Hello. I want to purchase a big petrol automatic SUV in Chandigarh within an on-road budget of 21 lakh, which is almost 18 lakh, ex-showroom. Safety, prestige, decent mileage, low maintenance and some modern features are what I want. I will keep the car for only four years. I have zeroed in on Scorpio N Z8 Select AT, Tata Safari Pure X and Harrier Adventure X AT. Please advise. Primarily city driving with an occasional highway drive once a month.

Autocar India

•22h

Unfortunately, these days there is something of a void in the Rs 30-40 lakh price bracket, with all the models that existed here having either moved into a higher price range or been discontinued altogether. At the lower end of things, you could consider the Tata Safari, which is spacious, well-equipped, and crucially, very comfortable for all passengers. Its 2.0-litre diesel engine is a little noisy, but it is strong and efficient if driven carefully. At the other end of the spectrum, in the Rs 50 lakh range, is the MG Gloster. It is soon to be succeeded by the MG Majestor, but even the outgoing car is big on space, comfort and luxury, with a third row that's genuinely usable. It too has a strong 2.0-litre diesel engine that provides effortless torque to move this large vehicle.

Tata Safari

MG Gloster

Autocar India

•1d

From a pure six-seater comfort point of view, the Tata Safari is the better option. It offers a more comfortable third row, and thanks to the sliding middle row, you get more flexibility to create additional legroom and knee room for passengers sitting in the back.The XUV700’s third row is more suitable for children, and that too mainly for shorter journeys. This limitation remains even if you look at the used examples of the earlier versions.If you want an even better six-seater in terms of overall comfort, you can also consider the Toyota Innova HyCross. It offers a full-size third row and is comfortable enough even for adults, making it a stronger option if third row usability is a priority.

Toyota Innova HyCross

Tata Safari

Autocar India

•2d

If you have your heart set on the Tata Harrier, you should go for it. It has great road presence, you like the aesthetics of it, and it feels very tough, thanks to its Land Rover-sourced underpinnings. The new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine is a winner too, managing to be both powerful and smooth at the same time. If you're after the automatic variant, it's a very smooth gearbox too, if not a particularly sporty one. Tata's reliability has improved in recent years, but the cars aren't free from issues, particularly with the electronics.That said, Mahindra is not too far behind in this regard. It's luck of the draw, and we don't think it's worth putting off the purchase just for that if you otherwise have your eye on it. As for the mileage, it's unlikely to get anywhere near 12-18kpl (the Mahindra is even further off), as it is a heavy SUV with a turbocharged petrol engine, but driven carefully, you could get into the low double digits.

Tata Harrier