Luxury Reviews

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2015 Chrsyler 300 SRT with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the 2015 Jaguar XE at its Australian launch with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the 2015 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with specs, verdict and rivals.

The XJ Jaguar is a British sports saloon that can be divided into three quite different stages in its recent history. Those built until July 2003 had traditional styling that looked great and made a real statement both inside and out. These are getting on in years, but those who love Jags swear by them - though their age, combined with quality control that wasn't the best, could cause hassles. The 2003 restyle kept many of the established lines, but now moulded onto an aluminium body to significantly reduce weight and increase performance. As these are sports saloons this added performance was welcomed by those who liked to make good use of their right foot. However, in the eyes of many this combination of a high-tech body and a traditional shape wasn't appealing. The cars still sold reasonably well, but the murmurs about 'old-fashioned' styling became stronger over the years.The all-new 2010 model silenced the critics by taking an altogether different direction in styling with sleek futuristic lines. Externally, the ‘Jaguar grille' was the only major carry-over from the past, but the dash area has a few things carrying over. Naturally, its aluminium body retained the added performance and nimble(-ish) feel of the outgoing XJ.Die-hard Jaguar enthusiasts snapped up the last of the traditional leather-and-wood-cabin models, though even today there's a call for them so you may be asked to pay fairly big bucks to get into the best of them. Though the big emphasis on the 2010 series was its ultra-modern styling and the interior of most cars reflected this, there are traditional leather-and-wood options - the best of both worlds some say.A drawback in the older Jaguars is the lack of interior space in the standard-wheelbase car due to the fact it's a low-slung sports saloon, not as tall sedan. This is at its worst in the back seat, but even the front seats can prove cramped for foot-space due to the large transmission housing. The long-wheelbase variants (look for an ‘L' in the title) are much better for rear legroom, but can still be tight in headroom for taller occupants.Post-2010 XJs have more voluminous interiors, but check out the back seat if you are planning to carry tall adults on a routine basis.The number in a Jaguar XJ's title refers to the number of engine cylinders, thus XJ6 has six of them and XJ8 is a V8, the XJ12 … you've guessed it. Supercharged V8s of 4.2-litre and 5.0-litre capacity installed in the XJ R upmarket hotrods are intended for the keen driver who really wants to let off steam. Turbo-diesel would have been unthinkable in Jaguars prior to the revolutionary, new-design oil burners introduced towards the end of the 20th century. In April 2007 Jaguar introduced its first diesel passenger car to Australia. There's the seemingly inevitable diesel engine noise at idle, particularly when the engine's cold, but from inside it's virtually as smooth and quiet as a petrol unit. And has bags of torque.Reliability used to be a weak point in Jaguars, though after Ford in the USA bought the company in the early 1990s the Brits were given a major shake-up. By the launch of the 1994 XJ Jaguar there were major improvements. As of mid-2008 Jaguar has been controlled by Indian company Tata. The Indians have an excellent understanding of English tradition. Indeed, they can be more English than the English, so the traditional British marque looks in good hands, with the engineers and stylists being left alone to do what works best for their aluminium babies.Servicing, spare parts and insurance costs are all on the high side, so don't fall for the trap of putting all your money into buying the car and then finding yourself unable to keep it in the manner in which it is accustomed.Check that the brake fluid has been changed on schedule. Not doing so can lead to expensive troubles.On pre-2003 Jags be sure all electrical items are working properly. Intermittent as these can be they are frustratingly hard to track down, but if you suspect anything bear with it as repairs can be expensive.Watch out for an automatic transmission that's slow to go into gear and/or which hunts from gear to gear unnecessarily. Hill climbing for an extended distance usually brings out this fault.Jaguars used galvanised steel body panels until mid 2003 then switched to weight-saving aluminium. The galvanised steel variants should be rust free unless they have been incorrectly repaired after a crash. Damaged aluminium panels may have to be repaired by a specialist, so be sure to get a quote from an expert - even for the smallest of dents.Enthusiasts of a marque can be an excellent source of information on their cars' strong, weak and interesting points. Try to find a local owners' club and chat to members.

Derek Ogden road tests and reviews the Audi Q7 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the BMW 220i convertible with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Discerning Passat buyers went for the German comforts and dynamics — but well-versed owners know they have to keep topping up the engine oil.Having started out as the maker of the humble people’s car, Volkswagen is no longer a single-model brand. From its vast range of cars, there is a model to suit almost everyone. The Passat was the next step for those graduating from the Golf. The badge was affixed to many variants: sedan and wagon, diesel and petrol, fours and a V6, driven by the front or all four wheels.If a little bland at first glance, the Passat had smooth lines, sleek shape and well balanced proportions. The German penchant for efficiency over bling perhaps meant it had few trinkets.The cabin was typical VW, clean and clinical but with lots of grey trim.That said, there were plenty of features to please the discerning buyer: six-way powered driver’s seat, leather steering wheel, cruise control, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers and a six-CD audio.A turbo diesel opened the bidding, bringing decent performance and good economy, its turbo petrol counterpart had plenty of get up and go and the V6 was an out-and-out goer.All were mated to automatics, the petrol engine to a regular six-speeder and the others to the new six-speed dual-clutch transmission.The V6 came standard with VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive, the other two were front-drive.On the road the Passat displayed fine road manners with balanced, responsive handling.There is a lot to like about the Passat, it’s well built and comfortable, lively yet refined.There are also a couple of issues that buyers need to be aware of.One is the oil consumption of VW engines. Not all — but those that do can consume a lot. In most engines, this usually results from high mileage and associated wear but VW engines often use oil right from new.Some owners have had major engine failures on their new cars simply because they didn’t bother to check the engine oil and it ultimately ran out. Always check the oil in your engine, especially if it’s a VW.Dealers seem unable to fix the problem, and owners who are unlucky enough to have an oil user have to put up with it for the car’s life.If you’ve settled on buying a Passat talk to the vendor about any oil consumption issues the car has had.The other abiding issue concerns the DSG dual-clutch transmission fitted to diesels and the V6.Thoroughly test drive your chosen car if it’s fitted with the DSG transmission, observing for anything that might suggest a problem.Again, talk to the vendor about the transmission and any problems they have had with it.While you’re at it ask to see the car’s service record and check its maintenance record.Mike Page: I’m very happy with my 2008 turbo diesel. It’s good around town and great on the highway with plenty of grunt when needed. It averages 5.5L/100km on the highway and between 6.9L and 7.5L around town. The biggest bugbear is the Clive Atkinson: I’ve owned Audis and BMWs and my V6 wagon is right up there with them for quality, dynamics and performance. The DSG works well but, leaving the lights, you’d think a car has bumped you. I fear for when the warranty runs out.Jon Hill: My 2010 petrol wagon is a dream to drive. It’s now done 200,000km and has used oil from day one. Now it’s a litre every 500km. Smoke pours out — I guess it’s the rings and only a rebuild will fix it. I’ve also replaced the water pump twice.The infamous dual-clutch issue was resolved by changing the software at about 120,000km. An independent service agent saved me heaps. The comfort level is terrific, fuel consumption is great — 6.0L highway. I’d like to keep it another 200,000km, but the oil consumption is ridiculous.It’s a good car that’s under-appreciated. Beware of the DSG niggles and high oil consumption.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the 2015 Jeep Cherokee Blackhawk Limited Edition with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG S, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Chris Riley road tests and reviews the Jaguar XF with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its international launch in Spain.