Articles by Andrew Chesterton

Andrew Chesterton
Contributing Journalist

Andrew Chesterton should probably hate cars. From his hail-damaged Camira that looked like it had spent a hard life parked at the end of Tiger Woods' personal driving range, to the Nissan Pulsar Reebok that shook like it was possessed by a particularly mean-spirited demon every time he dared push past 40km/h, his personal car history isn't exactly littered with gold.

But that seemingly endless procession of rust-savaged hate machines taught him something even more important; that cars are more than a collection of nuts, bolts and petrol. They're your ticket to freedom, a way to unlock incredible experiences, rolling invitations to incredible adventures. They have soul.

And so, somehow, the car bug still bit. And it bit hard.

When "Chesto" started his journalism career with News Ltd's Sunday and Daily Telegraph newspapers, he covered just about everything, from business to real estate, courts to crime, before settling into state political reporting at NSW Parliament House.

But the automotive world's siren song soon sounded again, and he begged anyone who would listen for the opportunity to write about cars. Eventually they listened, and his career since has seen him filing car news, reviews and features for TopGear, Wheels, Motor and, of course, CarsGuide, as well as many, many others.

More than a decade later, and the car bug is yet to relinquish its toothy grip. And if you ask Chesto, he thinks it never will.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

Meet the mega HiLux
By Andrew Chesterton · 24 Sep 2021
Toyota has finally put the LC300's engine in a GR-branded HiLux, but that doesn't necessarily put you any closer to climbing behind the wheel of it.
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2023 Toyota HiLux to be a tray-backed LC300?
By Andrew Chesterton · 22 Sep 2021
Toyota's commercial vehicle range could share a platform derived from the LandCruiser 300 Series, with the HiLux, Tacoma and Tundra and LC300 to share a TNGA platform for future iterations, according to international reports.
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Great Wall Cannon Everest firms for Oz
By Andrew Chesterton · 21 Sep 2021
The toughest Chinese ute to date is firming for Australia, with the Great Wall Cannon Everest firmly in the brand's sights for our market.While the model is yet to be officially confirmed for Australia, GWM has told CarsGuide it's keeping an eye on the Fo
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Ford and Holden 2.0
By Andrew Chesterton · 19 Sep 2021
When Ford and Holden finally shut-up shop in Australia a few years back, it seemed like the curtain had permanently closed on the golden age of Aussie automotive manufacturing, given the formerly homegrown heroes were the last two marques still building c
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Chinese Ford Ranger Raptor rival fires up
By Andrew Chesterton · 16 Sep 2021
Great Wall has peeled back the covers on its toughest ute yet, with the new Everest fitted-out with off-road kit to take the fight to vehicles like the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Navara Warrior.Revealed at the Chengdu International Auto Show, the Evere
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Kia Niro Hybrid 2022 review: PHEV Sport
By Andrew Chesterton · 16 Sep 2021
Small in stature, and on fuel use, the Kia Niro Hybrid PHEV Sport is billed as the eco-friendly answer in the small SUV space. So does it live up to the hype? We put it to the test to find out.
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Would you pay $250,000 for a Ford Ranger?
By Andrew Chesterton · 15 Sep 2021
The world's most expensive Ford Ranger has been revealed, kind of, with the H2X Warrego ute set for sale in November this year.But this is no standard Ford Ranger.
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Hyundai's 2022 Santa Cruz gamble pays off
By Andrew Chesterton · 15 Sep 2021
Hyundai's gamble on the 2022 Santa Cruz has paid off in the USA, with the micro-ute beating out the new Corvette to the crown of America's fastest-selling vehicle in August.Hyundai's bite-sized pick-up shifted some 1252 examples in the USA in just its fir
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2022 Ford Everest toughens up!
By Andrew Chesterton · 14 Sep 2021
The 2022 Ford Everest has been spied testing in Australia, with the Ranger based SUV sporting a new and tough-looking (and, sadly, camouflaged front-end when snapped in Suburban Melbourne.The clock is now counting down on the grand unveiling of the Ford E
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2022 Toyota 86 a bargain in Oz?
By Andrew Chesterton · 13 Sep 2021
The incoming 2022 Toyota 86 is shaping as one of Australia's true performance-car bargains, with the Japanese giant's rear-wheel sports car offered in a bargain-basement trim level that won't appear with its Subaru BRZ twin.While Toyota in Japan has confi
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