Articles by Drew Gibson

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one?This is the top of the range Opel Astra wagon with the diesel auto powertrain and all the fruit.Start price is $35,990 but this vehicle had options taking the price up to and over $40,000.Golf, Focus, Lancer, Mazda3, Corolla, you name it, they've got heads on them like white mice.Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbodiesel four with 121kW/350Nm output driving the front wheels through a conventional six speed automatic transmission.Remarkably well. With 350Nm of torque on tap from just 1750 revs, finding power to overtake is never a problem. Steering is tight with reasonable driver feedback and the brakes are excellent, with the auto gearbox providing nice engine braking to compliment the brakes.It's a diesel, so the answer is a big, smelly, noisy YES. That's a bit unfair, however, with the little diesel engine purring as smoothly as most petrol engines. Agricultural diesel engines appear to be a thing of the past for modern cars. Expect around 6.0 litres/100kms.In terms of fuel use, yes. Low carbon dioxide output too and the car would have a relatively green manufacturing process.Sure is. Along with a Five-Star ANCAP rating, it has six airbags, countless electronic safety devices and, for passive safety, the excellent brakes and handling keep it out of trouble.It's a tight-ish cabin, but very comfortable. Might be a little claustrophobic for those with larger frames. The load space is generous and expandable to huge. Access to the cabin is facilitated by decent size doors and the rear hatch open high and wide.Great. Certainly doesn't feel like a diesel, there's great steering feedback for a car of this kind and it has a suburb set of brakes. Steering is quite direct and the suspension tuned to give a nice balance of handling and comfort.It's a great kit, but perhaps not the greatest value for money given how many good deals are around and how cheap the near new secondhand market is.No. As enjoyable a drive as it is, at around $40,000 there's a lot of choice. If it was a little cheaper it would feature more prominently on our `wish list'. 

Welcome to the future of motoring. The quintessential farmer's car, the Subaru, now has so much technology it nearly drives itself. You don't need to spend long in a country town to know how popular the humble Subaru is. There are all vintages from the still coveted Brumby ute to shiny new Libertys and WRXs.And it's not hard to see why. They have 4WD, better ground clearance than many cars, plenty of room inside, they're “tuff'', somewhat utilitarian and they just keep on going. Having owned a number of them myself, it was a little daunting to get into the latest Subaru.Unlike my first variant a 1970s 4WD wagon, in which the greatest technology was the optional stereo-cassette deck the new Liberty X is a radar-guided, talking, automatic braking, technological marvel. It even has its own set of eyes. Seriously. One either side of the revision mirror.The Liberty X is a car that aims to be the best of both worlds, and is essentially a top of the line Liberty planted on the chassis of an Outback. This makes it ride 5cm higher, making it easier to get in and out of and providing more clearance on the road about 20cms to be exact.It's one of Subaru's major selling points for the Liberty X, which comes in two versions: either a 2.5-litre engine with continuously variable transmission or 3.6 litre engine mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox, which is the model we tested.FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGYAt the heart of the technology inside the Subaru is the company's EyeSight system, similar to that found only in Volvos. That's where the eyes come in. Among other things, EyeSight warns the driver when they are veering out of a lane, keeps them from crashing into the car in front (at low speeds) and controls the highly intelligent cruise control.Unlike normal cruise control, in this version you can set the distance you want between you and the car in front. If the car in front slows, so do you as the car maintains the distance between you. Without even touching a brake. It's a seriously clever system, although it takes a lot of faith to take your foot off the brake and let the car do the work for you.Control freaks will never be comfortable with it and it's not flawless so you should never rely solely on the aids in the car. In one instance during our test drive the system applied the brakes hard when we passed a pedestrian, closely but not closely enough to make contact with them.The braking was brief, but enough to startle everyone on board and, if another car had been too close, they would almost certainly have rear-ended us. That said, most of the time the system was a reassuring background aid, particularly useful in stop-start traffic.ON THE ROADTechnology aside, however, the main business of the Subaru is to be a car. And, as it turns out, it does a pretty good job at it. On the road, the car has quite a “sporty” feel. Steering is light but quite direct and the ride is firm.On typical bumpy Australian roads, the ride was in fact sometimes a little too firm, although the tight suspension combined with the constant all wheel drive system makes sure the car was always sure footed and confident in its place on the road. A little more give in the suspension for Australian roads would have been nice.The five-speed automatic gearbox was not as slick as some these days, but fast, smooth and almost always chose the right gear at the right time. There are sport settings for more spirited driving, which allow the gearbox to rev harder and hold each gear longer. It works well. There's also manual mode, of course, which can be accessed at any time through the paddles on the steering wheel.POWERThere's no shortage of power under the bonnet, with the 3.6-litre variant producing 191kW/350Nm and propelling the car from 0 -100 in under 8 seconds. In the real world, this means that overtaking is a breeze at freeway speeds and you're rarely left wanting at any speed. The smaller 2.5-litre cousin produces 127kW and 235Nm.INSIDETypical for Subarus, there's plenty of room inside for two adults and three kids, and a cavernous boot that will easily swallow a weekend's worth of luggage. The (heated) leather seats are comfortable and the dashboard trim is a mixture hard plastics and fake metal.While it's not unpleasant, some of the materials do feel a little flimsy and look like they would be prone to scratching and damage. Taller or larger drivers will appreciate the additional 50mm of height, which makes a surprisingly large difference when getting in and out of the car.Overall the cabin is a very comfortable space, although at highway speeds there was a fair amount of tyre noise from the big 18 inch rims not enough to disrupt a conversation, but enough to notice and get a bit tiring on a long trip.PRICINGThere are two variations of the new Liberty the 2.5X and the 3.6X, with the 3.6 starting at $55,990 (plus on-roads) and the smaller 2.5 starting at $44,490. Most options you'd want are included, such as heated seats, sat nav, bluetooth, dual climate control, McIntosh sound system, reverse camera and sunroof.3.6 Litre Liberty XPrice: from $55,990Engine: 3.6-litre 6-cylinder, 191kW/350NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, 4WDThirst: 10.3L/100km, CO2 242g/km2.5 Litre Liberty XPrice: from $44,490Engine: 2.5-litre 4-cylinder, 127kW/235NmTransmission: 6-speed constantly variable, 4WDThirst: 8.0L/100km, CO2 185g/km

You see Porsches on the road every day. But it's not until you sit behind the wheel of one for a while that you realise just why serious drivers around the world adore them.When CARSguide took delivery of the recently upgraded Boxster S last week, we received a near-perfect driving experience.The Boxster has its critics, usually more seasoned Porsche purists who see the 911 as the ultimate, and only, serious Porsche.Perhaps it's because they haven't driven the perfectly balanced, highly potent and gloriously fun Boxster S.If they had, not only would they be surprised, they might even consider putting one in their garage.Maybe it's the fact that, for at least $100,000 less than a 911, you can get a true Porsche driving experience.The Boxster is the entry level Porsche (sports car, that is, not the distressingly popular 4WD Cayenne). It starts from $109,300.The Boxster S is the beefed-up version of the base model. Rather than a 2.7-litre engine, it has a 3.4- litre variant, giving it 217kW and a 0-100 km/h sprint of 5.4 seconds, compared with 180kW and a 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds. The S also has 340Nm, nearly 70Nm more than the base model.All of which costs about $25,000 extra. It's a mid-engined affair, with a sublime chassis, stunning gearbox, love-it or hate-it looks with a canvas roof that, with the touch of a button, transforms the car into an open top roadster (even when the car is travelling as fast as 50km/h).Like most Porsches, it's a package that is worth a lot more than the sum of all of its parts.The legendary Stuttgart carmaker performed a bit of mid-life surgery on the Boxster earlier this year. You wouldn't know to look at it, as most of the tinkering was done on the chassis and under the bonnet.In the case of the S variant, the results are stunning.The steering, while not overly heavy, provides just about the perfect amount of feedback to allow the driver to feel the road. It's also extremely sharp and highly responsive, requiring only small amounts of input from the driver.The Boxster's optimum balance inspires confidence, perhaps even over-confidence, making it a very difficult car in which to get out of shape in, even though it tempts you to try at every winding curve.With the optional Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, a click of the button tightens up the springs for a more lively drive. And it works a treat.In normal mode, the drive is firm but not uncomfortable. Firm enough for you to avoid potholes, but not enough to shake loose your fillings.In fact, not only does the Boxster perform under pressure as well as anything you care to name, it's also easy to drive around town.The excellent torque is available down low, so you needn't constantly work the gear lever all of the time to find power. And, with a relatively heavy clutch, this is a good thing when driving in traffic.The main problem is finding the will power to resist dropping a cog or two to tap what's waiting among the higher revs, that blurt above 4500 revs that brings not only a short, sharp bust of speed, but an uncontrollable smile.On a more lazy drive, accelerating in the fifth or sixth gear at most speeds is not a problem at all, with ample pulling power at anything above about 1500 revs.Like most convertibles, the Boxster is fairly noisy with the roof down, a combination of wind, tyres on the road and peripheral noises can drown out the wonderful exhaust.Perhaps because of the positioning of the (mid) engine, the car actually sounds best when the roof is up, trapping the engine note in the cabin.Vision is improved greatly with the roof down.Aside from the canvas top, the only real giveaway inside that you're driving a convertible is the odd creak and rattle.Other than that, though, the chassis is tight as tight.Fuel consumption is relatively high, we averaged a touch above 16.5 litres per 100km in a mix of peak-hour traffic and the odd bit of spirited driving. It's unlikely any buyer would be bothered.A switchable stability control is non-intrusive enough to leave on most of the time.The brakes take quite a kick to bite hard, but have a wonderful amount of feel to them, stopping the Boxster hard, fast and straight.Inside, the cabin is a bit sparse for a $135,000 car, no steering wheel controls, no sat-nav etc but the Boxster is made to drive, not to lounge about in.Surprisingly, the stereo system was also a little below average. But, again, the engine sound track and pure driving fun makes this a near-redundant criticism.A nifty little spoiler on the back of the car pops up once you exceed the speed limit, at 120km/h, but you can also drive with a 'legal' spoiler by pressing the manual over-ride and raising it yourself.Why you would need it at slow speeds, other than to look good, is anybody's guess.For a two-seater, storage space is ample, with surprising amount of room in both the back and the front of the car.The front storage area, which is under the front bonnet where the engine normally sits in most cars, is deep and holds more luggage than you might expect, certainly enough to put in a trolley full of groceries. The back boot, although not as deep, also offers generous space.Being a true two-seater, however, there are obviously no back seats and no chance of getting more than two people in the cabin.It's a selfish car, on more than one level.But cabin goodies and luggage space are not what the Boxster is about. It's about the driving experience and, for any money, the Boxster is up there with the absolute best of them.Even though it's not a fabled 911, the way the Boxster looks, feels, handles and sounds is unmistakably Porsche. SnapshotPorsche Boxster SPrice: $134,600Engine: 3.4L/6-cyl, 217kW/340NmTransmission: 6-speed manual0-100kmh: 5.4 secs The rivalsBMW Z4 M RoadsterPrice: $130,800Engine: 3.2L/6-cyl, 252kW/365NmTransmission: 6-speed manual0-100kmh: 5.0 secs Mercedes-Benz SLK 350Price: $115,474Engine: 3.5L V6, 200kW/350NmTransmission: 7-speed auto0-100kmh: 6.0 sec (approx) Alfa Romeo Spider JTS V6Price: $94,990Engine: 3.2L V6, 191kW/322NmTransmission: 6-speed manual0-100kmh: 7.0 secs (approx)

Audi's RS4 is well documented as a fast, fun and lively executive express.But what happens when you slice the roof off, replace it with cloth and remove two doors?You end up with the RS4 Cabriolet. And 26 of them have been imported into Australia for lucky drivers who can afford to place an order for one.But how does it compare with what it was before the surgery.There are a few variants of the RS4.First there's the sedan — a serious performance car at the pointy end of the market. It goes like a rocket, handles fantastically and is subtle enough to the eye not to attract every radar you pass.Then there's the Avant (something most of us would instead call a station wagon). In many respects, the Avant is even better.It loses none of the handling and is the same as the sedan in nearly all respects — except you can pack your entire family and bucket loads of luggage within the confines of the wagon's generous load area.Then there's the two-door RS4 Cabriolet. It's basically a sedan minus two doors — and comes with an electronically retractable soft-top roof.But in removing the roof, Audi has also removed part of this special car's soul.Let's first look at the engine. No troubles there. It's the same 4.2-litre, direct injection V8 as the other RS4 models. It's one of the best-sounding, best-performing, highest-revving V8s available today. This beast would take on just about anything short of an exotic performance machine worth twice the money. And it sounds twice as good with the roof down.Matched to a wonderfully slick and smooth six-speed gearbox, this high-revving juggernaut propels driver and passenger from standstill to 100 clicks in under five seconds, pumping out 309kW at 7800 revs and 430Nm of torque at 5500 revs.In other words, it's fantastically fast. In fact, with few exceptions, it's about as fast a production car as money can buy.And the faster you push it, the faster it wants to go. The 0-100 speeds are terrific. But get the engine revving over around 5000 and it's a bullet.But apart from perhaps getting more attention from fellow drivers, it's hard to see the value for an extra $20k or so over the Avant.In many respects, it's less car for more money.While it's beautifully appointed, with first-class leather seats and enough gadgets to please any tech-obsessed teenager, the removal of the roof takes away a lot of space and makes the car less stable. And it pretty much loses its back seats.Despite the seats being adjustable, heated and wrapped in the same gorgeous leather as the front, there's simply no room for anybody larger than a small child.Rather than a reasonably spacious four-seater sedan, the Cabrio is essentially a practical 2+2.Then there's the boot which, while is reasonable in size, is immediately eaten up by the roof when it is folded back.This is another reason to consider whether or not the additional money — and we're talking the price of a small car here — is justified.But more disappointing is the impact the lack of roof has when you hit the road. Like many soft-tops, which were originally designed to have traditional tin roofs, the RS4 chassis has more flex than its hard-top brother.This makes handling less responsive and inspires less confidence when you want to hit the steering wheel-mounted sport button and throw the thing around a little.The lack of any tin above the seats also leads to rattling and squeaking in the dash below the windscreen.This was immediately evident in our test car, which had been driven less than 10,000km when we picked it up.To be fair, this car had been driven all of its life by drivers who don't own it, so it may be treated a bit more carefully by those who actually fork out the money for their own.As far as soft-tops go, however, the cloth roof on the RS4 is excellent. It goes up and down at the push of a button (even while you're moving, albeit at less than 30km/h), soundproofs the car well and has a high-quality feel to it.And, even though there's the odd rattle and shake, the quattro system makes it stick to the road like it's been glued.A highlight is the electronic stability controls, one of the least intrusive systems we've experienced.But even when it does manage to slip somewhat, you would hardly know the electronic nanny had stepped in, if not for the light on the dash.And, as any real performance car should be, it's nice to see Audi has stuck to its guns by only offering the RS4 range in a manual — in this case a six-speed job with some excellent ratios to make the most out of the monster engine.In the end, the RS4 in any variant is a stunning car.But without a roof, and despite the additional $20,000 or so on the cost, the cabriolet is simply an inferior drive to the sedan or Avant.Now, if only there was a road somewhere in this country where we could actually test even a small part of the RS4's potential...

Not only does it go like a bat out of hell, but a Lotus of any kind commands attention like few other cars on the road. And the rarely sighted Exige is no exception.CARSguide recently took possession of the S version, and it didn't take long to discover there's no sneaking about unnoticed in this machine.A stop at the lights in George St saw tourists whip out their mobile-phone cameras for a quick snap. And filling up at the service station inevitably involved a “Lotus” conversation.The S, which is about a second quicker than the “normal” model, hits 100km/h from a standing start in just 4.2 seconds. And you feel every bit of the ride.The near $115,000 asking price is just one of the costs of driving a car such as the Exige.Because this car is designed for racing (and, in the case of Lotus, that's not just a marketing line), it has been stripped of almost every possible creature comfort.It has no rear vision whatsoever. It's loud, hard, rough, impossibly difficult to get in and out of, and is one of the most uncomfortable cars we've ever driven.It's also a hell of a lot of fun and, for a road car, one of the most thrilling driving experiences one could hope for.You sit so low to the ground it feels as though your backside will hit the road each time you go over a bump.Even a Holden Barina towers over you when you pull up to the lights. In fact, with doors open, it's not too much of a stretch to touch the tarmac from the driving position.And you notice every bump, with the worst of them coming close to taking the wind out of both driver and passenger.Really, it's a car that is best suited to smooth roads, which can be rather hard to find in NSW.Although stripped of most comforts, the Exige still comes with a reasonable safety package, including driver and passenger airbags, ABS braking and a traction-control program (which, naturally, can be deactivated at the touch of a button should the driver be in a brave frame of mind).Despite these safety features, the Exige feels very unsafe. Not only are you nearly completely blind to what's happening behind you, it feels as though nobody else can see you, either.And for those in larger 4WDs and SUVs, that's probably an accurate assessment. They simply would not know you were there unless they made a meaningful effort to look down.So defensive driving is the order of the day in a Lotus.For everyday use, the lack of comfort and the lack of sight make for a pretty demanding car and, in some cases, a downright stressful experience.Get into some tight corners, on the other hand, and the Exige is as involving a drive as money can buy.The small, 1.8 litre, four-cylinder supercharged (the normal Exige is atmo) Toyota engine sits just behind your head. So when you put your foot to the floor, you can barely hear yourself think. You can also feel the heat rising from the back once the engine really starts to spin.The (unassisted) steering is razor-sharp, throttle response is instant, and handling is, as you'd expect, superb from the grippy, semi-slick tyres.The trick to getting the rather small Toyota engine to propel the Lotus so quickly lies in the overall weight of the car or, indeed, lack of weight.You see, the Exige is one of the lightest cars on the road, at about 935kg. This gives it an enormous power-to-weight ratio and explains the tremendous acceleration and stopping power.The super-stiff chassis and very low centre of gravity, combined with the semi-slick tyres, are the reasons it holds on so well around corners.If you're thinking of parking an Exige in your garage, just make sure it's not your daily wheels. Over the week or so we had the car, we were well and truly sick of its harsh nature by day two or three.But it would be an absolute riot to drive on a track, or even for a Sunday spin up your favourite country road.Forget the Lotus for everyday use — unless of course you're willing to suffer for performance, and you have a very good relationship with a chiropractor. Fast factsLotus Exige SOn sale: NowPrice: $114,990Body: Two-door sports coupeEngine: Supercharged 1.8 litre four-cylinder, 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i, 162kw/215NmTransmission: Six-speed manualFuel: Between 7 and 9 litres per 100kmSafety: Driver and passenger airbags, traction control and ABS