Hyundai Reviews

Depending on the amount of fumes visible (it’s not actually steam) this could be a small or large problem. Here’s how that works: A small amount of white fumes from the oil filler cap is not so bad, but what you don’t want to see are gales of the stuff blowing out when you remove the cap.

These fumes are caused by pressure from the combustion process in the cylinders finding their way into the crankcase. As an engine wears, more and more pressure can find its way into the crankcase, increasing the fumes. When the fumes increase, this is a clue that your piston rings (among other things) are becoming worn over time and kilometres.

But you could also be looking at a car with a faulty PCV valve. This valve has the job of removing the fumes and sending them back through the engine to be burnt a second time. But if the valve is faulty, the engine won’t be vented sufficiently and the fumes suddenly become visible again. So, have the car checked out at a workshop who will be able to perform a compression test to tell whether the engine is in good internal condition or not, as well as check the PCV valve for correct operation, If the problem is the latter, it’s an easy, cheap fix.

You haven’t actually told me what the shock absorber issue is. Is it a vibration, a lack of damping, a clunk? Either way, if there’s an issue with the shock absorber, then it should definitely be replaced, whether it’s linked to the strut-top bearing problem or not.

Best practice is to always replace things like shock absorbers in pairs. The same goes for suspension bushes, ball-joints, brake components, tyres and more. If they work as a pair, they should be replaced together.

It all depends on how you define long and bulky. But no seven-seater is going to be exactly small, is it? That’s because, to accommodate the third row of seats necessary to seat seven a vehicle physically has to be a certain length and there’s just no getting around that.

But I take your point; a lot of the seven-seat SUVs out there do seem pretty big. Again, however, that’s not a bad thing if you plan to fill all three rows of seats and still have some room left for luggage. The smaller seven-seaters aren’t all that good at this as the third row gobbles up the luggage space, making these cars best for those who only need seven seats on an occasional basis. If that’s your situation there are lots of mid-sized seven seaters around, but they’re pretty much all SUVs.

And while it goes against your preference for a smaller vehicle, the very best seven-seaters aren’t SUVs. They’re usually people-mover vans such as the Ford Tourneo, Kia Carnival and VW ID. Buzz. In fact, some of these even seat eight. They’re also a lot better for accessing the rearmost row of seats and they’ll still have lots of luggage space even with all seats occupied. And, yes, they look big, but that’s physics for you.

In the meantime, you could look at slightly less bulky options including the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-80 and Toyota Kluger. There’s also been speculation recently that Subaru’s seven-seat Tribeca might make a return to the Australian market.