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Asked by: Sanket My dad currently drives a 2009 Hyundai i10 that is still in good condition with only 38,000 km on it, but due to its age and limited usage, it now needs frequent maintenance. I want to upgrade to an automatic hatchback for him. His usage will be around 200 km a month, mostly highway driving with occasional city trips. Please suggest an easy-to-drive, low-maintenance automatic car within a ₹7 lakh budget. Should I choose a new car or a pre-owned one? In your budget, you can consider the Maruti Suzuki Celerio VXi or ZXi AMT based on the features you want. It is easy to drive with good seat height for easy ingress and egress, and being a Maruti Suzuki car, it should be reliable and easy to maintain, even with low running. Ride quality is good and should keep him comfortable on highway commutes.A more premium choice is the Maruti Suzuki Ignis. The Delta AMT should just about fit your budget, and its smoother and more powerful 1.2 litre four cylinder engine makes it nicer to drive than the Celerio.If you are open to a used car, you can explore Spinny.com, where you may find more premium options like the Swift or the Glanza within your budget. Asked by: Aswin I’ve driven 1,25,000 km in 9 years. My Figo (1.2 TI-VCT) has never let me down in any situation. Although the mileage is low, it has never caused me any serious trouble, and the ride and handling are excellent. I am now looking for a car to replace my Figo. I have the Hyundai i20 N Line in mind. Please suggest a car with great handling. Mileage is not a concern. The Hyundai i20 N Line is a great choice if you want a fun-to-drive hatchback. Its 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine will feel like a huge step up from the 1.2-litre petrol in your Figo, and the handling is sweet and engaging. It is a solid package with a spacious cabin, a premium feel, and good features. The ride is on the firmer side, so if you are fine with that, it is a strong buy.If you want something that drives well with a more comfortable ride, you can also consider the Maruti Suzuki Fronx or the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor with the turbo petrol engine. It is quick and efficient, and despite being a compact SUV, it handles corners well. You also get more ground clearance if that matters to you. Asked by: Sriram I am planning to replace my existing Octavia (which is 8 years old) with an SUV. My budget is ₹20 lakh. My preferences, in order, are: 1. long-term reliability (10+ years), 2. build quality, 3. comfort & space, and 4. mileage. I have considered mid-size SUVs like Victoriq, Hyryder, Creta and Elevate - and I am more inclined toward the Elevate because it ticks all my priority boxes compared to the others. Before I proceed, am I missing anything important that I should evaluate? The Honda Elevate suits your requirements well. It is reliable, has a five-star JNCAP crash rating, offers a spacious and comfortable cabin, and its fuel efficiency should also be reasonable. You can also consider the Maruti Victoris Hybrid if your running is high. It delivers well on all the same points, and its fuel economy is exceptional. You can expect over 20 kmpl in the city and on the highway. Moreover, the naturally aspirated 1.5-litre engine of the Elevate may return about 30 to 35 percent lower efficiency. Asked by: Jayant Parihar Hello team, I read your blogs regularly and value your reviews. Please guide me on which car I should buy from my shortlisted options. This will be my first car, and I enjoy driving. My requirements are a minimalist design (not too many gadgets), a manual transmission, good comfort and space, and a roomy boot. I’ve shortlisted the Volkswagen Virtus, Honda Amaze, and Hyundai Basalt. My budget is ₹12–14 lakh. Please advise. Thank you for your support. We're happy to help! Coming to your question, the Honda Amaze, while practical and comfy, does not have the driving thrill you would want. The Volkswagen Virtus, while impressive, will not fit in your budget apart from the base variant, which isn't too impressive. The Citroen Basalt X will be a good pick out of this lot. It has a punchy turbo-petrol engine that is lovely to drive, the ride comfort is excellent, and it has a large boot as well. Also, while it is feature-packed, it isn't unnecessarily complicated, and the functions are easy to use. The Basalt X would be our recommendation. Asked by: JAGDEEP SINGH BH I plan to upgrade my car. My monthly running is around 1,000–1,500 km. I’ve shortlisted the Innova HyCross (petrol, non-hybrid) and the Mahindra XUV700 (petrol). Which one should I buy? My budget is up to ₹25 lakh. The Mahindra XUV700 would be a better choice in this comparison. The Toyota car, while more spacious, is quite thirsty in its non-hybrid guise, with an efficiency of around 7kpl in the city and around 9kpl on the highway. Considering your monthly running, a petrol SUV would be the right choice and here, the XUV700 is the better product. It has better features than the Toyota Innova HyCross. The ride and handling are nicer, and the engine performs a lot better, too. It is the better overall package and our recommendation. Can’t decide which car to buy? Ask our experts and get answers to all your car related queries. Ask experts 
