Articles by James Stanford

No one at Toyota Australia likes to be beaten. When the Ford Territory began its domination of the all-terrain wagon class, it stung the company that has dominated in the outback for a generation and become Australia's No.1 carmaker.Toyota then argued the Territory wasn't a real four-wheel-drive because it was also sold with only rear-wheel-drive to tantalise families and boost value.Its answer to the blue oval's Falcon-based wagon was the mid-sized Kluger, which was great off-road but felt floaty on the tarmac, lacked torque and looked as plain as a paper bag.The Territory outsold the original Kluger three to one, but Toyota never gives up.This time around, the new 2007 Kluger is bigger, more powerful, has more safety gear and actually has some style.Toyota also realised more than half the Territories sold in Australia are rear-drive, so it now has the Kluger with front-drive or the regular all-wheel-drive.It will be interesting to see how many people go down the all-paw path, which adds $4500 to the price across the range.The Kluger is all-new, with a stiff new body that is 95mm longer and 85mm wider and has 22mm more ground clearance. It is also 95kg to 160kg heavier. The Grande model tips the scales at a hefty 2035kg.Ground clearance for all Klugers has been jacked up from 184mm to 206mm.The braked towing capacity has been increased by 500kg to an impressive 2000kg.The official fuel economy figures go from 11 litres for 100km in ADR81/01 testing to 11.6 litres, which is about 1 litre/100km less than equivalent Territory models.All have the smooth-revving 3.5-litre dual-overhead camshaft V6 that also serves in the Aurion. This time it is tuned to pump out 201kW and 337Nm.It is linked to a five-speed automatic gearbox in both drivetrains, with the AWD model using a system that feeds 50 per cent of drive to the front.Toyota has followed its main rivals and introduced Electronic Stability Control as standard across the Kluger range. It has gone a step further with seven airbags in all models.Also standard is a small dashboard-mounted reversing camera.There are three models, the base KX-R at $39,990, the KX-S at $49,990 and the Grande at $59,990.The KX-S and the Grande come standard with seven seats, which can also be ordered for the entry-level KX-R for an extra $2500.Apart from the impressive safety gear, standard gear for the KX-R includes 17-inch alloy wheels, air-conditioning, 3.5-inch multi-function display, cruise control and single CD sound with MP3 input jack.The KX-S adds 19-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior details, fog lights and leather trim. The electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats are also heated. The dual-zone climate control has separate controls for rear passengers. It also has six-CD sound and Bluetooth phone preparation.Stepping up to the Grande brings a sunroof, more chrome, wood-grain inserts, keyless start, automatic closing hatch, DVD rear seat entertainment, satellite navigation, larger rear-view camera display (6-inch). On the roadAlmost everyone will rate it ahead of the Holden Captiva, apart from its price. The Kluger is now roomier, has better performance, looks better and has an impressive array of standard safety features.A week in a two-wheel-drive Kluger KX-S revealed there is a lot to like about the big family hauler, but also revealed suspension flaws that could see the Kluger lose out in a comparison with the Territory.But the first thing you notice is the styling. The Kluger now has a bit of attitude.Painted black, with its tinted windows and chunky 19-inch wheels, the Kluger test car is imposing. The interior looks good, too, with a high level of surface quality you expect from a Toyota.The rear-view camera, which sits between two air vents and doubles as an info screen, is tiny, but it is better than nothing.The KX-S gets leather seats, which feel nice, and the heater function is great, but the seats aren't the most supportive around.The Kluger really has only six useable seats. The middle seat of the second row is only 20cm wide, does not sit flush with the other seats and is only good for a very small or skinny child.The Kluger's engine is quite nice, though it can be a bit peaky. A lot of the grunt comes up high in the rev range and the engine could do with some more torque down the bottom end.Even so, the fuel consumption of 12.4 litres/100km is a big plus.The engine is smooth, though it is not the quietest engine around, especially under hard acceleration.If you push, you also notice the steering wheel tugging, especially if you are turning.This (torque steer) happens because there is too much power going through just the front wheels. You can live with those sort of niggles, but it is the suspension of the two-wheel-drive Kluger that is a big let-down.Despite being incapable of off-road work, the front-drive Kluger still has a hefty 206mm of ground clearance. On bumpy roads it pitches and rolls like a serious mud-plugger. A back-to-back test with the lower-riding Territory backs up the view the Kluger is too soft.The Kluger feels like an off-roader. The Territory feels like a car.But it's not the same in the all-paw Kluger, which feels firmer and much more planted. And it will definitely go as deeply into the bush as most families want to travel. So the all-wheel-drive is the driver's choice, but people on a budget will head for the new front-driver.The bottom lineThe Kluger ticks most of the family wagon boxes. An unnecessarily high ride height and soft suspension spoil the fun. 78/100Fast factKluger KX-S and Grande have three-zone climate control for all occupants. Each of the three rows of seats has a temperature display and control dials. Inside viewToyota Kluger KX-S 2WDPrice: $49,990 as testedEngine: 3.5-litre V6Power: 201kW at 6200 revsTorque: 337Nm at 4700 revsTransmission: five-speed automatic, front-wheel driveBody: Five-door wagonSeats: SevenDimensions: Length 4785mm, width 1910mm, height 1760mm, wheelbase 2790mm, tracks 1630/1645mm front/rearSteering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinionSuspension: Fully independent Macpherson strut front and multi-link rearFuel tank: 72 litresFuel type: Regular unleadedFuel consumption: Average on test 12.4 litres/100kmWeight: 1930kgSpare tyre: Full size steelBrakes: Anti-skid discsWheels: 19x7.5 alloyTyres: 245/55 R19Safety gear: Anti-skid brakes, traction control, electronic stability control, front and side driver and passenger airbags, three-row curtain airbags.Warranty: Three years/ 100,000km FeaturesAirconditioning 4Cruise control 4Alloy wheels 4Climate control 4Leather seats 4Heated seats 4Parking sensors 8Automatic wipers 84 standard equipment8 nonstandard equipment How it comparesFord Territory Ghia: 80/100 ($52,090)Holden Captiva Maxx: 70/100 ($42,990)Mazda CX-7 Luxury: 73/100 ($45,560)Nissan Murano ST: 68/100 ($49,990) 

The next-generation Ford Falcon will go better and use less fuel than the current BA model.The Orion-series Falcon will be on the road in March and take Ford's elderly in-line six into its final years before it is replaced by an imported V6 in 2010.But Ford Australia has not given up on the engine, company vice-president of product development Trevor Worthington promises CARSguide some significant improvements for next year, when it appears in the Orion.“The engine has a lot more opportunity in it and we are going to wring its neck for all of that opportunity,” Worthington says.“I'm not going to sit here and say what we are doing, but every time we have improved the engine since BA, (including) performance, fuel economy and refinement and you can be guaranteed we are going to continue down that path.”The Falcon's in-line six was substantially upgraded for the introduction of the BA Falcon model range in 2002 with a package that included twin-overhead camshafts with variable valve timing, as well as the turbo for the XR6.The engine was further improved for the introduction of the 2005 BF Falcon, when camshaft revisions increased power to 190kW and torque to 383Nm.Significantly, fuel consumption was reduced and the six-speed ZF automatic transmission added.That gave the six-speed BF Falcon an official fuel economy figure of 10.2 litres for 100km - 0.7 litres less than the leanest model in the VE Commodore range, though still 0.3 litres more than Toyota's locally developed Aurion V6.GM Holden's $1 billion VE Commodore did not deliver a significant improvement in fuel economy last year and some models actually used slightly more fuel because of extra weight, than the models they replaced.Worthington does not name the VE, but hints at Holden's competitor to the Falcon when he says it is imperative that any new Ford model should deliver fuel savings over the last.“That is what the customers want. If you are not moving forwards, you are going backwards,” he says.“You can't introduce a new car and (have) worse fuel economy. Some of our rivals have done that, but if you were a customer, what would you say?”He says other elements of the car must be as good or better than those of the previous models and it is the same with the engine.“If I get into a car and I have worse ergonomics or worse brakes . . . if you are trading in the old one, you expect everything to get better, and the powertrain is a really big part of it.”Though some improvements will be introduced for the Orion Falcon, others include design changes that would have seen the in-line six upgraded to satisfy Euro4 emission requirements, which were frozen when Ford Australia decided to switch to a US-sourced V6 from 2010. 

Many road cars are beaten by race track driving. Brake pads crumble, tyres disintegrate, clutches cook and the odd engine lets go. The 911 GT3 is different.

Cases of theft aside, the thrill of driving a new Porsche has been limited to the seriously rich.

The Swedish company more or less just cut the roof off the C70 coupe and the top-down cruiser wobbled and shook when confronted by small ripples in any road.A chassis engineer who worked on the car admitted to CARSguide that the team did the best with what they were given, but the body simply wasn't anywhere near stiff enough.So, looking back, the best things about the first C70 convertible were the way it looked, at least for a Volvo, and the first Dolby surround-sound system to be fitted in a car.Now we have the all-new C70 convertible, which replaces the coupe as well thanks to its folding metal hardtop.It is one of the new generation of coupe-convertible cars, which come in most classes from the forthcoming Nissan Micra to the Holden Astra and Volkswagen Eos to the BMW 3-Series convertible.Volvo developed the car in-house, building it off the same base as the S40 sedan-V50 wagon twins and the new C30 compact coupe.And it spent a lot more time, effort and money to make sure the new C70's body is twice as stiff as the last. As a consequence, the C70 carries about 100kg of extra bracing to reinforce the body so it feels tight even when the roof is folded into the boot.The two models in the new C70 range are the base LE, which costs $69,950, and the sportier turbo T5 model, $79,950.Neither car is cheap, but they seem a bargain compared with the original model, which cost $95,000 to $105,000 when it arrived in 1999. Volvo has also put a non-turbo motor in the LE entry-level car to help the priceline.The LE runs a 2.4-litre in-line five-cylinder petrol engine, mounted transversely (from right to left across the engine bay), which generates 125kW and 230Nm of torque.When you take into account the C70's kerb weight of 1646kg and compare that with the power and torque figures, it doesn't take a Formula One engineer to work out that the LE is more of a cruiser than a sportscar.The C70 T5 is a different animal. It runs a 2.5-litre in-line five with a big turbocharger. This engine, which is also used in Ford's red-hot Focus XR5 and Volvo's own C30 T5 hero car, pumps out 162kW and 320Nm.The LE and T5 come with a standard five-speed automatic transmission that drives the front wheels. The C70 LE comes standard with anti-skid brakes, traction control, front and side airbags for the driver and front passenger as well as door-mounted curtain airbags. Yet, strangely, the LE misses out on electronic stability control, which you would expect to be fitted to all Volvos.Volvo has done its best to prevent a rollover by widening the car's track, the distance between the wheels across the axle, by 29mm to 39mm to make for a more stable vehicle.But if the C70 does happen to tip, steel roll bars that sit behind the rear seats shoot up to protect the occupants. They will do their job regardless of whether the top is up or down, and are fitted with spikes in case they need to punch through the rear glass window.Standard features for the LE include leather seats, climate control airconditioning, trip computer, cruise control, premium sound system and 17-inch alloy wheels.The T5 adds a 12-speaker Dolby surround-sound system, bi-xenon headlights, rain sensing wipers and 18-inch alloy wheels.On the RoadThe new C70 still has a great sound system but, unlike the model it replaces, it is also a pretty good car.Drop the roof and you will immediately notice the improvements in body stiffness. With its new buff body, the C70 rides and corners better, too, with almost none of the wobbling of the previous model.It is still not perfect and you can still feel some slight shakes with the roof down on bumpy roads, but it is no worse than most convertibles. Unfortunately, when the roof is up the serenity of the cabin is disturbed by constant creaking noises when travelling along uneven road or easing into driveways and car parks. It sounds as if the noise comes from the roof joints and can spoil a good drive.Volvo has set the C70 LE's suspension for cruising rather than agility. So it is on the softer side, but can be agitated by ruts and other sharper road imperfections.The C70 does seem to follow the road, in that its steering is affected by road conditions, and you have to make an extra effort to make sure the car is heading in the right direction.Listening to the sound system is a real treat, even in the LE model that misses out on the Dolby system. With a subwoofer mounted on the dashboard, this sound system invites you to put down the roof and turn up the volume up.

Despite AWD, the chances of the CX-7 being used off-road are slim.The big Mazda, with limited ground clearance and 18-inch alloy rims, is clearly for the city.Unlike some of the cars that it will be against, the CX-7 is not a true people mover. The Ford Territory, Holden Captiva and Toyota Kluger have the option of seven seats, but the CX-7 can seat only five people. The Mazda has more of a sports focus than those cars, not just because of its running gear but also its style.It has a raked windscreen at the angle of many sports cars, has wide arches around alloy wheels and a stylish front end.The engine is a 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder with 175kW and 350Nm and a top-mounted intercooler.This direct-injection engine is the same one that gives the urge in the Mazda6 and Mazda3 MPS.It has to work harder in the CX-7 given its 1771kg. It manages to lug the wagon from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds, slower than most big six-cylinder family cars, but not bad compared with bigger and heavier AWD wagons.A six-speed automatic transmission is standard and there is no manual option. There are two CX-7 models, the base at $39,910 and the Luxury at $45,560.The entry level car has airconditioning, cruise control, trip computer, six-CD sound and foglights.The Luxury adds leather trim, heated front seats, sunroof, electrically-adjustable driver's seat, climate control airconditioning and a Bose sound system.Parking sensors are not standard on either model and cost $396 plus fitment costs.A rear-view camera is not an option, despite being sold overseas, because it is bundled with satellite navigation, which is not available for Australia.All cars have a space-saver wheel and have a braked towing capacity of 1600kg. The CX-7 is a size bigger than its existing Tribute AWD, 280mm longer and 47mm wider. IT TAKES only a short section of winding road to work out what Mazda is aiming for with the CX-7. This is not an AWD for holidays to Fraser Island, but a sporty wagon made for tarmac touring.With a multi-link rear suspension set-up, 18-inch wheels with low-profile tyres and a lower ride height than most crossover wagons, the CX-7 handles extremely well.It laps up corners as a well-sorted sedan and is not unsettled by off-camber bumps.On gravel, the CX-7 is nimble given its bulk and does exactly what is expected.The combination of the AWD system and stability control can be felt on slippery gravel where the pair limit the chances of any "moments".The steering is direct and offers good feedback. The ride is quite good on smoother tarmac, but the CX-7 starts to jolt and jar over second-rate roads.The biggest downside of the CX-7 ownership is its thirst. Because the CX-7 uses a four-cylinder engine, it often has to call on the turbo to haul its bulk. Most vehicles this size have a six-cylinder, for good reason.The Mazda cruises the highway using about 9.5-litres for 100km sitting just below 2000 revs, but the figures start to go pear-shaped around town or in any situation that includes acceleration.It is easy to start using 14 litres for 100km around town, which is painful because theCX-7 uses only premium unleaded.The engine is good. There is some delay as the turbo gets going, but most of the time there is more than enough power for enjoyable driving.Mazda's six-speed automatic is excellent and also has the manual override if you are feeling sporty.The interior, as in other modern Mazdas, is well designed and put together.The chrome-ringed instrument cluster with red lighting looks sporty and the combination of black and metal-look trim sections give the CX-7 a prestige/sporty feel.The test car was the Luxury model with gear including supportive leather seats and a gutsy sound system.Even small things such as the chrome strip around the side windows lift its presence.That is nice, but many buyers would trade some of the jewellery for parking sensors, which should be standard.It can carry five people, but the rear middle seat is uncomfortable and is best only for short stints.The centre armrest that folds into the back of the middle rear seat means it is quite hard.There is probably enough space in the cargo area for smaller families, but is not as big as a regular family sedan or mid-sized crossover wagons. Interior storage is good and I really like the cavernous centre area between the driver and passenger.MODERN family wagon that looks great and drives well but has a disturbing thirst.

A high entry price, lack of a manual option and styling that caused it to blend with the baby-car crowd didn't help.Relief came last year with a manual version, which dropped the base price to $15,990, and a Ralliart edition that added spice.Mitsubishi has added two drop-top models to the Colt club and it has kept a lid on the cost. The base Colt Cabriolet, at $32,990, is one of the most affordable top-down cruisers along with the soon-to-be replaced Peugeot 207cc ($32,990).A turbo-charged version gets a performance and equipment boost and costs $37,990.Like its rivals, the Colt convertible has a folding metal hard-top.Mitsubishi turned to Italian design house Pininfarina to help create the multicultural Colt Cabriolet.Basics of the original Colt were designed between Mitsubishi of Japan and German/American giant DaimlerChrysler, panels come from the Netherlands, the engine is from Germany and Japan, and it is put together and finished by Pininfarina.Technically, the Cabriolet is a four-seater, but Mitsubishi describes it as a 2'2; that means the rear seats are small and unlikely to suit adults.The folding roof is easy to use. Fold back two roof clips above either side of the top of the windscreen and press a button on the driver's door armrest and it will fold into the boot.The boot space is reasonable with the roof up, but is cut dramatically when the roof is down.Mitsubishi was unable to fit in a spare wheel or even a space-saver, so the car has a pump-up repair kit.The base model convertible has the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine as the Colt hatch, but adds 3kW and 4Nm. That means it has a total of 80kW and 145Nm.The force-fed engine in the Cabriolet Turbo bumps that to 110kW and 210Nm, which means it gets along OK, but is certainly not a sports car. Both are available only with a five-speed manual transmission. There is no automatic option.Safety gear for the base model includes anti-skid brakes and driver and passenger front and side airbags.The cheaper Colt Cabriolet misses out on electronic stability control, which is standard in the Turbo.The convertible Colt has stronger A-pillars and windshield bracing, and other structural reinforcements, which Mitsubishi says negates the need for roll hoops at the rear.Both Colt Cabriolets have 16-inch alloy wheels. The Turbo model has heftier brakes. ON THE ROADTHE Colt Cabriolet is an affordable summer fun car, but is not perfect.No one can argue about the price — $32,990 for a convertible with a folding top is great value.It doesn't have a heap of power, but the 1.5-litre engine is fine if you push it along.The manual gearbox is not the sharpest I have used, but it works well enough. It could do with an extra gear for cruising though because the Colt buzzes along at close to 3000 revs on the highway, annoying on a long trip.And the lack of an automatic could be a problem. Car companies say small convertibles are mainly bought by young women, many of whom prefer an automatic.The Colt is cheap to run and has fuel-consumption figures of 7.1l — that means more money for sunscreen. The folding metal roof is impressive engineering and easy to use.Generally, folding hard-tops are better that soft-tops, which are cheaper to produce, lighter and take less room, but also create wind noise in the cabin and can look tatty.I enjoyed a country drive in the Colt Cabriolet, which is nimble and handles well with the roof up. It is no supercar, and the electric-assisted steering gives little idea of where the car is sitting, but it was fun to push along and quite comfortable.Then I folded the roof into the boot and the car became loose and wobbly, just as the bad convertibles of old. Bumps that didn't bother the car when the roof was up sent a shudder through its body. On smooth roads it is OK, but even around town, potholes and tram tracks made the top-down Colt shake.Potential customers should drop the roof when they test drive the car.The Colt's styling is plain, especially when compared with the Holden Tigra, which has a unique, sporty look. The Colt has a tall boot to accommodate the roof, similar to other small hardtop convertibles, which can look strange.The interior is nice. The test car had orange seats and the dashboard and dials had a quality feel. Functional trays and cupholders are welcome. The rear seats are for children only.Boot space is excellent with the roof up, but is virtually non-existent when the roof is down. THE BOTTOM LINEGOOD-VALUE summer fun, but comes with compromises. A wobbly body when the roof is down spoils a good drive.64/100

The crossover wagon is the first of a new fleet of Mitsubishi models casting light on the Japanese company's dark times.The previous all-wheel-drive Outlander arrived in Australia in 2003, but didn't make much impact. It didn't do anything better than its rivals and it looked awkward.Then there was the fact it had only a four-cylinder engine, unlike rivals such as the Mazda Tribute with an option of four or six.Mitsubishi learned a lesson and developed a new model that is larger, has the choice of a four or six-cylinder and can be ordered with seven seats. It is also much easier on the eye.The four-cylinder engine is the familiar 2.4-litre MIVEC with 125kW and 226Nm.It has continuously variable automatic transmission. The V6 is a 3.0-litre with 162kW and 276Nm, linked to a six-speed automatic. There is no manual option for either engine.The four-cylinder's official fuel economy figure is 9.5 litres for 100km of city and highway driving; the six is 10.9 litres.Both Outlanders have a standard AWD system, which the driver can electronically control. It can run in two-wheel-drive mode, which means the engine feeds power only to the front wheels and saves fuel.In automatic mode, the drive is sent through the front wheels, but will switch into AWD mode if the drive wheels start to slip.Then there is constant AWD mode, which means the car feeds power to all four wheels.The new Outlander is larger than the previous model, which competed with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, but still smaller than models such as the Ford Territory.Four models make up the range and all can be ordered with five or seven seats.The range starts with the LS five-seater at $31,990.It is standard with airconditioning, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, roof rails and a trip computer. It has 16-inch steel wheels.Standard safety gear for the LS includes anti-skid brakes and driver and passenger airbags. Side airbags cost an extra $1500. Electronic stability control is unavailable on four-cylinder models.The $37,490 XLS four-cylinder adds 18-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, paddles shifters, climate-control airconditioning, six-CD stacker, rear-parking sensors, fog lights, Bluetooth phone preparation, cargo cover, a chilled storage box and keyless entry.The V6 range starts with the $37,890 VR model, which has the same gear as the LS but adds paddle-shift transmission control, traction control and electronic stability control, tinted windows and twin exhausts. Top of the range V6 VRX costs $43,190 and comes with the same equipment as the XLS, plus side-curtain airbags, traction control, electronic stability control, premium sound and twin exhausts.Adding a third row of seats costs $2800 for the LS and VR models and $4050 to $4800 for the XLS and VRX, which also have a rear-seat entertainment unit.All models have a space-saver spare tyre and the towing capacity is 1500kg for the four and 1600kg for the V6.ON THE ROADYOU could be forgiven for thinking the new Outlander simply follows on from the first model, but it really is so fresh Mitsubishi could well have justified changing the name.It now feels more car-like, is roomier, has more power and looks better.There are some minor issues, but this is an impressive car.The four-cylinder engine is adequate and works well enough with the continuously variable transmission, but the new V6 is the best choice if you can afford it.The six has plenty of punch and is fairly smooth.It works well with the new automatic transmission that has a tall top gear.That means the engine is at 1600 revs when the car is doing 100km/h, which is better than one that buzzes along.Even so, the V6 is fairly thirsty despite having six cogs to choose from and the test car rarely dips below 10 litres for 100km and often creeps to 13 and 14 litres/100km around town.It's not a sporty-sounding engine, but doesn't sound unpleasant either. Tyre and road noise on several surfaces including coarse chip tarmac is a problem and spoils a nice drive.It almost seems that someone has forgotten to fit some of the sound-proofing.Most time of the time was spent in a V6 VRX, with 18-inch wheels, which handles country roads well.The suspension is not troubled by a bumpy test route and feels well tied down and has limited body roll.The Outlander sits low to the ground and feels more car-like but with a slightly higher driving position than an AWD wagon.It might have paddle-gear shifts, but no one is going to mistake the Outlander for a sportscar especially with woolly steering that doesn't encourage you to push.The AWD system, when locked in, works well on gravel.Most families will appreciate the extra space and the improved interior.The optional two extra seats are next to useless because the bases have no padding.The second row of seats fold easily, but the third row is clumsy and hard to move.The other downside is the lack of a full size spare, which should be standard.

Subaru is better known for agile rally cars and smaller wagons such as the Outback and Forester that use AWD for optimum traction on tarmac or dirt.It kept running with that formula as other brands built big seven-seat AWD wagons that are selling well in Australia and are huge in the US.Subaru has finally arrived at the big AWD wagon party with a car aimed at the US.It comes standard as a five-seat wagon, but a third row consisting of two extra seats is available. The extra seats and space are just what Subaru Australia needs.It has lost many loyal customers because it couldn't offer them anything larger than the Outback — too small for many families.The Tribeca will take on medium-sized AWDs such as the Ford Territory Ghia, Nissan Murano and Toyota Kluger Grande.It is a stand-alone model, but borrows a six-cylinder engine from the Liberty and Outback. The petrol unit is a 3.0-litre boxer with 180kW and 297Nm. There is no diesel option.When many other models use six-speed transmissions, the Tribeca uses a five-speed automatic.As do its Subaru siblings, the Tribeca has a constant AWD system.All Tribecas come standard with electronic stability control, dual front, side and curtain airbags and seatbelt sensors on all seats indicate if someone has not belted-up.Another sensor detects if the car is about to roll and automatically deploys the curtain airbags.Subaru says the Tribeca is less likely to roll that other big AWD wagons because of its lower centre of gravity thanks largely to the boxer engine (with horizontally opposed cylinders) that sits lower than a regular six-cylinder engine.The Australian New Car Assessment Program awarded Tribeca a five-star safety rating.The five-seat 3.0R, the base Tribeca model, costs $53,990. The seven-seater is $2000 more.A more luxurious 3.0R Premium five-seater costs $58,990 and the seven-seater adds $2000.Standard gear for the base 3.0R includes a rear-vision parking camera, satellite navigation, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, electronically adjustable front seats, multi-function trip computer, six-stack CD sound with MP3/iPod input, 10 cupholders and 18-inch alloy wheels.ON THE ROADMOST Subarus come from Japan, but the Tribeca is made in Lafayette, Indiana. To please the locals, it is big and has plush suspension.And it upholds the US right to have more than one cupholder: the Tribeca has 10.The Tribeca is unlike other lean and agile Subarus, but that doesn't mean it should be written off.It is a large, practical and comfortable family car that comes with a lot of equipment as standard.Unfortunately, the styling seems to have missed the mark. No one surveyed in the week I had the test car liked the look.Some thought it was a bit weird, others thought it wasn't quite right and one person labelled it the ugliest car they had seen. Perhaps that person had not come across a Ssangyong Stavic.The interior also looks different, but in a good way. A flowing wrap-around dashboard makes a feature of the centre-mounted colour screen, which shows rear-camera footage when reversing and all the sat-nav and system info.Subaru has taken a big step forward with its interior quality. The Tribeca has metal-look surfaces and dials that look and feel as if they belong in a more expensive car.Small things such as the way the lid for the compartment between the driver and passenger opens slowly and smoothly is straight out of the Lexus handbook.The Premium model's leather seats are wide and flat (very American) and offer little support, but they are still reasonably comfortable.So are all other five seats, though there isn't a lot of room in the last row.The second row can slide back and forth (its also split 60/40) and all rear seats can fold flat to open up a large cargo area.Small touches such as rear-zone roof mounted airconditioning vents and the roof-mounted DVD should keep passengers happy.I liked the rear-view camera and satellite navigation, which you also get in the base car. Luxuries such as heated seats seem pointless now, but will be nice in winter.The Tribeca is not going to impress people who love to drive. The suspension is soft, there's a fair amount of body roll and it tends to float along.The dirt roads it ran on seemed to suit the Tribeca, which pounded over them with ease. Its AWD system is excellent and really gives good traction in the wet and on slippery gravel.The 3.0-litre engine is a cracker in the Outback and Liberty, but has to work a lot harder to pull almost two tonnes of Tribeca.It really could do with a lot more torque to get off the line and up hills, especially when fully loaded.The boxer engine is a bit noisy, with some chain-whirring sounds when moving at city speeds, but the Tribeca cabin is serene when cruising and decelerating.The five-speed automatic works well enough, but has to change down a fair bit to help the engine maintain speed. A six-speed may have helped.THE BOTTOM LINENOT pretty, but a practical family wagon that is great value for money. 73/100

LPG has long been the choice of taxi operators and fleet owners, who steer clear of costly petrol.Ford has led the way with LPG in Australia and is the only company to offer a car that runs on gas alone.Holden joined the party in 2005 when it offered its VZ Commodore with dual-fuel, which means the car can run on petrol or LPG.The dual-fuel option has been made available for the VE range, including Omega, V-Series, Berlina, and current wagon and ute.It costs a hefty $3900 to choose the Holden LPG option. The sting of the extra cost is eased by the Federal Government's LPG grant of $2000, trimming it back to $1900.Ford offers the LPG option on its Falcon range for $1400, which is reduced to $400 when you factor in the government grant of $1000.The Commodore gets the full $2000 grant because Holden has its accessory supplier HSV to do the LPG work in Clayton and it is considered a conversion.Ford prepares its LPG cars in the factory at Campbellfield, so it is not considered a conversion and gets the lesser grant.A BASE Commodore Omega fleet machine fitted with the dual-fuel system and airconditioning (a $2000 option) costs $38,390 with the government grant.A dual-fuel Commodore V-Series (airconditioning standard) costs $36,890, with the grant.The Ford LPG system (157kW and 383Nm) uses older technology that pre-mixes the gas with air for combustion. The newer Holden system injects the gas straight into the engine, just as it would do with petrol. That means it has more punch when it is running on gas — 175kW and 325Nm.That is only slightly down on the 180kW/330Nm the engine puts out when it is running on petrol.The Holden system has a 73-litre LPG tank in the boot, behind the rear seats, which adds about 100kg to the Commodore.Holden engineers have adjusted the rear suspension accordingly, adding firmer springs to counter the extra weight.The tank reduces boot space 100 litres to 396 litres.The upside is that using the petrol and LPG tanks means you have a range of more than 1000km, but most people will run only on LPG.Holden's official fuel-economy figure for the Commodore when running on gas is 16 litres for 100km and 11.7 litres for 100km when running on petrol (0.8 litres/100km more than the petrol-only model).Though the LPG option is available across a range of models, the most popular candidate is the base Omega, a fleet favourite, and the V-Series for families. ON THE ROADTHE Federal Government's LPG rebate has widened the appeal of cars like the dual-fuel VE Commodore.Without the $2000 grant, it could take three or four years to save enough money to cover the initial cost of the system.But with the grant, the VE Commodore dual-fuel system could pay for itself within 18 months if the driver covers 20,000km a year.It is still more expensive than the Falcon LPG option, which, on our figures, could pay for itself in five months, allowing for the LPG grant.The Commodore Omega dual-fuel feels much the same to drive as the regular model.It doesn't go quite as fast — mainly because of the extra 100kg of LPG tank weight.The LPG tank level indicator sits on the dashboard just in front of the transmission. It looks a bit "aftermarket" and shows the tank level in green lights.THE car doesn't show fuel economy figures or a distance-to-empty calculation for either gas or petrol, which is a pain.The dual-fuel system starts on petrol and automatically switches back to petrol.Sometimes the test car beeps until you manually change over to petrol, which you can do on the move.It happens a few times during the test — at idle with the airconditioning on and after hard acceleration.Other glitches with the test car include another beep and a display on the dashboard suggesting the stability control system has flicked when it clearly hasn't — usually the type of thing a mechanic can fix at the next service.Boot space is reduced, but there is enough room for most items.The LPG tank is in the way of the ski port in the middle rear seat, so you can forget carrying long items.More disappointing is the engine/transmission noise in the test car.To me, it sounds like a loud automatic-related (unlocked torque converter) slurring when the engine is under heavy load, but many customers will just notice it is noisy.The dual-fuel conversion should not affect engine noise, but this car sounds louder than other Commodores we have tested.The four-speed auto is fairly crude with its changes.As part of the test, we drive a BF-dedicated LPG Falcon, which is quieter and smoother.The dual-fuel Commodore has the potential to save you a lot of money.But if you don't need to have a Holden, look at the LPG Falcon, which might use older technology but costs less and is quieter.