Your questions answered: Should I buy a Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5 or Honda CR-V?

Another year and another bunch of people wanting to know more about electric vehicles and what’s coming (there’s plenty!).

But among the influx of EV-interested Aussies are plenty of carsales readers wanting to know about practical cars such as mid-size SUVs. It’s the biggest-selling segment in the country, so it’s no surprise there is lots of activity.

We’ve also got someone wanting to compare ownership costs of an EV versus a conventional combustion-engined car and another wondering what will happen with used car prices in 2024.

Question: We are looking at going from a sedan to an SUV looking at AWD Subaru Forester, Mazda CX-5 and new Honda CR-V. The budget is up to about $55,000 – so just your thoughts would be appreciated. We are now in our 70s and like leather seats. – Don

Answer: The mid-size SUV segment has plenty of terrific options and you’ve nailed some of them on your shortlist.

The Subaru Forester is a great all-rounder that only comes in all-wheel drive (rivals typically offer the choice of front- or all-wheel drive). It’s also the most capable of all those mid-size SUVs if you’re venturing beyond the bitumen.

The Mazda CX-5 is great value but is starting to feel tired in an increasingly competitive segment. Whereas many rivals now have hybrid alternatives, the CX-5 does without. And its excellent cabin presentation is now matched by many rivals.

The new Honda CR-V is a surprise packet and if the budget can stretch another few grand then the hybrid is a great option. As for choosing between the three, the CR-V would be at the top of our list (just) or the Forester if you’re planning to adventure.

Don’t rule out the Nissan X-TRAIL either. It’s excellent value and mounts a solid case in that segment. As does the Kia Sportage, which will soon be available with a hybrid.

Question: I am looking to buy a luxury hatch for me. I have done nine-plus years in a mini SUV which did me well but far, oh so far, from exciting. My years of driving the kids around is slowly coming to an end with my son acquiring his learner’s permit and required 100 hours already. I’m seeing the end of the tunnel! Although his sister is still a good few years off getting her learner’s, (and perhaps decades of skill) I swear I won’t let her drive until mid-20s, but that’s another battle.

Anyway this is relevant as I will need to do more years of mummy duties but not as much running around and no more squeezing cricket bags in the boot! Just ballet shoes which are just as precious.

So I am keen on an Audi A3 or Mercedes A-Class. I can’t afford new of either. Boo!!

Would love such fickle things as electric tailgate, seats etc but I don’t think MB can offer me this in the A-Class. Love a sunroof, heated seats and an impressive dash. Power and speed not quite my thing, but I want to feel good, be safe and enjoy my ride. Who doesn’t!?

Budget-wise I am looking at max $55K. And while I know you’ll tell me there are equally great cars from Mazda, Hyundai, Kia and Toyota (if I can get one of those), but not for me now so please don’t judge me :) I’ll probably regret the Euro expense in years to come, but for now I want some Euro glam and something just for me. – Marie-Claire

Answer: Great to hear you’re ready to spoil yourself on four wheels – and I can completely understand the European indulgence. So, with that in mind and with your two shortlisted models, let’s delve into them a bit more.

In our mind the Mercedes-Benz A-Class has more luxury wow factor with its interior, especially if you can find one with ambient lighting and a few options to snazz it up. The 1.3-litre engine isn’t nearly as endearing, especially when matched to the twin-clutch transmission. For that reason, the jump to the A 250 makes an enormous difference if you can find one within your budget.

The Audi A3 lacks some of the interior sparkle but makes it up with a solid driving experience. It’s a class act and you’ll likely be able to find one with more trinkets within your budget.

Don’t ignore the BMW 1 Series, either, or even the slicker 2 Series Gran Coupe. Both have excellent driving credentials and a suitably upmarket cabin. Plus, there are plenty on the used car market.

We hear what you’re saying with mainstream brands, but if you’re open to a new brand that straddles mainstream and luxury then Cupra has some great options, including the Cupra Formentor.

As you’ve alluded to, the possibility of a European model costing you plenty in future is typically higher than a mainstream brand.

But if you were to look at a Lexus you’d generally be buying something that is less likely to have major failures. (As Toyota’s luxury brand they go through the same stringent engineering requirements.)

There are plenty of great options within your budget. The IS, for example, or even the higher-riding Lexus UX compact SUV. Plus, Lexus does some great hybrid alternatives, which could help lower your fuel bills.

Question: Our main car is currently a Toyota Tarago (2007) and we are looking to replace it in the next few years as we would like to be more environmentally friendly.

We have a 15- and a 19-year-old at home but the older children return home. As all but the youngest is over 6ft, we are interested in vehicles that will comfortably accommodate them in the back seat. Our second car is a Corolla and the 19-year-old hits his head if he is not slouching.

Do you have any advice for suitable EVs that are either on the market now or upcoming which would be good to consider (we do not turn over our cars regularly). I have had a look online at the Kia Niro, MG ZS EV and the Volvo XC40 but am not sure what is good.

In the past we have had a second-hand Ford Meteor, second-hand Holden Acclaim wagon, and our Tarago was an ex-demonstrator and the Corolla is second-hand also. – Stephanie

Answer: There are some great EV options that should do the trick for you right now and a lot more coming. However, most have only five seats, which will hopefully work for you.

The shortlist now should include the Tesla Model Y, BYD Atto 3 and Hyundai IONIQ 5. The Tesla has the best tech and charging credentials, the Atto 3 is the most affordable and the IONIQ 5 is surprisingly spacious.

This year there will also be other options, the most interesting of which is the Kia EV5. While we don’t have pricing yet, the expectation is that it’ll kick off at around $60K, which for the tech and space represents great value.

If you need more space – and seats – and have a bigger budget then the Volvo EX90 is also worth a look.

Question:

Have you heard about this issue and any suggestions as to what I should do? – Anthony

Answer: We haven’t heard of any issues with that but by far the best place to start is the dealer you bought the car from. It’ll still be under warranty and will hopefully be rectified fairly quickly. Book in with the service department, which will be able to plug into the onboard diagnostics (OBD) port, something that will hopefully alert them as to what the issue is.

Question:

Answer: Used car values have dropped enormously since the crazy COVID highs. But “dropped” is not really the right word given that they’ve really only returned to a vague sense of normal.

That’s obviously a lot better if you’re in the market for a used car.

As for whether prices will come down further, it’s impossible to say definitely. How much people will pay for used cars comes down to supply and demand. If there are lots of them being sold and not as many buyers then prices tend to drop. Conversely, if they’re in hot demand and there aren’t many around then prices can increase.

But looking at the broader new car market trends – remembering that supply in the new car market flows through to used car values, especially with near-new cars – then there’s a lot more activity than we’ve seen previously.

Dealers are starting to offer incentives and discounts and chasing harder for sales. That pressure is part of what has flowed through to the used car market recently.

There’s every chance that trend will continue, which could result in more pressure on used car values. But there are many other factors – government regulations, shipping delays, another pandemic (!?!) – that could very quickly change things.

And whatever happens, we wouldn’t be expecting major shifts, just more of the gradual return to normal.

Question:

Is there a simple calculation sheet to work out costs of running EV vs petrol versions? Initial cost, running costs, service costs? – Danielle

Answer: There is all manner of lights you can fit to a car after delivery. Most people fit driving lights to extend the range of the high beams. But there are also plenty of aftermarket fog lights that will provide a low, wide beam to make it easier to see in fog.

The challenge is where to mount them. A bull bar is an obvious place, but there’s a good chance that’s not on your wish list. So check out the bars that you can add to the numberplate mounting point; it could be a relatively easy option.

As for fitting the factory fog lights fitted to other variants, that could be trickier. Chat to the dealer, but we suspect looking at aftermarket options might yield a better (and more affordable) result.

As for calculations for an EV. The initial purchase price will generally be higher for an EV, but also consider the potential resale values. Some EVs perform very well, but the ZS EV hasn’t gone as strongly. That said, the price of the new ones has come down recently, which could help on that front.

Also check out the BYD Atto 3, which is a more convincing EV for similar money.

Servicing costs are generally on the manufacturer websites, and MG makes it easy to do a comparison. The EV only has to be serviced every two years and currently costs $1400 for the first six years or 120,000km of ownership.

The 1.5-litre ZS needs servicing every year and costs $1808 for six years and half the kilometres (60,000km), so bank on more if you’re driving further. The ZST with the peppier 1.3-litre turbo also needs 12-month servicing and costs $2074 for six years and 60,000km.

As for keeping the car moving, the ZST would use about 9L/100km, so bank on something like $20 (possibly more) for every 100km.

The EV version should use around 15kWh/100km, which if you were charging from home would add up to about $6/100km. You can double that figure with faster public charging for when you’re on a road trip, but it’s still a whole lot cheaper than petrol. And, obviously, if you can charge from home solar it could potentially be free!

Question:

Would you agree that this type of vehicle would be a practical choice?

Also, we were in a dealer yesterday, and the same thing occurred some years ago when I was buying my Mercedes-Benz: the dealer offered us some special paint and upholstery treatment for $2-3K that is supposed to add extra protection to the surfaces etc… Is this add-on a genuine benefit or is it simply a way of preserving some margin by the dealer? I rejected the offer from Mercedes at the time, and despite living in Mildura, the paintwork in my view is still as good as new after eight years, so believe this additional offer from the dealer isn’t worth the money. Would you agree? – Stuart

Answer: I’m generally not a big fan of plug-in hybrids because they tend to be compromised as hybrids and compromised as EVs. When in electric mode, for example, performance tends to be modest because you’ve got a heavy engine/gearbox/driveshafts/fuel tank that are adding ballast.

And in hybrid mode they tend to be much thirstier than regular hybrids because you’ve got a heavy battery pack that’s doing almost nothing.

But in your situation a PHEV could make sense, especially if you can utilise the government’s current FBT benefits. And the Outlander is one of the better PHEVs on the market.

That said, many new EVs will easily do 400km-plus without needing to charge – and the Mildura to Melbourne route is very well serviced with fast-chargers, so a 20-odd-minute stop would likely be all you’d need to complete the journey. So don’t necessarily rule out an EV on the grounds of the distances you travel.

As for paint and fabric protection, it’s often a good profit earner from dealers, but for many people a garaged car and regular cleaning can achieve the same outcome. Some of the newer paint protection finishes can do a good job of repelling things such as tree sap and bird poo (which can easily damage paint) but they’re also not cheap.

Ask the dealer which brand they’re planning to use and shop around to see if there are other places that will do it cheaper. Or just take care of your car and clean it regularly!

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