Buying a car is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make, and with so many options on the market today, it can feel overwhelming. We’ve put six popular models side by side, ranging from smart electric vehicles to well-known European luxury names, to help you figure out what really matters and where your money goes furthest.

The lineup at a glance

Here are the six cars we’re comparing, along with their asking prices and key specs:

Tech & infotainment: The cockpit experience

Walk into an IM6 or IM5 and the first thing you notice is the screen, or rather, screens. Both come with a massive 26.3-inch panoramic display paired with a 10.5-inch co-pilot screen. It’s one of the largest in-car displays available at any price point, and it genuinely transforms the driving experience. Everything from navigation to climate control to music lives within reach of a glance.

The Mercedes GLC 200 and C200 both feature MBUX, Mercedes’ well-regarded infotainment system, on an 11.9-inch touchscreen. It’s polished and intuitive. The BMW 523i offers the iDrive system, which longtime BMW fans will love, while the Honda CR-V keeps things modest with a 9-inch screen. Both the IM cars and the Germans support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

If a cutting-edge, future-ready cockpit matters to you, the IM6 and IM5 are in a league of their own at their price points. You’d have to spend considerably more on a luxury European car to get anywhere close.

Safety features vary across models, beyond airbags

The Honda CR-V leads the pack on paper with 10 airbags, the most of any car here. All other models offer 7, except the Mercedes GLC 200 which comes with 6. But airbag count is just one part of the safety component.

The IM6 and IM5 both come equipped with Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance (ADAS), which includes intelligent cruise control that reads traffic ahead, a rainy night vision supplement system, one-touch auto parking (it parks itself), and active road noise cancellation. These are features that, in any other car, would cost a considerable premium or simply wouldn’t be available.

The German trio: BMW 523i, Mercedes GLC 200, and C200, all offer strong ADAS packages including automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. These are solid, mature systems. The Honda CR-V covers the basics well but is a step behind on advanced driver assistance.

Comfort: What it’s like to actually live with these cars

The IM6 and IM5 come stacked with comfort features that you’d expect in cars costing two or three times more. Ventilated front seats, a panoramic sky roof, double-glazed soundproof glass, ambient interior lighting, and 4-wheel steering with a crab mode, which lets the car move diagonally at low speeds, incredibly handy in tight parking situations, are all standard.

German cars are comfortable too. Mercedes and BMW know how to build a luxurious interior. The GLC 200 has leather seating with memory settings, dual-zone climate, and a power tailgate. The C200 offers similar refinement. The BMW 523i is the most driver-focused of the three. The Honda CR-V, while pleasant, keeps comfort features to the essentials.

Sound systems: Music matters

Both the IM6 and IM5 feature a 20-speaker system with 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos, the kind of audio setup you’d expect in a cinema, not a car. It’s genuinely impressive. The Mercedes GLC 200 offers a Burmester 3D surround system with 5 speakers (optional upgrades available on the C200), while the BMW 523i comes with Harman Kardon as an option. The Honda CR-V keeps it simple with 12 speakers.

Size & practicality: Real-world numbers

The IM6 and IM5 are larger cars, giving you a genuinely spacious interior. Boot space is where the IM6 stands out dramatically: 665 litres, the largest of any car here, and notably more than the GLC 200’s 150 litres. The IM5 manages a practical 457 litres. Turning circles matters in the city too. The IM5 has the tightest radius at 4.99 metres, making it extremely easy to manoeuvre through traffic.

Warranty & peace of mind

The IM6, IM5, Mercedes GLC 200 and Mercedes C200 all come with an 8-year or 250,000 km manufacturer warranty. That’s exceptional. Most car warranties top out at 3 to 5 years. The Honda CR-V, BMW 523i, and in this comparison are parallel imports, meaning they carry no official warranty. What happens if something goes wrong? That’s entirely on you.

An 8-year warranty is a financial safety net. For most buyers, it’s one of the most important factors in total cost of ownership.

Price vs. What you actually get

The IM5 and IM6 are positioned at the lower end of this price range, yet they consistently outperform or match their competition on features. The IM5 at Rs. 27.25 Mn and the IM6 at Rs. 28.25 Mn offer more tech, more comfort, better audio, a stronger warranty, and a tighter turning circle than cars that cost nearly double.

The Honda CR-V at Rs. 32 Mn is a solid everyday choice, particularly if you value airbag count and a familiar brand. But it lacks the warranty and the modern features of the IM duo. The BMW 523i (Rs. 45 Mn) and Mercedes C200 (Rs. 48.3 Mn) are proper luxury cars with great driving feel, but both are parallel imports without a warranty. And the Mercedes GLC 200 at Rs. 59.4 Mn, more than double the IM6, scores lower on several features.

Our take

Every car here has something going for it. It really depends on what you prioritise. Here’s how we’d summarise the best fit for different buyers: