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I plan to buy a spacious seven-eight seater SUV within a Rs. 12 lakh budget. As I travel close to 7,000km a month, I would prefer a diesel-engined car. Please recommend a buy.

Sanjay Gupta

For your needs, the Toyota Innova makes sense. It can seat seven-eight people, is easy to drive and handles more like a car than an MUV. It is also very reliable and will give you good fuel economy. At your budget, you can easily buy the top-end V variant and if you want seven seats, opt for captain seats for the middle row.

Will the Maruti SX4 get a diesel engine soon? Is it wise to install an LPG kit on the petrol-engined SX4? I mainly drive in the city.

Rishi Raj Singh

There are no plans to introduce a diesel engine in the SX4 in 2008. An LPG kit on the SX4 is feasible but you need to get it installed by an RTO-authorised installer. Look out for brands such as Bedini, BRC, Lovato or Tartarini. After an LPG installation, your car will suffer from a slight drop in power. Also, the fuel economy you get from LPG will be slightly lower than you will get from petrol, but the lower cost of fuel will offset this to an extent. Also note that the prices of LPG do fluctuate.

I am in the market to buy a small car within Rs. 5 lakh. My monthly usage will be approximately 750km, 90 per cent of which will be in the city. My priorities are ride quality, driving pleasure and fuel economy. I’ve short-listed the Hyundai i10 Magna and the Suzuki Swift VXi. This will be my first car. Which one would you recommend?

Ranjeet

A bigger car is always nicer to drive, so it’s best you go in for the Swift. It is reliable, has a decent ride (though it is a bit bumpy on bad surfaces) and offers reasonable fuel economy. The i10 is more fuel efficient but it isn’t as comfortable or as good a ride. The Swift’s performance is much better than the i10’s which makes it more enjoyable to drive.

I am a real estate developer and need to drive to sites where the roads are not very friendly. My daily run is around 50-65km. Among the Chevrolet Captiva, Honda CR-V 2.0 and the Nissan X-Trail, which one do you recommend? My priorities are low running costs, good quality and resale value.

Nikhil Thard

The Captiva is spacious, fuel efficient and is a good performer. However, it is way out of your budget. Another option is the Ford Endeavour 2.5 4x2. It is an extremely tough vehicle and will work well on bad roads. However, the ride is stiff and the rear seats aren’t too comfortable. The engine is powerful and refined and fuel efficiency is better than the older Endeavour.

I am planning to buy two cars, one for myself and the other for my wife. I am looking for a luxury saloon with good legroom, performance and great looks. My budget for this car is Rs 10 lakh - Rs. 14 lakh, and I’d like the other car to be a luxury hatchback with good mileage, performance and safety features.

Adittya

In the Rs. 10 lakh - Rs. 14 lakh range, your best bet is the Honda Civic. Legroom is decent but the seat position is a bit low. However, nothing else in this price range comes close to meeting all your requirements. Your wife has plenty of options — you could consider the Fabia diesel, which is extremely safe, has superb mileage and adequate performance. It is overpriced, though.

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