A We suggest you look at the Hyundai Tucson, which comes with a flat-folding rear seat and a decent sized boot. Prices start at just over £14,000 for the two-wheel-drive petrol version but the four-wheel-drive diesel would probably be a better bet in terms of fuel economy and resale value. Expect to pay about £16,500. All Hyundais come with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty so a 12-month-old example with 10,000 miles may be a viable alternative, costing you about £13,000.
Alternatively, Toyota is about to launch a new version of its RAV4 that has a system called Easy Flat, which provides a flat load area and also allows the rear seat to be pushed forward and backwards and reclined. Prices are yet to be announced but should start at about £19,500 for a five-door diesel as the three-door version has been discontinued. Neither the Tucson nor the RAV4 is available as a soft top — and remember, an open car is not the safest place for a dog.
Q I purchased a new Rover 75 in April 2005. It is due for its first service but I understand dealers no longer arrange maintenance for vehicles they supplied. Are there garages near me that specialise in servicing Rover cars? — AM from Oxford
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A The Department of Trade and Industry advises MG Rover owners with manufacturer warranties to take up the issue initially with their original dealer or supplier. However, since the demise of MG Rover, most dealers are unable or unlikely to honour these warranties. A number of independent companies now offer servicing packages and have access to original parts. One of the biggest is Nationwide Autocentres (0800 096 4216, www.nationwideautocentres.co.uk), which has a network of more than 220 garages across the country. It currently offers MG Rover owners with a valid warranty 50% off labour charges. The nearest garages to Oxford are in Aylesbury, Banbury and High Wycombe.
Q Last year I bought a new Toyota Yaris from a local dealer. The car came with a rear spoiler. Can you explain the purpose of this? Also, is it still safe to run the car through the local supermarket’s car wash? — KT from Coventry
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A Spoilers — front and rear — are aerodynamic aids fitted to racing and rally cars to help keep them on the ground at high speeds. Unless they’re on a high-powered sports car such as a Porsche or Lamborghini being driven at speeds well in excess of 100mph, their function on road cars is less clear.
On sensible vehicles such as the Yaris their use is almost entirely cosmetic — designed to make the car look more sporty without really doing very much. The spoiler will stand up to normal car wash use, but if you really care for your vehicle it’s always far better to wash it by hand — either doing it yourself or paying for one of the many commercial hand-washing concerns that have sprung up recently.
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Q I own a 1995 Mercedes-Benz SL 500 Mille Miglia and have decided with some reluctance to “move on”. The car is a limited edition (one of only 50, I am told), has all the extras, full service history, is in excellent condition and has covered 48,000 miles. My problem is knowing how much buyers would be willing to pay. Is £22,000 overly optimistic? — EL from Swansea
A While the Mille Miglia edition was built only in limited numbers, and cost slightly more than the standard car when new, its value on the used car market is not dissimilar to that of a standard SL 500 of the same vintage. A standard model with 48,000 miles would fetch £14,000-£16,000, depending on whether it was bought privately or through a dealer.
It’s unlikely a buyer will pay much more than a premium of £1,000-£2,000 for your Mille Miglia so we would suggest you ask about £16,000 for your car while being prepared to be haggled down around £500.
Someone will end up with a very nice car — and possibly a future classic — for a reasonable price but it is best to be realistic about second-hand values at the moment. You may do better if you wait until the spring, when interest in convertibles tends to brighten up.
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Q My wife has had her Fiat Panda one year from new and done 2,500 miles. Among the exhaust fumes is a smell of bad eggs. Is there something wrong with the catalytic converter? — JP from Sunderland
A The rotten eggs smell is a common feature to cars with a catalyst exhaust system (a requirement on all new vehicles since August 1992). It’s actually sulphur, a by-product of the catalytic process.
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The smell is always worse if there are elements of unburnt fuel so it’s usually more noticeable with a cold engine when the engine is running on “choke”. If it’s particularly bad when the engine is warm, it’s possible the engine isn’t tuned properly. Ask your dealer to run a full exhaust analysis, which will show categorically whether the engine is set up correctly and if the catalytic converter is working as it should.
E-mail your questions for our experts on any aspect of motoring to carclinic@sunday-times.co.uk or write to Car Clinic, Driving, The Sunday Times, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST. Please give a daytime telephone number. We cannot send personal replies or deal with every letter. Please do not send original documents or SAEs. Advice is offered without legal responsibility.