Mazda Problems

The Mazda 2 certainly meets your requirements of safety and reliability, but so too does the Toyota Yaris or Corolla, Hyundai i30, Kia Picanto or Rio.

Many owners have changed from a dual-mass flywheel when changing the clutch in their utes, and none have reported a major vibration problem after the change. I would doubt it is the flywheel that’s the problem, look elsewhere in the driveline.

I agree the head unit would be a logical thing to check. Mazda has a responsibility to fix the problem, so put the onus on them to come up with a solution, and keep the pressure on them until they do.

We can understand your feelings about the centrally-mounted screen in the Tesla, though you do get used to it surprisingly quickly.

As for the other models you’ve mentioned, we’ve had to get the crystal ball out to attempt to answer you!

The Polestar 2 will be on sale by the end of 2020, if all goes to plan. The company will be pushing hard to make that happen. 

The VW ID3 is likely not going to be here until 2021, likely the mid or latter part of that year. It certainly has a lot of potential, and with pricing set to start below $50,000, it could well be The People’s (Electric) Car. 

There are other options coming, though it depends on your diary and your budget.

You could consider the Tesla Model S, which may have been around for a while, but that also means it has a more traceable reliability history. It has a digital instrument cluster in the regular spot as well.

Have you looked at the Jaguar i-Pace? It has a claimed range of 470 kilometres, though it is on the pricey side of the equation, starting from about $125,000.

Indeed, a high price tag is a common theme among those EVs with big battery capacity and expansive driving range, because you’re basically covering the cost of the batteries with your money.

For instance, there’s the Audi e-tron quattro, which is due here in early 2020. That model will have a range of “more than 400 kilometres”, and - we suspect - a price tag above $120,000. 

The Mercedes EQC is about to go on sale, too. Range for that mid-size SUV is pegged at about 450 kilometres, but again, you can expect a high price tag.

If 2021 isn’t too long to wait, there’s the Volvo XC40 Recharge coming then. Based on our previous experience with Volvo XC40s, it’ll be a great small SUV, with predicted range of 400km - though we think that’s understating it, because it has a 78kWh battery pack, and it has AWD too.

At the more affordable end - though admittedly still not quite meeting your expectations for range - there’s the very impressive Hyundai Kona Electric, which has a WLTP range of 449km, and a price tag of around $65k. It isn’t all-wheel drive though.

And MG is about to launch a real upstart in the segment, with the ZS EV hitting showrooms soon for $46,990 drive-away, albeit with a range of 262km. It’s also FWD only. 

The Mini Cooper SE will also arrive in mid-2020, with pricing set to be less than $60k. But again, a range of 270km will likely rule it out for your needs, and its 2WD as well.

Another new small EV due next year is the Mazda MX-30. Pricing is still to be confirmed, and range isn’t great at about 300km. It’s FWD too. 

In short, at this point in time - and out towards the end of 2020 - it looks like you’ll either need to spend a big amount of money on a premium EV to get the best range possible, or you’ll have to get used to the Model 3’s screen. You could always get an aftermarket head-up display fitted…

It depends somewhat on the condition of the sand. If it’s well packed and solid all-wheel drive would suffice, but I wouldn’t rely on it on loose, deep sand. For that I would want a proper four-wheel drive.

The best approach is to buy a car from a well-respected brand, and stick with an Asian brand such as Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai or Kia rather than an European one. Models to consider would be a Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Hyundai i30 or Kia Cerato.

Opinions are divided on this subject, Steve, but there’s a school of thought that says you shouldn’t tow anything heavy in an overdrive gear. Manual-gearbox Toyota LandCruisers of the last 30 years or so are prime examples of this, and hauling a heavy load in fifth gear in these can destroy a gearbox real quick. But all vehicles will be better off with overdrive locked out while towing; it’s just kinder to the driveline. So, your decision to tow in fifth gear rather than sixth is a sound one.

The only catch with some vehicles is that both fifth and sixth gears are overdriven. But fifth gear in the BT-50’s automatic gearbox is not, it’s 1:1, so you should be fine as long as you don’t exceed the manufacturer’s towing limits at any stage.

As for putting bigger wheels and tyres on the BT-50, you’d actually be altering the gearing, making it taller, which means the vehicle may not cover ground as effortlessly as it does now. Hills and headwinds might require more throttle, too, and that will mean higher fuel consumption.

There’s not much between them, but the Honda is regarded as being a little better than the Nissan overall. It’s well-equipped, good value, and practical. Another to consider is the Mazda CX-5.