A decision to make
I have a 2010 Audi A3 with 200,000 km on the clock that I really like. We are going to buy a new car. We have ruled out electric vehicles which will evolve too much in the coming years. We’re hesitating between an Audi Q3 or a non-plug-in hybrid Lexus UX. We are retired, drive mainly on the highway, so very little in urban areas, and generally not very fast. We plan to keep the new vehicle for a long time. What do you think is the best choice?
Jean-Pierre L.
In terms of reliability and fuel consumption, the Lexus UX represents a better option here than the Audi Q3. We invite you to take a look at the BMW X1. This model currently represents a better choice than the Audi, although less comfortable.
Second round
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SUBARU
The 2024 Subaru Impreza RS
I have already written to you to ask you which between a Mazda3 Sport and a Corolla would be my best option. I have another question for you. My budget is around $30,000. Following your response, I decided on the Mazda3 Sport, but I forgot to tell you about the Subaru Impreza. I keep my cars between 10 and 13 years. I want reliability and space in the rear trunk. Speed and power are definitely not my first choices.
Cécile H.
In terms of cargo volume, the Subaru has a slight advantage over the Mazda. The same goes for the habitable volume. Rear seat room is more generous in the Subaru. In terms of reliability, the Mazda appears superior to the Subaru in the very long term.
The good choice ?
PHOTO PROVIDED BY VOLVO
The Volvo XC40 Recharge
We own a 2010 Volvo XC60 with 106,240 km on the clock. We bought it new and have been very happy with it so far. We travel less than 10,000 km per year. We would like to buy an electric XC40 to go green and also take advantage of government programs before prices explode. Would this be a good idea?
Pierre L.
That prices are exploding? Or did you mean before government aid disappears? Either way, the XC40 (it will be renamed the EX40 in 2025) is an interesting option, but there are better, more efficient and more spacious electric vehicles on the market in the same price range. Think of the Kia EV6 or the Nissan Arya. Since you do little mileage and if Volvo remains your favorite brand, you might consider the EX30. This one is even more compact than the XC40, but also less expensive to acquire.
Extended useful life
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
” Lifetime [d’un] vehicle will continue with another owner on the used vehicle market,” writes our reader.
In a recent response to a reader, you say: “Extending the lifespan of vehicles remains the best option with regard to the consumption of natural resources or emissions harmful to the environment from a planetary point of view, taking into account the entire life cycle of vehicles. ”And you advise this person to keep their vehicle. With all respect, I find this opinion questionable, since, in any case, the life of the vehicle will be extended with another owner on the used vehicle market. Its current owner will simply introduce one more electric vehicle into the crowd. Isn’t that logical?
Jean-Pierre R.
Completely agree that its useful life will be extended on the second-hand market, but we must also take into account the manufacturing process. According to the federation of European NGOs Transport & Environment, the production of a new vehicle generates on average 6.7 tonnes of CO2 if it is equipped with a gasoline engine. With the manufacture of batteries, the balance sheet increases by 4.6 tonnes for a fully electric vehicle. It is imperative to take this into account, we believe, rather than blindly relying on the speeches of industry and governments. These, under the pretext of reducing the carbon footprint, seek to accelerate the renewal of the vehicle fleet. There are also other solutions, often more economical. That of rethinking your mobility, for example. Not everyone necessarily needs a car.