Mazda CX-5 2012 Problems

The diesel is definitely the better engine choice in the Tucson, but you'll be giving up some headroom in the Highlander as — like virtually all sunroofs — it pinches a bit of roof clearance.

The CX-5 is the one that gets The Tick. You should only go for diesel for heavy towing or if you drive more than 30,000km a year.

The CVT transmission in the Jazz was prone to shuddering. To fix it Honda introduced a service requirement on the transmission, basically to change the oil. The automatic transmission in your Mazda is not a CVT, and does not suffer the same problem. But automatic transmission specialists will always tell you that it's wise to service automatic transmissions to prolong their life. It's even more important if you do a lot of towing.

While I imagine that it's possible to modify the electronics to do what you want, I doubt it's as simple as you seem to think. To do it now on a 2012 isn't something I imagine Mazda would be interested in. Perhaps you could take it to an auto electrician and see if they could do it for you.

It's hard to say, but it's unlikely as the park brake would have kept the rear wheels and brakes from moving, and are likely to have taken the brunt of the crash rather than the transmission. Presumably the repairer would have assessed the possible mechanical damage to the car as a result of the incident so have a chat with them about it and perhaps note your concerns before taking delivery of the repaired car.

Intermittent problems are hard to fix because the mechanic really has nothing to go when everything is working. It could be an electrical connection, or a sensor. The only thing you can do is to persist and take it to the dealer when it happens again.

The CX-5 is the better vehicle, but the Hyundai is likely to be cheaper and with much longer to run on the factory warranty.

On average a 2012 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring would cost around $25,000, which makes yours a little expensive. But against the odometer reading is well below the average, which compensates for the higher asking price. If you have any doubts about the car have an RACV inspection done.

It could be a wheel bearing, but it could also be something as simple as a stone stuck in the brakes. Best have it investigated, perhaps by a Mazda dealer.

With your slim budget you're looking at a 2010/2011 model, which will have on average around 150,000 km. It will be hard to find anything under that sort of mileage. At that I would be loathe to suggest a European brand, given that repairs can be expensive. Having ruled out the Tiguan I would suggest a Honda CR-V or a Mazda CX-5.