Nissan Problems

The Tiguan is getting old and the Qashqai is brand-spanking, the latter also with much better warranty and service back-up. Neither is my favourite in the class but I'd go for the Qashqai.

If you're heading down the SUV road then the Qashqai is fine but the new 308 is a ripper car that gets The Tick from me. I would go for either Peugeot option.

Towing in overdrive really loads up the transmission, so you have to think about how you use it. Generally it is ok to engage overdrive on flat terrain, where the load is not as high, but it's important to disengage it when facing hills. The key is to always be in the correct gear for the situation, rather than leave it in overdrive and forget about it.

There is a lot more to car choice than one safety aspect. If you're not happy about one missing feature, you should look further into the class at something like the Mazda CX-5 which I give The Tick.

It isn't unusual to have a problem with the auto at that sort of mileage. Most appear to be down to a problem with the oil cooler splitting, which allows coolant to enter the transmission, which can then cause problems with the inbuilt ECU.

It's unusual to have a major failure of the front diff, unless it has been left in low range four-wheel drive on the highway. If that hasn't happened I would request a full explanation of the reason the diff has failed.

The private sale value is $29,000 to $33,000, but as a trade-in it would be worth $24,000 to $28,000. I would offer $25,000.

Some dealers are using extra service items to boost their profitability but I have not had any manufacturer tell me about the need for fuel or air care cleaning. Never authorise work outside the official service and ask for replaced parts to be returned to you.

More than 80 per cent of cars sold in Australia are now automatics and that share is still rising, fast. When companies are looking to cut cost and complications from their line-ups, it's easy to drop a manual that few people want. Between X-Trail and CR-V I give The Tick to the Honda.

Nissan spokesman Peter Fadeyev replies: "Nissan Australia has encountered only a handful of episodes where the Dualis shifter has been broken but these have been observed in rental cars and cars with certain aftermarket accessories fitted. The cause of the breakage is excessive force applied to the shifter to engage the car into gear without the driver applying sufficient force to the brake pedal to allow the car to be disengaged from the Park position. This matter hasn't involved recall."