Volkswagen Problems

I AM not a legal expert so I can't advise on your rights to a new vehicle. I would expect that VW has an obligation to fix the vehicle to your satisfaction, and it seems to have taken care of you by giving you a replacement van meantime. I would think two weeks is long enough to find and fix the problem. Contact VW directly if you're not happy with what the dealer is doing or telling you.

IT DEPENDS on the size of van you need to accommodate your ``things''. If you can get away with a small van, go for a VW Caddy, which is based on the Golf and drives like one. You can buy the Caddy with a diesel engine, which will cut your running bills, and you will find it a most comfortable van to travel in. If the Caddy is too small for your needs go for a larger European van, such as a VW Transporter, Mercedes-Benz Vito or Renault Traffic. All are good to drive, comfortable and, with diesel engines, economical to run.

BUYING used is not going to cost you as much as buying new, but you need to know about cars or have the help of someone who does. Otherwise, buy new and get the security of a warranty. The new car will also be safer. Generally they have more safety features built into them and will probably use less fuel than an older car. Look at the Mazda 2, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Tiida, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Getz and VW Polo.

IT COMES down to what you want your car to do. The VW 2.0-litre turbo-diesel has 320Nm or torque while giving good fuel consumption, but diesel is generally more expensive than regular unleaded petrol, so the comparison isn't all that favourable. If you compare it to a car that uses premium unleaded, the diesel looks much better. The other problem is that most diesels come in prestige European brands, so you're also paying for the badge as well as the engine. I like the VW diesels: plenty of punch and they're certainly fuel misers.

YOU'VE done well, but I often hear reports of VW drivers getting fewer than 5.0 litres/100km from their diesels on a run and 5.5 to 6.0 litres/100km around town. They're now all converted to self-igniters.

SOUNDS like you need a van. The European vans are way ahead of the Japanese rivals in every aspect except price. They can be tricked up with all sorts of accessories that can look very cool. The Vito is worth considering, as are the VW Transporter and the Renault Trafic. If you can get away with a smaller van, look at the VW Caddy. The Japanese vans don't rate highly in crash testing, but the European vans have all the safety systems you'd expect in a passenger car.

PERHAPS you should ask yourself why our governments haven't standardised with most of the world on left-hand drive. That would fix your complaint immediately. The reason carmakers don't standardise is the cost of engineering cars for right-hand-drive markets. Jumping between cars all the time I, too, occasionally wipe the windscreen when I don't mean to, but do it once and you learn not to do it again. It's not a big deal in my view.

THE MB100 was built by SsangYong when Mercedes-Benz was getting up close and personal with the South Korean carmaker. It had a Benz badge, but it wasn't of the same quality as a real Benz. I wouldn't like to split the Vito and Transporter. They're both very good vans. If you can stretch your budget a little, you could buy a new Mitsubishi Express and save any heartaches that can sometimes come with a used vehicle. And if you can get away with a smaller van, try a VW Caddy.

IT'S not normal with a modern diesel and I would be taking it back to the dealer and have them thoroughly check the engine and its systems because something is wrong.