Articles by Laura Berry

Laura Berry
Senior Journalist

Laura Berry is a best-selling Australian author and journalist who has been reviewing cars for more than 15 years.

Much more of a Hot Wheels girl than a Matchbox one, she grew up in a family that would spend every Friday night sitting on a hill at the Speedway watching sprint cars slide in the mud. The best part of this was being given money to buy stickers. She loved stickers… which then turned into a love of tattoos.

Out of boredom, she learnt to drive at 14 on her parents’ bush property in what can only be described as a heavily modified Toyota LandCruiser.  

At the age of 17 she was told she couldn’t have a V8 Holden ute by her mother, which led to Laura and her father laying in the driveway for three months building a six-cylinder ute with more horsepower than a V8.  

Since then she’s only ever owned V8s, with a Ford Falcon XW and a Holden Monaro CV8 part of her collection over the years.

Laura began her career as a journalist in the entertainment industry writing about music for The South China Morning Post; television for tvChoice; fashion and celebrities for The Mirror before combining her passion for cars with her profession and moved into motoring.

In 2008 she joined News Custom Publishing as Managing Editor of its motoring titles, including Australia’s Best Cars and the official programs for V8 Supercars, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.

In 2011 she joined CarsGuide (for the first time), back when it was part of a newspaper, and learnt to test and review cars.

This followed a move to Motor as Production Editor, then Wheels as News Editor while also writing for Street Machine and Top Gear Australia.

As the media landscape shifted she left print journalism and joined online motoring publication GoAuto as a senior writer.

A brief stint in automotive public relations then followed before she joined CarsGuide in 2015 (for the second time) as Senior Journalist where she remains to this day.

A wife and mother, and author of two books, her current daily driver is a chopped 1951 Ford Tudor with a V8, of course.

You can find Laura on LinkedIn, TikTok and Instagram.

Expertise

  • Performance and custom cars
  • Family cars and SUVs

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts | Macquarie University

Featured Publications

  • The Mirror (UK) | 2002-2006
  • South China Morning Post | 2004-2006
  • tvChoice (UK) | 2004-2006
  • TVQuick (UK) | 2004-2006
  • Mercedes-Benz Magazine | 2005-2006
  • Australia’s Best Cars | 2008-2010
  • V8 Supercars Official Program | 2008-2010
  • Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix Official Program | 2008-2010
  • Australian MotoGP Official Program | 2008-2010
  • Motor | 2012-2013
  • Street Machine | 2012-2015
  • Wheels | 2013
  • Top Gear | 2013-2014
  • GoAuto | 2014-2015
  • CarsGuide | 2015-present
Corolla Crossed off the list?
By Laura Berry · 11 Nov 2022
There’s probably no way that a Toyota Corolla Cross could fail to win over Australians. After all, it’s the SUV version or the world’s most popular car - the Corolla. 
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New mystery next Lamborghini model revealed
By Laura Berry · 11 Nov 2022
They say if you ask a silly question, then you’ll get a silly answer. But not in the case of Lamborghini’s global boss Stephan Winkelmann who has revealed to CarsGuide what the brand's mysterious upcoming fourth model will be after being asked if the brand would ever do a people mover.
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Toyota's HiLux set for top spot - again
By Laura Berry · 08 Nov 2022
What will be the most popular car of 2022? Well one thing is for sure, it won’t be a car - it’ll be a ute as it was last year when Toyota’s HiLux took out the number one place.
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No Bull - Lambos are as popular as ever
By Laura Berry · 07 Nov 2022
Lamborghini has just posted its most successful sales results for the first nine months of a year as it said farewell to its V12 combustion engine and headed into the brave new world of electrification.
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LandCruiser Hybrid sooner than you think
By Laura Berry · 07 Nov 2022
Toyota’s plan to bring a diesel-electric hybrid LandCruiser to Australia could be fast tracked as the uptake of electric vehicles accelerates locally, a senior executive has told CarsGuide.
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Will SUVs kill the Corolla?
By Laura Berry · 06 Nov 2022
In a world that’s SUV-obsessed, hatchbacks and sedans seem to be living on borrowed time with more of them getting the axe, so where does this leave the Toyota Corolla now that the SUV version of this iconic car has arrived?
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Where is the Corolla Cross EV?
By Laura Berry · 03 Nov 2022
Toyota's just-launched Corolal Cross SUV is available with a hybrid powertrain for now, but the Japanese brand has not ruled out a full-electric version down the line to take on EV variants of the Hyundai Kona, Kia Niro and MG ZS.
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Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos 2023 review: snapshot
By Laura Berry · 02 Nov 2022
The highest grade in the Corolla Cross range is the Atmos with its list price of $43,550 for the petrol front-wheel drive variant, $46,050 for the front-wheel drive hybrid, and $49,050 for the all-wheel drive hybrid version.Coming standard on the Atmos are LED headlights, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, digital radio and a reversing camera.There’s also roof rails and rear privacy glass, leather upholstered seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a 10.5-inch display with built-in sat nav.Also included are a panoramic moon roof, 18-inch alloys, a power tailgate and power driver's seat, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and wireless phone charging.The Corolla Cross hasn’t been given an ANCAP crash test rating yet, but the advanced safety tech every grade comes with is impressive.All Corolla Crosses come with AEB that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, and impressively can function between 5.0-180km/h. There’s also lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.The Atmos also comes with auto braking which works while you’re parking and auto parking.
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Toyota Corolla Cross GXL 2023 review: snapshot
By Laura Berry · 31 Oct 2022
The Corolla Cross GXL sits in the middle of the range with the petrol front-wheel drive listing for $36,750, the hybrid FWD listing for $38,250, and the all-wheel drive hrybid costing $42,250.  Coming standard on the GXL are LED headlights, a proximity key, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a reversing camera, roof rails and rear privacy glass, leather upholstered seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, plus a 10.5-inch display with built-in sat nav.As for fuel consumption the hybrid uses between 4.3-4.4L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads, while the petrol uses 6.0L/100km.The Corolla Cross hasn’t been given an ANCAP crash test rating yet, but the advanced safety tech every grade comes with is impressive.All Corolla Crosses come with AEB that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, and impressively can function between 5.0-180km/h. There’s also lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control. The GXL also comes with manoeuvre braking.
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Toyota Corolla Cross GX 2023 review: snapshot
By Laura Berry · 29 Oct 2022
The Corolla Cross line-up kicks off with the GX grade and the most affordable version at this level is the petrol variant for a list price of $33,000, while the hybrid is $2500 extra. The GX grade is only available in front-wheel drive, however. So, you’ll need to step up to the GXL for all-wheel drive.Coming standard on the GX are LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, climate control, proximity keys, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker stereo (with digital radio) and a reversing camera.As for fuel consumption the hybrid uses 4.3L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads, while the petrol uses 6.0L/100km.The Corolla Cross hasn’t been given an ANCAP crash test rating yet, but the advanced safety tech every grade comes with is impressive.All Corolla Crosses come with AEB that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, and impressively can function between 5.0-180km/h. There’s also lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.Is the cheapest version of this small SUV best? Hybrid vs petrol? Not quite the GXL grade that offers more features. 
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