[46TheDoctor]

I will personally prefer a Car + Bike combination as follows:

A. One of the following cars which are all rounders:

Thar Roxx 4x4 AT D - for someone who wants offroad capable SUV
or
Scorpio N 4x4 AT D - Same as Roxx but with two more seats for a little less off road skills
or
Mahindra XUV700 - For someone who wants a cross over on road SUV for 6/7 people
or
Curvv Diesel AT - For someone looking for a cross-over which can do it all for 4-5 people
or
Virtus GT DSG - For someone who wants a drivers car
or
Mahindra BE 6 - For someone who wants a do it all driver's EV
or
Nexon EV 45 - For someone who wants a do it all EV while freeing up more budget for the Big Bike


B. One of the following bikes which will fit in the remaining budget after finalizing the car:

Versys 650 - The best all rounder big bike for our riding conditions
or
Inerceptor 650 - The best all rounder for solo riding if Versys is out of budget
or
Classic/bullet 350 - For someone who wants a good city ride / isnt keen on doing long highway rides / running out of budget for 650 options mentioned above
CB 350 - Similar to RE 350s but with Honda reliability
or
Himalayan 450 - Versys like touring ability at lower power, speed and lower price.
or
Aprilia RS457 - For sport bike thrills in lower budget
or
Other 650s from RE and Kawasaki - For short rides and city usage as per individual's taste for the styling

[AJ56]

I’d put my head down and start focusing on increasing my earnings if I only had 25 to drop on a new car given today’s inflation. Ideally get a used Camry cheap and focus on saving so I can get something much nicer down the line.

If I suddenly had no car and needed two, I’d get two used Camrys. One as a beater from 2013 for around 5-6L which my driver can use. I’d get a second, newer Camry from 2019 for around 20L for my own use, until I can afford something nicer.

There is literally no other sedan which is as cheap to maintain with decent space and adequate power. Great daily driver too.

[sunikkat]

Virtus GT Top end DSG
VW Polo TSI (used) Manual

U am not a SUV / cross over guy, so this is the best garage I can come up with under 25 lakhs.

[shankar.balan]

Having grown up most of my life with one Fiat or Ambassador car and one Mahindra type Jeep in the house, courtesy my Father, the natural tendency is to replicate a similar scenario.

Were I to have to do this, on a strict budget of 25 lacs, then it will very well be the following two cars if brand new;
1. A Jimny Alpha MT - 14 L
2. A Tata Tiago EV for 11 L

However, if second-hand, then I would go with;

1. a nice EV like a Hyundai Kona which some one has become tired of, for 15 lacs.
2. a nice old Merc C or E Class for 10 lacs.

Ours is a perverse world.

30 odd years ago, one could get a brand new Zen or Esteem for 4.5 to 5 lacs. Or a solid German Opel Astra for 6 lacs.

Now even a 3 cylinder new Maruti Swift is costing 12 Lacs brand new.

[self_driven]

I'd prefer a single vehicle garage in <30L bracket, but an ideal 2-car combination would be:

Maruti Ignis Zeta Manual (7 lakh)
Mahindra Thar Roxx MX5 Petrol Auto (18 lakh)

[BullettuPaandi]

My usage is mostly inclined towards touring, as I prefer to walk for errands and ride for commutes. Even for touring, I prefer to ride a motorcycle- basically, not much of a car person in general.

1. Jimny Alpha MT @13.70L
Capable Tourer which also covers the needs and wants from the family that I can think of. Will refrain from the bright Dual Tone options, just in case there are/will be some forest areas in the country that permit private vehicles. Will also refrain from spending more for the likes of the 5-door Thar or the Gurkha, considering how narrow most trails (even remote rural roads) are in India, and the beginner me will benefit the most from the practicality, which the little Jimny offers.

2. KTM 390 Adventure S @3.68L
All that an Indian ADV rider could want, if/when unwilling to pay the CBU premium. The performance this single offers puts larger capacity twins to shame, and with its creature comforts, it closes the gap between itself and the more expensive ones (that come under CBU territory) further. But, it's worth noting that a well-equipped and well-priced Tuareg 457 can change my mind.

I can live with just these two- and probably spend the rest of the budget on mods- but as that's beyond the scope of this thread, I'd probably spend the rest on the following, to use as beaters. But realistically, I'll probably buy a used Jetta or Octavia, which again, goes beyond the scope of this thread.

3. Ignis Zeta @6.97L
Don't really know much about this. Just have heard that these are surprisingly fun to drive due to the wider track. Being 'reasonable' here, I don't get to add a sedan to this list- as I'd otherwise prefer to- because, most sedans have low seats as opposed to SUVs and hatchbacks, which my family members dislike. I've also heard SUVs don't drive like a car. So, I figure the Ignis is a reasonable pick here, that offers a decent feel for that while also serving as a beater of course.

4. Any reliable Electric Scooter for the rest (~1.4L)
Cheaper petrol ones would technically be enough, and are probably more reasonable in some aspects. But I'd like to try an electric option in the garage, and I'm reluctant to spend 'car money' on EVs. Couldn't be specific here, as I know nothing about them, and whatever little I hear about them is rather how non-reliable they are. So, if there's no reliable option, I'd rather save this money or buy a petrol one if there's a need for a Scooter in the family. I've never owned a Scooter, but have ridden multiple of my friends'. I liked the Yamaha Fascino the most- the least weighing and the most efficient. I liked the old design however.

[2000rpm]

Mine is simple.

XUV AXL AT Petrol + a used Honda City (1st Gen) or Civic 8th Gen Facelift.

[Axe77]

I wouldn’t buy two cars for 25 lakh - would rather buy one bike and one car. I’d rather buy the nicest car I can afford in that budget and use an Uber if I have a use case for two cars and keep some cash for a nice do it all bike that’s touring as well as off roading friendly.

The garage?

1. Kia Carens petrol DCT OR Thar Roxx 4x4 Diesel A/T.
2. KTM 390A / BMW 450 GS / Himalayan 450 or similar.

The Carens is a nice enough car to drive, comfortable car (specially with captains chairs) to be chauffeured in, compact enough for the city and big enough for touring needs. Kinda meets most purposes.

The Thar on the other hand is just a fantastic characterful vehicle one can buy in 20-25L and with its 4 door practicality, it can actually justify its spot even in a one car only garage. If I’m to only have one car and in that budget, I’d be willing to live with the compromises but have something that properly tugs the heartstrings. Compromises being slightly busy ride, modest space, diesel instead of petrol etc.

[Eco_boost]

A very interesting thread idea!
2 cars Under 25 Lakhs ? Here are my picks!

1- Main Car (Highway Mile Muncher)

Creta D MT - S(O) Avatar
- A comfortable family car, sorted suspension for bumpy roads and extremely reliable and frugal 1.5 CRDI mill. S(O) offers most of the features you’d need in 2025 like Pano Sunroof / Blacked out Alloy wheels / 6 Airbags/ Rear window curtains, etc .

Costs 16 Lakhs Ex- showroom

2- Secondary Car (City Beater)

Swift Petrol VXI (AMT)
Despite being a three cylinder, The new Swift is peppy And frugal. Comfortably delivers an in city mileage Of 15 to 20 KMPL. AMT makes it a little easier to drive in city traffic.

Costs 7.7 Lakhs ex-showroom.

(Total hit - 23.7L)

[sinharishi]

Would rather prefer a car and a bike with 25L budget.

• Maruti Suzuki Jimny Alpha AT
• Honda NX500

Will still have a few lakhs to spare, I will spend it on riding gear, then accessories and remaining on modifications.

[PhiGolden]

My Picks – And My Actual Garage (Well, Mostly! I Have the ZXI AT of Yonder!)


Hyundai i20 N Line N8 DCT Dual Tone – Cost: ₹12.55 lakhs
It's an absolute blast to drive! It's engaging, fun, and, in my opinion, even better than the Polo GT and Baleno RS in terms of driving experience.

Ciaz Alpha AT Dual Tone – Cost: ₹12.45 lakhs
It's the ultimate all-rounder! Perfect for family trips, long drives, daily use, and even as a luggage hauler, it does everything well except deliver pure driving fun.

[ChauhanSaurabh]

Couldn't have been a better time for this thread, at least with the dilemma I am in.

Currently I own a Jimny Zeta AT (self owned) and XL6 6AT Alpha+(company leased).

I got the XL6 as my first Maruti after owning Ford, Fiat, VW. We use it as 4 seater with biiig boot for 99% of times. Its like a jack of all but master of none. Great car for most use cases but quality inside is horrible. It lags behind even compared to Jimny which is rudimentary in most aspects but held together very well. Almost at par with brands I owned in past.

Being the first Maruti I went with CLP route for no long-term commitment and that is going to end in few months. I need to look for replacement which will be primarily for wife.

I got the Jimny at a very good price of 12.2L on road and plan to retain that for longest time. Hard to break, cheap to fix 4wd. And currently I am finding it fun and easy to use even in city.

Considering combined 25-28L on road, so far I have been able to narrow down to:

1. Jimny + Elevate CVT(mid variant)
2. Jimny + Slavia 1.5 AT(base variant)

Some interesting combinations highlighted in the thread. Would like to know more suggestions for Jimny + <>

But yes, in current times if someone does not fancy the gizmos and a variant is available that fulfills the basic checklist options fitting into budget can vary drastically. That's one reason I focus on variants nowadays when talking about choices.

[GTO]

The beauty of today's market is, you have so many affordable fun cars!

1. Mahindra Thar Petrol AT Convertible = 19.85 lakhs

2. Used Citroen C3 Turbo for 5-6 lakhs. I LOVE the combination of cheap + chuckable + fast

That way, I have a fun offroader, and a fun-to-drive Turbo MT hatchback. Both cars are my favourites.

[fiat_tarun]

I went through this phase and absolutely love my current 2 car garage - An Ecosport S TDCi and a Jimny Alpha AT which together cost me ~29L at their purchase prices.

As someone who likes compact chuckable cars with lots of character, these 2 cars are exactly that but with completely opposite characters. The Ecosport is fast (Wolf Stage 1+), very engaging to drive and very easy on the pocket while the Jimny is meant to be driven slow but can just keep going whatever be the terrain

A likely future garage could look like a Virtus 1.5 + Jimny as well which I think will give me a very similar experience.

[Amrit@wheels]

1 - Jimny Zeta Manual - 13L

2 - Slavia Classic MT 1.0 - 12L

Both fun-to-drive vehicles in their own sense. A go-anywhere SUV will that will last you a long time and a fast, comfortable sedan for the highway duties. Hopefully, I will achieve this garage in real life pretty soon.