Your questions answered: Which sub-$100K car should I buy with a full-sized spare?

Our readers are getting out and about this week, many going in search of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

It kicks off with one traveller who covers a large chunk of the country and doesn’t want to do it without a full-size spare wheel. Fortunately, there are options (albeit not many!).

We’ve also got a family wanting to make the EV switch, but only to a plug-in hybrid that means no charging on road trips.

Downsizing slightly is someone looking to replace a compact SUV with something fresher and with the latest gear.

Plus, there’s heavy hauling a caravan and someone wondering what Denza is. All is explained below.

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

Question: Most of my driving is done on remote roads in the Northern Territory, outback South Australia, and western NSW. Having too frequently blown tyres I am uncomfortable with vehicles with runflat or space-saver tyres.

Can you recommend any new vehicles up to about $100K that come with a full-size spare? I don’t need a four-wheel drive. – Bob

Answer: Wow, it sounds like you see some great parts of the country!

As you’re no doubt aware, cars with full-sized spare wheels are a rarity these days, especially in the luxury market.

One option is to carry an extra spare, either in the car or on a roof rack. But in both instances there are significant compromises. It’s certainly better to have one integrated into the car.

And, of course, most utes and four-wheel drives have a full-sized spare, but they bring compromises elsewhere, particularly with ride comfort in utes. When you’re dragging around all the hardware to do serious off-road work there are inevitable compromises with how the car behaves on-road.

A terrific more on-road option that comes with a full-sized spare is the Hyundai Santa Fe. It’s a surprisingly good car, especially the hybrid model. And for the type of driving you’re doing it would be an excellent choice.

If you don’t need quite that much space look at the Subaru Outback. It comes in a long way under your $100K budget but is a great value wagon that also has a full-size spare.

Kia also pops full-size spares in a lot of its cars (it’s a sister brand to Hyundai, which does the same).

The latest Sportage is a great option and comes lavishly appointed once you get the GT-Line model. In some ways, though, one of the lesser variants on taller profile tyres may work better for your driving.

There’s also a diesel option in the Sportage, which could be good for your outback touring, or the hybrid is also a great alternative.

Also, blowouts are usually a result of slow leaks. The tyre will lose pressure then heat builds up as the tyre deflates until the point where it eventually goes bang.

Having tyre pressure sensors can save blowouts by giving you an early warning of a puncture. So if the car you’re looking at doesn’t have sensors built in, consider buying a set of aftermarket tyre pressure sensors. There are many that screw onto the valve and send the pressures to a solar-powered display that sits on the dash. They’re not that expensive and are super useful for the sort of driving you’re doing.

Question: I am planning to travel with a three-tonne caravan and have purchased a brand-new Ford Everest Platinum.

Would this be a good choice, or should I consider investing in a Toyota LandCruiser or Lexus LX instead? – Gursel

Answer: The Ford Everest Platinum will be a terrific tow vehicle and should do the job nicely. Its V6 engine is easily up to the task and the rest of the car is comfy and great for getting out and exploring.

I wouldn’t be in a mad rush to replace it given you’ve just bought it.

If you did step up to the Lexus or Toyota LandCruiser you’ll be getting a slightly bigger vehicle. You’ll also get a bit more refinement and grunt from the V6 diesel (which is the engine to pick if you go for the Lexus).

The one thing to keep in mind with any of those is your payload when towing.

None have a brilliant payload to start with and once you throw a big trailer out the back it seriously impacts it.

I’ve crunched the numbers so you’ve got an idea.

With your Everest Platinum the payload with a three-tonne caravan is 342kg. Remember, that includes people, luggage, camping gear and anything else you’re taking along for the ride.

The Lexus LX500d Sports Luxury can carry just 290kg when you’ve got a three-tonne van out back and the LandCruiser Sahara is limited to 350kg.

Question: We are looking for a plug-in hybrid EV that will double as a regular commuter (30km maximum per day) and family holiday vehicle. The ‘wife acceptance factor’ of queuing for fast-chargers on a trip is low, so we are looking for a PHEV to allow (near) zero emissions all year apart from holidays.

We have off-street parking with a powerpoint so daily charging is not an issue. Comfortable space for five and plenty of boot space for luggage and beach equipment are the key criteria.

My list so far is quite short: Mitsubishi Outlander and BYD Sealion 6. Any other suggestions? – Jeff

Answer: There are not a whole lot of plug-in hybrid options in the mid-sized SUV segment right now but there are more coming (including from Toyota).

Of the two you’ve shortlisted the BYD is the pick, in part because of the price but also because of the hybrid system. Since the Sealion 6 had a price adjustment recently it’s turned into a seriously good value proposition, allowing people to get a PHEV for around the same price (or less) as a regular petrol-only hybrid.

And its hybrid system is great with more of an emphasis on the electric motors. Whereas the Mitsubishi wants to bring the engine into the equation much sooner, the Sealion 6 has more grunt from its electric motor/s, in turn allowing it to act more like an EV.

The Sealion 6 isn’t as adept in corners as the Outlander, but it’s certainly acceptable. And once you stack up all the gear it has for the money it makes a lot of sense.

Another one to look at is the GWM Haval H6GT, which claims to have up to 180km of EV range. It’s not as cheap as the BYD but packs plenty in.

Question: Do you know anything about the Denza B5?

Answer: Denza is the luxury brand of BYD, sort of like what Lexus is to Toyota. It’s coming to Australia this year and looks like it will follow a similar value-focussed approach to BYD.

I’ve driven the B5 – also known as the Bao 5 and sometimes wearing Fang Cheng Bao badging – very, very briefly in China. It was around a carpark and only for a few minutes. But it was enough to learn that there’s no shortage of grunt.

The B5 is a plug-in hybrid, so can be recharged externally, but also has a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine as a back-up for longer trips. In that sense it’s similar to what’s in the BYD Shark 6.

Electric motors do most of the driving and it builds pace nicely. The cabin is also nicely presented with an upmarket flavour.

Like the Toyota Prado and Ford Everest it looks like it’s competing with, the B5 rides on a ladder frame architecture designed to provide it with proper off-road nous. That’s something I didn’t get to try in the carpark!

What the B5 doesn’t have, obviously, is the brand recognition and history that is so important in the luxury market.

But if you make the offer compelling enough it could be plenty for some to try out something a bit different.

Question: I am looking to replace my wife’s 2018 Subaru XV. I have been comfortable knowing the auto braking technology on her XV is protecting her and the public.

I am looking to replace her car now with a same or similar mid-sized SUV and keen to understand which offerings have the best safety tech to protect her in the years ahead. I am flexible on budget based on merit of the options.

Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated. – John

Answer: The XV was officially a compact SUV and as you may know has now been rebranded as the Crosstrek.

It’s still decent buying in that compact SUV space, although its 2.0-litre engine is feeling undernourished these days, especially against many of the hybrids available.

In terms of something fresher to get into, there’s a sea of options.

A Toyota Corolla Cross is a great place to start. It’s still a small SUV but is larger than your Subaru. It’s got an excellent hybrid system and is a practical size. Plus, it has the latest driver assistance systems that everything in that segment gets, from auto braking and speed sign recognition to driver monitoring and blind-spot warning.

Also check out the Honda HR-V and ZR-V, the latter slightly larger and tending towards a mid-sized SUV. Each is excellent in terms of value, driving manners and features.

However, the HR-V only has four seats (which sounds like it won’t be an issue for you) and misses out on blind-spot warning in the base model.

Each also has an excellent hybrid option although on the ZR-V it’s only on the top-of-the-range model, which makes it expensive.

The Hyundai Kona is also terrific buying and is available in a range of flavours. The entry-level 2.0-litre engine is nothing special, but the 1.6-litre turbo in all-wheel-drive models is nicer, as is the hybrid system.

If you want a little more luxury and aren’t too worried about space (the back seats are tiny), the Lexus LBX is a terrific option. It has some great finishes in the cabin to give it more of a luxury flavour and it drives well.

The Volvo XC40 is also great value in that mid-to-compact SUV segment. As with all luxury marques there’s a price for the badge, but it’s also a convincing car.

Also don’t get too reliant on the auto braking in your Subaru or any car. The systems are marketed as driver assistance tech that still very much relies on the driver. They make no guarantees about being able to avoid a crash. Yes, they could potentially avoid a crash altogether but in a lot of instances they may only reduce its severity.

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