Toyota Camry Review & Road Test
November 5, 2009 by Paul Maric
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Car Style, Medium Car, Medium Car, Toyota, Toyota Camry
The latest iteration of one of Toyota’s best selling appliances.
Model Tested:
2009 Toyota Camry Ateva; 2.4-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; five-speed automatic; sedan – $32,490
Interior space; suspension (ride); standard features
Fuel consumption; handling
CarAdvice Rating:
Whitegoods on wheels, uninspiring, old man’s car and boring. These are all terms that have become synonymous with the Toyota Camry.
For years Toyota [...]
Toyota iQ Review
November 4, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Environment, First Steer, Light Car, Toyota
If this is where small cars are headed, consider me a convert.
Model Tested:
2009 Toyota iQ3; 1.3-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; CVT automatic; three-door hatch – $21,560*
By Matt Brogan. Tokyo, Japan.
This may be the shortest first steer of the smallest car I’ve yet driven, but my 20 minutes behind the wheel was enough to tell me that if [...]
Jaguar XF-R Review & Road Test
November 4, 2009 by Nadine Armstrong
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Jaguar, Large Car, Luxury Car, Sports
Plenty of reasons to get excited
Model Tested:
2009 Jaguar XF-R; 5.0-litre, supercharged V8, petrol; six-speed automatic; sedan- $208,450*
Brilliant engine; dynamic handling; wicked personality
Fuel economy; interior plastics
CarAdvice Rating:
The Jaguar XF-R is a shameless exhibitionist. Behind the wheel you will be entertained, intrigued and find it near impossible not to warm to its wicked demeanor.
With [...]
Subaru Outback Diesel Review
November 3, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Car Style, First Steer, Medium Car, SUV Compact, Subaru
The car that a lot of Subaru fans have been waiting for has finally arrived in Australia, the Outback Diesel represents the first diesel car Subaru has offered in Australia and marks a new era for the Japanese brand as it sets it sights higher for 2010.
Having already driven the new Subaru Outback a [...]
Subaru Liberty Exiga Review
November 3, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Car Style, First Steer, People Mover, People Mover, Subaru
The new Subaru Liberty Exiga (pronounced x-e-ga in Australia) has made its way to our shores and is on sale now from a starting price of just $37,490. Subaru’s first people mover has a lot to offer with an impressive feature list the kids would be proud of.
Referred to as the Exiga in Japan, Australia [...]
Renault Laguna Estate Review & Road Test
November 3, 2009 by Paul Maric
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Diesel, Medium Car, Renault
Finally, a French car without the complications.
Model Tested:
2009 Renault Laguna Dynamique Estate; 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel; six-speed automatic; wagon – $46,990*
Options:
18-inch Alloy Wheels $1000; Metallic Paint $800; Panoramic Sunroof $2000; Xenon Headlights & Headlight Washers $1950
Value for money; build quality; engine; style
Rear leg room
CarAdvice Rating:
The French have always been a bit quirky. While [...]
2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Review
November 2, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Filed under 4WD, 4x4, Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Car Style, First Steer, Hyundai, Off Road / 4x4, SUV, SUV Medium
Hyundai’s updated Santa Fe brings the latest in diesel engine technology to the masses at an affordable price. Starting from $37,990 the face-lifted Santa Fe gets an updated interior and exterior plus a whole new engine and transmission system, meaning superior fuel efficiency and drivability.
There was a time when Korean cars were regarded as cheap, [...]
BMW 330d Review & Road Test
November 2, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
Filed under BMW, Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Diesel, Environment, Medium Car
BMW’s 330d is an extraordinarily capable car with performance and fuel consumption figures that seem utterly implausible until you drive it.
Model Tested:
BMW E90 330d; 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, turbo-diesel; six-speed automatic; sedan – $87,250*
Options Fitted:
Larger Navigation Screen with added functionality including Television and Voice recognition $4,100; Sunroof $2,290
Awesome performance and refinement
Gearshifts could be [...]
2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review
October 30, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, First Steer, Small Car, Volkswagen, Volkswagen
I’m somewhere in the Victorian Alps with about forty-kilometres of clean, windy road ahead and I’m driving the new GTI at eight-tenths with former F1 driver Hans Stuck on my tail. Make that nine-tenths.
I’m carrying an awful lot of speed into these curves, and yet even in the tighter sections, the GTI is seemingly [...]
Suzuki Alto Review & Road Test
October 30, 2009 by Paul Maric
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Car Reviews, Light Car, Suzuki
A brand new car for the price of an expensive scooter.
Model Tested:
2009 Suzuki Alto GLX; 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, petrol; four-speed automatic; five-door hatch – $16,490*
Pricing; fuel consumption; feature list
Engine size; rear leg room; boot capacity
CarAdvice Rating:
It’s Australia’s cheapest car and it’s built in India. These two factors alone would send most people to [...]
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Review
October 29, 2009 by Matt Brogan
Filed under Behind the Wheel, Bugatti, Car Reviews, Sports
Bugatti have managed to create an incredibly powerful car and the means with which to harness that power.
Model Tested:
2010 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport; 8.0-litre, 16-cylinder, petrol; seven-speed DSG; coupe – USD$2,000,000
By Mark Hacking, USA.
Fair warning: This could well be the lamest review of a supercar in the history of supercar reviews. Of course, [...]
