Best combination of two cars under Rs. 30 lakhs for Dad

All said and done, he wants to bifurcate the garage as the Fortuner alone simply isn't cutting it for his needs.

BHPian armaan_singh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My dad is on the lookout to upgrade his garage, though I think the apt word is revamp. He currently owns a 2017 Fortuner, but that has been put up on sale, and thanks to Toyota constantly hiking the price on the Fortuner, he is getting some amazing offers.

All said and done, he wants to bifurcate the garage as the Fortuner alone simply isn't cutting it for his needs, and he drives in Amritsar wherein at times there are roads which he has to enter and the Fortuner can't even dream of squeezing in.

He has set aside a strict budget of 30 Lacs (On-road Gurgaon) and he needs to buy two cars to fulfill a variety of needs and wants.

The first is a diesel automatic SUV, for his weekly highway trips, wherein he will be self-driving. He is 62 for reference. He doesn't want a compact SUV, including the likes of the Creta/Seltos.

The second one is a petrol manual sedan. This will be strictly a chauffer-driven car for his daily trips to and from his clinic, so rear seat comfort is paramount. Since he will practically never drive it, the engine dynamics take a back seat here.

Here is the combo I've suggested him:

• Tata Harrier XMA (18L on-road with discount)
• Honda City V (12.5 L on-road with a small discount)

The above combo felt the most apt to me, given the set price and I really couldn't think of any better way to divide the money.

Looking forward to your suggestions on this, and I hope you and your families are safe and sound.

Here's what BHPian Samba had to say on the matter:

The options you have chosen make absolute sense.

But my choice will be a Jeep Compass AT & a Maruti Ciaz MT.

Reason: Compass is more fun to drive than Harrier (better handling) and Ciaz offers more space than the City.

Here's what BHPian AYP had to say on the matter:

The Harrier XMA is a borderline poverty spec variant. Once the initial novelty goes away, the spartan interiors of the car will start bothering you more and more. Yes, if you know for a fact that you are gonna be absolutely fine with the XMA interior, then you may proceed with the buy. Do note that some Harrier owners are still facing niggles and your father may not be happy dealing with these niggles, especially after a Toyota ownership. A driver who can manage the service centre visits (in case such niggles come up) shall definitely help.

Creta SX or the Seltos HTX+ diesel AT shall make for a better overall package as long as a 1.5 diesel is acceptable. Do note that being lighter, the hit in performance won't be too drastic as compared to the Harrier. You can wait for the Alcazar as well. Yes, the Seltos is a 3 star rated car, but the Harrier hasn't been tested yet and I wouldn't be assuming that an untested car is a safer one.

How urgent is the need for the car? The upcoming XUV700 is scheduled to arrive in Q3 of 2021 (as of now) and if the mid variant of the current XUV500 is anything to go by, its mid variants should be decently equipped as well. This would be my ideal primary choice for you.

As far as the second car is concerned, I agree with Samba that it should be the Ciaz. Primarily because I wouldn't want to compromise on the 'main buy', which in this case is going to be the Harrier. In fact, if you decide to go with the Ciaz Delta, you can get yourself the Harrier XZA by spending only about a lakh more than your total budget. Of course, its back seat is spacious as well. If the budget is very strict at 30L, the Ciaz Sigma wouldn't be a bad choice at all and neither would something like an Amaze.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Why can't you retain the 2017 Fortuner for these weekly highway trips? After all, it is segments higher than the replacements you are considering. The Fortuner is an excellent, capable & safe long distance cruiser. If you absolutely need something narrow, then I agree with the Compass Diesel suggestion of Samba. Safe, fast, lots of fun on the open road.

Samba is spot on with the choice of a sedan as well. Ciaz is the best for the intended purpose. On the other hand, if you want one with driving pleasure, then go for the City (either you or your Dad can enjoy it, even if only on weekends or occasionally).

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