Safety

As I travel an average of 50,000 kilometres every year in my car I believe the less distraction I have when driving the better. I have a mobile phone driving solution with two Apps, Trigger and Safe Text Answering Machine. Safe Text allows the phone to reject texts, and incomings calls if wanted, by sending a return text message automatically. The Trigger App senses the presence of the car's Bluetooth connection and opens for turning on prior to driving. It then senses the car's Bluetooth disconnecting after the drive to turn off Safe Text. I am never again distracted by incoming texts whilst driving and I believe all mobile phones and cars should be equipped with these functions.

I am the loyal reader with the trusty Corolla with 266,000km on it, which will only bring $250 as a trade-in, on the brink of replacing it with a Mazda 3 as you recommended. I can get a new Mazda3 Neo for $22,900 which includes rear sensors as standard. There is a $1600 safety pack option that does not include a rear-vision camera but has "smart city braking, rear cross traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring". Is the safety "upgrade" worth it?