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Asked by: Tushar My monthly running is about 1,000km. I want a 7 seater for 80% highway and 20% city driving. My budget is around ₹25 lakh. Fuel efficiency and comfort are the two main factors. Within your budget, the Kia Carens Clavis is a good option. It is easy to drive and offers a comfortable third row. The 1.5-litre turbo petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines are powerful enough for both city and highway use, with decent efficiency.Considering your limited running, the petrol variant makes more sense. While the diesel is more efficient, and your highway usage should not cause DPF issues, your usage does not justify the higher price. Also, the diesel automatic is offered only in a single mid variant, which is not very feature-rich.If you want something more powerful, we would suggest waiting for the soon-to-be-launched Mahindra XUV 7XO. It will offer more effortless performance, but its third row, though usable, will not be as comfortable as the Clavis, and fuel efficiency will also be lower. Asked by: Abdul Azeez Hello, I work abroad & want to buy a new car for my family of 5. Initially, it will be used by my daughter for city driving with limited weekly usage. I am looking for a car that is easy to drive in traffic, safe, fuel-efficient, and suitable for long trips when I visit during the holidays. It should be easy for women to drive in the city, yet strong and stable on highways and ghats. My budget is around ₹20 to 25 lakh. When I was last in Chennai, I almost bought the Thar Roxx AX7L. I plan to make the purchase in June 2026. The Mahindra Thar Roxx is far more comfortable than the three-door version, but as a family car, the ride is still on the firmer side. Within your budget, if most of your driving is on the road, there are more comfortable options available.Within Mahindra, you could wait for the XUV 7XO, which is expected to launch in January 2025 and is essentially the facelifted XUV700. Despite its size, it will be easy to drive, and the petrol and diesel engines are well-suited for both city and highway use. Given your limited driving, the petrol makes more sense. It will also be more spacious, with a larger boot, and being a 7 seater, it gives you added versatility whenever you need the extra seats. We expect the top AX7 petrol variant to fit within your budget.If you want something smaller and more efficient, you could also consider the new Tata Sierra. Even the top turbo-petrol automatic fits within your budget, and based on our experience, this Tata car delivers good driving pleasure and comfort while offering a class-leading feature list. The smaller 1.5-litre engine, while down on power compared to Mahindra’s 2.0-litre, is still strong enough and should prove to be more economical as well. Asked by: Anshat Gupta My family owns a 2022 Honda WR-V petrol and we are planning to upgrade our car. It will be mostly used in the city and mainly driven by my parents. I am confused between the VW Taigun 1.0 petrol, Honda Elevate, and Tata Curvv, and I am not so sure about the Kia Syros or the newer Victoris. My main concerns are safety, balanced features, and maintenance. Please advise which car I should choose. Since you've already owned a Honda car, you might like what the Elevate has to offer. Its ride comfort is its highlight; the high seating will make it easy for your parents to get in and out, and its petrol engine delivers strong performance. The Volkswagen Taigun is smaller in size, which makes it a bit easier to park and manoeuvre. However, it doesn't feel as user-friendly as the Honda, since the manual's clutch is a touch heavier, and the automatic isn't as seamless as the Elevate's either. Since you're not keen on the Maruti Victoris or Kia Syros, you can also consider the Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder. Asked by: Ayush Sharma Hey Autocar! I’m planning to buy a sedan car and am confused between the 1.5L turbo options of the Hyundai Verna, Skoda Slavia, and Volkswagen Virtus which is the best buy in terms of drive feel, mileage, and maintenance? The Skoda Slavia and Volkswagen Virtus with their 1.5 TSI and dual-clutch automatic transmission combination are the nicest to drive in their segment. Both cars are identical in terms of their platform, build quality, space, comfort, and equipment list, the only differentiating factor being their styling. Pick the one that appeals to you more. The 1.5 TSI engine gets a cylinder deactivation function as well as an automatic engine stop-start function to curtail fuel consumption.The Hyundai Verna 1.5, on the other hand, is quick, smooth, and in the real world, it is likely to be a touch more fuel efficient. Also, the top-spec Verna is also cheaper than its rivals, making it worthy of serious consideration. The only downside is that its dynamics don't feel as sporty as the VW or Skoda. But if you don't plan to attack winding roads often, you will be happy with what the Verna has to deliver. Asked by: Sudhir K I currently drive a Ford EcoSport diesel and have really enjoyed its driving feel, noise levels, sturdy body, and service experience. I am looking to buy a new car within a ₹20 lakh budget in Hyderabad. I have two kids and elderly parents, and we are tall, too. I intend to use the vehicle regularly in city traffic and for long distances. Please suggest a car that can give me a similar experience to the EcoSport since Ford isn’t selling vehicles in India anymore. The Tata Sierra seems like a logical upgrade. It is built tough, its suspension can take on a beating yet it does well in terms of ride comfort, and the new turbo-petrol engine is smooth, refined and delivers diesel-like performance. Being a tall vehicle, space is also good, especially for you and your tall family members. Tata's service experience can be a hit or miss, but the Sierra is seriously worth considering. You may also shortlist the new Kia Seltos, which is also a very promising option. Asked by: Anjum Pervez I want to change my car and buy a new hybrid vehicle within a ₹10-12 lakh budget; which hybrid cars are launching soon in this range, and will a flex-fuel option be a good choice? At the moment, there aren’t any hybrid cars in the Rs 10-12 lakh bracket. The most affordable ones you can buy right now start closer to Rs 20 lakh.Maruti Suzuki plans to introduce a new line of more affordable hybrids, starting with the Fronx Hybrid, although it’s unlikely to arrive before 2027. Even then, it’s uncertain if it will fit within a Rs 12 lakh budget. When it comes to flex‑fuel vehicles, they only really make sense once India moves to higher ethanol blends. The current target is E20 (20% ethanol), and there’s no plan yet to exceed that. Cars designed to run on higher ethanol blends, such as E30 or higher, tend to be less fuel-efficient because ethanol contains less energy than petrol. That efficiency loss would only be worth accepting if high‑ethanol fuel were significantly cheaper but so far, there’s no sign of that happening. Asked by: Sugam Bera Hi Autocar Team. I’m a 28-year-old man, 5 ft 4 in tall, planning to buy my first motorcycle. I really love the cafe racer body style and want to buy a bike in this segment. My budget is ₹5 lakh, and I will use it for daily city commuting of about 8-10 km and short weekend trips. My focus is on good mileage, comfort, low maintenance costs and a strong, reputable service network. Please suggest a suitable motorcycle. Cafe racers are known for many things, but comfort isn't one of them - we must clarify this at the outset before we proceed. Since this is going to be your first motorcycle, we'd recommend getting a roadster or street naked because they will be vastly more comfortable and usable. As a first bike, there is a litany of good options from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, KTM, TVS and Royal Enfield. Look for something around the 25-30hp mark ideally. If you really have your heart set on a cafe racer, the only two options in your budget are the Triumph Thruxton 400 and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650. Both are quite powerful and won't be ideal beginner machines because of their committed riding positions. The Royal Enfield is also a rather heavy machine, which won't be easy to manage due to your stature. Can’t decide which car to buy? Ask our experts and get answers to all your car related queries. Ask experts 
