Toyota Advice

When people of a certain age hear the words 'Toyota LandCruiser', the venerable 40 Series is the vehicle that springs to mind.

There’s no doubt that it was the Toyota 40 Series that really put the LandCruiser badge on the map in Australia. But by 1984, the world had moved on and even purchasers of these simple and rugged machines were demanding more. Toyota had already split its focus to arrive at the family-wagon line-up (the 55 Series and later 60 Series) to cope with private owners, but for its fleet and trade customers, it took the successful elements of the 40 Series, went back to the drawing board and sketched up the 70 Series family of vehicles. And of those, the 75 Series was the smash hit.There was still a market for the short-wheelbase (BJ and FJ70) and mid-wheelbase (BJ and FJ73) but as kids got bigger, caravans got heavier, holidays got more elaborate and expectations got higher, bigger was definitely better in four-wheel-drives. Which is why the long-wheelbase 75 Series was the star of the LandCruiser workhorse line-up virtually from the word go.The 75 Series tag was applied to all the long-wheelbase variants including the pick-up, cab-chassis and the Troop Carrier. That said, the 75 name was dropped for those vehicles in 1999 when Toyota facelifted the model. Suddenly, what had been a 75 Series pick up or cab-chassis was now a 79 Series, and a 75 Series Troop Carrier became a 78 Series. Yes, it’s largely academic, although those later cars were much improved with coil-sprung front suspension and longer leaf springs at the rear for much better ride quality. Technically, though, the 75 Series only ran from 1984 to 1999, even though the 70 Series family as a whole is still soldiering on largely unchanged.Like all LandCruisers, the 75 Series was built on a separate ladder chassis with the body mounted on top. It’s a crude way of building a car (even in 1984) but it’s also a good way to make the end result super strong and capable of taking its share of rough treatment without getting bent out of shape (literally). Compared with the 40 Series it replaced, the 75 (as did all 70 Series cars) got a chassis with boxed members making it even stronger and more flex resistant than before.Styling wasn’t a radical departure from the 40 Series either but the dashboard was a huge step forward with a proper padded section and much more modern (and easier to read) gauges. The rest of the interior was still pretty bare though with vinyl seats and floor coverings but, back then, that’s how folks wanted it. The cabin on the pick-up and cab-chassis was a strict three-seater with none of the extra-cab or king-cab thing going on. The dual-cab 79 Series was still many years off, too. The Troopy, meanwhile, could be had in three-, six- or 11-seat layouts with a front bench, a front and rear bench or a front bench and jump seats running lengthways in the back respectively. Folks in the rear of the 11-seat version did it pretty hard, especially as they were sitting side-saddle.The four-wheel-drive system is resolutely old-school. Forget viscous couplings, centre differentials and full-time AWD, the 75 Series got a part-time system with a transfer-case to give two distinct sets of gear ratios. On the bitumen, the vehicle ran in two-wheel-drive. If the track got a bit greasy, you could select high-range four-wheel-drive. And then, when you were hopping over boulders and climbing cliff faces in the scrub (which, incidentally, the Cruiser was very good at) you selected low-range 4x4 and let those super low ratios do their thing. You could also forget about rotary-dials and electronic switches to shift between those modes, too; the 75 Series subscribed to the old mantra that a proper off-roader has a minimum of two gear-sticks.Initially, the 75 Series was available with two engines, a choice of petrol or diesel. The petrol six-cylinder was the 3F with a claimed (but possibly very optimistic) 110kW of power while the diesel alternative was the familiar old 2H with even less poke (76kW to be precise). Both were tied to a four-speed manual transmission and both offered performance that was, er, relaxed. The diesel in particular didn’t actually accelerate; it accrued speed like you or I accrue sick leave.Ride quality with the leaf springs at both ends was on the jouncy side, too, so perhaps it was just as well the 75 was no slingshot. The live axles also contributed to a fair bit of unsprung mass and the way they walked around at highway speeds meant you had your hands full making little steering corrections to keep the vehicle on the straight and narrow. A 75 Series with wear in the suspension and steering is a proper handful.But all that was forgotten when the outskirts turned to the mulga, and the Cruiser was suddenly in its element. It could tackle the toughest tracks with the best of them and soon became the default vehicle for anybody who wanted to go seriously off-road. It’s no accident that the majority of off-road wheel-tracks in this country are 1415mm apart (the exact width of the 75’s track measurement).Toyota gave the 75 Series the diesel engine it deserved in 1990 with the arrival of the 96kW, 4.2-litre 1HZ. Although it lacked the grunt of a modern turbo-diesel, the overhead camshaft design was smooth, flexible and, provided you had optioned the factory snorkel kit, would run under water. And it would do so with just basic maintenance for somewhere in the region of a million kilometres.  A five-speed manual also turned up at the same time.In 1993 the last real facelift arrived before the 75 became the 78 and 79, and at that time, Toyota finally replaced the old 3F petrol with the 1FZ-FE. It was simply a better thing and although it was still a six-cylinder, it was now 4.5-litres in size and made a thumping 158kW of power. It had a fine thirst, however, and you can expect any petrol 75 Series to use at least 15 or 16 litres per 100km on the highway (more if you have a roof rack fitted) while a diesel is a little more frugal at around 12L/100km for the same journey. Both these later engines are excellent off-road, but the main difference is on-road work where the petrol has a much higher cruising speed (well, the later 1FZ-FE, anyway).Toyota also used the 1993 upgrade to fit the LandCruiser with four-wheel-disc brakes which was a good thing in one way; namely stopping power and the fact that disc brakes don’t suffer the same fade problems as drums when you’ve just dunked them in a creek or river crossing. But the downside was that the park-brake moved to a drum-within-disc design and was so prone to getting out of adjustment, it’s become a standing joke among the Cruiser community. It’s no coincidence that 75 Series owners never park their vehicle in neutral.

The Toyota Troopy name is one you may have heard, but questioned. Here's an explainer.

Toyota’s 70 Series of vehicles is a long-running range that makes up the workhorse end of the LandCruiser line-up. Within the series is a variety of engines, body styles and purposes, so it’s best to think of the 70 Series as a family of vehicles rather than a specific car.The 70 Series replaced Toyota’s 40 Series way back in 1984 and has been in showrooms ever since. By then, Toyota had broadened the LandCruiser’s design brief to include family-friendly station-wagons (the 55 Series and later 60 Series) with more comfort, leaving the 40 Series vehicles as the pure workhorses in the range. And that’s the role the 70 Series took over.Back in 1984 when the 70 Series first landed here, the FJ70 (petrol) and BJ70 (diesel) tags related to the short-wheelbase LandCruisers; the BJ73 and FJ73 were mid-wheelbase cars, while the 75 Series cars were the long wheelbase models. Breaking that down even further, the short and mid-wheelbase chassis was available as a two-door wagon/van with a hardtop and a version with a removable fibreglass roof section. The long-wheelbase models consisted of a single-cab pick-up, a cab-chassis and an 11-seater station-wagon called a Troop Carrier. Both the cab-chassis and Troopy are much more familiar sights in this country. There was also a coil-sprung version of the short-wheelbase with (lighter-duty) HiLux running gear called the Bundera (RJ70).The Bundera’s coil springs aside, there was still a lot of 40 Series technology in the 70. That included the body-on-chassis construction (although the 70 got a more robust, boxed chassis design) leaf springs at both ends and live axles front and rear. It also retained the part-time four-wheel-drive system with 2WD, 4WD high-range and 4WD low-range.Engine-wise, the long-wheelbase cars used a carry-over diesel engine, the 76kW, four-litre non-turbo diesel (2H) or the four-litre petrol with 110kW (3F). Four-speed gearboxes were your lot. The 3F petrol six-cylinder was available in the short and mid-wheelbase cars and the top-of-the-range Bundera (the Deluxe), but if you wanted a diesel shorty or middie or didn’t need the bigger six-cylinder, Toyota offered a range of diesel, turbo-diesel and petrol four-cylinder powerplants.It didn’t take long for the cab-chassis and Troop Carrier to become the clear preference for Aussie buyers, mainly because the LWB models had a decent payload (1000kg) were big inside, rugged and reliable and absolutely brilliant off-road. Popular factory options included snorkels, locking differentials and long-range fuel tanks to took the total fuel payload to 180 litres.By 1990, Toyota finally gave the 70 Series the diesel engine it had always deserved when the non-turbocharged 1HZ was added to the line-up. A single overhead camshaft, 96kW and a reputation for being a million-kilometre engine soon cemented the 1HZ’s place in the scheme of things.By 1993, the consumers had voted and Toyota dropped the short-wheelbase models, having dumped the Bundera and mid-wheelbase cars three years earlier. That left the long-wheelbase versions to battle on with a new option of the addition of the 158kW 1FZ-FE six-cylinder petrol engine to help their cause. By now, the standard gearbox was a five-speed manual but Toyota had still not engineered the 70 Series for an automatic transmission. It still hasn’t.The first really big engineering change arrived in 1999 when Toyota finally did something about the crude leaf suspension at either end. At the front, the 70’s still-live axle got coil springs. At the same time, Toyota also fitted longer rear springs which doesn’t sound like much but did make for a smoother ride. Combined with the coil-sprung front end, the vehicle was suddenly a much nicer thing to ride in. To mark the upgrade, the Troop Carrier now became known as the 78 Series and the cab-chassis the 79 Series. A couple of years later, Toyota tapped into the growing recreational off-roader market and offered the 78 and 79 with a modern turbo-diesel; the 4.2-litre, 122kW 1HD-FTE. This was a game-changer because it suddenly gave buyers a diesel option that didn’t need three weeks notice to overtake a road-train and was much better at towing a camper-trailer.Many carmakers would have called the upgrade of 2007 a brand-new model, but Toyota knew that the reputation and goodwill embodied in the 70 Series name was too good to throw away on a 'new' idea. So, for that year, the biggest change in 70 Series history took place.Gone were all three diesel and petrol six-cylinder diesels and in their place came a brand-spanking turbo-diesel V8, and that’s about as exotic as it gets in the bush. Measuring 4.5-litres and good for 151kW of power, the V8 was torquey and under-stressed. And with the right exhaust system it sounded fabulous. Electronic control of the V8 also made it possible for the vehicle to meet Euro 4 emissions targets.The 76 Series wagon was introduced at this point; a five-door conventional wagon without the Troopy’s high roof, plenty of glass area and the same driveline and suspension, including the live axles on which hard-core off-roaders place so much value. It’s a good looking truck and great for families who want something a bit more rugged looking than the 200 Series station-wagon Toyota also offers.These days, the 70 Series soldiers on with the same range with the addition of a dual-cab pick-up that was designed to appeal to companies involved in the recent mining boom. Safety has also been upgraded thanks to air-bags and ABS brakes (although only the single-cab scores five stars for safety) and the five-speed manual gearbox finally got a taller fifth gear for the 2017 model year.But it hasn’t all been progress. There’s no doubt the move to coil springs at the front was a good move, but the switch to five-stud wheels (from six-stud) in the late 90s suddenly meant that everybody who had specced their trailer or van or camper-trailer to use the same rims, suddenly had to double the number of spare tyres they carried for remote-area work.The shift to the V8 was not without its fraught moments early on, either. Some early examples of the V8 liked to drink oil, and owners grumbled about the placement of the alternator (low down in the engine bay – not good for water crossings) and starter motor (in the vee of the engine, below the intake and injection gear).But possibly the biggest moan over the years has been the different track front to rear on 78 and 79 Series Cruisers. The bulkier V8 engine forced Toyota to widen the engine bay and, therefore the front track. Suddenly, that meant that those bush tracks formed by a million other LandCruisers were now the wrong width for the new model. More importantly, the rear track stayed the same as before, so now the rear wheels didn’t follow in the tracks made by the fronts. In sandy country, this made for harder going as the rears couldn’t ride on the sand packed down by the front tyres.But really, these are minor gripes and shouldn’t make the fact that the 70 Series has survived so long in a relatively unchanged form any less amazing in such a tough market.Wondering what the body-type model codes are for the current LandCruiser 70 Series line-up? This should help:LC76 - Five-door wagonLC78 - Troop Carrier / TroopyLC79 - Cab-chassis

Tough, reliable, well-equipped and super popular, the Toyota HiLux is seemingly everything the average Aussie ute-buyer could ever want. Except that it’s not, because just about no one has a stock-standard HiLux – it being one of the most modified utes in Australia. And that’s a double boon for everyone after Toyota HiLux aftermarket accessories; there’s a massive market for the industry, and therefore a copious amount of choice for the consumer. Whatever you want to do with your Lux ute, can be done, and probably bought off the shelf. So, for a curated guide to the best HiLux accessories and modifications, for work or play. Read on. Overview: These days, bull bars are as much fashion statement as they are frontal protection, and especially for the HiLux, there’s no shortage of options. If you want a lightweight, custom-look, hoopless, high-clearance, winch-compatible bar, you can order something like the Hamer King Series bar online.If you just need a traditional alloy, three-hoop bar for a couple of driving lights, there are numerous options, but few as well suited to the HiLux than the genuine accessory option from Toyota. Of course, all the major aftermarket manufacturers have great steel bars. Whatever you do, make sure you’re not buying a bar that will compromise the front axle loads, or consider a suspension kit that increased that allowable load (more details below). Cost: The Hamer King bar costs around $1900, plus fitment. An ARB Summit Bar will set you back $2926 including fitting. Where to Buy: Toyota Genuine Accessories, ARB, Hamer King Series BarOverview: The HiLux is so good off-road it’ll never get stuck, right? Even so, a winch is pretty good for recovering Nissan Navaras and Volkswagen Amaroks when they get stuck down a track, or so I’m told.If you need a good winch, the choice isn’t as easy as it once was when Warn was the only name worth mentioning. Today, there’s stiff competition, and previously unheard-of brands, like Runva and Sherpa, which are gaining recognition, while many aftermarket brands like TJM and Ironman 4x4 have their own versions.In my personal experience, you’ll use a winch far less than you anticipate (I’ve only ever used one once in anger after a 4WD on a trip rolled, and never to recover myself), so unless you’re actively seeking out really tough terrain, you can probably save $1000 or so and go without one. Cost: Although you can get a winch for less than $500 these days, budget about $1000-$2000, depending on the brand you think fits best. Where to buy: Runva, Ironman 4x4, TJM, ARBOverview: If your frontal protection needs don’t involve a high risk of an animal strike or a desire to increase frontal clearance, a nudge bar might be the best bet. These simple loops of steel or alloy are also great for holding auxiliary light bars or an aerial for your mobile phone range extender or UHF. Cost: The genuine alloy nudge bar from Toyota for the current model HiLux costs $830. From East Coast Bull Bars, an equivalent version begins at around $860.Where to Buy: East Coast Bull Bars, Toyota Genuine AccessoriesOverview: Gaining an extra couple of inches clearance under the HiLux is almost essential if you’re planning some off-road touring or camping trips. It’ll reduce the likelihood of damage, help many off-road camper trailers and caravans ride more evenly behind your vehicle, and make it look cooler.Search ‘lift kit for Toyota Hilux’, though, and you’re peppered with options – everything from mild to extreme. Given the proclivity of Aussie tourers to carry as much luxury as possible with us when we want to act rugged, look for a kit that includes a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) increase by upping the front and rear axle loads. That’ll give you more scope to load fit a bull bar with all the fruit, and keep a decent load in the tray. Just remember, increasing GVM doesn’t increase GCM (Gross Combination Mass), so if you are towing a trailer, you’ll still have to make a compromise somewhere. Because you can load more into the tray, you’ll have to stick with a lighter trailer or caravan so as not to overload the combination.ARB’s Old Man Emu Suspension kits will lift the current HiLux 40mm, and then enable it to certify a GVM increase to between 3150 (stage 1) and 3465kg (stage 2). Lovells also offers a lift kit and GVM upgrade to 3300kg, as do other suspension companies like Ironman 4x4 and Pedders.Cost: For Lovells to redo your HiLux suspension and GVM upgrade, allow at least $5000. For ARB, budget around $2500 for its entry-level Old Man Emu Nitrocharger 3150kg upgrade, plus about 4 hours labour. The ARB increases can be applied retrospectively (if you already have the suspension fitted, for example), beginning at $300. Regional prices might vary slightly. Where to buy: ARB, Lovells SuspensionOverview: Snorkels are more than just for tackling chest-deep Cape York river crossings. By raising the air intake point, they reduce the amount of dust your engine might inhale, and potentially also help bring cooler, denser air into the combustion chamber. They also look pretty cool, which is as good a reason as any. Cost: A genuine HiLux snorkel costs $460, plus fitting. An aftermarket version from Safari will set you back $477 plus $240 to fit. From TJM, an Airtech black, stainless steel snorkel costs $595, plus fitting. Where to buy: Toyota Genuine Accessories, ARB, TJMOverview: Most of the HiLux 4x4 range drive on 265/65 R17 or 265/60 R18 tyres, which measure pretty close to 30.5in in diameter. Conservatively, and legally, you can increase the diameter by 50mm (in most states), meaning you could fit 245/75R17 or 285/60 R18 rubber under the HiLux. Bear in mind, this only increases your clearance by about 25mm, probably has no conceivable impact on your off-road traction, but will affect fuel economy. Before considering a larger tyre, work out if a different tread pattern and a good tyre deflator wouldn’t be better options off-road. Cost: A decent set of all terrains will cost anywhere from $250 to $500 a tyre in 285/60 R18 size.Where to buy: TyroolaOverview: The addition of a canopy to your HiLux ute can be very personal. For some, it’s a way to keep camping gear dry and dust-free, for others a way to keep pets comfortable on long drives. Likewise, a work ute will have different needs to one used for leisure. The most common HiLux canopies are made from fibreglass, although aluminium canopies are increasingly becoming popular for their strength and weight characteristics. Alternatively, custom made HiLux canopies are popular for camping and trade applications, and many metal fabricators focus on this market. Access is one of the most significant considerations to a canopy, and most of the tub-tray versions will offer sliding or top-hinged windows. Canopies for alloy trays might have larger access doors than the former, and can typically have more specific storage options. There’s no right or wrong canopy, but consider features like the ability to add racks at a later stage, and how much clearance you’ll need under the roof. Also remember, a canopy’s total weight counts as load, so the lighter, the better without sacrificing strength. Cost: A deluxe fibreglass canopy from TJM costs $3960. Budget at least $3500 for a simple canopy with lift-up windows from ARB. For an extensive, feature-packed, camping-specific aluminium canopy from Norweld, expect to pay at least $14,300, plus another $5610 for a canopy base tray. Where to buy: TJM, ARB, or Norweld.Overview: Although the genuine Toyota Hilux tray options are well proven on thousands of vehicles, many industries and interests have specific needs. Toyota has cottoned onto this, and there’s a long list of genuine accessories focussed on personalising the Hilux tray back, including a bed slide, utility boxes, tray mats, canopies and tonneau covers. There are even mining ute specific options if you talk to the dealer. The biggest custom tray choice, though, will be to get one in steel or alloy. Steel is strong, and great if you need the structural integrity of something like a small crane, but alloy is lighter, leaving more load capacity for actual load. From there, the options are endless, and if you can imagine it, a metal fabricator can build it. Cost: Even a basic, Toyota HiLux steel dual cab tray will set you back over $4,000, so start your budget there and add money for every feature you want. A fully custom, off-road-ready alloy camping tray from the likes of Patriot Campers Off Road will be more than $20,000 including a canopy. Where to buy: Toyota Genuine Accessories, Patriot Campers Off RoadOverview: If you need to keep things organised in the tray and don’t have the sort of budgets required to get a full custom tray, a decent set of drawers is the place to start.Whether for camping or worksites, a good drawer system is easy to access, can carry everything you need and is built to suit your needs. If you need a large load area above the drawers, consider a side-by-side arrangement. If you will be camping and use a fridge, consider a set of stacked drawer, so the fridge slides from floor level and is easier to get into it. Cost: A dual drawer system for a dual-cab tub tray from Drifta begins at $1845, but can be customised to your heart’s content. From ORS, a 1030mm long twin drawer system starts at $1800, plus $150 for fitting. Neither fit with a Toyota HiLux tub-liner, so don’t order one with your new ute if you intend on adding drawers.Where to buy: OffRoad Systems and DriftaOverview: If your storage needs are more modest than a canopy or full custom tray demands, then a tonneau cover, either soft or hard lid is an inexpensive way to keep your tray secure and dry. Consider a fabric version for flexibility or a hard version for added security or if you need a solid platform for carting bikes around. Cost: A dual cab, fabric tonneau from Toyota costs around $340, while a genuine Toyota Hilux hard lid will set you back about $2400. An ARB Sport Lid for dual cab HiLux will cost around $2100 and can have racks fitted to carry 75kg of gear on top.Where to buy: Toyota Genuine Accessories or ARBOverview: No matter how you use your HiLux, some things are just better stored on the roof. As well as the genuine HiLux roof racks, all of the major brands have options, including simple roof bars through to lightweight roof platforms with modular accessories so they can be customised to your heart’s content. Among the best is the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Platform. Cost: A simple set of roof bars will set you back around $500. A more comprehensive platform will be about $1600. Where to buy: Rhino-RackOverview: Need to lug around something longer than the bed of your tray? You’ll need a tub rack or ladder rack for that. Cost: A single alloy hoop for the back of your tray will cost around $500.Where to buy: eBay. Overview: Nearly every version of the HiLux has been noted for its towing performance, and now that the current crop can haul between 2800 and 3500kg (4WD models) they’re very popular with caravanners.Toyota’s genuine fitment tow bar is among the best on the market, and for large caravan duties, can be matched with a weight distribution kit. These are essential to maintain effective braking and steering effectiveness with a heavy caravan weighing down the rear end. For a more off-road specific option, the Hayman Reese XBar improved departure angle by about 5°, integrated rated recovery points and rear step to protect the rear bumper. If you are towing something large, don’t forget you’ll need towing mirrors to stay legal. Cost: Expect to spend about $1200 getting a tow bar and associated wiring fitted. For something more specific, like the XBar, budget $1200 or so for the bar, plus fitting. Where to buy: Toyota Genuine Accessories or Hayman ReeseOverview: Towing mirrors are a legal requirement if your rear vision is restricted by the trailer you are towing. Most commonly used by caravanners, they’re not the only people who need them. The bee's knees in caravan mirrors are the integrated, telescoping mirrors by Clearview. They extend out when you need them, and can be adjusted by the electric mirror control inside the car. They are expensive, though.For something cheaper, clip-on mirrors are the way to go but avoid any that only attach to the mirror itself – every truck you go past will blow them into your window with an almighty bang. A set that attaches to the door, like the Coast Door Mount Mirrors, is excellent. Cost: The Clearview Mirrors for a current HiLux will cost $745. The Coast Door Mount Mirrors cost $140.Where to buy: Clearview, Outback Equipment.Overview: For easier access into the high-riding HiLux, nothing is better than a stylish set of side steps. If it’s sill-protection you’re after when 4WDing rough terrain, opt for a set rated to protect your vehicle. Hint, those typical alloy steps are just steps, but something like the Xrox Rock Sliders, are. For something with a good step and decent level of protection, look into the Ironman 4x4 side steps and rails, which are also airbag compatible. Cost: Xrox Rock Sliders cost $995. Ironman 4x4 Side Steps cost around $775. Where to buy: Off Road Central, Ironman 4x4Overview: Dual battery systems are so popular in the HiLux that even Toyota offers a genuine version. Using Redarc’s BC-DC25 as the charging solution, it is limited by the battery’s under-bonnet placement, which means a smaller battery is used. A better solution would be to get the Redarc unit in the aftermarket and fit a larger battery in the tray as part of a more comprehensive solution. For a lower-priced option, consider the Projecta IDC25. Cost: The Redarc BC-DC25 starts at $609.10. The Projecta IDC25 retails for around $300. Where to buy: Redarc, ProjectaOverview: If you do any sort of long-distance, remote highway miles at night, additional lighting is really helpful. The current HiLux already has LED headlights in its top-spec models, but upgrades are available for SR, Rugged and below.The easiest option is LED H7 globe replacements like those from Stedi, which simply swap out the halogen globes for specially designed LED versions. For even more light, LED light bar or LED driving lights are popular additions to bull-bars and roof-racks (check your local rules about roof-mounted lights).For a lot of very bright light without a considerable price, try the Narva Ultima 215, which is too bright in the suburbs, but perfect in the bush. For a more suburban-friendly light, the Narva Ultima 175 is just about perfect. Toyota Genuine Accessories offers a great LED light bar. Cost: The Stedi globe will set you back a modest $150. The Narva Ultima 215 LED lights retail for around $500 each light, while a set of Ultima 175 LED lamps will cost about $500. Where to buy: Toyota Genuine Accessories, Narva, Stedi

To modern Australian families, the SUV is what a Commodore or a Falcon used to be - the sensible, obvious and most common choice of family vehicle.

Small SUVs, luxury saloons, budget hatchbacks and more small SUVs make up our most popular videos.

Why are so many willing to pay so much for so few obvious benefits? Most of us don't shell out six-figure sums for a car, but plenty of people do, and you have to wonder why.Is it simply because they can, because a car is a highly visible status symbol that can make you feel, and look, wealthier every day? It's exceedingly difficult to drag your giant house down to the golf-club car park after all.Sadly this theory probably holds some water, or some overpriced champagne, but the fact is that expensive cars - not all, but some - really do feel special to drive. Whether they're worth the money Australians have to pay for them is another debate entirely, but something like a Porsche 911 has a kind of engineering purity, a sense of build quality and teutonic tactility, that elevates driving, even in traffic, to a different level of joy.But you can get nearly all of that joy for less, in a $112,090 Cayman, too.Similarly, a BMW M4 feels and sounds special, with muscular steering and spine-whacking acceleration, as you would hope it should for $156,900, but much of that sheer driving pleasure DNA can also be felt in a 435i Coupe, for $108,500, or even a 420i at a comparatively bargain priced $69,500.The extra performance of the M4 is something you'll only rarely appreciate, unless you own a race track, so spending the extra is hard to justify this side of showing off.The good news however, is that much of this seemingly ephemeral and expensive driving joy can be had for far less money, once you convince yourself to be blind to badges.Behold our list of champagne cars for craft-beer money So, you think you can't afford a super car?Sure you might need to sell an organ or two, but the incredible Alfa Romeo 4C - with the looks of a Ferrari, the racing snarl of a Maserati and the all-carbon-fibre construction of a Lamborghini - brings the supercar dream down to an almost attainable level, with its launch price tipped to be around the $80,000 mark.It feels like we've been waiting forever for this car to arrive in Australia, although Alfa says it's definitely almost nearly here, but that's because world demand has been berserk. And building an F1-like carbon-car takes time.How Alfa has managed to make this super-light (just 895kg), super-handling and seriously quick car - 0 to 100km/h arrives in a Porsche-worrying 4.5 seconds - to market at a price less than six figures is some kind of Italian economic miracle. Perhaps they've fiddled the books.Best of all, it looks so good you wouldn't be surprised if it cost a million dollars.Truly super value. A not-so-poor-man's PorscheThe last Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Mk VI, was such a great driver's car that more than one magazine posited the theory that it was the 911 you could actually afford - it is German after all, and VW actually owns Porsche these days so there's a certain sense in it.The new, Mk VII GTI is an even more incredible car, but VW has gone a step further with the Golf R - the fastest Golf in history, and with all-wheel drive and a $51,990 price tag it's one of the greatest performance bargains on the road today.It might not please the people at Porsche to suggest this, but a well-driven Golf R on a twisty bit of road would give a Porsche Cayman owner a horrible, wallet-hurting fright, and a few 911 owners for that matter.It combines prodigious grip with serious rip from its 206kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. A $112,090 Porsche Cayman has only 202kW and 290Nm and will hit 100km/h in 5.6 seconds, while the Golf R gets there in five flat, which is a huge difference. Even a $228,150 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 only does it in 4.9.This is all the German car any enthusiast needs. Boxer-ing cleverThere are only two car companies in the world willing to tackle the complexities of a boxer engine (in which the cylinders lie flat and punch side to side, instead of up and down) - Porsche and Subaru.Engineers from the riotously rich German company admit they're deeply impressed that the relatively small Japanese concern can manage the engineering task, but the rewards are clearly worthwhile and nowhere more evident than in the legendary Subaru WRX.This incredible car has held the bang-for-your-buck world title belt since its launch in 1995, thanks to its all-wheel-drive setup, sharp chassis and 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer engine which now makes 195kW and 343Nm and will hit 100km/h in 5.4 seconds.Sure, over some of those years it looked like it had been badly beaten up by a designer with a death wish, sporting the equivalent of two black eyes for a while, but the latest version is possibly the best-looking ever.Better yet, the new WRX is just $38,990, making it a full $1000 cheaper than when the original Rex appeared in 1994.Yes, there are quicker cars on the road, but not many, and very few that are more involving. Cheap and ridiculously cheerfulIt's probably physically impossible to drive a Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ without a smile on your face, and not just because you can't believe the price tag.What you need to know straight up is that the Toyobaru - a joint project between Subaru's engineering brilliance (they brought the 2.0-litre boxer engine, but no turbocharger, sadly) and Toyota's global dominance - is not fast. Its 147kW naturally aspirated engine will get you to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds, so you won't see which way a Golf R went. But then it does only cost $29,990.What you get for that price is far more than numbers on a page can express. Its steering has been favourably compared to Porsche's, its rear-wheel-drive and light weight make it a hoot to throw around and there's a kind of purity and simplicity to it that revisits the kind of fun that cars used to be.It's a cheap way to show off the same smile that the guy in the 911 is wearing.

What is a kit car?A kit car is a type of vehicle either built at home or in a small workshop using components sourced from other vehicles, and are often designed to look like a fancier, more expensive vehicle.At one point in Australia’s motoring history the kit car industry was a booming business. Beginning in post-war years, handy people who weren’t prepared to get grimy scrounging wrecking yards to build a hot rod could order a set of plans, or parts in kit form, to build a vehicle at home.The Lotus 7 was thought to be among the first cars sold in kit form, as a way of cheapening the cost of buying the vehicle and avoiding delays in having Lotus assemble a running, driving car. The popularity of the 7 led to a whole class of clubman vehicles that are all about home-built super-lightweight fun.Kit cars in Australia back in the day would see punters order the bare bones parts of the vehicle, sometimes including the chassis and body, which would be supplied unfinished. These DIY handymen would then find the drivetrain from popular makes and models.For those not so talented on the tools, a kit car can be more of a custom vehicle based off a cheap, commonly available donor like the Toyota Celica or Volkswagen Beetle, with a modified body fitted on top. These were often offered as a drive-in, drive-out customisation for client’s existing vehicles by companies like Adelaide’s Creative Cars.Creative Cars sold kits to turn a Beetle into a Porsche 911 lookalike called the Poraga and Porerra, or a Celica dressed as a Ferrari 308 called the Cerino, among others. The latter was initially known as the Ferrino, until Ferrari objected to the name. These weren’t cheap, with the Poraga conversion costing $10,000 back in the mid-1980s!However, the kit car industry was impacted as road rules were created to control the types of cars allowed on Australian roads. While it was OK in the 1950s for anyone to put whatever engine into another type of chassis and fit their own, home-made body on top, by the early 1980s we had federal laws setting a minimum standard for cars being brought into Australia to be sold as road cars (Australian Design Rules), and then we had ever-tightening state-based laws controlling what modifications were permitted for road-going vehicles.By the late 1980s kit cars were mostly sold as replicas of rare 1960s exotic cars like the Ford GT40, Shelby Cobra and Ferrari 250 GTO. Sometimes these cars could be ordered as a turn-key car, or a DIY kit to be built at home to the owner’s exact specifications. However as road regulations tightened through the 1990s, the cost of gaining registration approval for road use skyrocketed to over $300,000 per-car (depending on the state the vehicle needed to be registered in).These costs came as the vehicle had to be built to the same standards as a modern car, which is incredibly difficult in a vehicle built at home to replicate a 1960s car, and then approved by a registered engineering signatory who had a process of inspecting and testing the vehicle. As laws are fluid and constantly changing, many kit cars end up unfinished as owners find it difficult to navigate a highly complex and expensive process. This is why kit cars are all but extinct now in Australia.The good news is there are many ways to build a kit car today, if you have plenty of dollars in the bank and can set aside several years to step through the whole process. For this reason, many people choose to customise their car in a more traditional hot rod-style, rather than building a complete vehicle from the ground-up.Today you can buy car body kits online for a variety of budgets. Among the most popular are the Japanese “Rocket Bunny Pandem” kits from TRA Kyoto’s Kei Miura. Featuring fat, 80s-style rivet-on boxed wide-body guards, deep front bumper extensions, and his trademark duck-tail spoiler, they end a massively aggressive race flair to otherwise common sports cars.Talk to any late-model tuner car enthusiast and they’ll tell you the hottest cars in their scene are Toyota 86 Rocket Bunny, S14 Rocket Bunny Silvia, S15 Rocket Bunny Silvia, an RX-7 Rocket Bunny, or a 350Z Rocket Bunny. They rarely look anything like the original car and could almost be considered a kit car, especially with the popularity of power-adders like the many Toyota 86 turbo kits on offer.For those who are feeling really adventurous there is the Vaydor, which is a drastic restyling of a core Nissan/Infiniti G35 Skyline. There is no firm confirmation if the Vaydor G35 is a road legal kit cars in Australia, so don’t spend your pennies there without doing a lot of research first.The booming market is in electric car kit swaps, where a petrol or diesel drivetrain is replaced with an electric one. Again, legalities concerning these modifications aren’t super-well-understood yet but this is a potential area to keep an eye on if you want a silent-running car but can’t afford a Tesla, or don’t want to give up your favourite ride. 

Japanese makes have to close the books on their financial year — get in for these deals before the end of the month.March is the second-biggest month of the year for new-car sales — as Japanese brands have one last sales push to close off their books for the end of the Japanese financial year.Almost every other brand in the Top 10 must also have a crack if they don't want to be left behind, which is why Holden and Hyundai and others are out there with sharp deals to lure buyers away from Japanese showrooms.A lot of the deals will seem similar to the January offers, as dealers are still trying to clear 2015-built stock. But prices and/or other bonuses have been sharpened even further on a few models.Here are the best deals as we see them.Small carsAmong the tiny tots, the Suzuki Celerio is still the cheapest in the business at $12,990 drive-away with automatic transmission, while the Mitsubishi Mirage is also sharp buying for $1000 more, at $13,990 drive-away with auto, including a standard five-year factory warranty.Need the next size up? The Suzuki Swift hatchback is still at an incredibly low $15,990 drive-away with auto. That's about $4000 off retail and $2000 less than the sharply discounted Toyota Yaris, which continues at an appealing $17,990 drive-away with auto ($3000 off RRP).With the popular Hyundai i20 all but sold out, Hyundai has now taken the knife to the Accent to help drive sales. It is $15,990 drive-away with auto (this offer isn't clear on the website, but that's the deal if you ask before the end of the month, a saving of $4500).Need something a little roomier? As anticipated, Hyundai is back with a super sharp price on the i30 hatch at $19,990 drive-away including automatic transmission, rear-view camera and five-year warranty. It's unbeatable at this price.Deals are usually rare on top-sellers. But Toyota has shifted its discount from the dearer Corolla Ascent Sport to the regular Ascent, which is $21,990 drive-away with CVT auto this month. That's $2000 less than the previous Corolla offer.SUVsOur eyes popped when we saw this deal. The updated Holden Captiva5 (with the new look and Apple CarPlay) is an astonishingly low $25,990 drive-away. The seven-seater Captiva7 is $29,990 drive-away. The Captiva may be overdue for replacement but this is the most metal for the money in the class.Need something smaller? The city-sized Holden Trax SUV is $23,990 drive-away with auto and free servicing until 2020. At that price, who cares what it looks like?The Mitsubishi ASX remains at $25,000 drive-away with auto, rear camera and five-year factory warranty. No wonder it's one of Mitsubishi's top sellers. This is $5000 off the original RRP but it's been this price for so long it's worth pointing out it's still $3000 less than its direct rivals.UtesNeed a cheap work ute? The Isuzu D-Max with dropside tray is still the sharpest tradies' diesel at $25,990 drive-away.Pay $1000 more ($26,990 drive-away) if you want a Mazda BT-50 diesel with a dropside tray or pay $2000 more ($27,990 drive-away) if you want the new Toyota HiLux with black wheels and a smaller tray but that bulletproof Toyota badge.Need a new four-door 4WD ute but don't want to wait three months for a top-of-the-range Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux? Get the Toyota HiLux Workmate dual-cab 4WD at $43,990 drive-away. Dead set bargain. And with the money you save, you can afford to replace the ugly black wheels.Don't mind the gangly looks of the new Mitsubishi Triton? That $36,990 drive-away deal on the GLX four-door 4WD just got better for March. It includes free auto (as well as the camera and alloys), which is about $5000 off full freight. Decent.Honourable mentionIt's not a small car, an SUV or a ute (our biggest categories) but if you want a sedan, Toyota is trying to clear the 5300 Camrys it declared as sold in December 2015: it is still $27,990 drive-away, with zero interest. Red hot price on a solid car.