DEAL BREAKER IAIN CURRY GETS ANSWERS
WRITE TO MOTORING AT CARS@NEWS.COM.AU OR PO BOX 2808, GPO SYDNEY, 2001 durable cells, temperature control and smart software to promote long life. I agree with you, though. EV brands should make it explicitly clear what percentage battery loss is permissible during the warranty period.
NAILED IT
Your comment: “These days flat tyres are very uncommon for those only using sealed roads,” is not my experience. My last two new cars, and my wife’s car, were twice punctured with nails on sealed roads. The nails were in or near sidewalls meaning new tyres were required. I’d like to know if others have shared my experience.
Norm Warren, email
Motoring editor Richard Blackburn has changed four flat tyres in four years, blaming stray builders’ nails. I’ve had two in the past five years – both builders’ nails – and one of those needed a new tyre. A straw poll of the office suggests punctures are rare but not unheard of.
CANNOT BE SERIOUS
My daughter wants a bike rack to carry her sixyear-old twins’ bicycles. Mazda has advised they don’t approve a tow bar for her CX-8 to carry bike racks as the bikes’ weight will cause the tow bar to flex and may split the chassis. Are they serious? The bikes’ combined weight would be no more than 60kg?
Peter Burls, email
However unlikely it sounds, if that’s Mazda’s stance, don’t risk your warranty. A child’s bike is typically closer to 10kg, so the combined weight is likely only 20kg. If the CX-8 doesn’t already have a tow bar, don’t go to the expense of fitting one. It’s a big SUV so two child bikes should fit in the back with the third row folded down and perhaps one of the middle-row seats down as well. Removing bike front wheels will buy you more space. I have friends who use boot bike racks where straps hook around the tailgate lip. No tow bar required. I’d recommend a reputable brand such as Thule, which has a decent range from about $350-600.
NOISE POLICE
We have speed, red light, phone and seatbelt cameras, why not ones for noise monitoring? Problem areas could get cameras/sound level meters and offending drivers would need their cars tested. I’m sure law-abiding citizens would be happy with the outcome.
Peter Hanson, email
Loud cars and motorbikes are infuriating but it’s the Environment Protection Authority that enforces the rule, not the police. Personally, I’ve never seen noise testing of cars aside from at race tracks.
LIMITING FACTORS
Re: car speed limiters, I see no problem limiting all vehicles to, say, 30km/h above the state/national speed limit. It should be easy to have this limit removed for a track day or race with appropriate authorisation. It’s not Big Brother at all. Why would it be necessary to travel faster than 140km/h on public roads? Paul Merhulik, email
Sounds sensible on paper, but why 30km/h? Some would argue it shouldn’t be more than 110km/h. Britain’s Automobile Association (AA) has weighed into the argument suggesting there are times, such as overtaking, when temporarily exceeding the speed limit may be safer. It’s hard to argue with that.