Articles by Owner Review

Too complex. Passenger area is roomy with good legroom, although the centre console is wider than necessary without providing facilities as good as others. Boot size is good. No CD player. Easy to drive, but don't like i-stop or lane departure warning, which affects steering adversely. I turn both off. The electric steering feels a bit dead. The brake pedal needs more of a left-side extentsion for left-foot braking. The cruise control buttons are too small and the general system is confusing, unlike previous models. Fuel consumption on 91 octane is 10-11L/100km in town or country, which is worse than expected. Servicing yet to be tried. Insurance average, but has gone up, of course. No problems so far, but only low mileage to date. Time will tell, but Mazda reliability with earlier models has been very good in the past.

Tech is old but simple, especially without the sat-nav head unit. The speakers are great and can be loud with the right inputs. Super safe with the AWD and 10 airbags. And the steering is perfectly weighted. Only thing I could say about the interior is that you can set the clock to a specific second. Super practical, with loads of space given it is a hatchback. It can fit up to five adults (not so comfortably) or four adults (comfortably). The back seats fold completely flat, giving the spacious boot even more space. It's small so it's rather easy to park (the bonnet is a little long, so It takes a little to learn where the front of the car is). It has rear parking sensors which makes it super easy to reverse, and there are almost no blind spots. I have found that on this car they placed the rearview mirror very, very low, which causes a nice big blind spot in the middle of the windscreen. This car has nice big wing mirrors, which may be an eyesore at the start, but they help you see loads of the surroundings. The driving experience is awesome. When the automatic transmission wants to work, it's rather zippy, and the steering feel is great and perfectly weighted. The AWD system really helps to keep it on the road as well, especially during quick maneuvers. The car has plenty of power for overtaking at any speed, even at highway speeds, as well as plenty of power to get up to speed. This car has horrible fuel efficiency. It may be because I don't do the longest trips, but I get from 12 to 14L/100km and get around 300km out of the 60L tank. Each fill is around 80 bucks on 91 and the car is recommended to run on higher octanes like 98, which would be even more expensive. Other than that, rego is rather cheap at $256 every three months, and I have full comprehensive insurance, which is around $250 a month, which may be way too much for this car. I wouldn't suggest getting full comprehensive. and the services arent the cheapest either. My last service was around $350, which was just a regular service without any big fixes. This car has over 220,00km on it and it still runs a dream. I know the boxer engines have a bad rep, but this 2.0 DOHC boxer engine hasn't given me a single problem. Although finding info about the specific engines in the Impreza RS is hard as the engine they have is almost only found in the RS, which is not a worldwide car. But every day I wake up, get in and it always starts - hasn't stuttered once.

The multimedia and safety technology in Mazda cars harmonise, creating a symphony of innovation with 25-watt amplifier power and crystal-clear audio and alerts. Advanced safety features like rader cruise control and lane departure warning seamlessly integrate, ensuring a safe and enjoyable driving experience fused with intuitive infotainment systems elevating the journey. Mazda cars strike a harmonious balance between performance, comfort and practicality, offering a well-rounded package for daily driving, with a blend for spaciousness, ergonomics and fuel efficiency. Slipping behind the wheel, I ignite the engine and the amplifier sprang to life, filling the cabin with rich crystal sound. As I merged onto the highway the engine purred smoothly. The LED headlights cast a bright light, illuminating the road ahead. With each curve, the responsive steering creates a symphony of performance and comfort. Fuel: $150 per monthInsurance: $100 per monthMaintenance: $50 per monthCharging: $25 per monthTotal: $325 per month, with an additional 25 per cent for miscellaneous expenses (tyre, repairs etc.), equalling $406.25 a month. The Mazda's reliability is strong, with a reliable 24-volt charging system, comprehensive insurance and moderate maintenance costs.

The car has every safety feature. What I find interesting is that insurance companies will insure this car for less than my previous car due to these features. A lady walked across behind the car when I was reversing, it hit brakes before I could. The seats are very comfortable. The driver side is well laid out, with most things easy to find. The voice command feature doesn't work very well. It's just good enough to call someone. The interior lighting is nice especially in the evening.The HUD is an essential feature for me now, as it saves my head checking the speed. It also shows when to turn and what the cruise control is set to.The rear cargo area is fairly big and suits our needs. Can't say I love the automatic opening door, but have worked out I can stop it fully opening when I have a 6m paddling ski on the racks. Hop in the seat and press the 'Start' button to get things going, then confirm your acceptance of driving the vehicle, and then press the settings roller to turn off the annoying 'Speed Limit' warning. Okay, we are good to go and roll out of the garage with warnings going off as we go past posts.Off we go. It's so quiet and comfortable, with a spacious surrounding. The car accelerates when needed instantly. I just love it every time, as there's no lag and no noise. Handling is reasonable with the weight all down low. It is not a sports coupe but a sedan, so I think it is fine. The efficiency of the EV is just amazing. I have really noticed the reduced cost. Charging is mainly done at home, but when charging on a highway run, most times we haven't clashed with others. There is still conversations had as we charged, sharing stories of our EV experience. Insurance has been a real surprise with it being far cheaper than my previous car. Tyres and wiper blades are the main consumables. I just enjoy that as well. It is early days, but to date we haven't had an issue. There have been a few over-the-air updates for screen updates, I think, but not sure what they did. I have been using the ABRP app to workout where to charge and when. This takes all the hard work out of planning a trip.Also, I love the Bluelink app that shows the current status of the car, allows you to remotely lock and unlock, see what is around the car and look at the stats of your drives.

Overall, we find that the Jolion is a very safe car to drive, particularly the forward camera. When we use cruise control it reveals so much data, particularly safety issues. My wife and I do a lot of country driving and we find that our Haval has great support in the seats and also the road noise is very low. In this regard, it's probably the quietest we have ever had. Plus, the cargo area takes all of our goods very easily. The Jolion, in the city, is fantasic to drive and the visibilty all around is excellent. In the country, the 1.5-litre turbo gives plenty of power for safe overtaking, and the cruise control takes safety to another level. One of the great features of this car which must be taken into consideration when you compare running costs is the fantastic, very low purchase price, being able to use 91 petrol and the very reasonable service cost. Our car has done 18,000km and we have had zero problems. We are very confident that we are going to get many years of reliable service.

Way outdated with no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but in the new 2024-plated model, they have finally updated the head unit but you lose the 360-degree cameras, tyre monitoring can’t be displayed, and you lose the tri-zone climate control. You do gain the centre console fridge in the Ti, but in the Ti-L you lose what I’ve mentioned already plus the Bose stereo system and rear screen headrests. Hardly worth buying the Ti-L for the extra expense, although you get heated and cooled seats, a sunroof, an electric tailgate and an auto-dipping mirror on the passenger side for reversing next to a gutter. Plenty of storage areas in all three rows. Good AC through out the cabin. Massive cargo area when all seats dropped down. Great leg room for front driver and passenger. Centre row has a huge amount of space. The last row is okay for kids, but for adults it’s a bit tight - but it's same with anything else. The rear cargo area when the middle and rear seats are folded down isn’t a flat cargo space. It has a rise in it from the rear cargo door to the back of the front seats. Not a deal breaker but a little annoying. Love it every time I hit that start button and hear the V8 kick into action. Fantastic power and gets up to 100km/h in under seven seconds. 298kW standard from the factory. Easy to park even for its size due to great visibility all round and large side wing mirrors. Even for its size, it’s a fun vehicle to drive if you want to get a bit enthusiastic with it. We have a saying in the Patrol community when people ask what are they like to own because they're going to look at one, we say, “Tell us what colour you ordered”, because we know once people test drive one, they will place their order. Around town, even driving it enthusiastically, you’ll be around 18L/100km. My around town is based on all short stop-start stuff, school, local shops and work - nothing over 18 for a round trip. Hit the freeways from say Sydney to Queensland and you'll be somewhere around 11.6 to 12L/100km doing the speed limits and loaded. That’s based on z stock standard vehicle with standard tyres. Start adding bullbars, roof racks, rear tyre carriers, draws, fridges etc., then you will start to see those figures increase. Towing 2.8 tonnes, I managed around 21 to 22L/100km sitting on the speed limits. Servicing so far has been on average $400 per service by Nissan, which for a big 4WD, I think is very good. Insurance I just renewed with NRMA for a value of 90K and it was $1600 for 12 months. This is also based on previous claims, speeding etc., which I haven’t had so this for me was the best price by NRMA. So far except for the flaring in the transmission between third and fourth gear - which they all do - it’s been faultless and can’t complain about it. If you are laying the boot into, it is okay, but in general driving I find the flaring the be excessive. But other than that, it’s a super smooth gear change.

The Sealion's tech is excellent. The large infotainment screen is bright and easy to use, and the digital instrument panel is easy to read, although it could be more customisable. The HUD on the Premium spec is a nice addition - I use it all the time. I'm impressed with the app, too. as I can turn on the climate control and heated/ventilated seats, lock and unlock the car, open and close the windows, and track the vehicle's location all from my phone. The cabin is quite practical with a double wireless phone charging pad and a handy storage area lower in the centre console with USB-A and -C slots. Unfortunately, there's nowhere to stow larger drink bottles - both the door recesses and front cupholders are quite small. The storage bin between the front seats is quite deep, however the glovebox is on the small side. The boot offers more space than is initially evident, with the poorly located rear parcel shelf eating into the space. With the rear seats fully reclined it makes for a poorer first impression. Remove the parcel shelf, however, and incline the rear seats to a more comfortable position and the space opens up to something far more useable. Unfortunately, there are no hooks in the boot for bags. The Sealion 6 is very smooth and quiet to drive. Speed bumps and imperfections in the road are handled with ease. There's no vibration when the petrol engine kicks in - just a muted noise through the cabin. They've done a great job with the drivetrain. Steering is on the light side, which makes it very easy to drive around town. However, I find you need to have the steering in Sport mode as comfort is just too light and lacking in any real feel. Insurance was comparable to my ICE vehicle and so far I'm sitting at 1.4L/100km with mostly city driving. Servicing for the first five years is just over $1600. I charge at home and the vehicle is averaging 18kWh/100km. I haven't had any reliability issues. I follow a couple of local BYD owner forums and in the first two months of sales, only onr member has reported a major failure (an issue with the steering column).

Some say that the multimedia and safety technology is a bit dated, but everything works as it should. It's not as invasive as a MU-X that's constantly beeping at you whilst driving. Only issue is the head unit can be a bit jittery and having to disconnect and reconnect your phone for CarPlay or Android Auto - otherwise it won't work properly. The drivers cabin can be a bit tight if you are a large person, but there is heaps of cargo space for the long weekends away, with power outlets to run fridges and charge phones, cameras etc. in the boot. Drives amazingly, even in 2H and even better again in 4H, which the Super Select gearbox allowed on bitumen, compared to other vehicles like the MU-X and Fortuner, which have outdated 4x4 systems. Factory tyres aren't the greatest, but if you upgrade them, the drive will be even better again. Great package from factory. Love the 10x capped-price servicing and 10-year warranty. But the thing that surprised me was the fuel efficiency. We are getting 7.8L/100km, which is better than any other car we have owned and it's a much bigger 4x4 compared to the little sedans and SUVs we have owned. Heaps of Pajero Sports owners with over 150,000km claim the only issues have been split intercooler hoses or o-rings, which sre minor compared to other manufacturers which have more serious issues like bump steer and DPF or EGR issues.

The radio supports Bluetooth for phone and streaming music. There is no sat-nav, but I know where I am going. Best of all there are zero buttons on the wheel. The rear seat folds perfectly flat, so it has no trouble taking rakes, shovels and other gardening equipment. For some reason Toyota fitted a solid rubber mat with high edges, similar to the heavy-duty packs for 4WDs. I have taken steel and rubbish to the tip. Brilliant. An evening delivery to a family member’s house, only a couple of suburbs away, with not much traffic, eight degrees outside and lovely dense air. The free-flowing Miltek exhaust is a bit loud on cold start but soon settles down to a deep burble. I need no throttle up the slight incline of the driveway. I drive in my ballet shoes (aka Dunlop Driving Volleys). It is slightly difficult to heal and toe in the beast joggers. There is not one digital instrument in the base GT, so everything is calm. There are no reflective surfaces; they knew what they were doing. The HID low beam comes on slowly - I can adjust them up and down from the dash. The lights are nice. I trundle down the road and let the temperature come up. This is not any sort of fast drive, just an appreciation of the night. The 1179kg and the balance provided by the MCA coilover spec. The exhaust has given an 8% increase in torque but also lowered the RPM to 4700 - you just don’t have to work it. It is a joy to drive the car anywhere, in the wet or dry. I concentrate on the lines through corners and chicanes. I try to get every gear change perfect. I leave the dynamic stability control on the standard setting. Since MCA took out the anti-squat in the rear, any intervention is minor and short. I only once run up to 4K in third up a hill. The motor is warm and is promising so much. We are already at the 80 limit on high beam on a country road.Back home in the warm, out of the ballet shoe on wheels. The car burbled backwards into its home. It does not go out enough. Servicing costs have been comparable to other cars we have owned. Country trips usually result in consumption of 6.5L/100km. Urban gives 7.7. The 205/55/16 tyres are easy to source and usually very good value. The car went into limp mode a couple of times on a trip. A call to the dealer resulted in them identifying that it was a known problem with the oil pressure algorithm. They obviously updated the software instantly. The car has been recalled twice for potential problems with the power steering and the valve springs. No other issues.

Safety features include anti-lock brakes on four wheel discs, traction control, air suspension, self-dipping rear view mirrors, driver and passenger irbags, seatbelts and burst-proof locks.By modern standards perhaps less tech, but an overriding feature compared to many of them is a brilliant driving position, with the ability to actually see. Lovely, comfortable seats in all positions, a proper five-seater with all controls intuitive and easily reached. Dual climate control, good lighting including puddle lights, a large glovebox, and a great-sized practical boot/wagon area with up/down opening tailgates and split-folding rear seats. Parcel shelf to rear load area includes a bits and pieces tray for umbrellas and first aid kits, bulbs etc. A fun feature, too, where the spare wheel cover can become a picnic table. My rear seat picnic tables have just been restored along with much of the wood in the car. Looking forward to refitting that as well. For a large SUV with genuine off road-ability, the car is a lovely to drive.The powerful V8 has it do most things with ease. The air suspension makes the experience very comfortable while making the car very practical over a number of different terrains or uses. And it indeed handles far better than a large heavy car would without it, adapting the suspension to suit load and conditions including cornering. Fantastic interstate touring vehicle over imperfect roads, mixed weather conditions and can overtake with ease when required too. Also a brilliant tow vehicle for heaver loads such as a laden car trailer.It is not a sports car but certainly is a lot of fun with a lovely V8 soundtrack. Running dual fuel, mostly LPG, the car is inexpensive averaging 15.4c/km.The last set of tyres covered 70,000 kms and a new set was $1100.An oil change every 7000km at a cost of less than $100, a transmission service every 100,000km, and some brake pads plus a couple rotors are the main things.Other items I have spent a bit on include a couple new airbags and sensors, a new radiator and thermostat, a serpent belt, a heater motor, and a battery. All up, in 10 years and 100,000km, I have spent less than $10,000 on maintenance.I love this car and by looking after it it has also looked after me. Only twice did this car let me down in 10 years and they were both the exact same thing. The thermostat lives in a plastic ball and when it is old, it can warp and become intermittent.I would highy recommend anyone getting on of these or similar to flush the radiator and replace the thermostat ball.EAS was a little temperamental but a thorough service soon sorted it.An independent specialist is useful as is a Nanocom to "talk" with the computer and look after the car.