TOUR COMPANION
It’s time to upgrade my much-loved 2008 BMW 320i. My new job involves Tasmanian country road driving, and the BMW isn’t ideal for dirt roads or kamikaze wildlife. I’ve been leaning towards hybrid, plug-in or electric SUVs but miss the luxury BMW feel. Should I go with a cheaper Mitsubishi or Toyota RAV4 or wait for a luxury alternative when they’re more affordable?
Polly Venning, email
The fact you’re moving to a 14-years younger car and all the technology and cabin advances that brings should mitigate not being in a prestige brand such as BMW. I’d try a Subaru XV Hybrid S ($40,790) as cabin quality and space are good (bar the small boot), while its sure-footed unsealed road manners and high riding position will suit Tassie’s challenges. Its fuel economy is disappointing for a hybrid, though. The RAV4 Hybrid’s economy is much more impressive, but it’s sold out for several months. A Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Exceed ($56,490) is larger, nicely appointed and offers 55km of pure electric range. If your budget allows, the pure electric Volvo XC40 Recharge SUV ($76,990) has 418km range, a luxurious cabin and all-wheel-drive.
POOR RICH FOLK
Australia’s Corvette pricing shouldn’t be a shock to your letter writers Charlie Beecham and Norm Warren, just look at exotic European car prices here.
Trevor Smith, email
It’s not completely fair to compare model prices between countries – taxes, differing specifications and economies of scale vary wildly. A Porsche 911 Carrera in the US is $101,200 ($140,000) while ours start from $241,200. The 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is $219,800 ($305,000) Stateside, while ours is more than half a million. Who’d be rich in Australia, eh?
CUSTOM FITTING
I asked my Toyota dealership about buying a full-size spare wheel to replace my 2021 RAV4’s space saver. I was told a full-size spare wouldn’t fit the wheel well. I suggested he was wrong and to please price one. I was told $1440 for one wheel. How does Toyota justify this price?
Gordon Schofield, email
It’s the dealer who has arrived at that price, not Toyota Australia. I’ve been assured by RAV4 owners a full-size spare fits the wheel well, but you lose the boot’s two-level floor height. Why not double check yourself ? Jack the car up, take a wheel off and try it in the well. Only the RAV4 GX is available with a full-size spare option. If you have the GXL, Cruiser or Edge there are genuine OEM 18-inch and 19-inch alloys available, although of different design to those on your car. If you can handle that, a single wheel without tyre costs from about $200 to $400.
BEEP BEEP
Ford has advised me the Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) in its current Everest doesn’t have an audible overspeed alert. It just has a small flashing icon on the dash, which isn’t particularly obvious. At least an audible beep – it beeps for nearly everything else – would prompt a glance at the dash. Its omission seems ridiculous with ever more speed cameras, especially as it has beeped on previous Everests and Rangers.
Daryl Rowe, email
“It beeps for nearly everything else” is a key point here. Modern cars beep to such an extent –
ANGLE GRINDER
Re: speed bumps, our village in Knoxfield, Victoria, has nine on the main access road. They’re at a vicious height so I’ve adopted the 4WD practice of taking them at an angle; the front wheels take the “bump” one at a time. This greatly reduces the shock and should make suspension last longer.
James Wilson, email
It’s the same move adopted by drivers of low rideheight sports cars. As a teenager, I stupidly lowered my car and was the clown holding everyone up while negotiating speeds bumps at 2km/h. Nothing like the sound of your exhaust grinding into bitumen bumps.
TAKE CARE OF THE PENNIES
Re: the owner of the VW Touareg V8, surely if one can fork out $150,000 for a car they can afford $140 roadside assistance for a year. About 40c a day?
Dave Goon Pan, email
Fair, but the owner may have been entitled to free roadside assist when servicing with VW. People don’t get wealthy paying for things unnecessarily. I bet even Elon Musk quibbles if he’s charged twice for tomato sauce at Macca’s.