Mini: Mini Cooper Baker Street 2012 – Road Test

March 27th, 2013 by darren

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Whether it’s Sherlock Holmes or Gerry Rafferty, most of you will have heard of the real-life Baker Street, in London. Mini isn’t shy about releasing special themed editions of its cars and with this one you get an enormous amount of extra equipment and bling (around $10-12,000 worth) over a standard Mini Cooper, but for less than four grand more – a total price of $39,900.

Mini-Cooper-Baker-Street-rqThe Baker Street comes with satellite navigation, 16-inch black alloys, Baker Street trim and Bluetooth and USB functionality. You get the same Read the full story »

Ford: Ford Territory TDCi Titanium 7 Seat 2013 – Road Test

March 26th, 2013 by darren

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Ford has played it safe upgrading the Territory. It keeps the previous model’s excellent proportions, unlike, for example Mitsubishi which has made a bit of a wide-hipped frump out of the seven-seat Outlander. It’s a large car that’s based on the Falcon chassis but it feels completely different to a Falcon.

Ford-Territory-Titanium-rqThis TDCi Titanium model usually comes with 17-inch wheels with 235/60R17 tyres, but our test car sat on some futuristic-looking 18-inch alloys wrapped in 235/55R18 tyres. These, theoretically, should give plenty of grip, even for the two-tonnes of bulk that needs to change direction, but the suspension is set to super-comfort mode (great for cruising, but not for rapid directional changes), therefore Read the full story »

Holden: Holden Cruze CD Sportwagon 2013 – Road Test

March 18th, 2013 by darren

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The Cruze Sportwagon has the Holden corporate nose, but it’s nowhere near as aggressive as a Commodore. Its 16-inch steel wheels and hubcaps, and safe styling make it blend in to the crowd; the perfect fleet car. From the front and side it looks quite sleek; from the back it looks a little dull.

holden-cruze-sportwagon-sHowever, I prefer its look over the Toyota Corolla wagon which has a weird confluence of lines between the lights, front bumper and wheel arches that occasionally makes it look like Read the full story »

Mitsubishi: Mitsubishi Outlander LS 4WD 2013 – Road Test

March 13th, 2013 by darren

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The Outlander LS is the cheapest four-wheel drive version of the Outlander range. You can get a 2WD two-litre model for $39,990, and that would be fine if you’re trying to save money on petrol (its quoted fuel economy is 6.6l/100km vs the LS’s 7.5l/100km), but this 4WD LS develops more power and torque (126kW and 224Nm) which will make it better for towing, and it has the flexibility of a trick 4WD system. Both vehicles will tow the same amount (1600kg on a braked trailer).

Mitsubishi-Outlander-radio The Outlander has never really Read the full story »

Road Tests / Car Reviews: Suzuki Splash Ltd 2013 – Road Test

March 6th, 2013 by darren

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At a shade under 3.8m long and 1.7m wide, the Suzuki Splash is the perfect car for squeezing into those tight city car parks. The Splash is a supermini with the proportions of an MPV – it’s tall and boxy. This gives a great deal of room on the inside, despite its diminutive dimensions.

Suzuki-Splash-r-insideYou can fit five people in the Splash, although it’ll be a little cramped in the back. The seating position is upright which is better for older drivers (probably the very people that will purchase this car most).

The boot is quite small – just 178 litres (and 36 of those are Read the full story »

Road Tests / Car Reviews: Volkswagen Polo TSI R-Line 2013 – Road Test

March 4th, 2013 by darren

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The Polo R-Line gives you a taste of what the hot Polo GTI might feel like, but with fewer trips to the petrol station and almost five grand remaining in your wallet. It only packs a 1.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 66kW (figures that might cause us to point a finger in ridicule), but it manages to get the power down efficiently through the front wheels, accompanied by a satisfyingly raspy engine note.

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The main focus of the R-Line is Read the full story »

Kia: Kia Sorento R Premium 2013 – Road Test

February 26th, 2013 by darren

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Kia’s new Sorento comes with a ‘premium’ moniker, but should Japanese and European vehicle manufacturers be concerned? Could it really be a premium SUV? Let’s look at it objectively: leather seats (heated and cooled in the front row, and heated in the back row), heated steering wheel, it parallel parks itself, there’s excellent fuel economy (7.3l/100km), mood lighting, a panoramic sun roof and a blinging set Read the full story »

Holden: Holden Colorado 7 LTZ 2013 – Road Test

February 22nd, 2013 by darren

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While most SUVs are tending towards the ‘soft-roader’ approach, Holden’s Colorado 7 will take you off the beaten path, along with up to three tonnes of whatever you want to pull.

Holden-Colorado-7-rq The seven-seater segment seems to be busting at the seams with options. We’ve recently had the Mistubishi Outlander and Mazda CX-9, and I swapped the Colorado for a Kia Sorento with seven pews. Who is having all these children? At least with the Colorado you Read the full story »