Mazda 3 Problems

You should always go to the max on safety and auto emergency braking is a big breakthrough that's worth the extra on its own. Sell the Corolla privately to make better than $250.

I suspect that you are being conned. Could you hear this "groaning"? If not don't replace the brakes, but if you're not sure take the car somewhere else and have the brakes checked.

The Impreza is a good choice with all-wheel drive safety and a raft of airbags, so too is the Corolla, but you could also consider the Mazda3. It's best to stick with the recognized Japanese brands, European brands can be appealing, but they tend to be more troublesome and more expensive to service.

We have heard reports of problems with shift solenoids in the auto. It's not a big problem and I wouldn't be worried about the general reliability of the car once it's been fixed.

There's nothing to worry about with start-stop technology. It's been around for years and everybody has it. As for your choices, I'd put the CX-3 well ahead of the ASX and just in front of the HR-V but I wouldn't buy either. For me, a mid-level Mazda3 is bigger than the CX-3, has more power, more room and is better to drive.

The three cars you nominate are all sound and good buying in the small to medium class. I wouldn't recommend buying European, they are generally less reliable and more costly to run than cars from Asia. You could also consider a Honda Civic or Kia Rio.

Of those you have been looking at I would rule out the Cruze on the basis of its transmission troubles. The Focus and the Hyundai are good cars and would do what you want nicely. Others to consider would be the Mazda3 and the Kia Rio.

I have seen reports of the system not working as expected, but no real explanations yet. It could simply be that people are not up to speed on the system, and what parameters it uses to activate. It doesn't necessarily operate in every situation, and the engine can restart if, for instance, you slightly release the brakes or turn the steering wheel.

There's no option but to fix whatever is wrong with the ABS system, without doing that the system won't be working and your braking is affected. Without knowing what is wrong with it it's hard to comment on the quoted cost of repairs. To save some money you could go to an independent mechanic, or a brake specialist.