Advice

Q: How far can you drive in a bicycle lane? A: You may drive in a bicycle lane for a maximum of 50 metres but you are permitted to do so for only a limited number of reasons, including to avoid obstacles, to turn left, or to enter or leave the road.

What is the best car for tall people in Australia?Even at my own relatively average height of 182cm, finding a comfortable fit can be a challenge, so we’ve looked at some of the most spacious cars available to make tall people’s lives easier.Serendipitously, as a teenager of the 1990s, I was distracted at the media launch of the Kia Tasman by the guest appearance of basketball legend Luc Longley.The Australian who played alongside Michael Jordan in the dominant Chicago Bulls is now a brand ambassador for Kia and was thus very complementary of the new ute.He was particularly impressed with was the size of the cabin, which is important to him given he stands 2.18m tall, making me feel like a hobbit in his presence.Longley lamented that for someone of his size finding the right car is difficult, even when you’ve got NBA career earnings to help you choose any car you find comfortable.So let's see if we can help Luc and other tall timber types.Well the silly answer would be a convertible with the roof down, but that’s not a solution unless you’re a cartoon character. Instead, for those over 2.0-metres tall, looking for a comfortable car is a challenge. That’s because those who aren’t vertically challenged often struggle in a few key areas. The most obvious problem is usually a lack of headroom, which can lead to the driver having to crane their neck forward to see more clearly.But there are other challenges, such as a lack of leg room and leg clearance, as taller folk often have long legs this can lead to a lack of clearance from the steering wheel or compromised seating positions that are uncomfortable.Therefore, the best car for tall people is typically one with plenty of headroom, good legroom and, just as importantly, good adjustment on the seat so you can find a comfortable and safe driving position.Obviously this will depend on just how tall you might be and what sort of car you’re trying to fit into, but as a general rule car companies try their best to accommodate everyone.Of course, that doesn’t mean everyone will fit comfortably, but most modern cars are bigger than 10-20 years ago and provide better seat position adjustment to make it easier for taller drivers.As mentioned above, the keys to finding a comfortable car for taller folks is space and adjustment. You should look for a vehicle with a lot of head clearance and, just as importantly, good leg clearance.The latter helps not only with comfort but also safety, as taller people’s knees and legs can get too close to the steering wheel and make it difficult to drive, or a lack of space can lead to discomfort behind the wheel.Now is a good time for taller drivers, as the current wave of SUVs and utes provide roomier cabins than traditional sedans and small cars.Your individual needs and budget will dictate what you can buy, but we’ve assembled a list of five best cars for tall people across the size and price spectrum, that have plenty of interior space and would suit taller drivers.There’s a lot of reasons why the Ranger is Australia’s most popular new vehicle, and its spacious cabin is certainly one of them. With 1041mm of headroom, there’s plenty of space for taller drivers to get comfortable. There’s also good adjustment for the driving position, with a reach and height adjustable steering column and powered seats in the higher grade models. However, while the cabin is tall, it’s not particularly long, so you may compromise rear seat space behind the driver to get in your best position up front.Hyundai veered away from the swooping roofline trend of recent years and adopted a straighter, boxier look for its latest generation Santa Fe - which is good news for tall people.And not just the driver, there’s a generous 1043mm of front row headroom but also 1031mm of headroom for those in the second row (thanks to that flat roofline).If you want something more luxurious, the Land Rover Defender is a luxury SUV with a roomy cabin; its headroom is measured at 1031mm.Just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you need or even want a big car. So, what are the alternatives? Subaru’s Forester has been praised online by taller buyers for its cabin space, so it makes a good alternative for someone looking for a smaller package.Officially the Forester has 1046mm of headroom, which is more than a Toyota LandCruiser (1016mm), so it has a ‘reverse Tardis’ effect going for it (with apologies to non-Doctor Who fans may need to google that reference).And just to prove that tall people don’t have to drive SUVs either, here’s a sedan/wagon combination for your consideration. The Czech four-door has a whopping 1049mm of headroom, which is more than many SUVs, proving you don’t need ‘high cars’ when you have internal room. It also has very good seat adjustment, which is critically important, as mentioned earlier. Notably it also has a generous amount of space in the back, so the compromise for rear seat passengers is lessened.For our final entry we’re giving you an electric option, for taller buyers who want to ditch internal combustion. The EV9 is a big SUV in every dimension, so unsurprisingly it has plenty of headroom, a healthy 1051mm (the most on this list).But the best part is, it has even more room in the back (or at least more headroom) with 1087mm claim on paper, which is a rare achievement. So, that means taller types don’t even have to drive to be comfortable in the EV9, they can jump in the back and be chauffeured.

Can P-platers drive V8 cars? Literally and physically yes, and perhaps even if you have a time machine, yes, but in Australia, at this time, the answer depends on your age and where you got your provisional licence

Hand polishing a car sounds like second best in a way, doesn’t it. After all, if the industry has developed a range of machines designed to polish a car’s paintwork, then that must be a better concept.Surely, it’s like the difference between strapping on a jet-pack versus standing on the garage roof flapping your arms. Right? Not necessarily.There are two factors at work here. The first is that – just like a jet-pack - polishing machines in the wrong or inexperienced hands can cause more damage than they fix. And secondly, when it comes to delicate surfaces like automotive paint, hand polishing – even with an expert doing it – can be a safer, gentler way of bringing paint back to life.That said, machine polishing by a professional will usually result in a better finish, and if the car’s paint is severely damaged, faded or scratched, then machine polishing is probably the only way to remedy it.But if you’re simply looking for a brighter, shinier car and maybe attend to a couple of smaller scratches or swirl marks here and there, then hand polishing in the driveway is a viable approach. At which point, the question becomes how to polish a car by hand and not mess it up.We’ll have to tackle this in a broad sense, as there are a lot of variables in terms of paint type, paint condition, as well as the actual chemical make-up of the hundreds of polishing products out there on shelves.But either way, the absolute first thing to do is make sure the car you’re about to polish is spotless. Not clean. Not even sparkling clean. Absolutely spotless. Otherwise, you’ll simply be rubbing dirt and whatever other contaminants are present into the paintwork. And that can cause even more damage than the fading and scratching that you’re trying to address in the first place. As well as a thorough wash, the experts recommend the use of a clay bar (and that’s a whole other chapter) to get rid of the very last, tiniest bits of crud from the car’s surface.The second step is to chamois the car dry and then park it somewhere in the shade. You can’t polish wet paint, and the polish products themselves don’t like hot paint. They’ll dry too quickly and will be difficult to buff off. And suddenly car polishing becomes a bigger job than it should be.Choosing the right compound for hand polishing, meanwhile, involves doing a bit of homework. You need to match the compound with the type of paint your car has (single-stage, two-pack, enamel whatever) and then make an honest assessment of how bad the paint is looking.There are stronger compounds for more damaged paint and gentler polishes for older, more delicate painted surfaces. Be sure to read the product information carefully and don’t be afraid to call the polish maker’s info hotline to get even more details.Some polishes need to be rubbed right in till they’re dry, others need less work on your part and can be buffed off immediately. But they all work on the basis of removing an ultra-thin layer of the car’s surface, taking with it any debris, scratching or dead paint cells that typically cause fading and blotchiness. With that in mind, you can see how getting it wrong can really damage a painted surface.The next thing to know is that hand polishing has its limits. If you have badly scratched paint or bulk swirl marks, the best advice is probably to use the services of a professional detailer or paint specialist who will use a machine polishing method to sort things.The industry view seems to be to restrict hand polishing to cleaning or removing light swirl marks. And don’t be tempted to use a professional cutting compound as part of the hand polishing process.These compounds are designed for machine polishing and are way too aggressive for driveway use. You could end up going backwards.The best car polisher for beginners remains the right type of buffing cloth and plenty of elbow grease. Like many other things, too, knowing how to cut and polish a car is just part of the deal.You also need the right equipment, which, in the case of professional cutting compound includes the mechanical polisher than can produce the speed and heat needed to get the right result.Which suggests the next step to all of this is to become proficient at a professional level which opens you up to the world of machine polishing and perhaps even making a part-time (or full time) living in the process.Many car detailing business offer one and two-day courses (and some longer ones) that can show you the ropes and turn you into a detailer rather than just a driveway tinkerer.Topics covered will include how to machine polish a car and how to polish a car with a buffer and will also offer information on professional car polish grades and types.If you find it’s for you, you can even learn how to apply ceramic coatings and other high-end finishes. As well as the basics on how to buff a car, you might even pick up some tips on how to polish a car windshield which, to be honest, is a whole other area that we’ll tackle in its own feature.More wisdomThere’s more to polishing a car than the above. So here are a few tips you might not have thought of.Don’t use a more aggressive polishing compound than you need. The aim is to use a product that is just abrasive enough. Experts agree that a swirl removing compound is about as aggressive as you’d want to go in your driveway. The packaging should give an idea of the intended product’s intended use.Follow the darn instruction on the product packaging. This information is included for a reason. Different products require different applicator cloths and different buffing compounds.Even the length of time you can let the product stay on the paint can vary. So can the first aid instructions if it all goes wrong. Don’t ignore this info; it’s for your own good.When trying to remove swirl marks, experts reckon the best approach is to use a backwards-forwards motion rather than a circular motion as you might for some polishing. That’s because swirl marks are, themselves, mostly circular, so a fore-aft action will see them disappear before your eyes. Hopefully.Don’t confuse car wax and polish with car cut and polish. They’re two very different compounds and while the former is a good start for a Saturday morning in the driveway, the latter can be better left to the pros.If you do intend to try a cutting compound, stick with something mild like a cream cut and polish rather than something more aggressive and abrasive. For the desired paint finish and car shine polish type and compound is crucial. So know what you want to achieve before you start.Car paint polish is a great example of getting what you pay for. More expensive generally means a better product. The best polish for cars, then, is the best one you can afford.In fact, we’ll extend that to include the advice that you should sidestep the really cheap or unknown car polishing compound, because the good brands are well known for a reason.Like anything else, how to polish a car information is all over the internet, but only some of it is worth reading.Searching for 'how to polish car by hand', is a good start, but then weed out the wheat from the chaff on the basis of who has provided the information. Advice from a well known brand is far more likely to yield useful information.Another common question is how often should you polish your car.Frankly, you can overdo it and if you look at an older car that’s been polished maybe hundreds of times, you might see where the paint on the edges and other parts of the car has worn thin, allowing the undercoat to show through.Okay, so that’s an extreme case, but it certainly supports polishing a car only when it’s needed. Don’t forget, either, that regular waxing is at least as important as the wax protects the paint and means that less polishing should be required over the life of the vehicle.

It’s often said by car enthusiasts that you’re not a real car guy until you’ve owned an Alfa Romeo. Perhaps, but there’s an Australian variation on that theme: You can’t be a proper car bloke (or gal) until you’ve owned a V8.

What is the best car for Uber in Australia? The obvious answer is a Toyota Camry Hybrid. That’s not just because it seems like almost every other Uber you catch is a Camry, nor even because Uber’s own research reveals that it’s the most popular model of car used by its gig economy drivers in Australia, it’s because it really is the best blend of comfort, space and economy for taxi-style work.

Are wheel spacers legal in Australia? No, wheel spacers are not legal in Australia unless the manufacturer of the vehicle has fitted them to the vehicle in question.

What is the cheapest ute in Australia?At the time of publication the cheapest ute in Australia is the Toyota HiLux Workmate 4x2. A key reason for the HiLux’s sustained success is Toyota’s decision to ensure every end of the market is covered, from the humble Workmate to the plush Rogue and dynamic GR-Sport. The Workmate 4x2 starts at just $26,475 (plus on-road costs), retaining its title as cheapest new ute Australia despite the influx of new cheaper offerings from China and India in recent years. As the legend goes, utes were originally intended to be a vehicle to take farmers to church on Sunday and the market on Monday. Therefore, they were designed to be an affordable, working class vehicle that appealed to a limited audience.Fast forward nearly 100 years and the ute has become a defining feature of Australian automotive society and culture. The ute is now no longer just going to the church and the market, it drives people to building sites, office blocks, the beach, the motocross track, the local shopping centre and just about anywhere else a modern car goes.As the ute has become ubiquitous it has evolved into many different forms and become increasingly expensive. The popular Ford Ranger Raptor starts at more than $90,000, while the new breed of locally-converted American ‘pick-ups’ can cost more than six-figures, with the Ram 3500 Laramie a whopping $177,950.But what if you’re still after an affordable ute that won’t break the bank? Well, we’ve got you covered. In this article you’ll find a list of the cheapest utes Australia has to offer at this moment in time (December 2024).While the market has shifted more upmarket in recent years, the good news for Australian buyers is there are still plenty of affordable utes available. As the Toyota HiLux Workmate proves, these aren’t from just newer brands like GWM, Mahindra and LDV. Instead, (if you don’t need 4x4) you can get into an Isuzu, Nissan, Mazda or Ford for under $40K.Beyond the usual factors you consider when buying a new ute - price, payload, towing capacity, etc - one of the key considerations when looking for a budget ute is reliability and future ownership credentials. For example, the Tata Xenon was the cheapest ute Australia offered a few years ago, starting at just $19,990. However, the brand did not last long and exited the Australian market, which leaves owners with an uncertain future.All the brands on our list below are now firmly established in the local market, so should not suffer a similar fate to Tata, but it still pays to consider the company you’re buying from and what reputation it has for reliability and ownership in the ute sector.  The HiLux was the best-selling ute (and one of the most popular new models, period) in Australia for a very long time and the Workmate has a lot to do with that.It may be powered by a humble 122kW/245Nm 2.7-litre turbo-diesel, have a single cab chassis and only be 4x2, but for buyers looking for a cheap, hard-working ute it ticks all the right boxes - it can tow up to 2500kg and has a payload of up to 1145kg. While Toyota may have a diverse HiLux range now, it has never forgotten the need to cater to the budget end of the segment, even in the face of the arrival of GWM, Mahindra and Tata with some very cheap utes in recent years. But while some have come and gone, the Workmate has remained.The D-Max is one of Australia’s favourite utes, typically finishing behind only the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in the sales race. A big part of that popularity is its affordability, which is led by the entry-grade SX Single Cab. It’s powered by a 110kW/350Nm 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel paired with a six-speed manual transmission. While it has a small engine, it has a braked towing capacity of 2800kg and a payload capacity of 1400kg (without a tray), so it can still work hard.You’ll be noticing the theme here is single cab chassis models, because the bed adds to the cost and bumps them out of the most economical ute discussion. The Navara SL is another example of this, taking a no-frills approach and only offering the important elements.That includes a 2.3-litre twin-turbo diesel good for 120kW/403Nm and paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. This is enough to give the Navara SL a 3500kg braked towing capacity, which is on par with more expensive 4x4 models, and also a payload of 1350kg.The Chinese brand has made its mark with its affordable range of Cannon utes, which begins with this cab chassis option. It has the same 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel as the rest of the range but misses out on the four-wheel drive. That gives it enough to tow up to 3000kg and the payload is rated at 1050kg.What it does have over the previous utes on this list is a back seat, with a dual cab body and it also gets the aluminium tray out the back included in the price. It also gets some other nice touches not common at this price point, such as an eight-speed automatic transmission and alloy wheels. The Indian brand has been in Australia longer than most people probably remember, first arriving back in 2007. The Pikup has been its staple since then and after the cut-price S6+ and S10 models laid the foundation, this newer S11 has arrived to carry on the legacy of affordable utes from Mahindra.While it’s the most expensive of the five on this list, it’s the only 4x4 and the only dual cab of its kind for under $40K.Powered by a 103kW/320Nm 2.2-litre turbo-diesel the Pikup S11 can tow up to 2500kg and has a 1035kg payload.

Do you need an international driver's licence in Europe? Yes, in most European countries Australian drivers are recommended to have an International Driving Permit, as well as a valid Australian licence (obviously). You don’t need one for the United Kingdom, but for the vast majority of Europe you should carry one with you if you intend to drive overseas.

Why are beadlocks illegal in Australia? Beadlock wheels/rims are designated as strictly for off-road use (only). They are not legal for on-road use in Australia because they have not yet been approved for use on sealed surfaces and do not comply with existing vehicle standards in accordance with Australian Design Rules (ADR).