KALYANI CHAWLA, Accessories Designer, Art Promoter And Entrepreneur
My car is a Hyundai Accent. Normally I don’t drive, especially during the day. Delhi traffic, the way it is, is a nightmare and is very stressful. But otherwise I love driving. I find it very therapeutic, so sometimes when I’m feeling down I put on the music and go for long drives in the evening.

I think my car is fabulous value for money! When I was buying the car, I needed something in the middle order car, not a very small car. I needed the right size and the Accent fits into my life perfectly.

Performance counts. Colour and such considerations come later. When it comes to technicalities, I’m a total geek, I’ve no idea about cars, computers or anything electronic, so I had to take the opinion of three good friends.

Women make great drivers. For instance, you don’t see women driving rashly. No woman will roll her glass down and abuse you even if at times they want to! Men do that. I think women drivers feel victimised because we drive slow and carefully.

SHEREEN BHAN, Associate Producer, CNBC
I drive a Fiat Palio. I’m happy with it.
Why this car? It’s lot sturdier than the really small cars in India. It’s a safe car, or at least I feel safer driving in it. It’s got good speed, a good air conditioner and it is still a small enough car with the features and appeal of a big car. It’s available at a good price too. For me performance and comfort go together and everything else comes later.

I’d like to say women make better drivers, but unfortunately there is a tendency to slow down things, maybe because we are a bit too cautious. We can get in the way especially on an empty road when driving at 30 or 40 km and that can get irritating if you’re behind them. But honestly I feel safer with a woman driver.

SARIKA PILOT, Restaurateur
I drive a Honda City and I’d love to drive a Ferrari some day! I drive but I don’t like driving in Delhi. I’ve been driving since I turned 18 and I drive because I have to get from point A to point B. But driving in Delhi is not a pleasure at all. People have no driving sense, and as a city Delhi has a very bad traffic sense.

Why the Honda City? Well, it is the only car in the family that is available for me! When I was buying a car or rather when I was being bought a car, Honda City was the nicest car. I’m happy with it, and I think it’s one of the best around.

To me, the performance of a car is most important. I would not really like to be stranded because the car is inept and has just broken down. Comfort is also a big issue, but looks are not important, except when it comes to a super car like a Ferrari or Jaguar. I believe a car’s function is to perform and not just look good.

Actually I don’t think women make good drivers! I say no, because I think they’re more distracted than men are and that’s probably because they have lots on their mind which they can’t seem to put aside when they drive. Also, women are never sure of road rules.

JOTHIKA, South Indian Film Actress
I saw a picture of a Mercedes when I was in college in Mumbai, and I have longed to own one ever since. In those days the company had not established itself in India.

I think owning a Merc today has been a realisation of one of my dreams! My Mercedes is an E Class, and I choose it because its looks are unique and stylish. It’s huge inside and classy. It never fails to have heads turn on the roads in Chennai when it glides past.

I think it’s a one-of-a-kind car on Indian roads, and is still a bit rarer to come by as compared to other luxury cars on Indian roads today. Being in my Mercedes makes me feel really special. The levels of comfort are one of the highest in any car I have been in and while I know that we can’t really drive it to its potential on Indian roads, I think it’s a privilege to own this kind of car and I’m enjoying the feeling!

I do drive, but rarely ever in Chennai, as I am unfamiliar with the roads, even now. But I do think women make good drivers. There’s no doubt about it!

SHALINI BHUPAL, Managing Director, Orbit Travels & Tours, and Director (finance), Visual Quest

These days I’m driving a silver Porsche Boxster. I chose it for its sleekness, the brand name, image and so forth. Even my earlier car was a cherry red Porsche 944. But as I grew older, I realised I needed to move to a more subdued colour and I settled for this silver. I like my Boxster’s orange-rust upholstery. The car looks really stylish and cool. And once you drive, you feel the difference. It has great suspension and drives really smooth. Oh, I love it!

The car itself is superb! In the segment that Porsche falls into, it was the best choice, I could make. In this range, I could have got myself a BMW, a Toyota, a Mercedes... but I preferred this. If I was going higher — then there was a Ferrari, which is fabulous, a Lamborghini, which is the ultimate. I researched a lot before I settled for my Porsche.

I think women make better drivers than men. They are more cautious, less rash and aggressive, and have fewer ego hassles.

Renuka Choudhary