a perfect choice

q: I want to buy a new car. My priorities are low maintenance cost, good fuel economy, sitting comfort and durability. I’ll be driving mostly within the city. My budget is around four lakh excluding insurance and taxes. I’m considering the Hyundai i10, Maruti A-star, Swift, Aveo UVA and the Indigo CS. Please advise.

V Chaitanya

a: The Maruti Swift pretty much fits your bill. It won’t trouble you on the maintenance and gives reasonably good fuel economy. The rear seat is a little low on legroom, but it is adequately comfortable. You could also try the Hyundai i10; it is smaller, but worth a look.

seal the deal

q: I was about to buy a new Honda Civic when one of my uncles offered me his Honda Accord, which is three years old but has run only 11,000km. The price is around eight lakh. Do you think it’s a good deal? While I really love the Civic, if the Accord deal is really good, then I would buy the Accord. Please advise.

Manish Khara

a: Spending eight lakh for a three year old Accord is a good deal and especially when you’re buying it from a known person and you know the history of the car. Compared to the Civic, the Accord is more luxurious, more powerful and certainly more comfortable. The downsides are that it’s large and can be cumbersome in city traffic. Running costs will also be higher as fuel efficiency is not as good as the Civic and spares are more expensive. If you can live with the higher costs, then go for it. But if your heart is set on the Civic then you wont make a mistake buying it, as it’s a fantastic car to drive and own.