Wagon Reviews

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Skoda Superb 125TDI with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

David Scott has done 25,000 trouble free kilometres in his 2012 Fabia 77TSI manual. He rates it the small car bargain of the year and praises its fuel economy, torque, roominess and boot space.Stephen Spinks says his Fabia RS goes well and handles quite good. He's not keen on the way it rolls backwards after a period stopped on a hill as if the hill-hold releases, but the dealer has told him that there is nothing wrong with the gearbox. He also says it uses a little oil.Hugh Rees is enthusiastic about his 2011 Fabia manual, which he says is fun to drive. He says the 1.2-litre engine is really good to drive once the turbo kicks in, the road holding is good, and interior is comfortable and roomy for its size. He gets 5.8L/100 km on average. His only complaint is of a dash rattle.NEWWhen Skoda returned to our market after a long absence it did so as part of the extended Volkswagen family.The company's cars were based on VW models, but carried less challenging price tags than the models they were based upon. The Fabia, for instance, was substantially cheaper than the VW Polo on from which it was derived.It arrived here in 2011 with the 77TSI hatch, which was joined a year later by the hot RS. At the same time the choice of body styles was expanded to include a wagon.While it's based on the Polo it's not obvious from the outside with its pleasantly chiselled lines and bright highlights that set it apart from its corporate cousin.The cabin is functional with comfortable accommodation for four adults. All have adequate head and legroom given the size of the Fabia, and there's a decent amount of boot space.Power for the 77TSI came from a diminutive 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine boosted by a turbocharger. Despite its size it packed plenty of traffic-busting punch, pulling enthusiastically from low revs, while at the same delivering impressive fuel economy. The downside was that it had a thirst for Premium unleaded.At launch there was only a five-speed manual gearbox available, but the options were expanded in 2012 to include VW's seven-speed DSG automatic. The RS hot hatch shared its underpinnings with the Polo GTi.That meant it was powered by the same 1.4-litre 'Twincharger' engine as the VW hottie with its combination of turbocharger and supercharger.With 132kW and 250Nm on tap the RS's performance was sizzling, the combination of supercharger for low-end grunt and turbocharger for punch at higher revs ensuring there was a strong urge all the way through the speed range.VW's seven-speed DSG self-shifting auto-manual gearbox complemented the Twincharger engine in making the most of its torque.On the road the Fabia felt planted and responsive, it was go-kart-like with direct steering and vice-like grip.Standard equipment included air-conditioning, cruise, Bluetooth, eight-speaker sound, MP3, leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.NOWBeing based on the VW Polo and sharing its mechanical package the Fabia suffers from the same issues as the little VW.There's the well-documented 'false neutral' issues of the seven-speed DSG gearbox, which was the subject of a voluntary recall by VW.Check any car fitted with the DSG gearbox to make sure a dealer has inspected it for proper function.Oil consumption can be an issue with the 1.4-litre Twincharger engine, particularly in the early stages of life when the engine is running in. In some cases an engine will settle down once it has a few kilometres on it, others take much longer. It's not unusual for the engine to continue to use some oil, as long as it isn't too much it shouldn't be a problem, but if you are concerned about it have a dealer conduct an oil consumption test for you and actually measure it.We know of cases of quite high consumption that have lasted for several thousand kilometres before settling down to an amount that VW considered 'normal'. Ask about the previous owner's experience with oil consumption, it's perhaps best not to take on an oil-burner.With the engine's reputation for consuming oil it's important to check the oil level regularly to ensure it doesn't run short and damage the engine.The 1.2-litre engine doesn't suffer the same issues as the Twincharger.Skoda's build quality is generally of a good standard, so squeaks, creaks and rattles are not normally a problem. Take notice of any you hear, they might indicate a car has been in a crash.Ask to check the service record of your chosen car before handing over your cash, maintenance is vitally important to a long trouble-free motoring life.SMITHY SAYS - 3.5 starsSound and solid, but struggles to match the competition for value.AT A GLANCESPECS:Price new: $18,990 to $21,990Engine: 1.2-litre, turbocharged 4-cylinder, 77kW/175Nm; 1.4-litre turbocharged & supercharged 4-cylinder, 132kW/250NmTransmission: 5-speed manual, 7-speed DSG automatic, FWDEconomy: 5.5L/100 km (1.2), 6.2L/100km (1.4TSCI)Body: 5-door hatch, 5-door wagonVariants: 77TSI, RSSafety: Six airbags, Electronic Stability Control, ABS brakes with EBD and Brake Assist. 

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Renault Megane GT-Line hatch and wagon with specs, fuel economy and verdict.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the 2014 Mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate at its Australian launch.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the 2014 Skoda Octavia RS, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Not a lot of new Ford Falcons are sold these days, so there's a shortage of late models on the used-car scene, but certainly no lack of offering built prior to 2010. For many years Falcon was a huge seller in Australia as the car suits the needs of many local buyers, particularly those in country areas. Built tough for Australia may sound a bit corny, but Falcon certainly answers to that description.Falcons have seating for five occupants, though four works better if they are all adults because the transmission tunnel takes up a lot of footroom in the centre-rear position. Legroom and headroom are ample for all but the largest adults in the remaining four seats. Comfort is very good and passengers can step out of a Falcon after a trip of hundreds of kilometres still feeling fresh and relaxed.The boot in the sedan is relatively shallow, but it's easy to load thanks to a good-sized opening. From the BA Falcon model onwards things are better, though the boot's still on the shallow side.Falcon station wagons are great load carriers as they are built on a longer wheelbase than the sedan so they have a long, wide, practical cargo area. The rear end of the BA is virtually identical to that of the older AU. Ford chose not to do an FG variant of the wagon. Instead, it created a Series III BF model to sell alongside the FG sedans. It wasn't a success, as SUVs were starting to make inroad in the wagon market, so it was discontinued in 2010.Handling is surprisingly good for a car of this size and mass. You wouldn't call it agile, but Falcons hold on when cornering at speeds far above those likely to be attempted by most drivers.Ford's six-cylinder engines all have a capacity of 4.0 litres but come in several formats, including one with a turbocharger. An interesting variant on the six-cylinder is a dedicated LPG engine. Very common in taxis, but less so in private cars (except in Victoria) this engine is all but indistinguishable from a petrol unit to drive. The LPG engine is thirstier than the petrol so fuel range suffers.The BA Falcon's six-cylinder engine is noticeably smoother and offers even better performance than the units it superseded. Ford fitted a 5.0-litre V8 to the AU, but it didn't have a lot more performance than the six-cylinder units and was on the thirsty side. Much better were the BA bent eights. There was a choice of two - both with a capacity of 5.4 litres. One has a single-cam cylinder head, the other a twin-cam setup.The EcoBoost Falcon has what many say is the best non-V8 engine of them all. It provides excellent performance and nimble handling, due to the lighter weight of the smaller engine. Buyers in this market segment can be on the conservative side and they stayed away from the EcoBoost in droves, so you can pick up a real bargain as a used-car.Automatics were all four-speed units until the launch of the BF, when a sophisticated six-speed ZF unit was installed. The ZF was originally only fitted in the topline variants. With the introduction of the FG range all received the six-speed auto, with the exception of the LPG powered models, which held onto the four-speed auto until the launch of the new-design LPG model in July 2011, when it received the six-speed.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar spaceManual gearboxes are rare and probably best avoided in all but the sporting XR6 and XR8 because they can affect resale value. The manual was a five-speed until the BF series, when a six-speed was installed.Prices for spare parts, servicing and repairs are very reasonable and there are Ford dealers just about everywhere in Australia. Most spare parts for the Falcons covered here are readily available, although a few bits on some older cars may have to come from a wrecker.These are very simple cars to work on, with plenty of underbonnet and undercar space. We recommend having a workshop manual at your elbow before starting the work. Insurance prices are generally very reasonable and premiums for the everyday models are invariably at the lower end of the scale. It will generally cost more to cover a V8 Falcon than a straight-six, and more expensive for a turbo six.WHAT TO LOOK FORMany thousands of used Falcons will have been taxis at some time in their life. Be wary of one running on dedicated LPG; while these are quite common in Victoria, they are rare anywhere else in Australia. Signs of an ex-taxi are vinyl, rather than cloth, upholstery, severe wear both inside and out, holes where signs and a taximeter have been removed, and possibly a paint respray.Engine wear is indicated by a reluctance to start and smoke from the exhaust and/or the oil filler cap when the engine is revved after it has been idling for more than about a minute. Four-speed automatics can cause problems on hard-driven cars, especially if they have done a lot of work. Check they change gears cleanly and don't hunt up and down through the ratios.Be suspicious of any automatic that's slow at going into gear from Neutral or Park. Listen for a whining differential when driving at around 60 to 90km/h. Check the cabin for damage caused by bored kids. In station wagons have a good look at the load area for signs of commercial use.Rust is more unusual in these newer Falcons than old ones. If you do find rust the Falcon may have been poorly repaired after a crash.CAR BUYING TIPBig old used cars that have been looked after properly and driven correctly can be picked up for pretty low prices these days. Don't forget to have a professional inspection, though.

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E400 Estate, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Two wagons typify their countries of origin: flair from France's Megane and efficiency from Germany's Golf.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering would you buy one? What is it? This is the mid-spec, turbo, petrol new model C-Class sedan. It's the new generation model with a whack of