Your questions answered: What’s a car to suit my partner with chronic health problems?

Times change, but unfortunately change is not always for the best – particularly where personal health is concerned.

The V8-engined Aussie classic from the days pre-dating power steering may well be your great passion.

But if you need a hip replacement just to squeeze the brake pedal, or changing gear aggravates your carpal-tunnel syndrome and your arthritis flares up just climbing in and out of the car, it may be time for an upgrade.

Car, that is…

It’s often the case that a partner will need to make concessions for the sake of their significant other. That applies to cars too.

For many older Aussies (and those with limited mobility for a host of reasons), a small or mid-size SUV is often the best prospect for staying mobile with minimum discomfort – and maintaining a cordial relationship with each other.

Question:

Answer: You are spoiled for choice in this category as it’s a strong battlefield for all the brands. Our best mid-size SUV award gave the win to the Hyundai Tucson so, by definition, that would be our recommendation. But availability, due to global semi-conductor (computer chip) shortages, means many vehicles are in limited supply or, in some cases, on lengthy back order. The Renault Koleos is a little larger and has an emphasis on comfort, is reasonable value for money, and may also have the advantage of availability right now. Overall, for us though it’s the Tucson or, with supply in mind, the Mazda CX-5.

Question: I have a Peugeot 508 that is 10 years old and which I love, but I now need to downsize. I am thinking of something two-door and sporty, and I like the look of the Toyota 86 GT coupe. What do you think of this car? I love the way the 508 drives so I need at least that, also leather seats, auto park brake, keyless entry, auto wipers and lights. – Virginia P

Answer: You will have lots of fun in an 86, but wait for the new model which has plenty of improvements. Don’t expect an automatic handbrake, but it will have the rest of your needs. Also look at the Subaru BRZ, which is the same under the skin and might feel a bit more luxurious for you.

Question: I have the current-model BMW X3 and I’d like to update to a new one in case it de-values considerably when the new model comes out. When it comes to replacing it, I’m not sure what to do. I’d generally only do about 12,000km a year before COVID-19, even less now. I have a 40kg dog who likes to go to the beach on the weekend. The only vehicles that come to mind to replace the X3 are a Toyota Prado or a HiLux twin-cab. But it’s illogical because I will hardly ever get out of town and the concept of owning a diesel vehicle doesn’t make sense due to low kilometres, and they seem to be a bit on the nose in general. – Kevin B

Answer: Why are the Prado and HiLux the “only” ones that come to mind – there’s a swag of great luxury mid-size SUVs to consider from brands like Lexus (the new NX looks promising), Volvo (the XC60 and XC40 are both crackers) and Audi (the all-new Q5 is an impressive next-gen offering)… Frankly, the dual-cab will be awful after the X3. And the Prado not much better. And good luck getting one with waiting lists as they stand. The X3 is good and was only renewed about three years ago, so there is no all-new model on the horizon. For now, if you like it, I’d stick with it, particularly as it came close to winning the carsales Car of the Year award in 2019.

Question:

Answer: Audi has a car that’s purpose-built for you, although the RS Q3 is outside your budget with demo models at around $115,000. The Audi SQ2 comes in under budget as a new car and is a decently-quick SUV; also the BMW X2 M35i which is the Bavarian equivalent, and MINI has some warm versions of the Countryman which may be of interest. In terms of second-hand, Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 is also in your budget range and cracking fun.

Question: I’m currently driving an old Hyundai i30 and intend upgrading. I was hoping for something a little taller that could also still accommodate my Engel-type car fridge. The Kia Stonic fits the bill but not the engines, the Hyundai Kona does not suit on size. I prefer Hyundai because my 10-year-old i30 at 46,000km has had no problems. – Gordon M

Answer: Hyundai and Kia are from the same car-maker, so you can expect the same trouble-free run but Kia has a longer warranty in Australia. The 1.4-litre will be fine in the Kia Stonic but you should try a test drive. Otherwise, the Hyundai equivalent to the Stonic is the Venue and also very good.

Question:

Answer: A very good family-sized family SUV, often overlooked by people who just want an Audi, BMW or Benz badge. It gets a big tick from me.

Question:

Answer: You need to work with the dealer. But, from my experience, you are operating the car well outside what is considered normal daily use for a car like that. Sport+ was only ever developed by Benz for track use or quick spurts. Modern auto transmissions ‘learn’ your driving habits – that’s probably why its defaulting to a more aggressive form of operation. If you want to change gears, you should have bought a car with a manual transmission.

Question A:

Question B: I ordered a new Kia Sorento GT-Line in January at the Springvale dealer in Melbourne. I understand that there are supply problems with semi-conductors and have been shipping issues from Korea and I expect a 12-month delay in delivery. The frustration is trying to get honest answers from Kia. I have only noticed two new Kia Sorentos on the road since January. – Peter S

Answer: We contacted Kia Australia. It cannot give you a delivery date because they do not know. There are huge production backlogs and delays in South Korea, particularly on upscale models like your Sorento GT, because of the global short supply of computer chips. Kia Australia is doing all it can, but has to wait for information from the factory on when cars are going down the production line. Until they are being built there is no way to track them.

Question: I have a 2015 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara and the GPS map is out of date and doesn’t show GPS speed. I have complained before but they don’t do anything. How do I update the map and is there any way of getting GPS speed as the lower models have it but not the top-of-the-range? – Tony K

Answer: Car infotainment systems are advancing at an enormous rate. It’s quite likely that your infotainment system is completely out of date and Toyota therefore cannot give you what it does not have. All factory GPS systems are notoriously slow on updates or improvements, that’s why many manufacturers are looking at exiting this part of the tech suite in new cars. Best for you would be to find a way to use an App called Waze, which gives super up-to-date maps, real-time traffic information from other drivers, and a GPS speedometer. Companies like naviplus.com.au have add-ons to your Sahara that enable the use of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which would facilitate this as well as better audio integration options.

Question: I am looking to upgrade my 2009 Ford Territory dual-fuel to a diesel to tow a 2150kg van around Australia. The Ford has no trouble towing the van but heavy on fuel at around 21L/100km. I’m looking at Range Rover Discovery Sport, Volkswagen Touareg, Ford Territory diesel or early Ford Ranger, all around the 2010 mark. – Dio A

Answer: The trade-off is capability versus comfort. The Touareg and Territory will be the most comfortable as they are passenger-car based. The Ranger will give you substantially more towing potential and payload and has the added benefit of true off-road ability.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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