Articles by Ewan Kennedy

Jeep Grand Cherokee is a large 4WD that nowadays is aimed more at buyers of luxury station wagons rather than full-on off-road enthusiasts. However the Grand Jeep is true to its roots and is a genuine 4WD that can tackle rugged off-road work that would stop most of the crossover wagons sold by its competitors. On

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Audi S1 Sportback with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2015 Ford Kuga.

The most noticeable feature of the Lexus LS series models is their near-silence and comfort. Features that put them very much in the upmarket limousine class. First rate materials are used throughout and these are assembled with meticulous care. Though aimed very much at the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8, the top-line Lexus hasn't quite managed to reach their high status in the image stakes despite 25 years on the market. But they're reasonably close and will obviously keep trying to improve.Lexus tells us 'LS' stands for Luxury Sports, however to our eyes there's a lot more luxury than sport. Handling is safe and secure but doesn't have quite the sporting sparkle you get in the big Germans.The LS400 was discontinued late in 2000, to be replaced by a near-new design in the LS430. April 2007 saw the introduction of an all-new LS, the 460. The numbers in the title refers to the capacity of the V8 engine in decilitres.Interior space was good in the original 1990 LS400, but was noticeably improved in November 1994 when the initial model received a solid revamp. Given that Lexus had learned a lot in the early production years, cars from this model are probably the ones to aspire to. There was a facelift in November 1997.September 2003 saw a revised and upgraded version of the Lexus LS430. It has features such as doors that pull themselves closed, and door mirrors that automatically fold when you switch the ignition off. There's front-mounted radar to keep an electronic eye on the vehicle ahead when you are using the cruise control. If heavy braking is required the Lexus sounds a gong to grab your attention.This was one of the early adopters of a reversing camera. And the electric motor that automatically powers down the sunscreen in the rear window when you engage reverse gear.Lexus LS400 is powered by a 4.0-litre V8 engine that is incredibly smooth. It was uprated several times during its life before being replaced by a revised 4.3-litre unit late in 2000. The LS460 engine was virtually all-new.Of particular interest is the hybrid Lexus LS600hL, introduced in November 2007. Just to confuse matters, the '600' doesn't mean there's a 6.0-litre engine under the bonnet, but that Lexus considers its new hybrid has the sort of performance that would normally require a 6.0-litre engine. The 'L' in the title announces this is a limousine, with a longer wheelbase than the standard Lexus LS460 on which it's based.Most LS600hL models were imported with an upper-luxury layout featuring just two business-class seats in the rear. A timber-trimmed console between the two seats contains controls for the Mark Levinson audio system as well as the inbuilt DVD player, climate control, rear window shades and other functions.Dealerships that specialise in the Lexus marque are relatively scarce and tend to be confined to capital cities and major country centres. The far-flung Toyota network can assist Lexus owners as some mechanics are specifically trained on it.Insurance isn't likely to be overly expensive in comparison with the high price of the car.Many used cars are bought from a Lexus dealership and have been serviced by that, or another, dealer. These tend to be more expensive, but smart buyers consider it a good move.All new Lexus models come with an impressive Encore lifestyle package that includes complimentary service pick up and delivery of the car, roadside assistance, a priority ticketing service at leading cultural centres, golf days and a luxury travel service. Buyers of used vehicles up to five years old and bought from a Lexus dealer receive the same benefits. The offerings may change from time to time so contact your local Lexus dealer for the latest info.WHAT TO LOOK FORIt's smart to have a Lexus inspected by either by a motoring association or a specialist in the marque. In the absence of a Lexus technician, some senior Toyota mechanics are trained on the car.Check for damage to the bodywork and the interior trim and remember the car should be close to immaculate in all areas unless it is one of the oldest models. Even then, we would expect the car to be in very good condition inside.Look over the complete vehicle, testing each of the functions using the owner's manual to work out exactly how everything should operate.Make sure the engine starts virtually immediately and accelerates without hesitation even when it is cold. Look for a puff of oily smoke from the exhaust when you accelerate hard after the engine has been running on a light load, or idling, for a while.Some early Lexus LS400 cars, built before August 1992, had an oil leak at the rear of the engine. The chances are that most, if not all, engines will have been repaired years ago. Check with Lexus if there's any doubt.Make sure the automatic transmission operates almost imperceptibly. A slight thud during a change during very hard acceleration is acceptable, anything else may indicate a problem.During an extended road test make sure the brakes stop the car in a straight line without too much pedal effort, and that the steering is precise, smooth and reasonably light.CAR BUYING TIPUpmarket cars with full service records for their entire lives are likely to cost more, but are almost invariably worth the extra investment.

Toyota Yaris has been given a big facelift, and has extra equipment at little or no added cost. It's doing a nice job of backing up big brother Corolla in the sales race, (Corolla looks like being number one again this year) but Yaris may well be all that many smart buyers need; particularly if only ever used to carry

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate at its Australian launch.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the used 1989-2014 Mazda MX-5.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Lexus RC 350 at its Australian launch.

Not a lot of new Ford Falcons are sold these days, so there's a shortage of late models on the used-car scene, but certainly no lack of offering built prior to 2010. For many years Falcon was a huge seller in Australia as the car suits the needs of many local buyers, particularly those in country areas. Built tough for Australia may sound a bit corny, but Falcon certainly answers to that description.Falcons have seating for five occupants, though four works better if they are all adults because the transmission tunnel takes up a lot of footroom in the centre-rear position. Legroom and headroom are ample for all but the largest adults in the remaining four seats. Comfort is very good and passengers can step out of a Falcon after a trip of hundreds of kilometres still feeling fresh and relaxed.The boot in the sedan is relatively shallow, but it's easy to load thanks to a good-sized opening. From the BA Falcon model onwards things are better, though the boot's still on the shallow side.Falcon station wagons are great load carriers as they are built on a longer wheelbase than the sedan so they have a long, wide, practical cargo area. The rear end of the BA is virtually identical to that of the older AU. Ford chose not to do an FG variant of the wagon. Instead, it created a Series III BF model to sell alongside the FG sedans. It wasn't a success, as SUVs were starting to make inroad in the wagon market, so it was discontinued in 2010.Handling is surprisingly good for a car of this size and mass. You wouldn't call it agile, but Falcons hold on when cornering at speeds far above those likely to be attempted by most drivers.Ford's six-cylinder engines all have a capacity of 4.0 litres but come in several formats, including one with a turbocharger. An interesting variant on the six-cylinder is a dedicated LPG engine. Very common in taxis, but less so in private cars (except in Victoria) this engine is all but indistinguishable from a petrol unit to drive. The LPG engine is thirstier than the petrol so fuel range suffers.The BA Falcon's six-cylinder engine is noticeably smoother and offers even better performance than the units it superseded. Ford fitted a 5.0-litre V8 to the AU, but it didn't have a lot more performance than the six-cylinder units and was on the thirsty side. Much better were the BA bent eights. There was a choice of two - both with a capacity of 5.4 litres. One has a single-cam cylinder head, the other a twin-cam setup.The EcoBoost Falcon has what many say is the best non-V8 engine of them all. It provides excellent performance and nimble handling, due to the lighter weight of the smaller engine. Buyers in this market segment can be on the conservative side and they stayed away from the EcoBoost in droves, so you can pick up a real bargain as a used-car.Automatics were all four-speed units until the launch of the BF, when a sophisticated six-speed ZF unit was installed. The ZF was originally only fitted in the topline variants. With the introduction of the FG range all received the six-speed auto, with the exception of the LPG powered models, which held onto the four-speed auto until the launch of the new-design LPG model in July 2011, when it received the six-speed.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar spaceManual gearboxes are rare and probably best avoided in all but the sporting XR6 and XR8 because they can affect resale value. The manual was a five-speed until the BF series, when a six-speed was installed.Prices for spare parts, servicing and repairs are very reasonable and there are Ford dealers just about everywhere in Australia. Most spare parts for the Falcons covered here are readily available, although a few bits on some older cars may have to come from a wrecker.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar space. We recommend having a workshop manual at your elbow before starting the work. Insurance prices are generally very reasonable and premiums for the everyday models are invariably at the lower end of the scale. It will generally cost more to cover a V8 Falcon than a straight-six, and more expensive for a turbo six.WHAT TO LOOK FORMany thousands of used Falcons will have been taxis at some time in their life. Be wary of one running on dedicated LPG; while these are quite common in Victoria, they are rare anywhere else in Australia. Signs of an ex-taxi are vinyl, rather than cloth, upholstery, severe wear both inside and out, holes where signs and a taximeter have been removed, and possibly a paint respray.Engine wear is indicated by a reluctance to start and smoke from the exhaust and/or the oil filler cap when the engine is revved after it has been idling for more than about a minute. Four-speed automatics can cause problems on hard-driven cars, especially if they have done a lot of work. Check they change gears cleanly and don't hunt up and down through the ratios.Be suspicious of any automatic that's slow at going into gear from Neutral or Park. Listen for a whining differential when driving at around 60 to 90km/h. Check the cabin for damage caused by bored kids. In station wagons have a good look at the load area for signs of commercial use.Rust is more unusual in these newer Falcons than old ones. If you do find rust the Falcon may have been poorly repaired after a crash.CAR BUYING TIPBig old used cars that have been looked after properly and driven correctly can be picked up for pretty low prices these days. Don't forget to have a professional inspection, though.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the updated Holden Colorado ute and Colorado 7 SUV at their Australian launch.