Your questions answered: Which small SUVs should I consider?

Budget week also seems to have some of our readers keeping an eye on their four-wheeled budget.

It starts with someone shopping for a small SUV, either new or used. With a budget of $30,000, it steers them in an obvious direction.

Plus there’s someone looking to go electric and travel around twice as far as most people do in a year. They’re concerned the battery warranty on the car they’re looking at doesn’t go far enough.

Fortunately for them, there is a welcome catch...

And should someone be worried about splashing out on a Nissan with so much uncertainty about the future of the brand?

Finally, someone interested in an electric Skoda is curious as to why it’s more expensive than similar cars from the Volkswagen family.

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

Question: Wanting to know, with a budget of $30,000 drive away, am I better off buying new and, if so, what five vehicles should I look at? Or, if buying a low-kilometre second-hand vehicle, what five should I look at. All need to be small SUVs. – Steve

Answer: Buying a near-new second-hand car will generally yield better value because you’re not copping the single biggest hit of depreciation that typically occurs in the first year of ownership.

But, obviously, you may have to compromise on some things, such as colour and the exact model. And shopping for a used car means doing some research on the history of the car you’re looking at.

Still, there are some great options and you’ll get a better selection of models given your $30,000 price ceiling.

So here’s what my small SUV shortlist would look like:

A surprising all-rounder that isn’t as small as some. Great value and good to drive.

Classier than most for the money and with great driving credentials.

Something of a return to form for Honda with a car oozing value. There are only four seats, but the HR-V gives those four people decent space.

It’s smaller than the others here but that means you can get something newer. Honest if uninspiring.

Also towards the smaller side but packed with personality, in part thanks to its three-cylinder turbo. No shortage of decent used car value either.

Question: Just enjoyed a couple of articles about the BYD Shark 6. Very interesting.

I need a tray back; I’m currently driving a Ford Ranger. The hybrid Ranger will not be available as a cab-chassis.

Could I ask you to find out about the BYD for me?

A hybrid would suit a farmer so well as the vast majority of days are under 80km. – Stuart

Answer: It’s understood a cab-chassis version of the Shark 6 is under development and the Australian importer has previously expressed its interest. No word on when that may occur.

We touched base with BYD and it wasn’t giving any clues as to when one could arrive.

However, it did say that is was “very clear” that it didn’t recommend people modifying the current utes to turn them into a cab-chassis.

Question: I am looking to upgrade my existing EV and number one on my shopping list is the new Mini Cooper SE.

I test drove it and loved it. My initial concerns of it being made in China were almost quashed apart from one thing – the battery warranty.

BMW EVs have an eight-year/200,000km warranty, but the mini only gets an eight-year/100,000km warranty. As someone who drives 20,000km to 30,000km a year, it just doesn’t offer me much confidence.

The GWM Ora, which I guess you could call a cousin of the Mini, has an eight-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

I am extremely concerned with the rather poor warranty on the battery; it seems to be one of the worst out there. Is the Mini battery poorer quality or have the potential for issues, compared to BMWs or any other vehicle out there with a superior warranty?

Is Mini potentially going to increase the kilometre component at some point in the future? – Michael

Answer: The latest Mini Cooper is a great fun little car, especially in EV guise. And, as you point out, there’s some GWM hardware beneath the skin as part of a co-development between the two brands.

And while it’s built in China, there’s a thoroughly British flavour and quality feel throughout.

As for the battery and its warranty, Mini assures us this is a typo in the warranty brochure and that the Mini EVs actually have a 160,000km battery warranty, matching that of parent company BMW. An update to the brochure is apparently in the wings.

If you’re buying before they update that warranty document it could be worth getting something in writing from the dealer confirming your battery warranty extends to eight years or 160,000km.

Question: We are seeking a medium-size hybrid SUV and are tossing up between the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser and Nissan X-Trail Ti-L. They seem similarly priced. The X-Trail seems to have more bells and whistles and a better towing capacity (our boat and trailer are apparently 1650kg – we will rarely tow it).

We are a little concerned re Nissan's future with the proposed merger with Honda falling through. What will that do to its 10-year/300,000km warranty?

Advice re future resale would be appreciated though we will probably keep it for a long time.

Would you suggest looking at any other models? – Tim

Answer: The X-Trail E-Power is a great car with a hybrid system that does things a bit differently. Two electric motors are the only things driving the wheels, with the petrol engine used to create electricity as required.

It works nicely, although isn’t quite as economical as the RAV4.

As for Nissan’s future, like all Japanese brands the pressure is rising as Chinese car makers start to get a whole lot more competitive.

The proposed Honda-Nissan merger has taken a step backwards, but recent reports suggest a version of it could also be revived.

We’d expect something to happen – either between those Japanese brands or with brands from other countries – because consolidation seems the name of the game as manufacturers like Nissan and Mitsubishi look to lower costs and ramp up their competitiveness, especially in the electrified space.

As for future resale values, that’s anyone’s guess and it all depends on their desirability in the used car market.

No one can guarantee what a car will be worth a year or five or 10 down the track.

It’s difficult to see Nissan as a brand disappearing altogether. While its ownership structure may change, we’d still expect to see Nissans being built in future.

Question: I am going to buy an SUV EV soon. I am trying to rationalise why the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro is approximately $67K on the road, the Cupra Tavascan Endurance is $66K on the road, but the Skoda Enyaq Sportline is $76K on the road.

My understanding is that three cars have basically the same mechanicals. So can you explain why the Enyaq is around $10K more? – Marty

Answer: Volkswagen had initially planned to charge a lot more for the ID.4 but adjusted its expectations when prices of EV rivals were lowered (Tesla being the big one).

The Cupra Tavascan is another one that was priced more recently so is arguably more in line with where the market is (Cupra has been offering circa-$20K discounts on the Born EV).

Pricing for the Skoda Enyaq, meanwhile, was announced last September when things were a tad rosier in the EV space. The Enyaq is also slightly larger than those other two.

And, yes, you’re right in that the three share an architecture (Volkswagen’s MEB platform) and many components.

But there are obviously differences in specification, design, details and so on.

Obviously as a consumer you can shop around and pick the one that you deem the best value. And some dealers seem to be sharpening the price on Enyaqs they have in stock, so keep an eye out for deals, too.

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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