Category: Used Car Review

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LAND ROVER FREELANDER 2007 – 2015

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Though it’s generally used only as a suburban wagon, Land Rover’s Freelander is capable of tackling mild to moderate bush, beach and desert conditions that would strand just about everything else in its class. Which is hardly surprising as it comes from the company that gives us everything from the down-and-dirty Land Rover Defender to the highly competent (and very expensive) Range Rover. Freelander first went on sale here early in 1998 making it arguably the first upmarket compact SUV, several years ahead of the big-name Germans. These originals were… Read more

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AUDI A3 2008 – 2021

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  German automaker Audi is often ahead of the pack when it comes to new ideas. In Europe  the Audi A3 is often used as a family car, but in Australia it’s more likely to be bought by  singles or couples.   The A3 created quite a commotion when it was first released in the small car market way  back in 1997. Some felt prestige cars should be large, imposing and expensive – certainly  not small and relatively affordable. They were wrong and Audi has since been joined by  other… Read more

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KIA CERATO 2013 – 2021

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  Kia Cerato is a small-medium South Korean car that’s becoming ever more popular in  Australia.    This has been partly due to the stunningly long seven-year warranty, but the car itself  has been significantly improved since the first models arrived here in 2004.   Kia’s seven-year unlimited distance warranty is proving a masterstroke in that it is  attracting new buyers who may have had any lingering doubts about the quality and  reliability of Korean cars.   Originally, Cerato was rather plain it is shape but the third generation, launched… Read more

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BMW X3 2011 – 2021

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  BMW calls its X3 is an SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle) rather than an SUV (Sports Utility  Vehicle) because the German maker realises that most people are looking for a  practical station wagon not a bush bashing off-road beast.    So, the suspension engineers have gone for handling and comfort. While not really in  the BMW 3 Series class in its on-road behaviour it’s impressive the way it handles. It  also provides the good feedback that keen drivers love.   The BMW X3, was one of the early players in… Read more

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KIA OPTIMA 2011 – 2020

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Kia Optima is a long-time player in Australia having been introduced here in 2001. In this Used Car Checkout review we are looking at the third generation that was launched Downunder in January 2011. Kia Australia had been working on Australian suspension tuning for quite a few years and Optima handle handles pretty well for what it is, a family sedan. Kia’s Optima is a medium-large four-door sedan with room for four adults, usually with little need to compromise on legroom. The fourth generation of November 2015 was larger and… Read more

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VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2011 – 2022

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Volkswagen Passat is a medium-large German car that has a reputation for being solidly built and is well regarded by those who have loved this marque for many years. Interestingly it shares quite a few out of sight components with Audis as that prestigious company is controlled by the Volkswagen Group. The Passat works well for those looking for comfort, it has well-shaped seats and suspension which is able to soak up just about anything, even rough and ready Aussie backroads. Handling is good, with neutral road behaviour at normal… Read more

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FORD EVEREST 2015 – 2021

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Ford Everest is a large, rugged 4WD / SUV that’s been around in other countries since 2003 but didn’t arrive in Australia until the release of the third-generation model in late 2015. It’s built on the same platform as tough Ford Ranger making it a serious off-roader, unlike many in this class that look tough but are relatively soft. There are four variants: Ambiente, Trend, Sport and Platinum. The first two come with the choice of rear- or four-wheel drive the other two are RWD only. The entry-level Ambients have… Read more

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PEUGEOT 308, 2008-2021

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Peugeot 308 is a small-medium French car that’s well regarded for style and comfort. It has never reached the sales heights of the likes of models in its class from Hyundai, Mazda and Toyota and so on. But those who like driving something out of the ordinary should put a Peugeot 308 somewhere on their short list. Despite its styling flair the 308’s designers hadn’t forgotten about function, it has a good-sized rear seat for its class, and sensible luggage space. Indeed, European owners regard cars in the Peugeot 308… Read more

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HYUNDAI VELOSTER 2012 – 2020

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Hyundai Veloster is something right out of the ordinary: a coupe on the driver’s side and a hatchback on the other side. A problem with two-door coupes is getting passengers in and out of the rear seats. Veloster overcomes this by having a small back door on the left side. It’s forward hinged and makes access to the back reasonably easy. Test the rear door as part of your pre-purchase process if someone with limited mobility if they’re likely to be travelling back there. Cleverly, the extra door is offered… Read more

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HOLDEN BARINA 2011 – 2018

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Holden Barina is a small car that has been around in Australia in one form or another since 1985. Interestingly its name is a local Aussie one, being aboriginal for Summit. A virtually all-new Barina was introduced in October 2011. We are covering it in this week’s Used Car Checkout because it’s much more sophisticated than the previous ones. It has electronically stability program, as well as infotainment technology that included GM’s MyLink system. A mild update in November 2016 saw changes to the exterior and interior. Interestingly, the exterior… Read more