Toyota Problems

Unless you need a vehicle capable of driving over rough or slippery ground, I would buy a 2WD diesel ute. It will be more economical than a 4WD and will tow your trailer without problems. Your budget will get you an upmarket ute. Look at the Toyota Hilux or new Mitsubishi Triton. Also, there are good deals available on the Mazda Bravo and Ford Courier for much less. For little more than $20,000 you'll get a 2WD diesel with a tray and toolbox.

IF IT'S coming in when the engine is under load it sounds like a diesel problem. It might be worth having the engine checked to make sure all is well under the bonnet, and check for displaced seals in the firewall that might be allowing the fumes to enter the cabin.

YES, the RA60 Celica should run satisfactorily on unleaded without an additive, though I would run it on high octane unleaded petrol because your car will have a relatively high compression ratio and may ping on regular unleaded.

IF YOU'RE not satisfied with the manual, by all means take it back to Repco and ask for a refund. If the shop is smart it will give it to you. Haynes is a British company so the manual will be for the British market and the units will be imperial. Gregorys make a local manual that is available, according to the folks at Wheels of Time, ph: 9792 3944.

I HAVEN'T heard of a widespread problem. Does it stall when it is at idle or when you're taking off? It's hard to comment without seeing and driving the car, but I wonder if it's a question of becoming more familiar with it. If you think there is a problem, get your dealer to drive it, and perhaps drive another Corolla Ascent to see if it has a similar problem.

The 3.5-litre Rodeo uses more fuel. I recommend the Toyota. Consider a diesel if you are concerned about fuel economy.

THE jury is out on the Viva. It simply hasn't been around long enough to enable a judgment.

IT DEPENDS what you regard as incredibly thirsty. Four-wheel-drives tend to be thirsty. They're heavy and have to drag all that extra four-wheel-drive gear around, and the Rodeo's petrol V6 is a 3.5-litre unit. If fuel consumption is a key consideration for you, try a diesel. Fuel consumption will be much lower, and you won't lose too much performance.

The manual will give you about 10 per cent better fuel consumption than the auto. I would expect you would get about 9 litres/100km on the highway without a caravan, but that would probably increase to 14-15 litres/100km when the caravan is on the back. The Hilux and Navara have similar fuel consumption. But I have concerns about the reliability of Nissan's 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine so can't recommend the Navara.

THE kilometres seem about right for a clutch replacement, so I wouldn't be concerned about that, but the time needed to replace it seems a little high. Your Toyota dealer will be able to show you the time Toyota allows for a clutch change, which should calm your concerns. My trade contacts suggest 12 hours is needed to replace a clutch, so be prepared for a bill of about $850 just for labour.