I’m a 30-year-old male with a ₹6 LPA job, and I want to buy a car mostly for city driving with automatic transmission. Can you suggest the best buy? Should I consider a new car for the long term or a used car now and upgrade to a better one in 3 years if I can afford it? Any advice would really help.

Autocar India

•5w

While your annual pay package is only one part, several other factors could influence your vehicle budget - existing loans, monthly fixed expenses, savings, etc. Without knowing which, it would be difficult to give you a definitive reply. Still, we'd advise you to keep your maximum monthly outflow towards your vehicle EMI limited to 20-25% (approximately 11,000-12,000) of your net monthly income. This would mean your loan amount must not exceed approximately Rs 5.50 lakh over a period of 5 years.

Since you're open to used cars, we'd advise you to consider the newest possible car you can get for the money. Look for something fuel-efficient, easy to maintain, and with a good reputation for reliability. A hatchback will be the most convenient in the city.

Some used examples you could consider are the Maruti Baleno CVT and Honda Jazz CVT. Also, while buying a used car, ensure you buy your car from a trusted source such as Spinny, which also provides a warranty, for added peace of mind.

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Maruti Suzuki

Baleno

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Latest questions people are discussing

Satish V

•1w

Hi Sir, I need car advice for a family of 4-5 members. I want an AMT/AGS car costing less than ₹10 lakh, with about 80% city usage. Most importantly, our family members are stout, so I need a car that comfortably accommodates them. Thank you.

Autocar India

•1d

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno would suit you. The car is among the more spacious in its class, and the automatic version would fit within your budget. However, we would definitely recommend you take your family down to the showroom and make sure you are all reasonably comfortable inside. You could also consider the Nissan Gravite or its sister car, the Renault Triber.The automatics would also fit your budget. But most importantly, with three rows of seating, you could better spread out your family of 5 so each has sufficient shoulder room.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Uday Zinzuvadia

•6d

I’m planning to buy the Hyundai i20 N Line N8 Manual. My monthly travel will be under 500 km. Will this car be economical in terms of maintenance costs and mileage? Also, should I wait for the upcoming i20 facelift or go ahead with the current model? Finally, should I choose the i20 N Line, or are there better alternatives I should consider? Please suggest.

Autocar India

•2d

The Hyundai i20 N Line is the sportiest hatchback for the money. It is powered by a 1.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that's zippy, and its 6-speed manual transmission is slick in operation. Moreover, the N Line drives well and certainly feels more special than anything else in the market.As far as maintenance costs go, the i20 N Line is likely to be slightly more expensive than the standard i20 petrol, but the difference should not be significant. In terms of fuel efficiency, the i20 N Line is likely to return around 10-12 kpl in the city and 15-17 kpl on the highway.Sure, the N Line is a bit pricey, but it is more of an emotional buy. If you love to drive, go for it. However, if you are trying to rationalise this purchase, there are more affordable and more fuel-efficient, equally (if not more) practical hatchbacks that are cheaper to maintain, such as the Maruti Baleno/Toyota Glanza, Tata Altroz, or even the standard i20 petrol.

Omar Moghal

I have a budget of ₹14 lakh and wanted to buy the Kia Seltos Petrol HT e-Ornate variant. I went for a test drive but felt the car was underpowered, and I got disappointed. The features and finish are top-class, but the power is lacking. What are my options?

Autocar India

•8h

For a budget of Rs 14 lakh, it is admittedly difficult to find a mid-size SUV automatic that offers genuinely strong performance. The 1.5 petrol in the Kia Seltos HTE is smooth and refined, but it isn’t particularly punchy, which explains why it felt underpowered on your test drive.If you are primarily driving yourself and rear seat space isn’t a top priority, it would make sense to look at the compact SUV segment instead. This is where you’ll find turbo-petrol engines that feel noticeably more energetic.Since you liked the Seltos’ fit, finish and feature list, the Kia Sonet HTX is worth considering. It comes with the 1.0-litre turbo-petrol (118hp), which feels much more responsive in everyday driving. The Hyundai Venue (particularly the higher variants with the same 1.0 turbo engine) offers similar performance with a slightly different interior feel and feature mix.Another very strong option is the Mahindra XUV 3XO. Its 1.2 TGDi engine (up to 131hp) is the most powerful in this class, and it combines strong performance with a spacious cabin and generous features for the money.In short, if power is high on your priority list, moving to a turbo-petrol compact SUV will give you a much more satisfying driving experience within your budget.

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