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Hi there - my partner and I are looking at upgrading our current vehicle and it would be great to get some feedback regarding our potential options and whether there are any concerns (both safety and mechanic) that we should be aware of.

We currently drive a 2009 Hyundai i30 - it's mechanically sound however we're finding that we're spending more on R&M for it (and as the car gets older it's only going to need more). We've had it four years and are keen to spend our money on something newer rather than spending money on something we're not planning to keep longer than 6-12 months.

Our options are below (and any other suggestions are welcome):
- Mazda 3 (say 2014 onwards)
- Toyota Corolla (say 2012 onwards)
- Ford Fiesta (say 2015 onwards)

We've tested the Fiesta - although it's a smaller car we were impressed with the zippiness and size of the car.

Our budget is approx $15k and we'd look to sell the Hyundai privately as it'll get more money that way.

Thanks and look forward to hearing from someone

Hi there,
The Mazda 3 and Corolla are very popular choices, reliable, no frills motoring. The Mazda might be a bit more upmarket looking than the older Corolla. The Fiesta non-manual has a Powershift transmission which is has known issues and I would not recommend it as problem free.