corolla scores
q: I used to drive a 1.8-litre Ford Mondeo in the UK and I’m used to the space and power it came with. I came to India a few months ago, and I’ve now decided to buy a car within a budget of Rs 9 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh. My priorities are ground clearance for Pune city roads and for occasional visits to my native village, space for five adults and good fuel economy. I travel 35km everyday and 1,000km monthly. I have test driven the Honda City, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Cedia, Corolla Altis, Chevrolet Optra Magnum, Fiat Linea and the Ford Fiesta. Which one should I go for? Also, is the Toyota Altis diesel coming to India and is it worth the wait?
Ajit Damale
a: Rule out the Honda City because it’s not as spacious as the others for five adults and the Civic has less ground clearance. The Cedia has terrible resale value and doesn’t have the support of a strong network. Cars like the Linea, Optra and the Fiesta are a class below and simply don’t have the space or the comfort of the bigger saloons. Everything’s pointing to the Corolla, which is spacious, has good ground clearance and is pretty efficient. It meets your needs for carrying five adults, often on rough village roads too. The diesel is not out yet and will take another year.
merc vs merc
q: I want a car and I’m unable to decide between the Mercedes-Benz E250 D (W210) and E220 CDI (W211). Which of these cars is easier to maintain? Also, what is the service cost and service interval for them?
Manjit
a: There’s a huge difference between the E250 D (W210) and the E220 CDI (W211). The W211 is younger than the W210 by one generation and hence is more advanced and a better car. It also has more equipment like steering controls, an in-dash CD changer and several safety features. The biggest difference lies in the engine though. The E220 has a common-rail diesel, while the E250 D has the outdated old-generation diesel.The service interval for all Mercedes cars is 10,000km or one year and the cost of a regular service including oil and filters varies between Rs 20,000 and Rs 25,000 for the E250 D and Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 for the E220 CDI. Prices of spare parts for the E220 CDI at independent retailers are marginally more expensive than the ones for the E250 D. You should buy the E220 CDI.
toyota rules
q: I want to buy a new car which has good features, is easy to maintain, will be fun to drive and has good resale value. I’ve shortlisted the Honda City, Corolla Altis and Škoda Octavia. My daily running is about 45km, and I drive about 80km-100km on weekends. Of the three cars, I really like the Altis for its looks, features and Toyota’s reliability. Is it the right choice?
Samir Patil
a:You’ve rightly chosen the Corolla. It’s bigger and more spacious than the others and offers terrific comfort. It may not give you the ultimate driving thrills but it’s got decent performance to keep you entertained. The Corolla is also reliable and the resale value is pretty good. Check out the different variants and new trim levels to get the best deal.
city woes
q: I plan to buy the Honda City A/T. Does mileage drop because of the automatic transmission? Are there any hot deals on the Honda City A/T? I’ll be buying the car in Bangalore but driving it in Chikmagalur. How good is its ground clearance? And will the car’s resale value drop because it’s an automatic?
Nishant R. Gurjer
a: An automatic will be less efficient than a manual by around 1.5kpl to 2kpl, depending on how you drive. There are no offers on the A/T but you can try bargaining with your dealer. If he has extra stock, he might want to get rid of it. The ground clearance of the new City is adequate but it’s no SUV to go into the plantations around Chikmagalur. Usually, a City automatic does not have as good a resale value as the manual City.
