I am planning to buy a second-hand Ford Fiesta Classic 1.4 SXI diesel version. Year 2007, km run 40000. What should be the best deal? I have heard that maintenance and spare parts are costly and also not easily available. So for any small problem, we have to go to an authorised service centre. Please guide. — Shreyas, by emailA 2007 1.4 diesel Fiesta should ring up around Rs4.5 lakh depending on condition and service history.

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Maintenance costs and spares are like any other car in the segment. It is advisable to get the car serviced at an authorised service centre as much as possible, but getting it at your local mechanic shouldn’t be too much of a problem either.

I am very confused between the Verna and Vento diesels. Please suggest which one should I buy. I am looking for comfort, good mileage and interiors.     —Harshil Parikh, by emailWhile the Vento satisfies all your criteria, the Verna does it better. It is a newer car with a more engaging design and comes with a lot of features as standard.I am planning to buy my first car. I want a family car which can seat 5 people comfortably for long drives. I am confused between the i20 and the new Jazz. Can you advise?    — Dr Amit Ingle, by emailThe new Jazz, with it’s reduced price is a great choice for a family of five. But beware the waiting list. Yet another option would be the new Swift, which is fantastic.

I am looking to buy a small car. Which one’s the best in price, mileage, space and handling among Ford Figo, i10 and Wagon R?     — Sanjay Kakade, Thane, by emailIf you are spending most of the time in the city with occasional highway drives, you can’t go wrong with the i10. With it’s light and effortless controls, it takes the pain out of city driving. If you are planning regular long-distance drives, the Figo is a better option, though the Wagon R comes close too. The diesel Figo offers great value for money.I have a slight handicap in one of my legs. But I comfortably drive cars with automatic transmission. My present Zen automatic is getting old; I need to buy a new car. I drive about 25-35 km per day on an average. Please provide me with the options. — Abhijit Sarkar, by emailThe Maruti A-star automatic is a good choice. If you want to buy something costlier, the Hyundai i10 offers a good deal. Further up, there is the Hyundai i20 and the Honda City, but the final choice will depend on the money you can spend.I have a Rs25 lakh budget. Please advise which one to buy among Skoda Superb, Audi A4 and BMW, and why. — Suneet Kabra, by emailRemember, the intended use of the vehicle makes a huge difference in this price range. The BMW 3 series and the Audi A4 are more driver-oriented cars, while the Skoda Superb offers fantastic value for money and has a lot more interior room. If you plan on being driven, the Superb it is.I want to buy automatic car and my budget is Rs5-6 lakh. I have a Zen automatic now. Do advise. — Dr Bharat N Gade, by emailThe Hyundai i10 automatic is the only car in your price range that offers a manual transmission. The Maruti A-Star will be just below this range.I own a Hyundai Accent GLS petrol sedan, 2000 make which gives me a fuel efficiency of 9/10 kmpl without AC on Mumbai roads. Is it advisable to convert to a CNG kit which should cost me Rs32,000? My running is approx 500 kms a month.  Please advise.    — Burzeez Panthaky, by emailConverting to CNG has many advantages like lower emissions, cleaner engines and cheaper fuel, but it’s main disadvantage is that you lose luggage space in the boot. Based on 500 km a month, you would have driven the car over 60,000 kms in the last 11 years. So at this age of the car, changing its heart is a risky bet. Try to modify your driving style slightly to get higher fuel economy instead.