Advice

What Do Seatbelt Cameras Look Like?Seatbelt detection cameras are advanced traffic enforcement tools that use high-resolution imaging and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify drivers and front-seat passengers not wearing seatbelts properly.These cameras capture images from elevated angles to monitor compliance with seatbelt laws. The AI system analyses these images to detect violations, such as not wearing a seatbelt or wearing it incorrectly. For example, under the arm rather than across the chest. If a potential offence is detected, the image is reviewed by a human before a fine is issued.What Are Seatbelt Detection Cameras and What Are They For?These cameras use AI to scan vehicles and spot anyone not wearing their seatbelt or wearing it incorrectly. Their job is simple: reduce injuries and deaths on the road by enforcing seatbelt laws. They also double as mobile phone detection units, picking up drivers using their phones illegally.If you’re caught, it’s not instant. A flagged image is reviewed by a human before a fine or demerit points are issued.That depends on the state. NSW keeps locations under wraps. Victoria is more transparent, with camera locations published monthly. Queensland gives updates via the Department of Transport. WA's system is newer, but info is starting to trickle out about where trailers are set up.If you’re asking because you want to dodge them, it’s smarter to assume they’re everywhere and just do the right thing.All states employ AI technology to analyse images for seatbelt compliance, but the specific systems and deployment of cameras may differ.What do mobile phone and seat belt detection camera look like in NSW? They’re mostly fixed installations on overpasses and poles.The detection technology has been integrated with mobile phone detection systems. They capture drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts correctly including if it’s slung under the arm.Fines and demerits began to apply from July 2024. In NSW, a driver or passenger not wearing a properly adjusted and fastened seatbelt can face a $410 fine and three demerit points.If a driver is caught with two passengers not wearing a seatbelt, then the fine rises to $818 but the demerit points remain at three.Seatbelt camera locations are not publicly disclosed.Mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras in Vic are found on mobile trailers or roadside poles. They use AI to scan for phone use and seatbelt compliance. Unlike NSW, locations of these cameras are updated monthly on relevant government sites, like this one.There is a $395 fine for not wearing a seatbelt correctly, and three demerit points.In Qld what do phone and seatbelt cameras look like? They can be a fixed camera, where they are fitted to existing infrastructure and operate 24 hours, seven days a week. Or they can be portable cameras, which are used at random locations in both urban and regional areas for shorter periods.Their locations are based on where road crash injuries or fatalities have occurred where using a mobile phone or not wearing a seatbelt were contributing factors.Phone and seatbelt cameras detect violations from 10 to 20 metres away.There is a steep fine of up to $1161 and four demerit points if you or your front passenger aren't wearing a seatbelt properly. Yikes. Queensland government wants you to know where the cameras are, to assist with awareness and, hopefully, prevention. You can find current locations here.Cameras are mounted on mobile trailers and typically parked by the roadside. They use the same infrared and AI tech as other states but cameras are newer and still rolling out. Camera locations are not always disclosed, but currently (in 2025) six mobile safety camera trailers have been deployed across the state.As a general summary, your seatbelt buckle must be clicked in and your top seatbelt sash has to be properly positioned across your body. You can't be wearing seatbelt under arm.Passenger not wearing seatbelt? You’re responsible too, and it will cost you a fine. Seatbelt demerit points add up fast, especially in Qld and NSW.Seatbelt detection cameras are here to stay, and they’re getting smarter. Despite motorists' grumbles, they're not just about fines - they're about saving lives.Wherever you are in Australia, the message is the same, buckle up properly, don’t touch your phone and you won’t need to worry about where the cameras are.

Can you drive a manual car with an automatic license in Australia?Like Ford vs Holden, the debate between manual vs automatic was once a great divide in Australia. But in recent years more and more people have chosen to skip learning how to drive and change gears themselves, and opted for an automatic-only license. But what exactly are the rules around it in each Australian state and territory? In this article we’ll break down the key questions, like, ‘do you need a manual license?’ And find out ‘can you drive manual on full license?’ The rules are fairly straightforward, but it is important to know exactly what they are before you get behind the wheel.Naturally, if you break rules the penalty for driving manual on auto license can be significant but it varies from state-to-state and will be determined by the individual circumstances, but expect both a fine and demerit points. If you decide to get your New South Wales provisional P1 driver’s license in an automatic-equipped car you cannot drive a manual unless you are being supervised by someone with an unrestricted license.  Alternatively, you can wait until you get your P2 or unrestricted license, at which point you are free to drive either an automatic or manual vehicle. If that’s taking too long, your final option is to sit your P1 test again but do so in a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox.In Victoria an automatic-only license is known as an ‘A condition’ license and is valid during your probationary period. Once you complete your probationary period, you are free to drive a manual vehicle without any further testing.Things are slightly stricter in Queensland, with anyone wanting to drive a manual transmission vehicle needing to pass a specific test, even if they have their open license. To achieve this you will need to learn with supervision from someone with an open license or when you are a learner with L plates displayed.South Australia has a simple approach - your driver’s license (not your provisional license) allows you to drive either type of transmission. Western Australia follows a similar strategy to Queensland, with a clear difference between a manual (C class) and automatic (C-A class) licence. In order to drive a manual you must pass the specific practical test, even if you have your full licence.Tasmania has some of the strictest practices in this regard, with drivers on an automatic licence required to spend at least three years (without any suspensions or disqualifications) before they are allowed to drive a manual without any additional testing.Even if you have your full licence, to practice driving a manual vehicle on an automatic licence you will need to display an L plate, be restricted to 90km/h and be accompanied by a qualified manual driver.However, if you need to drive a manual sooner than three years, you will need to pass a driving assessment in a manual vehicle.The nation’s capital is another to take a firmer stance. It’s automatic only until you pass a specific manual test regardless of what licence you have.In the Northern Territory you are able to drive a manual vehicle on your provisional automatic licence, provided you are supervised by a manual-licence holder. You can choose to take a manual driving test during your 12-month probationary licence period, or when you graduate to your full licence the restriction is removed anyway.

Australians don’t tend to haggle much. We generally don’t like it, and our society is structured in such a way that it’s difficult to imagine haggling over the price of, say, your lunch, a movie ticket or a day’s parking at the airport. But there are times when haggling and negotiating can save you plenty of cash.Next time you’re buying a new fridge or other appliance, don’t be too shy to ask if that’s the best price the store can do. You might be amazed at how quickly the salesperson can knock off a few dollars. Sometimes more.And then there’s buying a car. Without a doubt, this is your greatest opportunity to shine as a negotiator. Buying a brand new car can involve negotiating, but the real haggling comes into play when you’re buying second-hand.Frankly, neither car dealers, private sellers, nor even most buyers expect to pay the full asking price on a used car. That’s just how the market has developed, but it remains that it’s a great way to save yourself a few bucks and maybe even a few thousand bucks in the right situation.Okay, we’ve decided that haggling for a used car is acceptable, but when you tackle the issue of how much can you negotiate on a used car Australia imposes some regional considerations.Toyotas in regional areas, for instance, are often snapped up within hours of being offered for sale. So you won’t gain much of a discount in that case. Which is another way of saying it all depends on the the seller and the car itself.So let’s break it down into the two main ways of buying a used car and our favourite used car price negotiation tips. Knowing how to negotiate car price discounts won’t make buying a second hand car any less painful, but it can leave more cash in your pocket.Dealers are always more expensive than private sellers. That’s for a variety of reasons including the fact that a dealer has to make his or her living from selling cars, as well as the fact that they must offer more buyer protection than a private seller.That includes things like guaranteeing the car in question is not stolen, providing a roadworthy where necessary and even offering a warranty on used passenger cars above a certain price (it varies from state to state).Here's the reality: Used-car dealers expect you to want to negotiate. Even if it doesn’t spiral downwards into some kind of Monty Python haggling farce, there’s still often a bit of fat built into the price to account for this. That means you drive away in your new used car thinking you got a deal and the dealer still feeds their family.But here’s the other reality: Used-car dealers are experts at this game. Just as the house always wins in the case of a casino, a used-car dealer will never sell you a car for less than they need to.Oh sure, they’ll try all sorts of psychological stuff on you like disappearing for a minute or two to 'check with the boss if they can go that low', or maybe make you feel guilty for squeezing them so hard, but ultimately, there’s a bottom-dollar price for that car and it’s your job to get as close to that figure as possible.Don’t be afraid to go back and forth and don’t think you’ll offend them by aiming low. Trust us, they’ve heard it all before. Anybody without a thick skin doesn’t last long selling used cars at a dealership.Knowing exactly what you’re looking at might help, too. Make sure that if you’re paying the price for the top-spec model, you’re getting that exact car. New cars are often sold with add-ons that make them appear like the more expensive model, but aren’t.Don’t get caught out by that one, as the badge on the boot lid doesn’t always tell the whole story. A mid-spec car with the sunroof option is not the same as the top-shelf model with the same sunroof as standard.Ultimately, buying a car from a licensed dealer is always going to be a case of the amateur (you) versus the professional (the dealer). So the trick becomes one of calling in your own experts.Don’t be afraid to make any sale conditional on an independent inspection either by a specialist in that make and model, usually your own mechanic or your state motoring club. If the dealer doesn’t want to play ball, there’s probably a mechanical reason for that.Don’t however, be fooled into thinking the dealer’s own mechanical inspection will be either thorough or completely accurate. We’re not saying all car dealers are dodgy (far from it) but you will still find the odd one prepared to ignore mechanical faults in order to unload the car to somebody (you, again).But always keep in mind, no matter how well you think the deal is going, a car dealer will always have more knowledge of how to extract dollars from buyers, than the average buyer will ever have knowledge of how to negotiate car price discounts.Trust us, a seasoned car dealer can smell a cashed up second-hand car buyer from around the corner.So much for second-hand car specialists, what about new car dealerships that sell their trade ins as used cars? Can you negotiate used car prices at a dealership and how much will dealers come down on a used car?The first answer is absolutely. Just like new cars, most traditional dealerships will always be open to offers on a used car taking up space on their lot. If they don’t sell it through the dealership, it’ll be wholesaled for a lot less money.As for how much they’ll negotiate, it’ll come down to the same factors that used car yards and private sellers deal with; the quality of the car, its desirability, rarity and how many kilometres it has covered.Here is perhaps the most important thing to know about buying a second-hand car from a private seller: For every licensed car dealer prepared to cut a few corners or paper over the odd fault, there are probably 10 private sellers willing to commit the same – or worse - deceptions.And that’s mainly because there are no meaningful legal ramifications. A licensed dealer will be at the mercy of Australian Consumer Law should they be caught pulling a swift one. But a private seller will just claim ignorance and leave you holding the oil-leaking, rusty, rattling baby and a big repair bill. And a warranty from a private seller? Don’t be silly.So you really need to be on your toes because the private seller doesn’t even need to provide a roadworthy certificate provided you’re prepared to buy the car (in some states) with its registration suspended. This is taking a big chance, indeed.Negotiating a lower price than the asking price relies largely on a battle of the wills (yours and theirs). So step one is make sure you don’t fail the attitude test. Strolling in to the seller’s front yard and picking the car to bits in front of them is a great way to have the seller on the back foot from the word go.Sure, you need to identify the flaws and problems, but pointing them out to the owner is not going to help your cause. You actually want the seller on your side (strange though that sounds) as amicable dealings often generate the best results.Meantime, you will need to use the car’s flaws as bargaining chips during the negotiation, but simply condemning the car on the spot as a means of dropping the price is grounds for being sent packing.Also, if the seller has listed the car’s price as firm or only slightly negotiable, don’t bother making an absurdly low offer or getting upset about being told no if you do.Like buying from a dealer, you need to know exactly what you’re looking at and the problem areas you need to double check. Different cars have different trouble-spots and you need to know what they are and how to check them accurately.A second-hand car will also tell you a lot about its condition by digging into its past. In fact, knowing what to ask when buying a used car is almost as important as inspecting the car itself.Does the seller know the car’s history? How long have they owned the car? How many kilometres has it done per year? What type of driving has it done? And then check the service history. If there isn’t one, it’s time to ask some more hard questions.Finally, don’t take any private seller’s word for the car not being encumbered (finance owing on it that could become your problem if they stop making the monthly repayments).Nor should you trust that the car is not stolen and is, in fact, theirs to sell. Each state and territory has websites and services you can call on to verify a car’s identity, usually simply by providing the VIN.Actually, when it comes to what to check when buying a used car Australia has the sort of complete and accurate databases to make it quick and easy. But definitely worth the bother and the (sometimes) small cost.Which is great because the other question we hear is; is there a cooling-off period when buying a used car privately? And the answer is a very short one: No. Once the money is in the seller’s hands, you’re very unlikely to seen any of it ever again, so you need to make sure the deal and the car are right for you.And one more tip for the online generation out there. Rather than spotting an online advert and sending a text message with a silly-low offer, why not pick up the phone and actually talk to the owner. It helps identify you as a serious buyer.Oh, and if you agree on a time and place to meet up and look at the car, be respectful enough to either turn up or give as much notice as you can if you can’t make it. Talk to most people who have sold a car recently, and it soon emerges that the no-shows and tyre kickers out there are the worst part of the whole experience. Don’t be that guy or gal.

How long does a Tesla battery last? According to official Tesla-sourced data, Tesla batteries lose between 12 and 15 per cent of their capacity, on average, after approximately 321,868km (200,000 miles in American speak) of usage.If this data is correct, the average Australian driver won’t need to consider replacing their Tesla battery until 26 years into ownership, because the national average driver travels a touch over 12,000km a year.I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest people who buy Teslas, or electric vehicles in general, travel fewer kilometres than the average driver.Tesla battery lifespan is the kind of thing EV shoppers consider carefully, because they’ve all owned Apple iPhones, or Microsoft laptops, and noticed that battery life seems definitively finite. It’s important to realise, of course, that the batteries in an EV are vastly bigger.Elon Musk is aware, of course, that Tesla battery life is something buyers worry about, and it provides an eight-year/192,000km warranty with the purchase of all Australian-delivered vehicles, except the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, which come with a similar eight-year/160,000km warranty.The terms of these warranties are as follows; if the Tesla battery drops below 70 per cent capacity in less than the aforementioned time period or distance, Tesla covers the cost of a replacement battery.Replacement batteries for a Tesla can cost anywhere from $15,000 up to $20,000 across all models.A study in April 2024 by British motoring insurance company NimbleFins - which examined nine years of Tesla battery lifetime data - found the batteries should deteriorate by around one per cent of their range per year.In terms of how you can look after your battery, there are multiple factors that affect Tesla battery lifespan.For any electric vehicle, you want to avoid fully charging the battery to 100 pre cent regularly, to preserve maximum battery capacity.Canadian lithium-ion battery researcher Jeff Dahn claims that, treated properly and kept in the right “voltage window”, a Tesla battery can stay fully operational for 100 years, or 1.6 million kilometres.Dr Adam Best (just call him Dr Best), Principal Battery Researcher at our own CSIRO, claims that, if owners employ the appropriate maintenance techniques to prolong battery health, Tesla batteries can achieve a “pretty impressive life cycle”.But what are these maintenance techniques? Dr Best suggests you try to keep the charge level always between 20 per cent and 80 per cent, as opposed to running the battery from zero to 100 and back again, which will “help to extend the life of your EV”, regardless of battery chemistry and composition.Teslas predominantly run on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or nickel cobalt aluminium (NCA) chemically composed batteries, while other brands like Polestar use nickel manganese cobalt (NMC).Both NCA and NMC batteries thrive in conditions where they aren’t being charged to maximum capacity and drained to empty.So if you are a responsible and battery-conscious EV driver, who can you know if your EV is responding well to your gentle treatment? What are the signs that your battery is dying, or that it’s functioning properly?Other than the most obvious indicator of declining battery capacity - getting less mileage out of each charge - other signs that your EV’s battery might be suffering are slower charging times, a change in the driving sensation (sluggishness, lack of responsiveness), strange smells or noises while charging or driving, and, of course, the Tesla multimedia system telling you that your battery may be in decline.In terms of real-world results, it’s also worth pointing to a test conducted by a Tesla Model S 70D owner, Branden Flasch. Branden's vehicle had reportedly travelled 234,964km when he put his Tesla battery to the test, and the results were very impressive.The Model S in question was purchased in 2015, and its owner charged it to 99 per cent before the test, and then drove it until the batteries were completely depleted, measuring its kWh usage to check the battery's depletion.The reported results have the Model S using 58.5kWh, roughly 83 per cent of their original 70kWh capacity.

It’s a question that comes up at barbecues and wherever else car enthusiasts gather: What is the best quality petrol brand in Australia?But it’s actually not the right question to be asking. And that’s because there are many micro-considerations rather than one, all-encompassing judgment on what brand is best.There’s also the fact that all fuels sold in Australia must meet some pretty unflinching (if not as tough as some other parts of the world) minimum requirements for quality and purity.All of which means when and where you buy your fuel is a lot more important than the brand on the pump at the service station (which could be misleading anyway).Speaking of fuel purity, in terms of global fuel quality rankings Australia is nowhere. Which is to say that even the best quality fuel Australia has to offer motorists is not as good as that in many other countries. Our diesel is even worse. Even the best quality diesel fuel in Australia has more impurities per litre than many other markets tolerate.Meantime, there’s an ingrained inclination in many Australians to associate name brands with higher quality products. From an early age, we learn to recognise the big brand comparisons including BP vs Shell vs Mobil vs the rest.While, in some sectors (say, clothing or furniture) there may be some validity in that view. But, to be brutally honest, it doesn’t apply to the petrol and diesel we buy every day.Ever since Bob Hawke (long before he was Prime Minister) convinced Australians to buy ACTU-backed Solo fuel in 1977, we’ve had a steady stream of independent fuel retailers come and go.Liberty was established by the same people that owned Solo back in '77, and we’ve also seen Metro, Vibe, APCO, United and Pearl Energy (mainly in regional areas) and many more come along for varying periods of time.The most recent developments have seen petrol retailing by chain stores such as 7 Eleven and even retail ‘clubs’ like Costco getting in on the fuel act.But is 7 Eleven fuel good? Is APCO fuel quality as good as the rest? Yes it is. And that’s the point really, because these are all fuel retailers, not refineries. As such, they buy their stock from the same refineries as every other retailer. At the moment, for example, both Costco and 7 Eleven source their fuel from Mobil, while Liberty’s fuel comes from Shell.Even without this homogenisation of supply, there are legal requirements to make sure you don’t buy bad fuel by mistake. All fuel sold in Australia must, by law, comply with quality standards and the requirement to meet the octane rating advertised.We’re not a world leader in this – some countries have much higher standards for impurities and things like sulphur content – but broadly speaking, all fuel retailers across Australia have an obligation to match or exceed these standards.And that means regardless of whether you buy your fuel from a well-known big brand, a bulk-buy retailer like Costco or an independent retailer, the fuel should be fit for purpose and will not only allow your car to run properly, but not damage its engine or fuel system in any way.While some well known brands are keen to advertise their performance boosting or dirt busting technology, the fact is all fuels contain additives of one sort or another.Perhaps there’s a particular brand and grade of fuel that is slightly better at, say, keeping fuel injectors clean, but the science is still out on this and the claims are often based on research by no-name universities, paid for by the fuel company in question. Some of these claims are very much like the make-up industry’s claims of glowing, younger looking skin. Based on what? Beware.Also, any fuel that was revealed to be creating problems in any way would not be allowed to be sold here.So why do carmakers recommend a particular fuel? Surely it must suit the car, right? Generally speaking, these commercial tie-ups are just that; commercial deals based on advertising and marketing.Yes, Porsche recommends you run its vehicles on Mobil fuel, but nothing bad will happen if you suddenly shift to BP.Slightly more credible are the claims by a carmaker that its engines have been designed to run on a particular lubricating oil. Which makes sense since oil makers will sometimes tailor an additive package to suit the way a particular engine works. But when that recommendation is carried over to the petrol or diesel from the same brand? Not so much.What should concern you regarding fuel types, however, is ensuring you get the correct octane rating in the fuel you use. This information will be either in the owner’s manual or under the fuel filler flap, but basically, in Australia, cars need either 91, 95 or 98 (the latter two being premium petrol, as it is sometimes called) octane fuel to operate properly and avoid damage.This octane rating is by far the most important petrol comparison to make when deciding which petrol is best for car (make and model) specific use.Generally speaking, higher performance engines need higher octane fuel to work properly. Without the correct octane-rating fuel, these engines are likely to become damaged as the fuel is not stable enough (too prone to detonating when it shouldn’t) for the engine to maintain complete control over the combustion process.The good news is that it doesn’t matter where you buy your fuel from in Australia, if the pump says 91, 95 or 98, then that’s what the octane rating is guaranteed to be. See the pattern emerging here?Yep, and that is that it’s far more important to buy the right grade of petrol than a particular brand. And Super-grade diesel? Pure marketing.Meantime, there’s a price to pay for higher octane fuel. The difference between 91 and 95 petrol is usually a few cents per litre, and the same again the difference between 95 and 98 petrol.So, having established all that, the question now switches from which petrol brand has the best fuel, to which petrol station has the best fuel. This is a classic case of thinking locally, because where you are is more important than what brand you’re buying.Like many things, fuel has a shelf life. The older it gets (particularly PULP) the less volatile it becomes. And volatility is a measure of how well it ignites (in this case in your engine). If you’ve ever tried to start an old lawn mower after a couple of years, you might know how poor old fuel is at burning.So, the service station you want is one that turns over the most amount of fuel in a day/week/month. That ensures the fuel hasn’t been hanging around in the underground tanks too long and started to lose its edge.Also, a new service station will always get our vote over an old station where the underground tanks could be taking in ground water and contaminating the fuel. We’re not saying all old servos suffer from this, but it’s something to think about.The other thing to watch is a service station where the tanker is still on the forecourt filling those underground tanks. This process tends to stir up any contaminants in the tank and free them to enter your car’s fuel tank. So if the tanker is still there or is just leaving, give that servo a miss.Unfortunately, if it left only five minutes ago you won’t know. That’s why some countries have legislation preventing a service station selling fuel from an underground tank within 60 minutes of it being filled. It’s something we probably should look at here.Clearly, getting the best fuel for your car is a lot more involved than simple brand loyalty.

The difference between Mercedes classes is methodical and distinctly German, devised to distinguish Mercedes car models by size and purpose.

Like music and fashion, the types of cars we drive tend to evolve with each generation. We are currently living in the age of the SUV, but for much of the 20th century, Australians loved the sedan.

How much does it cost to fix a head gasket?Well, there are a lot variables at play here, but let’s start with the fine print: You don’t actually fix a head gasket, you replace it. Once it’s broken, there’s no repairing it, you simply swap it for another one. Except it’s not that simple.Let’s look at what a head gasket does. Nearly all modern engines are made in two main parts. There’s the crankcase which contains the crankshaft, con-rods and pistons, and then there’s the cylinder head which houses the camshafts and valves. Okay, that’s a pretty simplified version, but it holds up.The thing is, those two main parts are bolted together to complete the engine and make it run. But were they join is precisely where pressurised fuel and air is being ignited to make the engine produce power.So there’s a huge explosion that has to be contained right at the point where the two engine halves meet. And containing that explosion is the job of the head gasket or, cylinder head gasket to be more precise.The head gasket is also responsible for keeping oil and coolant separate from each other as they pass from the crankcase to the cylinder head. It also has to seal each cylinder off from its neighbours. Big job, when you think about it.Think about it like the point at which your garden hose joins the tap. If this joint isn’t sealed properly, water goes everywhere except where it should. So you can see how important a functioning head gasket is to the way an engine works. Or doesn’t.Like everything in life, the head gasket in an engine can fail. Sometimes this is because of old age, but often it’s because the engine has overheated and the thin, delicate gasket material has failed. At this point, you might have oil and coolant mixing or even the cylinders filling up with coolant because the gasket is no longer doing that sealing job. And that’s when it needs to be replaced.A good mechanic will be able to perform a couple of simple tests to see if the gasket has failed, but generally if you’re losing coolant and there’s no external leak, or the car is overheating or running poorly and backfiring, then you may be looking at a blown head gasket.Because of the design of a lot of engines, this is a labour-intensive job. It can take many hours to disassemble the top section of the engine’s valve train and then remove the cylinder head just to get at the failed gasket.Then, the gasket has to be removed, the crankcase surface it sits on cleaned, the cylinder head checked for straightness (and machined if it’s not straight) and then the whole lot put back together.Even in the case of an old-school, relatively simple engine like a pushrod engine from the 1960s, this takes many hours, but in a modern car with intricate fuel-injection, double overhead camshafts and maybe even a turbocharger, it takes a lot more labour.And labour time equals money. Also, this is not exactly a cheap country to have mechanical work done. We’re not saying that mechanics don’t earn their money – because they generally do – but thanks to our generally favourable wage structure, for the average head gasket repair cost Australia is far from a cheap place to have it done.That’s another reason a blown head gasket repair cost will vary so wildly. Even so, the most basic, simplest gasket repair job is likely to cost at least $1000, because you also need to use new parts.The head gasket is one of them, obviously, but there are lots of other gasket and seals that must be removed to get to the head gasket, and none of these are generally reusable.Some engines even have one-use cylinder head bolts that need to be replaced. Just in parts alone, the average head gasket repair cost will be hundreds of dollars.One of the other major price factors is where you take the car. If you want to use a dealership for this sort of work, you’ll pay more than if you’re using an independent specialist mechanic. And a workshop that knows the make and model in question inside out is probably where you want to be for this type of repair.Another thing to consider is whether your car is an in-line engine or something with two cylinder heads like a V6, V8 or even a Subaru flat-four engine.You might find only one head gasket has failed, but it’s actually best practice to replace both gaskets at the same time. You might also find your mechanic recommends replacing the timing chain, tensioners and coolant pump at the same time as insurance against having to open the engine up again later.Don’t forget to check if there’s a newer head gasket design that is superior to the one that car originally came with. Many Subaru engines, for instance, had gasket problems, but a later gasket design fixed this. It’s a wise upgrade.The bottom line is you’ll be looking at anywhere from $1000 to, say $5000, for a head gasket replacement. And if it’s a specialist or particularly complex engine the final price might be even higher.The best advice, of course, is to avoid having to replace the head gasket in the first place. You can do that by servicing the car properly, changing the coolant as recommended and making sure you keep an eye on the temperature gauge to avoid ever overheating the engine.

Why are MG cars so cheap? Obviously if you asked someone at MG they’d answer with “they’re not cheap, they’re affordable, and amazing value”, but the most obvious answer is - because they’re made in China.This may come as a shock to many readers, who might assume MG is still the same storied old brand from England that used to make sexy, sporty little roadsters and not much else (it was founded in Oxford, UK, in 1924).MG is the same 'brand', in a literal sense, and you’ll often see Union Jacks and words like 'heritage' associated with its vehicles, but the fact is it’s very much a Chinese concern these days.Back in 2005, Chinese manufacturer Nanjing Automobile Group bought the rights to the MG badge, along with the rest of MG Rover Group (Rover was another UK marque that did not survive and if you'd driven its cars, you'd be grateful), and then, in 2007, Nanjing was swallowed whole by SAIC Motor - a Shanghai-based car manufacturer that is, in turn, owned by the Chinese state, and which owns MG to this day.Just pause on that for a moment. Imagine if the Australian government was in charge of building cars locally, if it had bought Ford and Holden for example. Motor vehicles built by committee, car companies run by governments that can change their priorities - between EV and burning oil for example - every few years. Just, wow.Fortunately, China’s communist government does not change and the almost limitless financial backing the Chinese state can give to the companies it owns and runs - often with the stated goal of competing with and beating the western world - is a significant advantage for a brand like MG/SAIC.To be clear, when the Chinese bought MG it wasn’t exactly a going concern, but they obviously saw value in the badge, as opposed to selling cars called things like “Yangwang” or “Build Your Dreams”.In 2011, the first new MG model in more than 15 years was launched; the MG 6, and it was notionally built, or partly built, in the UK at MG’s Longbridge plant, but also partly in China.This allowed the brand to continue proclaiming its British-ness but in 2016 the company shut down its operation in England and all MGs since then have been designed and built in China.Cars built in China are cheaper partly due to the effect of economies of scale and SAIC is quite huge; indeed it is the largest single-marque exporter in China.In 2024, it sold 707,000 vehicles in total. For comparison, the entire new car market in Australia in a typical year is around 1.2 million.It’s also a lot cheaper to build cars in China because the wages for the people that do it are amongst the lowest in the world (although not as low as Mexico and India).Workers in an SAIC factory are reportedly paid as little as $3.60 to $6.60 an hour, which means the labour costs of building an MG are going to be far, far lower than those going into a vehicle built in the US, Europe or Japan.When it comes to EVs, which MG, like most Chinese car companies, has a heavy focus on, Chinese manufacturers also have a huge price advantage because China controls so much of the global EV battery market (and batteries are the most expensive part of an EV), so it can access them at lower rates.According to the International Energy Agency, China is projected to hold more than half of the global EV battery market by 2030. More than 70 per cent of all the EV batteries that have ever been made were produced in China.It should thus come as no surprise that China dominates the global EV market in general, with a 62 per cent market share.According to Nikkei Asia, China also holds a significant share in the production of key battery components, such as cathodes, anodes, electrolytes and separators.In Australia, MG has taken advantage of its ability to produce and import cars that are cheaper, in a wholesale sense, than competitors from established brands in this country by adopting an aggressive pricing strategy.It has promoted a lot of 'dynamic pricing' or drive-away pricing and you will often see or hear advertising suggesting it is offering the cheapest vehicle in a particular segment.At the time of publishing, the cheapest new MG car you can buy is an MG ZST 1.5 CVT Vibe, with a drive-away price of just $23,888.MG offers sharply-priced vehicles across many segments from hatches to small and mid-sized SUVs, and even a new electric roadster, the $115,000 Cyberster, which is clearly designed to bring to mind the MG sports cars of old. It’s also clearly not a cheap MG car.MG also offers hybrid and EV power plants. According to Compare the Market, “MG cars in Australia generally have a lower resale value compared to more established brands like Toyota or Mazda”.This is an important factor to keep in mind when considering how cheap they might seem in terms of upfront costs.In terms of safety, MG is not an entirely maximum five-star rated brand. The MG HS (petrol) and MG 4 Electric have five-star ANCAP ratings, but the MG ZS hybrid only gets four stars, the MG 3 has three stars and the MG 5 has zero stars (safety system upgrades are expected “early in 2025”).So, in summary, MG cars are cheap because they are made in China, one of the cheapest places to build cars, and EVs in particular, in the world, and they are thus able to be aggressively priced in Australia.

It’s often said that if you’re a smart car buyer, you’ll be shopping second hand. That’s because the shine and new car smell of a brand-new car can be fleeting. Especially once you take depreciation into account.