Ford Problems

A design flaw in the front suspension is the cause of the wear in the Territory ball joints, one that was fixed with the new suspension in the updated Series II model. You would hope that the revised control arms Ford released for the early Territory eliminates the wear issue, but they don’t address the fundamental design problem with the suspension that causes the ball joints to wear. In your case it seems the revised arms didn’t do the job, and I would press Ford to come to the party to replace the ball joints on your car at its expense.

Both are capable vehicles, they’re both comfortable to ride in, and they will both tow your caravan. Either one would be a good choice, so I would suggest you test-drive both and decide which you like the best.

Definitely not the Journey; the Territory is solid and good value; but my current favourite in the class is the Kia Sorento. It gets The Tick and is well worth the extra, even though the starting price of $40,990 is well beyond the $33,500 base of the Journey.

The Mazda6 is the best choice but could stretch your dollars. The i30 wagon also gets The Tick, so choose the one that works best for your budget.

It sounds like an alignment problem, or a problem with the suspension collapsing and throwing out the alignment. You need to have it checked by a suspension specialist.

It seems like another case of perfect preparation preventing poor performance.

The VF Commodore is the best-ever Australian car and my pick. It gets a Big Tick. Neither will give you problems with servicing or parts suppies, even after the local factories close.

Of those you have been looking at I would rule out the Cruze on the basis of its transmission troubles. The Focus and the Hyundai are good cars and would do what you want nicely. Others to consider would be the Mazda3 and the Kia Rio.

I'd go for the Mazda6, which has a combination of class and comfort, and not the Falcon unless you're a sporty driver. The Liberty in that age was a bit 'off' by Subaru standards because of the Global Financial Crisis, and the 3.6 is no real improvement over the 2.5 unless you tow.

The prices we quote are a guide, but you should be able to find a 2012 Ford Fiesta for $8000 on the private market. A 2012 Hyundai i20 would be a smidgeon cheaper at $7500. Continue looking and haggle hard when you find a car that suits.