Hyundai Santa Fe Problems

You will be getting a new wheel. I have contacted Hyundai Australia and the company admits it has some rare problems, perhaps caused by people's skin types, but is happy to replace any affected steering wheel after a running change to cars for Australia.

You might like your Captiva but we need to compare it with its direct size and price rivals. On that basis, the Captiva runs a very poor third to the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe in many areas, including ride and handling, quietness, quality and warranty.

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

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.

Please don't do that, even though it's cheap. The Freemont, really a Dodge Journey in a Fiat cloak, is not remotely a CarsGuide favourite. Better to spend extra and get a Hyundai Santa Fe.

You should drive and compare the CX-5, the long-term leader in its class, and the new Tucson. Don’t go for seven seats unless you really need them because of the extra price and ongoing penalty in running costs.

Definitely not the Captiva. The Kluger will cost more because of the Toyota badge. I'd favour a Territory — but make sure it's had necessary upgrades to the ball joints. As an alternative, a Hyundai Santa Fe would be a good choice.

Rattles of all sorts are commonly reported in the Santa Fe. For the dealer to dismiss it as common is laziness. Call Hyundai's customer service on 1800 186 306 and report it to them.

The Sorento has just been voted the 2015 Car of the Year so it gets The Tick from me. There is an all-new CX-9 next year and a Santa Fe update soon. Today, the order is Sorento, Outback, Santa Fe and CX-9.