Hero honda cbz

Q.I am interested in buying the Swift but confused between the petrol and diesel versions. I drive about 110 km a day within the city. I have heard that diesel engines require an overhaul after 1 lakh kilometres and start giving problems after that. Please help me out with your valuable tips.

- Rishi Wadhwa, via email

A.A diesel Swift will be cheaper to operate, and for your daily running it seems to be the obvious choice. Modern day diesel engines are very efficient, and with basic but timely maintenance, there is no reason for them to last much more than 1 lakh kilometres. Just make sure that you use good engine oil, change the oil and filter at regular intervals, and use good quality fuel.

have to buy a bike in 150cc class, where I need good performance and mileage. Please guide me.
- Gowrav, via email
A.Performance and mileage seldom go hand in hand, but some bikes in the class manage the tightrope. The Hero Honda Hunk would be a good choice, since it offers more grunt than the easycommuting Honda Unicorn, and is cheaper and easier to run than the more performance-oriented TVS Apache RTR. You can also consider the Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme if looks don’t matter much and you have to adhere to a tighter budget.
My daily running is around 70 km. I want to buy a new car. Should I go for a Mahindra-Renault Logan or a Tata Indica Xeta? Should I go in for a diesel engine or stick to the petrol variant? Further, would a CNG gas kit help me increase my usage?
- Ashish Sharma, via email
A.Buy a petrol driven car which has a factory fitted CNG kit. This will enable you to use alternative fuels. Between the Mahindra-Renault Logan and the Indica Xeta, we would recommend the Logan since it is a better built product and offers more in terms of space and reliability in general. Of course this comes at a high price as well.