Articles by James Cleary

James Cleary

Deputy Editor

James Cleary is CarsGuide's Deputy Editor, with over four decades’ experience across automotive editorial, marketing, product planning and creative advertising.

He has written for national and international titles including Wheels, Drive, Carsales, Motor and Top Gear Australia providing everything from new product assessment and feature writing to industry analysis, news content and expert advice.

He’s spent time as an advanced driving instructor, and had the opportunity to experience rare and valuable classics here and overseas.

James worked in the PR and advertising/sales promotion teams at Mercedes-Benz Australia and has managed the Marketing Communications and Product Planning functions for Peugeot Australia. He also directed advertising client service for Hyundai Motor Company Australia and Volvo Australia.

James has a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Macquarie University and driving qualifications from multiple advanced schools, including Ian Luff Motivation.

He has been a member of the CarsGuide team for 10 years and as Deputy Editor manages everything from sub-editing to back-end platforms while creating written and visual content.

Expertise

New product assessment
Industry analysis
News content
Expert advice
Feature writing

Experience

BMW Performance Driving School
Lamborghini Winter Accademia
Master Maserati Driving School
Mercedes-AMG Snow Performance School
Porsche Level 4 Master training
Volkswagen Driving Experience program

Education

Bachelor of Arts (MassComm) | Macquarie University | 1981-1984

Featured publications

Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray 2025 review: snapshot

By James Cleary · 13 Oct 2024

To go with its mega hybrid performance the E-Ray adds a cool hundred grand to the cost-of-entry over the Stingray at $275,000, although it’s in primo 3LZ trim adding things like the ’track-ready’ ZER pack, monster carbon-ceramic brakes, a carbon-fibre and leather-detailed heated steering wheel, and even bigger rims.

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Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2025 review: snapshot

By James Cleary · 11 Oct 2024

There are two Stingray grades in Australia, the 2LT coupe kicking things off at $175K, before on-road costs, which puts it in the same ballpark as the Audi RS5, BMW M4 and Jaguar F-Type as well as the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman. The 2LT convertible sits at $190K, then the 3LT adds a more premium interior package, pricing the car at $190,000 for the coupe and $205,000 for the convertible.

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Chinese LandCruiser rival spotted in RHD!

By James Cleary · 11 Oct 2024

BYD’s luxury performance subsidiary Denza is spreading its reach even further outside the Chinese domestic market with the brand’s upcoming N9 SUV spotted on the streets of London, sans camouflage and in right-hand drive configuration.

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Chevrolet Corvette 2025 review: Z06, E-Ray & Stingray - Australian first drive

By James Cleary · 09 Oct 2024

Now there are three Corvette variants in the Aussie market. The 6.2L V8 'standard' Stingray which is ferociously fast, dynamically brilliant and priced to give the Euro exotics a headache, the track-focused Z06 with its highly tuned 5.5L V8, and the just-released hybrid E-Ray a muscle monster with some fuel-saving cred. We've driven them all on road and track.

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Hyundai Ioniq 9 touchdown timing confirmed!

By James Cleary · 27 Sep 2024

With the covers set to come off in late November at this year’s LA Auto Show, Hyundai Australia has confirmed a Q2 2025 local arrival for its full-size Ioniq 9 three-row EV SUV.

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Chery ute is “a no brainer”

By James Cleary · 20 Sep 2024

Chery Australia Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris has positioned the brand’s development of a new ute as “a no-brainer”, backing up the recent commitment to a dual-cab pick-up made by the Chinese challenger’s Vice President Zhang Guibing.

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Zeekr jumping on the hybrid train!

By James Cleary · 18 Sep 2024

Zeekr, Geely’s premium pure-EV sub-brand, may still be premium but it appears the purity of its approach to electric vehicles has been diluted somewhat with the emergence of a prototype Zeekr 001 hybrid.

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“Australia’s best value SUV” has arrived!

By James Cleary · 16 Sep 2024

Chery Australia has pulled no punches with the launch of its new small SUV, the Tiggo 4 Pro, Chief Operating Officer Lucas Harris positioning the keenly-priced five-seater as “Hands down, Australia’s best value SUV”.

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Hyundai Ioniq 5 2025 review: Epiq N Line AWD

By James Cleary · 15 Sep 2024

There was a time not so long ago when the thought of a Hyundai pushing up towards $100K would have been unthinkable, but the Ioniq 5 Epic N Line AWD is a premium, five-seat EV SUV with a sporty twist ready to take on competitors from the German 'Big Three' and more. Does it have what it takes to match it with the big guns?

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Chery Omoda E5 2025 review - Australian first drive

By James Cleary · 12 Sep 2024

Chery has been steadily building its presence in the Australian new car market over the last 18 months but until now there's been an EV SUV-shaped hole in its local line-up. The car that's filled that cavity is the Omoda E5, a compact five-seater with the price position and range to challenge the ever-increasing number of newly arrived options in the small EV SUV market.

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