Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Articles by Byron Mathioudakis

Byron Mathioudakis
Contributing Journalist

Byron started his motoring journalism career when he joined John Mellor in 1997 before becoming a freelance motoring writer two years later.

He wrote for several motoring publications and was ABC Youth radio Triple J's "all things automotive" correspondent from 2001 to 2003.

He rejoined John Mellor in early 2003 and has been with GoAutoMedia as a senior product and industry journalist ever since.

With an eye for detail and a vast knowledge base of both new and used cars Byron lives and breathes motoring.

His encyclopedic knowledge of cars was acquired from childhood by reading just about every issue of every car magazine ever to hit a newsstand in Australia.

The child Byron was the consummate car spotter, devoured and collected anything written about cars that he could lay his hands on and by nine had driven more imaginary miles at the wheel of the family Ford Falcon in the driveway at home than many people drive in a lifetime.

The teenage Byron filled in the agonising years leading up to getting his driver's license by reading the words of the leading motoring editors of the country and learning what they look for in a car and how to write it.

In short, Byron loves cars and knows pretty much all there is to know about every vehicle released during his lifetime as well as most of the ones that were around before then.

Nissan Qashqai Ti 2025 review: snapshot
By Byron Mathioudakis · 23 Feb 2025
Launched in early 2025, the facelifted version of the third-generation Qashqai brought a fresh nose, clear tail-lights, revised wheels and a more up-spec interior.
Read the article
Audi Q4 e-tron 55 2025 review: snapshot
By Byron Mathioudakis · 23 Feb 2025
The Q4 e-tron 55 is the more-expensive version, and – like the base 45 rear-wheel drive – the 55 is offered in two body styles: a boxy and more-family orientated SUV wagon and racier Sportback.Taking aim at higher-end versions of the BMW iX1, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Polestar 4, Volvo EX40 and Tesla Model Y, the Q4 e-tron 55 has two electric motors – one on each axle. This provides it with all-wheel drive that Audi famously markets as quattro.Being a flagship, the 55s are well equipped, with heated and electric front sports seats with driver’s side memory settings, a 360-degree camera, Matrix LED headlights, dynamic indicators, three-zone climate control, an electronic instrument display, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, full wireless multimedia connectivity, eight-speaker premium audio, satellite navigation, folding/heated/kerb-side-view exterior mirrors, automatic parking, a gesture-controlled powered tailgate, roof rails and 20-inch alloy wheels.AEB, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and front, side and curtain airbags are also fitted as part of an extensive safety package. The Audi has earned a five-star ANCAP crash-test rating.However, no spare wheel is available. Owners must make do with a fiddly tyre-repair kit.Over the rear axle of the 55 is a permanently excited synchronous motor. Paired with another electric motor over the front axle, it delivers a combined 250kW of power and 545Nm of torque to all four wheels via a single-speed transmission, for a 0-100km/h sprint of 5.4s, on the way to a top speed of 180km/h.Every Q4 e-tron for Australia leverages an 82kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, nestled within a 400-volt EV-only architecture dubbed MEB, offering 77kWh of useable capacity.The Sportback 55 brings the most range to the table, with 503km, versus the 55 SUV’s 488km. Similarly, the combined average consumption figures are 17.5kWh/100km (Sportback 55) and 18.1kWh/100km (55 SUV).Note that Audi offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with six years of roadside assistance and eight years/160,000km coverage for the battery. Service intervals are every 24 months or 30,000km.
Read the article
Nissan Honda merger off: why it's the best news this year (so far) | Opinion
By Byron Mathioudakis · 23 Feb 2025
Honda and Nissan simply should not merge. When it was announced that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed last December “for consideration of a business integration between the two companies” was terminated on February 13, many people would have breathed a sigh of relief.
Read the article
Change is coming: Is this Nissan's big new seven-seater SUV for Australia to take on the Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Ford Everest?
By Byron Mathioudakis · 22 Feb 2025
One of Nissan’s oldest nameplates, Pathfinder, may not be long for Australia as we know it, as legislative changes here and abroad determine the car’s future.But the potential replacement looming for our market to better take on the big-selling Ford Everest, Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento in the big three-row SUV segment might be the knockout blow Nissan sorely needs against such tough competition.According to Nissan Oceania Vice President and Managing Director, Andrew Humberstone, the main stumbling block with the existing Pathfinder is around maintaining profitability and competitiveness in the face of looming tariffs in the United States.“Pathfinding is an interesting one because… of what's going to happen with tariffs, the whole Trump effect,” he told CarsGuide.“So where does that leave us, and how do we manage that?”Like its closest competitor, the Kluger (or Highlander, as it is known in North America), the past two generations of Pathfinder have been sourced from the US.That works in the Nissan’s favour post-tariff implementation, but the three-row SUV uses components from Japan, Mexico, China and elsewhere, meaning it is subject to potentially punitive taxes, that in turn makes the vehicle more expensive for Nissan Australia to import.And affordability has been the current model’s biggest bugbear with consumers.With the consistent low volume the Pathfinder delivers, Humberstone believes that the Pathfinder business case as it currently stands may not work moving forward.Last year, Nissan only managed to register 523 units, which represented a 63 per cent decline over 2023’s results of 1400 sales. The latter is still around a third of what the series used to manage a decade ago in Australia.Why? The Pathfinder was severely hamstrung by the unavailability of the base ST and mid-grade ST-L versions that the existing R53 series launched with here in late 2022.This meant that the cheapest version, the Ti, started from over $70,000, instead of under $55,000, where the entry-level alternatives, including Kluger, the Santa Fe and Sorento, commence.“We have opted to streamline the Pathfinder line-up due to unavoidable supply constraints and ongoing disruption in the global production environment,” a company spokesperson said at the time.This situation was only partly rectified mid-year with the return of the ST-L, which currently kicks off from $59,945 before on-road costs, meaning that the old ST remains AWOL.Additionally, the Pathfinder only offers an albeit magnificent V6 petrol engine. This competes against the far-more economical, now hybrid-only Kluger and Santa Fe HEV hybrid, that costs similar money to and less respectively than the ST-L, further eroding the Nissan’s appeal.In fact, with the NVES kicking in from January 1 this year, federal government-mandated fines in the future seem certain for the Pathfinder if things don’t change. Currently it emits an average of 245 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide, against this year’s 141g/km standard – and the latter figure will fall annually.So, what about the alternatives?The strongest contender currently must surely be the current series’ Chinese fraternal twin, unveiled at the 2023 Auto Shanghai show, built by partner Dongfeng and also badged Pathfinder.In one stroke, this restyled and reengineered version with a sleek fresh look inside and out (while still boasting the same, big dimensions) would address the US R53’s biggest drawbacks – expensive sourcing and a thirsty powertrain, since it instead uses Nissan’s KR20DDET 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine.Producing 185kW of power and 386Nm of torque in Dongfeng spec and driving either the front or all four wheels via a nine-speed torque-converter automatic, in China the combined average fuel consumption figure is 8.6L/100km. That’s nearly 2.0L/100km less than what’s in Australian models today.Note, however, that the latter is also set to replace the V6 in the US Pathfinder soon, so we may see the four-pot turbo arrive in the existing shape in the not-too-distant future.Of course, other contenders may also follow, but these loom largest for Australia right now.According to Humberstone, Nissan has vowed to be more reactive and proactive with future models, giving consumers what they want whilst striving to deliver industry-best aftersales care, to win back buyers.“We need to be very agile in this kind of global economic situation,” he added.To that end, replacing established models with more cost-effective (read: cheaper) solutions from China is not out of the question.“We have a broad range of opportunities, between joint ventures with Chinese manufacturers, between product all over the world,” Humberstone explained.“What we're dealing with at the moment is: what is best for the market today and serves our purpose today, where we have critical mass that works for, number one, the consumer, number two the dealer network and, number three, for us.“Let's see if there's opportunity.”Watch this space.
Read the article
Audi Q4 e-tron 45 2025 review: snapshot
By Byron Mathioudakis · 21 Feb 2025
Fitting in between the smaller Q3 and larger Q5, the Q4 e-tron is Audi’s answer to the BMW iX1, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Polestar 4, Volvo EX40 and Tesla Model Y.The 45 comes in two body designs – an upright SUV wagon and swoopier Sportback coupe SUV so beloved by the German luxury brands.Equipment levels are sufficient if not spectacular, as the company wants to keep the entry-level Q4 e-tron under the Federal Government’s luxury car tax.Standard items on the 45 SUV include heated front seats, three-zone climate control, an electronic instrument display, LED headlights, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, full wireless multimedia connectivity, premium audio system, electric driver’s seat adjustment, navigation, folding/heated/kerb-side-view exterior mirrors, automatic parking, a gesture-controlled powered tailgate, roof rails and 19-inch alloy wheels.On the safety front you’ll also find AEB, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, full stop/go adaptive cruise control and front, side and curtain airbags.Note that the Sportback 45 adopts the S-Line package, bringing with it 20-inch alloys. But it costs more. And still on wheels, there is no spare wheel, just a tyre-inflation kit.All Q4 e-trons feature a permanently excited synchronous motor, positioned on the rear axle and driving the back wheels via a single-speed transmission.The 45s produce 210kW of power and 545Nm of torque, for a 0-100km/h sprint of 6.7s, on the way to a top speed of 180km/h.A MacPherson-style strut sits up front, while a four-link independent rear suspension set-up is out back.Built on a 400V architecture, the Q4 e-tron uses an 82kWh Lithium-ion battery pack, offering a useable capacity of 77kWh. The combined average figures are 16.9kWh/100km (Sportback 45) and 17.4kWh/100km (45 SUV), while the former boasts a WLTP range of 540km, compared to 524km in the latter.Finally, Audi offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with six years of roadside assistance and eight years/160,000km coverage for the battery. Service intervals are every 24 months or 30,000km.
Read the article
Nissan Qashqai ST-L 2025 review: snapshot
By Byron Mathioudakis · 21 Feb 2025
The ST-L is the second-from-base version of the third-generation Qashqai. It replaced the previous ST+ model when the series underwent a facelift in Australia in early 2025.
Read the article
Audi Q4 e-tron 2025 review - Australian first drive
By Byron Mathioudakis · 20 Feb 2025
If you're late to a party, make a splash. And that's what Audi wants to do with the endlessly-delayed Q4 e-tron - a luxury medium-sized EV alternative to the BMW iX1 and iX2, Polestar 4, Mercedes-Benz EQA, Volvo EX40 and more. The wait means Audi has improved the car, offering compelling range, refinement, drivability and safety, in a spacious and elegant package. This could be Audi's best buy.
Read the article
Nissan Qashqai ST 2025 review: snapshot
By Byron Mathioudakis · 19 Feb 2025
The ST is the base version of the third-generation Qashqai launched in Australia right at the end of 2022, and facelifted in early 2025.
Read the article
Cheaper than before! Improved Nissan SUV defies trend but there's a small catch as it chases the Toyota Corolla Cross, MG ZS, Mazda CX-30, Subaru Crosstrek and Haval Jolion 
By Byron Mathioudakis · 17 Feb 2025
The 2025 Nissan Qashqai costs less than before, but all is not what it seems, and you need to be quick!
Read the article
Nissan Qashqai 2025 review - Australian first drive
By Byron Mathioudakis · 17 Feb 2025
Hugely successful and wildly influential, the British-built Nissan Qashqai has set the pace in small SUVs globally since 2007, but is more of a niche player in Australia. This may change with the third-gen model's MY25 facelift, bringing fresh styling, cabin updates and more e-Power hybrid variants, as well as an industry-leading warranty. The improvements elevate an already premium proposition.
Read the article