Kia Sportage 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's not just the dealer and it's not just Kia. Most companies keep only fast-moving parts in stock and have to order anything else, which means sea freight delays.

There is nothing official from Mazda Australia but the CX-5 is now more than four years old and that points to a new replacement in the second half of next year. If you're buying now, ensure you also test drive the new Kia Sportage — I give it The Tick and rate it ahead of the CX-5.

Both are well suited to everyday use around town. They're comfortable, fuel-efficient and safe. The Dualis is a little cheaper than the Sportage, but I would definitely go for the Sportage. I would expect them to have a similar resale value when it comes time to sell, but the reputation of the Sportage for quality and reliability would make it easier to move on.

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.

The Mazda is an excellent choice but also test drive the Sportage. Buy a fully loaded car for the safety gear but sunroofs and big alloys aren’t worthwhile. A pre-registered 2015 car with low kilometres is a smart way to buy.

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.

Your need for low maintenance rules out the Europeans, Jeeps are popular but aren't as reliable as I think they should be, leaving you with the Japanese and Korean brands. The cars I would suggest you look at are the Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester and Honda CR-V.

Two choices that get The Tick from me are the Toyota Camry sedan, which can be quite punchy with the 2.5-litre petrol engine and is great value, and the Kia Sportage SUV with turbo diesel.