SUPPLY AND DEMAND
WRITE TO MOTORING AT CARS@NEWS.COM.AU OR PO BOX 2808, GPO SYDNEY, 2001
Re: Charlie Beecham’s letter on Chinese cars, I believe their sales growth is for two reasons. They’re built to a better standard than previously and, as opposed to competitors, currently have stock in reasonable numbers. I’ve been waiting seven months for a new Hyundai due to stock shortages. It will be interesting to see if strong Chinese sales continue when rivals have proper stock again. Jeff Graham, email
Sound reasoning. The likes of MG are also cheaper, well equipped and have a seven-year warranty. I’m not a fan of the way they drive but for many consumers this won’t be a huge concern.
BE PREPARED
Re: defrosting windows, 99.9 per cent of today’s cars have the means to do this and it takes two minutes. Go out to your car, start the engine and turn the air conditioner and heater to full. Set the controls to demist and your windows will defrost. I’ve told this to a hundred people and they look at me like I’m a madman. Just try it!
Herb Healey, email
Who has two free minutes when trying to get three tardy kids out the front door for the school run? Okay, good suggestion. You should turn the air recirculation off and drop your windows a bit too. But you’ll still need to scrape ice off your windows.
HYBRID DINOSAUR
Re: hybrid cars’ longevity, we bought a 2005 Toyota Prius in 2008, now showing 210,000km. The only repairs or replacements needed have been three sets of tyres, front brake rotors and pads all around. We’ll happily buy a replacement nickel-hydride battery rather than selling it as we trust the car. It’s still performing well and does 5L/100km in town and 4.6L/100km on long runs.
Graham and Lilian Warner, email
Good to hear. I was quoted $2350 for a new Prius battery from my local Toyota dealer, and you also receive a $500 rebate when surrendering your old battery. It’s about three hours labour too – roughly $450. That’s not cheap at about $2300 all up, but not crippling, either, and new ones have a ten-year warranty. Third-party companies offer refurbished batteries for less.
FEEL GOOD FACTOR
In recent years you’ve focused on batterypowered cars that nobody can afford and aren’t relevant if you live in the country. I can’t see the fuss with battery cars when they have to be charged by fossil fuel and cost twice as much to buy. Is it just to make you feel good? Steve Peters, email
Electric cars, plug-in hybrids and hybrids aren’t suitable for everyone. And you’re right, EVs can cost twice as much as their petrol/diesel equivalents. But we can’t ignore them. Some car brands have said when they’ll no longer launch another internal combustion car – Mini and Jaguar by 2025 and Audi by 2026 – while mainstream brands are promising large percentages of their line-ups will be electrified by then. Electric vehicles can be charged using home solar, while Chargefox’s ultra-rapid stations are powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and batteries: no coal, no fossil fuel.
LAZY SHIFT
On four occasions I’ve experienced acceleration lag from a standing start with my 2021 Kia Cerato GT. Once this almost resulted in an accident. I’ve described the issue to my Kia dealer and they say they know of no other occurrences. My friend with the same car has had the same issue. Can you shed any light? Greg Argue, email
I’m afraid it’s just the nature of Kia’s (and many other brands’) dual-clutch transmission. I experienced similar when testing the Cerato GT. It’s a brilliant gearbox for quick changes on a backroad, but can be very slow to wake up from standstill or low speeds. When I tested it, I found using Sport mode improved low-speed hesitancy. You can also ask the Kia dealer to try a transmission reset at your next service.
HEAVY LOAD
Can an electric tailgate be retrofitted? My 2019 Ford Focus hatchback’s boot is very heavy, I open it several time a day and have torn a tendon in my shoulder as a result. Susan Matrin, email
There are third party companies that do this, but it’s not cheap. Factor on parts and installation costing more than $1000 – quotes vary depending on the type of car. Companies specialising in converting vehicles for disabled people typically offer the service.
WHAT’S THAT NOISE?
I bought a 2010 Toyota Corolla last year, but my pre-purchase test was limited to 55km/h. After purchase I noticed a slight whine at 60km/h, which disappeared at 70km/h. The dealer changed the transmission oil but no improvement and I’m concerned I’ve bought a lemon.
Marie Heggie, email
The whine you hear could be a few things but a slight noise doesn’t mean it’s a lemon. It’s an 11year-old car, so we can’t expect it to be perfect.