Category: Used Car Review

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PORSCHE BOXSTER, CAYMAN 1997 – 2015

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2005 Porsche Boxster

Porsche Boxster roadster and Cayman coupe are the same vehicle apart from the folding roof in the former and the fixed on in the latter. Cayman didn’t go on sale until 2006, nine years after Boxster. Interestingly, the Boxster and Cayman share quite a few of their front-end components with the Porsche 911. At the rear they are quite different machine visually, though there’s still a family resemblance. Boxster’s roof design is simply brilliant in that the roof acts as its own cover when the top is open. The roof… Read more

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SUZUKI KIZASHI 2010 – 2015

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2010 Suzuki Kizashi

Suzuki’s strength in Australia for many decades was in clever small cars and excellent 4WDs. Then in January 2010, it made the interesting move into medium size cars with a new model called Kizashi. Aimed at a huge number of competitors, including the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord Euro, Mazda6, Subaru Liberty in a market segment that wasn’t particularly strong Kizashi was less successful than the importer hoped. It’s a good looker with a powerful appearance that gives a fair touch of sportiness. In August 2010 the Suzuki Kizashi Sport arrived…. Read more

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FORD FALCON 1998 – 2015

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2006 Ford Falcon XR6

In September 2015 Ford Falcon celebrated its 55th birthday in Australia. Sadly, it has just entered its final year of production. They have long been favourites on the used-car scene, especially for those living in the bush. Most Falcons are everyday sedans, station wagons and utes. Two-door hardtops and panel vans were also built back in the old days beyond the scope of this article. The demise of the Falcon may mean specialised models, such as XR6, XR8, GT, and any with supercharged or turbocharged engines (except for the four-cylinder… Read more

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SKODA ROOMSTER 2007 – 2010 & 2012 – 2014

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2007 Skoda Roomster

Anyone who complains that all cars look the same these days should immediately add the Skoda Roomster to their list of possible used cars. This medium-sized people mover isn’t for everyone, but its unusual styling makes for a spacious, practical interior. Those who put function above fashion will love it. During our visit to the Skoda factory in the Czech Republic in 2007 a designer explained, “We wanted to make our Roomster look like an aircraft at the front and a house at the back.” That summed it up beautifully…. Read more

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HYUNDAI GETZ 2002 – 2011

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2002 Hyundai Getz

Keen Australian drivers have long shown a preference for European cars, chiefly due to their superior handling dynamics. The Hyundai Getz was the first model from the South Korean giant to be designed specifically with the European market in mind and it began a new era in Hyundai sales. When the Getz arrived in Australia in September 2002 it received a good reception from the motoring media. However, sales were slow to start with; it seems the bosses of the company at the time got carried away with the Euro… Read more

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BIG DODGE IS IDEAL FOR A LONG JOURNEY

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Although it’s very much a bit player in Australia the Dodge brand has been around for just over 100 years and still remains one of the world’s most recognisable names. For most of its life Dodge was owned by Chrysler until the collapse of that other American icon during the GFC saw them both being snapped up by the Italian giant, Fiat. Dodge Journey is a close cousin to Fiat’s Freemont. A number of Dodge models have come and gone in Australia over the past decade – only one remains,… Read more

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MITSUBISHI PAJERO 1991-2015

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2003 Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi Pajero is often seen as being a tough looking people mover rather than a real 4WD, which is a pity because it’s pretty competent off-road and can handle most situations likely to be encountered by an adventurous holiday in the bush. Mitsubishi Pajero comes as a station wagon with either two or four passenger doors. The two-door was never particularly popular and imports stopped with the all-new model of 2000, only to make a brief re-appearance when the new model was launched at the start of 2007, then pulled… Read more

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MAZDA3 2004 – 2015

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2013 Mazda3

Mazda3 first went on sale in Australia in April 2004, replacing the popular Mazda 323. An all-new Mazda3 was introduced in April 2009 and the third generation arrived here in January 2014. Some of the latter are now starting to appear on the secondhand market. For the past five years the Mazda3 has taken podiums positions in the Australian new-car sales results, actually being number one in 2011 and 2012. So there are plenty on offer in used-car yards. With that number to choose from it makes sense to take… Read more

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SUZUKI SWIFT 2005 – 2015

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2006 Suzuki Swift Sport

Suzuki Swift was a big seller in Australia in the 1980s and ‘90s. Many were rebadged as Holdens and carried Barina badges. For some strange reason imports were stopped in 2000. Thankfully an all-new Swift was imported downunder beginning in February 2005 and is the subject of this week’s used-car report. The chunky lines of the body pleased many and the new Swift was a hit from day one. Note that there are no Holden versions of these later models. The Suzuki Swift is a tough little machine that’s well… Read more

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NISSAN PATROL 1996 – 2015

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2006 Nissan Patrol

Nissan Patrol is the real deal. It’s a 4WD not an SUV, with truck-type body-on-chassis construction for maximum strength in harsh driving conditions, particularly in real off-road conditions. The drawback of a ladder-frame is a lack of refinement and comfort compared to the typical SUVs of the modern era. Though Patrol has been improved over the years, it’s still on the crude side and may not suit those who are looking for a macho people mover rather than a genuine bush-going wagon. Patrol has been a solid seller in the… Read more