Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia e-Niro?
Which is the best electric car - Hyundai Kona or Kia Niro?
Patrick Garvey (Carrickmacross)Nov 2019 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi Patrick,
Both are very good indeed, and that’s perhaps not surprising as they’re both basically the same car, using the same batteries and motor. The e-Niro, for us, nudges slightly ahead simply because it’s larger and more practical inside, but the Hyundai is a little sharper to drive, and arguably more stylish on the outside. Worth also considering the Kia e-Soul — again, the same batteries and motor, but stylish both inside and out.
Our reviews to help you decide:
Which fuel to get for lots of commuting?
Hello,
I have a 1.4-litre 171 hatchback Volkswagen Polo with manual transmission and a diesel engine. I drive approx 100km a day five days a week for work, and the car currently has a mileage of approx 116,000km on the clock. Given that diesel and petrol cars are currently being phased out of the market, what's the best car for me to invest in, going forward given that I drive long distance and also do a lot of driving in cities? Is hybrid or electric the best option for long distance commuting and city driving?
Thanks
Anne O'Sullivan (Cork)Oct 2019 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Anne,
Is that a 100km round trip every day? Or 100km each way? Either way, you could potentially get away with a fully-electric car, assuming that you can charge at home and charge again at work. Either way, though, you’ll have to spend big and go for one of the latest electric cars with a 50kWh or 62kWh battery, such as the Hyundai Kona Electric or the new Renault Zoe. What could well be an easier (and much cheaper) option would be to go for a hybrid. There’s only one hybrid-engined car in the Polo-size class at the moment, and that’s the Toyota Yaris. The current version is pretty good, but there is an all-new one coming next year, so you might be best off waiting for that to appear. By then, the new Honda Jazz, also a hybrid, should be available. Or, you could keep it a lot simpler and go for a new Polo with the excellent 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine. It'll be tough to beat your diesel Polo for outright economy, though.
Lot of electric car questions for you...
Is there a map of the electric charging points available to the public in Ireland? Is there an app for this? Which brands sell electric cars that can be charged at home at night-rate electricity charges? Is the battery capacity of electric cars much improved and what range can you expect now as 2019 ends?
Sharon Jackson (Kiltegan)Oct 2019 Filed under: electric cars
Expert answer
Hi Sharon,
OK, let’s deal with these questions one-by-one. There are a number of apps available that can give you the locations, availability and in-or-out-of-service condition of charging points. The ESB provides that through its e-Cars app, and there’s a very good independent one called Zapp Map, which also covers the whole of the UK if you’re planning any longer journeys.
All current electric cars (pretty much all brands will have at least one on sale by the end of next year, but for the moment the big players are Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Mercedes, Nissan, Renault, Tesla and Volkswagen) can be charged at home overnight on cheap rate electricity. The crucial question there is not the car, but your electricity provider and the tariff plan that you’re on.
Finally, battery capacity has been hugely improved in the past few years and, although that does come with a cost penalty, the average useable range of an electric car has gone up dramatically. Generally speaking you should expect to get at least 250-300km from most mainstream models now, with as much as 450km available from some of the more expensive cars.
Most economical 1.4-litre cars?
What is the most economical 1.4 petrol or diesel car in Ireland, max 2015?
Ed Burke (Cork)Expert answer
Hi Ed,
That is an answer that will vary massively depending on which model of car you’re talking about. There are some Hyundai i30s and Kia Ceeds from around that era that came with a 1.4 diesel engine that would be hugely economical. You might be able to track down some Peugeot or Citroen models (a 2008 would be a good choice) with a 1.4 HDi diesel engine that’s good on juice, too. There’s also the Toyota Corolla or Auris D-4D, or if you don’t fancy diesel, the same cars with the 1.33-litre VVTi petrol engine, which was not too thirsty.
Which SUV for up to €23,000?
Looking for a mid-size SUV worth up to €23,000, at max two years old. Something stylish inside and out, quick and reliable. What should I go for?
Aaron Joyce (Limerick)Jul 2019 Filed under: choosing used car
Expert answer
Hi Aaron,
How about a Ford Kuga? That budget would get you into a nearly-new 191 or 182 1.5 TDCi, and it’s a bit of an underrated car — good to drive, roomy and nicely built. A sum of €23,000 obviously buys you a lot of either the ubiquitous Hyundai Tucson or Nissan Qashqai. How about a Mazda CX-5 instead? Gorgeous to look at, great to drive and with a 150hp engine, it’s not slow either. You could also think of a Peugeot 3008, a SEAT Ateca, a previous-generation Toyota RAV4 (better to drive than you might think), or a Volkswagen T-Roc.
What's up with my i40's auto gearbox?
Hi,
I have a 2014 Hyundai i40 and recently I face an issue with the car. It's in D mode automatic, but during the journey the transmission shifts to manual by itself. What will be the problem be and what should I do?
ASHFAQUE HUSSAIN (RIYADH )Jul 2019 Filed under: automatic
Expert answer
Hi Ashfaque,
We've not heard of a widespread issue with this in the i40, to be honest. If you're sure there's no way you could be accidentally shifting it into manual mode yourself, then the best advice is to bring the car along to a good mechanic to have it checked over. It may be best to bring it to a Hyundai dealer.
When to replace the Santa Fe's timing belt?
I have just taken on a 2.2 Hyundai Santa Fe with over 99,000 on the clock; when do I need to replace the timing belt?
George Penman (George)Apr 2019 Filed under: servicing
Expert answer
Hi George,
The 2012-2018 Santa Fe 2.2 used a timing chain. The model before that used a timing belt in its 2.2-litre diesel engine and the change intervals for it are 160,000 kilometres (100,000 miles) or 10 years - whichever comes first. If your car's belt has never been done then you really should look at getting it done as soon as you can.
Does the Hyundai Kona meet UK ULEZ?
Does the Hyundai Kona CRDi 136 DCT meet the Euro 6 emissions zone for inner London?
Anthony McNeill (London UK)Expert answer
Hi Anthony,
Yes, the Kona CRDi DCT does meet the ULEZ standards, as it has a Euro 6-compliant engine (Euro 6.2 C and D-Temp).
Thoughts on the Subaru XV 1.6 CVT?
Hi, your good work is much appreciated.
Every so often I take it into my mind to change what is by now a seven-year-old car. And when I do, a lot of questions come to mind and so my recent questions are on long term costs of hybrids (which seem to be taking over the market) and on the Hyundai Santa Fe. The latter I wouldn't really have considered, except I was in a dealership and was very taken by it. But on mature reflection, the cost of changing simply can't be justified.
Recently I came across material on the Subaru XV 1.6, which hadn't been on my radar, but which seems on paper to have a lot going for it. But I'm rather concerned about the CVT gearbox. There's an American mechanic on YouTube, who seems very experienced, who argues that this technology has yet to prove its long term reliability and that, after 60,000 miles, they can give rise to problems. Even Toyota, with its claim to excellence, has recently done a recall in the States to replace the transmission. Secondly, also there are conflicting views on whether the engine might be described as gutless. Anyway, that's where my researches have got me and I would very much welcome your views.
Thanks in advance
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Mar 2019 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
In general, we wouldn’t see CVTs as a major issue when it comes to reliability. Yes, Toyota has just issued a recall on some models, but this is pretty well par for the course — all car makers issue recalls all the time. If you want to gauge the reliability of CVTs, just look at how many older Toyota Prius there are, still running about.
As for the Subaru XV itself, we wouldn’t have any major concerns over reliability — Subarus are built pretty tough — but you are right to say that the 1.6 engine is gutless. Entirely so, as it happens. It’s a shame, as the XV is actually a pretty nice car in most other respects. There is a 2.0-litre version, which is worth considering, and a new hybrid version too, but we’d avoid the 1.6 for just being frustratingly slow.
Thoughts on the Subaru XV with CVT?
Hi,
Every so often I take it into my mind to change what is by now a seven-year-old car. And when I do a lot of questions come to mind and hence my recent questions on long term costs of hybrids (which seem to be taking over the market) and on the Hyundai Santa Fe. The latter I wouldn't really have considered, except I was in a dealership and was very taken by it.
But on mature reflection, the cost of changing simply can't be justified. Recently I came across material on the Subaru XV 1.6, which hadn't been on my radar, but which seems on paper to have a lot going for it. But I'm rather concerned about the CVT gearbox. There's an American mechanic on YouTube who seems very experienced who argues that this technology has yet to prove its long-term reliability and that after 60k miles (sic) they can give rise to problems. Even Toyota, with its claim to excellence, has recently done a recall in the States to replace the transmission.
Secondly, also there are conflicting views on whether the engine might be described as gutless. Anyway, that's where my researches have got me and I would very much welcome your views.
Thanks in advance
Philip
Philip Donegan (Ballina)Mar 2019 Filed under: reliability
Expert answer
Hi Philip,
Well, there’s a lot of ground to cover there… Yes, the 1.6 engine in the XV is a touch gutless. In fact, it’s very gutless and its fuel consumption suffers dreadfully as a result. A 2.0-litre XV is actually more frugal in day-to-day driving, to be honest, simply because you’re not having to rev it so hard and so much.
As for the CVT, we doubt that there would be any serious issues in the longer term. I’m sure the guy on YouTube means well, but just check out how many older Toyota Prius models are still happily running around with their CVTs — that should give you some idea of how solid they are. Yes, there has been a recent recall, but one recall on some specific cars doesn’t mean that there’s a major issue with all such equipment.