I’m planning to buy a car with a strict ₹8 lakh budget. Please suggest the best possible options.

It's hard to guide you to the ideal car without knowing more of your requirements. However, we have trimmed the list of options down to a few cars that excel in certain aspects. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R 1.2 AMT - The Wagon R scores for ease of use. The high seating, large glass area and light controls put drivers at immediate ease. Superb cabin space for this size of car. Maruti Suzuki Baleno Delta MT - A smooth engine and great ride comfort are highlights of the Baleno. Delta trim packs in a reasonable number of feel-good features.Maruti Suzuki Dzire MT VXI - Sedan shape has its charm. Smooth engine and comfortable ride make it a good choice. Tata Punch Pure Plus S MT - Tough feel and absorbent suspension make it feel like a junior SUV. Not as spacious as other options.Hyundai Exter S Plus Pro Pack - Easy to drive and comfortable for city use. Nissan Magnite N Connecta/ Renault Kiger Techno MT - Visually, the largest and offers the most space too. Decent features for the money. The engine is weak, however.

Given that you previously owned a Ford Figo, we would suggest considering either the Skoda Kylaq or the Mahindra XUV 3XO. Within your budget, you can easily get the top Prestige Plus variant of the Kylaq. The AX7 Luxury variant of the 3XO is more expensive but still fits within your budget. Both cars are enjoyable to drive, offer a comfortable ride quality and come well equipped.The main difference between the two lies in rear seat space and boot capacity. The Kylaq’s rear seat is not as wide and offers less knee room than the 3XO, making it more suitable as a four-seater. On the plus side, it has a much larger boot. Also, keep in mind that both cars use powerful turbo petrol engines, which are not the most fuel-efficient. The clutch is on the heavier side, too, making city driving a bit more effort-intensive.If better fuel efficiency and a lighter, more progressive clutch are priorities, you could also consider the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor or the Maruti Suzuki Fronx turbo petrol manual in their top variants. Both are more affordable than the Kylaq and the 3XO. While they do not feel as premium inside and miss out on a few features, the 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine is one of the best small turbo petrol engines to drive.It is smooth, responsive, even at low speeds, with minimal turbo lag. The slick gearbox and light clutch make it very easy to drive in traffic. Both cars are spacious enough, offer a usable boot, and have a comfortable ride. They also deliver much better fuel efficiency. With the Maruti, getting double-digit mileage is easy, while achieving similar efficiency in the Skoda and Mahindra can be more challenging.

The Tata Safari is a good choice for a 7-seater SUV. It is spacious and has a genuinely usable third row of seats. The safety it offers is also very good, with a host of equipment, a stable ride and a 5-star crash rating in both GNCAP and BNCAP tests. The only thing is that, being a heavy vehicle, the mileage will not be very high. Tata claims an ARAI efficiency of 14.5kpl, but you will get somewhere between 7 to 10 kpl in the city and a bit more on the highway. If this is a deal breaker, opt for the Hyundai Alcazar. The new car is not yet crash tested, but it has a lot of safety equipment. The diesel engine returned an impressive 12.5kpl in the city and 16.3kpl on the highway in our standard test cycle.

While the Kia Seltos base variant is very well specced, depending on the city you live in, it will cost you around 13 lakhs on road. If that is okay with you, go ahead. The 4-cylinder 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine is refined and is sufficient for city driving and highway cruising. In all Kia products, the gear slotting action of the manual transmission is smooth, and we expect the same in the new Seltos too. You get a lot of features - Front and rear disc brakes, LED headlamps, LED DRLs, remote locking, cruise control, 10.25-inch touch screen, rear AC vents, TPMS and a lot more. The new Seltos has good cabin space, too.