Kia Problems

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.

It should run on 91-octane fuel without pinging; the knock sensor should ensure that it doesn't occur. Running it on higher-octane fuels makes it less prone to pinging, and again the knock sensor should have it running on the edge of pinging without actually doing it. I would keep the pressure on Kia to fix the problem, and at the same time get the help of an independent mechanic.

In order, I would suggest you consider the VW Tiguan, Kia Sportage, and Mazda CX-5. All are reliable, drive nicely, and are well equipped.

An older i30 should be fine, and far better value than a Corolla that everyone chases. You also should check out a more recent Hyundai i20 or Kia Rio. They are smaller but still good cars and would have some factory warranty.

Good to hear. We get a lot of complaints about various cars, many about the new types of automatic transmissions, which seem to be the bugbear of today's owners. While we focus on things like the dual-clutch automatics we forget about the really great advances that have been made in car technology. There's no better example of that advancement than the safety of the cars we now drive.

The Kia Sorento, our Car of the Year in 2015, gets The Tick from me. It has everything you want and need and is a good drive, with a seven-year warranty. If it's out of your price range, go for the smaller Kia Sportage.

The news from Kia Australia's spokesman Kevin Hepworth is not what you want to hear: "That is a North American engine only. No plans for Australia." Sorry.

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.