Honda Problems

Our class favourite is the Mazda6 but the Toyota Camry, which is often overlooked despite getting The Tick, is great value at the moment and would be a smart choice.

There is a lot more to car choice than one safety aspect. If you're not happy about one missing feature, you should look further into the class at something like the Mazda CX-5 which I give The Tick.

Our earlier comparisons are out of date with the arrival of new XV opponents including the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V and Renault Captur. The XV is now trailing those three, at least.

I'd suggest you wait, just a little, and investigate the new breed of compact SUVs. Right now you can choose from the Subaru XV and Renault Captur, which I give The Tick, but soon enough there will also be a Mazda CX-3 that looks like the pick of the litter.

The Mazda CX-5 is my top pick and I also like the Hyundai ix35 for value, the Honda CR-V as a city runabout, and the base-model Subaru Forester as a family car.

As a trade-in you would get $4000-$4500, if you sold it privately you might get $5500-$5800.

More than 80 per cent of cars sold in Australia are now automatics and that share is still rising, fast. When companies are looking to cut cost and complications from their line-ups, it's easy to drop a manual that few people want. Between X-Trail and CR-V I give The Tick to the Honda.

Seat height is really about outward vision, which can be affected by a person's body type as much as the seat, so she really needs to sit in the cars. I find the Honda HR-V has a good view but all the new baby SUVs have bodies styled for fashion first.

The Kia Carnival gets The Tick, every time, in that price range. And with four kids you will find that a proper people-mover gives far more flexibility than an SUV or even a converted van.