QUALITY FIELD

I’ve loved my funky Renault Captur, but it’s time for something new. I’m considering the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, Kia Stonic, Citroen C4 and Mazda CX-30. Most journeys are short, with occasional Blue Mountains trips. I’d like a reliable, long-lasting vehicle.

Rosalind Maskiell, email

The Captur is a sharp looking but not brilliant compact SUV, so those on your list will be improvements. The Yaris Cross Hybrid and Kia Stonic are smaller vehicles than the CX-30 and Citroen C4, which compete with the larger and more expensive Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and Kia Seltos. The Yaris is the pick for great fuel efficiency but if you can stretch the budget the Corolla Cross Hybrid will be a better companion on longer journeys and mountain climbs. The same goes for the Stonic and Seltos – the bigger car is the better bet. The Mazda CX-30 has a slick cabin and is comfortable for long journeys, while the Citroen C4 looks stunning and is incredibly comfy, although it’s expensive to buy ($42,000 driveaway) and service. Try to test them all before deciding.

PREVENTION OVER CURE

Re: “Pleading Ignorance”, you gave the perfect reply to the mechanic criticising you for recommending sticking to timing belt change schedules. Well maintained, serviced-on-time vehicles have nowhere near the issues as those that don’t. Preventive measures and maintenance can save lots of money in repairs. Time, mileage, usage and how you drive affects your vehicle and its parts.

Laurie Rucker, email

That all makes sense, but we can’t avoid the fact that servicing and repairs cost money and many are forced to delay or skip them if cash is tight. Mechanic Luke Mcinnes’ thoughts are shared with some. If a 12-year-old car has only travelled 39,000km, does it really need the maintenance of a 390,000km car?.

UNFIT FOR PURPOSE

Re: Toby Hagon’s electric ute review, he noted its shortcomings but I understand battery range drops by about a half if towing or maximising its payload. That would give a range of just over 150km. Is this correct? If so, this EV ute would have a snowflake’s chance in hell of towing a modest van between towns in Western NSW or Central Australia where there are no charging points. If EV utes want to challenge the diesel market there are many hurdles to jump.

You’re not wrong. The LDV et60 is the first electric ute on sale in Australia but the good news basically stops there. It’s madly expensive at $93,000, is only 2WD, the range is 330km, payload’s 750kg and it’ll only tow 1500kg. Toby had only a brief test, so there was no chance to see how much electric range drops when loaded or towing. LDV didn’t provide the numbers, but your suggestion of about 50 per cent is possible. Diesel utes also consume more energy when fully loaded or towing, but of course they’re far quicker to re-fill than an EV. I can’t see the LDV electric ute going to private buyers. Realistically, its target market is eco-signalling businesses with big budgets.

JUST DIVE IN

Re: Dave Andrews procrastinating over buying an SS Commodore due to the future uncertainty of petrol, I have a 2017 Commodore SS V Redline wagon – it’s only my second V8 and I wonder why I didn’t go there earlier! Apart from one failed injector it’s been a thorough joy, petrol costs included. Get one! Andrew Haigh, Cranbourne

I wonder if we’ll ever see such owner passion for electric cars? Hearing and feeling a V8 rumble going straight through you – even just at idle – is one of life’s great pleasures, if you can afford the fuel bills. Hopefully, somehow, future generations will still get to experience it.

QUICK SAVINGS

My 2019 Ford Escape has an engine stop/start system. How much time does it need to be off to actually save fuel? It’s constantly in auto stop/start mode unless I hit the disengage button.

Graham Patterson, email

Good question. Editor Richard Blackburn was once told by an engineer it only needed to be off for about 0.4 of a second to save fuel but I can’t find data suggesting if there’s a true “break even” point. While many drivers get annoyed by auto stop/start (myself included), studies show impressive fuel-saving while cutting emissions, especially, as you’d expect, in urban areas. But constant restarts mean extra drain on the battery, which needs to be larger, pricier and less ecofriendly. There’s concern extra stop-start cycles have an impact on an engine’s life but we’re assured engineers have beefed things up to cope, aided by smarter modern oils.

GOOD DOG?

We’ve been led to believe a new automatic Suzuki Jimny can be flat-towed behind our motorhome if it has a dog clutch installed. Is this correct? We have a manual gearbox Jimny on order but would prefer the auto if possible. Jan Filipovic, email

For explanation, flat towing means having all four wheels of the towed vehicle on the road. I got the official line from Suzuki Queensland: “In the past we’ve imported some models which can be flattowed (like the Grand Vitara 4WD), but the current Jimny with All-grip Pro drive cannot be. Jimny can be towed, both auto and manual, with the rear wheels lifted. It is also feasible for some aftermarket kits, which in effect disengage drivetrain componentry, to facilitate flat towing.” The latter refers to your dog clutch and Suzuki said its warranty continued unhindered “unless such aftermarket componentry causes any part to perform outside the manufacturer’s guidelines.” It’s your risk, basically, so ensure any company supplying/installing a dog clutch has watertight guarantees.