Articles by Owner Review

Owner Review

CarsGuide's Owner Reviews are written by real Australian car owners. They reflect the personal experiences of our audience with their vehicles, providing an overview of their long-term ownership, including running costs and reliability. This content is moderated by the CarsGuide Editorial team.

2013 Subaru Forester Diesel review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 04 Jul 2025
Sufficient to fulfil my needs, but not so much that it is intrusive or unreliable. Bluetooth works well. ABS doesn't cut in too soon, but works well when you need it. Great. Plenty of space, although I will always test the limits. The tailgate allows great access, other than the low height that has led to my wife and I banging our heads. The seats adjust electrically, so it is easy for anyone to get comfortable. The full-size spare wheel compartment has room for a selection of tools. Reasonable power for a diesel. Easy to place the car on the road. Corners well. Armchair ride makes for pleasant long-distance driving. Quiet, even at speed. Very good for towing, both long distance and for tight work. I consistently get 7-7.2L/100km (~40mpg) generally, unless I am towing. General servicing is a reasonable cost. I have had two major repairs in 160,000km: a new clutch shortly after I bought it (I don't know how the previous owner treated it), and the fuel pump inside the engine casing leaked and needed to be replaced. Each of those repairs cost $5k, but that is not bad over 160,000km. Insurance is basic. The car has been used very hard and has come through it all with flying colours. It has never let me down. I once hit two kangaroos at 120km/h. There was some bodywork damage, but the headlights, radiator, air-conditioner, steering and suspension were not affected, and I was able to continue the trip (The kangaroos were not so lucky!).I have spoken above about the repairs needed, but they were handled at service time and never put me off the road. The most frustrating issue was the HID globes failing repeatedly. That drove me crazy for a while. I eventually resolved this by having LED globes fitted.
Read the article
2024 Toyota RAV4 Cruiser Hybrid review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 02 Jul 2025
Multimedia and safety technology are not to the standard I experienced in my previous Kluger Grande. The practicality of the car interior is execptional, but the cargo area needs the additional rubber mat for protection. The driving experience is exactly as needed, being what was sought after and not liking that found in the Kluger Grande. In particular, I like the ease of driving with a shorter body and wheelbase. All running costs were cheaper than the previous Kluger Grande Hybrid by a long way, in respect to fuel. The reliability of the car meets all expectations and I have has no reason to regret buying this model.
Read the article
2022 GWM Haval H6 Hybrid review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 02 Jul 2025
All the tech was easy to get used to, and the salesman where we bought it turned off or down any annoying tech we did not like. It is practicable in every sense. The only thing I do not like is because of its size, it is a bit hard to park, but I am getting used to it. I find the car drives very well because it has a turbo. It has a lot of grunt, which I have to be careful of because it is easy to speed - but with the speed on the screen, it helps. Insurance through NRMA is very reasonable, and I am truly amazed how much fuel we have saved over the past six months. Tyres are wearing well. We have only had the car for six months, so we haven't had any reliability problems. I careful researched the car and couldn't find any reliability problems.
Read the article
2022 Kia Sorento AWD GT-Line review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 02 Jul 2025
The best on the road. Wipes competitors off the road. Stunning. With the electrically-controlled rear door I could almost get my house in there but will leave it for cargo. The creature comfort features are almost unheard of in this part of the car market. I did a 3600km journey in the country in my second week of ownership and would do it again in a heartbeat because it is so comfortable and easy to drive. Above and beyond my greatest wishes and expectations. I have total confidence in the car's reliability. I want to drive it across the Nullabor and around the eastern states with a small caravan in tow. I know it will please us with comfort (including air conditioning and glass open roof) to take in the fresh air.
Read the article
2022 GWM Ute Cannon-L review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 02 Jul 2025
Amazing value, especially in terms of the tech! A 360-degree camera view with high quality screen resolution, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, heated seats, front and rear parking sensors and Apple CarPlay, all for $40 grand or thereabouts. You just can’t beat it (although the sound system needs a bit of an upgrade). Externally this thing is a dream, easy to park with the front and rear parking sensors and the 360-degree camera system. Internally it’s roomy with plenty of space and comfort for above average-sized people, up front and in the back seat. Plus it’s a ute. Take the family out on Sunday and go to work on Monday... in comfort. You sit up high with good vision and the ride is okay. But you have to take into account it's a ute, not a luxury vehicle. The driver aids like blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert come in handy. It is a four-pot, 2.0-litre diesel. I bought it new and I’m happy, but if GWM brings its twin-turbo V6 to Australia, in a ute… well, I might consider my options. ;) Fuel economy is pretty good at approx 8.0 litres per 100km. Capped price servicing is appealing compared to the competition. Some people are investing big dollars tricking them up but I’m happy with a couple of modest mods like adding a drivers grab handle to the A-pillar, installing internal rear lights, upgrading the reversing light (the standard one isn't the greatest) and improving the sound system. So far so good, I’m only at 18000km but in the social media forums there are people pulling big caravans and the likes and getting into six figure categories on the speedo. The diesel particulate filter system is good and bad. It allows for DIY regenerative burns, but when the time comes that the car suggests a burn it can throttle back responsiveness which is frustrating and dangerous in certain situations. Aside from the DPF, the GWM Cannon ute is brilliant.
Read the article
2021 MG ZS Excite review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 01 Jul 2025
Only has rear parking sensors and is technically very basic, lacking sophistication. No external temperature read-out so you don’t know how hot or cold it is outside. Would expect that as a standard feature on a 2021 model.My MG ZS has plenty of space. I was recently ble to fit 2.5m long facia timber boards in the car by folding the rear seats. I was surprised. Meant I didn’t need a trailer which saved me money. Plenty of space. Fits five adults easily. Comfortable ride. Great city car. Drives well with a comfortable ride. A bit sluggish and lacks power but I feel safe and secure in my MG ZS.Lowest fuel cost of all the vehicles I have owned. Very economical with low cost for insurance and very happy with the low servicing cost. Very reliable vehicle. Always starts first go and I have peace of mind with the MG ZS. I never fear it's going to break down, in contrast to my previous vehicle (Saab convertible) which was unreliable. 
Read the article
2023 Mitsubishi Outlander LS review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 01 Jul 2025
Multimedia is good as long you use Apple CarPlay. Easy to navigate.Overall it's a good-looking SUV with plenty of space in cargo if you not using the third row. Seats are comfortable, too.Its driving is same like as Nissan X-Trail -smooth on the highway but a little slow on streets.I have been using 98 fuel and it's giving me under 7L/100km as I only use the highway to go to work .So far it's good as I have had no issue with engine or anything in interior.
Read the article
2016 Hyundai Tucson 2.0 GDI review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 01 Jul 2025
The screen sometimes just goes black. The volume of a text message coming through the speakers, if a phone is plugged into the USB port, is extremely loud and no one can figure out how to turn it down, so as soon as I get in the car, I have to silence my phone, which is a pain. The car has a great safety rating, though. I know it's a super safe design, but the high windows in the back mean the people sitting in the back can barely see out the window!Interior seems hard-wearing, but the seats are full of stains, even though I have no idea how they got there?! A drop from a leaking drinking bottle maybe, but they are very dirty. The rear cargo is tidy and easy to clean.It is smooth to drive when nothing is wrong with the engine! I've driven smoother cars, though. It is affordable to run. It is not a thirsty car and I get it serviced annually. This is a reasonable price and insurance is what I would expect it to be.I purchased this car as an upgrade from my 2006 Hyundai Tucson, which I loved and it never had any problems. I have had constant problems with my 2016 Tucson and I wish I had never purchased this car. Constant issues include weird noises and broken buttons etc. I have gotten to know my mechanic very well! He sees me coming and says, "What now!?"
Read the article
2024 Ford Ranger Wildtrak review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 01 Jul 2025
Multimedia is great. Safety tech is extremely dangerous. In the MY24.5 model, there are no ways to save your settings. I have almost had two big accidents with Ford's now permanent lane assist. You can turn it off, but it just turns itself back on. It is extremely dangerous. I have written to Ford customer service and am awaiting a response.Interior is perfectly fine for a small family. Rear cargo is quite small and even smaller if you have a roller shutter. If you get roof racks and rear racks, the vehicle could carry quite a bit of gear. Just with the ute, it doesn’t allow for anything long.Drives really nicely when all safety features are turned off. You will definitely notice when it’s on. You can be well in between your lane and it will take control of your steering. It’s dangerous.Diesel fuel needs less refining yet costs more, go figure. It’s not great on suburban roads. Pretty good on the highway.It’s a brand-new car with 1000km, so it’s hard to give it less than a 10.
Read the article
2023 SsangYong Rexton Ultimate review - Long-term owner
By Owner Review · 01 Jul 2025
Plenty of it, however, the poor font size used on buttons, screen etc. are too small.Excellent. The doors are substantial compared to the Isuzu D-Max's, which are light and flimsy. Lay out great, however, third-row suitability is compromised as you can't adjust second row forward.Very firm on the road. Great road holding.About what I'd expect from a vehicle of its size. It's manageable. However, it's not an EV or Hybrid, but being diesel it goes far. Its towing capacity is excellent - you won't get that with an EV.So far so good as I've only done 20k. A friend has one with 100k and it's being thoroughly reliable.
Read the article