Mumbai

•3w

Hi, I need your expert advice on buying an SUV. I am a seafarer, so I will be away for around 6 months at a time. During this period, the car will mostly remain parked, although a family member may occasionally start it or drive it. My budget is around Rs. 20-22 lakh (on-road). I am currently considering the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Creta, Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder, but I'm open to other suggestions as well. Considering my usage pattern, which SUV would you recommend? I'm mainly looking for long-term reliability, minimal issues after being parked for months, low maintenance, and comfortable for family use. Would you recommend a petrol, strong hybrid, or any other powertrain for my situation? I'd really appreciate your suggestions.

•2w

Given your usage pattern, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder petrol is the most sensible recommendation. The key factor here is long periods of inactivity. Strong hybrids are generally best avoided in this scenario because the high-voltage battery can degrade if the car is left unused for months at a time. The Hyryder petrol, on the other hand, is a simple, reliable, and low-maintenance powertrain that will cope far better with extended parking. The Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder price starts from Rs. 11.31 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Hyryder also scores well on long-term reliability and low maintenance, thanks to Toyota's reputation and service network. It is comfortable for family use, has a spacious cabin, and a compliant ride. The only real drawback is that it is not as feature-rich or as premium-feeling as the Kia Seltos or Hyundai Creta, but that is a trade-off worth making for peace of mind.

If you want something with a more premium feel and more features, the Kia car and the Hyundai car are the alternatives. They feel more sophisticated overall, but both these brands don't have the same reputation for long-term reliability as the Toyota Car.

Overall, the Hyryder petrol is the best fit for your usage pattern and priorities. It is the car that will give you the least trouble after being parked for months, and that is the most important consideration here.

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•2w

Try your wife should learn driving, go for automatic for ladies it will be good. That way your car wouldn't be parked. Parked car sometimes attracts rates etc. and tyre will also degrade.

•2w

I am presently driving BMW 2series for last 5 years. Now want to experience an suv. Which one should I go for, in the similar price range as that of 2 series? Want a better driving and overall experience, don’t want to compromise on these

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More questions on similar cars

•1d

I want to buy a hybrid car with a sunroof, and my budget is Rs. 8-10 lakh. Which would be the best option within this budget?

•1d

At Rs 8-10 lakh, there are no hybrid cars available in India. The only options in this price range are mild hybrids, which offer a small efficiency boost but do not provide the fuel savings or electric-only driving of a proper strong hybrid system. If you are specifically looking for a hybrid with a sunroof, you will need to increase your budget to around Rs 20 lakh or more, where cars like the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid, Grand Vitara Hybrid and Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid become available. These are proper strong hybrids and are among the most efficient cars in India today.If your budget is fixed at Rs 8-10 lakh, the best approach is to focus on a good mild hybrid car with a sunroof, such as the Maruti Suzuki Fronx or Brezza. If space is not the highest priority, get the Fronx, as it is better value for money, giving you more features for your money. The Brezza, however, has more interior space, more powerful engines and a 5-star Bharat NCAP crash test rating, so it could be the better choice.But then your other requirement - a sunroof - will not be met by either of these, as Maruti only offers this feature in higher variants. So if that is of the highest priority, check out a petrol car like the Hyundai i20, Tata Punch or Kia Sonet. Overall, our recommendation is to go for one of the mild-hybrid Maruti models and forego the sunroof. It's the better decision in the long run.

Maruti Suzuki Victoris

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Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

I have a Renault Kiger RXT (O) automatic that is five years old and has been driven around 45,000 km. I’m looking to upgrade to the Toyota Hyryder Hybrid S variant for better fuel efficiency. My usage is mainly on highways and long drives, along with some city driving in Bengaluru traffic. I request you to kindly advise whether this is the best option.

•2d

Given your usage pattern of highway and long drives with a mix of Bangalore city traffic, the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Hybrid S is a sensible upgrade from your Renault Kiger. The strong hybrid system delivers excellent fuel efficiency in city conditions, where the car can run on electric power at low speeds and in stop-start traffic. On highways, the hybrid system still contributes to efficiency, though the gains are less dramatic than in the city. The Hyryder also offers a more comfortable ride, better refinement and a more premium ownership experience compared to the Kiger.However, it is worth considering the Maruti Suzuki Victoris Hybrid as well. It is essentially the same car underneath, but the Victoris gets a slightly more premium interior and a richer feature set, including Level 2 ADAS, at a similar price point. If you are open to the Maruti badge, the Victoris Hybrid is arguably the better value proposition.The only caveat with the Hyryder Hybrid is that the boot space is compromised due to the battery pack, which may be a consideration if you regularly carry a lot of luggage on your long drives. For the added practicality and a plusher interior we would recommend the Maruti Suzuki Victoris.

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•7h

Hi Autocar India Team, I am planning to buy first car for my family and would really appreciate your guidance. Our budget for a used car is up to Rs. 8 lakh, although we are open to stretching it if there is a significantly better long-term option. We are a family of five members, including my elderly grandmother. Both my brother and I are over 6 ft 2 in and lean, so front and rear seat space is a very important consideration. My grandmother should be able to get in and out of the car comfortably, so a higher seating position would be preferable. The car will be used primarily for city driving, with one or two trips every month to our village, which is around 200 km one way. We are looking for a car that is safe, reliable, easy to maintain, comfortable on highways, and inexpensive to own over the long term. Since this will be our family's first car, hassle-free ownership is very important to us. We would prefer an automatic transmission, but we are open to a manual if it is a much better overall choice. So far, we have shortlisted the first-generation Hyundai Creta petrol, as it seems to meet most of our requirements. However, we are completely open to other suggestions if there are better options in the used car market. Could you please recommend the best used cars for our requirements and explain why you would choose them over the Creta? Also, considering the current E20 mandate, would you advise stretching our budget and buying a new car instead? If yes, which new cars would you recommend that offer the best value, comfort, safety, and long-term ownership experience for a family like ours?

•1h

Given your requirements, the first-generation Hyundai Creta petrol is actually a very sensible choice. It offers a comfortable ride, a higher seating position for your grandmother, good reliability and a proven ownership experience. In that context, a 2020-2021 Maruti Suzuki Brezza or Toyota Urban Cruiser petrol automatic is also worth serious consideration. Both these offer meet all your requirements, and will also be reliable and inexpensive cars to own over the long term, with excellent service reach and low maintenance costs. Additionally, they're likely to be newer than a Creta petrol-automatic available at this price point.As far as E20 goes, most pre-2023 cars are not compatible with this fuel type, however the impact of using E20 in these older cars is not likely to be immediate. But if you can stretch your budget sligthly, for peace of mind, get a new car instead. You could consider a base Mahindra XUV 3XO Turbo-Petrol AT, which will cost you around Rs. 11.50 lakh (on-road). It is safe, spacious, and it meets all your requirments.

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•6d

I’m planning to buy an EV with a budget of Rs. 19 - 20 lakh. My heart says the Tata Sierra EV Pure 63, but my mind says the Kia Syros top variant because of features like ventilated seats. Kindly suggest which one would be the better choice.

•5d

The choice really comes down to your usage and what you value in the car. If you need more space for both passengers and luggage and have a few long drives that you would undertake, then opt for the Tata Sierra. This Tata car is much larger and has a very spacious interior. The ride quality is also very good over both bad city roads as well as high highway speeds. If, however, your usage is mainly going to be within the city, then the Kia Syros is the better buy. Its compact footprint will be much easier to manage while driving congested streets, and finding parking would be easier. You would also enjoy the top variant of the Kia car and its features.

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•3d

I am confused between Taigun 1.5 Sport and Seltos Diesel X-Line top model. I have owned the Polo AT and Vento AT in the past, so my love for Volkswagen is making this decision difficult.

•3d

Go for the Volkswagen Taigun 1.5 TSI Sport. Coming from a Polo and Vento automatic, you already appreciate Volkswagen’s driving DNA, and the Taigun 1.5 TSI is a natural progression. The engine is punchy, the DSG gearbox is quick and engaging, and the overall driving experience is far more involving than the Seltos. The Taigun also feels more compact and agile in the city, while still being comfortable on the highway. The Volkswagen Taigun mileage is 19.54 kpl for the 1.0 TSI AT, 19.98 kpl for the 1.0 TSI MT, and 18.85 kpl for the 1.5 TSI DCT.The Kia Seltos diesel X-Line is a strong all-rounder with better space, a more premium cabin and a more relaxed long-distance character, but it does not offer the same level of driver engagement. The diesel engine is efficient and torquey, but it lacks the excitement of the 1.5 TSI. Given your history with Volkswagen cars, the Taigun will simply feel more familiar and more enjoyable to drive every day. The Taigun price starts at Rs 11.00 lakh (ex-showroom).

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•6d

I want to buy a seven-seater car for my family. It will be used by my uncle and me, and my budget is Rs. 25 lakh. I am looking for an automatic transmission, a panoramic sunroof, and good fuel efficiency.

•5d

Go for the Kia Carens Clavis diesel automatic. It is the most sensible and well-rounded choice for your requirements. The Carens is a genuinely spacious seven-seater with a comfortable third row, which is important when the car will be shared between families. The diesel automatic is the right powertrain for strong fuel efficiency and effortless performance, especially on highways and with a full load. The Carens also comes well equipped with features like a panoramic sunroof, and Kia’s service network and ownership experience are among the best in the segment. The only real drawback is that the Carens does not have the same SUV-like road presence as some rivals, but as a practical family car it is hard to fault. If you want something with a more rugged SUV feel, the Mahindra XUV 7XO diesel automatic is worth considering, but mileage would be lower. The Carens is the better all-round family car.

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