Ask The Guide

The MG GS launched in early 2017 with sharp pricing and stylish looks, but the company hasn't been keen to hand the cars out for press evaluations following a brief launch 'experience' drive with selected media in Victoria early last year. You can read into that whatever you'd like, but it doesn't scream "confidence in our products" to the team here at CarsGuide. That said, we have the MG ZS - a smaller SUV with similarly sharp pricing - due in the garage soon. Stay tuned for that review. 

Our top pick among the Trax's rivals is the Honda HR-V. It's an excellent little SUV, with plenty of interior space and practicality. Check out our small SUV buying guide for all the details.

No, I don't think that is acceptable. The system is faulty and the update is said to fix those faults, so I believe Hyundai should be responsible and fix their faulty product. Keep a record of all correspondence on this matter, so you can prepare a case to present to Hyundai to have the update done free of charge.

No, it’s not fair to ask you to undertake a diagnostic check at your expense. The transmission is known to be faulty, and as long as you haven’t abused it in any way, they should be replacing it free of charge without question.

Go to a suspension specialist like Pedders and they should be able to help you with shock absorbers, suspension bushes etc. to improve the ride. You could also talk to a tyre expert about tyres that might be more comfortable.

You’re in a situation in which you have to negotiate a settlement with Ford. Obviously you haven’t been able to achieve a satisfactory outcome, so it might be worth considering joining the class action suit that is running on this issue. At least then you would part of a group with the strength of numbers rather than an individual alone. Phone 1300 226 647 for info.

The PowerShift is Ford’s dual-clutch automatic transmission, and is used on petrol and diesel engines. If you really want to buy a Focus buy a manual.

It’s more than the average kilometres for a 2013 Dualis, but that’s not necessarily a problem. If it’s been serviced regularly it should be fine.

You’re buying a used car, it’s not new, so you have to expect some wear-and-tear issues. The older the car, the greater the wear-and-tear, and the more likely it is to have suffered mechanical failures or even a crash. That means you have to thoroughly check the car before purchase, and you have to rely on the honesty of the vendor. If the car has had clutch problems it should be recorded in the service book. It’s the same with the others you’re looking at, check them thoroughly, and if you’re uncertain have an expert check them for you. Of the three others you are considering I would avoid the Passat as a potential money pit, and go for the i40 in preference to the Commodore.

It’s a fad and it might even affect your warranty because it interferes with the factory ventilation system on the engine.