Australian New Car Buyer

It’s that time of year again. Every other car magazine in town is handing out Car of the Year awards, so here’s our pick of the best from 2018. In small cars, VW’s new Polo is a cut above its rivals in most respects, as is the Golf, which still stand

One of Australia’s most accomplished motoring writers, over three decades, John is a long-time contributor to Wheels magazine, where he is a Car of the Year judge, and publications in the USA and UK. He lives in Bergamo, Italy, and covers new Europea

In Australian New Car Buyer, we include trade-in values for every model in our Showroom section. These are provided to us by Redbook, Australia’s leading authority on used car values. Each model we test includes three- and five-year retained values,

Alfa Romeo’s Giulia is aggressively priced and generously equipped. It deserves to disrupt your Audi A4/BMW 3 Series/Mercedes C Class buying decision. Start money is $59,895 for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol Giulia, with 147kW of power and

Remember when there was no such thing as a beautiful SUV? SUVs were spacious, sure. And capable. Even occasionally sporty. But they were never, ever beautiful. But clearly something has changed, because we defy anyone to gaze upon Alfa Romeo’s new St

Audi’s current A3 range, like its predecessors, shares its architecture and most of its componentry with parent brand Volkswagen’s Golf. Prices for the five-door A3 Sportback start at $36,200 for the 85kW 1.0-litre turbopetrol three-cylinder/seven-sp

Today’s Audi Q5 might seem barely changed since the original in 2009, but there’s exciting new stuff underneath its almost the same skin. Kicking off from $65,900 for the 2.0-litre TDI diesel quattro and $73,211 for the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol quattro

BMW’s seventh-generation 5 Series range opens with the $89,990 520i, with a 135kW, 2.0-litre turbopetrol four. At $92,990, the 520d runs a 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel four, while the $109,990 530i, tested here, has a 185kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo

Putting “Ferrari” beside “ugly” just isn’t done. So let’s not mention the California, the car the lovelylooking Portofino replaces in Ferrari’s line-up. The newcomer sticks with the same 2+2 seating, folding hardtop and front-engine format, but adds

It might not look like it, but this is Ferrari’s answer to the Toyota Prius. Well, sort of. The Italian supercar maker has been forced to join the rest of the car industry and downsize its engines to meet strict new emissions regulations in Europe. A

There was never going to be a ZB Commodore V8, so it was at Holden’s insistence that the 3.6-litre V6, with all-wheel drive, was included in the 2018 Insignia range as an Australia-specific model, in the belief that many Commodore customers would dem

Kicking off from $14,990 for the VTi, the GK-series Honda Jazz hatch brings fewer variants, lower prices and — bar one backward step — more for your money. For example, you’ll find a reversing camera, emergency-braking indicator flashes, hill-start a

The Hyundai Santa Fe features seven seats in all models. The lineup opens with the all-wheel-drive 138kW 2.4-litre petrol/six-speed automatic Active, at $43,000. The 147kW 2.2-litre turbodiesel/eight-speed automatic/all-wheel drive Active is $46,000.

Jaguar’s F-Type two-seater convertible starts at $131,150 for the 221kW 2.0-litre four cylinder/eight-speed automatic 2.0T. Six-cylinder power starts at $145,350 for the 250kW 3.0-litre V6 supercharged/six-speed manual. The eight-speed automatic is $

Kia’s Sorento is comparable in size with Toyota’s Kluger and the Nissan Pathfinder, with vast interior space for seven. Petrol-powered models are front-wheel drive. The range opens with the 206kW 3.5-litre V6/eight-speed automatic Si at $42,990; Spor

In this turbocharged age, the new Lexus LC 500 is a rare beast. It has a big, naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 that roars and revs the old-fashioned way. Most other manufacturers these days are forced by regulations to rely on smallercapacity, slower

Mazda’s mid-size 6 is available as a sedan and wagon. Prices start at $32,490 for the 140kW/250Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol/six-speed automatic Sport sedan. The Touring is $36,690. GT, with a 170kW/420Nm 2.5-litre engine, is $43,990 and the top-

The CX-3 gives Mazda an offering in the hotly contested compact SUV segment. With a choice of two four-cylinder engines — 85kW/270Nm 1.8-litre turbodiesel or 111kW/ 195Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol — the CX-3 is up against more than 20 cont

The Mercedes CLA-Class is essentially the front-wheel-drive A-Class with a different body, in this case a four-door coupe. It’s the most aerodynamically-efficient production car body in the world, a significant factor in minimising fuel use and wind

The Mercedes GLA SUV range starts at $44,200 for the 90kW 1.6-litre turbopetrol front-wheel-drive GLA180. The 100kW 2.1-litre turbodiesel front-wheel-drive GLA220d is $51,600. Opt for the sportier performance and all-wheel-drive grip of the 155kW 2.0

Nissan is turning over a new Leaf. The second generation of the world’s best-selling electric car is already on sale in some markets. With sharper looks, stronger performance and, most important of all, increased driving range, the popular plug-in ha

Skoda’s Kodiaq SUV is named after the largest carnivorous mammal on earth, the Kodiak bear, but as far as seven seaters go it’s light, manoeuvrable and compact. More like a koala. The 132 (as in kilowatts of power) TSi 2.0-litre turbopetrol, tested h

Skoda Octavia prices start at $23,490 for the 110TSi sedan. Based on Golf VII’s modular platform, with a 46mm longer wheelbase, the Octavia also runs Golf drivetrains and other mechanicals. Octavia is available as a sedan or wagon, the latter carryin