Ask The Guide

That's only a Band-Aid solution, even if it's a good one, for cars with problems that run much deeper.

The Sorento is a long-term CarsGuide favourite and one of the best things is the basic package is so good you don't have to spend big to get a car that will work well for the long haul. It definitely gets The Tick.

The Camry Hybrid is a very good car that gets The Tick from me. On the battery front, companies don't talk about the cost because they are expected to last for the life of the car and they generally provide assistance if there are dramas. I know of Toyota Prius taxis in Queensland that have covered more than 350,000km on the original battery.

As you say Mercedes generally cost more to service and repair, particularly if you have a dealer do the work.

They're not as expensive if you use an independent Mercedes specialist, and there are plenty around who can do that for you. They not only charge less for their labour, they usually have access to cheaper parts. Most of those parts are full factory parts, just sourced from overseas, instead of locally, so you don't miss out on quality or reliability by using them.

Jeep owners generally swear by the cars, but they have had issues over the years that should make you wary about signing on to the brand.

There's not much to split them, perhaps I would prefer the 'Benz.

It might be annoying, but that appears to be the answer. The trouble is there's no suggestion that you can do anything about it. Try talking to Mazda again and asking for a solution to the problem. Also talk to Apple, to see what they might suggest.

It's hard to make recommendations without knowing much about what you want. The choices of vehicles for a family of four are many and varied, as you say. I would consider a Kia Sportage SUV, Toyota Camry mid-sized sedan, or a Ford Falcon is you want a large sedan. You would certainly be better off shopping for a one to two-year-old used car.

We contacted Nissan seeking answers to your questions.

We didn't get anything on upcoming upgrades, so can't help you there, but they did give us some information on bullbars that might help you. "There are two genuine accessories bullbars available for the current-model Nissan Navara: aluminium and steel. Both have been locally developed (which included crash-testing) and the Navara retains its 5-star ANCAP safety rating when either of these genuine Nissan bullbars is fitted. An authorised Nissan dealer can fit either of these genuine accessories bullbars. Heavier-rate front suspension springs are needed with the steel bullbar due to its weight. This is to ensure the vehicle performs as designed, in terms of both driving and safety, when this additional weight is added to the front of the vehicle."

The deal you have been offered is the same one that has been offered to many other owners in your situation, so you're not being treated differently to others. 

You won't get a refund, or simply be given a new car in exchange for yours. The simplest way out is to weigh up the offer of the discounted price on a new car, together with the trade-in the dealer might offer you, and see if that works for you. If you don't want to go down that path you could join the class action lawsuit that is in train over this issue, but that's likely to be a long drawn-out process and you would need to be patient.

Orange peel was once considered the sign of poor quality in a paint job, but today it seems that it is ok to serve up. The response you got intimating that it was ok because it was only a ute is a sign of the malaise that's overtaken the car industry today. It's not acceptable, and anyone buying a new car should look closely at the paint job before signing up and handing over their cash.

Yes. It is a well-documented problem with the 1.4-litre dual-charge engine; one that VW was fixing when it first cropped up a year or two ago. Your car is out of warranty so they might be reluctant to help you, but it's worth a try.