Hyundai Problems

Hyundai spokesman Bill Thomas says the 2015 Santa Fe is now available. An all-new model is unlikely to get here before 2017.

The i30 gets The Tick from me, is definitely not a throwaway, and is a better choice than the smaller and less refined HR-V, despite the flexibility of the Honda's cabin.

Hyundai spokesman Bill Thomas says there is definitely a fix for your problem and apologises that you were not advised. Your dealership will be in touch to get the vehicle sorted.

Even Hyundai admits there are shortcomings in its Bluetooth setup so, although it works fine for you, perhaps you have not had the opportunity for a back-to-back test with 10 other vehicles including the super-impressive Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Kia and Hyundai are both good, with the Tucson currently ahead, but before he commits he should also drive a Mazda CX-5 as it's best in class today and gets The Tick.

If you need space, go for the Camry, if you want something more nimble and sporty the Hyundai will be better. Both get The Tick from me.

We test all cars in the real world, on the toughest corners and worst surfaces we can find, and I've been doing the job for nearly 40 years. Hyundai has focussed its suspension work on European-style handling, not a cushy American-style ride, but that's no different from many other brands. For your needs I would probably have steered you to a Nissan Pulsar, but also advised not to buy anything without a proper test drive on road you know.

The warranty would cover it if the engine failure was due to a manufacturing or design fault, but won't cover it if it was caused by operator error. In other words if you let the engine run out of oil or overheat the warranty won't cover it, but if it was caused by a mechanical fault caused by a design or build problem then you have a good chance of getting Hyundai to cover it.

We're not about to defend the car companies but do the import prices include the same fees and taxes a factory operation charges, or the warehousing costs? Also, the much higher volumes in the giant US market allows companies to keep their margins down.

A Hyundai i20 for the daughter, because it's cheap and reliable; a Mazda3 for the mother, because its a great secondhand buy and ideal for her needs; and Holden Commodore for the father, because it's a great drive and the V6 is surprisingly economical.