Toyota iQ Review

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 [...]

Suzuki Alto Review & Road Test

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 [...]

Mazda3 Review & Road Test

You’d be smiling too if you were a 3

Model Tested:

2009 Mazda 3 Maxx; 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; five-speed automatic; sedan – $27,050*

Options:

None Fitted

Build quality; ride & handling; smooth drivetrain
Road noise; strange looks
CarAdvice Rating:
Okay, okay, let’s start with the obvious – the Mazda3 has a big smile. It’s kind of a goofy grin, too, [...]

Hyundai Getz Review & Road Test

Taking on the brand snobs.
Model Tested:

2009 Hyundai Getz SX; 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; five-speed manual; five-door hatch – $16,340*

Good safety; great audio spec
Dated design; heavy steering
CarAdvice Rating:
While the heady rush of buying luxury goods is hard to match, sometimes the generic brand value proposition is simply too good to ignore. If, at [...]

Suzuki Alto – 12 Hour Economy Challenge

12 hours, one mission: to test the economy claims of Suzuki’s new Alto.
By Matt Brogan
In addition to my regular review this week I thought I’d throw an additional challenge at Suzuki’s pint-sized warrior and put the car’s impressive fuel economy claims – and perhaps that of my rather limited patience – to the ultimate test: [...]

Suzuki Alto Review & Road Test

2009 Suzuki Alto GL Review & Road Test

It’s not the size of the dog in the fight…
Model Tested:

2009 Suzuki Alto GL; 1.0-litre, three-cylinder, petrol; five-speed manual; five-door hatch – $12,490*

Options:

Metallic Paint $475 (Fitted – Fortune Rose)

Fuel economy; price; eager performance
No ESC; boot space; open storage areas
CarAdvice Rating:
By Matt Brogan
When it [...]

Honda City Review & Road Test

2009 Honda City VTi-L Review & Road Test

The name suggests where the car should remain.

Model Tested:

2009 Honda City VTi-L; 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; five-speed automatic, sedan – $25,685*

Options:

None fitted

Interior room, design, fuel consumption
Price, lack of power, features
CarAdvice Rating:
By Paul Maric

Honda has long been yearning for a stop-gap between the Jazz and Civic and [...]

BMW 120d Efficient Dynamics Challenge

BMW recently called CarAdvice to see if we were interested in participating in a car challenge of a different variety.

By Paul Maric
Instead of seeing who was quickest around a track or who could post the fastest speed, BMW enlisted their latest Efficient Dynamics vehicle – the 120d – and sent 16 motoring journalists, in four [...]

Light Hatch Comparison – Fiesta, Barina, Jazz, Getz, Yaris, Swift

These light cars are no lightweights.
Generally speaking, the word ‘light’ implies there’s something missing: less than the others; a lack thereof; insubstantial; skimping.
It rarely invokes a sense of excitement – light beer, for example. As far as the ‘light car’ segment goes, my expectations are immediately managed (down), and I’m ready to be underwhelmed.

Hyundai i10 a massive hit in UK

For many in the automotive industry, the news that Hyundai has cracked the top 10 in the sales charts in Britain won’t really come as a big surprise.

This Korean car company continues to gain favour from motorists around the world due to one very big positive – it builds very good cars at very good [...]

Suzuki Alto – First Steer

2009 Suzuki Alto – First Steer
The schedule said I needed to be at Brisbane airport at 9am, it was 8.45am and I had just missed my exit. This would be understandable if Brisbane wasn’t my home town. I’m definitely not a Monday person.

Finally at 9.20am and I arrived at Suzuki Queensland headquarters to begin the [...]