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#Trending car doctor Justus Visagie deals with the scourge of cars overheating in summer, and advises readers on the Mahindra Pik Up and affordable small cars.
Robyn: We bought a home in Rosendal in the Free State.
The roads are in a bad state and we often transport building materials for upgrades to the house.
I’ve seen the Mahindra Pik Up double-cab automatic advertised and it seems ideal for our needs.
It’s cheaper than similar bakkies from established brands.
Is it a good buy?
Justus: It seems that Mahindra products have steadily improved over the past decade.
Owners I spoke to 10 years ago were divided between: “Don’t touch it with a stick” and “It goes forever!”
These days I think we’re closer to the positive end of the scale, although a manual Pik Up we tested two years ago had an electronic gremlin.
That was one sample, though. The automatic Pik Up I drove recently performed flawlessly and its refinement, comfort and fuel economy were impressive.
A four-year/120 000km warranty does give some peace of mind.
Karen: My 2012 Ford Figo is overheating again after I’ve had the head gasket, thermostat and radiator replaced in the past four years.
I have to make a call – should I cut my losses and trade it in or have it repaired and then trade it in or keep it?
I’ve lost faith in the workshop and the car.
Justus: Unfortunately, that’s not the first Ford Figo/Fiesta engine of that era I’ve heard of which suffers from overheating.
I realise you want to stop chucking money down a bottomless pit, but you are likely to get a lot more for the car on trade-in if it’s in working condition.
Find a mechanic or workshop that has experience in solving overheating in the Figo, or equivalent Fiesta.
It could be someone at a Ford dealership or someone who has left Ford to set up a private workshop.
Jola: My 2009 Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 with 226 000km on the clock is mixing oil and water.
One quote from a private workshop is R7 900 and others from a motor engineering company range from R12 000 to R15 000.
Are these prices justifiable? Since the engine is going to be opened, is it advisable to put in new rings and bearings?
Can a cracked block be examined by just looking at it?
Jusuts: When oil and water mix, it usually points to a serious problem, like a blown head gasket caused by overheating.
This will be expensive to repair, sadly.
To prevent adding items to that bill, I wouldn’t have the bearings or rings replaced, unless they are worn.
Cracked engine blocks are quite rare.
If it’s a hairline crack, it won’t be visible to the naked eye.
Look for a reputable workshop with knowledge of Chevy engines to work on your car. Please remember that the cause of the overheating has to be found.
If not, the engine will just blow the head gasket again.
Debbie: I drive a 2007 Toyota Camry that I struggle to park these days.
I want to buy a new small car that is safe and will be cheap to maintain.
A family member recommended the Suzuki Swift and Hyundai i10.
Other cars that seem well priced are the Renault Kwid and Datsun Go.
Justus: The Suzuki Swift and Hyundai Grand i10 will be cheap to maintain and their levels of crash protection and crash avoidance are acceptable, thanks to ABS brakes and two air bags each.
However, for the price of a Grand i10 you can buy a Peugeot 108 that has six air bags and electronic stability control.
That’s out of the ordinary for a car in this price range.
To make it even more attractive, it has a warranty and five-year/100 000km service plan.
Sadly, its engine is puny, and the little car struggles up hills.
The Renault Kwid and Datsun Go performed dismally in crash tests.
Their makers say the cars have been reinforced since, and ABS brakes were fitted to improve braking performance.
If you do consider these, the Go is better to drive than the Kwid.
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