I need a car for my family under 15 lakhs. My height is 6 ft, so smaller cars are uncomfortable for me. I would like to go for a safe & reliable car. My running is under 500km monthly, with 80% city and 20% highway. I'm okay with a pre-owned car/SUV as well. Thanks!

The Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is the lightest machine in the company's portfolio and will feel quite at home in the city and at the highway speeds you ride at. The Royal Enfield Bullet 350 is a neo-retro roadster that will have the most comfort owing to its spacious, upright ergonomics and lovely ride quality. The Meteor 350 will have the most laid-back seating position, but over bad roads, a lot of road imperfections will filter through to your spine. A test ride of all three should help you decide which is best for you.

If your Maruti Suzuki Baleno is serving you well, you can continue with your car. If tyre pressure checks are a concern, you can buy a tyre pressure gauge. These are easily available and inexpensive, and allow you to check tyre pressure yourself. This will also give you time to assess if you need a 7 seater, as you mentioned, there are two growing children in your family. They will soon start needing their own space for comfort and safety. Waiting will help you make a more informed decision later.

The LXi variant of the Maruti Suzuki Brezza is the most affordable. However, we would pick the VXi variant as a good value for money option as it comes with the essential features like a touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, auto climate control, electrically retractable mirrors and a height adjustable drivers seats. Apart from the music system, the other features cannot be added easily or at all, through the after-market route. So this would be a good time to have these factory-fitted.

You're right; the price of the Hyundai Venue diesel AT feels high for a compact SUV, but that's largely because the cost of keeping a diesel engine compatible with the latest emissions norms is high. It becomes especially apparent in the price of compact cars. And yes, while the diesel automatic is the best overall powertrain of the Venue, and a relative novelty in the segment, you could save a bundle by choosing the turbo petrol instead. Since you plan to use it mostly in the city, it's not worth the extra spend on the diesel engine, and the 1.0 T-GDi with the DCT is a good combo.However, if you want a car that's fun to drive in this segment, consider the Skoda Kylaq instead. It's perhaps not as cutting-edge as the Venue when it comes to tech, but it does have a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating. Also, a punchier engine in its 1.0 TSI and a smoother automatic in the form of its 6-speed torque converter auto.