Toyota Problems

The trade holds the Hilux up as the best of those you've mentioned. The Toyota turbo diesel is easily the best, but the downside is that you'll have to pay up to $3000 more to get behind the wheel of a Hilux. The others are OK, and all rated equally, but there are plenty of reports from the trade about problems with the Nissan turbo diesel so I'd recommend caution. If you were to consider a Navara, make sure it has an extended warranty for peace of mind.

You'll certainly get some handling benefits, but it's hard to justify the cost. You will also see a deterioration in ride comfort, which will offset the improvement in handling. With switching from alloys to chrome wheels, there is no benefit other than looks, unless the rims are lighter.

There's no reason the Avalon should be any thirstier than the Camry. They're about the same weight and they share the same V6 engine and drivetrain. The Avalon is locally produced, not imported, so the parts are the same price as the Camry's. On the current market the Magna is the best buy in that its used values have slumped, the Camry and Avalon are standing up well, while the Commodore remains popular and hence has good resale value. In terms of mechanical reliability, it's hard to go past Toyota and I would probably prefer the Camry or the Avalon, but all four have good reliability and will do the job well.

The 186 would run well on PULP, providing you use an additive to make up for the lack of lead. The octane rating of PULP will suit the 186, but the lack of lead will accelerate valve seat wear. In terms of switching to a Commodore motor, there's no gain unless you go for a Nissan engine, as used in the VL, or a later V6. Earlier Commodore motors ran on leaded fuel just like your 186, and I'm guessing the modifications needed to fit a Nissan or V6.

I'm afraid I take a conservative approach, so I would change the belt as Honda recommends. The belts do deteriorate as they age -- it's not just a question of mileage -- and the engine will sustain expensive damage if it breaks. Same goes for the Toyota. It should really be changed after about five years to avoid potentially expensive damage to the engine internals.

Your Falcon would have tested about 13 litres/ 100km when new. For comparison purposes, the Commodore V6 would return about 11.5 litres/100km, the 3.5-litre V6 Magna about 10.5 and the Camry closer to 13. Clearly, on that basis the Magna is the car for you.

I can imagine that it's an annoying habit and I would also like to fix it if it was my car. Does it happen when the airconditioning is turned off? The reason for having the idle speed up when the engine starts is usually to ensure it doesn't stall when under the extra load of ancillary systems such as airconditioning. If that's the case, I would expect it wouldn't happen when the airconditioning is turned off. As for the fuel consumption, 10 litres/100km is on the high end of what I would expect. Something like 8.0-9.0 litres/100km is what I would expect. Contact Toyota direct on 9647 4444.

We haven't done a report on the EA Corolla, but will put it on the list. Generally, the Corolla is a well-built, trouble-free car. But they are now getting up in miles, so you can anticipate problems occurring. Carefully check for signs of a crash -- there's every chance of a crash on a car of that age. Check for a service record, particularly for evidence of cam belt changes.

The Dunlops are regarded as relatively quiet tyres and are unlikely to be the cause of your complaint unless there is a misalignment problem with the rear suspension. If there is, the tyres could be wearing unevenly which could cause a noise problem. Other than that, the most likely cause is the body structure of the Corolla and its lack of insulation which allows the noise to be transmitted through to the interior. In that case, changing tyres is unlikely to achieve the sort of improvement that would satisfy you. Check the rear wheel alignment and adjust if needed. Other than that, I reckon you're stuck with it.

There are many detail differences, and I'd need to know which model Apollo you own to give you the rundown. With fuel consumption, it depends on how you drive and how well you maintain its tune, but under normal circumstances I'd expect 9.0 to 9.5 litres/100 km. The run-on could be caused by several things. I'd check the engine tune and make sure the idle and the ignition timing are set correctly.