James Ruppert: 4×4 Japanese hybrids are niche but they work

When it comes to what is and isn’t dependable, I do rely on you, dear reader, for feedback about your experiences out in the real world. I rather liked the Volkswagen Lupo and have driven loads, but apparently the gearboxes used to fail quite often under warranty. As the little thing is quite obsolete now, I presume the ones in circulation are okay. Anyway, I got a thumbs up from Gordon, a reader, when it comes to Toyota hybrids. He steers a 12-year-old Prius with almost 100,000 miles. There is nothing wrong with those. The trouble seems to be the state of the roads in the UK. So mechanically no issues, but structurally it is suspension parts that need to be replaced. By that level of reasoning, the perfect used vehicle is going to be a Japanese hybrid 4×4. Let’s buy one. I almost did. I looked in the metal at a whole bunch of Lexus RX 400h hybrids. They look a bit odd. I thought a reversing camera would be fun, but then I saw an RX with a £2000 bill for electronic repairs and went off the idea. The RX will do a solid six-figure mileage and there are plenty around with reassuring bills for cambelt replacement. So a 2005 one with full service history and in tidy condition will be around £3500. For a comfortable car with lots of kit, that should be worth buying. A 2008 SE model with a fraction of the miles and just as together would be £8995. Lexus owner Toyota also makes the RAV4 hybrid, of course, and a 2016 one with 70,000 miles and in Business Edition specification is around £15,995. Then there is a partly electric SUV in the shape of the Porsche Cayenne. Okay, it’s not Japanese but it’s very well engineered and a 2010 3.0 V6 Tiptronic S hybrid will cost £18,995 with 70,000-plus miles. It will do a reasonable 34mpg, officially anyway. Then if you go plug-in hybrid, there are other exciting possibilities. It brings into view Mitsubishi Outlanders, which, with gigantic mileages, are rather cheap. With £10,000 to spend, you should be able to get a private example with history from 2015 with just over 100,000 miles. If you want the reassurance of a dealer, then you will pay closer to £11,000. Owners seem to like these and there aren’t any issues. It simply gets on with the business of working in a very unflashy way. Here is a brand that just stands for doing off-road stuff and there is that small matter of 140mpg. Sort of. This could well be the best used car ever, based on our latest buying parameters. Until we all go and make up some more. What we almost bought this week It’s hard to think of a better and more reliable winter hack than an old Toyota Yaris. We found a 1999/T-reg with 115,000 miles and a year’s MOT for £550. The three-owner car has never missed a service, too, as the 20 stamps in the book testify. Twelve months’ motoring for the price of a month’s PCP. Tales from Ruppert’s garage You may not remember that the adorable Italian car would spontaneously wee out some coolant after a run. Rather worryingly, it sounded like a kettle. All I did was top up the coolant to the lowest level in the expansion tank. I stopped doing that and – you know what? – it packed up spilling coolant. I do worry that there isn’t enough in the system, but the temperature stays normal, which is 90 on the gauge. I should attend to a bit of ‘dieseling’. It isn’t the new spark plugs and it could be all sorts of tired A-Series engine issues. Reader’s ride Al Horsman pops onto these pages occasionally and here is his revived Puma: “It was a real find, but the paintwork on it was a bit tired looking. I’ve finally got round to bringing it back to its former glory. I think you’ll agree it was worth the effort and a little expense! “The roof had deteriorated the most – it was parked under a tree – and the rest of the car was detailed to match the roof as best as possible. I had the headlights refurbished, too. They’re much clearer now and safer for the coming dark evenings. Also, given the 1.7 engine is really quite a modern powerplant, I tried using Shell super-unleaded, particularly before a long journey, and that has really made the car quieter on motorways. (I think the engine needed a proper clean out.) That’s welcome because the car is really too highly geared for motorway driving.” Readers’ questions Question: I think I’ve just been ‘zapped’ by a policeman with a speed gun when I was driving at 33mph in a 30mph zone. Will he let it pass because of the 10% rule? Josh Brown, via email Answer: What 10% rule? It’s true that police chiefs suggest that a 10% allowance above the speed limit for speedo error is okay but it’s only a suggestion and not a rule, much less a law. You’re at the mercy of the traffic officer, I’m afraid. John Evans Question: Now it’s autumn and getting colder and wetter, what’s the point of a car’s air conditioning system and can I just leave it switched off? David Wright, Belfast Answer: An air-con system works by passing the air in your car’s cabin over cold
Origin: James Ruppert: 4×4 Japanese hybrids are niche but they work

First Mazda EV revealed early by Japanese media

Mazda’s first electric vehicle, leaked in the Japanese media today and to be revealed at Tokyo motor show tomorrow, develops the design language first seen on the recently launched Mazda3 to reflect “futuristic values and changing lifestyles,” said the car maker. The model, which will go on sale next year, has a coupe-like cabin and “achieves a lightweight look by adopting a unique door concept”. Mazda added that the front face bears a “friendly expression”. The interior is said to use empty spaces around the centre console to create a closeness between the driver and passenger seats. Mazda added that interior materials were chosen for comfort and “eco-friendliness”, both of which are intended to make the cabin comfortable. The model, previewed by the e-TPV prototype, will adopt an SUV bodystyle, which can more easily accommodate an underfloor battery pack. The latest information from Mazda follows confirmation last month that it would launch its first electric car on 23 October. It will use a similar set-up to the prototype, which has a 35.5kWh battery and a single electric motor delivering 138bhp and 195lb ft of torque to the the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. The EV is likely to have a range between 120 and 150 miles, similar to the new Mini Electric but significantly less than more obvious rivals, such as the 279-mile Hyundai Kona Electric. It will be able to accept 6.6kW domestic charging and 50kW public rapid charging. Mazda will also introduce a modern version of its famed rotary engine in a range-extender variant of the EV. Two years ago, Mazda boss Mitsuo Hitomi confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will be used as an EV range-extender. He said: “The rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range-extender, but when we turn on a rotary, it’s much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012, but it did produce a rotary range-extender Mazda 2 prototype – which Autocar drove – back in 2013. It has remained interested in reintroducing the technology to production since. The Mazda RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. Mazda has eschewed hybrid and electric models in recent years, instead choosing to focus on improving the efficiency of its petrol engines. This year, it introduced spark plug-controlled compression ignition to the latest Mazda 3, with the promise that it will “combine the economy and torque of a diesel engine with the performance and lower emissions of a petrol
Origin: First Mazda EV revealed early by Japanese media

Why some Japanese people are renting cars — but not driving them

General Motors’ new car-sharing service, Maven, will provide customers access to highly personalized, on-demand mobility services. A reported pilot program could extend that service to include vehicles owned by customers. At first it was confusing. Orix Auto Corp, a car-sharing company in Japan with around 230,000 registered users, discovered a portion of its rented vehicles had “traveled no distance,” meaning those who’d paid to use them hadn’t actually driven anywhere. As it happens, Orix wasn’t the only company to have noticed the trend, reports Japanese national newspaper The Asahi Shimbun. A leading provider in the car-sharing space called Times24 Co. (1.2 million users) also noted a lack of miles being added in some instances. So it did a survey of its customers and found some interesting answers to the question ‘What were you doing in that rental car if not driving?’ One person said they’d used the cars to store bags and other items when local coin-operated lockers weren’t available. Another said they’d paid for cars to nap or work in. “Usually the only place I can take a nap while visiting my clients is a cybercafe in front of the station, but renting a car to sleep in is just a few hundred yen (a few dollars), almost the same as staying in the cybercafe,” said one survey respondent. Following the earthquake that devastated parts of Japan in 2011, some cars were used as charging points for cell phones. Another survey responder just wanted a place to eat. ”I rented a car to eat a boxed meal that I bought at a convenience store because I couldn’t find anywhere else to have lunch,” said the 31-year-old man who definitely also needs a hug. With car-sharing rental prices starting under $5 for thirty minutes of use, and bookings made instantly through apps, it’s easy to see how we got here. Makes one wonder: is this happening in Canada’s cities, too? If you’ve used car-sharing for something other than driving, we want to hear about it in the
Origin: Why some Japanese people are renting cars — but not driving them

Most American-made cars sold in the U.S. are Japanese

The first American-built 2017 Subaru Impreza rolls off the assembly line at Subaru of Indiana Automotives (SIA) plant. While Donald Trump has been pressing for tariffs on foreign-made cars and parts, it turns out the most American-made cars sold in the U.S. today are usually Japanese.The annual American-Made Index compiled by Cars.com found nine of the 15 most U.S.-sourced vehicles are manufactured by Honda and Toyota.The two Japanese automakers dominated the latest study thanks to the big number of popular vehicles they assemble in America and their high content of U.S.-made parts.Its not surprising that theres a lot of vehicles here from Honda, Kelsey Mays, senior editor of Cars.com, said in an interview. About two-thirds of Hondas cars are assembled in the U.S., which is more than General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Mays said. Toyota also sells mostly American-made vehicles in the U.S. market.The 2019 study, published Tuesday, takes into account many of the issues Trump has stumped about when it comes to the automotive trade. Cars.com examined assembly location, parts sourcing as determined by the American Automobile Labeling Act, factory employment relative to sales and sourcing of engines and transmissions. The five factors arent equally weighed and Mays declined to give details of the breakdown.Fiat Chryslers Jeep Cherokee SUV topped the list, and GMs Chevrolet Corvette sports car placed fifth. But Japanese automakers dominated the ranking just as they did in 2018. The study, which debuted in 2006, was redesigned in 2017.While Japanese nameplates are among the most American-made, some American brand icons are not in the Top 10. One common misconception involves Fords F-150, Americas longtime best-selling vehicle: Some 71 per cent of respondents believed it to be the most American vehicle on the road, but Cars.com said it actually ranked No. 13.Many U.S. consumers give preferential consideration to American-made vehicles, according to the survey. But nearly 50 per cent of respondents said they were very or somewhat concerned about the impact of tariffs on their new car purchasing decisions.Cars.com hasnt seen a massive relocation of production in a way that would influence its rankings despite the Trump administrations imposition of tariffs on China and threats to do so on European and Japanese imports. Mays said Ford and GM have indicated a few employment changes because of the tariffs, but no automaker has significantly altered its assembly lines or supply chains in reaction to trade policy. Still, such changes could be coming and would likely raise costs for car buyers, he said.The White House delayed imposing tariffs on imported vehicles from the European Union, Japan and other nations on May 17 for 180 days. Earlier this month, the administration denied a GM request to exclude its Chinese-made Buick Envision from a 25 per cent import
Origin: Most American-made cars sold in the U.S. are Japanese