Kulgam

•2h

I’m looking to buy the Citroen Aircross X 5-seater automatic, but I’m not completely convinced because of Citroen’s after-sales service and parts availability. If I don’t go for the Aircross, I will have to consider smaller cars such as the Kylaq or Venue, as my budget is Rs. 16 lakh at most. The extra space, ride comfort, and good discounts on the Citroen are tempting compared to the other two. Which one should I choose? My usage will be around 60% highway and 40% city.

•13m

Go for the Citroen Aircross X 5-seater automatic. This Citroen car is a genuinely comfortable long-distance car with a spacious cabin and a very absorbent ride. The discounts make it excellent value, and you are getting a larger, more comfortable car for the same money as a smaller SUV like the Kylaq or Venue. Citroen's service network is not as extensive as Maruti, Hyundai or Kia, but it is improving, and the Aircross X is not a complex car. If you are in a major city, service and parts availability should not be a deal-breaker. The Kylaq and Venue are both good cars, but they are smaller and less comfortable on long highway runs. The Aircross X is the better fit for your usage and budget.

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Citroen

Aircross

from ₹9.51 Lakh

Skoda

Kylaq

from ₹8.39 Lakh

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from ₹8.84 Lakh

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•1d

I am planning to buy an SUV, and my annual running is quite low, around 4,000-5,000 km. Most of my driving will be in the city, with occasional highway trips of around 2,000 km annually. My budget is Rs. 10-12 lakh, and the car will be used by my family of four, including me. Please suggest the best SUV options for my requirements, considering comfort, reliability, safety, performance, mileage, maintenance, and overall long-term ownership.

•16h

With your low annual running of 4,000-5,000 km and a budget of Rs 10-12 lakh, a petrol compact SUV is the most sensible choice. The Mahindra XUV 3XO is the strongest recommendation here. It offers the most spacious cabin in the segment, making it a genuinely comfortable 5-seater for a family of four, and the turbo petrol engine is punchy enough for occasional highway runs while remaining efficient in the city. This Mahindra car also comes well equipped and offers excellent value for money.The Maruti Suzuki Brezza Turbo is the alternative if you prioritise long-term reliability and low maintenance costs above all else. It is a proven, dependable product with Maruti's extensive service network, and it is also a comfortable 5-seater. The 1.2 petrol versions of the Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet are also worth considering if you want a more premium-feeling cabin and a wider feature list. They might not have the same performance as the turbo-petrol versions, but their engine is responsive and both are very user-friendly with light controls and good visibility.

Which car should I buy for my family? We currently have an eight-year-old Baleno, which my wife drives to work. We are now looking for another car primarily for family use, for me and my parents, who are also learning to drive. Our budget is around Rs 15 lakh. The car will mainly be used for city driving, with occasional highway trips.

•1d

If you want to shop within the Maruti portfolio, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza petrol automatic is a sensible choice for your requirements. Since your parents are learning to drive, the Brezza’s light steering, good visibility and easy-to-drive nature make it a very confidence-inspiring car. The automatic gearbox is smooth and stress-free in city traffic, and the naturally aspirated petrol engine is reliable and easy to live with. It is also a comfortable five-seater with a decent boot, making it practical for family use and occasional highway trips. If you want something a bit more premium and feature-rich, the Hyundai Venue and Mahindra XUV 3XO are also worth considering.

I am planning to buy a sub-4m SUV and have shortlisted the Skoda Kylaq Signature Plus Automatic and Hyundai Venue HX5 Diesel Automatic. My annual running is expected to be around 16,000 to 18,000 km, including approximately 12,000 km of highway driving. From an economic point of view, I am slightly concerned about the Kylaq’s real-world petrol mileage, especially given the high amount of highway running. I am also concerned about the long-term implications of E20 petrol and whether it could lead to any issues in the future. On the other hand, I have concerns about buying a diesel due to the possibility of future government restrictions and the uncertainty around long-term diesel ownership. Considering these factors, I would appreciate your advice on which of the two would be the better choice for at least eight years of ownership.

•3d

Go for the Hyundai Venue Diesel Automatic. With your annual running of 16,000-18,000 km and a strong highway component, the diesel makes clear financial sense. The Venue’s diesel is refined and well suited to long-distance driving, and the 6-speed torque converter automatic is smooth and reliable. Hyundai’s service network and ownership experience are also strong, which matters over an 8-year horizon.The Skoda Kylaq Signature Plus Automatic is the better driver’s car, but the 1.0 TSI petrol will not match the diesel’s efficiency at your running, and the E20 concern is largely overstated – modern engines are engineered for it, and there is no official roadmap beyond E20. On the diesel side, the government has not announced any blanket restrictions on private diesel cars, and with Bharat Stage 6 and DPF technology in place, long-term ownership is not a major concern.The Venue is the more sensible and cost-effective choice for your usage pattern. If you want a more premium and spacious diesel SUV, the Kia Seltos Diesel Automatic is worth stretching for, but within your shortlist, the Venue is the right call.

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•4d

I am planning to buy a naturally aspirated petrol automatic car and have shortlisted the Toyota Hyryder mild hybrid and Honda Elevate. Which one would be the better choice?

•4d

Go for the Honda Elevate CVT. Both the Elevate and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder mild hybrid use naturally aspirated petrol engines, but the Elevate’s 1.5-litre engine is more refined, and the CVT gearbox is silky smooth, making it a more relaxed car to drive in everyday conditions. The Elevate also benefits from Honda’s strong reputation for long-term reliability and low maintenance costs, which is exactly what you want from a naturally aspirated petrol automatic. The Hyryder is still a good car, but the Elevate is the more complete package for this brief.

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•6d

I am new to driving and am looking for a sub-4-metre petrol SUV with a torque converter automatic gearbox. My budget is around Rs 12-13 lakh on-road. I have shortlisted two options: the Skoda Kylaq Signature automatic and the Mahindra XUV 3XO MX2 Pro automatic. We are a family of five. My current usage is mostly within the city, but based on my future work requirements, it could shift to an 80:20 mix of city and highway driving.

•5d

Go for the Skoda Kylaq Signature AT. For a new driver with predominantly city use, its 1.0 TSI with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic is smooth and easy to drive, while the compact dimensions make it relatively easy to manage in traffic. It also has a more mature, planted feel on the highway.The Mahindra XUV 3XO MX2 Pro AT is the better choice if rear-seat space is the priority. Its cabin is wider and more accommodating for a family of five, and its 1.2 turbo-petrol makes 200Nm, giving it stronger low-end and mid-range performance than the Kylaq.However, the 3XO's boot is also one of its compromises, while the Kylaq offers a better balance of driving dynamics, boot space and highway manners. With your usage potentially becoming 80:20 city/highway, the Kylaq's combination works particularly well.

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•6d

Which car should I buy among Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Petrol base or Kia Seltos petrol base? And also tell me if anyone has faced power issue or pickup issue while overtaking as I want the car for long term.

•6d

Between the two, the Seltos is the better choice, especially if you are looking at the base variant. It feels more premium, is the newer product and offers a more complete package even in its lower variants.The 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol makes 115hp and 144Nm. It isn't a particularly powerful engine, but it is smooth and refined and is perfectly adequate for normal city driving.For overtaking, it won't have the punch of the Seltos turbo, but it isn't underpowered either. With a full load and during quick highway overtakes, you may need to plan ahead and use higher revs. The Grand Vitara's 1.5 petrol is also a smooth, simple powertrain, but its performance is more relaxed and the base variant is quite sparsely equipped.

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