Ford Territory Problems

The two most likely culprits are diff bushes or shocks, and as you've replaced the bushes it comes down to the shock absorbers. Have Pedders check them.

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.

The XC90 is a very old design and one at that price might be a bit doubtful. Your best choice would be a Kia or Hyundai, which are far better than you might think and may even have some factory warranty at your budget.

It’s not a recall situation, recalls are mostly about safety and a broken hinge does not constitute a safety concern. It is a 10-year-old car and sometimes things fail on old cars. I would take the dealer’s advice and have a panel shop quote on repairing it.

If you like the Territory it would be a good move on a tight second-hand budget, but ensure it has had the necessary suspension updates and be wary of the fuel economy.

I can well understand why you would want to get out of the BMW and into something more reliable. I would urge you to avoid the Territory; the early models have problems with suspensions that will be ongoing for the life of the vehicle. I would certainly go for the Falcon, but would again urge you to go for a BF Series II, which is a much better car than the BF. If you wanted another car to look at I would suggest a Subaru Liberty wagon.

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.

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.