Articles by Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Contributing Journalist

Raised by dingoes and, later, nuns, Marcus (aka ‘Crafty’) had his first taste of adventure as a cheeky toddler on family 4WD trips to secret fishing spots near Bundaberg, Queensland. He has since worked as a journalist for more than 20 years in Australia, London and Cape Town and has been an automotive journalist for 18 years.

This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of.

The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.

This bloke has driven and camped throughout much of Australia – for work and play – and has written yarns for pretty much every mag you can think of.

The former editor of 4X4 Australia magazine, Marcus is one of the country’s most respected vehicle reviewers and off-road adventure travel writers.

Ford Ranger 2024 review: Sport V6

Expert Rating:

15 June 2024 by Marcus Craft

How many cars can you buy, sell and own?

14 June 2024 by Marcus Craft

How many cars can you buy in a year?

At time of writing, an...Read more

The best canopies for your Ford Ranger

14 June 2024 by Marcus Craft

Utes have become the Swiss Army knives of the vehicle world. People...Read more

GWM Tank 500 2024 review: Lux Hybrid - off-road test

11 June 2024 by Marcus Craft

Chinese vehicles are improving all the time and the latest to hit our shores is a first for Australia’s off-roading community. It’s a petrol-hybrid 4WD with seven seats, high- and low-range gearing and a rear diff lock. It’s also a body-on-frame ladder chassis design with a packed standard features...Read more

Is this the ultimate ute? 2025 BYD Shark kicks off plug-in hybrid ute war with Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton | Opinion

8 June 2024 by Marcus Craft

We all want to prevent the world from turning into a natural disaster...Read more

Lexus LX 2024 review: 500d + EP 7-seat - off-road test

30 May 2024 by Marcus Craft

The Lexus LX line-up has a solid reputation as off-road vehicles and towing platforms. And there’s plenty of excitement about the new-generation Lexus LX500d because it’s essentially a tarted-up version of the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series – it’s built on the same platform as the 300 and even has...Read more

How many cars in Australia?

30 May 2024 by Marcus Craft

So, how many cars in Australia? More than 21 million, according to the...Read more

Should you turn on your headlights when it's raining?

22 May 2024 by Marcus Craft

Should you turn on your headlights when it's raining?

The answer...Read more

What is overdrive on a car?

10 May 2024 by Marcus Craft

What is overdrive on a car?

Overdrive in a vehicle is "an...Read more

What is a Heavy Vehicle?

6 May 2024 by Marcus Craft

What is a heavy vehicle?

A heavy vehicle, as defined in the Heavy...Read more

Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series 2024 review: 79 Series Single Cab Chassis Workmate auto - off-road test

5 May 2024 by Marcus Craft

The new Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series is a modern-ish update of the immensely popular ute workhorse because you can choose one with a 2.8L four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Don’t worry, the 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 and five-speed manual gearbox combination is...Read more

Kia Sorento 2024 review: S Diesel

19 April 2024 by Marcus Craft

The Kia Sorento S diesel AWD is in the lower spec ranks of the Sorento line-up but it still seems like it would be, on paper at least, an easy vehicle to live with. It’s a seven-seater with updated technology and a boosted features list and while it may not have the plush appeal of those in the...Read more

Hyundai Palisade 2024 review: Calligraphy 2.2D AWD 8-seat

8 April 2024 by Marcus Craft

The Calligraphy is in the upper ranks of the Hyundai Palisade line-up. It’s a big classy-looking SUV inside and out, it’s packed full of features, it has eight seats, and it’s even all-wheel drive , but with a price tag that’s more than $80,000. Is it worth your consideration? Read on. Read more...Read more

Why the 2025 Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster is better than the 2024 Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series dual-cab ute | Opinion

31 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series holds a very special place in the...Read more

Most anticipated new 4WDs coming soon to Australia! From the 2024 Toyota Prado to the Kia Tasman ute and Ineos Quartermaster, here are the coolest 4x4s arriving soon

30 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

It’s an exciting year for those of us who prefer a healthy chunk of our...Read more

2025 Toyota RAV4 takes shape! What we know so far about the new-generation Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5-rivalling hybrid family car

24 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

The Toyota RAV4 is the most popular medium SUV on the Australian market...Read more

Nissan Navara 2024 review: Pro-4X Warrior - off-road test

19 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

Nissan Australia and Melbourne-based vehicle engineering company, Premcar, have very successfully combined forces to create finessed versions of the Navara and Patrol as part of their on-going Warrior program. Premcar has proven it can be entrusted with crucial conversion work, engineering upgrades...Read more

Toyota's LandCruiser FJ is shaping up as a sub-Prado, Suzuki Jimny-fighting, off-road-ready hybrid car for the masses

16 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

Toyota’s much-anticipated compact LandCruiser, likely badged the FJ,...Read more

The rise of old-school new 4WDs

11 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

What's old is new again. Sure, it's a well-worn saying, but it's used...Read more

Suzuki Jimny 2024 review: XL off-road test

10 March 2024 by Marcus Craft

Ever since the current Suzuki Jimny was launched here five years ago, Zook enthusiasts have been nagging the company for a five-door version. Well, the arrival of the five-door Jimny XL is proof positive that nagging works. The XL is longer and heavier than the standard Jimny , but it has no...Read more

Articles by Marcus Craft

Marcus Craft

Contributing Journalist

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