Articles by Owner Review

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.

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.

Multimedia is great for 2016. Bluetooth connects quickly and calls are easy to make. Map function I don't use as much, but imagine it's not as useful. Safety tech is pretty standard.It's a small vehicle but feels spacious inside. Boot space is decent for a hatchback and has a removable cover for privacy, which is a plus. Seats can fold down to be more spacious for larger items.Driving experience has always been good. It's not as smooth, but that's fair for an older and smaller car. I've never had any issues with the vehicle, had always been an easy drive and is super reliable. Love how it's economical. Fuel for the week is around $65 for a full tank (sometimes more if it's above $2). Insurance is roughly over a grand a year. Servicing has been straight forward.It's renowned for its exceptional reliability. With a reputation for durability and longevity, it delivers a dependable driving experience. Routine maintenance, such as oil changes and timely repairs, contributes to the Corolla's longevity, making it a reliable choice for many drivers.

The 2011 model doesn't have the latest, fully digital interface. I am happy that it easily connects to my iPhone via Bluetooth and I can get my music without issues. Safety features are fine (well, if you think four airbags is the gold standard).Being quite tall, seating in the front seat can be a problem, particularly when you can't move the seat back (due to having more people in the car or a baby seat). So, I would love a bigger car. Interior space and the trunk are alright.It doesn't have the smooth features recent models and more premium cars have. But it's a decent drive for the price and we've never had any issues with it.  There wasn't any need for extra servicing apart from the usual yearly inspection. Since we don't use it very often, it's six full tanks per year and the fuel usage is average, as expected. Insurance is cheap now (or at least average) so running costs are quite low.While this 2011 Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport is nothing to write home about, it's a great second hand car that has (amazingly) retained its value and strength. It's very reliable and still feels decent; more like an like an eight-year old car than a 12-year old one. 

There's a huge iPad tablet in the centre console. There's everything you need tech-wise and nothing you don't. No stupid modes or gimmicks. It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I like the fact it has a separate screen for a dashboard, too, unlike the Tesla. Unfortunately, my wife has Apple and I have Android. After she drives the car, it will only connect via Bluetooth and will not enable Android Auto. Strangely, the next drive Android Auto works just fine. Allegedly, she has a same problem vice-versa. When you tap around the screen it's also a bit jittery. So there is room for improvement. The iPad screen concept feels a bit dated now, but I still like it.The app for anyone under the age of 30 sucks. All you can do is basic functions such as unlock/lock the car, turn on air-con and see how charged the battery is. Oh, and your wife can stalk you by tracking the location. There's no party tricks. Suits me, though. The app at least seems to work quite well and I've never had any issues with it. Given it's diminutive size, it's superbly practical. It swallows up the kids' sporting gear with ease in the boot. It's 'vegan leather' vinyl interior is very easy to keep clean, too. I'd argue it's too big for inner city driving, but some would beg to differ. Nice little touches include a 12V outlet in the back boot and decent lighting. It doesn't have a spare tyre though.Tall people can very comfortably sit in the back seats without their head touching the glass roof. While I've never had reason to use it, the frunk can only fit maybe a small, cabin-baggage size suitcase. So it's marked down only because of that. But it's better than a smack in the chops, as my mum would say. Being electric it's very agile when moving around car parks etc. Put it in gear and there is no lag. That can be hard to get used to. While it's not fast off the line, like all electric cars it's very fast at rolling speeds. Yes, I'm an electric-car noob. But, frankly, I think the GT twin motor would be too much. It's not obscenely fast, but it is certainly is toey. Toey enough to be an excellent daily driver.My last car was a Subaru Levorg. At first I thought the Mach-E is not much bigger than the 'Vorg. About a week later I realised it's much bigger and a completely different beast. The 'povvo' Select pack is also rear-wheel drive. On dirt or in the wet, it will get a bit sideways. But there's thousands of lines of code keep the fat 'Stang on the straight and narrow - whether you like it or not. Most of the time I'm grateful for that. But sometimes, just sometimes I would like to get the arse out just a touch. Too bad.The 19-inch rims are a bit reluctant during hard cornering. On one occasion under duress it felt like Mr Rim and Mr Tyre-Bead were about to part ways. This is no track pack, it's a snack pack. And I forgive it for less than aggressive cornering because it's so supremely comfortable to cruise in. My wife, who was reluctant, admitted there were no regrets with this purchase because it's just so damned comfortable. If you're an EV fan boy, you will know this stuff already. If not, keep reading! Servicing is absurdly cheap. The first service was about $140. Then again all they do is wash and vacuum, diagnostic test and rotate the tyres. My last car cost $360 a service, so I already feel like I'm winning.Insurance is a bit of change around $1800 fully comprehensive. Nothing to write home about but not that bad.Using the Evie charger network, a full charge would cost me around $30 and takes about 35 minutes. When I had to drive from Melbourne to Ballarat for work, I laughed all the way home because it only cost $20 to fully charge the car at country rates. That trip in the old car would've cost me about $140 in fuel and parking.Charging at home with a 10-amp trickle charger will take 20-30 hours. That, as yet, has had no noticeable impact on our power bill (TBD). Oh, yeah, the car doesn't come with this, so budget another $400 for a trickle charger or pony up for a proper home charger ($2000-3000 installed).Range-wise, it's winter now and I'm only getting about 300km per 80% charge. In summer it was more like 340km. I'm genuinely hoping that this is because of winter and not battery degradation on a brand-new car. I know there's a correlation between lower mileage and winter in Europe and the US, but it's Melbourne, man! It's not that cold. So if you need the range, go the higher-spec models. For my bougie, inner-urban usage, it's more than fine. I probably charge once or twice a week maximum. Aside from the battery life in winter and alternating between Android and Apple connectivity, no issues so far.

Very limited technology was available. Like many passionate owners, I upgraded from the generic sound system, while Harman/Kardon is the high-end option. The speakers very easily overloaded, leading to the 'umbrella' speaker, or very little output, most likely just due to the age the the system/car, which is why many people upgraded.The in-built media system didn't come with GPS stock but was offered as an upgrade from factory. Like always, the system updates stopped. This was when Android Auto and Apple CarPlay started to enter 10+ years later. As a sedan I've learnt that they're not the most practical cars, but I was able to fit many things in from Bunnings. Unfortunately, this often required taking off the packaging, but still able to fit things. The boot was absolutely useless.Never buy a sedan again, always opt for wagon or hatchback. A car to be driven and driven to the limit. The upgrades with the STI model haVE most definitely hit all the right spots. An absolute pleasure to drive on road and off-road. I've driven around on dirt around Wisemans Ferry (the other side) completely feeling in control whilst looking out against the Hawkesbury river.The AWD system from Subaru, with a great set of tyres, really does not fault in terrible weather conditions. The combination of slight additional upgrades with STI model made a huge difference. I feel this was the end of an era for Subaru and STi collaboration. Fuel consumption always came down to how you drove and still remains the case with any car now. City versus highway versus spirited driving. This, of course, impacted serving and insurance. Being a safe driver in a location with lower statistics means less cost. Unfortunately, moving closer to the city from outer Sydney saw nearly a double in price.Servicing comes down to modifications - the more you've done the more you're seeing your mechanic. Typically, twice a year I was getting a service done. A stock-as-a-rock car could get away with once a year. Pricing is very consistent with what a new car pricing offers, often actually cheaper. Unfortunately, due to the poor design of EJ25 engine and bay placement, your hit with a big major service, typically due to headgasket requiring engine being pulled from the bay.The engine type and narrow engine bar is why I've been turned off purchasing similar Subaru's again (along with the old headgasket issue), as much as I love the cars. Headgasket, oil, headgasket, oil, headgasket. Seriously, I went from thinking Subarus were the solid OEM after having no problems. All I had was issues on my third (this review), so I didn't purchase another Subaru after this and I most likely wont ever again.

Sometimes wireless Apple Carplay does not connect. Has good warnings about speed cameras or level crosssings. Warns about school zones outside of advertised hours. Big screen. Electric third row seats make it easy to use third row, compared to manual fixtures. Second row tumbles forward and can be 40/20/40 split. Climate control concierge can keep every area happy. No room behind third row when in use. Engine has plenty of get up and go. You can chose between Drive modes like ECO and Sport. Has a smooth ride for the bumps and pot holes. Good vision out the windscreen and mirrors. Need to switch off steering assistance as it can be over-reactive, as can be the automatic brake system. Quiet for a diesel. Fixed-price Servicing is $595 every six months. They give me a loan car when being serviced. Shop around for insurance as some companies are double the premium of others. Would average about 10 litres per 100km overall and about nine on the freeway. The car always started first time. No gearbox issues. Adjustable-height suspension works quietly.

The tech in the Polo is great. I have the Sound & Vision add-on package, which provides a digital dash as well as Beats audio speakers. The sound and bass is awesome and very customisable. The digital dash is also relatively customisable to look how you want. The interior has everything you need within arms reach, however it coud feel more premium. It has very small cup holders and a small centre console. The backk is well spaced for a small car and with the seats down, the back cargo becomes more spacious than most hatches (can fit as much in this as I can in a i30 with its seats down). For extra context, I can also fit a set of golf clubs in the boot without neding to put the seats down. The drive is very smooth. It has four driving modes and the turbo engine makes it very responsive and enjoyable to drive. Fuel (98) = ~$65-75 a tank (range is between 430-500km per tank). Servicing is on average ~$400. Insurance is going up, recently was $1100 for the year. Very reliable. I have only had one issue where my alternator stopped sending power to the battery and needed to be replaced. Otherwise, i haven't had any reliability issues with my car.

Safety tech is very good. Radio reception is not good unless you use Apple CarPlay through your phone. The space is very good. It can take three adults in the back with no worries. It drives okay when in the city. I have not taken it on long journey as yet. Too high. I had it back to the dealership and had the alternator replaced. Also, the battery was replaced by roadside assist when the vehicle was three months old.

Dated technology. It needs Bluetooth and a GPS screen. Car interior is clean and comfortable. Seats fold up toward back of front seats, and we have placed a mattress in the back to camp on long trips. We have found the vehicle goes well. We have done many very long trips and it is comfortable. The overdrive is very handy and also the 4WD works when roads are boggy. We were getting around 10km per litre of diesel. Servicing was always done by the local Nissan dealer, but there are mechanics who can do it cheaper. Insurance in the last year or two is about $80 per month. We drove our car for long distances for over 17 years in rural and remote areas of Australia and we could trust our Nissan Patrol to fire up every time we put the key in for a trip.