Mitsubishi Problems

You say it is a slight vibration, which makes me think it’s not serious. It could just be caused by wear. I wouldn’t be concerned about it if it were my car, after all it’s not a new car.

If the shorter warranty of the Subaru is a major concern for you then certainly look at others, like the Sportage or Eclipse, but I would buy the Outback with confidence it will give you a good run beyond the warranty.

The best times to buy are usually the end of the financial year, or at model run-out times, that's when the specials are on. The CVT and dual-clutch autos are both still unknowns in terms of long-term reliability, but either should be ok over the five years you plan to keep the car. Any of the cars you list, and the list is a long one, would be ok. It really comes down to what you like.

Having ruled out an SUV your choices are fairly limited. If you were prepared to buy used you could buy a late model Falcon, but if you want to buy new you’re really limited to an SUV. Most SUVs have good performance, they’re certainly not sluggish, and they aren’t all bulky. Something like a Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, or a Subaru Forester should be able to comfortably handle your towing needs.

It’s rated to tow up to 1600 kg if what is being towed has brakes, so towing a van weighing 1000 kg on road should be a breeze.

I presume you’re not overloading the ute, so fit some Light Truck tyres. Passenger car tyres would be quieter, and the ride would be more comfortable, but you really need tyres capable of carrying the load.

I wouldn’t expect the paint to be peeling in such a short time. Take it back to the dealer who fitted it and request they repair it.

Don’t buy a Focus, they are plagued with automatic transmission troubles, don’t buy a Holden Cruze either, as they also have problems with their automatic transmission. The Lancer is fine; you could also look at a Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla.

Take it to a Mitsubishi dealer, or a reputable automatic transmission specialist to have it checked. It could be the computer controlling the auto, but you need a specialist to check it for you.

You don’t tell us why your ute needs a new head at just 134,000 km, so it’s hard to comment. If nothing untoward has happened to cause the problem, like overheating, then you could try and convince Mitsubishi to cover the cost of repairs, but unless you have a full history that clearly points to a manufacturing fault I think you would struggle to justify a claim.