Category: Used Car Review

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LEXUS CT200h 2011 – 2015

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2011 Lexus CT200h

Lexus and its parent company Toyota have more experience in petrol-electric cars than any other maker. Lexus CT200h is the lowest cost model in the Lexus range by quite a margin, with new cars being sold from just $39,990 when launched in Australia in March 2011. While far from being a hot hatch the CT200h has a touch of sporting flair thanks to the sharp throttle responses that we love in all electric, or part-electric vehicles. Would you believe the Lexus CT200h was used in a celebrity race that preceded… Read more

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FORD TERRITORY 2004 – 2015

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2011 Ford Territory

By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTION: A. B. C. 2011 Ford Territory BODY COPY Ford Territory is arguably the best vehicle ever designed by Ford Australia. Indeed some even say it may be the best automotive design in Australia bar none. Territory is based on the Ford Falcon and shares some of its mechanical components, particularly in the powertrain, but many parts are unique to the big wagon. An SUV with the option of two or four-wheel drive Territory was launched in May 2004, with a major makeover in May 2011 and… Read more

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TOYOTA CELICA 1990 – 2006

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2002 Toyota Celica

By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTIONS: A. B. C. 2002 Toyota Celica BODY COPY Toyota Celica was a big seller in the sporty coupe market for many years. It fell out of fashion, along with rivals which had never really come close to it in the sales race. Celica was quietly slipped from the new-car market in early in 2006. But is still popular on the used-car scene. Even more so since the release of the Toyota 86 and its near-identical twin the Subaru BRZ. The launch of the fourth generation Mazda… Read more

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MITSUBISHI MAGNA AND 380 1991 – 2008

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2004 Mitsubishi Magna VR-X AWD

Australian designed and built, the Mitsubishi Magna showed Holden and Ford a thing or two about family car design when introduced in 1985. A smooth, refined ride and excellent noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) suppression were big features of the Magna, even more so in the upmarket Verada versions of the Magna. After many successful years, the Mitsubishi 380 replaced the Magna in October 2005. It was based on an American Mitsubishi model, rather than the Japanese Sigma that the Aussie designers improved and enlarged to create the Magna. The… Read more

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HOLDEN COMMODORE 1997 – 2015

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2011 Holden Commodore Redline SS V

Big, tough and built for Australia, the Holden Commodore is perfectly suited to our driving conditions and meets the needs of drivers who demand more than simply transport in their family sedans and wagons. Handling is impressive for a car of this size. Yet the Commodore provides comfort even when being bashed along bush roads that have seen better days, not to mention corrugated dirt roads. Surfaces that trouble very expensive German cars of the same size class as the Holden are simply shrugged off by our Aussie machines. Commodore… Read more

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HYUNDAI i30 2007 – 2015

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2009 Hyundai i30 cw

Aimed at the European market rather than at buyers in South Korea the Hyundai i30 manages to combine some of the flair of a European machine with the cost advantages of an Asian car. Build quality in Korean cars has improved markedly over the years and Hyundai i30s were in the vanguard of this transformation. Aware of the likes of Australian drivers in the areas of suspension and steering, engineers from Australia and South Korea have tailored the suspension and steering to our conditions. The result is very on-road dynamics,… Read more

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HONDA INTEGRA 1993 – 2007

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2005 Honda Integra Type S

  The return of Honda to F1 racing and the imminent return of the superb NSX coupe to our shore has indicated that the Japanese company has returned to its sporting roots. Though it hasn’t been on the new-car market in Australia for too long, there are plenty of Honda Integras on the used-car scene. Built to a high quality Integra has a good combination of sportiness and retain their value well. The Integra can be confusing as it changed its character on more than one occasion over the 15… Read more

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MERCEDES-BENZ B-CLASS 2005 – 2015

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2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

From time to time you may have read my mutterings that fashion takes precedence over function in cars far too often. Which is why I admire the Mercedes-Benz B-Class so much, it’s a major case of function pushing fashion aside. It is immensely practical, with a spacious interior (you need a large Mercedes S-Class to get more rear legroom), a tall seating position that provides good visibility, and variable luggage space that can be tailored in many ways. Merc B-Class is smaller on the outside than most compact SUVs so… Read more

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LEXUS RX SERIES 2003 – 2015

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2012 Lexus RX270

By EWAN KENNEDY CAPTION: A. B. C. BODY COPY Lexus RX has been a huge success for the upmarket Japanese marque since its launch in Australia in April 2003. More a high riding station wagon than a 4WD it has mild to medium off-road ability in its AWD versions, though very few owners ever take advantage of it. The introduction of the fourth generation RX series in November 2015 has created a lot of interest any many owners have traded up to one. Thus creating a rush on secondhand ones… Read more

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BMW X5 2000 – 2015

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2002 BMW X5

BMW X5 has been a big seller since it launch in November 2000. Though it does have more off-road ability than you might expect, particularly in its first generation, most X5 buyers are looking for a sporting wagon not an ‘real’ 4WD. Well aware of this, BMW calls later models SAVs (Sports Activity Vehicles) rather than an SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles). The BMW X5 first reached Australia in November 2000. It immediately impressed by having on-road handling that is very good for a two-tonne wagon. It’s certainly no 5 Series… Read more