Diesel deal

q: I have a Hyundai Santro and I want to buy a second car for long distance trips. I have two options — a used Toyota Innova or a new car of around 5 lakh. Which car will provide good performance on the highway along with comfort for the driver at this price? The car should also be reliable as I don’t want any problems when I am out of town. Please advise.

Santosh K

a: The Innova is a good car for the highway, but if you’re looking at a used example, you should make sure the car is in good shape. Also, do you really need all the space that the Innova has to offer? You could look at the diesel hatchbacks in the market today which offer good performance and economy, namely, the Hyundai Getz Prime, the Tata Indica and the Maruti Swift. The Getz diesel offers class-leading performance, while the Indica diesel will be cheaper to buy though it is not as fast. The Swift diesel is also a good car to drive with excellent service backup, but falls short on rear space. Overall, we would suggest you go for the Getz.

The right choice

q: I want to buy a car for between Rs 5 lakh-6 lakh and have shortlisted the Swift Dzire ZXi and Logan 1.6gls. Which one of these two is better in terms of maintenance costs, ride, space, comfort, interiors and features? I drive around 90km in a single day so comfort and economy are my main concerns.

Prakash Rao

a: The two cars you have narrowed your choice down to are actually quite different. If you want driving pleasure and refinement then the Dzire is the right car for you. The Logan is the more practical choice and is also a much more comfortable and spacious car, with a far better ride. Since you have a long daily commute, we think you will appreciate the ‘big-car’ feel of the Logan and hence would recommend it, but bear in mind that it is margi-nally less fuel-efficient and has the looks of a bread box.