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2017 BMW 540i REVIEW

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The new BMW 5 Series, the seventh generation of the midsize range from the German specialist in sporting vehicles, is a technological tour de force. It’s as sporty as ever, though there’s a slight leaning to the luxurious side as the ‘5 is almost being seen as a smaller version of the super-luxury 7 Series. New drive modes alter steering, suspension, gearshift and throttle settings to suit the driver’s mood. The previous Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport modes on offer are now joined by a new Adaptive Mode. This system… Read more

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ISUZU UTE SUPPORTS DANIEL MORCOMBE FOUNDATION

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Bruce & Denise Morcombe with their new Isuzu MU-X .

Entering their fifth year of partnership, Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) has provided a new Isuzu MU-X to child safety education champions Bruce and Denise Morcombe. MU-X will be used to take their curriculum to school children and parents across Australia. “Isuzu UTE take its corporate social responsibility very seriously, especially in the area of Child Protection and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation is extremely thankful for their generous sponsorship in providing us with a brand new MU-X,” the not-for-profit charity co-founder Bruce Morcombe said. Daniel Morcombe’s legacy is the Foundation named… Read more

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NEW PEUGEOT 3008 HAS FRENCH FLAIR INSIDE AND OUT

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Peugeot’s all-new 3008 SUV is hitting our market at just the right time from the point of view of the new Australian importer. Inchcape, best known here as the importer of Subarus, has taken over from the Sime Darby organisation which hadn’t been performing as well as had been anticipated in recent years downunder. At the launch of the new 3008 the MD of Inchcape, Nick Senior, made it very clear his organisation is serious about doing well in the sales race with both Peugeot and its sister company Citroen…. Read more

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ESCAPE TO A NEW WAY OF FORD THINKING

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It was a glitch in the roster that had the press-test Mondeo going AWOL. Ironically, it was an Escape that saved the day, filling the breach. And in most respects the new Ford medium-size SUV fitted the bill nicely, after all, it was the top-of-the-range Titanium model. If the name sounds familiar, it is an old Ford title revisited and is a Kuga with a new name as part of the marketing in the Blue Oval scheme of things. Along with the new name goes a fresh face, five-star ANCAP… Read more

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MITSUBISHI ASX IS SOLID, RELIABLE AND GOOD VALUE

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For such an unassuming character, the Mitsubishi ASX sure has a faithful following. Regularly in the top three of the compact SUV segment, the ASX is a tried and trusty performer with its lack of airs and graces winning it a legion of followers. Offered in both diesel and petrol, manual and automatic, front-wheel and all-wheel drive, the ASX range extends from $25,000 to $37,000 and offers a fair bit of bang for your buck. It is sturdy and comfortable, spacious with quality features and adapts well to singles, families… Read more

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AUBURN SPEEDSTER

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1935 Auburn Speedster 876

The name Errett Lobban Cord is inextricably tied up with American motoring of the 1920s and 1930s. Cord was a Californian car salesman who was also good at selling himself. The Auburn Automobile Company was struggling to survive in 1924 when they came in contact with Cord. Or maybe Cord came in contact with Auburn; nobody seems to know actually how it all came about. Auburn had established a reputation for producing cars which cost less but looked to go faster than their rivals. In some ways they were considered… Read more

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MINI COUNTRYMAN IS NO LONGER MINI

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New Mini Countryman is no longer mini sized. At 4299 mm long it’s 199 mm longer than the Countryman it succeeds. Width has increased by 33 mm to 1822 mm; height is greater by 13 mm, now 1557 mm. By way of a fascinating comparison, fellow-Brit the iconic LandRover Defender 90 is shorter and narrower than the upsized Mini Countryman… Most importantly, the Countryman’s wheelbase is significantly greater, being 75 mm up to an impressive 2670 mm which makes for significantly more legroom inside. There’s also 59 mm more elbow… Read more

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EXTRA FASHIONABLE JAGUAR XF WAGON

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How the world changes. Had you suggested a decade back that Jaguar should design a large station wagon and power it with a diesel engine people would have laughed uproariously. Yet the latest Jaguar XF Sportbrake will soon be a major new entrant in the premium estate wagon segment in Australia. The XF Sportbrake by Jaguar keeps the curves of the large XF saloon but gradually shapes a graceful roofline to the rear without too much loss of the practicality buyers demand from a wagon. Jaguar tells us rear occupants… Read more

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SUBARU BRZ 2012 – 2016

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2012 Subaru BRZ

Subaru BRZ is a small rear-drive Japanese sports coupe selling for a pretty reasonable price, particularly when compared with the cost of the typical European equivalents. The Subaru’s closest competitor is the Mazda MX-5. The BRZ is a full-on sportscar that’s simply delightful to drive, with true RWD handling, excellent throttle control and steering that talks to you. Just perfect for early morning Sunday drives on your favourite bits of road. It’s even fine as a daily commuter thanks to the precise gearshift and light clutch. The Subaru is offered… Read more

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HOLDEN BARINA 2005 – 2016

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2005 Holden Barina

Holden Barina is a small car that’s generally tough in its build and put together to a good standard. It has a good reputation for being simple to drive and park and long lasting if driven and serviced correctly. It was the smallest car sold in Australia by Holden for many years, an even smaller model, called Barina Spark and later just plain Spark was sold from 2010, but isn’t the model being surveyed here. The first Barinas were made by Japanese Suzuki and introduced here in 1989, then from… Read more