Why is a rear wiper not fitted as standard?

HELPDESK:Answering all your motoring queries

From J McKeown: I bought a new Hyundai i20 Classic for my wife last week. I only noticed on the day that there was no rear wiper on the back window. I mentioned it to the salesman and he said they don’t come with a rear wiper as standard on the Classic version.

I drove the car home still thinking about this, as we had a ‘03 Getz from new and even it had a rear wiper.

The car is lovely to drive and very comfortable but the rear wiper issue is really starting to bug my wife. She uses the M50 four or five times a week and it has been raining when she was on it. The rear window gets dirty quickly with the amount of dirt thrown up by the traffic.

Why on earth would a car manufacturer introduce a hatchback into this wet country without a rear wiper? To have a rear wiper fitted will apparently cost €400. I don’t need this hassle and extra expense when buying a brand new car.

A Hyundai spokeswoman confirmed that i20 classic models on sale do not come with a rear window wiper.

It seems ludicrous to sell a small hatchback without it. Being able to see out the back window on a wet day should not be regarded as a luxury addition.

The extra cost also seems prohibitively expensive, particularly as the “Deluxe” version is €1,000 more expensive. That would suggest up to 40 per cent of the specification upgrade goes on fitting a wiper. Leaving it off might make the list price look competitive but it leaves a bad impression on buyers, as this reader will attest.

From Colm, Galway: I have two small boys and currently drive a BMW 520d, which I love. But my new business requires me to do a lot of deliveries so I’m running out of boot space. I would love something bigger but am torn between an estate and an SUV. I wouldn’t mind extra passenger space as well. My budget would be €35,000 and it would have to be diesel and an automatic.

If you like your BMW, then you need not stray too far: a previous generation 5 Series Touring estate from 2008 or 2009 offers all the comfort you are used to but with a great big bootspace. For extra passenger space – a seven-seater – the Ford S-Max is a viable option, or the larger Galaxy model. But if you can live without the extra row of seats then I’d stick with a used 5 Series Touring or a nearly-new Volvo V70.

Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or email motorshelp@irishtimes.com