Problem Solved

The dealer you can trust is on hand to answer your questions on car troubles and consumer issues

OPEN SECRET Q

As a 60th birthday present for my wife, I am looking to spend about £5,000 on a small, two-seater convertible for weekend use. My first idea was to look at the Mazda MX-5. Is there anything else that fits the bill?

− PM

A

An MX-5 is about the best you can get, preferably a 2.0 six-speed Sport from the third generation with a chain-cam engine, produced from 2005 to 2015. Rust is the big enemy, particularly in the sills and body structure behind the seats, between the doors and the rear wheel arches. An alternative is a mid-engined Toyota MR2, made between 1999 and 2007.

LEADS UNITED Q

How will recharging electric cars work for people who can’t park directly outside their house? I live in a flat, one of 43. Our cars have allocated spaces, but there is no way a dedicated power supply to each parking space would be possible. What do you think? − SBS

A

You will have to use public charging points or else those at fuel stations. But, basically, you are right. It won’t work for everyone. It will be particularly annoying when electric car owners choose to occupy a bay long after their car has been charged. A few years ago, VW was developing the concept of inductive EV charging, which worked the same way as inductive wireless phone chargers in cars. When parked in multi-storey car parks, the EVs could autonomously find their way to the charging pads, then return to a regular space afterwards. I don’t know what happened to that idea.

NURSERY CRIME Q

I pay my car tax to the DVLA by monthly direct debit and have always paid 12 months in advance. Since the second month, I have been receiving scam emails saying that my direct debit to the DVLA had been refused and to click on a box to rectify the situation. I haven’t fallen for this. The first email was reasonably well presented but had obvious mistakes. The second was a mess, full of poor spelling. Have these people got access to the DVLA website and thus know I am using the direct debit system? Has anyone else reported receiving such things?

− AM

A

Scammers might have gained access to your computer or found some other way to access your personal information. Under GDPR, this is a criminal offence. If you have kept evidence in the form of screen grabs and return email addresses, you should report it to the Information Commissioner.

HIGHER CAR Q

I’ve been looking for a tall, car-like vehicle that will allow my electric chair direct access before I drive with hand controls. The only ones I have seen online seem to be converted vans, but I like a bit of luxury. Any ideas?

− CS

A

Unless you buy an independently imported Toyota Alphard, which is a purpose-built, luxurious, small-scale van, you are mostly confined to commercial vehicle-based MPVs. Some are factory-built with electric seats that swing out and lift you into the car. Some allow a wheelchair to be driven in from the rear. Well-known conversion specialists include brotherwood.com and alliedmobility.com.

AWAY FIXTURE Q

I am going to work away from home for a time (in the UK), and will rent a flat for the duration. Which address should I use for my car insurance?

− NH

A

If the flat will be your permanent address while you’re away, use that. Underwriting rates depend on where the car will be kept. Your driving licence and car registration document are best kept registered to your home address (assuming someone will be there to check your mail).

LOOKING UP Q

I want to replace my seven-year-old VW Up. Until a year ago it averaged about 6,000 miles annually, but it has still only done 37,000 miles. I do a round trip of 240 miles about once a month to visit family, so an all-electric car is a non-starter. What are your views on the current Up petrol models?

− AH

A

To keep its corporate average emissions down and profits up, VW is concentrating on high-end electric ID.3s and ID.4s and, at the lower end, electric Ups, Seat Miis and Skoda Citigos, restricting the petrol-engined Up to the base model and the GTI. The answer is a better car altogether: the Kia Picanto 1.0 or 1.25 is as much fun to drive, but comes with a seven-year warranty and is much more reliable.

RAYS OF HOPE Q

For some years we have been encouraged to install photovoltaic panels on the roofs of our homes to save the planet. Why don’t electric vehicle manufacturers install this technology on car roofs?

− RK

A

They have done. Toyota fitted them to the roof of the Prius plug-in hybrid (PHEV) as an option. Based on annual sunshine statistics, the optional solar panel roof captured enough power to drive 719 miles a year in EV mode in Rome, or 412 miles a year in London. There are races across Australia in cars powered solely by solar panels. But it takes a lot of panel (and a lot of sun) to move a full-sized car. The most promising are the Sono Motors Sion and the Lightyear One. RANGE ROVER

Q

Although my overall mileage is low, until lockdown I had a monthly motorway journey of 250 miles. I am considering changing my Mazda CX-5 for a Kia Niro but have read that it creates a lot of road noise. What are the alternatives?

− AC

A

There are three types of Niro: the original self-charging hybrid, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (Niro PHEV) and the e-Niro, which is a pure EV with a 64kWh or a 39kWh battery. None generates an unusual amount of road noise, but in the e-Niro there is no combustion engine so you are more likely to hear tyre and wind noise that is not drowned out. You could counter this by fitting low-noise tyres at the expense of a few miles of range.

TRACTION STATIONS Q

We have a 2004 Toyota RAV4 XT3 VVTI three-door, which we bought used in 2010. We need to replace it with a 4x4, preferably larger with five doors, and it doesn’t have to be any particular brand. We would like an automatic gearbox and petrol engine, or hybrid if one were available, up to five years old. We are looking for reliability and economy, maximum budget £15,000. Any ideas?

− BF

A

Look for a Suzuki Vitara 1.4T Boosterjet Allgrip with the six-speed automatic gearbox.

BIG BANG THEORY Q

I have owned a Vauxhall Zafira Energy from new. It is now 10 years old, with 30,000 miles. At the six-year service I was asked if I wanted the main engine drive belt replaced at a cost of £600. This, I was told, was based on a car having been driven 10,000 miles a year. I refused, as the car had done only 15,000 miles at that time. Should the belt be replaced based on mileage or age?

− MS

A

This will be the timing belt, which performs many functions, and it (along with its tensioner), the water pump and auxiliary belt are all overdue for replacement. If the timing belt snaps or comes off its pulleys, or the water pump seizes, your engine will probably not be repairable. Even if it’s not scrap, the cost of repairs might exceed the value of the car. Get all the above changed as soon as possible.