Kia Sportage Problems

Two choices that get The Tick from me are the Toyota Camry sedan, which can be quite punchy with the 2.5-litre petrol engine and is great value, and the Kia Sportage SUV with turbo diesel.

In order, I would suggest you consider the VW Tiguan, Kia Sportage, and Mazda CX-5. All are reliable, drive nicely, and are well equipped.

It's hard to make recommendations without knowing much about what you want. The choices of vehicles for a family of four are many and varied, as you say. I would consider a Kia Sportage SUV, Toyota Camry mid-sized sedan, or a Ford Falcon is you want a large sedan. You would certainly be better off shopping for a one to two-year-old used car.

The news from Kia Australia's spokesman Kevin Hepworth is not what you want to hear: "That is a North American engine only. No plans for Australia." Sorry.

The Kia Sorento, our Car of the Year in 2015, gets The Tick from me. It has everything you want and need and is a good drive, with a seven-year warranty. If it's out of your price range, go for the smaller Kia Sportage.

The Mazda is an excellent choice but also test drive the Sportage. Buy a fully loaded car for the safety gear but sunroofs and big alloys aren’t worthwhile. A pre-registered 2015 car with low kilometres is a smart way to buy.

We contacted Kia and it seems there are a couple of possible things you could do, but they need more information to identify the type of key your car uses. They recommended that you contact their customer assistance service on 131 542 and they will be happy to assist you.

Suzuki is a classy brand and the Grand Vitara gets The Tick, even if I'm not a fan of the constantly variable transmission.

The only reason to go European with that budget is to buy a badge, as the Asian cars do the job and are surprisingly classy with great warranty. Once again, I'd send you first to Kia to check out the Sportage.

The Tucson gets The Tick from me and rates above the X-Trail, but my first choice is the all-new Kia Sportage.