Your questions answered: What’s a good first car for our child?

If your son or daughter has approached you for advice concerning the vehicle they should purchase for their first car, they probably actually want your opinion and are perhaps open-minded about alternatives.

Problems sometimes arise when your child wants to buy what others in his or her peer group own – and you can tell a mile off that the vehicle choice is inappropriate. Think too big, too hard to park, it guzzles fuel at a great rate, or all the affordable examples are rust buckets.

Despite those obvious objections, convincing your progeny to buy something sensible may be a task beyond you. While we can’t help you with parenting skills, we can offer assistance in making the right choice of first car.

Question: My son is looking for a first car and wants a Holden ute or Ford wagon but we think they are too big. We’re trying to persuade him to go for a new MG3 – cheap and Chinese but around $17,000 with a seven-year warranty. One question is three-star ANCAP safety. What do you think please? – Chris D

Answer: Definitely not the big Aussie stuff for a first-timer, as they can be difficult to handle and are heavy on fuel and tyres. For his budget, and with safety as the top priority I would not recommend the MG3 but go for a near-new Hyundai i30 or Kia Cerato as a good way to learn and stay safe. For alternatives, look at carsales Best First Car award coverage.

Question: I’m contacting you for your advice on a car for my daughter who just turned 18. I’m leaning towards a 2018-2019 Toyota Corolla hatch or a Mazda3. Should I wait until Christmas or is the car market going to continue to rise? – Anthony S

Answer: There are no signs that used car prices will drop substantially any time in 2021. With that in mind, the Mazda3 will be better value than the Corolla, which older folks knew and loved as bulletproof and good value from the 1970s, but has for a while been off the pace of cars from Mazda and others. But also take a look at the Hyundai i30, which is a great alternative but without the premium for a Toyota (or Mazda) badge.

Question: My car was rear-ended and written-off so I need to buy something new. I love everything about the Hyundai Kona except the dreadful colour range. I don't want another black car and, although I like most of the reds that I see on the road, the Kona red does not do it for me. I'm wondering if there is likely to be a new model, with better colours, coming out soon? – Marion J

Answer: Are you looking at the very latest Kona models? The range has just been facelifted, but as an alternative search Kia on carsales and have a close look at the Seltos. It’s a Kona under the skin so you should like it and perhaps they have the right colour for you.

Question: My eldest daughter has a Honda HR-V and is thinking of trading it in on the Hyundai Kona Active. Her main reason is she wants more gadgets, especially Apple CarPlay. Is she on the right track or is there a better vehicle that would suit her needs as a mature mother who loves driving and loves gadgets? – Bob C

Answer: The Kona is a smart choice and was recently crowned carsales’ Best Small SUV of 2021. Most of the variants in the updated line-up will give her the toys she wants. It gets The Tick from me.

Question: I’m shopping for a sub-compact SUV and I’m impressed with the Toyota CH-R, apart from the blind spot at the rear when changing lanes. Although the upgraded model has a sensor for this, CH-R forums report flaws in the sensor which dealers can’t fix. – Sue S

Answer: Many SUVs have poor visibility in their rear three-quarters thanks to trendy designs, and it will impact on parking and manoeuvring as well as lane changes. The CH-R is particularly bad in this regard. There are other vehicles in the category which are better including the new Kia Stonic and Skoda Kamiq. As for Toyota quality, it’s not nearly as impressive as it was in the past and many brands are now on a par.

Question: I recently had an oil leak spring up from the gasket between the front differential and the housing on my Toyota LandCruiser. I took it in to the local dealership to be fixed during a scheduled service but when I collected the vehicle, there was oil still pooling on the pavement. I was told that there is an issue with the diff housing and Toyota had been contacted to provide assistance.

It turns out that I am to pay half of the housing cost and all of the labour required to complete the task. Is this correct or, if there is an issue with the design, shouldn't Toyota be responsible for the entire job? – Chris C

Answer: If the differential has a manufacturing fault, which you would need to prove as I’ve never heard of this problem in the past, then Toyota Australia should be paying. But if the vehicle is outside the warranty period, and it is a wear-and-tear problem, then you have been offered a fairly standard support package.

Question: I’m looking to replace my Ford Territory Titanium which has covered 335,000km. I’m considering three vehicles – used with low kilometres, from 2013-17. They are the ML 350 Mercedes, BMW X5 and Range Rover Discovery Sport. Usage would be for general driving, carting my drums to play and towing a trailer or boat. – Damian M

Answer: The X5 would be my choice. From that era it is the best all-round package and seems to be solid on reliability.

Question: I’ve just picked up my new Ford Ranger Wildtrak X 2.0-litre 10-speed after a five-month wait, and I’m curious regarding the auto engine-off function when stopped. A friend is trying to tell me that this would be no good for a diesel engine but I’m guessing that Ford would know more than him. – David M

Answer: You’re right. Idle-stop systems are used to cut emissions while vehicles are idling and do no damage, apart from the extra cycles on your starter motor and battery.

Question: Could you please give me your impression of the Toyota Yaris Cross? This is for my son, who has an all-wheel drive Skoda station wagon and is worried about petrol costs as he travels a lot. – Neville B

Answer: Staying in the Skoda family, to improve trade-in pricing, the baby Fabia will give sensational economy even if it’s not a trendy SUV. In the baby SUV class, the Toyota is quite costly and I would steer more towards the excellent Kia Stonic.

Question: I tow a brand-new caravan with tandem axles and the van starts to sway as soon as I reach 80km/h. I have had caravans before, so I know about weight distribution, and I have aftermarket suspension with air bags and heavier duty springs on my HiLux ute. I also had my car’s suspension checked out by a specialist and they said it was all OK.

Before I tow I make sure that I inflate the airbags so the car and the caravan are level to each other. The caravan also has an anti-sway controller device installed, so it should detect the caravan swaying and correct it.

The manufacturer said it might need a wheel alignment, but they are saying that I need to do the first service on it which costs $500. It really is a dangerous situation for our family and I really don’t want to tow it anymore. – Peter A

Answer: Caravan wheel alignment can be a problem and is something that larger Pedders Suspension outlets sometimes tackle, but there is a specialist who says he can help through his company, T&B Alignments in South Western Victoria (0409 651 460).

T&B’s David McCutcheon told us: “We have numerous brand-new caravans come in and we have had to bend axles and then align both axles together for safe towing, tyre wear and to make the caravan roll better down the road. The feedback from our customers is that they say it takes the sway out of it and that it also stays straight while driving down the road.”

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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