Top 5 Cars Under Rs. 10 Lakhs to Buy

If you are thinking of buying a new car for yourself, then here are the top 5 models that you should consider. All these cars are priced under Rs 10 lakhs and have earned rave reviews from both critics and customers alike. The order of writing does not necessarily reflect in the rank of the cars. If the car is out of your budget, you could always survey the market for second hand cars in Mumbai for the same model at a cheaper price.

Honda City VXMT Diesel and VX CVT Petrol

Honda City

The two variants of the Honda City are the perfect cars to begin the listing. The petrol model with CVT enabled is responsive and smooth with a quick shift gearbox. It has paddle shifters in it too. This is also the only automatic petrol car to be featured on the list and it is more efficient than the manual gear shift City, rate at 18kmpl. The diesel version of the City is the most economical car offered in this price range and it has a fuel efficiency rating of almost 26kmpl which garners brownie points in our nation. The car is decent to drive and more focus is laid on riding than handling. The City is available in top trim which is enabled with features such as touchscreen infotainment and sun roof. This is an all-round package which is available without touching the Rs 11 lakhs boundary.

Volkswagen Vento Highline 1.6D

Volkswagen Vento

The German manufacturer is right on the heels of the Korean and Japanese. On the front of fuel efficiency and features it loses out and these are two very important deciding aspects for Indian buyers. Nevertheless, it is much fun to drive around and has an amazing diesel engine. The cheap price tag and German quality build are two attractive aspects of the Vento. The top trim model of the Volkswagen Vento costs only Rs 10 lakhs which makes it almost Rs 80,000 to Rs 90,000 inexpensive than Honda City and Hyundai Verna. Even though some features are missing, it is a good buy.

Hyundai Verna SXO AT and MT Diesel

Hyundai Verna

There is a thin line of difference between the City and the Verna. The only fine line separating the two is the higher fuel efficiency of the City. The top trim model of the Verna is manual whereas the lower half trim is automatic although it does not have leather upholstery. The diesel version of the car is responsive and powerful and if you think of the automatic transmission, it is the least expensive diesel car that can be bought. The segment focuses much on fuel efficiency and this is where the manual Verna with a fuel efficiency of 22.3kmpl, falls behind the City. Features wise, the Verna has all that is required in a premium car, an upgraded suspension and absorbent ride. The handling is not very bad either. The only pitfall is the car is not very smooth around corners even though it has a very good engine.

Renault Duster RXL 110PS

Renault Duster

The Duster is the only SUV to be included in the list. It is one of the swiftest cars to take from one point to another. The superb handling and riding combination is complement by a punchy diesel engine which makes it a perfect choice for road trips and weekend getaways. The gearbox is a 6 speed one which makes the Duster 110PS a good cruiser on highways and good mileage can be drawn out of the car. However, the features included in the middle spec RXL model does not match up to the other vehicles listed here. The car is not very fuel efficient either as it has a mileage of only 19.01kmpl. Therefore, performance enthusiasts can go for this car in this price range.

Used Skoda Superb TSI 1.8

Skoda Superb

Don’t hesitate to consider a pre-owned versioned of the Skoda Superb. Even though you could opt for the Skoda Yeti or Chevrolet Cruze, going for a powerful petrol model should be your choice. The car is almost 5 metres long which can overtake all the models listed here in every aspect except mileage. You can get 160PS of power on a simple press of the throttle connected to the petrol turbo motor. The Superb is also a good car to be driven by chauffer. A 2011 model of the car which has been driven almost 50,000kms will cost you less than Rs 11 lakhs in the second hand cars in Delhi market. It is a great car to buy although you should inspect the DSG gearbox as several cars have reported issues with the gearbox and it can be expensive to repair it.

Several parameters were considered for selecting the cars. Some of them have been jotted down below:

Gearbox and Engine

From refinement to drivability to NVH has been considered prior to deciding the engine rating whereas for the gearbox, shift quality and easy progression of the clutch actuation (glitch free timely down and up shifts for automatic cars) were considered.

Handling and Ride

Indian roads can hardly be called smooth and hence checking for low and high speed ride quality is essential. However, a plush ride is not enough as you need to check for noise and vibrations in the engine too. When it comes to handling, easy of driving on city roads and stability of the car in a straight line, round a corner and under braking was considered.

Features

Higher the number of features offered the better. Not only that, the easy usability of them was considered. Not all features were weighed the same. Features which were more useful were given higher points.

Fun to Drive

Even though mostly subjective, it is crucial. The performance of the gear box and engine can determine the fun quotient of the car along with steering response and feel, grip of tyres and overall prowess of handling were considered.

Mileage It is perhaps the most important aspect to buying a car. For fuel economy, the ARAI rating was considered. Higher the score better is the mileage.