SUV or sedan: How to choose the right one for you

Hi, I want to purchase a new car, but I am confused whether I should go in for a sedan or an SUV. I have a budget between Rs 18 lakh-40 lakh and have taken a test drive of the Kia Carnival. However, my family wants to go in for an Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

Tushar Agarwal, New Delhi

The choice between a sedan and an SUV depends on your usage. If you are mainly driving short distances in the city, where the roads are good and there are no big speed breakers, a sedan is better. Sedans typically have superior ride and better performance than an equivalent SUV, and are more fuel efficient too. However, if your commute is on bad roads, then, of course, an SUV with its higher ground clearance is the right choice. Also, SUVs offer a high seating position, which gives you a better sense of control and judgement, especially in traffic. The Carnival is a plush and well-equipped MPV with lots of space, but it is quite big, which makes it unwieldy on narrow roads and in dense traffic, and needs a large parking spot too. So if you don’t need the space and the third row, then it makes more sense to go for something smaller. For Rs 40 lakh, you will struggle to get an entry-level car from a German luxury brand, and will have to increase your budget to around Rs 50 lakh for the bottom of the range models.