By Paul Gover.
Q: We have given up caravanning and now intend to do some Australia-wide ‘touring’.
Would greatly appreciate your advise on a suitable, say around $45,000, new or used vehicle.
I’m thinking perhaps a secondhand Mercedes-Benz C200.
Murray M
A: If you’re doing a bunch of travelling the C200 will be a lovely relaxed tourer. But go for the station wagon, which will give you more luggage space and flexibility without hurting fuel economy, and perhaps even somewhere to sleep.
Q: My daughter is looking to buy her first car.
She is looking to spend $15,000 and looking at the Kia Picanto.
Is this a good car and do you recommend anything else?
Cathy R
A: The Picanto is fine for short trips and will also be cheap to run. It gets The Tick from me.
Q: I am seeking some car advice for my son who is in the process of buying his first car.
His price range is around the $10-11,000 range, with low kilometres which I know may be difficult, a relatively large boot with space for his cricket bag/golf clubs.
We live in Ballarat, Victoria and he is not keen on a wagon, but is open to a sedan or SUV.
Jarrod R
A: The Toyota Corolla was the gold standard in first cars for decades, but those days are done and the modern equivalent is the Hyundai i30. Since you live in a country area, perhaps also look at a Suzuki Vitara, which is a compact SUV that will have the flexibility he wants.
Q: I recently saw a camouflaged Jeep that was doing testing near Mount Bulla in Victoria
What do you think the emergency cut-off switch on the dash is for?
Andrew R
A: The big red button is a legal requirement for car companies. It’s so they can hit the panic button in the event of a catastrophic emergency. I’ve driven a number of prototypes with the Big Red Button.
Q: We have a 2016 Mazda2 five-door hatch with a failed seat belt.
It is the rear-left and is pulled right to the maximum and won’t retract.
I done a bit of a ring-around and apparently this is a common problem with this particular model.
I feel it should come under vehicle defect warranty as it is such common problem
Ian W
A: If it was a known safety problem then, by law, Mazda Australia would have been obliged to have a recall. That has not happened so your problem is not common as you think. You could ask the dealer for a ‘loyalty contribution’, but only if you have a service history with them, and remember the car is now five years old.
Q: I purchased a Ford Mondeo station wagon in 2019 with 14,000 kilometres on the clock.
Shortly after purchasing I realised that the cruise control only goes up and down in 5-kilometre increments, not the normal 1-kilometre that I thought was the normal from every vehicle I have driven.
I reported the problem to the dealer, where they claim they found no issues.
I tried again with a different dealer but they told me nothing could be done.
I feel it is not safe to have vehicles with different cruise control settings that affect speed as this could cause an accident if a different driver drove my car and could not stop in time.
My previous Mondeo changed in 1-kilometre variants so why they cannot make mine the same.
Alastair H
A: This is the official response from Ford Australia, even though it’s not what you want to hear: “In MD Mondeos that’s how the ACC works, with increments of +/- 5 km/h. However, when the cruise control is first ‘set’, it will lock to whatever speed the vehicle is travelling, so it won’t round up or down to the nearest 5 km/h”.
Q: I am looking at buying a 7-seater SUV and thinking of the Honda VCR-V.
I will be trading in a 2011 Holden Cruze and have around $40,000 to spend.
We have four children and a big dog, the reason for seven seats.
Could you please give me your opinion on what car you suggest would be a suitable one for my situation.
Sigrid P
A: The Honda is alright, but you should test drive it in a comparison with the Kia Sorento before you commit. The Kia is likely to have more space and should also hit your budget target.
Q: I have a thump noise coming from the rear of my Hyundai as I take off.
The Hyundai dealership are saying the rear diff needs replacing but am I being taken for a ride?
What would cause a rear diff to fail? It is used as a family car for school drop-offs and driving to work.
I have taken this car to every service and always to the Hyundai dealership. Should this have been maintained within the services?
Dave L
A: if the car is not new and out of warranty then sometimes things fail. If you have a full dealership service record you can request what is called a ‘loyalty contribution’ from the carmaker.
So contact the Customer Service department at Hyundai Australia, do not rely just on the dealer, and push for help that would typically include a discount or free parts.
Q: My husband and l are looking at buying a new car to replace my 2011 Ford Falcon G6E and looking for an upgrade.
I love the spaciousness of the car and especially the boot as l take my 86-year-old mother to and from appointments and she has a walker.
I would like a car that has a large boot as we like driving holidays but don’t want a big SUV and our budget is up to $50,000
Bonny C
A: The best modern equivalent to your old Falcon, and great value as well, is the Kia Stinger. It will tick all your boxes including the budget and is a lovely but under-appreciated drive with a giant boot in the back.
If you have a question for the Car Doctor, send an email to [email protected]
