CAR ADVICE
Complete list of car-related advice reports here >>
In this report: High-level four-ring emissions-cheating board-level retards at Audi jump in the pool and swim for Dieselgate gold
What's in a name? Plenty: Levorg is a WRX wagon - a double-helping of awesome driving engagement with family friendliness thrown in.
Narrowing down your short list can be tricky - and the problem can be compounded by the sheer volume of choice in the market.
How do you tell - really tell - if those tyres are correctly inflated? Getting this right can save you hundreds in preventing premature wear.
Volvo: the anti-kudos Euro car. The safe option. But is there a dark side to Volvo ownership that few will acknowledge? Let's find out.
Two cool sporty cars - but is there an objective case for choosing the Veloster Turbo over the MX-5, or vice-versa? Let's find out.
Using a car broker for dummies: Who pays who, how to manage the transportation and rego, and - most importantly - how much can you save?
Have you ever test-driven a car and hated the big, wide pillars in front, which hold the roof up? Have you ever wondered why they're not thinner?
Two different cars and a tight budget: How negotiable can the price really be when the car dealer tells you there's "no discount"?
Let’s identify the long-term losers, and their counterparts the winners in 2016, so you can at least put your money on the right horse at upgrade time
Let’s say you want a sporty small car - engaging to drive - a bit of fun that won’t break the bank, and you’ve got $25,000 to spend. You can get there - just
How a car costing less than $20,000 can be written off this year, as a one-off tax deduction - rather than depreciating it over time, for small business
Consumer Reports surveyed almost three quarters of a million new car owners to find the least reliable cars. Here they are (at least the Aussie-applicable ones).
What's the best car - not SUV - that delivers real AWD grip across a range of slippery conditions?
Wheels magazine was once the pinnacle of motoring journalism. Now it's on life support - with the priest in the wings. How the hell did that happen?
This is the true story of the power of pipe dreams: Honda trades on its reputation today, but it’s really been asleep at the wheel since before the GFC
The Hyundai i30 is the ‘other’ popular small car in Australia. Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla fight it out - a photo-finish for first place in sales - but i30 is third, and counting, among cars. The Hyundai i30 range was upgraded with new specification grades plus styling and powertrain tweaks in January 2015.
Seeking your advice: I bought a 2014 Ford Fiesta auto, brand new. The vehicle shudders at low speed, and Ford says this is normal.
The industry calls them 'small cars' but they are anything but. Here's why the most popular cars in the country are effectively trading under a false name.
That demonstrator you’re thinking of buying? Is it a good way to get a cheap new car or a great way to to get one that’s been thrashed or crashed?
See how depreciation can be the silent killer - financially - and why Holden Commodore is one of the worst vehicles for your bottom line. The ownership cost has become outrageous, a fact you cannot ignore - no matter how much you like the big V8.
64,000 Holden (and Chevrolet) Volts are being recalled globally because they might just spontaneously pop a cap of carbon monoxide in yo’ grille. And it highlights an even bigger problem: There are tens of thousands of potentially killer cars out there on the roads - and their owners have no idea. We’ll get to that, and what you’ve got to do, to get your house in order.
This latest Subaru Liberty is a real step forward - especially on the aesthetic front. Tragically, though, the 2015 Subaru Liberty is looking for love in a world infatuated with SUVs. And the reality there is that SUVs seem sexy but they are often a dumb choice objectively.
I have had my car in three times regarding this issue & only once they replaced one clutch motor but the problem is still there. Cessnock Ford have told me they have never come across this problem before... What crap. The engine light comes on at least once a week but Ford just say that there is a loose earth wire or some other crap. I guess what I am really asking for is some help or any assistance you can spare. It would be appreciated greatly. This is the first Ford I have ever purchased & I guarantee it will be the last!!
The Ford Focus sits in the 'small car' segment - even though its dimensions are quite generous. It has a great many competitors among them the top-selling Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla, plus the Hyundai i30. 'Should you buy one?' is a complex question depending on many factors, but the one I keep coming back to is risk management.
I want to spend around $30K on a new vehicle, and I have test-driven Golf Highline and Mazda SP25GT. I would prefer leather upholstery. Loved the ride and engine response in the Volkswagen Golf Highline. The Mazda3 SP25 Gt was nicely optioned but it left me a little flat with ride. Not sure what to go for
A small boomerang-shaped chrome strip around the C-pillar on the driver's side of my '08 Caprice has fallen off. The dealer quoted $240 to replace it, as it includes the window. Then the window would need be replaced at further cost. Total estimated for this is over $400 for a small piece of chrome. What can I do?
My 2012 Holden Cruze automatic has problems with the transmission. (It has only done 16,000 km.) Yesterday, after I had done around 20km, the automatic transmission only ran in first gear (about 5000rpm at 40km/h). When I changed it to manual, the display told me that the car was in fourth gear while it still ran in first (I could also not change gears in manual mode). The car has another six months' warranty. I will go to Holden tomorrow but, most likely, the car will work when they drive it and they will say that there is no problem. Do you know of this problem and do you have any advice?
If you’re in the market for a mainstream small car costing less than $40 grand - that basically means a Toyota Corolla-sized car - let’s eliminate the utter crap
Money and fun often go together. Especially with cars. More money; more fun - but not when it comes to the affordable fun of the Subaru BRZ, thankfully