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VIPUL TAJAVE

•4d

I have a budget of ₹25 lakh and want to buy an SUV. I have shortlisted the Tata Harrier. Please help me decide if I should buy petrol or diesel and a manual or automatic. My monthly run is 1200 km with a mix of 65% city and 35% highway. I am also worried about DPF issues in diesel.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•4d
In your budget, you can get the Fearless X petrol automatic, while the same variant with the diesel automatic will cost you close to ₹2 lakh more. Given your moderate running, the extra cost of the diesel will be difficult to justify. The petrol automatic will also feel smoother and more convenient for your 65% city driving, making it the more suitable option overall.
Your concern about DPF issues in diesel engines is understandable. While your 35% highway usage does reduce the chances of facing DPF-related problems, they can still occur if the car is driven mostly in stop-and-go traffic. Considering all factors, the petrol automatic Tata Harrier is the more sensible and hassle-free choice for your usage pattern.
Tata Harrier

Tata Harrier

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Tata Harrier

Tata

Harrier

from ₹14.98 Lakh

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Anirban

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My driving is around 800 km a month. I am not sure which one would be more value for money: Swift or Baleno/Glanza. Currently, I drive an Urban Cruiser but am looking for a change. My priority is ease of city driving, comfort on highway drives, and I will go for an AMT. The more fuel-efficient and safe, the better. Though safety and efficiency do not go hand in hand. Please help me decide.

Autocar India team

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The Swift's 1.2L 3-cylinder petrol engine is very drivable and is likely to deliver slightly better fuel efficiency compared to the Baleno's/Glanza's 1.2L 4-cylinder unit. The Maruti Suzuki Swift is quite peppy up to 60kph of speed, after which you will find performance to be a bit lacklustre. And since you've mentioned you want a car for city and highway usage both, we recommend you opt for the Baleno or Glanza instead, for its more effortless performance.There's little to choose between the Baleno and Toyota Glanza, as both are nearly identical. Though the Glanza's beige-black interior colour scheme looks a touch more upmarket than the Maruti's.

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Ritz

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I am looking to purchase a new SUV in exchange for my Ciaz Diesel. We are a family of five, and my usage is low and mostly within the city (350-400 km monthly) with a quarterly outstation trip (500-600 km). My main requirements are a car that has good mileage/range, a good audio system, a large boot space and high acceleration (I like quick acceleration but not necessarily at very high speeds). The Ciaz seemed perfect so far, but now it's 11 years old, and I would like to change to an SUV for better ground clearance. I prefer not to have to spend often (for cars with low upfront cost but less mileage). My preferred budget is up to ₹20 lakh. So far, I liked the Mahindra XUV 7XO and Mahindra XEV 9S for their overall drivability. However, since they both are nearly ₹30 lakh on-road in Bangalore, I was trying to look for other alternatives at a slightly cheaper cost. I have heard horror stories of Tata service and hence would prefer to avoid Tata cars (even though I loved driving the Harrier as well).

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•38m

That's a tricky requirement as strong acceleration and good fuel economy tend to be at odds with one another. A diesel engine would be good for mileage, but none of the engines in this price range is particularly quick at accelerating. Thus, we'd recommend going for a Turbo Petrol engine, which, if driven carefully, can return a good amount of kilometres for every litre.Your best option, given your requirements, is the new Kia Seltos. It's spacious, comfortable, reliable and reasonably priced in terms of maintenance. Within your budget of Rs 20 lakh, you should be able to get the HTX T-GDi DCT variant, which also includes the excellent-sounding 8-speaker Bose premium audio system. There's also a sizeable 447-litre boot that's well-shaped and good for swallowing up a sizeable amount of luggage.

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Rohit Niranjan Jadhav

•2d

Hello Autocar India Team! Greetings to all of you! What are your thoughts on replacing the W124 E250 Diesel (05-speed manual, Telco assembled) with the W124 E300 Turbodiesel (04-speed automatic) for regular commutes? Can you share some inputs on the kind of transmission the W124 E300 Turbodiesel carries under its hood and the overall maintenance that it would require? Could you also recommend a mechanic working exclusively on Mercedes-Benz classic cars (possibly within Maharashtra or other states) who can restore a W124 from first screw to last screw? Your article "Mercedes Classic Car Prices on the Rise" in November 2025 has raised the respect for W123, W124, W126, W140 and other similar classic cars! Thank you.

Autocar India team

Autocar India

Verified
•1h

Replacing the Mercedes W124 250D with a 300D can be a good decision. However, a 4-speed automatic suggests that the 300D is an older, pre-facelift car from before the Telco assembled version came to India. Automatics are also generally harder to repair than manuals.In terms of maintenance, the OM605 five-cylinder 250D and the OM603 inline six in the 300D usually cost roughly the same to maintain.We would recommend getting in touch with local Mercedes-Benz car dealers like Landmark Cars and Auto Hangar in Mumbai. They should be able to guide you and help you out.Ultimately, it comes down to the condition of the engine, transmission and bodywork of both cars. Without assessing those, it is difficult to comment further. Along with the condition of the car, clean and up-to-date paperwork is equally important.

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Posted on: 10 Mar 2026