Ask The Guide

 It could be that they’ve replaced their pumps and the flow was too high for your car. Try tempering the flow next time you fill at that servo, and to be sure fill at another servo to see if it does it at other stations or it’s just related to the newly renovated one.

The reality is that the chances of problems increases as the mileage climbs, so to expect a car to be trouble-free after 300,000 km is asking a lot. If the car you buy is in good condition, with a full service history then you stand a good chance, but it’s important to maintain the servicing and be prepared to fix anything that breaks or wears out, and hope it’s nothing major. Other makes are subject to the same provisos.

Fuel consumption is a difficult subject because there are a number of things that affect it that relate to you and the sort of driving you do, but the official fuel consumption figures come down on the side of the Mazda, 7.4 L/100 km compared to 7.7 L/100 km average for similar vehicles. Either one would be a good choice, but if fuel consumption is your determining feature then go for the CX-5.

Yes, you can, providing of course it’s the petrol engine and not the diesel.

It relates to the wheels. It’s E for E-Series, that’s the model, W for wheel, and C for 20-inch Supersports wheels with TPM (Tyre Pressure) monitors.

It depends on the specific model. The GVM varies from 2850 kg to 3200 kg; the GCM varies from 5735 kg to 6700 kg.

It’s an annoyance rather than a safety issue per se, one that’s related to the car’s computer system. By stopping and restating you are rebooting the computer, same as your computer when it shuts down for some unknown reason. The difficulty for those trying to find the problem is that it happens sporadically, and not necessarily when they are working on the car.

1800kg does seem low, but it’s before manufacturers began giving their vehicles a towing rating. I suggest you contact your state registration authorities or the RACQ and ask them.

No, it’s not normal, but it doesn’t mean it’s a lemon. It might only be a minor problem, so have a mechanic check it for you.

It depends on the specific model, but the private price guide for a 2006 VE Omega is $1500-$3400. Because of the paint problem yours would fall towards the lower end of that scale.