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Oops.. I just noticed you deleted your previous post regarding Lancer while I was typing my reply to you. However I'll leave it there as the comments are still relevant.
Good luch with your search.

oh no, thank you very much for those useful comments, they did give me a good insight.
appreciate that.
(i thought of deleting my last queries, as i didn't want to nag too much on one post)

i am a bit confused with entry level sedans & hatchbacks. Though this will be my first car, i will hold it for atleast 2-3 years and i do not want to compromise on good enough power, boot space, reliability though some of the makes i do not prefer.

So, if you are not annoyed with my re-posts, following are what i have drilled down to again including hatchbacks & sedans. It will be extremely useful to have your suggestions;
(ordering is irrelevant)
- VW Golf hatch
- Toyota Allion
- Honda Civic
- Mitsubishi Lancer
- Honda Accord

One of my limitation is i am looking at buying the car on an installment plan rather than a all-handout cash thing, which kinda puts me in a fix for some options.
Please do include comments as you see necessary for a first time car buyer as me.

The Allion 1.8 would be fine. It has basically the same running gear as the Corolla, with the 1.8 litre engine and 4 speed automatic transmission. I prefer this model to the 2.0 litre which has the CVT transmission and Toyota D4 engine. Both the CVT and D4 did not enjoy such good reputations for reliability. A 1.8 Allion has a good reputation for reliability and relatively low running costs.
Honda Civic and Accord Euro models were also good. Honda parts tend to be a little more expensive than Toyota so they may cost slightly more to run than the Allion, but not vastly different.
Volkswagen Golf is the best driving car out of all of these, but an older Golf is likely to be higher risk from a reliability and cost of maintenance perspective.
The Mitsubishi Lancer from this era is not so popular as the others, but as I said previously, it's OK.

Thanks again.
So, would it be good bet to look at post-2006 models for VW Golf, Toyota Allion & Honda Civic.
Just to get the terms right, best driving means good road handling/hugging and good turning radius etc, isn't it?
Also, any specific models for VW Golf that i should be avoiding.

Post 2006 models of these cars should all be fine, and yes, you have correctly understood my description of the Golf.
As a generalisation, the Mk5/Mk6 Golf (which are the post 2006 models) are fairly reliable. Some of these models had a recall last year to have an upgrade to the DSG transmission which was done at no charge to the customer.
If you buy a TSI Golf it is important to run it on a minimum of 95 octane fuel.

The replies are much appreciated.
I'll look the options available vis-a-vis the price/KM's and come back here later for a final narrow down, in a new post.

Thanks for the time again.