Mitsubishi Problems

The Hyundai i20 and i30 are both fine car, so too is the Lancer, of the three the i30 is the better. You should be able to find a 2010 model with your budget. You won't have any problems with getting parts if you need them, and they are quite reliable, so you shouldn't have any trouble with them in short to medium-term.

The new car warranty was for five years or 130,000km, so while it still meets the time part of the deal it's beyond the kilometer limit. Any extended warranty you have would have come from the dealer rather than Mitsubishi, so you would have to read the warranty conditions to know if the turbo seals are covered. I would expect they are if they fail because of being faulty.

Your best course of action is to take it to a dealer or an auto electrician to find what's causing the problem.

It could be a worn synchro, but I would suspect it’s more likely to be a worn clutch. Have a mechanic check it for you.

Unless you are buying a manual I would rule the Cruze out, the automatic is trouble in that model and not worth the risk. If you do but a Cruze I would choose the 1.8-litre engine. Others to think of are the Hyundai i30, Mazda 3, or Mitsubishi Lancer.

Mining company utes operate in the harshest environments there are, so I wouldn't take a lot of notice of hearsay reports of problems. The chassis might indeed crack under the stress of the mining site, but that's a far different environment than anything you will encounter in your travels.