Urban Reviews

Sports coupes are rare nowadays, but Honda returns to old pastures with the Prelude. Yet the reborn 2+2 seater is anything but retro, with crisp styling, Civic Type R components and a performance-tuned hybrid system promising excitement with economy. An odd combo perhaps, but even a brief drive reveals engineering refinement and dynamic athleticism that transcend the sum of its parts.

Tragedy strikes, as our Inster from chapter one gets side-swiped.Thankfully, not while I was driving it, and also, the damage, mechanically, was fairly minimal even though the torn-off bumper looks a bit dramatic.So, what happens next? The car goes back to Hyundai to be repaired and in the meantime we were offered up a Standard Range version in its place. It’s the perfect opportunity to see the difference between the two grades, and evaluate whether it’s worth spending the extra to get into the Extended Range we started with.The price separating the two cars? Just $3500 with the main difference being the battery size.The regular Inster we’re hopping into has a 42kWh battery, which according to the more accurate WLTP standard offers 327km of driving range, while the Extended Range gets a 49kWh battery pack, offering a 360km range.However, the Extended Range also comes with bigger wheels, and can optionally have the brown houndstooth interior the previous car had.I kind of prefer the black pack interior on the Standard Range model we've substituted into, and I even think you’re better off with the smaller wheel and larger tyre package, as it makes the ride noticeably more comfortable and probably contributes to additional driving range despite the smaller battery.There is also a slight difference in the tune of the electric motor, with the Extended Range scoring slightly more power to compensate for its modest weigh increase. For what it’s worth, the increase in power is barely perceptible due to the change in weight.I do wonder what the point of having both grades is in Hyundai’s range, as the battery sizes and even the prices are so close together. It’s not as though anyone considering even the more expensive version of the BYD Atto 1 at $27,990 is going to be convinced to buy an Inster at nearly $10,000 more.Then again, there are some things which you should be thinking about at this entry-level part of the EV market.For example, as alluded to in my first chapter, the underpinnings of the Inster feel far more sophisticated than pretty much any city car I’ve driven in the past, with robust steering and good suspension calibration. And there are finer technical details which should make this car age better than some of its contemporaries.The primary one is its liquid-cooled battery, where the Atto 1 gets only an air-cooled unit (with some assistance from the air conditioning). If you’re not across the differences, liquid cooling is generally associated with much better battery ageing over time. The older-generation Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) and Mitsubishi Outlanders had air-cooled units which cut their range in half after 15 or so years.Plus, the relatively tame tech in the Inster is actually to its benefit. Sure you can get bigger, fancier screens and software in a whole list of new Chinese cars at this price point, but a lot of them are quite annoying to use in the real world.For all its last-gen visual appeal, there’s something to be said for simple software and an array of physical buttons and dials which just work.Back to the difference between the two Inster grades, and I’m quite surprised to find I don’t miss the Extended Range version at all.I’m using the Inster in a way I assume it was intended to be, either as a city-exclusive vehicle, or as a second car. In the midst of a fuel crisis, it’s very nice to be able to hop into something and not have to think about how much it is costing you just to drive to the shops which are otherwise just outside of walking distance.I prefer driving the Inster anytime I’m in or around the denser parts of the city where I know parking will be at a premium. It’s great to leave my personal Forester, or any other vehicle I might have on loan which is larger, at home when I know I’m going to be hunting for kerbside parking.In this context, the Extended Range version of the car starts to make less and less sense. I’m doing comparatively so few kilometres and charging so infrequently despite the lesser range. When it comes to charging, Hyundai’s spec sheet earmarks an impressive 120kW charging ability, but the fastest I’ve seen, even on a 150kW stack is around 70kW. With such a small battery though, you turn around and it’s half charged.It won’t be convenient on a road trip, perhaps, but most people buying this diminutive hatch as a second car won’t notice because they’ll spend most of their time charging it seamlessly overnight.Other benefits of the Standard Range include better ride quality, as previously mentioned, and still plenty of pep, with the lack of weight (for an EV) and skinny tyres making it chuckable around corners. It also uses a bit less energy. I’m seeing 11.4kWh/100km on the dash, compared to the Extended Range, which was doing closer to 14kWh/100km.As to what others are thinking of the Inster, it’s a real love/hate divide, with the styling make-or-break for family and friends who seem to either love it or hate it.Nobody is a fan of how plasticky the interior feels, however I’m yet to receive a complaint that the screens are too small…In good news for me, the Extended Range version will be returned to me for next month’s chapter after being repaired.I did 457km in the Standard Range, only needing to charge it twice, and get this, according to my calculations, I was going to get exactly the claimed range of 327km from a full charge. I don’t think that’s happened before.Tune in next month for our farewell chapter and video.Acquired: March 2026Distance travelled this month: 467kmOdometer: 5207kmAverage energy consumption this month: 11.4kWh/100km

The Audi Q3 195kW quattro is the current flagship of the new range.The 150kW is priced from $81,900 for the SUV and $84,400 for the Sportback and comes with adaptive LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and ignition, leather-appointed upholstery, a 10-speaker sound system as well as adaptive dampers and 19-inch alloy wheels.Powered by a 2.0L turbo-petrol four-cylinder, producing 195kW/400Nm, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with quattro (all-wheel drive), it is the most powerful member of the current Q3 range.But the extra power brings extra fuel consumption, with the 195kW quattro rated at a relatively thirsty 8.1L/100km.Audi claims this is the safest Q3 ever, with more safety equipment than before to ensure it meets modern customer demands.There’s a 360-degree camera set-up, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and a host of other active safety features. But perhaps more importantly than just having these systems, they are locally tested and calibrated for local conditions.The Q3 is covered by Audi Australia’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This includes five-years of roadside assistance too.

MG’s getting rather good at building cars that don’t feel so… cheap.For some time after Chinese state-owned manufacturer SAIC Motor took over the historically British brand, MG’s passenger cars seemed destined to be driven into the ground and replaced, but that’s not the case now.Not only has the brand’s formerly ‘cheap and barely cheerful’ MG3 become a decent hatchback, MG has started building properly good electric cars.The 2026 MG S5 EV, as much as Audi might have an issue with that name, is one of them.The small electric SUV is not only affordable when you consider what you get (as in many such cases with Chinese cars), but it’s also quite a decent drive.For $48,990 drive-away, you can have the car pictured, the top-of-the-range S5 EV Essence 62. It’s named as such because, you guessed it, it has a 62kWh battery rather than the smaller 49kWh unit also available in either this or the lower-grade Excite. That’s four grades all up, but we’re sticking at the top.That means the S5 is approaching the price of one of CarsGuide’s favourite electric cars, the Kia EV3 – even if it’s the base EV3 and the features list is somewhat shorter.The Essence 62 has a claimed WLTP rated range of 425km, which isn’t groundbreaking considering similar-sized electric SUVs have been doing this for the better part of a decade – the Hyundai Kona Electric had it beat five years ago with a similarly-sized battery.The Essence 62 also gets the same extensive list of features as the Essence 49, aside from the (90km) longer range.Inside, there’s a 10.25-inch driver display and a 12.8-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker sound system, a wireless phone charger, surround-view parking camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, V2L capability, keyless entry and start and rain-sensing window wipers.It’s a practical space inside that still retains physical controls for the climate along with buttons on the steering wheel, while the native operating system within the touchscreen is clear and easy to navigate.Its LED daytime running lights, 18-inch alloys, power tailgate, a panoramic sunroof and tinted privacy glass are all giveaways from the exterior, but they’re not my biggest point about the S5’s exterior.Yes, the big thing that very much turns me off the S5 EV is its design. MG’s design language has struck me as a little hodge-podge for a while, and the S5 feels like one of the best examples of why.It has these soft curves and lines that, in a lot of ways, are fairly restrained. There isn’t a lot of unnecessary trim or just lines for the sake of breaking things up.But then there’s the face.The DRLs and headlights create these sharp, angular eyes and an almost war-paint-like shape underneath. Why does this small, family-friendly SUV look so aggressive from the front? It’s got 125kW and 250Nm.Fortunately, it doesn’t feel aggressive from behind the wheel.Those 125kW and 250Nm are put to better use than you might think, but the delivery is progressive and still gives you that little shove as you put your foot down, which you’ll be familiar with if you’re an EV person. It doesn’t feel incredibly urgent and you won’t be spinning the rear wheels (yes, it’s rear-wheel drive!) unless it’s pouring rain… and oil, perhaps. Its steering is arguably too light and lacks communication, but it’s accurate enough and once you’re used to it becomes a bit of a non-issue.The suspension, similarly, is nothing necessarily to write home about, but it’s a big improvement on where your expectations from previous MGs might land.It can be unsettled at times, usually during fast cornering on rough roads, but you wouldn’t expect most people to be doing this in a small electric SUV anyway.It wafts a little after big bumps or undulations in the road, but collects itself quickly enough to not feel sickening as some EVs are prone to.At the same time, it’s not too stiff. Comfortable, practical, a relatively well-judged setup overall.Practicality continues post-purchase, MG’s 10-year/250,000-kilometre warranty includes the battery and you shouldn’t really be worried by that distance limitation. You do need to service with MG to keep the warranty going, though.There’s also a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2025, plus seven airbags and a long list of active driver-assistance tech that actually seems rather well-calibrated given the overbearing nature of many systems, particularly those from Chinese brands. 

The Audi Q3 150kW quattro is the mid-range model of the new small SUV range.The 150kW is priced from $70,200 for the SUV and $72,700 for the Sportback and comes with adaptive LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and ignition, leather-appointed upholstery, a 10-speaker sound system as well as adaptive dampers and 19-inch alloy wheels.This model is powered by a 2.0L turbo-petrol four-cylinder, producing 150kW/320Nm. It is paried to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with quattro (all-wheel drive).Fuel economy for the 150kW quattro is a claimed 7.3L/100km.Audi claims this is the safest Q3 ever, with more safety equipment than before to ensure it meets modern customer demands.There’s a 360-degree camera set-up, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and a host of other active safety features. But perhaps more importantly than just having these systems, they are locally tested and calibrated for local conditions.The Q3 is covered by Audi Australia’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This includes five-years of roadside assistance too.

The entry-level model in the new-for-2026 Audi Q3 range is now known simply as the 110kW.It is priced from $61,600 for the SUV and $64,600 for the Sportback variant.Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and ignition, leather-appointed upholstery and a 10-speaker sound system.It is powered by a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid, turbocharged petrol engine, which makes 110kW/250Nm and sends all that performance to the road via the front wheels through a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission.Fuel economy is rated at 5.8L/100km for the 110kW model.Audi claims this is the safest Q3 ever, with more safety equipment than before to ensure it meets modern customer demands.There’s a 360-degree camera set-up, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and a host of other active safety features. But perhaps more importantly than just having these systems, they are locally tested and calibrated for local conditions.The Q3 is covered by Audi Australia’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This includes five-years of roadside assistance too.

The new, third-generation Audi Q3 arrives with big expectations. It’s the best-selling model for the German brand in Australia, so it needs to retain all the elements that have made it a sales hit while trying to expand its appeal. We drive the new Q3 110kW, 150kW and 195kW models to see if Audi has done enough to keep its small SUV ahead of rivals from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Volvo and more.

The 2026 Mini Aceman could be the perfect Mini - not too big and not too small - and with a fully electric powertrain. But what's it like at urban duties?

The Suzuki Vitara nameplate is edging towards 40 years in the Aussie new-car market. And as it’s grown in size and sophistication over four generations, so has the depth of competition it faces.Small SUV heavy-hitters like the Chery Tiggo 4, GWM Haval Jolion, Hyundai Kona, MG ZS and Toyota Corolla Cross outsell it by ratios of up to 60 to one (in the case of the Tiggo 4).So, this just-released Turbo Hybrid variant is an important addition to the Japanese maker’s line-up, aimed at snatching extra market share in a hotly contested segment with what Suzuki promises is “enhanced fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and refined on-road performance”.We spent a week with the top-spec ‘AllGrip’ all-wheel-drive version to see if it has what it takes to steer you away from the big guns. If you asked someone to describe a ‘typical’ small SUV, I’d argue the Suzuki Vitara would perfectly align with their response nine out of 10 times… and be pretty close on the 10th.Launched here way back in 2015, the current Vitara received a ‘Series III’ update earlier this year, which included the hybrid’s introduction, and its clean, neatly-wrapped exterior design stands up well, although it’s not as adventurous as more rugged rivals like the Subaru Crosstrek or Toyota Corolla Cross.Inside, there’s a slightly larger 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen, but things like analogue instruments, a single USB-A socket (in the front) and a manual handbrake still date the car.And then there’s the elephant in the room... hiding behind a dollar sign. The price.This flagship Vitara Turbo Hybrid AllGrip will set you back $45,990. Okay, it’s a drive-away deal, but that’s enough for a Hyundai Kona Premium 1.6T N-Line AWD, Kia Seltos GT-Line AWD, Mazda CX-30 G25 Astina AWD or Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos Hybrid.And the Suzuki struggles to match that competitive set in terms of equipment bang for buck and perceived quality.Standard feature highlights include 17-inch alloy wheels, auto LED headlights, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, a reversing camera, panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control and climate control. But that bundle‘s pretty much cost-of-entry when you’re in upper-$40K territory.And the air-con is single-zone, the audio system has six speakers, and the car’s general look and feel isn’t spectacular.That old adage of kicking the tyres and slamming the doors when shopping for a car is relevant here, because the Vitara’s doors feel insubstantial, quivering slightly when opened and closed.  And while soft-touch material across the dashtop is fine, hard plastics on the doors don’t sit well with the price tag. But things pick up once you get underway. The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine has enough oomph to get the 1275kg five-seater off the mark cleanly and allow it to keep its head above water in traffic or on the highway.Power delivery is linear and the ‘mild-hybrid’ set-up incorporates a 48-volt integrated starter generator which takes some of the ancillary load off the engine and tips in an extra 50Nm of pulling power when required. Overall outputs are 81kW and a handy 235Nm.The strut front, torsion-beam rear suspension does a great job of keeping this compact and relatively light SUV composed over bumpy urban surfaces. Electrically assisted steering is accurate and road feel qualifies as excellent. When you need to push into the upper rev range engine, exhaust noises start to make their presence felt in the cabin. But overall, the Vitara Hybrid is a surprisingly comfortable ride.At just under 4.2 metres long, the Vitara is a ‘small’ small SUV and while the front part of the cabin is reasonably roomy with plenty of storage options, the back seat ranks as okay in the context of the category. Sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position, legroom is reasonable and headroom is generous but best not to try folding three full-size adults in there too often. There are no adjustable vents, power outlets or a fold-down armrest for back-seaters, and getting in and out is an effort.Boot volume is a reasonable 362 litres, available with the 60/40 split-folding backrest up, that figure expanding to 642 litres with it folded.And there’s a range of thoughtful bins, anchors and hooks back there, as well as a 12-volt outlet and an adjustable floor for the option of a flat load space plus a space saver spare underneath it. Bravo.When it comes to fuel efficiency the Vitara Turbo Hybrid’s official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) figure is 5.9L/100km and over a week of mainly urban driving with some highway running thrown in we saw a real-world average of exactly that – 5.9L/100km. That’s pretty handy in the current fuel price era, but bear in mind the minimum requirement is 95 RON premium.The Vitara is currently ‘unrated’ by ANCAP but includes a decent suite of ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) crash-avoidance features including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), adaptive cruise, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and front and rear parking sensors. And it all behaves well in operation.The airbag count runs to six (dual front, front side and side curtain) and there are three child seat top-tether points across the second row with ISOFIX anchors on the outer positions. All to be expected in the category and at this price point.Service is recommended every 12 months/10,000km, which is relatively frequent in terms of distance, but an average of $397 per workshop visit for the first five years is far from outrageous.

Thanks to the runaway success of the models that went before it, Mazda’s take on the 3 hatch and sedan for the 2014 model year was another fine effort. Even though it was facing strong sales headwinds thanks to the then-emerging cult of the SUV, the 3 was still able to keep Mazda in the headlines for all the right reasons.Here, we’re looking at the 3s sold new from late 2013 until 2019, namely the BM and BN series cars in Mazda-speak. Like many models, the 3 had started to grow up and out by this stage. There was a new, fresh corporate look, as well as a more sophisticated range of powertrains and expanded trim options.So, starting with the BM model, the 3 could be had as a five-door hatch or a four-door sedan, with trim levels starting at Neo, then moving through Maxx, Touring, SP25, SP25 GT and SP25 Astina. The first three of those were fitted with a new 2.0-litre engine using Mazda’s then-novel 'SkyActiv' technology of direct-injection and high compression. All the SP25 variants got a 2.5-litre SkyActiv engine with 138kW (114kW for the 2.0L) and there was also a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel which, for the first time in a Mazda 3, could be had with an automatic transmission. Finally, all 3s were now available with a six-speed manual or a six-speed conventional automatic.The facelift, the BN was pretty much more of the same, arriving in 2016. Mazda fiddled with the specifications a little, turning the Neo and Maxx into the Neo Sport and Maxx Sport, respectively, adding autonomous emergency braking, improving cabin acoustics and dumping the slow-selling diesel engine option. Is Mazda 3 a good car?The short answer is yes. Quality was better than ever before with the move to the BM and BN models, and things like interior noise had been somewhat addressed (although the Mazda was still no class-leader in this area). Even better, the fuel consumption concerns of the previous models were also handled with the BM and BN. And the SkyActiv technology marked a big improvement in performance and efficiency for Mazda’s smaller cars generally.Interiors and things like paint quality were also lauded at the time, and the Mazda is one of the models that helped elevate the image of Japanese cars generally at a time when South Korean and Chinese cars were redefining buyer expectations.Safety was good, too, with a comprehensive suite of driver aids that helped make the 3 an obvious choice for new drivers.Our only quibble would be the cab-forward styling language Mazda adopted about this time. It makes for a sportier look, but it compromises the luggage space in the hatchback.Mazda 3 reliabilityThe quality image the Mazda 3 has earned has a lot do to with its mechanical reliability. Very few recurring problems seem to crop up, and while a few cars needed replacement automatic transmissions in the early days, the problem wasn’t a huge one overall. And many would-be buyers appreciate the fact that Mazda fitted a conventional torque-converter automatic rather than a dual-clutch or Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).Some owners of manual cars reported hard shifting into some gears and a tendency for the car to jump out of third gear. In those cases the transmission design was at fault and by late 2014 Mazda had redesigned the gearbox to avoid these dramas.The diesel variant of the 3 was probably the most likely to give trouble, mainly with the turbocharger. These could die young and replacing them was the only fix.Mazda 3 problemsThe major problems you’re likely to encounter with second-hand Mazda 3 now will be down to the abuse and neglect of the previous owner. These were great first cars for younger drivers with good safety and reliability built in. But that meant they were often neglected in terms of routine maintenance and repairs, as well as often driven by the inexperienced.So watch out for kerbed wheel rims and mangled bumpers. If you can see where repairs have been carried out they’ve not been done properly. Some colours seemed a bit more susceptible to fading and peeling, too, so check black and metallic coloured cars closely for signs of paint degradation.Mazda 3 recallThe Mazda 3’s track record is pretty good here, with very few recalls to worry about.Both the BM and BN models were recalled to fix a potential fault with the windscreen wipers that would see them stop working, as well as a wiring problem that could have led to dramas with the rear view camera.Beyond that, the BM was recalled to check for carbon deposits inside the turbocharger that could cause engine damage and the BN for a fuel pump problem that would see the engine shut down.You can check out the full details of these recalls by visiting: https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/Mazda 3 years to avoidIt’s not really a year-specific thing, but the Mazda 3 we’d give a miss would be the turbo-diesel version. While it makes good power and torque and could finally be had in automatic form, some owners have reported a problem that has since gone on to plague many a modern diesel with a diesel particulate filter (DPF).What happens is the car decides it needs to regenerate this filter by getting it hot and burning off the soot inside. But many owners never drove fast or far enough to get the exhaust system hot enough, so the car would than take matters into its own hands, injecting extra diesel into the engine to make everything hotter and instigate the filter regen. The problem was that some of this extra diesel found its way into the engine (past the piston rings) where it diluted the engine oil, with the potential for major engine damage.Then there’s the issue of the turbocharger requiring replacement and the cost involved in that now the car is well and truly out of warranty.Aside from anything else, right now diesel is a lot more expensive than petrol, making the diesel 3 even less attractive.Mazda 3 how many kilometresHow a car fares over the longer term is entirely down to how it’s been (or hasn’t been) maintained and how it’s been driven. But based on a car with a good, solid service record, it’s not unreasonable to expect to see 200,000km on the odometer before repairs start to be required. And if you check the classifieds you’ll see 3s from this era for sale with more than 250,000km showing and still looking pretty good.The SkyActiv petrol engines are reasonably highly strung with high compression ratios, but they’re not turbocharged, so they aren’t as highly stressed as some of the competition with trendier turbo-motors and extra performance. Mazda 3 best modelIf the budget will stretch, the SP25 is the best variant to have now. The larger engine makes for more performance (a surprisingly amount, in fact) and that makes the automatic transmission work better. If you enjoy a manual gearbox, then the SP25 is the best way to do that, too.And as is the way of all second-hand cars, the price-gap between the most basic and the flashest version now, won’t be anything like it was when the car was brand-new. The only catch there is that the SP25 wasn’t the best seller at the time. Since the 3 was seen as a fairly basic, small car, many buyers opted for the cheaper variants, so there are more Neos and Maxxes out there now as a result.Regardless of the trim level, for practicality’s sake, we’d take a five-door hatchback version of the 3 over the four-door sedan, even though the styling reduces the luggage space in the hatchback.  Mazda 3 resale valueYou’ll find the odd bargain among private buyers now and then, but the car’s good overall reputation means values have held up pretty well even though the Mazda 3 is a conventional hatch or sedan rather than a trendy SUV.Cars with lots of kilometres showing start below $10,000, and things go up from there. A clean, well maintained BM SP25 is closer to $25,000, and for that, you should be getting a minty-fresh car with low kilometres and a used-car warranty. Mazda 3 partsMazda has something like 150 dealerships dotted around Australia, so service and parts should not be hard to find. There are plenty of independent workshops who can deal with a conventional car like the Mazda, too, and spare parts are available at traditional parts stores and online.The good news is that thanks to the car’s durability, you may not need much in the way of spares. Mazda 3 salesExact sales figures across the BM/BN model are hard to pin down, but most reckon Mazda easily sold more than 100,000 of them in this country. That means there are lots to choose from and, on carguide.com.au right now, there are more than 250 cars for sale from this range.