Your questions answered: What’s an ideal first car for someone with lots of sports gear?

For every young person wanting to buy something cool for their first car, there are probably four others who just want basic transport – a car to get them from A to B without costing the earth.

But some buyers have a still wider range of purchasing criteria. These may be young parents or perhaps they need a vehicle as a tool of trade, like a one-tonne ute or van.

Whatever the case, younger buyers are to be encouraged to make the right choice and select the vehicle that is right for their specific needs. Not just a car that their mates admire.

Question: I am seeking some car advice for my son who is in the process of looking to buy his first car. His price range is around the $10,000 to $11,000. He is looking for low kilometres, which I know may be difficult, and a relatively large boot with space for his cricket bag/golf clubs. We live in Ballarat and he is not keen on a wagon, but is open to a sedan or SUV. – Jarrod R

Answer: The Toyota Corolla was the gold standard in first cars for decades, but those days are done, and the modern equivalent is something from Hyundai. If he insists on a sedan then look at the Elantra, which will work with his budget. Since you live in a country area, perhaps also consider the Suzuki Vitara, which is a compact SUV that will offer the flexibility he wants.

Question:

Answer: The new Sportage is a vast improvement on the previous models in every area. The turbo 1.6 is a strong, refined engine. Kia confirms the short service intervals, which means many people will need two services a year. That may be a deal-breaker for you, but overall the latest Sportage is an excellent vehicle.

Question: We have given up caravanning and now intend to do some Australia-wide ‘touring’. Would greatly appreciate your advice on suitable, say around $45,000, new or used vehicles. We’re thinking perhaps of a used Mercedes-Benz C 200. – Murray M

Answer: If you’re doing a bunch of travelling the C 200 will be a lovely, relaxed tourer. But go for the station wagon, which will give you more luggage space and flexibility, perhaps even somewhere to sleep. And it won’t impact on fuel economy because it still has a slippery shape and is surprisingly quiet.

Question: I recently saw a camouflaged Jeep that was doing testing near Mount Buller in Victoria. What do you think the giant red emergency cut-off switch on the dash is for? – Andrew R

Answer: It’s a legal requirement for car companies on prototypes and pilot-build cars before the final production sign-off. It’s a panic button that disconnects the electrics and shuts down the car in the event of an emergency. We’ve driven a number of prototypes with the Big Red Button. The car you saw was most likely the new-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, which has been running around Victoria for local testing this year – including most recently in plug-in hybrid guise.

Question:

Answer: The Kia Picanto is fine for short trips and will also be cheap to run. A good small (tiny!) car choice. We’d also suggest the Suzuki Swift is worth a look.

Question: We have a 2016 Mazda2 five-door hatch with a failed seat belt. It is pulled right to 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’m very surprised Mazda hasn’t done a recall on this, and the part alone is $701 plus the $150-plus labour. I feel it should come under vehicle defect warranty as it is such common problem. – Ian W

Answer: If it was a known safety problem then, by law, Mazda Australia would have been obliged to conduct a recall. That has not happened so your problem cannot be that common. You could ask the dealer for a ‘loyalty contribution’, but only if you have a service history with them. Also investigate having the mechanism checked and cleaned before you replace it.

Question:

Answer: This is the official response from Ford Australia, even though it’s not what you want to hear: “In MD-model Mondeos the cruise control works in increments of plus-or-minus 5km/h. However, when the cruise control is first ‘set’, it will lock to whatever speed the vehicle is travelling and won’t round up or down to the nearest 5km/h”. The increment cannot be changed because it will be part of the car’s basic computer programming.

Question:

Answer: The Honda is alright, but you should test drive it in a comparison with a used but current-shape Kia Sorento before you commit. The Kia is likely to have more space and should also hit your budget target.

Question: I have a thumping noise come from the rear of my 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe as I take off and the Hyundai dealership is saying the rear diff needs replacing at a cost of $9921.95. Is this an expected price or am I being taken for a ride? Also, what would cause a rear diff to fail? This car 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, and it is well looked after, so should this have been maintained within the services? – Dave L

Answer: The car is eight years old and sometimes things fail. If you have a full dealership service record you can request what is called a ‘loyalty contribution’ from the car-maker. Contact the Customer Service department at Hyundai Australia – do not rely just on the dealer. Request help from Hyundai. This would typically include a discount or free parts.

Question: My husband and l are looking at buying a new car to replace my 2011 Ford Falcon G6E. I love the spaciousness of the car and especially the boot as l take my 86-year-old mother to and from appointments. As she uses a four-wheel walker. l’m not sure what type of car to buy. I would like a car that has a large boot but don’t want a big SUV. Our budget is up to $50,000. – Bonny C

Answer: 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 big boot and budget. It’s a lovely car which is under-appreciated. Try the 2.0-litre turbo, the V6 turbo model would be overkill for you. Another unappreciated car to consider that has shedloads of room is the Skoda Superb.

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