Hyundai Problems

You should not be obsessed by one brand, even though Mazda makes good cars, because companies such as Hyundai are excellent and have better warranty. I'd suggest you get some extra in the kitty and go for a new Hyundai i20 or i30.

Comparing utes and SUVs is tough. I get complaints from Grand Cherokee owners, the HiLux is being replaced soon and the Outlander is nothing special. The Colorado SUV is probably best for you but drive a Hyundai Santa Fe before you commit.

From your shortlist, the Mazda3 is the best and gets The Tick from me.

With that budget you'll be buying second-hand in that class, and that makes the Hyundai i30 the best choice with plenty of warranty still to run. We do not recommend the Golf after the factory warranty. A turbodiesel gets better economy but you need to drive 30,000 kilometres a year for the total cost to beat a petrol car.

You need to take the problem directly to Hyundai and make them aware of your frustration. Approach it calmly and armed with all of the information you have from past attempts to fix the issue, and ask for the company's help in not only fixing the reception problem, but also to restore your faith in the Hyundai product. If you don't want to pursue that course take the car to an independent radio specialist who should be able to sort it out for you.

No, we haven't had any more reports of this issue, but it sounds serious. Hyundai has fixed your car before, so I would return it as you are doing and press on them the danger of the situation you found yourself in when it happened. Lemon laws where you could get a replacement car don't exist in Australia, and the consumer laws we do have are pathetic and few people have the fortitude it takes to pursue it to the end.

The guide for a private sale is $18,000 to $20,500 ; the price you would be offered as a trade-in is $14,000 to $16,500. While the price the vendor is asking is at the low end of the private range, I would be trying to get it down to around $16,000.

We checked and you are correct, the dash lights should be on during the day and they should be brighter than they are in darker conditions or at night.

We don't have space for dyno graphs but try to mention the power delivery in stories. The new breed of smaller-capacity turbo engines — among them Hyundai's 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine — will give you the bottom-end grunt you seek.

If you've got a big budget you could go for a European van like the Mercedes-Benz Vito or VW Transporter, but it's hard to go past the Hyundai i-Load. It's well specced, comfortable, you have petrol or diesel engine options, and it's a no-brainer.