EV is actually a very smart fit for this exact use case because your usage is overwhelmingly city based. That said, if you are specifically considering the Tiago EV, we would suggest waiting a little, as an update is expected and could bring better range value.

Honda Amaze

Tata Punch

Tata Tiago EV

Autocar India

•3h

Go for the new Maruti Suzuki Dzire. It is the most well-rounded choice in this budget with a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating, a comfortable ride, spacious cabin, genuinely usable boot and very easy city manners thanks to its light clutch and effortless controls. It also feels premium enough inside for the price.The one trade-off is the new 3-cylinder petrol engine. It is impressively efficient, but if refinement and outright performance matter to you, it is not as smooth or punchy as a good 4-cylinder petrol.If that matters, the Honda Amaze is the alternative worth considering. Its 4-cylinder petrol engine feels smoother and more refined, though the Dzire is the more comfortable and better-rounded package overall.

Maruti Suzuki Dzire

Honda Amaze