Based on my analysis and observations over the years in the Indian car market, I came up with the below report on the best cars in each segment. Mostly it will be based on VFM, long term reliability, lowest maintenance and not based on the branding or looks or power or any other criteria.
Sub 1 lakh: Till Tata didn’t come up with 1 lakh compact car as promised, for a budget of less than one lakh, the best way to get a 4 wheeler in India is to go for an used car. You can get an excellent running Maruti 800 with 97-98 model for this price.
1 lakh - 2 lakh: Used car of Maruti 800/Alto(Above 2000 model) or Maruti Esteem. Price, Reliability, Maintenance are always with Maruti. Even a trained 2 wheeler mechanic has guts to service Maruti vehicles.
2 lakh - 4 lakhs: The heavily crowded segment. For entry level Maruti Alto is the best bet. People whose budget is till 4lakhs, then you can go for Tata Indica Diesel as 1st preference or Maruti WagonR. Then comes Hyundai Santro.
4 lakhs - 6 lakhs: For VFM, Maruti Esteem is the best especially for low end pricing. For High End pricing, Maruti Baleno is there. Or wait for Maruti Swift. Tata Indigo diesel is also an option worth considering.(Other contenders Ford Ikon, Open Astra, Fiat Siena, Hyundai Accent)
6 lakhs - 8 lakhs: For city driving, whom else than NHC(New Honda City) which rules this segment. For bigger families, Tata Innova is the best bet.
8 lakhs - 12 lakhs: For the looks it is always Chevy Optra. But for VFM, either the vote goes to Skoda Octavia and Toyota Corolla.
12 lakhs - 20 lakhs(D segment): It is a tough fight between Honda Accord and Toyoto Camry and Accord wins in India.
Above 20 lakhs: Not much players. Every vehicle is at its best. Wait for the new Audi TT Coupe. BMW and Merc are at their best. Obviously, VFM doesn’t come at these prices. It is all about branding.
Anyway, I own a Benteley and plan to buy Maybach soon(Income tax officers are searching for me!)