Top 6 most commented stories of 2017

Human rights, police, towing, technology and federal laws ignited the most debate in 2017.

We love it when you read our stories, but its even more valuable when you offer your two cents by commenting or engaging with other readers.

Aside from all the comments you leave on the site, the CarGuide Facebook page saw more than 64,400 likes, comments and shares in 2017, and reached over 13.3 million accounts. Thank you.

The Federal government is considering ban on regular unleaded.

6. Federal government considering ban on regular unleaded fuel

When the federal government proposed a ban of regular 91RON unleaded late last year, our story encouraged so much discussion it managed a spot in our top six for the whole year.

Debate centred around whether politicians are trustworthy, whether E10 is a viable alternative, and what such a move would mean for cars and other machinery designed to only use 91. Feel free to jump in and have your say.

Infiniti's revolutionary VC-T (variable compression ratio) engine.

5. Infiniti Reveals world's first production variable compression ratio engine

Infiniti may not set the sales charts alight, but when Nissan’s luxury arm announced it would be the first to put variable compression technology into production it certainly got your fingers tapping.

Coming in at fifth place in our most commented stories tally, our coverage ignited conversation about the real-world benefits of the tech.

Many of you questioned the durability of a combustion engine with even more complexity, and pointed out the relative simplicity of electric motors that seem to be the eventual future of passenger cars. Be sure to tell us what you think if you haven’t already.

There’s already one fully liveried Chrysler 300 SRT on the government fleet.

4. Exclusive: Chrysler 300 SRT and BMW 530d set for NSW Police duty

Most of us are pretty excited to see what replaces the Falcon and Aussie Commodore as the go-to choices for Australian police.

You are so excited, that our inside knowledge that the 300 SRT and 530d had been locked in for some forces made it into fourth spot for the most commented stories for 2017.

Your discussion ranged from mourning our local heroes to questioning the wisdom of such expensive vehicles for the job, to suggesting other alternatives, but few of you considered police work beyond highway pursuit duty. Have you got any other suggestions?

The Ranger's generous 3220mm wheelbase is the longest in class and provides rock-solid stability under tow.

3. Top 10 vehicles for towing

Towing things is a fundamental element of Australian motoring, but there’s plenty of confusion about what makes for a good tow vehicle.

To help alleviate this confusion, our resident towing expert Mark Oastler has ranked his top 10 tow vehicles for you.

The conversation this piece stimulated has pushed it onto the podium for most commented stories in 2017, with your contributions ranging from myth busting, brand patriotism and genuine suggestions for alternatives. This is a moving list as new models arrive, so jump in and tell us what you think.

The Mustang is now ineligible for police use under government procurement rules.

2. Mustang back off the police radar after two-star ANCAP

An even more comment-provoking story was our piece about the Mustang’s shattered potential as a police vehicle after its two-star ANCAP safety result.

Plenty of you are keen to see a V8 Ford continue in the police ranks and are willing to disregard its safety rating, while others suggested more suitable options and generally disagreed with others. Feel free to throw in your two cents.

What are you rights when pulled over by police?

1. What are my rights when pulled over by police

Nobody enjoys the sight of red and blue lights in their rear-view mirror, and very few of us have any idea exactly what you can and can’t do when it happens.

We’ve made it easy for you by spelling out what your rights are, but this story has unsurprisingly generated more comments than any other in 2017.

You’ve got plenty of war stories, negative sentiments and suggestions how “you’d deal with the police”, most of which can’t be recommended.

Will this be the most commented story of 2018? Tell us in the comments.