BHPian mathlesh recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello Team-BHP Members, I’m in the market for a new car and would love to hear your suggestions and advice based on my requirements. Here are the details to help guide your recommendations: Location: NCR Usage:Mix of city (50%) and highway (50%) drivingAverage monthly running: 1000 km to 1200 kmTo be driven by both me and my wifeBudget: Under INR 40 Lakhs (on-road) Requirements:SafetyFeaturesComfortCan be a 5-seater or 7-seaterEasy to maintain with low maintenance costsGood fuel efficiencyAutomaticPreferences:I do not want to buy Innova Crysta or HycrossI can wait for 10 to 12 months if requiredI appreciate all the insights and recommendations you can provide. I’m really looking forward to hearing your expert opinions and experiences with different models that fit these criteria. Thank you in advance for your help! Here’s what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:I think your best bet is to snag the current-gen Toyota Camry at its current heavily discounted price. It will require a marginal stretch but will be an excellent purchase that will hold good for many years to come. Shop around nationwide for the best deal. Sharing a link to the post below, which was on our homepage a few days ago. < Recent discounts on the Camry > The other good option could be the Skoda Kodiaq as well, once bookings reopen. I think both these should be your top choices from a very limited group set. I have assumed you would prefer petrol but if that’s not the case, you could also consider the diesel Hyundai Tucson – an excellent product in its own right but the diesel is the better engine to go for in that case. I can’t recall its safety rating though off the top of my head. Update: I agree with the outgoing model aspect but with the minimal choices and the incredible value the Camry offers at this price, it is still worth considering. Look at the deal GTO got for his Superb for instance which I think was just pre-a-mid life facelift. Makes it well worth it for fundamentally robust products. The OP’s use case is a 50:50 city/highway mix – I think the Kodiaq can make a good enough use case for that sort of usage. You’re right on the FE but again, I’m hard-pressed to think of premium petrol products that offer much by way of FE (unless they’re hybrid).Here’s what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:With HyCross cut from the list, options for comfortable and fuel-efficient cars in the 40L rupee range become extremely limited. The best course of action is to increase the budget a bit and get the mid-premium variant of the BYD Seal. That is the single best car you can buy under 50L on-road. Only other relevant option is the Audi A4, after discounts. Otherwise, you are limited to cars like A-Class and BMW 220i, which are fairly cramped, not very comfortable and overall poor value for money. Alternatively, drop down a segment and get something like the XUV700 top model. Camry after discounts can be a top option if the OP is fine with an outgoing model. Kodiaq will not be my choice for city-based use. We have one in the family, and I’ve always found the middle row to be rather low set, not very comfortable. FE in urban conditions is like 8-9kmpl and there is no E20 compliance.Here’s what BHPian sjain2054 had to say on the matter:I am going to take a leaf out of the TBHP experts’ book and quote them here: “Today, Rs 30-35 lakhs gives you all the cars you are looking for. Spending anything more than that is purely based on indulgence.” With that in mind, I will suggest the following cars:Tata Safari: Are you ok with a Diesel? Are you ok with a Tata? If yes for both, test drive it. It has EVERYTHING one can ask for. Else, go to option 2 belowMahindra XUV 7OO: Both, petrol and diesel, are AWESOME. If you are ok with the Mahindra badge and the looks of the car, test drive it. Else, go to option 3 belowHyundai Tuscon: The discounts will make sure that the on-road will be below 40 lakhs. Pit the dealer against the dealer and, well within your budget, get a complete car. But again – are you ok with diesel? Else, go to option 4 belowSkoda Kodiaq: Enough said by other fellow members in the posts above. If you are ok with nightmares of after-sales service (way worse than Tata) just to own a fantastic car, test drive it. Else, go to option 5 belowMG Hector: You mentioned that you want comfort. It is extremely comfortable. Are you ok with the engine options (TBHP folks are not so sure about that)? Are you ok with Chinese? If yes, then test drive it. The after-sales service is awesome too. If not, look at option 6 belowHyundai Creta/Kia Seltos: A combination of everything that one can ask for like Tata Safari and Hyundai Tuscon’s reliability and smoothness given in a compact size. Are you ok with how common they are on the roads? If yes, go for it. Else look at the last option I want to recommend.Citroen C5 Aircross: Discounts on the facelift model will ensure below 40 lakhs on road price. Hands down the most comfortable car in India. Nothing comes close. But it lacks features like the Safari, Tuscon and Seltos. Great great after-sales service too. You may not buy it, but test drive it. Maybe after that, you will not buy anything else.I do not know why folks are saying that options below 40 lakhs are limited. There are a TON of options in the Indian market below 40 lakhs. You just have to stop looking for the perfect car and look for what suits 7 out of your 10 requirements and just go for it. I am saying this last line to myself too! The indecision for us car lovers is insane, sometimes.Here’s what BHPian sk1983 had to say on the matter:If I were in your shoes, I would go with a Volkswagen Tiguan. This is neither too big nor small so easy for city and highway drives. DQ381 DSG is far more reliable than DQ200 or DQ251. Tiguan is a 5-star rated car and the 2.0 TSI offers better performance and decent fuel efficiency too. The new Tiguan launch is around the corner (Maybe next year) but I liked the current one. My second choice will be the Honda CR-V (God only knows when this Indian management will wake up from their deep sleep).Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
