ROADSIDE ASSIST KEEP IT SIMPLE

My elderly mother wants a new mid-size SUV to replace her 2012 Toyota RAV4. She’s quite stressed about having to cope with and learn “all the new bells and whistles,” so what would you recommend for simplicity and not too long a wait time?

Louise Pike, email

Your question is becoming an increasingly common one: can I buy a simple new car? The answer’s basically no. The (admirable) push for increased safety through electronic driver assistance often makes modern cars complex, beepy and nannying. Okay for young folk who embrace it but many older buyers crave simplicity. Consider a Honda CR-V Vi ($35,600 drive-away) which lacks advanced driver aids but features a multi-angle reversing camera and smartphone mirroring, which hopefully your mother will cope with and even appreciate. A good dealership will patiently walk her through the technology. Anecdotally, CR-V owners say its height for entry/ exit is absolutely ideal.

BEST BUY BULK

In January, four 17-inch Goodyear tyres were fitted to my 2013 MG6. The invoice showed a $204 unit price per tyre. After tearing a hole in one this month I bought a single replacement from the same outlet for $260 – a 27.5 per cent increase in six months! I know we are in inflationary times but this can’t be right, can it? Michael Fairbairn, email

As sure as death and taxes, tyres will be sold as “buy three get one free”. That’s the main reason for the discrepancy here – your single tyre missed out on the “bulk” buying discount.

GAS CRISIS

Re: LPG scarcity, here in Victoria it’s easy to find. But I recently travelled to Queensland in my Ford Falcon LPG and had major problems. On the Newell Highway, Dubbo was really the last place to get LPG. I limped to Moree – no gas – and had to get towed to Goondiwindi ($600 charge) to find one servo had recently stopped stocking LPG and the other servo’s system was leaking and shut down. In future I may have to change to petrol which will be a sad, expensive day.

Warwick Murphy, email

Painful story to read. As suggested by a reader last week, fitting another LPG tank (if practical) is an option but would you be flogging a dead horse? Servos will be investing in electric vehicle infrastructure in coming years rather than LPG tanks.

THE RACING LIFE

Why are there still frustrated “boy racers” in the dwindling ranks of motoring scribes? David Mccowen’s Ford Fiesta ST review gushed the car “is fun to thrash on the workday commute or grocery run,” but it’s high time Dave and his fellow “enthusiasts” understood the new realities. Most readers are rightly averse to risk fanging it on today’s tightly-policed roads. They’re more interested in real-life fuel economy, ground clearance and hip-point heights.

Peter Barret, email

As a fellow “enthusiast” I assure you it’s more enjoyable to wax lyrical over fun handling than the number of cup holders. The Fiesta ST’S Aussie demise is so lamentable because it’s possible to thrash/drive enthusiastically within the speed limit. The same can’t be said for supercars costing ten times the price.

WELL AGED

Re: car polishes, I was going through a garage cupboard and found a can of half-full Kielose Car Polish. I bought it for three shilling and 9 pence in 1961 when I got my first car. I tried it to remove faint scratches on my car and it worked beautifully.

R. Mcleod, Umina Beach

Quality Aussie-made stuff, eh? More than 60 years old and still works like a charm.

SMART BATTERY

Last week you wrote an electric car’s lithiumion battery pack only loses minimal battery charge if the EV isn’t driven. Tell this to my 2020 Ryobi whipper snipper. If I fully recharge it and don’t use it, the next day the battery’s almost empty.

Michael Capek, email

As I also mentioned last week, an EV’S batteries are different to those found in other rechargeable devices – be it smartphone or whipper-snipper. An EV’S battery is “oversized” meaning it’s relatively unstressed (during charging and driving) as not all the available energy is used. It also (usually) has built-in heating and cooling systems – your Ryobi does not. Some EVS have a “sleep” mode to minimise range loss while some brands, such as Tesla, recommend leaving the car charging, if possible, when parked for a long period.

THE HOLE ISSUE

With the plethora of potholes after flooding, my car’s lane-keep assist is constantly going off as I weave around these hazards. If a car sustains significant damage from hitting a pothole, what are our rights regarding compensation?

Ian Ellis, email

Should you hit a pothole and damage a tyre, rim or suspension you can claim compensation from your State road authority. You must provide evidence of the hazard, damage and repair receipts. Interestingly, in Queensland if your tyre has an aspect ratio of 40 per cent or less (a lowprofile tyre) a claim normally won’t be accepted.