Archive for the ‘Behind the Wheel’ Category

2008 Renault Laguna Privilège dCi Hatch Review

2008 Renault Laguna Privilège dCi Hatch Review & Road Test

laguna_008.jpg

Touchè or Too Staid?

Model Tested:

  • 2008 Renault Laguna Privilège dCi Hatch 2.0 litre turbo diesel automatic - $50,690 (RRP)

Options:

  • Dual Sunroof $2000

plus.jpg Safe; Stylish; Quiet; Strong & Economic Engine; Drives Beautifully
minus.jpg Rear Leg Room; Poor Stereo; No Bluetooth, Sat Nav or iPod Plug

CarAdvice Rating: rating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gif

- by Matt Brogan

French engineering is often scoffed at as an oxymoron, though for the life of me I can’t think why, I mean they gave us the Airbus A380, the Viaduc de Millau Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. I could go on for hours, but this is a car review after all, and what I’m really trying to impress here is that it doesn’t take a pastry chef to see that the French have a certain je ne sais quoi for flare, innovation and the dare to be different.

Upcoming 4 car large car comparison

In the first test of its type in Australia, CarAdvice places four of Australia’s top selling luxury 6-cylinder sedans under the pump to see which provides the best value for your dollar, along with which excels in performance, economy and roominess.

 Large car comparison

The results are certainly surprising. Two of the competitors entered the sub 15-second 1/4-mile club, while one of the competitors recorded continuously impressive fuel consumption figures and performance figures.

2008 Honda Accord review

2008 Honda Accord review & road test

08hondaaccord3qulow.jpg

Model Tested:

  • 2008 Honda Accord Luxury V6 - $46,990 (RRP)

Options fitted: None

plus.jpg Engine, Comfort, Economy, Space, Quality

minus.jpg Unusual suspension, complex interior

CarAdvice Rating: rating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gif

Review and photography by - Karl Peskett

We all know the story about the ugly duckling. Have you ever stopped to think whether it applies in all fields of life? Certainly in the world of motoring, it happens forwards and backwards.

2008 Holden Sportwagon first steer

2008 Holden Sportwagon First Drive

Holden Sportwagon

- First steer by Paul Maric.

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X first steer

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X first steer

 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

- David Twomey

A supercar for the masses – well with Mitsubishi’s Lancer Evolution X it comes about as close to that as you are ever likely to get – this is one brilliant motor car that we believe excites from the moment you clap eyes on it.

2008 Land Rover Defender 110 review

2008 Land Rover Defender 110 Road Test

 Land Rover Defender 110

Model tested: Land Rover Defender 110

Recommended Retail Price: $48,990; $51,890 as tested.

Options fitted: Metallic paint ($900), 3rd row seating ($2,000).

plus.jpg Off-road ability, durability, rugged.

minus.jpg Reverse gear location, 3rd row seat access.

CarAdvice rating: rating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gif(4.0)

- Review by Paul Maric, photographs by Aaron Kuzmanovic and Paul Maric

2008 KIA Sportage Review

2008 KIA Sportage EX CRDi Review & Road Test

sportage_001.jpg

Functional, fun and financially feasible.

Model Tested:

  • 2008 KIA Sportage EX CRDi 2.0 litre turbo diesel six speed manual - $32,490 (RRP)

Options:

  • Metallic Paint $300; Limited Pack (Side & Curtain Airbags, Leather, Sunroof) $3000

plus.jpg Economic Engine, Decent Ride Quality, Improved Handling, Price
minus.jpg No Auto Available, Looks Beginning to Date, Lacks Brand Appeal

CarAdvice Rating: rating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gifrating_half.GIF

- by Matt Brogan

When last I reviewed the Kia Sportage mention was made that although it was a decent offering for the price, it would have been all the better for the want of a diesel option and ESP – I must have been channeling Nostradamus.

2008 Hyundai i30 CRDi Auto First Steer

2008 Hyundai i30 CRDi Auto First Steer

crdi-rear-1.jpg

“For my money, Hyundai’s i30 is one of the most exciting small cars on the market today. With the introduction of the CRDi automatic, global sales of the i30 will skyrocket”

- words and photography by Anthony Crawford 

Economy driving: Peugeot 308

Economy driving: Peugeot 308

pug308side-shot.jpg

“How do you solve the fuel crisis? Drive smarter!”

By Karl Peskett

With fuel prices the way they are going, people’s budgets are being constrained. To keep our present car-dependent lifestyle, we have several alternatives. We can buy more fuel efficient cars, we can budget better, or we can drive smarter.

Several of these options will be detailed in future CarAdvice articles. But this week, we had an opportunity to test how smarter driving would improve our efficiency. The test candidate for this challenge was the Peugeot 308 XSE turbo petrol manual.

2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Review

2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Review and Road Test

jetta001.jpg

One of life’s little luxuries.

Model Tested:

  • 2008 Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan 2.0 litre four cylinder diesel DSG automatic - $37,790 (RRP)

Options:

  • Metallic Paint $690; Fog Lamps $390; Alarm $590; Sunroof $1890; Leather Trim $3290; Xenon Headlamps $1890; Alloys 18” $2990; Satellite Navigation $2990; Six CD Stacker $790

plus.jpg Capable & Economic Engine, Handsome Styling, Boot Space
minus.jpg Rear Leg Room, Tyre Noise, Due for a Facelift

CarAdvice Rating: rating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gifrating11.gif

- by Matt Brogan

Volkswagen’s Golf based Bora replacement has been kicking around for a couple of years now and despite having had the pleasure of our company before, Jetta decided to pay another visit to the CarAdvice office to see if after all this time its most recent guise was still a relevant contender.