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Hi, I'm looking at getting a replacement station wagon with a budget of $10k, an absolute max of $12.5k for a good deal. As a young family we would like to prioritise crash safety, boot space, reliability & running costs. We tend to drive ~20,000km a year.
What suggestions would you have? 
Also, there seem to be a lot of VW (Passat/Golf) on the market in our price range but I'm not sure about reliability and future repair costs vs for example, a Mazda. I've heard about issues with the transmission or engine?

Hi there,
European cars are great in a lot of areas but they can cost a bit in repairs and maintenance as they age, yes some can have DSG gearbox issues and some can have stretched timing chains in some engine types for example.
There are a couple of wagons that have good used car safety ratings, 2011 onwards under $12.5k. Mazda Atenza, Subaru Legacy, and Subaru Impreza wagon. or maybe a Mitsubishi Outander SUV is a popular option in an SUV.