Articles by Joshua Dowling

Want to get drunk and then get driven home by a learner? Move to West Australia, the only state or territory where supervising drivers can be over the 0.05 alcohol limit.

Joshua Dowling road tests and reviews the 2015 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The Suzuki Swift GTI — a cult car from the 1990s — is finally poised for a comeback.

VW diesel scandal set for head-on clash with Australian class action lawyers.

The number of drink drivers busted between 6am and midday is growing, as a new study shows most motorists don't know how long it takes alcohol to leave their system.

The world's fastest all-wheel-drive hot hatches have Porsche-beating performance for a fraction of the price, says Joshua Dowling.

Nothing comes for nothing, they say, and that applies especially to attractive finance offers on new cars. Some can save you thousands of dollars while others have a lump sum at the end.Experts have warned buyers to beware of low interest rate finance offers on new cars in end-of-year sales.While some deals are sharp and can save you thousands of dollars, most of the December deals lock customers into a lump sum payment at the end of the life of the loan -- equivalent to more than half the original purchase price of the car.For example, the Nissan Micra is available for just $49 per week with a 1 per cent interest rate, bringing the total drive-away price to $15,850.But at the end of the three-year loan, the buyer is lumped with a bill for $8210, more than half the original purchase price.The same lump sum, described in finance terms as a “balloon payment”, also appears in the fineprint of the Nissan Navara offer.The Nissan ute can be had for $110 per week with a 1 per cent interest rate, bringing the total drive-away price to $35,991.But at the end of the three-year loan, the buyer is lumped with a bill for $19,795 -- or 55 per cent of the purchase price.Dealer finance experts say on average most residual or “balloon payments” are about 20 per cent of the purchase price, so buyers are not caught out “upside down” owing more than the car is worth at the end of the loan.A spokesman for the National Roads and Motorists’ Association, Peter Khoury, said buyers need to read the fine print of special offers and make sure there are no hidden extra costs.“One of the problems with a balloon payment is that a lot of people can’t afford it and then they have to take out another loan to pay that remaining portion,” said Mr Khoury.In contrast, the current 0 per cent Toyota Camry offer is available without a lump sum payment at the end and can be carried over four years.A $28,990 Toyota Camry costs $140 per week over four years but then the buyer owns the car outright, with no lump sum at the end.A $29,990 Toyota Aurion V6 sedan costs $144 per week, with nothing left to pay at the end of the four-year loan.“When it comes to financing a vehicle, if you are not confident you understand the terms and conditions, make sure you show someone who does,” said Mr Khoury.“Otherwise buyers may not see the loopholes and commit to something they can’t afford. Always shop around and get more than one quote, and that applies to a quote for financing the vehicle.”Dollar dazzlersNissan Micra manual$15,850 drive-away1 per cent finance offer$49 per week over three years and a $8210 balloon paymentNissan Pulsar auto$22,507 drive-away1 per cent finance offer$67 per week over three years and a $12,095 balloon paymentNissan Navara ute$36,835 drive-away1 per cent finance offer$110 per week over three years and a $19,795 balloon paymentToyota Camry$28,990 drive-away0 per cent finance offer$140 per week over four years, no more to payToyota Aurion V6$29,990 drive-away0 per cent finance offer$144 per week over four years, no more to pay

Car makers will come under increasing scrutiny over vehicle emissions in the coming months as consumer groups and the Federal Government take a closer look at how fuel consumption and emissions figures are calculated.A newly formed ministerial forum held a meeting with the car industry and other interested parties in Sydney this week to look at ways of limiting "harmful motor vehicle emissions".Industry heavyweights present at the meeting included Toyota Australia president Dave Buttner and representatives from Nissan, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, BMW and Volkswagen.Government ministers were Paul Fletcher (Major Projects), Greg Hunt (Environment) and Josh Frydenberg (Energy and Resources).The day before the meeting, the Australian Automobile Association launched its pre-emptive strike against the car industry.The AAA, representing nearly eight million motorists, announced it would test 30 new cars sold locally over an 18-month period.The testing will be done in response to the Volkswagen scandal that caused 11 million vehicles to be recalled globally to remedy software that could cheat laboratory tests. Since then motoring bodies internationally have called for better real-world testing of emissions to replace laboratory testing.Chief executive Michael Bradley says the AAA is "very concerned that the government currently has no capacity to test, audit, or enforce elements of its current vehicle emissions regulatory regimen".The debate about Australia's current vehicle emission standards, he says, "risks being rendered meaningless unless a more relevant testing regimen is put in place"."The Volkswagen scandal," he says, "clearly shows that regulators across the globe now need to be assessing the emissions produced by vehicles in the real-world, not just those produced in a laboratory."Minister Fletcher welcomes the AAA's involvement."I look forward to ongoing discussions with a range of stakeholders around vehicle emissions and testing, including the AAA who are a participant in our stakeholder sessions," he says.The AAA tests, to cost an estimated $500,000 over 18 months, will mirror those conducted by similar bodies overseas, although the priority will be on models sold here.The analysis will be done by an independent testing firm in Melbourne which to date has specialised in heavy vehicle emissions.The motorists' body says it is vital that car buyers can trust the fuel economy and pollution ratings on showroom labels.It aims to acquire cars independently, rather than borrow them from makers, so they are indicative of what the public buys.The testing will also use fuel bought at a service station, not special "laboratory fuel".AAA technical expert Craig Newland says: "Overseas governments have started doing real driving emissions tests … because they recognise the lab tests don't tell you everything."Our concern is there are some vehicles that are sold in Australia that are not sold overseas, and we need ... to assess those properly."A government working group will review existing emissions testing arrangements to make sure they are robust as well as examining implementation of tougher Euro6 standards.The group will report to ministers by June 30, then draft a plan by March 2017.

As the new global boss of VW promises to compensate customers for a loss in resale value, lawyers are lining up in Australia to represent more owners of cars with software that can cheat diesel emissi

Inside Ford’s top secret test track, developing cars for China from the Australian outback.