Ask The Guide

Mazda introduced this version of the CX-9 in mid-2016. There have been a couple of facelifts since then (including some specification and model shuffling, as recently as late last year) but there probably won’t be an all-new CX-9 for at least another few years. Based on the previous model’s eight-year lifespan, you could figure on 2024 or so for an all-new CX-9 and you might be getting close.

Petrol versions of the Hyundai i30 from this era have a rubber, toothed timing-belt. This is a clean, quiet running arrangement, but it does require replacement at 90,000km intervals. The advice is to change the tensioners, associated pulleys and the engine’s water pump at the same time as all these components wear out and are located in the same general area, making it a smart move to do all this work in one hit, rather than pull the engine apart a second time.

It doesn’t take much to throw a modern engine off its game when it comes to fuel consumption. Modern electronics control just about every function of today’s engines and a single sensor that is giving the on-board computer incorrect information can throw the tune way out of whack without affecting the way the vehicle feels to drive.

The best advice is to have the car scanned by a workshop with the appropriate equipment to see if the car’s computer has detected any faults or glitches (which it will have logged). This is a vastly better approach than simply replacing parts at random and hoping that the problem will go away.

I agree that 14.5 litres per 100km is too much fuel for this car, so something is definitely wrong, especially if the consumption has suddenly increased without any change in your driving habits.

Despite the price and BMW’s reputation, this series of X5 was not without its problems. Specific to the diesel-engined versions was a raft of things to watch out for when shopping for a second-hand X5. Those start with a poorly designed intake system which used small flaps in each inlet trat designed to create better air and fuel mixing and, therefore, more complete burning of the fuel. The problem was that these little flaps were secured by two screws each, and these could become loose and fall into the engine with catastrophic results. In some cases, the screws could even migrate into the turbocharger unit, destroying it.

Like many other brands of modern turbo-diesel, the X5 could also be afflicted by problems caused by a blocked Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). If the vehicle was used for urban work rather than highway running, the DPF could become clogged and unable to regenerate itself. Any X5 diesel with a `Service Engine Soon’ light illuminated on the dashboard is a potential problem child.

The car’s exhaust gas recirculation valve could also leak, causing faults within the emissions-control system, while the electronics associated with the fuel injectors could also be damaged by water entering the engine compartment.

Beyond the diesel engine, the rest of the X5 package was not without problems, either. Those can include electronic issues, poor water sealing around the body, noisy suspension and problems with petrol-engined variants as well. Fundamentally, this was not BMW’s finest hour quality-wise. It’s also worth noting that even though the BMW brand is a German one, this generation of X5s was manufactured in South Carolina in the USA.

The biggest complaint from owners of the earlier X-Trail turbo-diesel was a lack of low-down torque which gave the car a lazy feel when accelerating from rest. Nissan actually issued a Technical Service Bulletin (like a recall, but for a non-safety related issue) to reflash the turbo-diesel’s computer to increase boost pressure at low revs and give the car a livelier feel.

But like many modern turbo-diesels, the X-Trail has also been the victim of Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) problems where the engine never gets hot enough to cause the DPF to self-regenerate. The bottom line is that if you don’t drive the car at freeway speeds for at least 20 minutes once every few weeks, you could be setting the DPF up to fail. Replacing the DPF is a costly business, too, so make sure that your intended use for the vehicle fits with its mechanical requirements.

A diesel engine is also often more costly to own and maintain thanks to higher-cost, more frequent servicing that can easily offset the diesel’s lower fuel consumption compared with a petrol engine. Urban owners are drifting away from diesel powerplants and back to petrol engines, and that, frankly, makes a lot of sense.

There are so few of these things on the road even now, that it’s difficult to find patterns within the LDV’s reliability record. But a few things have emerged with enough frequency to call them trends. Those start with the electronics and, specifically, the body computer. Some owners have found that the central locking has problems (sometimes traced to a faulty drivers’ door actuator) while others have problems with the entertainment system.

Beyond that, shock absorbers seem to die young and some owners have reported grumbling noises and low-speed jerkiness from the driveline which has been traced back to the rear differential. Some dealers have replaced these units, only for the problem to recur sometime down the track. Overall, the LDV seems to have its problems, but many would-be buyers are prepared to allow for that based on the budget pricing of the LDV range. You get what you pay for…

The Hyundai brand has developed an enviable reputation in this country for reliability and quality. The brand’s warranty is also excellent, taking away even more buyer anxiety. With that in mind, the decision to go diesel or petrol comes down to the way you use the vehicle.

This applies to all brands, not just Hyundai, but if all (or most of) your driving will be urban or suburban based, then the petrol engine is for you. Yes, you’ll use a little more fuel than the diesel variant, but servicing costs could be a little lower and you’ll avoid the modern turbo-diesel’s biggest downfall; a blocked Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

The DPF is an emissions device that traps the soot from the diesel engine and burns it off at a later date. The problem with that is that the DPF can only burn off the soot and regenerate itself if the engine (and exhaust system) gets to a temperature high enough for this to happen. In urban running, that doesn’t just doesn’t happen, at which point the on-board computer will either try to force a regeneration (not always successful) or the DPF will have to be manually cleaned or even replaced (and that’s costly).

The bottom line, then, is that a turbo-diesel (even a modern one) is only for you if you will be driving the car at highway speeds for at least half an hour at least once a month (once a fortnight is better). If that’s how you use a car, then the diesel should be okay; if not, it’s petrol every time.

Even though modern cars are more reliable than they’ve ever been, you can still find yourself stranded beside the road or in a car-park in a situation that’s preventing you from being where you need to be. That’s where roadside assistance comes in.  These days, the major reasons for calling in the roadside assistance cavalry are likely to be for a flat tyre, a dead battery or simply the keys accidentally locked in the car. That said, when a modern car does refuse to start or run, fixing it is not necessarily the simple task it once was. Either way, roadside assistance will be your best friend when it happens.

The various state motoring clubs (in this case the NRMA) have had something of a stranglehold on this market for many decades, but that’s changed slightly in recent times. But those decades of experience have meant that the motoring clubs’ network of servicepeople (the actual folks who drive out to rescue you) are the biggest around and will reach even the farthest-flung corners of the land.

Roadside assistance cover usually costs from about $100 per year and can go all the way to more than $300 annually, depending on the type and scope of cover you choose. The variables include how far from your home address you want the cover to apply, how often you drive outside your home region, how much free towing you want included, how many cars you wish to be covered, whether you want other drivers covered in your car and whether you want extras such as free accommodation if you’re stranded, taxis and hire cars if your car is out of commission for a length of time. Other conditions can place a cap on the number of call-outs covered per year while some policies offer unlimited call-outs.

Increasingly, though, we’re seeing car companies offer a period of free roadside assistance thrown in when you buy a new car, and insurance companies are increasingly offering roadside assistance as part of their policy (sometimes as an extra-cost option).

Then there are the private companies offering roadside assistance, sometimes through a national network of service providers (usually mobile mechanic networks) and sometimes (particularly in regional areas) tapping into the motoring clubs’ network.  Don’t forget, too, that there are third-party websites that offer a comparison service to compare the various offers from one online location.

There are no hard and fast rules for what level of cover you need, and each provider has a range of terms and conditions that you need to understand before signing on the dotted line. You need to be absolutely sure that the policy you choose will cover you for all your driving and be aware that really basic policies are just that, and may not cover you beyond a certain distance from home. A good, if expensive, policy, however, will incorporate cover for you and others driving your car, regardless of where you happen to find yourself, as well as including a taxi or hire car to get home, a room in a motel if necessary and enough towing allowance to get the car back to a workshop for proper repairs.  The other thing to check is whether you’re covered once you’re off what’s called a gazetted highway (that is, an official road). Off-roaders should make doubly sure they’re covered when driving on tracks, as recovering a vehicle from the bush can be hugely expensive. Specialist insurers are a good place to shop for off-road mechanical assistance.

Even though modern cars are more reliable than they’ve ever been, you can still find yourself stranded beside the road or in a car-park in a situation that’s preventing you from being where you need to be. That’s where roadside assistance comes in.  These days, the major reasons for calling in the roadside assistance cavalry are likely to be for a flat tyre, a dead battery or simply the keys accidentally locked in the car. That said, when a modern car does refuse to start or run, fixing it is not necessarily the simple task it once was. Either way, roadside assistance will be your best friend when it happens.

The various state motoring clubs (in this case the RACQ) have had something of a stranglehold on this market for many decades, but that’s changed slightly in recent times. But those decades of experience have meant that the motoring clubs’ network of servicepeople (the actual folks who drive out to rescue you) are the biggest around and will reach even the farthest-flung corners of the land.

Roadside assistance cover usually costs from about $100 per year and can go all the way to more than $300 annually, depending on the type and scope of cover you choose. The variables include how far from your home address you want the cover to apply, how often you drive outside your home region, how much free towing you want included, how many cars you wish to be covered, whether you want other drivers covered in your car and whether you want extras such as free accommodation if you’re stranded, taxis and hire cars if your car is out of commission for a length of time. Other conditions can place a cap on the number of call-outs covered per year while some policies offer unlimited call-outs.

Increasingly, though, we’re seeing car companies offer a period of free roadside assistance thrown in when you buy a new car, and insurance companies are increasingly offering roadside assistance as part of their policy (sometimes as an extra-cost option).

Then there are the private companies offering roadside assistance, sometimes through a national network of service providers (usually mobile mechanic networks) and sometimes (particularly in regional areas) tapping into the motoring clubs’ network.  Don’t forget, too, that there are third-party websites that offer a comparison service to compare the various offers from one online location.

There are no hard and fast rules for what level of cover you need, and each provider has a range of terms and conditions that you need to understand before signing on the dotted line. You need to be absolutely sure that the policy you choose will cover you for all your driving and be aware that really basic policies are just that, and may not cover you beyond a certain distance from home. A good, if expensive, policy, however, will incorporate cover for you and others driving your car, regardless of where you happen to find yourself, as well as including a taxi or hire car to get home, a room in a motel if necessary and enough towing allowance to get the car back to a workshop for proper repairs.  The other thing to check is whether you’re covered once you’re off what’s called a gazetted highway (that is, an official road). Off-roaders should make doubly sure they’re covered when driving on tracks, as recovering a vehicle from the bush can be hugely expensive. Specialist insurers are a good place to shop for off-road mechanical assistance.

Even though modern cars are more reliable than they’ve ever been, you can still find yourself stranded beside the road or in a car-park in a situation that’s preventing you from being where you need to be. That’s where roadside assistance comes in.  These days, the major reasons for calling in the roadside assistance cavalry are likely to be for a flat tyre, a dead battery or simply the keys accidentally locked in the car. That said, when a modern car does refuse to start or run, fixing it is not necessarily the simple task it once was. Either way, roadside assistance will be your best friend when it happens.

The various state motoring clubs (in this case the RACV) have had something of a stranglehold on this market for many decades, but that’s changed slightly in recent times. But those decades of experience have meant that the motoring clubs’ network of servicepeople (the actual folks who drive out to rescue you) are the biggest around and will reach even the farthest-flung corners of the land.

Roadside assistance cover usually costs from about $100 per year and can go all the way to more than $300 annually, depending on the type and scope of cover you choose. The variables include how far from your home address you want the cover to apply, how often you drive outside your home region, how much free towing you want included, how many cars you wish to be covered, whether you want other drivers covered in your car and whether you want extras such as free accommodation if you’re stranded, taxis and hire cars if your car is out of commission for a length of time. Other conditions can place a cap on the number of call-outs covered per year while some policies offer unlimited call-outs.

Increasingly, though, we’re seeing car companies offer a period of free roadside assistance thrown in when you buy a new car, and insurance companies are increasingly offering roadside assistance as part of their policy (sometimes as an extra-cost option).

Then there are the private companies offering roadside assistance, sometimes through a national network of service providers (usually mobile mechanic networks) and sometimes (particularly in regional areas) tapping into the motoring clubs’ network.  Don’t forget, too, that there are third-party websites that offer a comparison service to compare the various offers from one online location.

There are no hard and fast rules for what level of cover you need, and each provider has a range of terms and conditions that you need to understand before signing on the dotted line. You need to be absolutely sure that the policy you choose will cover you for all your driving and be aware that really basic policies are just that, and may not cover you beyond a certain distance from home. A good, if expensive, policy, however, will incorporate cover for you and others driving your car, regardless of where you happen to find yourself, as well as including a taxi or hire car to get home, a room in a motel if necessary and enough towing allowance to get the car back to a workshop for proper repairs.  The other thing to check is whether you’re covered once you’re off what’s called a gazetted highway (that is, an official road). Off-roaders should make doubly sure they’re covered when driving on tracks, as recovering a vehicle from the bush can be hugely expensive. Specialist insurers are a good place to shop for off-road mechanical assistance.