Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
Virtual mechanic
|
Car and bike questions? We have the answers
|
I plan to buy a small car priced between Rs. 5 and 5.5 lakh. The budget also includes accessories such as a Blaupunkt Music System with JBL car woofer. The car should deliver good fuel economy, have decent luggage space and be comfortable. I do not want Tata Indica, Maruti 800, Wagon R or the Spark. Please suggest what other options I have. Also, if I customise the wheels and increase the size from 14" to 16", will it affect the vehicle’s performance?
U Ganesh Udhayasankar
The Maruti Swift VXi falls nicely in your budget. The engine is peppy and reasonably fuel-efficient. But the rear seats are slightly cramped and the boot space is not the best.
You could alternatively look at the Palio Stile 1.1. It’s spacious and comfortable and comes with a decent boot. The downsides are that the engine is not particularly powerful and you may face some niggling issues.
The Palio suits your needs better. Upsizing by plus 1 is fine, but if you go over that, the car will suffer from poor ride quality and additional stress on suspension components.
I learnt to drive very recently. Is it better to buy a new car or a second-hand car? I may drive for 25 km a day and take it out of town occasionally. I want a car that does not require too much maintenance, is trouble free and easy to manoeuvre in the city. I have short-listed the Maruti 800, Alto and Santro. Which do you suggest I should buy?
Murali
Since you’ve just learned to drive, we suggest you opt for a second-hand car. Santro makes for a good choice. It is easy to drive thanks to its high seating position and light controls.
I want to choose between the Zen Estilo and Chevrolet Spark. Please help.
V Thyagarajan
The Chevrolet Spark is basically the upgraded Matiz. It is spacious, has a reasonably peppy engine and has good ride quality.
The boot however, is a little small and the interiors could have been slightly better. The Zen Estilo is based on the same platform as the Wagon R. It is nimble and quick but the engine is noisy and build quality is flimsy. Out of the two, we would pick the Spark.
I want to buy a sedan and have short-listed the Fiesta, City, SX4, Verna and Aveo. I want a capable all-rounder. Which do you think I should pick?
Narendran
If you want a capable all-rounder, the Verna fits the bill perfectly. It’s a well built car with a refined engine. It may not be particularly quick in its petrol form but the diesel is Verna’s trump card.
The Verna also comes loaded with goodies which makes it good value for money. Hyundai has a good service network and the after sales experience is also good.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
|
