Articles by Graham Smith

Graham Smith reviews the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 Holden Astra TS as a used buy.

Graham Smith reviews the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Ford Territory as a used buy.

It's widely acknowledged that the Australian car market is one of the toughest in the world, with more makes and models than you'll find almost anywhere else.The mid-sized segment is one of the most competitive within the market, and it was into that motoring maelstrom that Chrysler plunged in 2007 when it launched its mid-sized Dodge Avenger sedan.The Avenger was a mid-sized five-passenger sedan with muscular looks that set it apart from the crowd. Its chiselled lines, bluff panels and in-your-face grille were different to anything else in the market at the time, and for many took some getting used to.The edgy styling was carried on inside where the cabi n was a sea of hard plastics that wasn't really very welcoming. At launch Chrysler offered a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine that really struggled. It was smooth enough, but it failed to come to the party when asked to perform.A 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and a V6 were added to the range a few months later. The V6 gave the Avenger some much needed punch. In 2009 a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel was added to the range to give the Avenger a fuel-miser option. If the 2.4-litre engine struggled the four-speed auto that was tacked on the back of it didn't help.It really needed another gear to help stir the four-banger along at anything like a decent clip. A five-speed manual was linked to the 2.0-litre engine when that was launched. When the V6 arrived on the scene in 2008 it had a six-speed auto, as did the turbo-diesel when it was launched a few months later. There was plenty of appeal when it came to the features list.The base model SX came standard with climate-controlled air, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking and four-  speaker sound. Move up to the SXT and you got fog lamps, two extra speakers, leather trim, powered driver's seat, heated front seats, and larger alloy wheels.Little is really known about the Avenger in service. We hear little here at Carsguide, so we have to believe owners are happy with the purchases. Another slant on the lack of feedback from readers is that few Avengers found their way into the market, which is what is suspected. Although the Dodge brand is an old and certainly once respected one, it hasn't been here for many years and hasn't managed to get any real traction since its return.There is no reason to think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the Avenger, but buying outside the top group of brands always needs careful consideration. Check any cars being considered for purchase to make sure they have been regularly serviced.With front, side and head airbags, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, and traction control the Avenger had a comprehensive array of safety gear should it become necessary. UNDER THE PUMP Dodge claimed the 2.4-litre four-cylinder would do 8.8 L/100 km; the V6 would return 9.9 L/100 km and the turbo-diesel 6.7 L/100 km.Well equipped, economical mid-sized family car, but lacks sizzle on the road. Better stick with the known brands. 

Graham Smith reviews the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 Nissan Navara as a used buy.

SUVs like the Toyota Kluger have replaced the station wagon as the   favourite transport for many families. Their appeal lies in their flexibility, size and perceived safety. Toyota has been one of the innovators in the SUV market with a number of models to suit all sizes and budgets.The Kluger is the mid-sized model aimed fairly and squarely as the average family. The Kluger was a close relative of the Camry and that's a pretty good way to look at it. Like the Camry it was conservatively styled, but does everything pretty well without being too outstanding in anything.Typically Toyota really. It carried up to seven and still had a bit of space for those things families seem to need to take with them when they hit the road. It had a capable all-wheel drive system, which was able to cope with most rough roads the average family adventurer would encounter. On the upper models there was an array of electronic helpers to keep you out of trouble in the rough stuff. Power came from a smooth 3.3-litre double overhead camshaft V6 with plenty of punch, and all models had a five-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.While it felt safe and sound it was a little vague on the road and felt disconnected from the driver. Off road the suspension soaked up the bumps with ease, and it was capable on bush tracks that upset other similar cars.Three models made up the Kluger range. The base CV had cloth trim and carpets, the CVX had leather, a sports steering wheel, powered driver's seat, and alloy wheels, while the Grande also had wood grain highlights.IN THE SHOPThere are no serious flaws in the Kluger; any problem will be unique to the individual car. It's important to check for signs of offroad use. Few will have been taken down anything more challenging than a gravel road, but it's best to be safe and check underneath.Look for sand blasting of the underbody, bent or dented brackets and fittings, and torn rubber boots and seals. Check for a service record to confirm the oil and filter have been changed regularly. The Kluger engine has a cam-timing belt that needs changing at around 150,000 km.IN A CRASHThe CV has dual front airbags, but the CVX and Grande had an array of   front and side airbags, plus traction control and stability control. It was enough to win a 4-star stamp from ANCAP. AT THE PUMP Toyota claimed the Kluger would average 12.3 L/100 km. The   recommended fuel was 91-octane regular unleaded, and E10 blend was approved.Toyota Kluger - 2003-2007Price new: $43,990 to $58,990Engine: 3.3-litre V6; 172 kW/328 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, AWDEconomy: 12.3 L/100 kmBody: 5-door wagonVariants: CV, CVX, GrandeSafety: 4-star ANCAPVERDICTTypically bland Toyota looks hide competent, well-built family wagon.

Honda execs implored Australians to look past the badge when shopping for a prestige car, and add the new Legend to their shopping list alongside the prestige heavyweights from Europe.The new all-wheel drive Legend had the engineering to compete they cried, it also had all the bells and whistles, but at the end of the day it didn't have the badge some buyers valued above all else.As a result the big Honda was relegated to older folks, ones who wanted a softer, more relaxed ride, those who preferred a zippier drive mostly went the Euro route. There's no doubt that the Legend was a sound choice, it offered good value for the prestige dollar, was safe and refined. It accommodated five in comfort, with three in the back seat, and had a large boot.Anyone who cared to dig deeper would find it also had decent performance courtesy of its high-tech 3.5-litre V6, which put out 217 kW and 351 Nm, and its five-speed auto with sequential sports shifting.The Legend was quite a sizable car and relatively heavy, all of which hindered its performance somewhat, and any idea that it could be considered a sports car.In normal situations it drove as a front-wheel drive car, but its smart all-wheel drive system could detect when a wheel was slipping  and redirect drive to the other wheels as needed to maintain progress.If you signed up for a Legend you drove away in a car with heaps of features. On top of all the things regarded as normal in a car today, you also got leather seats, a sunroof, electric seats, power adjustment of the steering column and a rear view camera.On the road the Legend was comfortable, refined and relaxed. It did everything well. If it lacked anything it was that it wasn't a very thrilling drive, but if that didn't matter to you it delivered everything you could wish for.IN THE SHOP On average the Legend would have done between 50,000 and 75,000 km, a good time to buy used when they're still in their prime. With such relatively low kilometres on them you wouldn't expect any nightmare stories and there hasn't been any to date.Given Honda's track record on engineering you would expect that to continue, given proper and regular servicing. Check the service record of any car under consideration.IN A CRASH You can't do any better than five stars on the ANCAP scale and that's what the crash body gave the big Honda. That's no surprise as the Legend had it all, front, head and side airbags, ABS braking with all the associated trimmings of Emergency   Brake Assist, traction and stability control.UNDER THE PUMP Honda's claim for the Legend was a rather poor 11.8 L/10 0 km, while the Carsguide road tester returned a rather more optimistic 9.7 L/100 km in real life driving. Prospective buyers should be aware that the Legend requires premium unleaded.AT A GLANCEPrice as new: $74,500Engine: 3.5-litre V6 petrol, 217 kW/351 NmTransmission: 5-speed auto, sequential shift, AWDEconomy: 11.8 L/100 kmBody: 4-door sedan Variants: Legend sedanSafety: 5-star ANCAPVERDICTRelaxed, refined ride packed with features, all it misses is the badge.COMING UP Do you own a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series?  If so tell us what you think of it by sending your comments to Graham Smith at grah.smith@bigpond.com or Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW, 2010.

It's a testament to the ability of the new Mini's designers that its freshness hasn't diminished once the initial excitement of its launch faded. Doing a retro model is perhaps the most difficult of things to pull off, but the Mini men appear to have done it.The initial 2002 model paid proper homage to the much-loved original classic. The first new-age model was a fun-filled little car that revived memories of the original for anyone who was old enough to remember, but it also packed its own appeal for a younger generation.It was that generation that would determine the on-going popularity of the Mini, so keeping it fresh was critical if the Mini was to be  around for the long term. The R56 refreshed the Mini with a raft of changes from a new body to a turbocharged engine in the Cooper S, but importantly it remained true to the Mini model.While it remained true to form it didn't compromise on the things required of a car in today's demanding world. As a result the R56 had more power and economy, as well as increased space, comfort and refinement.The cabin of the new model was roomier, the view from inside was brilliantly clear and unobstructed, although there was some criticism of the huge, centrally mounted speedo. The base engine was a 1.6-litre BMW-developed four that had to be stirred along to get the most out of, but the pick of the engines was clearly the new turbocharged version in the Cooper S that adds extra grunt to increase the thrill of the drive.New six-speed gearboxes, manual and auto, also add to the fun. Central to the Mini theme is its chassis with the wheels placed at the corners to give as big a footprint as is possible with a smallish car. The footprint coupled with the tautness of the chassis makes the Mini agile and responsive - just plain fun to drive on a twisty road. The Cooper starts the range, then there's the turbocharged Cooper S, and on top of that each has an optional Chilli pack that boasts bigger alloy wheels, leather and cloth trimmed sports seats and 10 speaker sound.IN THE SHOPThere is nothing to suggest the Mini has any serious issues that should stop you buying one. It's generally well built and quite reliable.The issues that tend to be reported are more one-offs than widespread, and mostly relate to build quality issues. Relatively minor things like remote door locks, window winders etc. are the components most reported. Check for a service record before buying, and have a Mini specialist mechanic check it over.IN A CRASHSix airbags, together with stability control and cornering braking control as well as ABS braking and its associated systems give the Mini an impressive safety arsenal, enough to win five stars from ANCAP.AT THE PUMPMini's makers claimed the Cooper would average 5.8L/100km, the turbocharged Cooper S 6.9L/100km, but on test the Cooper averaged a real-life 8.4L/100km.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $31,100 to $43,500Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder; 88 kW/160 Nm 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo; 128 kW/240 NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, 6-speed autoEconomy: 5.8 L/100 km (1.6), 6.9 L/100 km (1.6T) Body: 2-door hatch, 3-door wagon Variants: Cooper, Cooper Chilli, Cooper SSafety: 5-star ANCAP Green: 4-star (Cooper), 3.5-star (Cooper S)VERDICTGreat driving, great looking, fun-filled little car perfect for those who enjoy the drive.COMING UP Do you own or have you owned a Toyota Prado? Share your experience with other Carsguide readers by sending your comments via e-mail to grah.smith@bigpond.com or write to Carsguide, PO Box 4245, Sydney, NSW, 2010.

Phill is a home filling station that allows motorists to fuel their car from the pipe that supplies natural gas to their homes. With a limited range of just over 100 km on natural gas it is not for everyone, but could suit commuters who use their cars primarily to drive to and from work every day. Developed by leading LPG system manufacturer Impco using systems and components already in use overseas, the natural gas system is being promoted as an affordable alternative to electric cars. But unlike electric cars, most of which also have a limited range but are powerless to move once their batteries are discharged, the natural gas-powered vehicle automatically switches to petrol when its natural gas reserves are exhausted, so the car can be used like any other car. "The beauty of this system compared to an electric car is that if you need to leave your normal driving route you have still have petrol on board," said Impco managing director Rob Mercer. "So you can drive wherever you need to. "On the weekend you can go out and drive until the natural gas runs out and the car will then automatically switch over to petrol, so you're not limited in the way you are with an electric car."  After receiving the tick of approval from government authorities Impco is poised to begin rolling out its package of natural gas conversions for cars and home filling stations.  The filling station is a compact unit that only takes up a modest amount of space in the home garage. Filling the car with Phill is as easy as filling the car with petrol or LPG at the local service station. It's simply a matter of connecting the filling hose once you arrive home and pressing a button, after which you can walk away and leave it to fill overnight ready to head off to work the next morning. The system is designed to switch off once the natural gas tank has been filled, and there are safety features that come into play to shut the system down automatically should something untoward happen.  In the morning it's only necessary to disconnect the filling hose before driving off. Should you forget to disconnect the hose, it is designed to shear off without damaging the filling station itself or causing a gas leak. The carbon fibre-wrapped aluminium tank Impco uses to store the natural gas in the car is smaller and lighter than a typical LPG tank and takes up less space. Cars that can currently run on LPG can also run on natural gas and the system components used are similar to those used in the LPG systems.  "We run the same injectors and fuel rails as we do with LPG, there's a two-stage pressure reducer and high pressure steel fuel lines, and the controller is a slave unit that works in conjunction with the car's original computer," Mercer said. As they do with their dual-fuel LPG systems, Impco develops the system to achieve similar performance on natural gas to what the car would do on petrol, so drivers would notice little if any difference in the way their cars drive. The cost of the package to install Phill in your garage and convert your car is around $8500, but Mercer is considering alternatives to outright purchase, possibly including a lease package, that would make it attractive and affordable.

The transformation of the Corolla introduced in 2007 reflected the changes taking place in the market at the time when small cars were in demand like never before.People were, and still are, downsizing to more efficient cars while still demanding they satisfy their every motoring need. It's a long time since small cars could simply rely on being cheap and cheerful with good fuel economy and be excused for lacking in features or refinement.These days they have to deliver on all fronts and the new Corolla was positioned to do just that. There were two body styles offered, a five-four hatch and a four-door sedan, with a choice of models ranging from the Ascent to the Ultima.When compared to the old model the new one was substantially longer and wider, as well as being a smidgeon higher. It was bigger all round. The mechanical package was what you would expect of the class, from the thoroughly decent 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine to the competent front-wheel drive chassis with independent suspension.If it lagged behind in any area it was probably the transmissions, for while there was a new six-speed manual, the auto option was a dated four-speed unit that was a gear short of what we needed to extract the best from the engine. If the new Toyota followed a fairly traditional, conservative path the new Corolla sported a new look that was hailed at the time.As much as it was welcomed it was still a conservative looking car, with a wide appeal across the ages, from young to old. That has always been the Corolla's strength and it remains so.It's an important factor when it comes to selling the Corolla, with such broad appeal the range of potential buyers is similarly wide.On the road the Corolla performed well, its tight chassis holding the road nicely for a secure and reassuring drive.IN THE SHOPToyota has a deserved reputation for the quality of its build, and its reliability once in service, and that is reflected in the overall level of satisfaction of its owners and the resale they achieve.That doesn't mean they don't break down or have frustrating problems, but any problems the Corolla does have tend to be specific and not endemic. Like all cars maintenance is key to a long and trouble-free run, so always check for a service record confirming that all services have been done as specified.Brake wear and tyre wear, problems with some makes, isn't a problem with the Corolla, both brakes and tyres last as one would expect.IN A CRASHSafety has traditionally been a concern for small car buyers, but the Corolla scrubs up pretty well on that front. With front, side and head airbags it is well equipped for the crunch when it comes. To get the benefit of electronic stability control you have to look for the 2009 and later models.UNDER THE PUMPToyota claimed 7.3L/100km for the manual models, and 7.7L/100km for those equipped with the auto, average numbers for the class. CarsGuide road testers reported 9.1L/100km when evaluated in 2007.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $20,990 to $30,990 Engine: 1.8-litre 4-cylinder, 100 kw/175 NmTransmission: 4-speed auto, 6-speed manual, FWDEconomy: 7.2 L/100 kmBody: 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedanVariants: Ascent, Conquest, Levin SX, Levin ZR, UltimaSafety: Ascent hatch 4-star ANCAP, all other models 5 stars.VERDICTDoes everything pretty well, build quality is good, reliability admirable. Sensible choice.

The i30 was Hyundai's breakthrough model, the one that stamped the brand as having arrived as a serious carmaker. So good was it that it won Carsguide's Car of the Year award -- no mean feat given the opposition it faced.The i30 was launched as a five-door hatch with a choice of three models, the SX, SLX and SR, and a choice of petrol and diesel engines. With smart, modern lines the i30 was immediately accepted by the  Australian car-buying public who most appreciated its looks, but also its roomy cabin and decent boot.Hyundai also won warm applause for offering a diesel engine option to the 2.0-litre petrol engine that was the main engine offered. The petrol engine provided decent performance that was on a par with  others in the class, while the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel provided a fuel-efficient alternative. Both engines were available with a slick five-speed manual, but it  was the petrol engine that could be had with a four-speed auto until 2008 when it also became available with the diesel.All models were quite well equipped. All had air-conditioning, the base SX also had four-speaker sound and iPod connectivity, the SLX got cruise, leather-trimmed steering wheel and a couple of extra speakers for the sound system. The SR was a sportier model with a body kit, and larger alloy wheels. On the road the i30 was just as impressive, with a quiet, comfortable ride and decent handling. The petrol engine was adequate without being outstanding, but it was the diesel that stood out for its overall ease of driveability and its fuel economy.IN THE SHOPHyundai was once unloved by all but cash-strapped buyers. They marketed themselves as producers of cheap and cheerful cars, and the level of complaints seemed to confirm that claim. But, how things have changed. The Korean carmaker is now on the money for build quality and design integrity, and that's reflected in  the standing it now holds in the market. It's now pretty much on a par with the Japanese carmakers, long held as the benchmark for our market, and can be bought with confidence.The i30 doesn't have any issues of concern, but prospective owners should do their due diligence on previous history of cars under consideration. Service is always important; oil changes the key to a long and  healthy life on the road.IN A CRASHThe i30 SX base model with dual front airbags got four stars from ANCAP, a good result at the time for a small car. The higher-spec models with  head and side airbags got five stars. In addition to the airbags the i30 also had anti-skid brakes across all models, while the SLX and SR also had electronic stability control. In October 2009, the entire range received ESC and six airbags, which made for a five-star rating across all models.UNDER THE PUMPWith the prospect according to Hyundai of 4.7 L/100 km the turbo- diesel is the runaway winner of the pump race. The petrol engine, claimed by Hyundai to average 7.2 L/100 km is  acceptable. Owners surveyed by Carsguide reported 8-8.5 L/100 km on average  around town from the petrol auto, and around 6.0 L/100 km for the  diesel auto.AT A GLANCEPrice new: $20,990 to $28,490Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 105 kW/186 Nm; 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel, 85 kW/255 NmTransmission: 5-speed manual, 4-speed autoEconomy: 7.2 L/100 km (2.0P); 4.7 L/100 km (1.6TD)Body: 5-door hatchbackVariants: SX, SLX, SRSafety: 4-star ANCAP.VERDICTLooks good, performs well, well built, good value for money.