Maruti Suzuki Dzire

The Dzire is our most-booked car, and the reason is simple: it's the cheapest way to move four people and two bags between cities without cramming. On paved highway runs — Shimla to Chandigarh, the airport transfer, a same-day local sightseeing loop — a sedan does everything a bigger, thirstier vehicle does at a lower fare.

Where it's the wrong call: a Dzire's ground clearance is built for roads, not for the broken stretches above Kaza or the last unpaved kilometres into some Spiti villages. If your trip stays on NH5 and the main Shimla–Manali highway, it's fine. If it goes past Kaza or onto a monsoon-damaged back road, ask us first — we'll tell you honestly if you need the Exter or Innova instead rather than let you find out halfway up.

Two medium suitcases fit the boot; a third needs to ride in the cabin. Fine for a couple or a small family on a short trip, tight for four people packing for a week.