Kia Sorento Problems

In terms of kilometres done 100,000 km is a significant mental marker, and that’s probably the time to move it on, or at least just less than 100,000 km. The only problem is that you do very few kilometres, so the car would likely be 7-8 years old by the time get close to 100,000 km and that makes it a fairly old car and less valuable. I’d suggest you think about moving it on within the next two years and take advantage of the low kilometres it will surely have done.

You first need to decide the level of off-roading you will be doing because that will determine if you need a four-wheel drive or you only need an all-wheel drive SUV. From what you have told us I suspect that an SUV, such as a Kia Sorento, Toyota Kluger, or a Nissan X-Trail would be the best all-round vehicle for you. All of those would fit your budget, they will all go off-road to a reasonable degree, and they're all reliable. The Mitsubishi Triton is a hard-riding ute, which I don't think is what you want, but the Suzuki Grand Vitara is a good vehicle and would also fit your needs.

There is a new model on the way, as you say, and we would say hold off if you can.

The Kluger would meet your requirements nicely, so too would a diesel Territory. You could also look at a Kia Sorento.

That’s the problem with VWs, you can get six good ones in a row, but the next one could be a lemon. Rather than a wagon you’re probably looking at an SUV. I would suggest a Kia Sorento, Subaru Outback, or Toyota RAV4.

There’s no good reason to not buy a Falcon, parts will be available for many years yet. There’s the Commodore, but it too is out of production. Other than that there’s no similar sized car available for you. You need to think about getting an SUV, such as a Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-5.

An SUV would seem to be the best choice given your concerns about getting in and out of the car. Most carmakers now offer FWD versions as well as all-wheel drive models, and without knowing what your budget limitation is I would think an SUV like a Mitsubishi ASX, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester or Kia Sorento would fit your needs well.

If the diesel has worked for you then I don't see any reason why you shouldn't buy another one. Do your sums on the cost of running a diesel versus a petrol engine and if that works out in favour of the diesel, and you haven't had any issues with the DPF then I would stick with what has been good for you.