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Virtual Mechanic

Car and bike questions? We have the answers

I will be travelling about 2000-4000 km a month along highways and bad roads. I need ride comfort, low cost of maintenance, strong performance and reasonable road handling. I am willing to spend up to Rs 6 lakh and have shortlisted the Hyundai Accent, the Opel Corsa, and the Scorpio. Isd it true that the performance of a diesel engine drops after a point of time?

Dheeraj Kumar, via email

Given the road conditions, we'd think the Scorpio makes the most sense. The Opel is out of production anyway - the Chevy Aveo has replaced it - while we have heard that the Accent is going to change soon. As for diesel engines, these require regular maintenance and more frequent oil changes than petrol ones, but if maintained well, they can last for a lifetime.

I need a four-wheeler for city driving, as I will be commuting about 40 km a day on average in Coimbatore. Which one should I choose - the Palio or the Alto? Would you recommend something else? My budget is Rs 4.5 to 5 lakh.

Raju Verghese, via email

The best car to choose today would be the Maruti Swift - the LXi version should just about fit your budget. It offers good ride quality, is built reasonably well, comes with Maruti's extensive dealership and service support and is efficient and reliable. The Palio will be more comfortable though, while you also get better legroom and overall internal space. Fiat India isn't in the best of shape, but the car is solid and fantastic value, though.

How good are instant puncture repair kits? My car rides on tubed tyres and I have jujst purchased an `Omni' kit for sealing punctures. For how long can one drive with a puncture fixed by one of these patches?

Avinash Raghunathan

Puncture repair kits are an effective way of getting you home. However, it requires a trained hand to repair the puncture; moreover it's meant primarily for tubeless tyres. Most tyre companies recommend a proper repair i.e., vulcanised repair. An easier get-me-home solution is to use a tyre sealant like Ultraseal, which effectively blocks any nail-hole puncture without having to repair the tyre.

Write in with your queries to wheels@thehindu.co.in

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