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S. Muralidhar

I OWN a two-wheeler and am planning to step up the personal mobility ladder by going in for a passenger car. Help me choose between the Maruti 800 and the Maruti Zen LX keeping in mind mileage, maintenance costs, and so on. I am a resident of Bangalore and my average daily commute in a four-wheeler would be about 50 km in city-driving conditions.

Shiva Rudresh Prasad

I am planning to buy my first car. I have short-listed the Maruti 800 and the Maruti Alto LXi and my budget is a maximum of Rs 3.1 lakh. The car would be used primarily for commuting within the city. I would like to know the fuel efficiency that the two cars offer and as to which one will be the better value option?

Jaydeep S. Kavadi

The M800 will continue to defy conventional market logic. It continues to be one of the cheaper cars to own and run and remains one of the small cars with the best residual/resale value.

There are several advantages that the M800 enjoys that enables it to pull off this feat; the most important is its existing massive base of vehicles on the road. The other reason for the low maintenance costs is again the numbers and the fact that the M800's design has not changed in years. Even now, most of the new Bharat Stage III variant's body parts will be easily swappable with the older versions.

The argument in favour of the M800 will have to centre around the car's fuel efficiency. It beats all the other small cars in this department, except the Alto LX and LXi, both of which also feature the same 800cc engine. But, the M800 fails to enthuse buyers on other counts such as its design, engine refinement and build quality.

Further, the M800 does not come with power steering. Though its turning radius is only a low 4.4 metres, a comparison with the Alto LXi or the Zen LXi will make the lack of power steering in the M800 appear a shade less appealing in terms of the overall comfort that the car offers.

A comparison of the M800 with the Zen LX will obviously come out in favour of the latter, on almost all the parameters, except fuel efficiency. The Zen is a much more modern, sleek-looking car with a more refined and powerful engine. But the difference in prices between the two cars is nearly Rs 1 lakh.

The new refurbished M800 could be a great option to choose if you are in the process of buying your first car and if your budget is on a tight leash. Affordability and expectations are the biggest factors here.

Obviously, both the Alto and the Zen are more spacious, more refined cars, but are also more expensive. The Alto LX, which is about Rs 50,000 more expensive than the M800 Standard AC may be the better choice, if the pricing is acceptable.

I am confused about whether I should buy a Hero Honda Passion Plus or a Splendor+. I am not concerned about the bike's styling, but am worried about the fuel efficiency of the bike. Is the mileage of Passion Plus much lower than that of Splendor+?

Mayur Kulkarni

Both the Hero Honda Passion Plus and the Splendor+ feature the same 97.2 cc engine with the maximum power output also being the same — 7.5 PS at 8,000 rpm. The difference between the two engines and gearboxes is only in the material and finish quality.

There will be a difference in the fuel efficiency of the two bikes, since the Splendor+ is a slightly lighter two-wheeler, with its kerb weight being about 7 kg lesser than that of the Passion Plus. Further, the rear tyre of the Passion Plus is a broader 3-inch, compared to the Splendor+'s 2.75-inch tyre, another aspect that will affect the bike's fuel efficiency.

However, despite these differences, the variation between the two bikes' mileage numbers will only be marginal. Both the bikes now come with disc brake options; this is another reason why you may want to settle for the Splendor+, if styling is not important for you.

There may also be a tendency for a further variation in the mileage numbers of the two bikes due to the varying driving styles of the owners of the two motorcycles, with Passion Plus owners being more flamboyant and Splendor+ owners more mileage conscious.

The flip side to the mileage argument is the pricing of the two bikes. With the difference in price between the Passion Plus and the Splendor+ being just about Rs 1,500, you may as well be seen riding the better looking bike of the two.

I need a car in the Rs 3-5 lakh range for my daily commute of 20-30 km.

I have short-listed the new Suzuki Zen VXi, Hyundai Santro Xing XG and the Fiat Palio NV. I like the Zen the most but since I am 5'11" and weigh 90 kg, I find getting in and out of the Zen a bit of a problem. I liked the Wagon R too, but its seats, especially at the rear, are hard. I want to know which car will be able to offer good comfort and mileage.

Suresh Kumar

Going by your physique, the most suitable car for easy entry and exit would be one that features the so-called `tall-boy' design.

Low-slung cars could accommodate drivers such as you, if they at least offer telescopic or tilt adjusting type steering wheels. So, the Santro Xing XG or the Suzuki Wagon-R are probably the most suitable for easy entry and exit.

The bench seats in the Wagon-R and the Santro Xing are nearly similar in design, with the latter's being slightly better in terms of lumbar and thigh support. The Palio NV is a midway between the Zen and the `tall-boys' in terms of seat height and ease of entry and exit. But the car suffers from poor resale value and lower fuel-efficiency compared to its peers. So, you may have to choose between Wagon-R and Santro Xing.

Queries may be sent to: q&a@thehindu.co.in or by post to Q&A, Business Line, 859/860, Kasturi Buildings, Anna Salai, Chennai - 600 002.

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