Your questions answered: Which small EV or hybrid do you recommend?

While there’s lots of talk around the world about waning demand for EVs, there’s no shortage of interest – and questions on hybrids also continue to come to our YQA column.

We’ve got one reader asking how much they should charge their new EV, something that’s an important consideration given the two main types of battery chemistry currently in use.

Another wants to know where she should be looking for some sort of switch to electrification, and we’ve also got readers with much-loved ICE vehicles wondering whether it’s time to make the switch – one with a beautifully maintained Jeep and the other with a well-used Kia.

Question: What EV would you buy similar to Mazda3? We’re in our 70s, drive locally shopping, visiting a few regional trips per year. Melbourne to Geelong nine times a year for footy. Any suggestions? – Anne

Answer: EVs at the affordable end of the market are currently thin on the ground. The two best alternatives to something like a Mazda3 are the BYD Dolphin and the MG4.

Each sell from about. $40,000, which is more than you’d pay for a traditional hatch. You’ll get some of that back in lower running costs, including fuel/electricity and servicing, and EV subsidies in some states.

As for splitting those two, the BYD has a whole lot more equipment and a nicer cabin, while the MG has more driving pep and has just been crowned 2023 carsales Car of the Year. Both are worth a look.

The main hybrid alternative is a Toyota Corolla Hybrid. It’s a great car but has less cabin space than those two EVs.

The Honda Civic Hybrid is also a terrific hybrid but it’s quite expensive. Definitely worth a look if you’ve got the money and it pays back with a long list of equipment and decent fuel savings.

Question: We have a 2023 Tesla Model 3 single-motor. We are not sure on charging. Can we always charge up to 100 per cent after each drive or just do once per week? Very confused and don’t want to stuff battery life. – Jon and Lenny

Answer: Entry-level versions of Teslas – the ones sold as Rear-Wheel Drive – use a different battery chemistry to the dual-motor models. So whereas dual-motor Teslas recommend charging to 80 per cent for daily use (keeping full charges for road trips), the RWD models (with LFP batteries) recommend charging to 100 per cent regularly. So plug it in and top it up to full regularly.

Question: We're in our 70s and won't be going on any long driving trips anymore, but want a car that'll drive three hours there and three hours back. We have a 2013 Ford Territory Titanium diesel, 250,000km on the clock. It has ongoing overheating problems!!!

It's always been looked after and serviced on time. We've recently replaced the thermostat and the radiator. Now we're having the engine replaced (small crack) with a motor that's got 140,000km on the clock. This will cost us around $5000.

We had planned to drive it into the ground but we're very much out of love with it and would like to replace the motor then sell it. We'd like a petrol vehicle, maybe a mid-sized SUV, something with a bit of height for ease of getting in and out. We don't have the dollars for a new car and a second-hand runaround will do us just fine. We don't tow anything.

I'm wondering what you would suggest for us please? We live in Castlemaine and have no idea about how to approach this as we've always traded the old car in for a new car, but as we'll be getting something second-hand… what to do? Hoping you can help. – Barbara

Answer: Plenty of the many mid-size SUVs mount a solid case. High on the shortlist should be a Kia Sportage, which is available with various engines, including a little four-cylinder turbo that would work nicely for those longer trips.

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is also terrific buying, although strong demand for used examples means prices are high.

Also check out the Mazda CX-5, which has a classy cabin and excellent driving manners.

Question: Currently, I am driving a 2018 Jeep Compass Limited diesel which was first registered in May 2019. It has 51,000km on the clock. I am a little confused with varying opinions received.

It has been suggested I upgrade to remain in the new car market. Last week I had a service and the service technician complemented me on the care of my car though remarked there was only one thing wrong, it being a diesel engine, which astounded me a little. He is in favour of petrol engines.

I asked the salesman for his opinion who advised it was a good time to trade for optimal advantage. He advised all the new Compasses were now petrol but they had taken delivery of the final diesel Compass Trailhawk and suggested that to be the best option as in future it would be a sought-after car. He suggested the changeover price would be $35,000.

Other opinions received are to keep the car. The lady at the service department said people change over their Compasses every three years as once they reach 80,000km sometimes things go wrong with the car.

Hence my confusion. This is the third Compass I have owned and have never had any issues. My only requirements are heated seats and an automatic tailgate which this car does not have. It has proved difficult with a current back complaint wrestling with the tailgate.

I live in Red Cliffs which is a little way from Mildura and travel four days to Mildura and three times a year to Adelaide. I am 65 years old and unsure of the correct decision especially as I love my car.

I understand your passion for EVs but with limited charging stations I would not feel confident. I would be grateful for your opinion and suggestions on a vehicle to consider if upgrading was pertinent. Thank you for your time. – Suzie H

Answer: Keep in mind that a dealer may not be the best person to provide impartial advice on when to sell your car. If they get the numbers right dealers make money on every transaction, so the more sales they can complete the more potential they have to earn money.

Similarly, a blanket comment about cars over 80,000km having more issues isn’t particularly helpful. Yes, the older a car is and the further it’s driven the more likely it’ll be to need some work. But equally, cars can go a lot further than 80,000km without major issues.

If you’re not sure, we’d suggest sticking with your current car – which seems to be in good condition – for another year or two at least. By then there will be better options on the market.

And don’t worry about demand for a used diesel SUV. At the right price there will always be someone around who wants it.

Question: I have been offered a 2016 RAV4 AWD petrol which would be terrific as a mini camper to tour the country. I am wondering if petrol will be around long enough for me to get good use out of the car, say three years, and be able to sell it? Or will petrol cars be worth nothing? – Charmaine T

Answer: Petrol will be around for not only many years to come but many decades to come, even once the new car market shifts wholly to zero CO2 emissions (which is also at least 10-20 years away). So don’t stress about being able to buy petrol.

In terms of what petrol cars will be worth in future it’s impossible to say because there are so many external factors that could impact that, key among them being the price of fuel.

If petrol prices surged to $5 a litre, for example, then you’d imagine cars powered by petrol may not be too popular. But it’s difficult to imagine any radical changes, including to the demand for cars powered by petrol.

Sure, we’ll be buying more EVs in future, but there will also likely be healthy demand for cars such as a Toyota RAV4.

Question: Toby could you advise on who produces the most up to date maps of roads and a compatible GPS? – Bob M

Answer: Stick with your phone Bob. There are plenty of mapping apps that’ll use the inbuilt GPS functionality of your phone. It’s a lot cheaper and simpler than buying a separate GPS unit.

Google Maps is always pretty reliable. Plus you can download sections of maps so that you still have functionality if your phone is out of mobile range.

Question: Hello! Hopefully you can reaffirm, my mechanic doesn’t want to fix some things in my Kia Sedona (which has done 395,000km) as he said it will be costly.

The exhaust close to converter is broken so it’s making noise, but I can still drive it. There is a leaking that we don’t know what it is but I’m guessing is the power steering as every month or two I have to refill the liquid and every time I make turns it starts to make noise.

I’m thinking that is time to buy a new car, it’s just that the engine runs well and the whole unit inside looks so good and strong. In your opinion is my mechanic right? – Pilar

Answer: Your mechanic is in a much better position than us to make that call because he or she has seen the car and driven it. It’s impossible for us to determine what the likely repairs will be.

We would point out that 395,000km is a pretty good run for your Kia… The repairs may well cost more than the value of the car. It could be time to offload a car that could potentially start costing you more trouble than it’s worth.

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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