By Paul Gover.
Q: I’m looking at the Toyota Fortuna Crusade or The Ford Everest Titanium both between 2016 – 2018.
Thoughts?
Paris E
A: It’s definitively the Everest for me. It’s based on the Ford Ranger, which is one of the best of the utes today and has the benefit of Australian development and testing.
Q: I’m in my 60s and looking for the older-type Suzuki Swift, the reason being that I have been borrowing my sons car and, with back issues, the seat is just right for me.
I have looked at the new Swift and was really impressed until I drove it. The seat was not good for me as it is much narrower.
Where should I look for these older cars? Price is not an issue, I’m not having much luck.
Lorraine B
A: The best place for a secondhand Swift is www.carsales.com.au
There are many makes with a wider seat, but the problem is that it’s so personal. You really need to do an individual ’sit and fit’ to find what you like.
Q: I have the current BMW X3 and they provided 3 years of service as an enticement when I bought it.
The 3 years is coming up soon and, since they tend to charge way above the odds for anything that is not covered in the service contract, I assume when the contract is up it will be the same case for the service charges.
My question is, when the contract is up should I get BMW to service the vehicle, or can I go to a local service provider?
Kevin B
A: Provided the servicing is done ‘by the book’ in both the work and quality of materials, it will not affect the coverage of the vehicle. That would probably be what I would do. Find a local expert, get quotes for the scheduled servicing and go from there.
Q: Could you please advise me as to what sort of car I should buy.
It should be about the size of a Corolla, and have a good backing sensor, quiet tyres, comfortable inside, with a budget up to about $40,000.
I do drive a Corolla at the moment, and occasionally my husband drives it too. We would occasionally have our small grand-children in car seats in the back.
There wouldn’t be a dog in it, and no surfboard, and 99 percent of the time, it is just us two.
My husband has hip problems, so it is important that he gets in and out of a car easily.
I haven’t been happy with the Corolla’s noisy tyres when driving on country roads.
I suppose I’m looking for something a bit more edgy-looking than that, however a good backing sensor is important, as I’m not the best in that department.
I would prefer a hatch-back, and don’t have a need for an SUV.
Claire H
A: It might sound a bit strange, but stay with me. The Toyota Yaris Sport (NOT the regular Yaris hatch) could work for you. It’s like a mini CH-R from Toyota, and my sister-in-law is buying one after I gave here a test drive. It’s comfy and quiet, compact and easy to drive.
Q: What your opinion is of the Toyota Yaris crossover?
I’m not very tall and was planning on buying a small SUV.
Annina H
A: I really like the Yaris Sport and have recommended it to a few people. It a lot more refined than the basic Yaris, surprisingly comfortable and nicely quiet.
Q: I’m choosing my next car as I currently have a Mazda3 SP25 which is now 11 years old.
I would like something which offers more comfort without sacrificing the positivity and acceleration that the Mazda has given me, my only complaint with my Mazda has been road noise and, now that I’m getting older, I would like a vehicle that I can get in and out of with ease.
I’ve been considering looking at a VW Tiguan Comfortline and wonder if this will fit the bill or whether there are other cars that would maybe be a better option.
I hope that you will be able to help me and I look forward to hearing from you.
Barb G
A: The SP25 is a sporty model, so that means noisy tyres and sports suspension. The Tiguan is good, but quite big. The Volkswagen is definitely a good choice but the latest Mazda CX-30 is worth a test drive as I reckon it could be an even better choice for you.
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