Preparing to buy a new car can be both exciting and daunting. If you've checked your finances, researched which car is right for you and finally decided on the one, chances are you need to say goodbye to your current car...
At 17 years-old, when I bunny-hopped and gutter-jumped my brand new (to me) Holden Barina out of the car yard, I didn't realise it would cost me approximately $62.55 more than I expected during the course of my three year ownership. I knew my loan repayment, servicing, insurance and registration costs, and with the know-it-all enthusiasm of any teenager freshly moved out of home, buzzing with the freedom four-wheels brings, I'd also budgeted for incidental repairs...
Every know and then, a figure from automotive industry pops up to decry the luxury car tax (LCT) and call for its abolition. If you’ve ever wondered what the LCT is, how it's calculated, if it’s avoidable or why we have it, this feature is for you. What is it? Technically LCT is levied on the person selling the car, but the dealer will invariably passes this cost on to the buyer...
When it comes to time to putting a new car in your driveway, there are a lot of financing options available. We take a look at the four basic methods for funding your next vehicle. Personal or car loan The loan is probably the simplest financial product to understand: a financial institution lends you a big wad of cash and you use it to buy something...
Chances are that when you’re buying a car, you’ll need some form of financing to help pay for it. Here are some tips that should help smooth the process a little. Note that in this piece we're not going to discuss the different types of financing that are available, that will be the topic of an upcoming article...
If you are worried about scraping your wheels when reverse parking, dipping the passenger side mirror to see the curb is always a good option. But to change the mirror from parking to driving all the time can be a bit of a pain. But luckily, in a Mercedes, there is a neat trick...
Buy almost anything in Australia, from an ice cream through to 100-inch flat-screen TV, and the advertised is sticker price is the maximum you will pay. You may be able to negotiate the price of big ticket items down, such as that enormous television, but the law states that retailers must include the cost of the goods and services tax (GST) in any advertised price...
Another financial new year has come and gone, so it’s time for most of us to start thinking about our taxes. Here are a few tips that may help with some of your car-related tax work. Unless you’re on a novated lease, any kilometres you do in your car for your job or business can contribute towards a tax deduction...
Filling up an LPG car is easy, but there are a few differences from the standard procedure for petrol and diesel that you may not be aware of. Holden’s Commodore LPG range plugs a long-running hole in the company’s large car line-up. Available across sedan, Sportwagon, ute and long wheelbase body shapes, the LPG Commodore is determined to shake up long-standing perceptions of the alternative fuel technology...
We test Volvo's Road Sign Information system that uses a camera to monitor speed limits...
James Ward demonstrates the flexibility and practicality of the adjustable ‘Divide-N-Hide’ cargo system in the all-new Nissan X-Trail.
With record snowfalls this year, it has never been more tempting to pack the car and head for the mountains. As the weather can be unpredictable, you may need to fit your snow chains. James Ward runs through the steps to ensure you stay safe in snow and icy conditions.
There's tasteful ways to tune and modify cars and there's not-so tasteful ways, the latter of which has obviously been applied to this poor BMW 1 Series M Coupe which was recently found sitting in a car park, wearing a variety of embarrassing colours and trimmings...
BMW has released a new smartphone application called The Ultimate Drive which allows users to input and view the highest recommended driving roads in any particular area. Using a smartphone's GPS system, the Ultimate Drive app gives users the chance to share their most enjoyable roads in any given area around the world...
