19 December 2023 by Tom White
The Nissan Juke was meant to herald a new era for Nissan in Australia. It was the first in a slew of new-generation SUVs and has now been joined by the Qashqai , X-Trail , and Pathfinder as part of a new-look Nissan . Unlike those others, though, the Juke hasn’t quite resonated with buyers. Since...Read more
3 December 2023 by Byron Mathioudakis
Half a decade on, the current-generation Mazda 3 has weathered a world of change. Cheap cars have vanished. Electric vehicles are commonplace and the small car class it belongs to has been decimated by SUVs . Big names like the Ford Focus , Holden Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer are history. But while...Read more
25 November 2023 by Tim Nicholson
I don’t envy anyone who is in the market for a well-priced small SUV in Australia right now. It is one of the most competitive segments, with more than 30 models to choose from. That’s from your more affordable fare to the pricier premium offerings. But even among the mid-range set, good luck...Read more
11 November 2023 by Emily Agar
The Mitsubishi ASX ES is the baby SUV from the Mitsubishi stable. It has a great kerbside look and the dimensions that makes it your best friend in the city but it hasn’t had a true redesign and that means it has some solid competition from other compact SUVs, like the Kia Seltos, MG ZS and Suzuki...Read more
18 October 2023 by Tim Nicholson
I am in my second month living with the Subaru Crosstrek 2.0R, but given I was on holiday for a couple of weeks during this period, I am going to focus on the practicality and in-car tech for this instalment. Which is a good thing because practicality and tech are key selling points for small SUVs...Read more
28 September 2023 by Richard Berry
Rising interest rates and the cost of living is causing many household budgets to tighten and for many of us big purchases are being rethought. A lot of people are asking if they really do need another large car especially in the city; or if it is the right time to buy an EV when they’re still so...Read more
18 September 2023 by Chris Thompson
The entry-point into one of Australia's most popular brands has been around for almost 10 years in its current generation, but the Mazda2 has had a refresh. Possibly for the last time in its current lifespan, the small hatchback gets a facelift to remain appealing, Mazda hopes, to first-car-buyers...Read more
16 September 2023 by Chris Thompson
MG has a knack for bucking market trends. The MG3 hatch currently makes up more than a quarter of the brand’s sales at a time when the ‘light car’ category is in gradual decline. Electric cars are too expensive? Here comes the MG4 for less than $40K. So is this, the MG5 , here to resuscitate the...Read more
13 September 2023 by Chris Thompson
Well, this is awkward. If you were waiting on the final part of the long-term Honda HR-V review series, it’s been a while. Just before the HR-V was due to be returned to Honda Australia, we filmed a video review that you now see above - but on that day the little hybrid SUV’s battery ran flat with...Read more
5 September 2023 by Tim Nicholson
Changing the name of a popular model of car is always risky. Remember when Mitsubishi switched to the ‘380’ moniker for its final Magna? It didn’t go so well… So, when Subaru Australia announced that it would adopt the global ‘Crosstrek’ name for its third-generation XV crossover , it didn‘t come...Read more
23 August 2023 by Tim Nicholson
You know when you find a cool cafe or restaurant, or even a travel destination that hasn’t been discovered yet? And you feel kind of smug about it? That’s sort of what it feels like driving the Peugeot 308 . You can’t help but think, why aren’t more people buying these? Read more about Peugeot 308...Read more
16 August 2023 by Justin Hilliard
How has it been three months already? Yep, the time has come for me to say goodbye to the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor. I'll miss it, to say the least. In the first two instalments of this long-term UrbanGuide review, I covered off the all-electric small SUV's pricing, features, aftersales...Read more
19 July 2023 by Justin Hilliard
I've already spent two months living with the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor!? Time really does fly by, but what an enjoyable time it has been so far. As promised, in this instalment of my long-term UrbanGuide review, I'm going to share my thoughts on the C40's design inside and out, as well as...Read more
16 July 2023 by Tim Nicholson
When Melbourne winter sets in, the best thing to do is escape the cold and head to… the beach? Yes I know, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the lure of a cool modernist Airbnb house with an open fireplace on the Mornington Peninsula is hard to ignore. The challenge was, given the house...Read more
11 July 2023 by Andrew Chesterton
You've heard of the seven-year itch, right? Well, in the motoring world it's more like three-months, which is enough time to wave off the new car honeymoon period, and really get into the warts and all of long-term life with a vehicle. As it happens, three months is exactly how long I've just spent...Read more
8 July 2023 by Chris Thompson
It's Winter, which means it's cold, grey and rainy in Melbourne. So, for the second update to my long-term Honda HR-V review, I'm keeping it indoors. That is, inside the HR-V. I've spent most of the past month using the HR-V, I think at least, exactly how it's most likely to be used: as an inner-...Read more
7 July 2023 by James Cleary
A new small SUV, entering one of the most hotly contested segments in the Australian new-car market is always a big deal. And this is the latest - Hyundai’s all-new Kona - a critical arrival for the South Korean giant in its quest to win market share from established rivals like the Kia Seltos ,...Read more
26 June 2023 by Tim Nicholson
It doesn’t feel like that long ago that small hatchbacks were everywhere on our roads. In fact, it was one of the biggest market segments in Australia by sales. Now, as we all know, SUVs have taken over and there are only a handful of brands selling small hatches . Thankfully, for those of us that...Read more
23 June 2023 by Justin Hilliard
I’ve been fortunate enough to have driven a lot of electric vehicles, but this EV, the 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge Twin Motor, is already one of my favourites. And in good news for me and my family, I’ve got the keys to one for the next three months. So, what exactly is a C40 ? And fair enough, too, if...Read more
