Articles by Mark Oastler
15 March 2017 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the new Hyundai iLoad diesel auto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. Toyota's venerable HiAce has been the undisputed leader in the light commercial van market for many years now (even though it's not a genuine one-tonner), but its supremacy in this high...Read more
13 February 2017 by Mark Oastler
Owners of Ford’s Everest 4WD concerned about the legality of...Read more
23 January 2017 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the new Toyota HiAce LWB Crew Van with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The Toyota HiAce was launched in 1967 and has been the benchmark for light commercial vans in Australia for several decades with its combination of good load space, simple robust...Read more
8 December 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the new Mercedes Benz G-Professional Cab Chassis with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch in Melbourne. For the brave men and women of our defence forces there can be no compromise in the vehicles chosen to perform in life-threatening...Read more
22 November 2016 by Mark Oastler
Based on our experience, the best towing vehicle is either a full-size 4x4...Read more
18 November 2016 by Mark Oastler
We've delved deep beneath the surface to see if the first new HiLux in a decade is worthy of hero worship.Read more
2 November 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Mazda BT-50 XTR dual-cab ute with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. Rival manufacturers commit to joint creation of new models to share development costs and(hopefully) sales volumes. However, that clearly has not been the case for the now fractured...Read more
19 October 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Ford Transit Custom 290S SWB Van with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. Strong competition in today's LCV market is not restricted to utes. Commercial vans are also attracting the attention of major manufacturers in a segment which continues to push...Read more
14 October 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 VFII Holden SS V Ute with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The release of the AU Falcon ute in 1999 heralded a fundamental shift in a long standing rivalry between Ford and Holden, as it broke nearly four decades of Aussie ute tradition by separating...Read more
7 October 2016 by Malcolm Flynn
October 7, 2016 marks the end of Australian-designed and built Fords...Read more
21 September 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Renault Trafic short wheelbase twin turbo van, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The greatest advantage of a commercial van over a ute or cab-chassis is that your load is carried securely inside a cargo bay protected from weather and theft. It...Read more
6 September 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Mitsubishi Triton GLX+ dual cab 4x4 auto with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. On its release in May 2015, the latest MY16 Triton failed to create much excitement. It was effectively a heavily revised and updated version of the previous version,...Read more
22 August 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Nissan Y62 Patrol Ti with...Read more
9 August 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Holden Colorado dual cab LTZ 4x4 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The current model RG Holden Colorado , launched in 2012, shares its rugged ladder-frame chassis, body and interior architecture with the current Isuzu D-Max , as they were...Read more
2 August 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 Nissan Navara Dual Cab ST 4x4 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. Nissan ’s all new NP300 Navara represents a rationalisation of the company fleet. It has replaced both the D22 and D40 model Navaras and with the impending demise of the full-size GU...Read more
15 July 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the Isuzu D-Max SX Space Cab Chassis 4x4 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The local 4x4 market is dominated by Ford's Ranger and Toyota's HiLux yet other players like Isuzu's D-Max , which sell far less units per month, have plenty to offer and worthy of...Read more
30 June 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the 2016 VW Transporter T6 TDI340...Read more
21 June 2016 by Mark Oastler
Mark Oastler road tests and reviews the Ford Ranger XLS 4x4 2.2L auto dual cab ute with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. Ford Ranger buyers are spoiled for choice, with double the number of models available than its Toyota HiLux arch rival. Where Toyota offers three basic variants (Workmate, SR...Read more
18 April 2016 by Mark Oastler
A sign of how competitive Australia’s LCV market has become is that Nissan (and a few rivals) continues to offer a petrol-powered ute like the DX Single Cab 4x2 in its current NP300 range. According to the latest ABS stats the number of LCVs sold with diesel engines in Australia since 2010 has...Read more