IAIN CURRY GETS ANSWERS
WRITE TO MOTORING AT CARS@NEWS.COM.AU OR PO BOX 2808, GPO SYDNEY, NSW, 2001
CX-5 had no issues with tyres or brakes at 70,000km.
Nick Pandelidis, email
First of all, Mazdas have a strong reputation for brake longevity. Your BMW X1’s brakes definitely should last longer — 40,000km for pads is acceptable but not for discs, especially if you’re mainly on the highway and not regularly braking on steep hills. If you’re not satisfied, consider consulting a BMW specialist who can recommend aftermarket brake alternatives. Your X1 has run-flat tyres and I’ve often heard about them wearing out quickly. Again, if you’re not happy consider fitting alternative rubber. It should improve the ride, too, but make sure you have a can of tyre goo handy in case you get a flat.
WRONG UNIT
My 2016 Subaru Liberty Premium’s display unit has wiggly lines running across it, making it very difficult to see, especially in the sun. The dealer says it happens to all such display units and there’s nothing they can do about it. Is this normal for Subarus or should they replace it? Andrew Meeney, email
It’s not normal and the dealer should not have suggested it was. I contacted Subaru Australia about your case and they have exchanged your head unit for a new one — and it’s good to learn you’re satisfied with the outcome.
SWERVING THE ISSUE
Re Pesky Roos. I concur with your comments on autonomous braking for animals on the road and the risk of being rear-ended. With a B-double in my rear view I’d sooner hit the ’roo than brake or have the brakes applied for me. I disagree when you say swerving to miss a ’roo is the “safer option”. This comment flies in the face of all road safety messages put out by police and road safety experts.
Peter Roffe, via email
Your comment to swerve to miss kangaroos is flawed, oversimplifies the solution and will bring disaster for anyone who tries it at speed. Just check out the black skid marks ending in a ditch or through a fence when people try to miss ’roos. The wildlife in the Western Districts of Victoria is moving about unpredictably due to the intensive local blue gum harvest — so good luck with your citycentric safety gadgets!
Steve Gee, email
Fair comments all. To clarify, my message was to swerve if it’s a safer option than hitting the kangaroo. That will depend on your speed, the car you drive (collision assist/avoidance systems and stability control are superb on some modern cars), road conditions and, it’s got to be said, your driving ability and the size of the kangaroo. Decisions have to be made in a split-second and each case will be different. Saying you must never swerve, as some safety bodies suggest, is also oversimplifying matters. We all must drive to the conditions — in rural areas with lots of kangaroos, drop your speed and stay alert.