HYBRID CHOICES LIMITED
WRITE TO MOTORING AT CARS@NEWS.COM.AU OR PO BOX 2808, GPO SYDNEY, 2001
I’m 83 years old and looking for a hybrid sedan like Toyota’s Corolla as they seem the best move for retired suburban couples. I don’t want a hatch or SUV, it should have conventional tyres for driving comfort, preferably use 91 RON petrol and not be too low for easy access. A seven-year warranty would see me out nicely.
Brian Becconsall, email
On the affordable hybrid sedan front, it’s really Toyota or nothing. The Corolla Ascent Sport Hybrid is about $31,000 drive-away, and its miserly urban fuel use will suit you well. It may be called “sport” but its tyres are big balloons for ride comfort, while the petrol engine drinks cheaper 91. Only a five-year warranty but service costs are super cheap at $180 a pop. Try the Camry Hybrid too. There’s more space and luxury and it’s good value at $37,500 on the road.
NOT THE PEOPLE’S CAR
I’d hoped to buy the new Volkswagen Golf 8 this year, and while your reviewer David McCowen said it’s a class benchmark, we buyers will never know because we’re simply not paying well over $30,000 for a basic VW Golf. I understand it has more technology, but David also noted “cabin plastics are noticeably cheaper than past efforts,” and it uses the same engine as before. Can’t VW provide a nofrills, well-built Golf anymore? I’ll be taking my business to Kia for its new Cerato to save myself $10,000.
Maddie Eder, email
It’s not just Volkswagen. Many small cars such as the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus are thousands more than the near-$20,000 driveaway prices of a few years ago. They’re safer and better equipped, while demand outstrips supply in many cases so drive-away deals are rare. That said, the Golf price jump is huge. I paid $23,990 drive-away for my VW Golf 110TSI in July 2017. The same grade new Golf 8 is $33,500 drive-away: an increase of $9500 or 40 per cent over four years. There’s improved safety, connectivity, radar cruise control and a digital dashboard, but it will prove too pricey for many potential buyers.
DRINKING PROBLEM
Re: modern car owner’s manuals, I’ve seen a quote showing how times have changed. “If you really think you’re smarter than the previous generation, 50 years ago the owner’s manual showed you how to adjust the valves. Today it warns you not to drink the contents of the battery.” It’d be funny if it weren’t true. Glenn Ridgewell, email
Yep, but you can bet somewhere in America somebody once drank a car’s battery acid then sued for not being warned about the danger.
SMART STORAGE
Re: clever car storage, I bought plastic trays from the $2 shop and fixed them using cable ties to the underside of each seat. In my wife’s car, I’ve attached velcro to the trays so they grip the floor carpet, with easy access when you slide the seat back.
Peter Hanson, email
Great cheap and easy solution if they don’t affect your seat’s operation.
CARRYING CHARGE
I heard on the radio about a couple travelling around Australia in a Nissan Leaf electric car. They travel about 250km per day due to range limitations. There are places in the outback or WA coast where charging sites must be more than 250km apart. If they had a petrol or diesel generator, would it be adequate to charge the batteries to enable the trip to continue?
Jonathan Gamble, email
Yes it would, and some EV drivers on such
odysseys take a generator and fuel as emergency back-up. But the weight of one will, ironically, reduce the car’s electric range. A generator takes a very long time to charge an EV’s batteries, as will just plugging it in to a household socket: the latter takes about 17 hours for a Nissan Leaf with 40kWh battery. It doesn’t take that long to top up batteries to get you to the next fast charger, though. Roadside assistance firms have started fitting on-board generators to top up stranded EVs.
OUTBACK TROUBLES
Re: you recommending a vehicle able to tow a 3000kg caravan, there’s plenty of online discussion suspecting the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s engine can seize when towing heavy loads, and good luck with a Land Rover in remote areas due to reliability issues and lack of dealership support. I’ve owned several SsangYong Musso diesel wagons from the mid 1990s and they’ve given good service with minimal problems.
Bob Hookway, email
The internet is awash with horror ownership stories across every brand. The Musso famously used a Mercedes-Benz engine for reliability, but I’d say SsangYong dealer support would be worse than Land Rover’s. Towing such weight in remote regions will always prove risky – it’s a big ask for any vehicle – and the popular choice Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series was sadly out of budget in the instance you refer to.