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S. Muralidhar

I AM unable to decide as to which car I should buy. After considering the cars available within the limitations of my budget of Rs 5 lakh, I have narrowed down to three choices - the Hyundai Santro Xing, the Ford Ikon Flair and the Opel Corsa 1.4.

The Corsa looks and feels more rugged and tough, but I am worried about Opel's future plans in India. Are they going to stay in India for the long term? Taking into account low maintenance costs and high fuel efficiency, which are my primary considerations, can you help me decide on the car I should buy?

Amit Jain

The German car marque — Opel — is owned by General Motors. GM India is currently busy launching new vehicles under the Chevrolet badge, but that is no indication that the Opel brand is set to fade away. GM is here for the long haul and there is no reason why we may not see more coming from Opel.

There are a number of new vehicles that GM may want to launch from the Opel portfolio. As such, there is no risk of a drop in quality of service or spare parts availability for the Corsa.

The Opel Corsa 1.4 has its own set of plus points, but it is not considered the best choice available to buyers who are looking for a compact car that offers class leading mileage; it also does not come with the promise of low maintenance costs in the long run. However, that issue has a temporary solution with GM India offering a three-year warranty and service holiday package with a new Corsa.

The Corsa 1.4 GSi sports a comfortably powered 1,389cc engine offering 88 bhp of peak power output, which is class leading in the entry-level C-segment. Unlike the underpowered 1.3-litre engine in the Ford Ikon, the drive in the Corsa will be more engaging. The Corsa also features what GM calls the space-frame design, which optimises interior space, while keeping the car's exterior dimensions compact. So, though the Corsa looks much smaller than the Ikon on the outside, the difference in shoulder space at the rear seat will only be marginal.

But, the Corsa and for that matter even the Ford Ikon will have to make way for the Maruti Suzuki Esteem, the car that leads the pack when you consider fuel efficiency, maintenance costs and resale value. But, of course, the Esteem will mean a considerable compromise on interior space compared to the other two. The new Esteem has also managed to marginally improve on the car's earlier `dated design' image.

All the three entry-level cars are priced very close to each other in the Rs 5-lakh range, with the Esteem having a slight edge over the other two in a price-to-features comparison.

The Hyundai Santro is a small car and so really cannot be compared with the other two you have listed, though it will cost much lesser than your budget of Rs 5 lakh. So, if you don't mind stepping down into the small car category from the sedan segment, the Santro can be good choice. Otherwise, the Esteem or Ikon or Corsa, in that order, may be the one to buy.

I work in a call centre and am currently driving a Hyundai Santro Xing XP. It is just six months old and I have already driven over 16,000 km. So, considering the high usage of the car, I am planning to replace the Santro with a Maruti Zen Di (diesel). The only factor that prompts me to choose the Zen Di is the promise of lower fuel cost. I also wanted to consider the Tata Indica V2 diesel, but I don't like its looks. On the other hand, the Fiat Palio diesel is appealing in terms of its looks and power, but trails in terms of mileage compared to the Zen diesel.

I realise that the Zen Di's interiors will not be as comfortable, all-round visibility may also be relatively poor and it offers lesser headroom compared to the Santro Xing.

Kazim K.

Your observations about the Zen Di and the other cars in the category are all correct. The Zen Di sports the imported Peugeot TUD-5 diesel engine and will be able to offer one of the best fuel efficiency figures for any car in any category. The only negative point about the Zen Di, in addition to the ones that you have listed and which are inherent to the Zen itself, is its comparatively lower resale value.

The other good-looking diesel car in the sub-compact category — the Fiat Palio — also suffers from the same problem, though it is streets ahead in terms of power, refinement and fit and finish.

So, while you could settle for the Zen Di as the best available option (as you have ruled out the Indica V2), we recommend that you wait till April this year to be able to purchase the Euro III version of the car, even if Maruti does not replace the engine with a CRD-injected variant.

I am planning to buy a bike and am contemplating between the Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i and the Honda Unicorn. Though Honda is a strong brand name, the only thing that is holding me back is the fact that it is their first launch in India and the waiting period is around two to three months. Is it worth the wait?

Raksha Misra

The comparison between the Bajaj Pulsar and the Honda Unicorn will have to revolve around two features — design and ride quality. The Pulsar DTS-i has a clear edge over the Unicorn in the design department. With its chunky, aggressive profile, the Pulsar is the better-looking bike and has a superior road presence compared to the relatively sedate and conventionally styled Unicorn.

However, the Unicorn scores higher points in parameters such as quality of gearbox, ride comfort, handling and long-term reliability. The advanced mono-suspension and lightweight diamond frame gives the bike excellent stability and rigid handling.

The Unicorn has a few other finer points in its favour, including the fact that it offers a better riding posture and that it has a more balanced, well-weighted handle bar that reduces the load on the rider compared to the other bike.

Honda has been in India for years now through its joint venture with the Hero Group. So, this is not exactly Honda's first bike in the Indian market and it was already aware of all the needs of Indian bikers even before the Unicorn was put into the market. Most new bikes tend to have a few minor bugs in their performance or finish even though they have been thoroughly tested before being launched.

There are no significant ones that have been reported in the Unicorn and Honda has already introduced a new version with an electric self-start, something that was sorely missing in the first lot of vehicles. And yes, we think that the waiting period of about two to three months is worth it.

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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