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

New Merc CLE Coupe pricing and spec confirmed
By James Cleary · 23 Apr 2024
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed local pricing and specification for its CLE Coupe, an all-new two-door model taking the place of the out-going C- and E-Class coupes.
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Chery Omoda 5 2024 review: GT AWD
By James Cleary · 22 Apr 2024
Chery's recent re-entry into the Australian new car market has been a solid success with the Omoda 5 compact SUV followed by the larger Tiggo 7 Pro. Now the Omoda 5 line-up has been expanded with two- and all-wheel drive GT models featuring a beefed up powertrain and upgraded suspension. We've tested the AWD GT to see if it delivers on the promise of more spark in the city-sized package.
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Isuzu D-Max, MU-X & Mazda BT-50 tyre dramas!
By James Cleary · 19 Apr 2024
Some owners of the current generation Isuzu D-Max ute and MU-X SUV, as well as the closely-related Mazda BT-50, are reporting on-going issues with accelerated front tyre wear they say is caused by a fundamental steering geometry flaw.
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Mazda's premium CX-80 three-row SUV revealed!
By James Cleary · 18 Apr 2024
Mazda is continuing its push into the large premium SUV space with the release of the six- or seven-seat CX-80, scheduled for local launch before the end of this year and effectively replacing the CX-8.
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2025 GMC Yukon pre-release testing in Oz
By James Cleary · 17 Apr 2024
Big, bold and nearly ready to transport large Australian families (or visiting heads of state) the GMC Yukon has landed on local soil with local pre-release testing now underway before the eight-seat luxury SUV hits GMSV showrooms in the first half of 2025.
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Wild Formula Leopard Super 9 EV concept!
By James Cleary · 17 Apr 2024
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz should be feeling well chuffed with the unveiling of the Formula Bao Super 9 concept.
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Most powerful production Corvette ever coming
By James Cleary · 12 Apr 2024
Chevrolet has signalled the imminent arrival of the next iteration of its performance flagship, the Corvette ZR1, with a 20-second teaser video posted to YouTube overnight.
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Skoda Octavia 2024 review: SportLine
By James Cleary · 04 Apr 2024
Skoda is the brand for Euro-centric automotive pragmatists. Quality engineering and solid value-for-money in an attractive mid-size Liftback and Wagon package. And as the name implies, the new SportLine grade adds some extra spice for the same money as the entry-level Style. Jump in for our first impressions from the launch drive.
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Polestar 4 preview: Full Aussie details
By James Cleary · 04 Apr 2024
With order books already open, the first pre-production examples of the Polestar 4 SUV coupe have landed on local soil with CarsGuide recently attending a pre-sale preview of the new pure-electric five-seater.
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Zeekr Aussie landing schedule confirmed!
By James Cleary · 02 Apr 2024
Performance luxury-focused Geely subsidiary, Zeekr, has confirmed its Australian launch line-up and timing with two models scheduled to arrive in the second half of this year.
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