Ask the expert: Which car has a driver’s seat that’s not too high or low?

Wanted: a driver’s seat that’s not too high, not too low, in a sedan with some grunt. Our expert gives some good advice

Subaru Brumby.

What are your views on the Subaru Liberty 2.5i Premium? I am looking for a sedan with some grunt and I also need the front seat at a level that I can slide into and not drop down.

Subaru Liberty 2.5i Premium. Picture: Thomas Wielecki

The Liberty has everything else that I want. My budget is $40,000.

Kathryn Kelly, email

The Liberty is very good, gets The Tick from me and ticks your boxes, too. It’s a great choice.

 

EURO-STYLE HANDS-ON

Do you know of any form of driving education for people who want to drive overseas, in Europe specifically? We are planning to travel in Italy, Switzerland and Austria next year and I want to hire a car there. I would like to do some training in advance, preferably hands-on, so that I have some exposure to driving on the other side of the road.

Lawrence Cecconello, email

None of my driver training contacts has what you need, because of the difficulty in creating a real-life training situation with left-hand drive cars and properly marked roads. You would be best to try a school in your first European destination for some hands-on tuition.

 

PLAY TO THE WHISTLE

Re the variance in definitions of car sizes. Citing the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries is a cop-out. I have long wondered why Toyota Camrys are regarded as medium cars — when I parked my VZ Holden Commodore between an FG Ford Falcon and a Camry it looked the smallest. Just because the Camry has a four-cylinder engine doesn’t mean it’s medium. Are you going to call a four-cylinder Falcon medium? Just because the FCAI can’t get it right it doesn’t mean journalists have to follow suit. There is no law against telling it as you see it.

Barry Tennant, email

On this topic the FCAI is the umpire and, since we play in the motoring world, we abide by its ruling on car sizes and classes.

 

ACCURACY AT A COST

My Lexus NX is now just over two years old. I recently asked about updating the navigation maps and Lexus head office quoted $717.34 to update with “the latest available” — but was unable to nominate how current that update would be. I’m told Ford mapping updates cost in the $110-$200 range, while Hyundai currently has free updates with every service.

Lexus NX200T.

I am unconvinced by the Lexus claim that the seemingly excessive cost is due in part to development costs. What is the general cost across the industry of updating maps?

Tom Lyons, email

Updates vary wildly in cost and accuracy. Lexus spokesman Nick Raman says: “The reason is the amount of work and the stages involved. The data is firstly obtained from a map supplier and then reformatted to suit our system to ensure it operates appropriately. It is then sent to Lexus International for their testing and approvals, followed by further local testing and validation before it is signed off and made available to the customer.”

 

STABLE STAPLE

I am looking for a used car to tow a horse float once a week but also be practical in terms of regular driving to work and carting kids around. The float is 1.2 tonnes, the horse is 600kg and there is gear for two children. My budget is $25,000 and on my list I have Ford Territory AWD diesel, Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero.

Jo Deed, email

The Prado has the best reputation and would be great for towing but, when you consider the budget, the Pajero is my first choice and gets The Tick.

 

POWER HUNGRY

Why don’t you disclose the power-to-weight ratio of cars you review? For example, in the case of the Chevrolet Camaro SS and the Ford Mustang Coupe in last week’s cover story, the Camaro’s ratio is 4.9:1 and the Mustang is 5.68:1. I think that this is a most helpful measure and one that I end up having to do on every car you report on, as long as the power and weight figures are provided. I think that it would enhance your beaut reports.

Tony Taggart, email

What you suggest is fine for an enthusiast publication but we are focused on real cars for real people. Power-to-weight is something that would never come into their shopping priorities.

 

WIPED

At my last service on my 2012 Ford Focus I asked the dealership to replace my wiper blades, which were in need of replacement, thinking I’d be up for $30 fitted. Imagine my surprise when I was charged $126 for bits of rubber and plastic. When I queried this with the service department, I was told that the car was European — ignoring the fact that they are currently built in Thailand — and that $26 per year was a reasonable outcome.

Matthew Wallace, email

That’s definitely one for The Kick file.

MAKE LIGHT WORK OF IT

Re your report on the BMW ute concept. The only way BMW could make a quid out of their ute proposal would be to base it on the 1 Series and target the gap in the market once filled by the Subaru Brumby and the mighty Datsun 1200 ute.

Subaru Brumby.

The only contender we’ve had in the past 20-plus years was the Proton Jumbuck, which was not so good when it came to actually doing work.

Danny Riley, email

The BMW was just a bit of fun but there might be interest in a lightweight ute in Australia, provided it has much better quality and safety than the Jumbuck (only two stars from ANCAP).