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Virtual Mechanic
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Car and bike questions? We have the answers
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I want a stylish, fast and comfortable bike, and have short-listed Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi and Yamaha YZF-R15. My budget is between Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 94,000, and I am willing to stretch it for a feature-laden bike. Is the Pulsar 220 a better bike as it costs less and comes with twin-spark technology and a more powerful 20bhp engine? I feel the YZF-R15 is overpriced for the features it offers. Please help me make the right choice.
Mukund Mathur
The Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi offers better value for money, faster straight line performance and a good balance of economy and power. The Yamaha YZF-R15 on the other hand is undoubtedly a little overpriced, but provides very good handling, and gives a true scaled down sports-bike like feel neither of which are matched by the Pulsar 220.
I’ve planned to buy my first car, and I think the Santro Xing GLS Eco will suit my four-member family. My budget is Rs. 4 lakh and my priorities are easy maintenance, performance with better mileage and comfort. I drive in the city for about 60 km per week and rarely go on weekend (highway) trips. Will Santro suit my requirements? Is the factory fitted LPG kit trouble-free?
Jegan Nath
The Santro Xing GLS Eco is a car that balances performance, maintenance, mileage and comfort very well. It will definitely suit your family’s transportation requirements. And yes, the factory-fitted LPG kit is quite trouble-free.
I plan to buy a Mercedes-Benz W210 diesel for its modern looks. In terms of maintenance, will it be cheaper or similar to the W124? I may service the car at non-authorised service centres.
Manjit Natekar
The Merc E-class W210 will be more expensive to maintain than the W124 E-class as there are more electronics in that car. The W124’s engineering is more mechanical, and hence easy for non-authorised service centres to fix. However, finding a quality W124 example is difficult; ensure that your car is shipshape otherwise you could end up with a white elephant that costs a fortune to maintain.
I have a Maruti Versa for my eight-member family. My daily run is around 20 km, mostly in the city and around tight corners. I now want to buy a new car, my first diesel-engined vehicle. Should I buy the Mahindra Scorpio LX mHawk?
Shamsher Singh
Yes, the Scorpio mHawk is a good option because it gives you the option of carrying seven to eight persons at a pinch, and is compact enough to negotiate narrow city roads. You could evaluate the automatic option as well to make city driving easier. The Mahindra will be a lot more comfortable as it has more space but it could be a touch too big to manoeuvre through tight spots.
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