Read previous letters to the Carsales Network here
Send your submissions to Editor@CarPoint.com.au
Camaro emails keep on comin' (more here)
The Camaro should be sold in Australia due to the number of Camaro fans and the fact that the Monaro is no longer available. The fact is that the average Camaro guy is spending a min of $30-50 k on something that is worth owning in the first generation Camaro's. This car is made to look like it and I know if they were priced realistically then I would buy one for a daily driver to go with my two '68 Camaro's. Maybe just sell them with the lS9 engine.
Adam Duce
What is all this talk about? Just get it here!
The 2008 Camaro SS is unbelievable and the 2010 is certainly on par. I currently drive a new BMW although I love it, it will be on its way, traded in for the Camaro.
So stop this gas bagging and get this car here!
Rob
This car has to be available in RHD markets - I'm in NZ, and if I could walk into a dealer (assumedly a Holden dealer in NZ) tomorrow, I'd put down a deposit for myself. My dad would do the same - so there's two of your 4000 already. Since we saw Transformers and then discovered that was the car being built, we've been waiting and hoping for confirmation of it being built in RHD. Currently I drive a Clubsport and dad drives a Senator. By the car being marketed in the Transformers movie, you're opening yourself up to a huge market of younger drivers such as myself (in the 20 - 25 age bracket), as well as the more traditional buyers.
Warren Shepherd
No Mustang, no Challenger, no Monaro I know we are an Island ,but are we that far detached from the rest of the world on a socio economic level that we should get nothing with a bit of soul. Bring the Camaro!!!!! I'm all for a bit of economy and the V6 CDR sound like a capable motor. I own a 300C hemi, a 1965 Mustang GT Fastback, Jeep CDR and S type Jag. I'd gladly trade the Jag on Camaro. Bring it on!!
Evo Dimov
What the heck is up! Why can it be picked up for 20G in America and 50G in Australia!!!! I mean come on, why don't we just import them and save ourselves a load of cash. Cameron Dooley
I am a 42 yr old Aussie male and although I grew up with Monaro, the Camaro is the icon. Not only can we take pride in its Aussie roots but it is an excellent throwback to the classic 60's models. The first time I saw one I told my wife that when these are released I want one. We are in a world market now, please don't deprive us of the choices our American friends have had for so long. While you're at it, how about letting us have a RH version of Silverado truck so we don't get ripped off by the importers. You know it will sell large volumes-look at F250.
Scott
Do it!
There is currently no alternative to the now ageing Monaro. I currently own a VZ Monaro and enjoy it. Although it's due to be replaced this year I have held off in anticipation of the Camaro.
Most Australians in my opinion are still looking at the performance end of the market, with nothing out there except overpriced European coupes makes it dull and uninviting to purchasing a new vehicle.
By most Australians I relate that to my circumstance. Male mid 40s, looking for a bit of distinction; but maintain a sense of adventure.Just reading through blogs on the net shows there is a lot of interest in the car, but understands interest needs to be converted into dollars.
Give me the opportunity and will gladly take it up, but it needs to be Black.
Joe Jasinski
SsangYong still singin' along (more here)
I have a 2005 SsangYong Rexton and it has done 112000km without any problems. It still gives me great fuel usage and I have the 2.7 litre turbo diesel.
Dominic
A BMW in Holden's clothing? (more here)
"Because the 5-Series and the basic E-Series architecture is very similar --" This is basically a rip off. It makes me laugh, Holden's billion dollar baby. Most of it spent buying the blueprints of the design from BMW. Anyway I don't mind the look of it but some truth about where the design concept comes from would go a long way to credibility.
It used to be Opel (GM) in Europe and now BMW. Admitting it as if it adds credibility to what they are doing. As for the W427 I think the finish is just about right. Not over done. You don't have to have stripes and flames on the body work to tell every one "this car hammers"...
J. Mann
CN says: Holden admitted benchmarking the VE Commodore against the 5 Series BMW, but that's not the same as "buying the blueprints of the design from BMW". Perhaps your tongue-in-cheek comment is misplaced, considering BMW's design paradigm owes much to the Mercedes S-Class.
Backseat driver (more here)
Last week you basically gave yourself a big self-proclamation for being a journo that 'knows' how to drive a Ford XR8, elevating yourself to some self-appraising tool. Now this week, you talk of the Toyota TRD Aurion axle tramp, understeer and torque steer? Oh really?! Putting 225kW through the front wheels demands as much respect as putting them through the backs. You know a rear driver will oversteer if you put your foot down mid corner, so suffice to say a front driver will understeer in the same situation… Get your hand off it Gratton.
Grumpy
CN says: Grumpy has confused two different reviewers, Joe Kenwright, who wrote the XR8 review, with Ken Gratton, the reviewer of the TRD Aurion. Given Grumpy's apparent confusion over who wrote what, perhaps he/she can be forgiven for thinking that "putting 225kW through the front wheels demands as much respect as putting them through the backs". We are of the view that high torque through wheels that have to steer demands much more respect than high torque through the rear wheels.
I agree 100 per cent . This is one expensive Camry; give me the Falcon any day.
William
Not happy...fan!! (more here)
Channel Seven has too many commercials during the V8 Super cars broadcast. Also, the race tracks do not give race drivers the opportunity to pass as the tracks are too small for today's racing. Officials are bias to some drivers with there rules and regulations, V8 super cars are losing their appeal to long time fans.
Garry Dodds
Thrashin' the cars or the article? (more here)
This article about used car 'sub $20K six cylinders' is not a lot of use, because motoring writers in this country are a bunch of would- be-if-they-could-be racing drivers but are not good enough. Otherwise they would be out there doing it. For example, I must have read this comment a hundred times "and the ride quality has been well tuned to suit Australian conditions." Rubbish Australian cars ride like crap; you should go play in a go-cart, so the rest of us can get a car with a decent ride.
Ray
CN says: Ray, how should Australian cars ride? Like the Citroen CX?
Mediocre Mazda? (more here)
Interesting article, but can I make a few things clear, I am a 2003 Mazda6 owner I love the car apart from a few quality problems, but will not be buying the new 6… why? I bought the original for its size, the new 6 is bloated with its Mitsubishi 380 bonnet and wishy washy looking tail lights and understated headlights, and what's going on with the fog lamps yuck... In fact it borders on being a bloated ugly car, no matter how well it drives or how cheap it is. It doesn't look good in certain colours either… do you see many new 6's on the road? I was already contacted by the dealer twice trying to get me to trade mine with a very healthy incentive but I told him the truth. He seemed to be resigned to the fact that he had had the same response form other clients and that's the truth!!! The American version looks slightly better; maybe we might get that instead as the updated version and get rid of the ugly duckling that has also bombed in its home town Japan as well.
Martin
Anyone who purchased the Mazda 6 prior to the repricing should receive an automatic refund on the difference of price.
M6
More words on the W427 (more here)
I am a little disappointed of the W427 engine's power output, based on ratio of modern engines and there development. A decent five litre will now put out and maintain a comfortable 320KW, a bit more work and you could be at the same level as the W427, dare I say it like most of its targeted competition. I was a big block man (429CJ in a XA Coupe) from years ago and it appears nothing has changed in engine development. I was expecting a lot more power for a lot less fuel.
Lee
Make one in a Wagon and I'll buy it.
Shannon Bellamy
Make it work Mitz (more here)
It's really great to see Mitsubishi Australia get behind their Ralliart Vehicles, Lets just hope that they don't make the mistakes they have made in the past like in the case of the Ralliart Colt. It was overpriced when it was initially released then Mitz was forced to discount them by heavily in response to poor sales and competition from Ford XR4 and Volkswagen Polo along with pathetic Mitz marketing due to marketing budget constraints. I feel for the poor Mitz customers who paid full price for their Ralliart Colts only to see their resale price destroyed by Mitsubishi discounting but this should be no surprise to Mitz customers as they did it with the Magna's & 380's.
We hope Mitz have leant their lesson & the new network of Ralliart dealers gets the aggressive factory marketing support they deserve. Hopefully they do not have to end up destroying the resale value of their cars by aggressive discounting and are thus able to offer the enthusiast the very latest high performance cars from Mits for years to come.
Ray
About the Audi… (more here)
Great article about the Audi Q5. One point - you don't really talk about who the car is aimed at. I have a small family and want to avoid a large SUV like a Q7. But will this be big enough to cope with 2 young boys?
Greg
CN says: We believe that the Q5 will be big enough for your purposes, Greg.
Against the LCT… (more here)
The obvious question is who does Audi think they are?
Maybe they are getting worried about the astonishing quality of companies like Honda, who produce cars that are cheaper and better. Even some French cars are highly desirable and cheaper. Volkswagen/Audi wants to be so dominant - it is a competitive world and very few others are going to such extremes. Skoda has just been released, so Audi's mother company continues its growth. Volvo has shown restraint and sheltered consumers from the extra tax. Do I detect some kind of arrogance?
Dean
A brand new BMW M3 in the USA costs $53,000 USD, approx $56,000 AUD. The same car here costs a whopping $150,000. Something is very, very wrong when you have to pay $100,000 more than a car is worth. I've owned two Porsches, Audis, Alfa Romeos, and an R32 Golf. But finally I came to the realization that I'm getting absolutely screwed. Result? I now own a Toyota Yaris as an every day car and have a toy for the weekends. As long as the system stays the same I will NEVER again buy a new car!
Nick Myles
The LCT is a disgrace. Another hole in Rudd's rhetoric of wanting to go greener, yet continuing to allow Aussie company's to produce Falcadore's; which are 10 years behind the ball. Wake up!
Chris
Why would a government that says it wants less pollution penalise a car maker that is clearly leading the way in the car industry? Putting up the tax will only mean less good, safe, efficient cars are on our roads.
Tom Chittick
The problem here is that the LCT has not been indexed for inflation since its introduction. The Benz scheme seeks unfairly to treat all car buyers with a pseudo luxury tax. They are being very disingenuous by linking their LCT argument with a carbon tax. A car sitting in a garage emits NO carbon whatsoever; it is only when the engine is on that carbon is emitted. If carbon reduction is truly at the centre of their argument, it makes far more sense to tax the fuel and not the device that burns it.
Rod
Good article, why not abolish the silly LCT? I just bought a 2006 BMW 650I Sport convertible in London for $55,000 AUD. Why should that car cost 100,000 more in Australia? It makes absolutely no sense at all.
Tom
Weighing In (more here)
After six weeks of attempting to get an answer from Hyundai it is finally official; the Sonata auto diesel weighs in at a portly 1711 kg or more than 170 kg heavier than the 2.4L petrol sibling. That's 66kg heavier than its 6 cylinder wealthier brother the Grandeur & 7kg heavier than the new FG Falcon XT auto. Your comment in the road report that the "Sonata remains resolutely midsized" obviously doesn't refer to its weight. I was told all the extra weight is in the engine which equates to an extra six bags of cement over the front wheels. I can hear the brakes & tyres screaming from here! But it gets better. The auto diesel is rated to tow only 1100kg which is 600kgs less than the auto petrol sibling & 100kg less than the smaller I30 auto diesel. At face value its towing limit is only on par with most four cylinder petrol cars. And I thought diesels were supposed to make wonderful tow masters!!
Mark Lamerton
Half a story on Hydrogen? (more here)
Hmmm, I am not impressed by the summation here. Honda, BMW and Toyota for that matter are to be congratulated for persisting with Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology. The most abundant element around, hydrogen, sounds a pretty good bet for future proofed fuel reserves. The writer made no mention of Home Based Solar Powered Hydrogen Generators allowing clean production of Hydrogen offering the ability to 'gas up' from the Home Plant. This is the future of Cars, Hybrids, (that is Fossil Fuel + Electric) still need Petrol/Diesel, albeit in 'most' cases less than frugal small diesel turbo cars. In summary, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology will become enormously cheaper, especially if like California, the 'Hydrogen Highway' is expanded at the expense of petrol/diesel. There is one other interim step to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology that has not been mentioned here, that of Hydrogen Injection into the intake of conventional engines. I believe trials of this 'retrofitting' if you will are already showing good results in Australian Trucks, both in fuel saving and cleaner burn engines.
Derek Hanbidge
Sad about the Sunroof (more here)
Thanks for this article and your articles on all vehicles. They are helping me decide what car to buy. The disappointing thing about Ford is that they do not offer a Sunroof or Moon roof option. It would top off the higher spec vehicles. Can you tell me why they are not offering a sunroof?
Scott Fry
Don't miss the boat… (more here)
The Ford KA is a nice looking car. Ford, get it out here sooner rather than later. If the original KA was brought out here within a year or two of Euro release it would have faired much better than three to four years down the track when the rest of the market had things just as good and newer.
Also low profit margins, what about repeat purchasers or on-selling and upgrading? Surely people must remember having a laugh at the old Corolla in the early days. Now Toyota actively market and target that heritage. In many circumstances Ford loses buyers, because they simply don't have products in those segments. Once they are into different cars they would probably stay in different cars even if they still liked Ford.
I am one and I know many others the same who were die hard Ford fans until they tried another brand and they haven't gone back. Simply with most cars now days it is hard to find something that is really bad. Even bad cars are good and ten times better than good cars of years ago.
jjmm
Margins may be slim in this segment but Ford needs to get the blue oval out there especially with the sales slump in large vehicles. Diesel sounds like a great option if pricing is good.
Glenn
Hyundai Tuscon hardly with the times? (more here)
But still no mention of a diesel!!!!!
Peter Spann
It looks like the Tucson is going to get a major facelift soon. Hyundai did a similar thing with the Santa Fe: a minor rework and then the whole car received a facelift a year or so later. Can't wait to see what the remodelled Tucson will look like.
Rick
Long term Touareg Test (more here)
Interested to see a follow up on the 10,000k test and service costs that you would have experienced by now in the Volkswagen Touareg TDI.
I think this concept of long term test valuable and comprehensive to a potential buyer.... as I said waiting impatiently for the next instalment!
Helen Fawcett
This article is informative and well balanced.
I am interested in an opinion on the space saver spare tyre. Has the test team needed to use the spare, and what problems were encountered? Also, do the women folk use the whole of the tailgate or just the upper glass section on shopping trips (wondering if the externally mounted spare option would be a problem).
Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the final review.
Doug
Future motoring… (more here)
Great article, I would like to hear one about the local motoring industry and the direction we're heading seeing as 4.0L and 5.0L cars are no longer feasible with the average family. Just wondering what will be the next step for our local Aussie manufacturers. Do they all pack up and leave like Nissan and Mitsubishi? Do they change to smaller capacity vehicles? As for Holden and Ford, our local heroes, what will happen to their status as they are forced into line with the reality of fuel prices?
James
Hopeless Holden Epica (more here)
The Holden Epica is a death trap. I have had nothing but problems since I bought it. It looks nice and rides nice but it's mostly in the shop getting fixed all the time and they can't always fix it! I'm stuck in a lease.
Michelle Howarth
Get serious about fuel… (more here)
If the VACC was fair dinkum about the price of fuel would be asking the present government to remove our wholesale pricing based against the Singapore index price set over there.
We pay the price set over there for premium Crude at a 100 per cent import price. We don't import 100 per cent premium crude, in fact we are 75 per cent self producing yet we pay as if we import 100 per cent premium crude. We know it over here as fuel parity, yet when you look deeper in to it is simply price fixing between the oil companies and our governments present and past. If you were in business and you operated under the same way you would be sitting in a jail cell sanctioned by the high court of this land.
Next we have the Levy imposed on us, along with all the taxes. Can some one please explain to me what part of levy is tax? We are already paying a fuel levy (tax) yet then we are forced to pay a tax on this so called levy. So the govt is double dipping on the tax yet again. I would think under our normal business practices conducted in this country this would be called illegal yet we let it happen. So this is only a brief outline into why we pay the prices that we do. So until we address these issues, we will always be paying outrages and increasing fuel prices.
Doug Schmid
Awesome advice (more here)
I would like to thank you for the advice on finance and options. It was very thorough and reliable. It was very well presented and easy to understand.
Keith Power
Grand Greed Cherokee? (more here)
There is too big a price penalty to buy the diesel. Compare Mercedes for example or BMW petrol verses diesel. It would take 5-6 years to amortize the difference in price by fuel saving. Nobody wants to buy a big petrol V8 4WD. Jeep won't release the software for servicing by anyone but Jeep so not capable of going bush or anywhere too far from the main centres with jeep service. What is the point? A great vehicle going to waste because of greed and short-sightedness.
Max Brown
Five stars for Ford (more here)
Congratulations to Ford for producing a fantastic vehicle and the first Australian produced 5 star safety vehicle.
If only people also understood just how good the real world fuel economy was, better than new Honda Accord, Toyota Aurion, Holden Commodore (by far) and the overall package sales would be much improved!
Phil C
Forward thinking for Ford? (more here)
Thank god Ford is making quick progress to convert from a Truck / SUV company in the US and adopting an aggressive factory changeover which cuts the production of these models in favour of more car models. Right now, factories are being converted to US Focus, Fusion & Lincoln MKX production.
Soon they will add more armouries to their line-up. Specifically, the award winning models designed in Europe which is delivering strong profits for Ford Europe & UK. We in Australia are lucky to get some great vehicles; the Fiesta Focus & Mondeo.
There are some even better models coming in the form of next gen Fiesta & Focus (to be made in Australia).
Phil C
Sore points about safety ratings (more here), (here) (and here)
I have a gripe on the rating given to the "safety" aspect of the new Renault Laguna. Here is the "Safest Car In The World" at present, getting 35.91 out of 16 points overall score and 15.91 out of 16 for the all- important offset crash test, shows that not all '5-star rated' cars are equally safe. Yet, it was only awarded a three star rating against its competitors! Furthermore, at $43000 for the Authentique, its fantastic value for money considering all the features which it has as standard.
Chris
CN says: Our safety scale doesn't mirror the NCAP scale. You might as well ask why your car's power and torque figures are different. Safety ratings from NCAP and the Carsales Network rate a car for its safety by different means of measurement. The NCAP rating doesn't take into account active safety in a car, so the NCAP rating is only half the story, in our view.
Wasn't this article meant to be about the Ford Falcon?
It's great to hi-jack it with the Holden Commodore, but face it...the Commodore is an inferior car as almost all judges have said. You people have lost all integrity because to completely place doubt on the Falcon while instilling full confidence in the Commodore shows you've been paid out. You people should enter politics!
Matthew
CN says: Not enough money in politics, not like the largesse Holden can provide! Don't take this seriously, because we're not taking you seriously.
Loved the way you made this article three fifths Ford and two fifths Holden?! And for some reason the Holden content comes off in a better light and at the conclusion of the article. As editor, you would be aware of the significance of the final part of any communication.
This is a big deal for the local industry, and one that the two biggest (Toyota/GM) car brands in the world have not been able to deliver in AU.
Greg
CN says: Loved the way you made this response all about vulgar fractions -- in a decimal world. Sort of says it all, really.
If the FG Falcon is so great why is it struggling in sales figures?
Wayne Lewis
Congrats to Ford. However, I'm a little disappointed with all this negativity that the Falcon doesn't have curtain airbags standard. It's the same as when the Falcon was released; everyone went on about curtain airbags and glossed over how great this car is. Get over it, I have a Falcon for work, no kids and don't use the car to transport people. Why would I need curtain airbags at the back. Even if I did, it's a $300 option, how cheap is that! And when fitted with the airbags it comes to the same price as the commodore and it's a much, MUCH better car. Additionally, the Commodore has poor visibility due to the large A pillars, a pathetic gearbox with poor response to kick down and the handling and stability was no match for the Falcon. As far as I'm concerned, these are more important when it comes to safety à wouldn't you want to avoid an accident in the first place? So please get over it, the Falcon achieved a great result and should be congratulated on it, stop being so negative.
Frank
CN says: Says the bloke who is so negative.
Does this mean all previous falcons are coffins on wheels?
Jason
CN says: Definitely not.
Well done to The Ford team for making such a brilliant car... and now an extremely safe one. I was extremely surprised to read that the FG Falcon achieved maximum scores in the side impact test without curtain airbags. Even more so that it beat a Volvo and Citroen!!! Well done on a fantastic effort and this will definitely look good if Ford Oz decides to export the car... which they should do coz it is fantastic!!! Better than a VE Commodore that's for sure!!
Sam
Firstly, well done Ford! Good core engineering but the PR battle may cost more than the $300 curtains.
The five star result may surprise "Badge Buyers" and will hopefully stimulate the market for Australian cars by injecting some cred into the buyer's mind.
Of course curtain airbags are a must have - after all today's fleet car is tomorrows family truckster ( many savvy buyers now buy at fleet auctions) SO the Government should mandate their fitment. Anyway for future resale you'd add the curtains or more sensibly bypass the base model and get a G6.
Bob Jay
CN says: Well said.
Useful used car advice (more here)
The overall picture of a model is crystal clear thanks to your frank observations and knowledge. I am now better prepared to hit the car lots. Many Thanks.
Terrey
Moved from Mazda6 to Mondeo (more here)
Having purchased the Ford Mondeo XR5 Turbo only 6 weeks ago, I can agree your article is quite accurate. The closing comment about the fun factor still being there for parents is so true. I went to a family wagon (Mazda 6) however ditched it for the Mondeo given the huge boot space which actually had a larger capacity. The features of the XR5 left the Mazda 6 for dead. The car is a dream to drive especially when you get it on the motorway. It has turned many heads with numerous comments from friends and complete strangers about how smart good looking a car it is. No regrets one buying this one.
Mel Flanagan
Really? (more here)
Does the Ford 4.0 L six cylinders really only make 319 Nm of torque?
Ken Mortensen
Just correction of power figure it is 195kw/391Nm, in this article it's stated 195kw/319Nm. Don't think people would be happy with the Torque drop from 380Nm of the previous Falcon to 319Nm for the new model.
Jagor
CN says: Thank you Ken and Jagor for pointing out the incorrect torque figure, entered during production.
Interesting to read your reference to the "ill-fated AU", I thought it was a terrible successor to the Falcon line at the time, but the car magazine reporters all fell over themselves applauding the "new". I took one of the "new" Falcons for a test ride, I could see out the front window, at 6'6 maybe I am a tad taller than average, but with my "old" XR6 this wasn't a problem. The bubble shaped roof with the roof drawn down in front + the curved side windows (modern?) made seeing traffic real hard. Needless to say, I didn't buy another Ford.
Tom
All the new Ford Falcons are world class cars and as Australians we should endeavour to purchase more of these fine Australian made cars. I would be happy and proud to own any model in the FG Falcon range. As to that loser Steve Bracks and his report into the Australian car industry, recommending that the tariffs be reduced to 5 per cent is going to kill our Australian car industry. Mitsubishi is gone; Holden and Ford will be next if we don't support our Australian made cars!!!! As to the Bloody government, they are just ensuring we end up with no manufacturing industry in this country at all. It's bull the aim for zero tariffs. Have you any idea how hard it is to export to one of these so called free trade agreement countries? They are always moving the goal posts to put up barriers to stop our Aussie exports to their country!! So let's purchase our Australian made cars while we still have them.
John
CN says: If only for their future rarity and investment value...
Almost accurate about AWD (more here)
I agree but the article fails to mention an important factor of most AWD systems, that instead of always sending torque to all four wheels constantly, there is usually a "bias" built in where most drive is via say the front wheels, and in cases of slippage, drive is then directed via viscous coupling to the rear. e.g. my Holden Cruz has a 70 per cent front 30 per cent rear torque bias under normal conditions, with more drive directed to the rear should the front slip.
David Sercombe
This article is generally accurate but to state that "AWD systems also lack the 'low range' feature which is common in most 4WDs" is not correct. A significant proportion of Subaru AWD vehicles have a low range facility.
Neil Butters
Not a bad description of 4WD & AWD drivelines. You could go further and talk about chassis. To be bush capable a 4WD must have a chassis. Vehicles without a chassis will twist and even buckle when taken onto wheel lifting ground or sand. A vehicle with a chassis would be my first choice for heavy towing as well. A large number of people believe a Subaru Outback towing a Jayco Outback can go anywhere. They will go a long way but not without damage.
James Knipping
So impressed with the SLK (more here)
As someone who bought the latest Mercedes SLK 350 in June 2008, I agree with the author's opinion. The latest SLK350 is a fantastic vehicle, particularly if optioned up with AMG body kit and all the extras. My wife & I went in to Brisbane Centenary Classic to buy a demonstrator SLK 200K, but walked out with a new fully optioned SLK350. This was because we were smart enough to compare the products. You must compare the inclusions on the base model (SLK200K) with the SLK350 on a dollar for dollar basis. The SLK350 is the best value prestige sports car on the Australian market. We have owned vintage Mercedes sports cars, BMW convertibles & about 20 lesser sports cars of the MG and Austin Healey ilk. The latest SLK350 is a dream! We don't drive it every day but every day we drive it, we love it!
Mike & Liz Butler
You get what you pay for? (more here)
On what planet is ANCAP Chair, Lachlan McIntosh, on?? "It would cost the Australian tax payer nothing"!! Buying 5 star only cars would cost the taxpayer $1,000-2,000 extra per Falcon!! Or worse, they'd end up buying French cars!
Scott Cochrane
CN says: Amusing, but the figure of $1000-$2000 for the extra cost of the Falcon to fleets is probably conservative.
Marketing may not help Daewoo…I mean Holden! (more here)
I think Holden's ad tagline saying that this turbo diesel has better economy than the petrol powered Toyota Camry is stupid. Similarly with their Captiva Turbo Diesel ad in which they say it has better economy then a petrol 6 cylinder Ford Territory. I think in both cases they are unfair comparisons. They should be comparing their diesel engines with other diesels in their class not petrol engines (especially in the case of the Captiva which has a 2.0L 4 cylinder diesel against a 4.0L 6 cylinder petrol.
I am interested to see how this campaign goes for them.
Ashish Modessa
CN says: All's fair in automotive marketing, but anyway, Holden can probably mount a case that the diesel-engined vehicles compete on a similar footing for torque and should be considered comparable.
"Even the 2.5-litre inline petrol Epica achieves a fuel consumption figure of 9.3L/100km -- both comfortably ahead of the 9.9L/100km figure for the Camry" I wouldn't call a 6 per cent fuel consumption advantage comfortably ahead. Subjectiveness aside, the Camry's fuel consumption of 9.9l/100km is in fact high. Compare that to the Aurion for example which is essentially a Camry with a V6.
Amup
CN says: We would call that figure 'comfortably ahead'. As a matter of fact, we already did!
The Holden Epica has not sold because it is a Daewoo - people know what it is. Durability of a Daewoo is not the same durability of a Toyota. If the product is good - it will sell even if expensive - Honda, Mazda etc. Holden needs to stop foisting cheap Daewoo cars on us....it doesn't work!!! Look at your market share Holden...Can't you see it doesn't work? Barina, Viva, Epica, Captiva - all cheap and nasty slow selling Daewoo's badged as Holden. Get real!
Carl
CN says: We hear on the grapevine that Holden has fewer warranty claims from its Korean-sourced models than from the European-built cars.
It's still a decade old Daewoo design with the (lack of) quality that drove Daewoo broke. How does a different badge on the nose change that? Consumers have avoided this car with good reason.
Tony Pine
CN says: Or they just buy Toyotas in that segment.
I drove the Holden Epica when it was first released. The first car I drove had minimal kilometres on it and was no surprise, a bit of a slug. The second car was a different matter. With 7500 kilometres on the clock it performed markedly better. I hope it sells well for Holden.
Chris Bates
The Epica is absolute rubbish, so yes CN, let's hang Holden from the yard arm. Andrew was right; Holden will learn to regret its embrace of Daewoo for everything south of the Commodore...
Peter
CN says: Who's Andrew?
It's not a Holden. It's another Korean made car - not Australian.
Raymond Fung
CN says: A Korean car? Not a Holden? So, it's not like the JK Apollo or the LD Astra then?
I think it's a very wise move for Holden to go diesel. I have a Volkswagen Passat TDI am very happy with economy, but if diesel prices were lower I will consider buying an Epica.
Con Anagnostou
Kit for the Kia? (more here)
A very illuminating article about the Kia Sorrento. Can you advise details of the bolt-on suspension kit?
Ross East
Auto? Not in Australia? (more here)
This article is very interesting, but why do Kia have to lie about availability of diesel Sportage with an Automatic? Search Google and you can find they are available on almost every continent, even NZ gets them.
Don McKenzie
Holden holdin' the cash! (more here)
This price reduction of some 38.46 per cent , suggests that for some time Holden has been seriously over-charging for "Factory" LPG conversions on their vehicles. Especially as I was recently advised by a Holden Dealer salesperson that Holden had not produced one LPG converted vehicle in some six months, hardly suggesting that a bigger demand for such vehicles has resulted in a quicker recovery of research and development costs by Holden. Appears to be more a "Price Gouging" activity to me, and I'm a committed Holden man who has converted four commodores to LPG, with a fifth to be converted within the next month.
Michael Morris
AWD Aurion please! (more here)
The Toyota Aurion TRD is a sexy hot looking car with out any doubt. But I hesitate to buy one because it's a front wheel drive. I test drove one recently and the power it produces surprised me greatly. It's bloody fast! To the heads of Toyota in Oz, please make an AWD version and I will be buying one for sure, and I dare say this will go down as one of Australia's best performance sedans of our modern time.
Ian Ellis
No hybrids for Holden? (more here)
Vail GM Holden... With this sort of flat earth thinking we can say goodbye to Holden within the decade.
Ian
CN says: Why? will they fall off the edge before then?
The 2011 hybrid Commodore was just a headline grabber. Great marketing, crap cars.
Alan Watson
90 per cent of leading car makers has indicated that Lithium-Ion, plug-in battery technology is the way of the future, even GM has said this. So why is Holden still deciding who to follow? Decision time is now; oil will soon be back up in price and will stay there. Most of the major battery manufacturers are gearing up now, for the demand there will be for Lithium batteries capable of powering cars. Just Google it, you'll be amazed at the activity. Smoov
I hope it doesn't take as long to roll out these improvements as it took to produce the VE Wagon.
Its time for GMH to put up or shut up!
Wagon Driver
Renault really Overpriced (more here)
You guys are absolutely correct with regard to the options on this vehicle. For that kind of money Renault Australia have a hide charging extra for the upgraded sound and bi-xenons. Leather should be standard as well. I was interested in this car until I found out about the bad news with regards to the price. That's a lot of money for such a small & basic car. You are talking about Volkswagen Golf GTI pricing here and you get a lot more car for your money with the GTI. Pity, Renault commits marketing suicide once again!
Mick
I don't believe my eyes… (more here)
Please note that the photo of the interior of the Audi A4 is of the previous generation model, which dates back to 2001.
This is not the first time this mistake has been made on this website and should be changed as soon as is practicable.
Daniel
CN says: Daniel, thank you. The image was incorrectly allocated to the new A4 in the website that supports Audi's media press information.
Hydrogen hopes for the future (more here)
I fully concur with a lot Hisakazu Imaki's comments albeit with some exceptions (more of that later). Hydrogen, although having some significant hurdles in front of it as pointed out, has so many more positives to offer than any of the other solutions currently on offer.
We live in a consumer world and ultimately I believe that it's consumers who will decide our direction not the Governments of the day, as much as they'd like to (they're desperately trying to hang onto or create the same tax regime as they have now). I believe people will never again embrace any situation that legally allows them to be extorted at whim for decades on end and poses no real prospect of long term environmental responsibility. In terms of the energy requirements and infrastructure for hydrogen fuel, there are many environmentally friendly solutions available for energy but it's far easier for that to be done on an individual basis than on some grand scale single energy producing source. Imagine if you will the advantages of having every house in Australia being able to produce its own electricity from the sun and not having to rely on power companies at all, it's possible and it's better! Then imagine being able to use some of that energy to produce your own transport energy requirements? Car companies need to think outside the box and think about offering a one stop solution i.e., buy the vehicle and the means to create the energy to drive it, then watch how fast consumers choose that solution over any centralised system that they have little if any control over!
Paul
This is an interesting article that finally acknowledges the multitude of problems of hydrogen. One problem not mentioned was that the Mazda RX-8 hydrogen only has a range of 60 miles on hydrogen and has half the power of the petrol variant. Meanwhile, very funky, blisteringly fast electric vehicles are being delivered now. Follow the link for a review of the Tesla EV! (more here)
I can only view the Carpoint newsletter in Internet Explorer, not through Firefox which I usually use. Perhaps your Webmaster could have a look at this, as many people use Firefox over Internet Explorer these days and don't like to have to switch between the two. By the way I run Vista Ultimate.
Richard
Buy Australian…unless it's Ford or Holden? (more here)
Why the hell are Ford and Holden importing expensive 6-speed autos if a perfectly good one is made right here in Albury?
Wagon Driver
CSIRO overseas? (more here)
Is the CSIRO limited by the business structure of the local auto industry? This shows that there needs to be a greater emphasis of further gaining independence for local carmakers to further enhance our vehicles for local conditions and tastes. It must be said generally however it's a shame that foreign markets get our technology before we do.
Andrew
Full size matters! (more here)
If only a full size spare was optional on Golf and especially Tiguan. Space savers should be banned in Australia!
Dave Hill
Understeer an understatement (more here)
I drive a 2008 Mitsubishi Triton and I can't quite understand the comment "In addition and despite a little understeer". I am not sure what you are used to but a little understeer is a major understatement. I really enjoy driving the Triton but I have had to modify my driving style to allow more time for evasive action when driving in the city. In fact I found your article when searching for ways of modifying the understeer. Please let me know if you know if this can be done.
Dan
Confirmation please (more here)
I have been in the market for a turbo hatch; I have not been able to choose between a Golf GTi and the Ford Focus. As you say the Focus is coming out with a sequential gearbox. This is enough to make me lean towards the Focus XR5. Can you confirm that the Focus is definitely going to have the sequential gearbox?
Cameron Moore
Upgraded but still stuck? (more here)
Eek! $2,290 that's a lot for an 'upgraded' GPS System, the unique feature of which requires quickly updated data from the various Departments/Sources to allow assessment of redirection to avoid accidents etc. Not so good in your typical 'Motorway Incident' as one is normally stuck regardless till incident is cleared, then proceeding only when the Rubber Neckers have checked it all out!!
Deejay51
CN says: It's only $290 more than the previous system.
I don't believe it… (more here)
Goodness me; an American making sense?!
These are good ideas and at face value deserve to be investigated. I just hope the "economies of scale" thing doesn't let us down.
Mark
In the picture (more here)
Just thought I'd let you know ... your image is not up to date -- should the image not be of the recently and horribly updated vehicle with the elliptical head lamps and the oddly proportioned rear lamps?
Tom
I find it funny you didn't even use a picture of the latest model Escape for this article...
Timmy
CN says: That's irony for you.
Sore ankles on the Spider (more here)
We have bought a Spider and we love it. The main problem is the foot pegs, we need foot boards. We are seniors and have ankle problems. Where can we find some type of boards that will replace the stock pegs? The dealer we bought from said they can't help us, can you help us? Our riding will be limited if we can't find something to replace the stock pegs.
Darrell Lane
Is the price right? (more here)
This used car article about the Holden Barina is good. Do you know anything about the steering control box on the electric power steering as mine has failed? It assists to the left, none to the right? $580 for new and $200 labour? Would this be right or would the control box be repairable?
Tony Beck
Give it some gas! (more here)
You're right of course, I've just purchased a petrol Mitsubishi Triton and put it gas from the day it was delivered. I love that the economy is great. I think that one of the problems with LPG on vehicles is that other companies I rang said that they would not put errantry to LPG dual fuel on a new car. The bottom line is that the powers that be are making millions on petrol in all its guises and we as the public can't change that. But there is no reason a car dealer or manufacturer can't advertise the fact they can do a LPG conversion as part of the deal so the buyer can go into a new car with eyes open. If something is not done shortly no one will be doing any Sunday driving.
Edward Austin
As the current owner of two LPG powered Holden Commodores (VSII Acclaim Station wagon and VXII Berlina Sedan) and with a VYII Calais to be converted end of this month, I believe that the main reason why there has been such a poor take-up of LPG powered VE Commodores is because unlike the FG Falcon, Holden only provides a conversion kit for models powered by the low output engine mated to the outdated four speed automatic. Those of us who would like to have an SV6 Calais or Calais V with the high output engine and the five speed automatic(preferably with option of a six speed similar to the Ford unit), have been completely ignored by Holden. The slashing of the factory fitted LPG kit by $1,500.00, is simply not enough to compensate for such a poor model and power train combination for those motorists who are interested in LPG powered current model vehicles.
Michael Morris
Correction to my comment re FG E-gas Falcon, I have discovered that this model is only available with the 4 speed automatic transmission. Obviously both companies need to apply themselves to providing vehicles fitted with more modern drive trains.
Michael Morris
I think GMH's idea re: the E85 would work for CNG too. Produce a car that can run on CNG and the public will demand CNG. With the stupidity of governments a given, putting the cart before the horse might just work.
Holden Owner
We should be looking at every option to break the monopoly of the oil companies. Why are car manufactures so slow in taking up the challenge?
Russell Corbett
This is old news. Look at Kleenheat in WA (just build a LNG plant for transport, diesel substitution), already doing in Melbourne. Buses (not all) in nearly every state in Australia run on CNG. Problem is refuelling times (fast fill) and range. LNG has the advantage for range on heavy vehicles. EDL in the North West sells LNG domestically for diesel substitution for remote power generation. Need to promote current initiatives to grow the future. Totally agree NG is the best interim fuel before renewable.
Pedro
Otto, run for PM and I'll vote for you as I quite agree with what you said in your article. But hey, government is not about common sense is it? It likes the money too much, as for emissions trading well there's a con job. Keep the good writing going.
Paul
I am glad to see that there is a person out there that is smart enough to see the advantages of CNG. There is at least one Australian company that is doing something about getting the CNG ball rolling, OES CNG. They are training LPG installers to do CNG installations and in the process of getting approval to market a home filling station. They are also setting up fast fill outlets around Melbourne. Any way I am not an ad for this company just thought you would like to know. Keep up the good work, I enjoyed the article.
Randell
Be great if the Australian govt. wasn't selling it to the Chinese for $0.05c per cubic metre!!!
Greg McBride
People are lemmings with not much vision past pay day. Every day you see one person, one car. They will pay whatever it costs to save walking to a bus stop. Fat lazy and stupid. Oi! oi! oi!
Gary
It's good to hear some fresh news which is a real possible direction to go inn. We would be self sufficient which is fantastic for our economy and much cleaner for our environment. Great article, thank-you!
Leon
Here's the problem with LPG and will be with CNG too. The public are just plain sceptical about how the pricing structure will figure in the future. The government have already announced its plan to put an excise on LPG and no doubt will do the same in the case of CNG. Yes we need taxes to pay for things but the current tax on a tax approach is proof enough to us all that fuel taxes are not reasonable. They are subject to change without notice and that only a small amount of it comes back to roads anyway. Fact is, most people believe that as soon as possible, the unabated tax hungry feds will put enough on top to negate any advantage that exists and place average Joe Blow in the same basket as he is already (legally extorted). So why bother! CNG is the best possible medium term solution by far. We all know we have truck loads of it, we all know it would give us a huge advantage economically both personal and in business and we know the infrastructure needed would not be that difficult but the system we have now is so flawed and we see more of the same. That's why it's not happening!
Paul
Jet the Jetta to Oz. (more here)
It's a pity Volkswagen doesn't sell the Jetta wagon in OZ. There are just no affordable small/medium fast auto (or DSG) wagons to buy.
The slow Mazda 6 auto wagon is a huge disappointment, as are the VW Passat wagon's poor front seats and annoyingly hard suspension.
Wagon Owner
Ethics and E-News (more here)
I believe that you are having a go at ‘E News' that is not justified and being far too pro Auto Action. I read both and I will be signing up for the "Pay" e news as it is a time saving good read, hang your heads for this Carsales. Letting your own personal and associate publications crap on E News is very poor Business ethics.
Graeme Rutgers
CN says: Graeme, we've looked at the article again and don't see what you're saying. If we were manipulative as you suggest, we would withold publication of your response.
Powerful Punto (more here)
Read this review about the Fiat Punto and went and bought one last weekend. I must say its one of the best cars I have owned. Power is great for a small car. Thanks Steve!!!
Robert
Get me in a GLK (more here)
Mercedes need to bring this car to Australia. Mercedes don't have a car in the small SUV category. I for one would purchase the GLK if it were to come to Australia. The car has my options that may cars in it's category don't have.
Now that Audi have confirmed the arrival of the Audi Q5, Mercedes need to bring the GLK ASAP.
Nick
Not for the Northern States… (more here)
I wouldn't like to be under that full length glass sunroof on a hot day nor under any glass sunroof in our regular Queensland summer hailstorms. Other potentially good cars (many Japanese e.g. RAV4 SX6) have also been ruined by this idiotic obsession with the sunroof gimmick.
North Queenslander
Not so Smart (more here)
The problem with the Smart is obvious, it's just too expensive. With the current environmental climate, they have turned it around and started to make a profit, so it's only a matter of time before others jump in.
I've photo shopped a Suzuki Swift into a 2-seat micro car. I'm far from a graphic designer but it still looks awesome. I'd like to see a professional image of a micro Swift in the media to gauge public opinion. At half the price, better looks and performance Smart couldn't compete with that.
Steven Williamson
And over to ANCAP… (more here)
I did not mean to imply at any time that ANCAP was considering 6 stars. We at ANCAP have overtime upgraded our hurdles to encourage safety improvements and we may well do so in the future. The excellent Ford FG Falcon ANCAP 5 star result clearly shows the importance of structural improvements as opposed to the simple and in some cases less effective approach of adding airbags. Structure and airbags are important together, independent testing as ANCAP does is vital to show consumers crash results so they can make comparisons.
Lachlan McIntosh
Some more about SX4 please (more here)
Your article about the Suzuki SX4 is very informative but I would have liked some info on how it performs on the beach eg, soft sand/ hard sand. Is that possible?
Pam
Out of options (more here)
It's a shame Holden only offer the V6 on the base Calais Sportwagon. Their marketing has effectively optioned me out of the market for a VE wagon, as I cannot afford a Calais V series.
Don't suggest a base SS with its terribly old school centre console. It is truly dreadful.
Wagon Buyer
Maybe next time… (more here)
It's a great pity that you didn't test the diesel versions of these cars if possible, because they are going to be the volume sellers.
Harry
In the know with Joe (more here)
Great article Joe. The traditional car magazines offer little assistance when deciding to buy a second hand car.
I am looking to buy a first car for my son shortly. It would be great if you could do a follow up article which also addresses safety and perhaps fuel economy.
David Bowers
Please keep the Patrol (more here)
It is really hard for me to imagine Australia without the Patrol, I've lived in Australia for some time and I saw the influence of this car on the Australian outback anyway. I'm in UAE now days and Nissan Patrol is an iconic car here, Patrol and Cruiser basically are the only cars that can handle the extreme geography and sand dunes in this country, and in my opinion this car has to be alive. To insure that this car can compete the new Landcruiser Nissan simply has to introduce a new generation which has to be similar to a great extent to the current car or even the previous one, which was a truly legend car in desert, so the new patrol has to be lighter than the current Patrol. It should also go back to the old straight line profile which people really like, and in this case in can even compete the new FJ cruiser. I always believed that Nissan can manufacture great engines, and I really think that patrol needs some sort of highly advanced strong engine (at least in the full option model) that can overcome the new Lexus 4X4. All the luck for Nissan in introducing the new Patrol, and I really can't wait to see it coming.
Patrol Partner
Saving the best of O/S? (more here)
I'm from Malaysia where exactly Proton came from…
Yes the car handle is good, but I don't think it's quite for me. It is the noisiest car I've have ever driven, especially on rough road. Maybe the Malaysian spec and Australian is different and it is sure that Proton only sells the good ones for international market but not here in Malaysia.
The Don
CN says: The previous Satria was quite noisy, as we recall. Perhaps, as you say, the specifications are different for export market cars.
Lost hope for Holden? (more here)
It may be cost effective for Holden, but when will they stop taking the Australian consumer for a ride in re-badging discontinued Daewoo cars as Holden? I mean, the Captiva is an absolute joke for starters.... I have really lost faith in Holden!
James Davey
CN says: What's the exact nature of your displeasure? Holden has been re-badging Opels as Holdens for years...and about a thousand buyers a month would disagree with you that the Captiva is a joke. Certainly, Ford doesn't see the funny side of it.
VE…I can't see! (more here)
I've just checked out the VE wagon again and you can't see out the back of them either! The D-pillars are also huge. With the massive A & D pillars creating huge blind spots, driving in traffic is going to be difficult. ANCAP should deduct points for poor visibility. I want to be able to see out of the vehicle to avoid the accident in the first place.
Brad
Never again… (more here)
I have recently bought in June a New 2008 Gen 8 Honda Euro Luxury/Navi. Since taking delivery of the vehicle we have had nothing but trouble with this car. It has had faulty steering since new; the dealership has had the vehicle in their workshop longer than we have owned it. It has had the steering rack replaced twice and the computer and it is still not right. Honda has become a joke. This is the first Honda that we have owned and I would not touch another of their vehicles again.
We were also looking at the Mazda 6 Luxury/sport and the VW Passat Diesel and I wish I had bought one of the others instead.
Mrs Laurie Daley
Clio safety question (more here)
I question your rating of 3.5/5 in Safety for the Clio. This car scored an impressive 5 Star in the NCAP and exceeds all in this class and trumps any locally make vehicle yet this point is over looked. Is this because it is a Renault? French or both??
Ben Hoareau
CN says: Ben, for sweeping generalisations and paranoia, you take the cake. Contrary to what you say, there is nothing "impressive" about a five-star NCAP score any more, when 97 per cent -- a figure supplied by Euro NCAP itself -- of all vehicles achieved this score last year. The Clio doesn't "far exceed" all in its class and this so-called "point" is far from substantiated, so we didn't so much overlook it as ignored it...
Could it the computer be wrong about consumption? (more here)
"But perhaps most troubling was the Pajero's fuel consumption -- for a common-rail turbo diesel (even a hefty, muscular 3.2-litre V6), an average consumption of 13.1L/100km (as recorded on the car's own inbuilt computer) is much higher than we expected. "
That doesn't sound right to me.
I have just purchased the 5-door manual Misubishi 3.2L DiD NS Pajero, and on my first test run over about 350km I got an average of 9.5L/100km.
Steve
CN says: Steve, we were more concerned that in our article, we had described the engine as a "muscular 3.2-litre V6" when it is actually a four. As for your concern about the fuel consumption, if your 350km test run was all or mostly open-road kilometres, that would account for the difference.
Front for Falcons? (more here)
If they start making Falcons not rear wheel drive it should not be called a Falcon because the name "Falcon" is a proud Australian only name and cannot be changed that much! There's my 20 cents worth...
Alex Cheek
CN says: Your 20 cents is worth about 20 Rupees and the Falcon is as proudly Australian as the condor and the bald eagle.
Large powerful cars do not go well with front wheel drive. End of story. If you want an econobox go front wheel drive. If you want a fast, sporty large car, you need rear wheel drive.
Robin Graves
It will be a sad day if the Falcon goes FWD. Only real cars are RWD.
Brian
CN says: The trouble with a name like Brian is that it's an anagram of 'brain', yet there's no actual basis for comparing the two.
The death of Ford Australia is nigh... possibly!
Switching the Falcon to FWD will create another Mitsubishi 380, and will kill the popularity of the Falcon forever!
James Fahey
Yet another "Yank" who thinks he knows best what we want. They already think they make better engines than us, but they and we're getting one anyway right! All we need do is take a look at the 380; great car, great performance, excellent build quality and finish but front wheel drive! We've already decided mate, get it?1 It's not about what we want, it's about what they'll give us. A front drive Falcon, keep it!!!
Paul
Over the moon for Mazda 3! (more here)
Having had my Mazda 3 Diesel for 8 months and just over 10,000 km of country, highway and city driving I find this to be one of the most enjoyable cars I have owned...and I've owned many different makes and models. My previous car was the current shape Hyundai Sonata V6 and prior to that a Toyota Avalon. Both were great cars but the Mazda is better finished and a better drive than both of those. The Mazda holds the road much better, has a much more compliant ride quality in town and on country roads and I find it just as quiet on coarse road surfaces as the Hyundai. Having had mostly automatic cars in the past, except for a Honda I owned a few years ago, I find the 6 speed manual on the Mazda a joy to use and as the car's fabulous performance is so effortless and versatile it makes me want to just keep on driving. There are not many cars in the $30K price range which provide this level of performance, comfort and driving pleasure, not to mention the great economy thanks to the smooth and quiet diesel engine.
Darren McMurray
Still on about safety (more here)
How can you rate a car Safety: 3.5/5.0 for the FPV F6 and F6 Ute when it has a 5 star ANCAP rating???
Stavro
CN says: Stavro, it's because our rating isn't the NCAP rating. They're two different scales. See our responses above and below.
Ford Feelings (more here)
Safety = 4/5?! The Ford FG Falcon got a 5 ANCAP Star Rating, what else does it need? No other cars on road to get a 5?
Benjamin
CN says: Benjamin, every other car on the road gets a five-star NCAP rating these days -- or at least 97 per cent of them tested in Europe last year did. If a scale ceases to be a scale, then it's not worth much, is it? That's why, frankly, we have a problem with NCAP. It doesn't actually rate cars against their peers and it uses a quantitative measure rather than a qualitative one.
Great article, it really lets you get to know what this quality Australian product can do, I am impressed.
Paul Tripodi
This car is the safest Australian built car ever. It is safer than a current Audi A6 and Volvo in ANCAP Tests. Is 5 Star Safety not enough??? You give the car only a 4/5 for Safety. What more do they have to do???
Tom
CN says: Tom, what more do you expect? Our scale is different from NCAP's and we don't give any car a perfect score for safety while road users can still die in a crash involving that particular car. Perhaps if you actually read how our scale worked and stopped assuming it was aligned with NCAP, your confusion would be diminished.
We have had a test drive in the Falcon G6E Turbo and were disappointed with following:
1. The front passenger seat does not have electric controls. We offered to pay for electric seats and Ford dealer advised no option available.
2. The boot well is not flat and makes it difficult to stack suitcases properly.
This put us off on buying the car. We will wait until end of the year and purchase either a Calais V (60th anniversary model) or if Ford decides to fix the front passenger seat and the boot then we would buy the G6E.
John
CN says: The boot floor, as we recall, prevented smaller items from rolling around inside the boot while the car was in motion, but you have to buy a car based on your personal preferences and needs...
You gave the G6ET a big wrap and yet you gave it just 3.5 stars as an overall rating. Wheels and Motor have given it 4.5 stars for several variants. As to why it isn't selling as well as it deserves, it is mostly perception. If only people took half an hour to go and drive one.
Phil C
CN says: We're not Wheels and Motor and we don't use their scale for vehicle evaluation.
Nobody cares about pedestrian safety… (more here)
What a load of PC crap. Nobody cares about pedestrian safety.
First of all, there are only 2 ways to hit a pedestrian:
1. The pedestrian is walking in front of cars.
2. The driver is driving on the footpath.
Addressing these issues is much easier than creating new laws that further inhibit car design.
And secondly, it won't affect anyone's purchase, people care about themselves and their passengers. A stranger on the street is of little concern. Please write articles that aim to better society rather than jumping aboard PC crusades that serve no purpose other than their own publicity.
Steven Williamson
CN says: Parents care about pedestrian safety. Dead pedestrians are not always boozy or drug-affected losers and even so, it could be cogently argued that pedestrian safety shouldn't be seen as a non-issue. It certainly shouldn't be seen as a 'politically correct' cause. We cannot see how expecting car makers to lift their game in this respect is 'PC'. If you're suggesting that making vehicle design more pedestrian-friendly is necessarily more expensive and harder to achieve than separating pedestrians from traffic and implementing a long-term strategy of social engineering, we beg to differ. You appear to be promoting a tonne of prevention as a better alternative to an ounce of cure.
So like the Suzuki (more here)
Yeah about time they introduced a replacement for the Sirion. I love the look of that little Alto! Verrry sexy!
James Hamilton
Not Jazzed up?? (more here)
It's really pity, I already like old Honda Jazz. I was hoping they only changed interior (especially steering wheel with buttons) and the head-lamp on the front. Fuel consumption is really disastrous to hear for today's fuel price. Also the boot space I really admire shifted down smaller. It's not smart anymore.
Don
Excellent you focus on safety features, and the absence of some. Keep that up.
Bill
Jag just great, but your score… (more here)
Your article was fine about the Jaguar XF, I just didn't understand the low score, 3 out of 5. The article as a whole was complimentary...
Justin
CN says: Justin, the car rates a 'three', which is not a low score by our standards, compared with the two competitors cited, Mercedes CLS and Lexus GS.
Dodgy diesel fuel (more here)
As a recent victim of "poor fuel" (& I only use recognised brands) I believe there needs to be a national register for this problem as currently victims are kept in isolation so that it is the individual against the fuel barons, when it comes to compensation. If reporting of fuel issues by the service industry was made mandatory then the problem would receive much more publicity, forcing fuel companies to "clean up their act" it's not like we are not paying enough for diesel to ensure that we aren't going to destroy our new vehicle. I have a Toyota Hi-Ace (2006) driven 148,000km & the repair bill is $7,300; not to mention hire of another vehicle while repair were being done or the fact that I was 400km from base (thank god for RAA) my old Hi-Ace had done over 500,000km and was still going strong (I was annoyed when I had to replace the seals in the fuel pump when the sulphur was reduced, but that was petty cash compared to this) It's about time our politicians became involved and cleaned up a few things instead of just talking about it!!!
Andrew Downward
Read previous letters to the Carsales Network here
