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I'm looking for a car around the $7000 mark. I've been comparing Mazda2/Demios with Suzuki Swifts. But am concerned for the budget theses cars arnt the safest. I've been told on good authority to avoid CVTs like the plague. But am confused as the more I look the same model cars come out with auto and CVT. So looking for a safest in the price range. Subby Imprezas? 2ltr or 1.5? Carollas/Runx are any just Auto?, Mazda Alexa, Hyundai i30 maybe. I just dont know where to start.

Hi there,
Safety rating information is very rarely available for Japanese cars and the ratings for the NZ new equivalents can't be used, as we usually take a better spec car that the Japanese domestic models often imported.
The main complaints have come from some pre 2010 Honda and Nissan CVT's, others don't seem to be as much of an issue. It would also come down to personal preference as the operation of the CVT (one speed) transmission doesn't suit every driver. All the cars you have mentioned are good options, but if used car safety is a concern, you may end up looking at European cars like VW Golf, Polo, or Audi A3 as an example. However, the trade-off could be higher service/ repair costs as they age.