Honda Problems

Buying any car is a gamble when it comes to reliability; no brand is immune from problems.

VW has had some very high profile problems over the last few years that have affected people's perception of the brand. The current and on-going scandal about emissions cheating isn't a reliability problem; it's a corporate thing. The problem with the DSG gearbox was another that knocked the company's reputation, and that was a reliability issue.

It has to be said that the DSG problems were associated with earlier models and don't appear to affect current ones, like the Tiguan. I wouldn't be too concerned about the reliability of VW at the moment.

Honda, of course, has a reputation for quality engineering and reliability, which makes the CR-V a popular SUV. The CR-V gets plaudits for its roomy cabin, practicality, boot space, and dash.

Against that it's 2.4-litre engine is a tad thirsty, and the auto is a five-speed, both of which hold it back. Safety-wise it has five stars with pretty much everything you could want.

The CVT transmission in the Jazz was prone to shuddering. To fix it Honda introduced a service requirement on the transmission, basically to change the oil. The automatic transmission in your Mazda is not a CVT, and does not suffer the same problem. But automatic transmission specialists will always tell you that it's wise to service automatic transmissions to prolong their life. It's even more important if you do a lot of towing.

The Baleno should be fine for your needs, and I wouldn’t be concerned about the fact that it’s made in India. Suzuki has been making cars in India for a number of years and there has been nothing to suggest that they are of a lower quality or less reliable as a result.

The Focus is a great driving car, but there are serious issues with its dual-clutch automatic transmission, so serious you should avoid it, or buy a manual. Consider others like the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Kia Rio, etc.

The Focus is a good car with a serious flaw; it has a dual-clutch automatic transmission that gives trouble. I would happily have a 2012 Focus with a manual gearbox, but I wouldn't buy one with a dual-clutch auto. I'd be looking at a Japanese or Korean brand and going for something like a Mazda 3, Honda Civic or Accord, Hyundai Elantra with a good record of reliability.

All of the cars you name meet your criteria of size, economy, performance and handling.

You could also add the Mazda3 and 6 to the list.

Of all of those I would nominate the Camry as the great all-rounder.

With your slim budget you're looking at a 2010/2011 model, which will have on average around 150,000 km. It will be hard to find anything under that sort of mileage. At that I would be loathe to suggest a European brand, given that repairs can be expensive. Having ruled out the Tiguan I would suggest a Honda CR-V or a Mazda CX-5.