Holden has lost the plot in Australia. It's off its meds, having a complete psychotic break, and on the fast track to a rubber room. Holden has become a national basket case. And the situation is about to get a lot worse.

Don't get hooked - this easy car loan comparison is the best way to tell cheap car finance from expensive car finance

If you’re a chick with a car, doing business with bad mechanic is like a knife fight in a phone box - and you’re armed with a toothpick. Face facts: Women (and some men) are soft targets as automotive consumers. And there's no shortage of rip-off artists out there ,and this report shows exactly how breathtakingly unscrupulous repairers take advantage of customers.

You've short-listed some new cars for sale. Can you trust quoted new car prices at the dealership? This story really tells me how essential it is to do your homework before setting foot in a new car dealership. It also tells me you should not view a car dealer as an impartial source of information about your next new car. 

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!!

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?

I can't decide whether to buy an Audi Q5 or a Volvo XC60. We commute 1000 kilometres each week into the CBD. We bought a Mercedes-Benz GLA a few months ago, but it's too small. We want an auto diesel with standard features: Bluetooth, reversing camera camera etc. I have one three-year-old boy and a 'seven-foot' husband (and an old golden retriever). We do mainly freeway into the city for work.

I am trying to decide between a Pajero and a Prado: from what I have seen the Pajero has more power and torque and better equipment and longer warranty than the Prado but the Prado with its ladder frame chassis would appear better for towing ( planning on getting a van up to 2000kg) plus what seems to be a good reputation.

My wife wants a small convertible and I'm trying to find out which one to purchase. Probably a used car about two years old. I have looked at BMW 1 Series, Volkswagen EOS and Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3 and Peugeot. What brands and models would you recommend? She enjoyed driving the Golf and would appreciate your thoughts. 

The BMW i8 costs $300,000 here in Australia - that’s $100,000 per cylinder. But, to be fair, at least they throw in a free electric motor. It's blindingly fast, incredibly surefooted and a technical knockout. But is it a real $300k supercar? Let’s go for a test drive, and find out.

I am entertaining the idea of buying a Mercedes-Benz C 250 petrol with some options. My question is, if the dealer locates the correct colour car with the right options I’m looking for, but he has to get it in from another dealership, does that compromise my ability to barter the price down?

These luxury SUVs are a road safety disgrace. Luxury SUVs are supposed to be safe. Protection in a crash is supposed to be a given. If Kia can offer five-star safety on the diminutive Rio for well under $20,000, you’d assume every luxury SUV costing three to six times as much was at least as safe, right? Probably safer. Well, it’s just not the case.

I bought a VW Golf 1.4 turbo DSG fifteen months ago. Is there a time bomb ticking with regard to the DSG? Should I sell now in order to avoid major expense in the future? Are Volkswagen's reliability problems a thing of the past? 

My problem is fuel consumption. The Hyundai manual states it is OK to run the i30 on e10 fuel and the brochure states the automatic should get 9.7L /100km for urban usage. I have complained to the dealer that my consumption has been well over the stated consumption in the brochure, which I have been testing for about 14 months - full tank to full tank

I've already paid the deposit on a silver car. I called the dealer on Tuesday to change it from silver to white. This should have meant a drop of $595 in price . The salesman told me I probably won't get a reimbursement. I am quite angry at this. Why should I not receive a refund if I now want a cheaper vehicle? He said that he would get back to me in a couple of days.

A question regarding colour. What us best for resale, and also general wear and looks? I know that the tinting and surface protection packages provided by dealers appear to be a bit of a con, but are they worth getting to keep everything in house? Is there room to bargain on these? The Hyundai package for leather, other surfaces, and tinting is about $2k. If you would recommend am alternate provider who would it be? What about the tow bar packages and roof rack side rails? Is it better to go to a 3rd party for these also? I am thinking of getting these. Also - who is a good tinting company? 

NSW Police pursuits are out of control. Until someone grows the balls to make the required changes, pursuits will continue to be a deadly serious problem in this state. The NSW Police’s institutional infatuation with trivial pursuit simply must be stopped. People killed during police pursuits - innocent bystanders, police officers and even those who flee - fail every collateral damage and proportionality test there is. They are unjustly killed by a system that’s broken.

The 2015 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander is not the first - or the only - vehicle to offer automatic reverse parking, but it is the first Hyundai that can measure the spot, handle the steering and guide you through the entire reverse parking process. The big question is: Can a handful of silicone chips and a few actuators can out-park a human? Let's find out.

How often should you get your car serviced if you just don’t drive it very much? Lots of people just don’t drive much - you might be one of them. You might be lucky enough to live so close you can walk to work, or you might work from home. Or you might have retired and given the rat race the flick. Half your luck - having a latte while everyone else is stuck in gridlock. But how should you service your car to keep it reliable and ensure its longevity, without ripping yourself off, paying for service you don’t need?

New car import laws mean you might soon be able to import privately your own new car - saving thousands. Predictably enough, the car industry has responded with a Himalaya of horseshit to the effect of: that’s a bad idea. But what's the truth?