Articles by Marcus Craft

Are wheel spacers legal in Australia? No, wheel spacers are not legal in Australia unless the manufacturer of the vehicle has fitted them to the vehicle in question.

The all-new 2025 Lexus GX line-up is here and the off-road hero of the range is the Overtrail.This big luxury 4WD wagon is based on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series platform, has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, off-road driver modes, a locking rear diff and, on paper at least, it seems like the ultimate adventure machine.But is it as good in the rough stuff as it's hyped up to be?

They sell and sell and sell, they’re so popular they’re ubiquitous on our roads, some of them may never be used on the dirt and yet they’ve all become the people-movers of choice in the 21st Century – but are utes and 4WDs actually any good for families?Utes and 4WD wagons have swiftly become the go-to conveyances nowadays for everyone from city-based families to mumpreneurs, from adventure-sport loving weekend warriors to tech big-wigs.That’s all well and good but are utes and 4WDs well suited to families?Read on.In terms of day-to-day performance, comfort and practicality as family vehicles, utes and wagons are fairly even.Let’s look at some of the positive and not-so-positive factors of both vehicle types.A ute has a lot going for it as a family vehicle and it has one very obvious major point of difference with wagons and passenger cars: its open tray or tub. This versatile load space means that the extent of your packing is not restricted by your vehicle’s roof-line (as it is in a wagon), because the tub doesn’t have one.You can load beyond the top edge of a ute’s tub if needed, and tall or awkwardly shaped loads aren’t a problem either – think flat-packed furniture, building materials, cement mixers, pinball machines … you get the idea.The flip side of that major positive though is that the load is not covered and so it is not protected from the weather (rain etc) and it is not secure (from opportunistic thieves and the like). The remedy to these issues is getting a lockable tub cover that provides protection and security for whatever you choose to load into the tray. However, those solutions mean that the tub then becomes a uniform load space, i.e. you won’t be able to load tall or awkwardly shaped equipment or materials into the tub unless you leave the cover open.There’s a huge variety of OEM and aftermarket tray/tub coverings (hard or soft tonneau covers, roller shutters, aluminium lids etc) from which to choose. Or you can buy an aftermarket canopy to be fixed to your ute tub to protect your loaded gear, and many of those options are lockable and feature-packed. However, a canopy is not an engineered-at-vehicle-origin solution, so while it offers much better security, water- and dust-proofing than having no tub cover at all, it’s no match for a wagon’s built-in load space.But, once again, by affixing a cover to a ute’s tub – whether it’s a tonneau, roller shutter, canopy, or simply a bit of tarp over the top – defeats the original purpose of owning an open-topped ute anyway, because by doing so you’re instantly robbing the ute tub of its load-carrying versatility.In other ways, utes have come a long away over the past decade or so and, though still wearing leaf-spring suspension set-ups engineered to cope with any anticipated work gear or leisure equipment, they are generally regarded as being at least in the vicinity of passenger cars, in terms of comfort, cabin amenities and driver-assist technology.Whereas ride quality and handling in unladen utes was once severely compromised due to the leaf-spring suspension, those issues have largely been addressed if not resolved, and contemporary utes are now generally more composed and predictable on sealed surfaces and corrugated dirt tracks than they once were – even without a load onboard.Wagons also have plenty of positives in their favour as family conveyances, even as standard, and those may make them more appealing than a 2WD passenger car or van in a buyer’s eyes.4WD wagons offer flexibility in terms of passenger-carrying capabilities because a wagon may have five, seven or eight seats.They also, most importantly, offer families based in the city, suburbs or rural areas the peace of mind that a vehicle lacking 4WD, genuine country-tough robustness and decent ground clearance simply doesn’t.Your valuables (people, pets, camping gear, collection of Star Wars action figures etc) are afforded safety and security in a wagon because it is a fully enclosed and lockable load space, accessible from the main cabin.Another plus in their favour: 4WD wagons have coil-spring set-ups, so ride quality and handling is composed and predictable on sealed surfaces and corrugated dirt tracks.Utes and wagons make great choices as family vehicles – hence they’re overwhelming popularity.They’re versatile people- and load-carrying vehicles; they’re comfortable, roomy, robust and offer the driver a peace of mind not possible in a passenger car.You may never take your family 4WD off the actual road, but at least you know you can if you want to.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport has always been a quiet achiever in a market full of vehicles that generate more excitement, that have greater cache with the car-buying public, and sell better than the Pajero Sport. It generally moves less than half the units top-sellers such as Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X move in the same amount of time.

The realm of high-end, high-performance utes is an increasingly competitive slice of the new vehicle market. The latest Ford Ranger Raptor to enter the arena has a V6 engine, an upgraded suspension set-up and drive modes aimed at further bolstering its growing reputation as a built-for-purpose adventure machine.But does the Raptor have serious potential as a touring 4WD?

Why are beadlocks illegal in Australia? Beadlock wheels/rims are designated as strictly for off-road use (only). They are not legal for on-road use in Australia because they have not yet been approved for use on sealed surfaces and do not comply with existing vehicle standards in accordance with Australian Design Rules (ADR).

Is it illegal to drive a car registered to a deceased person?The short answer is: yes. The law may differ slightly from state to state/territory but essentially the same principle applies: if the registered owner/operator of a vehicle dies, the registration must be transferred to a new registered operator or cancelled before it is driven on a road or a road-related area (i.e. a driveway, service station or shopping centre).You are not legally allowed to drive a deceased person's car if it is still registered to the deceased person. Again, for those in the cheap seats, if the registered owner/operator of a vehicle dies, the registration must be transferred to a new registered operator or cancelled before it is driven on a road or a road-related area (i.e. a driveway, service station or shopping centre).It doesn’t matter if you’re family, a family friend, the spouse or the favourite child of the deceased person and/or the executor of their will, if you’re caught driving a car that is registered to a deceased person then you may face a fine or penalty.Just don’t do it.You’re much better off transferring ownership of the vehicle or vehicles in question if you have the authority to do so via the will or probate documents.In order to transfer ownership of the deceased’s vehicle, head to the appropriate service centre in your state or territory, taking with you proof of identity, the deceased individual’s death certificate and a range of other official documents, which may vary depending on your state/territory and your circumstances.In NSW, you are required to visit a NSW service centre in person and show proof of your identity, the deceased person’s death certificate, a completed Application for Transfer of Registration, and either the death certificate (original or copy), newspaper death notice, online newspaper notification (the live link), a letter from a solicitor or the NSW Trustee and Guardian advising that the person is deceased, a completed Advice of Death – PDF together with a proof of identity document of the deceased additional documents depending on whether there is a will or not – and – or in the case of a missing person presumed deceased, a 'Presumption of Death Order' issued by the Supreme Court (original or copy).If there is a will and ownership of the vehicle in question is being transferred to the beneficiary or executor, a copy of the relevant section of the will or probate document, or a signed, written advice from a solicitor or NSW Trustee and Guardian must be submitted to the appropriate government department and the document or documents must name the new operator as the beneficiary or executor. So, the onus is on you.These processes are in place to avoid fraudulent or malicious dealings with the deceased person’s estate and unauthorised transfers by a registered operator on the basis that they’re deceased when they’re not. Naughty.Also, take note. Stamp duty and transfer fees do not apply, in NSW at least, if the vehicle is transferred into the name of a beneficiary or executor nominated in the will, the administrator of the estate, the surviving joint operator, the next of kin, or a different proven beneficiary in a subsequent transfer.For example, if the registration is transferred into the name of a person, and then subsequently transferred to a different proven beneficiary.Fees may apply if there is a change of registration usage – for example, changing from pensioner concession to private usage.If the vehicle is disposed of or sold without being transferred to a person named in a will or other acceptable document, the new operator must meet the usual requirements to transfer the registration.Don’t forget, any licence or licences of the deceased person must be cancelled.If there is no will, the vehicle in question may be transferred to the administrator of the estate or to the surviving joint operator or next of kin. Both of those circumstances require their own range of official forms, including a Statutory Declaration and other supporting documents.Not really – there are only slight variations in terms of what’s required of the party or parties who are responsible for the cancellation or transfer of ownership of the deceased person’s vehicle as per their duties with regards to the execution of the will or probate documents. (Yep, that’s my version of over-worded legalese.)It doesn’t matter if you’re the spouse or child of the deceased person and no matter whether you reside in, or the deceased resided in, NSW, Vic, Qld or any other state or territory, the law is the law: if the registered owner/operator of a vehicle has died, the registration must be transferred to a new registered operator or cancelled before it is driven on a road or a road-related area (i.e. a driveway, service station or shopping centre).If you need to move the vehicle before registration is transferred it will have to be towed or transported.

Is it illegal to flash your headlights to warn of police? It depends on the circumstances, the state or territory in which you are driving at the time and whether you’ve flashed your high beam headlights or just your headlights.

If you're in the market to buy a US ute like the Ram, Chevrolet Silverado or even the upcoming Toyota Tundra, then the F-150 seems like it should be right up there in terms of what you consider.And a top-spec Ford F-150 Lariat long wheelbase is well-engineered, well-equipped and purpose-built for towing and touring, so it should be a spot-on fit at the top of your shopping list. Right?

Drive a comfortable, family-friendly car while helping to save the planet? It couldn't be easier...Hybrid vehicles are currently a great choice as they offer a happy compromise between driving a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE) or driving a full EV.The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV) in GSR spec is packed with features and offers fuel cost-savings over an ICE vehicle.