Cars – A very important innovation in the 19th century by Henry Ford. Introduction of cars changed the outlook of the world; they brought a new definition to personal status. Cars are of various types depending on the type of fuel, transmission, terrain used, and chassis.
On type of fuel: gasoline, diesel, nitro methane, natural gas, bio gas, hybrid, and electric.
On type of transmission: manual, semi-automatic, and automatic.
On type of terrain: city, and off-road. And on type of chassis: muscle, tuner, exotic, 2X4, and 4X4.
As of 2012, there are more than 50,000 models of cars in production all over the world but listed below are 5 cars and reason behind singling them out. This list will be covering only those cars that I’ve driven and all experiences are mine. It includes cars that can be seen in and around your city and are not a far-fetched thought; this has been compiled keeping in mind several factors like fuel economy, handling, speed, quality, cost, design, and usability.
1. Toyota Prius: Toyota Prius is a hybrid vehicle, i.e. it runs on both gasoline and electricity, thus this car has great fuel-economy. Futuristic aerodynamic design makes it easier for the hybrid engine to deliver maximum output. Great leg space and can easily accommodate five people without any hassle. Toyota brand name, quality assurance and intermediate after-sales are expected and delivered. Great to drive even on higher speeds and due to hybrid engine, it is environmental friendly, just not because it’s saving oil but also because it makes very less noise! It costs around Rupees 30 Lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi, referring to Toyota website). Best value for money.
2. Honda Civic: Airplane! That’s the first thing anyone will say just after entering it. Its digital console panel with digital speedometer is breath-taking along with its sporty aerodynamic design outside. As expected from this Japanese car maker — Honda- silent driving, intermediate fuel economy, best-in-class engines, great aero dynamicity, and good audio-visual entertainment. Available in both petrol and hybrid. It handles well at high speeds and Honda has used top-quality materials for seat and door trims. Unlike its closest competitor Toyota Corolla Altis, it’s won’t be a chauffeur driven car because you will always love to drive Honda Civic yourself! The cost of Honda Civic (Petrol) is rupees 15 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi, ref. — Honda website). It can be used as a family car as well as a racing machine.
3. Toyota Corolla Altis: Great quality and intermediate after sales. It comes close to Civic but lacks driver satisfaction. Great royal design and unlike Civic, harder steering column and transmission box. Better fuel economy as compared to Honda civic. Smooth driving is expected due to the balanced suspensions. All basic audio-visual features are present and it also drives great at high speeds and is very easy to control. It is meant for city drive but never discourages speed. Available in Petrol and Diesel and costs rupees 15 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi, ref. — Toyota website).
4. BMW 320D: Easily achievable top speeds, great handling over the speedometer range-something expected from Bavarian Motor Works. European curve designs bleeds from its every inch, smooth curves and BMW aerodynamic status. Best after-sales service and top-class quality of materials used on this sleek machine. Value for money in terms of quality and power. But, fuel-economy is inversely proportional to power inside the car, so for this beast you spend thousands of rupees on diesel within every 8 days or so. It costs around rupees 32.5 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi, ref. — gaadi.com). Suggested usage on highways for great fuel-efficiency and fun on-road!
5. Hyundai i10: A premium hatchback at very less cost. I personally loved to drive it! Great acceleration, good fuel economy, cheap after sales, intermediate quality and company assurance, and ample space to accommodate a family of 4 without any problem. A thing to notice is its transmission box which is very smooth and way better than those of its competitors. Looks good and sporty from outside though one can feel that it’s a small car but ample space for a car of this type. Best for everyday users and office-goers. It costs about rupees 6.5 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi, ref. — Hyundai website).
User-specific verdict-
Everyday city user and office goers: Toyota Prius and Hyundai i10
Rich speed: BMW 320d
City speed: Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla Altis
All-over package: Toyota Prius and Toyota Corolla Altis;
