I’m planning to purchase a new car with an on-road budget of around ₹16-18 lakh. My daily usage will be about 40-50 km, mostly in city conditions with heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic. Approximately 70% of the driving will be in the city, with occasional highway trips. I’m considering the Honda Elevate and the Toyota Hyryder. Could you please advise which car would be the better choice based on my requirements?

Autocar India

•1h

Mostly city use in Hyderabad and a few long trips - in that brief, the Mahindra XUV 3XO automatic fits you best among your picks. It pulls strongly when you need to pass, so you won’t face the same dull pick-up you felt in the Brezza, and it stays steady at highway speeds. The AC cools the cabin quickly, and the rear seat is shaped well for a child seat with one adult beside it.A few watch-outs: the boot is not very big, so check whether your stroller fits. It also lacks ventilated seats, which is something you might want. Alternatively, consider the Kia Syros if you want a roomier cabin and a bigger boot.If a Honda Elevate fits your budget, it would be a better choice than the sub-4 metre SUVs, but you might have to opt for a lower trim and miss out on some features. Overall, the Mahindra is a good fit for your needs.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

Kia Syros

Honda Elevate

Autocar India

•1d

Get the Kia Seltos 1.5 NA IVT - it is a comfortable and easy SUV to live with for your daily Chennai runs. The smooth automatic suits light traffic, the ride takes bad patches and speed breakers well, and the AC is strong, which matters in our weather. It is also properly spacious for five, with a relaxed back seat and easy ingress, so the upgrade from your beat will feel big without feeling bulky to drive.City mileage will sit around 11kpl, and the light steering makes parking and tight streets simple. Mid trims with the automatic should land around your Rs. 20 lakh mark in Chennai, and Hyundai’s wide service network helps for hassle-free ownership.One honest trade-off: the 1.5 NA is not exciting to drive on the highway, and the petrol auto is tuned more for smoothness than speed. If you want a bit more performance from a NA engine, look at the Honda Elevate CVT.

Kia Sonet

Honda Elevate

Autocar India

•1d

Your history of Corollas tells us that you want a reliable, fuss-free experience and that clearly points to the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Given your limited use that is largely restricted to the city, the 1.5 NA petrol with the automatic will suit you fine. The strong hybrid will make more sense if you are covering larger distances every month, primarily in the city where it can run in pure EV mode and save a lot of fuel. Also worth noting is that the strong hybrid has a smaller boot, which might be a problem if you need to carry a wheelchair. The seat height and floor are not too high, the rear door opens wide, and the back seat is easy to slide into, which helps when guiding someone from a wheelchair.The Duster is a great choice if you are willing to try something new. It is more powerful, rides well on bad roads and feels very surefooted, but its ownership costs and resale are less certain given that it is a brand-new car. Overall, for your use, the Hyryder automatic fits best without stretching the budget too far.

Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Renault Duster