Nissan Problems

You've missed my pick, and our current Car of the Year, the Kia Sorento. It's better than any of your contenders and a top car that gets The Tick from me.

The things that affect the Navara are clutch failures and worn injectors. You could check with the vendor to see if either of these problems has hit the car you're looking at. The clutches on most diesels are prone to failure, although some say it's because if driver technique. Most of today's common-rail diesels suffer from worn injectors, it's not a major problem, but it's one you need to be aware of.

You should ask for a new sender unit under warranty. They gauge should read properly and Jim Cummings' experience shows there is a problem.

The three cars you name all have merit, none has any major issue to be concerned about and all fit your needs, but you will have to shop around to find them within your age and budget limits.

I would go for the Camry every time after a Maxima. It's $28,990 driveaway for a new car at the moment and is about the same size as the Nissan but much more refined and lighter on fuel.

The Qashqai is the right pick because of its bigger cabin, even if the Honda has lots of flexibility in its magic seats, but I would not commit without driving the Mazda CX-5, which is the class leader.

The towing rating is the main thing you need to get right, and your need to tow a horse float with two horses means you need a heavy four-wheel drive, like a Landcruiser or Patrol. Either one will be up to the towing task, and could be driven by a novice, but would be chore to drive around town.

If there are any warning lights on it could be a problem with the electronics and it’s gone into ‘limp home’ mode. If there are no warning lights on it’s likely to be a fuel issue, and not getting enough fuel to keep it running when under load, which it is when in Drive or Reverse. I would change the fuel filter, check the fuel pressure, and clean the throttle body.