Articles by Justin Hilliard

Justin Hilliard
Head of Editorial

Justin Hilliard’s dad chose to miss his birth because he wanted to watch Peter Brock hopefully win Bathurst, so it figures Justin grew up to have a car obsession, too – and don’t worry, his dad did turn up in time after some stern words from his mum.

That said, despite loving cars and writing, Justin chose to pursue career paths that didn’t lend themselves to automotive journalism, including a Bachelor of Arts with majors in International Studies and Criminology from Monash University.

He eventually ending up working as a computer technician for Apple for four years.

But that car itch just could not be scratched by his chipped Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7), so he finally decided to give into the inevitable and study a Master of Journalism at Monash University at the same time.

And even with the long odds, Justin was lucky enough to land a full-time job as a motoring journalist with GoAuto and GoAuto Premium soon after graduating and the rest, as they say, is history.

These days, Justin happily finds himself working at CarsGuide during the biggest period of change yet for the automotive industry, which is perhaps the most exciting part of all.

In case you’re wondering, Justin begrudgingly sold the Golf R (sans chip) and still has plans to buy his dream car, an E46 BMW M3 coupe (manual, of course), but he is in desperate need of a second car space – or maybe a third.

You can find Justin on LinkedIn.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts | Monash University | 2010-2013
  • Master of Journalism | Monash University | 2015-2017

Featured Publications

Nissan Qashqai 2023 review: ST-L long-term | Part 1
By Justin Hilliard · 16 Mar 2023
The 2023 Nissan Qashqai is a significant leap forward for the small SUV series, delivering the modern in-cabin technology its predecessor was missing. But we're spending three months with its ST-L variant to see if it has what it takes to handle city life. Spoiler alert: it's thoroughly impressive.
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Mazda CX-3 2023 review: Akari LE petrol long-term | Part 3
By Justin Hilliard · 25 Jan 2023
After three months with the 2023 Mazda CX-3 Akari LE AWD, it's finally time to say goodbye. And as this final instalment of our long-term review shows, the best-selling light SUV may have a timeless exterior design and surprisingly premium features, but it's fallen behind newer rivals when it comes to the driving experience.
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Mazda CX-3 2023 review: Akari LE petrol long-term | Part 2
By Justin Hilliard · 19 Dec 2022
The first-generation Mazda CX-3 is now eight years old, which means it's quite old in automotive terms. And while that may mean some of its key technology is dated, it's still a very stylish option in the Light SUV segment, albeit not a particularly practical one.
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Mazda CX-3 2023 review: Akari LE petrol long-term | Part 1
By Justin Hilliard · 25 Nov 2022
The Light SUV segment is dominated by the Mazda CX-3, which just celebrated its eighth birthday. But the Japanese crossover has a new Akari LE flagship that adds a little more luxury to its semi-premium formula. Yep, it's got a few nice surprises in store for buyers.
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Citroen C4 2023 review: Long-term | Part 3
By Justin Hilliard · 13 Oct 2022
If the Citroen C4 Shine is to succeed in the highly competitive small SUV segment, it has to really stand for something - and that it does. Yep, comfort is the key focus here, and when it comes to driving, one particular French feature helps to deliver it in spades.
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Citroen C4 2023 review: Long-term | Part 2
By Justin Hilliard · 30 Sep 2022
The new-generation Citroen C4 has a clear focus on design. After all, it's a hatchback, fastback and SUV all rolled into one. But does its style-centric approach mean practicality has taken a big hit? Thankfully, the answer's no. In fact, this French model has a few surprises up its sleeve...
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Citroen C4 2023 review: Long-term | Part 1
By Justin Hilliard · 29 Aug 2022
The third-generation Citroen C4 is a hatchback, liftback and SUV all in one, and now it's the next model to enter the long-term CarsGuide garage. But could this menage a trois actually be good value for a French model? Spoiler alert: yes.
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Suzuki Ignis 2022 review: GLX long-term | Part 3
By Justin Hilliard · 19 Jul 2022
Three months have come and gone, and it's now time to farewell the Suzuki Ignis GLX. As it turns out, the 'light SUV' is well suited to the urban jungle, although its overall performance is far from perfect.
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Suzuki Ignis 2022 review: GLX long-term | Part 2
By Justin Hilliard · 06 Jul 2022
We're now in our second month with the Suzuki Ignis GLX and a key question has arisen: is one of the Australia's smallest new cars actually practical? You'd be surprised. What isn't up for debate, though, is the light SUV's distinctive exterior design. It really does separate itself from the pack.
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Best crossovers arriving in 2022
By Justin Hilliard · 30 Jun 2022
Light and small cars have been rapidly declining in popularity for years now as new-vehicle buyers have flocked to crossovers and larger SUVs in increasing numbers.
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