Ask The Guide

They're quite different vehicles, the Peugeot is a roomy, comfortable, safe and pleasant wagon, and boasts 4.0 L/100km economy. The Mazda SP25 is a sedan or hatch, and a sportier drive with a firmer ride, and the 2.5-litre petrol engine offers an average of 6.0L/100km. If you're trying to choose which one to buy it comes down to what you want from your car, comfort and economy, or a sporty drive. Another thing to consider is maintenance costs and the Mazda scores there.

I suggest that you take it to an independent Mercedes mechanic and get a quote from them. It is almost certain to be lower. You could also investigate importing the parts from an overseas source, such as a Mercedes dealer in the USA, and have them fitted here.

CVT failures are quite common in the Murano, so you're not on your own in that respect.

You should contact Nissan directly in writing setting out your reasons you think the company should help pay the costs of repairs on your car.

CVT failures in the Murano are quite common and Nissan should be doing more to support owners here who have put their faith in the company only to be let down. You are correct in saying that a component such as a transmission should not fail to the extent it needs replacing at such low kilometres.

If Nissan rejects your claim go to the consumer affairs people, or you could try taking them to VCAT.

Yes, it can be rebuilt or replaced and an automatic transmission specialist would be able to do that for you. Cost for the job would be around $2000 to rebuild or replace the transmission on a changeover basis.

For starters there is no such thing as a 'lemon law' in Australia; our legislators have chosen to leave us without protection when it comes to cars. You really have no comeback on the dealer, except to appeal to their common decency and help you out. You don't say what went wrong with the car, but the Carnival was prone to head gasket problems in the early days, so I'm guessing that could be the problem.

You're getting into the Colorado at about the right time, when they've done around 100,000 km. If you're going manual check the clutch, that's a bit of a weak point, but other than that go for the best car you can find. One thing to focus on is wear and tear from use as a work vehicle. Look at damage in the bed, dents and scrapes on the body from being worked hard on the job site. Overall they're a pretty good thing.

I am reluctant to recommend any European car, particularly those from VW, because of the problems that have soured the ownership experience for so many people. Rather than those you name I would be looking at the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V or Suzuki Vitara.

One possibility that has affected the Toyota diesel in the past is fuel leaking past the fuel-injector seals and contaminating the oil causing a build-up of sludge that eventually blocks the oil pick-up and starves the engine of oil. It's a long shot, but a possible explanation.

From what we understand the MY17 update will have an upgraded interior, better LED headlights, and possibly an engine noise generator. Not much change it seems.

The Amarok is rated to tow 3000 kg, which would make it marginal for your needs given that you want to tow around three tonnes. The Ranger and BT-50 are rated at 3500 kg, which would make them more suitable for you. The Ranger and the BT-50 are the same vehicle, it's only the features that separate them. For me, of those you list the Mazda is the best value-for-money.