Latest questions answered by experts
Ajinkya
•7hHi Autocar Team, I am looking to buy my first car. Here are my usage details: I commute to the office twice a week, covering 60 km per day (round trip). The car will also be used for family purposes during the month, apart from office travel. I take longer trips once every 3-4 months, covering around 800-1000 km round trip. My monthly usage will be around 800 km, excluding longer trips. My usage will be a mix of 60% city and 40% highway driving. My budget is up to ₹10 lakh. Please recommend some good options within my budget. I am open to CNG options as well.

Autocar India
Go for the Tata Punch Adventure MT. With your 60% city/40% highway mix and ₹10 lakh budget, it offers a compact footprint perfect for the city but with decent levels of space inside. The smaller size also makes it quite easy to manage and get used to in case you are new to driving. The ride and handling balance is also good, with the ability to offer a comfy ride at low city speeds and good highway stability too, which will be handy for your mixed usage.Your monthly 800 km driving distance is fairly modest, so petrol would be a good option, keeping things simple and avoiding CNG queueing and boot space loss. Although with Tata Motors using the twin CNG cylinder setup, the boot space is still quite good. So if you still feel like opting for CNG, you won't have to put up with a major compromise in space.

Ashok
•10hI am planning to buy a car under ₹11 lakh. I am 6 feet tall and need a comfortable driving experience. This will be my first car.

Autocar India
Looking at your budget and your requirement for space - especially headroom - we would recommend you look at the Hyundai Exter. The car has plenty of head as well as legroom at the front and the rear, too. The rear in particular is very good with ample room to stretch your feet out below the front seats, and the rear seatbacks are a bit more reclined than normal, effectively creating even more headroom. The Exter is also an easy and comfy car to drive with a light steering that weighs up as you drive faster. With your Rs 11 lakh budget, you will also be able to purchase the top-end version and would thus enjoy all of the features on offer.
Ash
•1dHi, I have a second-generation Honda Amaze that is 4 years old, has run 15,000 km, and is in good condition with timely servicing since the beginning. What would be its resale price range? I am also planning to upgrade to a compact SUV, but want to avoid paying additional taxes on cars above 4 metres or with engines larger than 1.2cc engine. My budget is ₹10 lakh. Which cars and variants should I consider? Is the Skoda Kylaq a good option? I prefer peace-of-mind ownership with low servicing and ownership costs (I have heard Skoda has improved in this regard), along with decent mileage, safety, features, space (hence the XUV 3XO is ruled out due to its small boot), a quieter cabin, good suspension, and overall passenger comfort. Please advise.

Autocar India
Beyond the kilometres driven, the value of any used car depends on many other factors like the actual mechanical and aesthetic condition, the specific variant and even the colour too. Thus, it's best to get your car evaluated at an organised used car business like Spinny and also at the new car dealership. As for your new car, since you are looking at a sub-4 meter model, we would recommend the new Hyundai Venue, as this would meet most of your requirements, which indicates you seem to be looking at more of an all-rounder, which is what the Hyundai Venue is. The new car delivers well on your requirements of space, features, safety and mileage.At your budget, you would get a low-end variant, but you would still find some essential features like 6-airbags, ESP, a 10-inch touchscreen audio system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors. Beyond the car itself, the Hyundai service experience is also good and would thus meet another one of your requirements.
Snigdh Shresth
•1dHi, I am planning to buy a new car, with a budget of 8-12 lakhs on-road, for a family car with 80-90% city and 10-20% highway usage. I have shortlisted between Honda Amaze ZX CVT and i20 Asta CVT, need advice on which car I should pick. I currently own an Amaze 2018 model, generally happy with the car, but the NVH level makes it a little unpleasant. Please advise.

Autocar India
Since the NVH level of your current Honda Amaze is something you are not happy with, we would not recommend the new Amaze, as NVH levels are more or less the same. Wind, road and engine noise do filter through into the cabin at medium and high speeds. Thus, opt for the Hyundai i20 Asta CVT instead, as you would find it a bit quieter. The CVT (Hyundai’s IVT) is also smooth enough when driven at typical city speeds, and in slow city traffic, the i20’s IVT creeps smoothly and keeps revs down, which reduces the “drone” you likely hear. The one thing you give up is luggage space: the i20 has 311 litres versus the Amaze’s 420 litres, but if the boot is not something you use often, this should not be a large concern.

DK
•1dI’m searching for a suitable car for my elderly parents’ city commute. Excellent ride comfort, easy ingress and egress, low maintenance, and peace of ownership are my top priorities. My budget is up to ₹12 lakh on-road. Please suggest.

Autocar India
Go for the Hyundai Exter. It's taller (than regular hatchbacks) seating height eases entry/exit, which your elderly parents will appreciate. The ride is also good, and it soaks up road bumps quite nicely; it's only when you hit sharp potholes that you will feel a thud inside. Being a Hyundai, you will have a good service experience and low maintenance requirements and costs. With your Rs. 12 lakh budget, you will also get the top spec model, and thus you will enjoy all the features that it has to offer. You can also consider the Tata Punch, which, in addition, is an easy step-in and out height has wide 90 degree opening doors that would further ease entry and exit for your parents. The seats are also a bit softer, and the ride is also more plush, adding to the comfort factor. However, your requirement of peace of mind ownership may not be met as the quality of Tata dealers is not uniform across the country. Thus, enquire about the specific dealer in your area before making a decision.
Kathit Goyal
•1dI want to buy an automatic car for daily use. My budget is around ₹12 lakh. Which one should I buy?

Autocar India
It's hard to recommend a car without knowing more of your specific needs, rear seat space, importance of headroom, mileage, driving pattern, etc. However, since you state daily use, we assume you mean mostly city driving, thus we would recommend the Skoda Kylaq. The auto gearbox is a torque convertor unit, which is the smoothest type of autobox to have. In city conditions, its smooth and seamless shifting is something you would really appreciate. At around your budget of Rs 12 lakh, you would also get the Signature trim, which comes fairly well equipped with features like a height adjustable drivers seat. A sunroof and a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
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