2020 Mazda 3 Pricing and Specs

Cars have never been more dependent on their electrical systems than they are today. Sometimes, changing a dead battery can lead to the sorts of problems you've noted, and while it could be something more mechanical, there's one thing you can try at home before phoning the mechanic.

Disconnect the battery and leave the car for at least half an hour. Then, reconnect it, start the engine and go for a drive of at least 30 minutes. That will usually be enough to perform what's called a reset and may solve your problems.

If not, you need to have the car scanned at a workshop to see what problems the on-board computer has identified.

Both these cars are well equipped, well built and have a good reputation in the trade. Which means you won’t regret buying either of them. In turn, that means that the decision will come down to whether the extra standard equipment of the Astina model outweighs the factory warranty of the SP25 GT.

The extra gear in the Astina amounted to 10-way adjustable powered front seats with a memory function, specific 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, radar cruise-control, forward obstacle warning, adaptive headlights, lane departure warning and lane keeping assistance, and smart brake support. Whether you reckon that standard gear is better than a year of so of factory warranty is entirely up to you. The only problem being that when the warranty runs out, you might start to think differently about the relative value of the two cars.

There are lots of really good choices in tyres for popular models such as the Mazda 3. You can shop online and find cheap tyres, but a much better idea is to actually contact (or visit) a tyre shop who will be able to guide you according to what you want from the tyres.

Some tyres have better life, some offer more grip, some are aimed at fuel efficiency, others are designed to run quietly and some are sold entirely on price. Some tyres will combine some of these traits, while others will be quite focussed on their priorities (performance tyres, for instance, often trade off lifespan and quiet operation for ultimate grip).

So talking to a person who sells and fits tyres every day, is a good place to start. Listen to the advice and proceed from there. There’s no need to ignore some of the Chinese brands these days, either; some of them are quite good and offer a good balance of performance and price. Most tyres are made in China today anyway, even if they’re a familiar brand. Speaking of price, expect to pay around $100 to $150 for a good quality tyre and don’t forget to have them balanced and the car’s wheel alignment checked at the same time. A good tyre shop can do all of this in the time it takes you to do your shopping and can offer advice that an online retailer simply can’t.

And don’t forget that car tyres remain a great example of the notion that you’ll only get what you pay for.