EASY ON THE BRAKES
REASON TO SMIRK
I smirked at your reply to Col Linton (LandCruiser) and John Lind (Kluger) about Toyota’s long lasting brake pads. They didn’t say if they drive long distances which means significant longevity as brakes are barely used compared to city driving. I’ve seen Subaru pads last up to 400,000km but nothing’s said about them, only half-baked stories about Toyotas.
Jim Stanfield, email
Fair point. If you drive a million kilometres without stopping your brakes will remain good as new. Well, aside for some surface rust. You’re right, constant stop-starting in cities wears brakes faster, but so does pulling up heavy rigs such as LandCruisers and Klugers. Even on long trips they must brake at some point.
STOP STOPPING
I’m convinced Mazda’s i-stop, which switches off the engine when stationary, is little more
than a scam to sell overpriced batteries. In our Mazda3’s case I estimate it saves only 10 litres of fuel per year, while a replacement battery costs in the vicinity of $500. I habitually turn off i-stop every time I start the car. The Mazda service manager told me everyone hates istop but they’re not allowed to turn it off permanently. I’ve read it can be disabled by adjusting a service switch near the bonnet release catch, would you recommend that? Bob Wrycuda, email
It’s your car, your choice. On Mazda forums others have used this service switch method (there’s another trick with a bit of cardboard too) to successfully prevent i-stop working. Stop-start technology reduces idle emissions – let’s all agree that’s a good thing – but is annoying and adds more strain on parts such as the starter motor and battery. You do need a pricier stop-start battery, but I don’t think it’s a scam. My 2017 VW Golf has the technology and turning it off has become as automatic as putting on my seatbelt. Even so, I wish the switch was “opt-in” rather than “opt-out”.
GROWING FAMILY
I’m looking for a $15-20,000 used family car. It needs to have space for a baby seat or two, and I have Mitsubishi, Kia and Hyundai in mind. What do you recommend?
Justin Furno, email
With two young kids you don’t need huge space, but you do want reliability and safety. Look for a post-April 2018 Hyundai i30 Go or i30 Active with optional SmartSense safety pack. It’s a great allrounder and will have some of its five-year warranty remaining. Current-generation Kia Cerato hatches (the “BD” series) from 2019 can be found for about $20,000 and appeal with a sevenyear warranty, strong safety and decent size. A 2018 VW Golf 7.5 suits too – we have one for our two kids – they’re a great drive but only came with a three-year factory warranty. All have boots large enough for a baby stroller.
CHEAP FIX
Re: John Baguley’s worn Hyundai carpet after 18,000km, Honda refused to replace my Civic’s brake pedal mat at just 1500km. I’ve used a Kmart mat to cover it for the past year with no sign of wear so far.
Brian Jamison, email
Did you have sandpaper on your shoe soles for those first 1500 kilometres Brian? That’s very early wear, but you’ve found the best solution. A decent set of mats are imperative if car companies are too stingy to make them standard fit.
JOIN THE QUEUE
I’m interested in a new car and can’t decide between a Suzuki Jimny or Toyota RAV4. I only want a small three-door car and would like to know the safety features and price of these two please.
Cheryl Gould, email
I hope you’re in no rush Cheryl – you’ve chosen two in-demand SUVs with lengthy waiting lists. Order a Jimny now and you’ll be waiting years so you’d need an ex-demo, currently from a whopping $40,000 drive-away. The Suzuki only has a 3 Star ANCAP crash rating and basic safety. They’re brilliant off-road and full of character, but not great for daily driving on the bitumen. A basic ex-demo RAV4 to drive away is about $48,000, which is way over its RRP. It has great safety but is too big for your needs if you fancy a small car. I’d research the Kia Picanto, Suzuki Swift, VW Polo and Toyota Yaris. These have far better availability and cost about $20,000. Three-doors barely exist these days; all of the above are small five-doors.