Michael McAleeranswers your questions
From J H Gibson, Co Kilkenny:
I have been reading of BMW's introduction of a "Stop-Start" technology to help save fuel at a stop light.
But surely this technology has been around for quite some time now, certainly on the old Fiat 131s of the 1980s and perhaps even on a Ford of the same era?
Certainly BMW is not the first to come up with such a system. There were cars in the 1980s brought in as gimmicks during the oil crisis.
I can't recall Fiat or Ford using such a system, but certainly Volkswagen had a range of "E" or "Ecomatic" cars in the 1980s and 1990s with similar technology to BMW's, only far more rudimentary.
My colleague Donal Byrne also remembers a rather horrible Austin Maestro with a similar systemand even a digital voice synthesiser that told you when you were driving uneconomically.
Recently Citroën featured a more advanced version in 2005 in the C2 and C3 models. The C3 was available in Ireland, though only by order. Unlike BMW, however, Citroën did very little in the way of promoting these vehicles. All of these start-stop models look to regenerative braking to supplement engine power and can be regarded as "hybrid-light".
From R Murtagh:
Due to a worsening back problem, I have been advised to change from my 2006 Toyota Aygo to a "higher" vehicle, one I would slide into, rather than sit down into as I do at present.
I have explored a number of options: Nissan Qashqai, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Fiat Sedici and the "best" for my needs would appear to be the Daihatsu Terios 2WD.
I have only a budget of €10,000 plus my trade-in allowance. My mileage from February 2006 to August 2007 has been 30,000km. Any ideas?
You should hopefully be able to get between €8,000 or so for your Aygo, depending on the dealer and the specification. That will bring your budget to €18,000, leaving you slightly short for any of those you mention.
You refer to the Terios as being your preferred choice, but may I suggest you also try the Charade as well, before opting for one of the small SUV-styled models. It has quite a tall seating position with plenty of headroom and a large door that makes access easier than most superminis.
The most obvious choice, however, is the Suzuki SX4. It's effectively the same car as the Fiat Sedici, with good safety features like ABS and six airbags. It also comes with air-conditioning, radio/CD and height adjustable seatbelts as standard. For €18,995 you can get the 1.5 GLX version that has electric windows.
For some reason - known to Fiat and Suzuki - it gets two-wheel-drive and the smaller, yet peppy, engine and therefore the lower price. The Sedici is only available in four-wheel-drive and the smallest engine is a 1.6-litre. My advice: test the Charade and seriously consider the SX4.
From F Foley, Tralee:
In the North they have a Road Safety Council with local members that meet on regular basis, at which I presume the general public can make suggestions for improvements. Down here we have the RSA, which has no such forum - why not? Is there any forum where we can air our views?
For instance, in Spain they have pedestrian crossings at virtually every crossroads. Why can't we implement this idea in Ireland?
Also, why do so many signs here omit the distance to the next large town/kilometre? Again in Spain they have kilometre and 500m posts that let you know how far you have travelled. I think these are a very good idea.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) does invite submissions from the public. You can contact them on their lo-call number 1890 50 60 80, or by e-mailing them at info@rsa.ie
The most recent public involvement, according to an RSA spokesman, was with the upcoming road safety strategy, where submissions were invited from the public and uinterested parties. However, there have been no public meetings on road safety to date, and perhaps this is an approach that could be adopted, not only to bring forth new ideas from the public, but also to heighten awareness of the issues at hand in local areas.
There may also be a case for members of the general public to be appointed to the board of the RSA on a regular basis. Currently it is composed of chairman Gay Byrne, a senior banking official, a legal representative, a former senior civil servant, a former county manager, a rally driver, a hospital manager and senior figure from FAS.
From TP:
I just want to alert readers to the risk of break-ins with mobile sat-nav devices. I recently had my car broken into and my sat-nav stolen from the glove box. The garda who attended said it was probably the windscreen mount that attracted the thieves to my car.
Owners of portable sat-nav devices should always put the units out of sight, or bring them with them when leaving the car.
However, it's also advisable to remove the windscreen mounting as well. It's only attached by a suction cup, so it's not difficult to take off or reattach. It's also best to give the windscreen a wipe after removing the mounting, for even a circular stain can alert thieves to the presence of a s>at-n>car, they do seem to attract undue attention.
From D Burton:
I was recently on a trip to Greece where I came across a right-hand drive car whose owner was disabled.
He said the reason he opted for it was that it meant he was able to enter and exit by the footpath rather than in front of oncoming traffic (disabled parking spaces are apparently hard to come by in Greece).
Might this be an idea for Irish drivers?
Yes. Left-hand drive models do work well if the driver has to take time getting out of the car or has to manoeuvre a wheelchair into position. However, the trade-off is the usual problem of visibility, particularly when overtaking.
Send your queries to Motors Helpdesk, The Irish Times, Tara St, Dublin 2 or e-mail motorshelp@irish-times.ie