The main problem with this gearbox is that it’s a CVT and that makes a lot of people a bit nervous. But in the Honda’s case there’s less to be concerned about.

That’s because Honda doesn’t just buy in its CVT, and instead, designed and engineered its own CVT to be a better thing. And it seems to have worked. That said, any Honda that exhibits juddering on take-off, a whining noise from the CVT and even slippage as the car tires to accelerate or travel up a hill needs attention.

The good news is that, in the case of the Honda CVT, the fix is often pretty simple. That’s because these problems in a Honda usually point to nothing more involved than changing the contaminated transmission fluid. For the record, the experts reckon that changing the fluid in your Honda CVT every 40,000km at the outside is the way to go, and should keep any problems at bay.

As far as the engine goes, the Civic’s turbocharged four-cylinder seems to follow Honda tradition by being remarkably reliable. However, it’s worth remembering that this is a high-tech unit and requires careful servicing if it’s to remain so. Make sure any second-hand Civic has a full and complete service history as part of the deal.

Hyundai has the Elantra, Honda the Civic, and Toyota the Camry. All can be bought as sedans and all fall within your budget. For mine the Camry represents the best value for the money.

It's hard to know without more information. The cost will vary depending on the variant and model and wether you go to a dealer or locksmith. You can read a more indepth explanation of replacing key fobs here.