Toyota Corolla Problems

The cars you have been looking at are all good, sound and safe ones that have no serious issues to be concerned about and would give you reliable service for many years to come. Note that all of them are from Asia; I would suggest that you rule out anything from Europe. Another to consider would be the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Typically you're looking at a car around 2010 vintage for that money, so it's got a few years on it and will have done a few kays. With that in mind it's best to go for a car that's going to give you a good run for your money over a few years. Steer clear of European brands, that includes Ford as its small cars come out of Europe, and go for a solid brand with a good reputation for reliability. In my view that means a Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Kia Rio, Hyundai i30.

It seems to me your answer lies in what you wrote at the beginning of your email. Why not buy another Hilux, it did the job for you before and there's no reason it wouldn't do the same again.

Ford spokesman, Neil McDonald, replies: “We checked with the engineers and both the rear and side widows use tempered glass which can show up the heat-treatment pattern with polarised sunglasses.  You need to get the right angle and the right light but you can see this on every piece of rear and side glass in every manufacturer’s product”.

There are cheaper alternatives, including from the internet. But if you go outside the Toyota network, make sure it's a genuine part because you cannot afford to compromise on safety.

So many options. It's great to hear that you have had such a good run out of your Corolla, and that you would happy with another one. The Corolla is certainly a good option. So too is the Mazda 3, which would satisfy all of your needs. Both cars would be good choices. The Mazda CX-3 is a different car in that it is an SUV and gives you the advantages of a high driving position for good visibility and the flexibility of a wagon style body. It too would be good option, and I would suggest that you had a test drive of it to see if does what you want. All three are well built, reliable and I would expect them to give you many years of good service.

Years ago when you owned your Torana it was considered something of a performance car, as the Clubsport, SSV and Calais are today, but there are many other ways of getting your driving thrills today without having to go for a V8. Some of the hot hatches now available would give you all the thrills, and more, than the big-bangers of old. Take a test drive in a VW Golf GTi or one of the fast Ford Focuses and I'm sure you'd rethink your choice. All the cars you mention, the Clubsport, SSV and Calais are good cars with plenty of grunt, the V8 sound, and the comfort of a big car. For mine though I'd be going for a hot hatch.

Drive the VW Golf to calibrate yourself with the best car in the class, but go ahead and buy the Hyundai because it's the modern-day Corolla and definitely gets The Tick from me.