Luxury Reviews

Of all the cars we have driven over the past year, this stands out as one we would choose..... given the budget. Audi’s SQ5 is one of the best allrounders going, offering an enticing mix of performance, practicality, style, luxury, efficiency and safety in a beautifully put together package. Better yet, it’s the

BMW X6 is a fascinating cross between the BMW X5 station wagon and a five-door coupe. Performance is excellent if you buy one of the topline models like the BMW X6 50i in which we have just enjoyed an exciting week. Though the all-new X6 is bigger in most dimensions than the original model it's lighter, only by about

Philip King road tests and reviews the Porsche 911 GTS Cabriolet with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

John Carey road tests and reviews the Audi RS3 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the Peugeot 308 GT diesel with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Later, the Mercedes C-Class was also in Lexus’s sights as Mercedes quietly moved it from the boring sedan into the sporty sedan segment.All Lexus are immaculately finished inside and out in a tradition that has been with the marque since day one in 1989.The quality of materials and workmanship not only makes the car a delight to look at and sit in, but also makes for high level reliability.Interior space is good for a rear-drive car, but the little Lexus has less room than a front-wheel-drive of this size would have.Try the back seat for size if adults will be frequently using it.The quality of materials and workmanship makes the car a delight to look at with high level reliability.In its earlier iterations, it’s possibly best to regard it as being a two-plus-two rather than a four-seater for adults.Later models are better but still nothing special.That’s for the sedans, the IS hardtop convertibles, launched in July 2009, are very tight in the back seat, as is generally the way in this class.The first Lexus IS generation used straight-six engines, for smoothness; and rear-wheel drive for precise handling balance.Later it changed to V6 powerplants to free up space at the front.Power for the IS200 originally came from an engine with a capacity of just 2.0 litres, hence the ‘200’.While many praised the car others said it didn’t have enough grunt to match the chassis so a 3.0-litre IS300 was introduced in 2001.Splitting the difference is the IS 250, (yes, 2.5 litres) which replaced both the 200 and 300 with the introduction of the second generation IS Series in 2005.The third generation Lexus IS retained the 2.5-litre V6 in uprated format and added a 3.5-litre V6, to the lineup.Lexus decided to tackle the German marque’s high-performance divisions with a hot model called Lexus F.Things became interesting in the powerplant field with the introduction of a hybrid powertrain, the Lexus IS300h, in the gen-three car in July 2013.This time around the engine is a four-cylinder petrol 2.5-litre assisted by an electric motor.The ‘300’ indicates the hybrid provides the sort of performance normally requiring a 3.0-litre unit.After years of competing only against the mainstream models of BMW and Merc, Lexus decided to tackle the German marque’s high-performance divisions with a hot model called Lexus F in October 2008.With a 5.0-litre V8 engine and semi-race suspension, steering, brakes and serious aerodynamic enhancements it’s something right out of the ordinary from a Lexus point of view; deliberately so, the Japanese marque really wants to make a statement.Note that the Lexus F shouldn't be confused with the Lexus F Sport, which is a far tamer model, sold from 2010, with the same engine output standard IS 250 or IS 350 on which it is based, but with uprated suspension, steering and brakes, as well as a sportier look in body details.Spare parts and servicing are reasonably priced for a car in this class.Lexus dealers are fairly limited in number, particularly in rural areas, though that situation has changed in recent years as major country cities are now being serviced.Some senior Toyota technicians are trained in most aspects of the car. Toyota is, of course, the parent company of Lexus.Insurance is generally moderate in price for a car in this price and social class and we haven't noticed any worthwhile variation between the major companies in normal premiums.Look for damage to the bodywork and the interior trim and remember the car should be close to immaculate in all areas.If not it may have been mistreated by an uncaring owner.During your test drive check for anything out of the ordinary in the way the car drives, sounds and feels.Look over the complete vehicle, preferably with the owner’s handbook in front of you, these are complex cars.At the very least, test each of the functions on the stereo, climate-control, windows and door locking.Make sure the engine starts virtually instantaneously, idles so smoothly that you can barely feel it and doesn't hesitate when accelerated.The automatic transmission should operate almost imperceptibly and not hold onto any gears unnecessarily.A manual gearbox should be smooth and light not baulk on any changes, no matter how fast you make them.Unless you’re very confident in your technical ability it’s silly not to call for a professional inspection.Don’t rush into specific details of a car when checking it out - rather do an overall walk around to get a big-picture of its condition.

Imagine a shipping container that could outrun a Porsche. That's the best way to describe the new BMW X5M and X6M high-performance SUV twins. They each weigh more than 2.2 tonnes and yet can reach the speed limit faster than a 911 sports-car – 4.2 seconds if you don't mind – and slice through corners with the

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 1994-2014 BMW 7 Series.

Malcolm Flynn road tests and reviews the F85 BMW X5 M and F86 X6 M performance SUVs, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at their Australian launch.

Land Rover Discovery Sport is the first all-new model in over 10 years and takes a different direction in styling, but certainly not in substance.Many things have changed in the past decade, with sales of SUVs increasing at a huge rate worldwide. However, many buyers of SUVs are looking for a stylish station wagon and have little or no interest in using them as 4WDs. Land Rover is well aware of this and has intelligently come up with a vehicle that will appeal to those who want a good looking wagon but - and this is the really smart part - still want a genuine 4WD.By genuine 4WD we mean new Discovery Sport, is an all-terrain vehicle from the old school. This is no on-road hatchback with a different body and light-duty all-wheel-drive components. This is the real deal.Discovery Sport can traverse tough off-road places where even olde-fashioned rather-crude Land Rover Series 1 would struggle. Yet it will meet all the requirements of on-road comfort and handling the modern SUV buyer demands.This seeming impossible melding of on-road and off-road tasks shows the depth of expertise in the Land Rover team. Expertise built up designing subsequent Land Rover Defenders and Discoverys, as well as the King of hill Range Rover.A Range Rover can set you back as much as $248,000 – new Discovery Sport has a price list that begins at just $53,300, plus on-road costs.All-new Land Rover Discovery Sport is based on the ultra-stylish Evoque and shares some visible and many out of sight components with it - one reason for the low price.Discovery Sport is very versatileThe Sport is taller than the Evoque, particularly at the rear and has a squarer rump. There's not a sign of sleekness or excitement in the shape of the Sport, the best way of describing its lines is 'timeless'. As Land Rover Australia points out, those who want style can opt for the Evoque.Normally a five-seater, Discovery Sport can also be ordered with seven seats. The rear pair of seats is best suited to children, but adults are likely to find it more comfortable than anticipated.Naturally, there's not a lot of boot space when all seven seats are in use, but there's big volume when only five are being carried. Discovery Sport is very versatile, as the second row seat can slide back and forward by up to 160 mm to give you plenty of passenger / luggage options.Given the tough image of Disco the guys at Land Rover Australia expects the great majority of buyers to opt for turbo-diesel power, so offers 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesels with 110 or 140 kilowatts of power. Both can be specified with a six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmission.All Australian imports have four-wheel driveThere's also a 177kW four-cylinder petrol unit displacing 2.0 litres.All Australian imports have four-wheel drive as Land Rover Australia is well aware that's what serious buyers demand in the market downunder. Some countries do get a two-wheel drive version of Discovery. The Evoque can be ordered in 2WD or 4WD.