Mitsubishi Problems

The Brumby would have been a good choice 10 years ago, but finding one now that hasn’t been driven into the ground, beaten to death, or rusted away is nigh on impossible. Instead of buying a dodgy old your son a favour and buy him a decent car, one that doesn’t belong in a scrap yard, and will serve him well for some time into the future. I would go for a Hilux, Triton, or Bravo 2600.

All diesel engines today have turbochargers, and believe me you wouldn’t want to drive a non-turbo diesel. Of those you mention I would go for a Mitsubishi ASX, or consider a Kia Sorento.

You’ve got two chances of that ever happening: Buckley’s and Nunn, unless of course they discover a market for such a car somewhere overseas. There are so many options for people wanting a ute that I couldn’t see a small car-based ute ever getting up.

Any number of things could be exciting the passenger seat, the wheels and tyres, driveline, engine. It’s not likely to be the suspension/shocks, although they would be prime suspects when it comes to the hard ride. Take it to a suspension specialist and check out the options for springs, shocks and bushes.

Of those you list I would go for the Mitsubishi ASX. You could also try the Kia Sorento or Mazda CX-5.

An SUV would seem to be the best choice given your concerns about getting in and out of the car. Most carmakers now offer FWD versions as well as all-wheel drive models, and without knowing what your budget limitation is I would think an SUV like a Mitsubishi ASX, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester or Kia Sorento would fit your needs well.

You’re going to be hard-pressed to show that the problem was either a design or manufacturing problem, as it’s unlikely to be either. Even though the wiring loom just sits and doesn’t appear to be subjected to any stress it being subjected to all the bumps, vibrations and whatever else is happening through the vehicle in general. It could be a faulty connection; it could be any number of things. Pay up and get on with your retirement.

Unfortunately you’ve kept the Corolla too long, and have had to spend money to keep it going. Keep that in mind for the next one you buy.

You’re constrained by your $20,000 budget, but I would suggest you look at a Kia Rio, Mazda2, Mitsubishi Lancer, or Suzuki Swift. All should fall within your budget and all will give you a good run. If you were prepared to buy a used car that is one or two years old, you could consider a Toyota Corolla, or a Mazda3.

It depends on which parts you want. You should be able to get most mechanical parts from outlets like Bursons, or you could go on line where you’ll find a number of parts suppliers. For body parts you would need to go to a wrecker.

All three are capable off road if you aren’t planning to go rock climbing, and they are reliable enough to get you to 250,000 km. CVTs are quite reliable now, but how far they will go is anybody’s guess at this moment in time. I would go for a Subaru, either the Forester or the Outback.