Ford Territory Problems

The Territory was good at first but has been completely overtaken by a range of rivals. Your decision to buy Australian is great but you're in a very small minority and the Territory is no longer a CarsGuide choice for quality or long-term ownership.

On seven-seaters, the Territory runs last, the Kluger is fine and reasonable value and the Audi is definitely the car to reward yourself, but the Q7 could get very expensive if anything goes wrong.

The Territory should work fine, but ensure it's had the suspension updates. Diesel will be better for towing, especially fuel economy, although I generally advise petrol if you're doing less than 30,000km a year.

We aren't aware of any websites that list the real world fuel economy of cars, and we'd be reluctant to give you any figures as they might not apply to your situation in any case. Working out the time required to recoup the extra cost of the diesel engine is difficult because it depends on the cost of both petrol and diesel at any given time and the relative reduction in fuel consumption from using diesel. Based on your annual mileage, and the fact that it is predominantly suburban, I would suggest petrol as the way to go. If you were doing a lot of highway driving, and a lot of towing, then diesel could be a better bet for you.

Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley says: "The tow ratings are set in cooperation with the factory to meet Australian standards, including for the down load rating. The current ratings do not preclude revisions in future model years as technical refinements are always ongoing, but there is no time frame for any possible change, especially given that the new models are only now being introduced."

The main one is worn front suspension ball joints. You would expect that it has had the ball joints replaced once in that time, but you can expect to have to do them regularly, at intervals of between 40,000 and 80,000 km for the rest of the car’s life. Another to look for is worn diff mounting bushes. Early Territorys like yours also had issues with rust in the engine bay, around the fuel filler, and around the rear windows, which was due to poor painting.

The X5 would be my pick because it's a classy car that was the class benchmark until the current Mercedes-Benz ML arrived. But make sure you do your homework, as any complicated prestige car can get expensive if something big goes wrong.

I agree with you that consumer laws in this country are pathetic and need to be toughened up. That’s for the politicians to attend to. As much as the noise is something you shouldn’t have to put up with in a new car, it’s not enough to warrant a refund. But Ford should be able to tell you when it will have a fix available. Unfortunately car makers are often very slow in responding to consumer concerns, giving the impression they don’t care, and frustrating owners. Go back to your dealer, and talk to Ford directly, and make sure they understand your frustration.