Save your money
We have a 2021 Honda CR-V LX4WD for rent. The contract ends in March 2025. This is a 48 month contract at 1%. Residual value is $15,976.45 plus fees and taxes. We are offered to buy it back and take on another rental. However, the interest rate is much higher and so is the price of the vehicle. The current mileage of our vehicle is 32,000 km. The bumper and driver’s side mirror need to be repaired. Minor repairs, but which we will have to carry out if we choose a new rental. What do you recommend to us? We are retirees with limited income.
Louise T.
Why put your finances at risk with a new vehicle that will hardly bring you any more satisfaction? Your current vehicle still has another year of warranty (basic) and the repairs required are relatively minor. You will reassess your financial situation and your needs in a year.
Loss of trustworthy ?
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NISSAN CANADA
The Nissan Kicks
I have always owned a Honda Civic until two years ago. I changed models because I found we were sitting too low. I purchased a Nissan Kicks in 2021. Today, I would like to change it for another small SUV, because I had a small problem with this vehicle which was resolved after two years, by changing the battery. What do you suggest? I travel around town a lot.
Christine B.
It took far too long to resolve your problem, but aren’t you satisfied with the vehicle today? Why not keep it? If you’ve lost confidence in this vehicle or the after-sales service, that’s a different story. Since you drive a lot in town, you could opt for a hybrid vehicle like the Corolla Cross Hybrid, but the price ($36,936.50) might put you off a bit. It is the vehicle offering the lowest energy consumption in its category. According to tests conducted by Natural Resources Canada, compared to a vehicle of comparable size, you can expect savings of around $600 per year at the pump.
Used electrical
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
To qualify for a subsidy, the used electric vehicle must be four years old or less.
If I buy an electric vehicle from another individual, am I entitled to a subsidy from the government? And if so, how much will I receive?
Yves M.
The simple answer is no if you are buying from an individual. On the other hand, if the used vehicle is purchased from a Quebec dealership and comes from outside Quebec, where it will be registered for the first time, you already have better luck. You could potentially be eligible for the $3,500 grant offered by the Quebec government. But wait, other conditions apply. The vehicle must be four years old or less and must be on the government’s eligibility list. And above all, have never been the subject of a rebate for a new or used electric vehicle under the Roulez vert program.
The same origins?
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUDI
The Audi Q7
When the Atlas first hit the market, I had an Audi Q7. At the time, I saw the Atlas as an impoverished Audi Q7. I don’t know about the mechanics and the rest, but I guess there must be a platform identical to the Q7, right? Why didn’t you cover these two very similar SUVs in your comparisons?
R.K.
At the risk of disappointing you, Q7 and Atlas do not share the same platform. On the other hand, the “ancestor” of the Atlas, the Touareg, yes. The Q7 is based on the MLB Evo architecture, while that of the Atlas is called MQB. As for our comparison, we must remember that we are limited by space and that we are limiting ourselves to three competing vehicles.