Comments on: AutoRoute: A different approach to 4WDriving Central Australia

By: FrugalOne

FrugalOne — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:19:42 +0000

I pretty much did this exact route, but twice as far.

Seeing its mostly boring also took the same photos as u!

Great country though!

Cheers

F-0

By: Sue @ Used Cars

Sue @ Used Cars — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:56:34 +0000

I just loved this read a great test drive unlike any other that have been around I am completely jealous of you having to get to test that car of all cars, she is a real beauty.

By: jansjetta

jansjetta — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:10:25 +0000

Great reaqding Josh.
I’ve just done Perth / Bendigo / Corryong / Bright / Mt Hotham / Omeo / Lakes Entrance / Melb / Great Ocean Rd / Adelaide / Perth. 9267 klm in a Jetta TDi. Ave 5.5l/100 best – 1 tank Ceduna – Mildura (1030), best consumption 4.8 Mildura – Bendigo. Mostly good roads, some great roads and some shite roads (esp Renmark – Mildura) and lots of memories. Ther’s something special about driving this BIG country, but the outback shouldn’t be taken for granted.
I think the next trip might be up the west coast.

By: phillip

phillip — Wed, 06 May 2009 11:44:43 +0000

Full respect Josh. I believe what I read about the DSG, that it’s economical and far superior to a normal auto, but after a while I was really rather bored when driving my brothers GTI. Even though there are steering wheel paddles to change gears manually, I found myself just driving it as I would a standard auto. It just didn’t feel very playful.

By: Tek

Tek — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:34:12 +0000

Josh, what a great read! So refreshing to read something other than the usual specs/review/rating article. My only negative was that the story was too short. I would love to hear more about what you thought of the R32 after such a trip, even if it is biased :)

By: Josh McKenzie

Josh McKenzie — Mon, 04 May 2009 00:33:16 +0000

Thanks for the positive comments everyone. Glad to see it’s rekindling old memories for some.

Phillip: It’s a manual. I do love the DSG box, especially in the GTI. I just felt the VR6 had a bit more aural character with the manual (even if performance and economy suffer).

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:09:51 +0000

Yeah but Cupid, we get all the great driving roads. Many Australians have to travel a very long way to find great windy driving roads that I can find ten minutes out of London. However, writing that, I’m not sure if windy driving roads are what you want when you own a diesel Vectra Estate. No offense intended but the Vectra isn’t exactly known for it’s driving dynamics.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:26:45 +0000

Meant to add:

Josh, thanks for brilliant story. Trouble is I now want to go and do it all over again.

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:25:30 +0000

Have done this sort of trip twice. 2nd time was in 2002 with my wife and, at the time, 7 & 9 y.o. daughters. We had a VW T4 semi-camper pulling 16.5 foot caravan – 40000K in 6 months. Great driving, great country. Averaged 15L/100K – no flats, no probs.

First time was in a 1600cc T2 Kombi camper in 1979 – 27000K in 5 months (once again no punctures). Back then Highway 1 had lots more dirt road and there were also no rangers telling you it was 4WD only to get to the Bungle Bungles, etc.

Tack – agree, the best buy was my Engel – the 2nd best was the VWs.

By: Mazda3

Mazda3 — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:43:16 +0000

Even if the car in question is a 103kW, 182Nm regular sedan like mine, the article is still pleasurable to read. It’s journals like this that make this website unique. Kudos to the writers!

By: Hagar

Hagar — Sat, 02 May 2009 07:53:55 +0000

yes, more of this stuff and real road tests, less of super cars we will never see or use. CA get back from your junket and start giving us some real road tests and comparison drives please.

By: binladen

binladen — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:12:28 +0000

love this article. which website have more of these stuff?? anyone know? thanks

By: Cupid Stunt

Cupid Stunt — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:08:48 +0000

Sometimes it’s just great to get out and drive just for the sake of driving. Nice trip.
Wish I could do it, thats further than I can travel in the UK doing Land’s End to John O Groats a trip of 833miles.

By: XR-2

XR-2 — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:51:00 +0000

just did bathurst/melbourne/TGOR/bendigo/boardertown/adelaide/balrenald/bathurst/sydney/bathurst in a jumbuck camping with the misses. Your story makes me want to do it again tomorrow.
Great story

By: philip

philip — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:30:00 +0000

I don’t normally like silver cars (after all, silver is the new white), but damn that’s a very sexy looking machine – I wish VW imported some of the lower spec 3-door models as well.

Tell me, was it a manual or DSG? I drove my brothers GTI DSG a few months ago, which was nice, but to me the DSG system sounds like it’s farting when it changes gears. Strange…

By: PWT

PWT — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:51:56 +0000

I too have an R32 and I too, love my car. Good read.

By: Biggles

Biggles — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:26:30 +0000

I wish I could just take a quick trip into the Red Center…

I also wish I had a Golf R32 :)

By: victoryi30

victoryi30 — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:15:51 +0000

Great story! I was thinking about doing the same trip to get the kms up with my diesel i30 on a novated lease. Glad to hear the roads are up to scratch!

Thankfully won’t have to worry about the space saver or premium fuel. Also looking forward to giving the 1000 km to a tank of diesel a nudge too.

By: Frontman

Frontman — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:05:02 +0000

Did Ularu in 2000 by myself, went Brissie to Emerald, Kynuna, Tennant Creak, Ayres Rock, (4 days there) then Glendambo (great little bunk house for a tenner) Broken Hill, Inverell (3 days) and Brissie. 8,100km seven days driving. NT highways were unrestricted back then and 170km was comfortable and nowhere near as fatiguing as the 130 limit.
Recoment to all Australian car fanatics to do the trip.

By: Tack

Tack — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:01:39 +0000

Oh Yes, thanks for good story.
And I remember my similar road trip from Adelaide to Darwin with my parents 3 years ago…
My car was MY06 Subaru 3.0R required premium unleaded petrol.
During total over 8000km trip, my car’s maximum speed was 230Km/h plus when my parents were asleep XD !!!
I brought 20L plastic petrol tank, but fortunately we used it only once.
And I filled normal unleaded petrol just once.
Puncture at side wall of front tyre at Kakado national park was only our painful memory.
Because, replacement of a tyre costs $400 !!!
My best wise decision was I bought Engel car fridge for this trip.

I love to go again, but next time I will with off road capable 4WD and extend to north Western Australia.
That’s my dream road trip in my life !!!