Having a vehicle on long-term test is an incomparable blessing. Given, we are gratefully afforded the envious opportunity to scrutinise everything that comes to our shores for a short test period before it returns. However, a long-termer is instantly invited into the family with open arms.

Now I've been trying to nurture my mothering instinct, kind of like learning the feminine touch and all that bull. All parents will know that dealing with little niggles from the 'lighty' is enough to drive one up the wall, but when he or she grazes a knee for instance, that's an entirely different story altogether.

To this end, I've managed to keep a very cool head about the small niggles that we've experienced thus far, because its awesome natural companionship overshadows almost any problem - I promise! All parents out there will undoubtedly agree that the one thing worse than an injury to your child, is one inflicted by a bully. Most of you will know then what a bully's profile is, but the most important aspect here is that he runs away when there's any trouble.

We had left her in the parking lot of a Subaru dealer while kindly borrowing a couple of new Legacy's for a feature photo shoot in the last issue. When however, camera ace Nunan returned to collect our baby, he discovered that some coward had obviously reversed, turned a touch early and sideswiped the right rear flank.

So, with white scratches glaring on both the back door and fender, the contrast on scarlet red was simply unbearable - not to mention the pain she had to endure through this ordeal.

Nonetheless, as you well know about the exemplary service from Toyota, she was swiftly hauled into the shop for expert repairs. Dropped off on a Wednesday and returned to us by the following Monday morning was far more than I expected, but it seems that the Japanese carmaker in question here prides itself in excelling in the customer service and satisfaction department.

Close observation of the repairs revealed a superbly professional job by Toyota and the panel work is right back up to standard with perfect colour match and panel gap perfection - what you'd expect, no?

Shame though, you must admit that our baby has been having a hard time of late, remember that it had a battery charge problem relating to an evil coil wire last month, and now this!

Anyway, we like to look on the bright side and are hopeful that this is the last unfortunate ailment to fall upon her. As before though, the time she spent away from us was again painstaking. Now that may sound a little dramatic, but all of us at the office are unanimous in that we miss the scream and ensuing rush from driving this, positively one of the finest hatches in class. The next issue will be the farewell to our newest family member and I dread the day when I have to sit down and key in those fateful words.
Until then though, we'll savour every minute...