Your questions answered: Which EV should I buy to replace my Mazda CX-5?

Electrification remains a hot topic among our readers, with full battery-electric vehicles still garnering plenty of interest in the carsales mailbox this week.

From mid-size SUVs to EV conversions, the electric car interest is still running hot.

And while Tesla dominates in sales, not everyone is enamoured with a brand that loves to polarise.

We’ve also got readers looking for something a little different, including an easy-going EV with a bull bar for added protection.

Plus, we have one reader pondering the introduction of vehicle-to-grid technology.

Question: I live in country South Australia, nearly two hours north of Adelaide. At present I have an eight-year-old Mazda CX-5 which I have been quite happy with, but I would like to perhaps change over to an EV in the next months/year. I am older and live by myself and probably do close to 30,000km a year on mainly sealed roads (some reasonable dirt roads). I travel to Adelaide on average probably once a week/fortnight. I do have solar power attached to my house. I would really appreciate it if you could give me any information re: an electric car that might be suitable to my circumstances. – Deirdre

Answer: There’s a lot of action on the EV front, both in price reductions and new models.

The main newcomers due soon are the Kia EV5, Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq.

The Kia EV5 looks like being priced below $60K drive-away, which will make it a tempting proposition (I haven’t driven one yet, but on paper it looks strong).

As for the VW ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq – which share underpinnings – their appeal will to a large extent depend on their pricing, something we’ll learn about in coming months.

It’s also impossible to look past the Tesla Model Y, which is the benchmark in that mid-size SUV class. It delivers on range, space, tech and charging and is also a good car to drive.

So have a drive of the Tesla – be prepared to rethink the way you operate a car, in the same way you had to adjust to your first smartphone – and get behind the wheel of an EV5 when they arrive in dealerships in the next month or so.

Also, it’s worth thinking about tyres. Your CX-5 likely has a space-saver spare, whereas almost all new EVs get a repair kit that can plug small holes but is useless on bigger slashes.

It sounds like the gravel roads you drive on occasionally aren’t punishing on tyres, but it could be worth considering investing in a spare that you can at least keep at home in case you get a flat.

Question: I’m looking towards a new car, but have no idea where to start. Key things for me are: medium size that will allow bull bar to be fitted, as I do a lot of country road driving, so want to protect myself from wildlife; simple: I want minimum alarms, beeping noises, lane guidance, auto door locking, etc. I can drive and make my own decisions!; cruise control and nav is a must; hybrid or petrol; long warranty; up to $60,000. Any opinion welcome. – Murray

Answer: The bull bar will be your biggest challenge here. Most cars that are bull-bar-ready – or at least have bull bars engineered with factory backing (which has advantages with making them work with airbags and other safety systems) – are utes or hard-core 4x4 off-roaders, all of which have compromises for on-road driving.

But if you start your search with a Toyota RAV4 you’ll be kicking off with a brand that knows plenty about bull bars. That said, Toyota only offers nudge bars for the RAV4. However, there are aftermarket suppliers that provide bull bars for the RAV4, among other popular SUVs.

The RAV4 is also a great car to drive, although the cabin is feeling tired against fresher competition. It’s also now hybrid only and the simple but effective hybrid system does a terrific job.

A Honda CR-V hybrid is a terrific back-up and one that brings more interior pizazz.

A Kia Sportage is also a terrific option, in part because it comes with a seven-year warranty, which is two years longer than most. Plus, there’s a good hybrid option and the Sportage was recently named carsales’ Best Mid-Size SUV for 2024.

Question:

BYD acknowledges that some Attos have this issue and to varying degrees but to an acceptable level. I don’t agree that my level is acceptable. It is very annoying for such a quiet vehicle and at this common speed range. Wondering whether you are aware of this issue and maybe its cause and whether I can expect that BYD should solve the problem. – Robert

Answer: We’ve driven a few BYD Atto 3 EVs and haven’t experienced the same thing. Electric motors can occasionally whine – the Audi Q8 e-tron is one that loves a little whine here and there – but usually it’s fairly subtle.

If it’s as bad as you say then BYD should absolutely be attending to the issue.

Point out that you purchased the car based on a test drive of a vehicle that didn’t exhibit the same whining.

Tell them you expect the issue to be solved – and mention a thing called Australian Consumer Law, which points out that consumers have the right for repairs to be carried out for minor issues such as this. If not, maybe ask if you can swap it for an example that doesn’t whine.

Question: I hope you are exerting any pressure possible on governments to fast-track V2H technology in EVs and at home charging infrastructure. I want to be able to run my house with a combination of huge house battery (60-plus kilowatt-hours) and 10kW of solar panels and almost kiss goodbye my monthly energy bills. – Greg

Answer: Vehicle-to-home (V2H) or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) has been promised for years in Australia and currently there’s only one part of South Australia that allows punters to feed electricity from the car to the grid (there are other trials, including a large-scale one in the ACT).

The hold-up seems to be challenges with certification of the equipment required to facilitate the V2G functionality – the boxes currently cost about $10K – as well as the grid authorities being okay with having electricity flowing from a home battery into the grid (solar panels already feed back into the grid, so why it’s more challenging that that is a mystery).

Either way, I wouldn’t be holding your breath. The regulators appear to be in no hurry to do the checks and tick the boxes. And the jury is out on how big an impact it will have.

Keep in mind that once V2G becomes more widespread – assuming it does – the prices electricity is sold at, and paid for, will adjust to supply and demand. So in the same way as solar feed-in tariffs used to be very generous but have now retreated to almost nothing, there’s every chance V2G may not quite be the money spinner some are hoping for.

But, obviously, the lure of much lower bills will be fine for many – and EVs can certainly play a role there.

Also, with a 60kWh home battery do you really need a car to add to your energy storage? It seems there would be plenty there already to make the most of your solar system.

Question:

Safety and user-friendly settings and controls are extremely important to me as a solo driver. I want a long range capability so I can do extended road trips (I live on the Sunshine Coast which isn’t remote but some long drives to Brisbane etc) and although I’m concerned about using tyre kits, I think I’ll have to compromise on this feature as it’s almost universal in new cars.

I do not want charging hassles so would like ease of use and adaptability of charging cables and other aspects. I do not like Tesla for various reasons, particularly looking and fiddling with a single display to the left of vision.

And for this reason plus a number of negative reviews about significant flaws, I think I must reject the Volvo EX30 which really appealed for its size and many positive features. The other vehicles which have reasonably good reviews are the BYD Atto 3 and Seal, Hyundai Kona and the MG4 Essence or Long Range.

However, a number of reviewers have noted issues with each, commonly the oversensitive lane keeping/ brake assist etc. I’m most worried that some overreactive settings could cause collisions or hazards whilst driving. Also I’m not keen on having a smartphone dominate settings for the driveability of the car. Eg. what if the phone is damaged or lost? or malfunctions?

I’m keen to purchase an EV this month if possible. I hope you can help! – Claire

Answer: Hmm, it’s a tricky one because you’ll likely have to compromise somewhere.

The Volvo EX30 is a fantastic EV and its driver assistance systems work well (keeping in mind none are perfect) but the Tesla-inspired central screen and occasional complexities with navigating your way around it aren’t ideal. That said, if you invest some time getting used to it, you’ll end up with a terrific little EV.

If you’ve got room to move with timing, keep an eye out for the Kia EV5 that’s due in the next month or so. It’s shaping up to be great value and looks terrific (although we haven’t driven it yet).

And don’t rule out the MG4 – carsales’ Car of the Year in 2023. It’s a great little EV, even if the driver assist systems can be overzealous and its main screen requires some familiarisation to navigate.

You might want to steer clear of the Atto 3 for its cruise control and driver assist quirks.

Question: Would you be able to provide some information regarding a conversion of an X-TRAIL T31 to electric. Would it be feasible? Est cost? Someone in Brisbane area that may be able to do the conversion? – Phil

Answer: If by feasible you mean does it make sense or is it economically viable, then the answer is probably no.

Ultimately, almost anything is possible if you have enough money. And that’s the catch here. EV conversions are expensive, typically heading north of $50,000, some surpassing six figures.

So if your goal is to get behind the wheel of a decent-value EV for everyday running around then the new-car market will treat you a lot better.

It’ll almost certainly be cheaper to buy a new EV – with a brand-new body, suspension components and electronics – than to convert a circa-20-year-old Nissan.

But if the car has sentimental value or is collectible and you’re looking for a way to keep it on the road in the longer term, then an EV conversion could make sense.

But, again, it’s likely to leave a sizeable hole in your bank balance.

If you’ve got a question, email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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