I am planning to purchase my first car. As I am a new learner and driver, kindly suggest a comfortable and good five-seater car for me. My budget is 8 to 11 lakh. Please help with suggestions.

Autocar India

•1d

Between the Tata Punch and Tata Nexon, the Nexon is much better, purely because it has a more comfortable back seat and is a better highway car for long trips. Yes, indeed, Tata Motors' service reputation is not good, but what we understand is that it is improving, especially in the last 6 months. If you want to play it safe and want absolute peace of mind, then the Maruti-Suzuki Brezza is a good option. It has a spacious cabin, good boot space and is easy to drive in the city. The 1.5 litre naturally aspirated (NA) engine feels a bit weak on the highway, but you can live with that lack of power if you’re only doing 3-4 long-distance trips a year. And over 10 years, the Brezza is likely to be more reliable and easier on your pocket

Tata Punch

Tata Nexon

Maruti Suzuki Brezza

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Autocar India

•6h

Since you are a driving enthusiast and are looking for a mid-size SUV with good driving dynamics, we would recommend the new Skoda Kushaq. Skoda recently unveiled the facelift and will also be announcing prices this month. The Kushaq is one of the more driver-focused mid-size SUVs with very good handling manners. It will feature two engines as before, a 1.0-litre TSI and a 1.5-litre TSI. If the bigger engine is out of budget, the 1.0-litre is also quite peppy and fun to drive, with good grip and cornering. Another SUV worth waiting for would be the Renault Duster, which is launching on the 17th of this month. It gets a powerful turbo-petrol engine, and Renault has developed a good chunk of it at MMRT (Madras Motor Race Track) in Chennai and assures us that the handling would be exciting. If you aren't in a hurry, we advise you to wait till we get our hands on the Duster and even the updated Kushaq for a definitive verdict.

Skoda Kushaq facelift

Renault Duster

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Autocar India

•7h

Considering your requirements, the Mahindra XUV 3XO with the AX7 L spec would be a good choice. It gets a powerful 131hp turbo-petrol engine, a fantastic ride quality and the most up-to-date Level 2 ADAS along with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 3XO is a compact SUV but gets a spacious rear seat and a feature-rich cabin with a panoramic sunroof and wireless connectivity. The top-spec version will easily fit in your budget.

Mahindra XUV 3XO

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