By Paul Gover.
Q: It has always baffled me why left-hand mirrors always show the vehicles behind appearing further distant than they actually are.
When overtaking, one uses this mirror to determine when it is safe to return to the left lane, correct? If the mirror shows traffic in the left lane appearing further away than it really is, then an unaware driver may think there is sufficient room to merge left again and cut the vehicle off.
I have thought about this a lot and can’t think of any sound safety reason for the mirrors being this way.
Peter J H
A: Wide-view mirrors are just that, intended to give a wider view of the scene to the sides and behind a vehicle. They distort the view slightly but most people adjust quickly and prefer seeing more around them. If you cannot cope then you can get the mirror replaced with ’normal’ glass at a specialist glazier.
Q: I’m driving a Ford Territory diesel that’s covered 220,000 kilometres which hasn’t missed a beat, apart from replacing the rear balljoints.
I’m looking to update next year and looking at the Everest, as well as the Izuzu MUX, and I do a lot of kilometres including towing.
I’ve heard the newer Everest models are much better with the up-graded 10-speed automatic, but what are your thoughts and do you have any concerns?
Richard G
A: The Everest won’t be as car-like as the Territory, which was based on the Ford Falcon, but is still a sensible choice and good value. I have no concerns.
Q: I have a brand-new Mitsubishi ASX LS and I found it very noisy on a road trip recently to Adelaide.
I have done about 2500 kilometres and the tyres on it are Bridgestone Dueler H/T and someone who owns the same car told me to get a wheel alignment because their tyres wore out quite quickly.
It was suggested to me that they are aligned to Japanese and not Australia Roads.
What do you think.
Doiraine S
A: The noise is coming from the tyres, which are dual-purpose for use on gravel roads, and has nothing to do with wheel alignment. They will wear quickly if you are doing long distances at high speeds because of the tread design and rubber compound for off-road grip.
Q: My wife has a 2010 Hyundai ix35 diesel that’s done 220,000 kilometres and it’s been a great car.
I would like to update her car, but she loves it and it has never given any trouble. Still, they don’t last forever and as we are now empty nesters I would like to upgrade.
I’m a Toyota man but my wife doesn’t care.
David R
A: If she likes the ix35, which was discontinued by Hyundai, she will probably also like the Tucson. It’s a bit bigger and more SUV-style in design, but a good car that gets The Tick from me.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Volvo 2011-ish S60 or possibly S80 as a secondhand purchase.
My budget is $10-15,000 and they caught my eye as they are nicely appointed and some have been optioned up.
The few I have looked at have had poor paint – lots of scratches and minor bumps etc.
I do not expect to do many miles, maybe 5000 kilometres a year at present, so a higher-mileage vehicle might be ok as I would still get many years from it.
John B
A: The S60 was good then and still should be fine, but the S80 is a bit of a boat and would be costly if things go wrong. For comparison, drive an S60 and also a Mercedes-Benz C Class with a similar price-tag before you commit.
Q: I have a 2015 VW Golf wagon which had all of the required services at the dealership.
In October it went in for the 60,000 kilometre service and I was advised that the car needed a new water pump as the seals had failed.
When I picked the car up there were scratches down one side, previously they had put a big scratch on the bonnet.
The dealer gave me a $100 discount on the water pump and after I complained to them Volkswagen Australia sent me a $200 voucher for my next service
Carole S
A: It’s not unusual for a water pump to fail on any car. At least VW Australia has been helpful. But if the car has been damaged during servicing I would definitely go to another dealer.
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