NO WIGGLE ROOM

IAIN CURRY GETS ANSWERS

WRITE TO MOTORING AT CARS@NEWS.COM.AU OR PO BOX 2808, GPO SYDNEY, 2001

We tested a Toyota C-HR Hybrid, were happy to proceed with the purchase, but had a chore negotiating a final price with the salesman. He said he was only authorised to discount $500. I walked away when I was asked to write down a price I was willing to pay. Should I pay a broker to negotiate for us or go back and speak to the dealership boss? What’s a good price? Shaun Mcgrath

Toyota hybrids are in strong demand and short supply. Dealerships have little need to do discounts or promotions, so $500 off wasn’t bad. A broker won’t help your case. A C-HR hybrid’s waiting time is about a year, so don’t delay ordering if you want one. Your quote shows you’ve optioned a window tint for $347 and ceramic paint protection for $947. I’d ditch those immediately to reduce your bill. If you think you need either when you get your car, get a specialist to do the work instead to save money.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Is lighting the most unregulated aspect of automotive specifications? I see unusual colours like violet and green in oncoming cars’ headlights which are very dazzling. Is this car manufacturer indifference, ineffective police enforcement, or both?

Bruce Watson, email

On the contrary, lighting is incredibly regulated. Ever more new cars have LED, HID or even laser lights. They appear much brighter than traditional halogen headlights and, as you’ve discovered, can have a colourful tint to them. Positively, they better light the road and use less energy. They can dazzle when misaligned or dirty, though. When fitted to utes, pick-ups and SUVS – the vehicles most Aussies buy – these retina-burning lights are exactly at eye level for those in hatchbacks or sedans. Numerous readers have written in complaining of headaches attributed to such headlights. Perhaps regulation hasn’t kept pace with technology?

WHO WANTS TACOS?

Re: tachometers, if you tow or off-road they’re still incredibly important. Just ask a truck driver. With fuel heading towards $3 per litre, a light foot and watching your tacho to shift up earlier will save you dollars at the bowser. Peter Lion, email

Re: tachometers, I have a Mitsubishi Triton sixspeed auto and observe its tacho all the time. At about 90-95km/h the box stays in fifth; when I speed up to 100km/h it moves to sixth and will stay there. Observing this saves fuel, reducing over-revving and wear and tear. I wouldn’t buy a vehicle without a tacho. Paul Burgess, email

There may be no choice in future, as there are no tachometers in electric cars. The rev counter will join the ashtray, cassette deck, wind-up windows and chokes in the list of “old car” things we can tell our grandkids about.

FILLING THE VOID

The imminent departure of the internal combustion engine appears to be hyped when you consider Europe is having a rethink and countries like China are set to exploit opportunities and fill the gap. What are your thoughts?

Peter Penglis, email

You only need listen to every major car company to see EVS are full steam ahead. Jaguar will be EVonly and Mini just plug-in and EV by 2025 (three short years away); Ford says it will sell only allelectric models in Europe by 2030 and MercedesBenz is moving towards a fully EV line-up the same year. The biggest players (Toyota and Volkswagen) aren’t being tied to a set date, but each is investing billions in EVS. Chinese electric cars make up about half of all EV sales globally and reported strong pre-orders for the BYD Atto 3 (from $44,990 drive-away) show Chinese EVS are ready to fill the void of “affordable” electric cars.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

I loved your comment about drivers’ information priorities in 2022 (Spotify, vegan cafe locations), but what I’d like to see is new cars with features older drivers can understand without asking their children to explain it. We can afford cars with the bells and whistles but most are of absolutely no use to us. We just want safety and comfort. Patricia Davies, email

I hear this a lot. Many buyers believe they’re paying inflated prices for equipment they don’t want or need. Examples would be lane-keep assist, stopstart tech, wireless phone charging, heated rear seats and puddle lights. I agree, you don’t want to foot the bill to replace a digital dashboard or electric handbrake you never wanted in the first place.

UNLOVED BOX

I’d like some information about CVT transmissions as I’m thinking of buying a Mitsubishi Outlander. Reading letters in Roadside Assist, and your responses, they don’t have a good reputation.

Vic Maloney, email

CVTS get bad press because they’re often a bit whiny and their single-speed nature removes driving joy. In something like an Outlander that’s not as important as, say, a Subaru WRX, and the Mitsubishi CVT isn’t too bad at all. Positively, they weigh less than most conventional automatics and help fuel economy. Depending on who you ask, they aren’t as reliable as normal auto gearboxes, cost more to maintain and can be damn expensive to replace.