By Paul Gover.
Q: We have 2004 Saab for my wife and over the past four years, with 270,000 kilometres, it has started to give trouble.
My car is a 2003 Mercedes C200 Estate and I wouldn’t like to part with it.
She is keen to look at a Mazda 2 or 3, so do you think we should look at selling the Saab as we think it is only worth $3000-5000.
Gary T
A: Keep the Saab and Mercedes if they have an emotional connection, by all means, but get something newer – and safer – as a daily driver. The Mazda2 is very small, so make sure you test drive it, and also test driver the Hyundai i30 before you commit to a Mazda3.
Q: What you would recommend as a small, reliable sedan a couple of years old from any brand with low kilometres.
My present car is a 1997 5 Series BMW which is showing its age and, although i love the car dearly, it’s probably time at 364,000 kilometres to retire it and consider a more basic general purpose and reliable vehicle for mainly use around town.
My budget is about $20,000.
John T
A: You might as well keep the Five as a classic and get a brand-new Hyundai i30 or Kia Cerato. They are small and affordable but you will be surprised by their quality and driving enjoyment.
Q: I’m looking for a new car and, as I have a back issue, I need a high drivers seat.
I also park off a narrow laneway which is a tight squeeze.
The cars I am considering are the Kia Selto Renault Captur to replace a 2015 Nissan Juke.
I only drive about 10,000km per annum, and usually just city driving, so I don’t need a powerful car.
Pam A
A: The new Juke looks much better with much improved quality. Drive it as your benchmark and then look closely at the Seltos., For me, the Captur looks good but is very small and underwhelming in performance.
Q: I paid a $500 deposit on a base Kia Seltos in February, for a end of March to early April delivery.
Now the manager of Kia tells me he believes in it’s either in production or been approved for production.
Just seems strange I couldn’t be told for sure what the situation is.
?Do you know if there an issue with Kia going forward. I was given the option to cancel the buy and a refund of deposit.
Laurie C
A: The whole world is in a production shutdown and dealers are only advised of delivery timings once cars reach Australia. The Seltos is very popular and there is a waiting list.
Q: My Renault Koleos active braking system disconnects intermittently, usually when driving in the wet and usually when driving on the freeway.
My Renault dealer has advised that this is caused by interference from traffic sensors installed on freeways but this seems unusual that they can interfere with such an important safety feature.
Have you heard of this anomaly, or is this just BS?
Paul D
A: After checking with Renault, I’m told this phenomenon is not unusual for the Koleos. But they will get your car to the dealership for a full investigation.
Q: I’m looking to get a price on a new electric vehicles, not too pricy or small.
What do you recommend? Are there any coming up with all the bells and whistles without breaking the bank balance?
My family lives around 2-3 hours away and I would like to visit them when I can.
Dee
A: The most affordable EV is the Hyundai Kona but it’s still more than $60,000 for a compact SUV that costs around $30,000 with a petrol engine. The sums don’t add up yet, but perhaps look at the all-new Mini EV that is out soon for similar money and much more trendy.
If you have a question for the Car Doctor, send an email to [email protected]
