Category: Used Car Review

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FORD KUGA 2012 – 2016

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2013 Ford Kuga

Ford Kuga belongs to an increasingly large class of vehicles that are marketed as SUVs, but are in fact tall hatchbacks with either no off-road ability or, at best, the ability to be driven on dirt tracks and the like. The big appeal of Kuga and others is that they provide added space, are easier to get in and out of, have a (slightly) higher driving position and – let’s come straight to the point here – have a tougher look than conventional hatchbacks. Some Kugas have two-wheel-drive (the front… Read more

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MAZDA RX-8 2003 – 2013

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2008 Mazda RX-8

Mazda RX-8 is a four-door sports coupe powered by a silky smooth rotary engine that offers tremendous performance. The RX-8 engine is the latest development of the much-loved Mazda 13B. However, it’s been modified in so many ways it can almost be regarded as a different. It also has a different name – the Renesis rotary. The side-port Wankel engine had advanced electronic control for its time. The way the inlet tract is varied according to engine revs and throttle position is especially clever. Low down torque has always been… Read more

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HYUNDAI I40 2011 – 2016

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2011 Hyundai i40 Tourer

The Hyundai i40 was initially sold only as a station wagon, called the Tourer, when it arrived in Australia in October 2011. With the Tourer Hyundai Australia was chasing potential buyers of crossover SUVs, offering a more sensible vehicle than a high riding wagon. The idea wasn’t particularly successful as SUVs are often sold to those looking for the macho image, not commonsense transport. A four-door i40 sedan didn’t reach us until May 2012. Though not selling in huge numbers the Hyundai i40 is appealing to quite a few and… Read more

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NISSAN ALTIMA 2013 – 2016

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Despite being well regarded in many countries as a maker of high-performance cars (think GT-R), Nissan in Australia is seen by most as only competing in the sensible everyday segment. To try lift its image the Japanese giant entered the world of V8 Supercars in 2012 with a hot Nissan Altima V8 sedan. At the same time it introduced a road going version of the Altima which, to be honest, is a sensible everyday car and doesn’t have a V8. Which may sound like a bit of a putdown, but… Read more

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RENAULT FLUENCE AND MEGANE 2010 – 2015

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2010 Renault Megane

By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTION: A. B. C. 2010 Renault Megane Sport 250 BODY COPY Midway through 2010 a new Renault Australia management team was established and set about getting serious. It began by launching several new models, including, in November, the stylish Fluence four-door sedan, Megane five-door hatch, five-door wagon and even a coupe-cabriolet for a while. Small to medium cars, they offer buyers the chance to buy a stylish French machine rather than simply a sensible but not particularly exciting one from Asia. Sales have increased significantly in the… Read more

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OPEL INSIGNIA 2012 – 2013

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2013 Opel Insignia OPC

Opel Insignia was launched in Europe in 2009, and took out the European Car of the Year award. It didn’t reach Australia until September 2012 in what turned out to be a failed marketing experiment. The idea was to promote Insignia as a semi-upmarket European import, which it was and separate it from the GM-Holden brand. Apparently a sensible move, but Holden got greedy and added several thousand dollars to the prices of the Opel range (which also included the smaller Astra and Corsa models). Buyers stayed away in droves… Read more

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FORD ESCAPE 2001 – 2012

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2001 Ford Escape

Ford Escape is one of the last of the old-school small 4WDs. It was designed as a genuine SUV not a crossover, meaning it has upright styling and works pretty well in off-road conditions. It’s the result of collaboration between Ford USA and Mazda Japan having been designed during the period when Mazda was in financial strife and controlled by the American giant. Escape has a good compromise between on-road use and off-road ability. When used by the typical buyer in the suburbs most of the time during the week,… Read more

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AUDI A4 2005 – 2016

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2008 Audi A4

A major player in the trio of prestigious German cars Audi has become very strong in Australia in recent times. The Audi A4 is a midrange model that’s sold as a sedan, a two-door cabriolet and an Avant station wagon. A further variation is the A4 allroad quattro. Based on the Avant it has increased ground clearance, added body and underbody protection. This allroad isn’t as common as that of big brother A6 allroad, but is starting grab quite a bit of attention due to the release of the latest… Read more

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PORSCHE CAYENNE 2003 – 2016

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2007 Porsche Cayenne GTS

When sportscar maker Porsche entered the SUV market with the big Cayenne SUV in June 2003 many thought it would ruin the company’s image. How wrong they were, the SUVs (there’s also the smaller Porsche Macan) saved the German marque’s bacon financially, outselling the pure sports models and permitting added R&D money to be poured into the sports models. Not to forget the Le Mans race cars. In the design of the Cayenne, Porsche collaborated with Volkswagen and Audi, (think Touareg and Q7) to trim costs Unlike the others, that… Read more

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KIA KOUP 2009 – 2016

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2014 Kia Koup

  The Kia Koup is two-door coupe based on the Cerato four-door sedan. The Kia with the cute name arrived in Australia in September 2009 and sold pretty well straight way. That was mainly because of its styling, though low prices certainly played their part. Despite its sleek styling there a reasonable space inside the Kia Koup. As is the norm in this class, rear headroom is borderline and anyone over about 170 cm is likely to be cramped in the back. Small side windows won’t be appreciated by rear… Read more