I am planning to buy my first car with a budget of up to Rs 16 lakh and prefer an automatic transmission. My wife will also be driving the car, so it should be easy to drive and offer a stress-free ownership experience with low maintenance. Which car would you recommend?

Autocar India

•2d

The Maruti Suzuki Brezza would suit you quite nicely. Rear seat space is good, which would be helpful since you have a family of 5. We would recommend the VXi variant, it would be just above the Rs 10 lakh mark, but would be better equipped with some of today's must-have features, and also, since you and your wife both drive, you'll would be able to get a comfortable driving position with the driver's seat height adjustment feature. The Brezza would also meet your requirements for low maintenance and reliability.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

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Autocar India

•2d

The Maruti Suzuki Brezza ZXI AT is a petrol-automatic, while the Hyundai Venue is a diesel-automatic. Thus, you will likely spend less on fuel with the Hyundai. However, since your driving is 90% in the city and you are looking for a good suspension system, we would lean towards the Maruti Brezza. The ride is nice and plush at city speeds, soaking up bumps and ruts easily. The Venue, on the other hand, still has a slight underlying firmness to its ride. Further, since your driving is mainly in the city, you could face issues with the DPF filter clogging or needing to run a regeneration cycle now and then. Especially if your drives are less than 40 to 50 odd kms and at speeds below 50 kph..

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Hyundai Venue

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Autocar India

•3d

Being 6ft tall, you will naturally push the driver’s seat quite far back, so rear legroom becomes important, especially with a family of five. With a budget of around Rs 12 lakh, you’re realistically looking at well-equipped compact SUVs or sub-4m sedans. They aren’t huge inside, so choosing the roomiest option in the segment is key.Our first pick would be the Maruti Suzuki Brezza (automatic). It’s an easy car for a new driver to live with. The high seating position and good all-round visibility make it simple to judge the car’s edges, which really helps beginners. The automatic gearbox is smooth and removes the stress of gear changes in traffic. Rear legroom will be a bit tight if you push the seat all the way back, but in most situations it’s manageable. It's tough and reliable and comes with six airbags.Another good option is the Honda Amaze. While it doesn’t offer the high seating stance of the Brezza, it has a very comfortable driving position. The 1.2 petrol CVT is smooth and responsive, which builds confidence for a new driver. For a sub-4m sedan, the cabin is surprisingly spacious, and the seats are comfortable. An added advantage is that the Amaze is roughly Rs 2 lakh more affordable than the Brezza, giving you better value within your budget.Between the two, if you prefer the SUV stance and visibility, go Brezza. If you want more space for the money and a smooth, easy drive, the Amaze makes a lot of sense.

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Honda Amaze

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