I have been using a Tata Zest XT for the past 4 years. Now the car is incurring maintenance expenses, so I am considering buying a new car. My on-road budget is ₹10 lakh, and I will be driving around 300 km per month. My preferences are safety, comfort, and fuel efficiency. My brother is suggesting I buy the Mahindra XUV 3XO diesel variant. Please suggest some good cars.

Autocar India

•23h

If an upgrade necessarily means a larger car for you, the Mahindra 3XO won't be the right move after a Honda City. You'd be best served by midsized SUVs, which measure between 4.3 and 4.5m. Of the current crop of mid-sized SUVs, the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta and Tata Sierra are the best-rounded. The new-gen Renault Duster that launches on March 17 also has promise.If vehicle size isn't a dealbreaker, the Mahindra XUV 3XO is a good pick. It's got powerful petrol engines, feels solid, and ride and handling are also impressive. The interior is also spacious for what is a compact SUV, and higher-spec versions pack in loads of equipment too. In fact, a fully-loaded 3XO is better equipped than a fully-loaded City.Within the compact SUV segment, you could also consider the Hyundai Venue, which is a well-rounded package.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

Honda City

Kia Seltos

Hyundai Creta

Tata Sierra

Renault Duster

Autocar India

•21h

Given your requirements, the Skoda Slavia would be a good option to consider. Within the Slavia range, we would recommend the 1.5-litre TSI engine with the DSG gearbox. This will give you the enthusiastic driving dynamics you want, which frankly, no mid-size SUV can offer. It also has fantastic handling manners and is extremely stable on the highways. The bootspace at 521 litres is massive, and it has a good ground clearance to clear most of our badly built roads.In the city, the Slavia also gets cylinder deactivation that helps save fuel, and it is light and breezy to manoeuvre. Also, the music system in the Slavia is one of the best stock systems out there. It is punchy, clear and feels properly high-end. If you're an audiophile, you will enjoy it compared to any other car or SUV south of Rs 30 lakh.

Skoda Slavia

Autocar India

•22h

Since you prefer diesels, the Tata Nexon would be a good choice for your needs. It gets a frugal 1.5-litre diesel engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is rated 5 stars for crash test safety in BNCAP and has a confident ride on the highway. The braking performance is good too, and in your budget, you can get the Pure + S variant that gets you a decent kit like LED headlamps, sunroof, reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, etc.The Nexon returns an impressive 16.5kpl in the city and an even more impressive 19.4kpl on the highway. It is a well-rounded SUV for your needs and hence our top recommendation.

Tata Nexon