What’s your opinion of the Volkswagen MK5 Golf R32? Are they a good car? Any issues with them?

Kristian Edgcumbe, email

Now you’re talking my language. These 20062009 all-wheel-drive hot hatches are excellent performance buys . I drove a friend’s example recently and its grip, noise and acceleration had me itching for one. A 3.2-litre VR6 engine, 184kw/320nm and 0-100km/h in 6.2 seconds, all from about $15,000. Manuals are rare, but VW’S DSG auto problems were mainly sorted by this time. Even so, prioritise one with an impeccable service history. R32s were built to be driven, so most will have had a hard life. The Mk5 Golf GTI is worth a try too. $10,000 buys a good one with three pedals: those prices will soon climb as it’s now being recognised as a GTI high point.

LIFE SAVER?

Re your comment on roll bars (sports bars) fitted to dual cab utes. Are they “only cosmetic”? My son was driving his Toyota Hilux fitted with one, he was run off the road and rolled down a gully. It was deemed the roll bar was effective and he only sustained minor injuries.

Malcolm Mackenzie

If accident investigators deemed a sports bar protected the cabin in any way, it’s hard to be anything but very happy about that. But people mustn’t confuse these steel sports bar accessories with proper rollover protection bars. The likes of Safety Devices make multi-point bolt-in roll cages for dual cabs to protect all passengers, typically for oil, gas and mining fleets. I haven’t seen any manufacturers claim that sports bars improve rollover safety.

UNBREAKABLE

Re Jim Reynolds’s Toyota Hilux only needing a couple of replacement clutches after 535,000km, my 2013 Toyota Hiace is still on its original clutch after 340,000km and I drive it like I stole it.