First Car

We're the first to confess we're not huge fans of small cars with automatics, but the sporty Fiesta Zetec stands out as an exception to this rule.Even hooked up to the four-speed auto is a cracker.It goes off! All Fiestas get the same 1.6-litre DOHC 16 valve engine that delivers 74kW of power at 6000rpm and peak torque of 146Nm at 4000rpm. May not sound like much but combined with the car's relatively light weight it delivers a lively power to weight ratio. Our four-speed auto test vehicle weighed in at a modest 1089kg, about 25kg heavier than the manual model. For the mine's bigger than your's crowd, having the same donk as the entry level model kind of takes the shine off the sports machine but that's life. What you do get with Zetec is sports suspension. Combined with larger diameter wheels fitted with low profile tyres it makes for significantly better handling. The sports kit delivers a firmer ride, with sharper handling and a more precise steering feel. The kit drops the ride height, with stiffer springs and dampers, revised suspension bushes, larger diameter front anti-roll bar and a stiffer rear suspension twist beam. 16-inch seven-spoke alloys are fitted with 195/45 R16V low profile tyres, Fuel consumption from the 45-litre tank is a claimed 7.5L/100km using standard unleaded petrol, compared with the manual's 6.8L/100km. Performance is sharp and the engine is a real buzz saw, revving all the way to 7000rpm in third gear without forcing a gear change. An overdrive lockout button can be thumbed to keep the car in third. Ford has given the car a makeover, with changes to bumpers and grille, new head lights, new tail lights, thicker body side mouldings and body coloured handles and mirrors. Airconditioning is now standard across the range. The front spoiler is quite deep and easily scraped on dips and driveways unless the driver is careful. Standard equipment includes ABS anti-lock brakes and electronic brake distribution, but not brake assist which shows in the amount of pedal force required under heavy brakling. It's worth noting too that the car misses out on rear disc brakes, but in a small car it is the front brakes that do most of the work anyway. Front driver and passenger airbags are also standard. We found the sound system in our test car a little temperamental in dealing with burned CDs, but it produces better than average sound.VERDICT: No hesitation recommending this little beauty. Offers plenty of performance even when you opt for the convenience of automatic transmission. Not quite as roomy as Barina but heaps more fun to drive by a country mile.

MY 17-year-old son has $8000 to spend on his first car and he wants a two-wheel-drive ute. What would you recommend for reliability and low running costs? How much would it cost to lower the suspension?

Plenty apparently if that name happens to be Holden and you stick it on the back of an imported car, then sell it as one of your own.We're talking in this case about the new TK Barina, the fifth car to bear the name here in the last 20 years from almost as many countries.The first "Beep Beep" Barina launched here way back in February 1985 was a rebadged Japanese Suzuki Swift. It was followed soon after by another Swift in September 1986, that pioneered the popular Cino body style.Then in April 1994 Holden turned to Europe for a replacement which came in the form of an Opel built in Spain, followed by a second Opel in March 2001 and finally by the current Daewoo from South Korea in October this year.Barina has always been a solid performer for the General, but it has come under increasing pressure in recent years from the likes of Hyundai's Getz and more recently Toyota's Echo/Yaris.At this end of the market, it's all about price and what you get for your dollar, which goes a long way towards explaining Holden's current strategy.It can get cars much cheaper from South Korea than it can from Europe, which gives it the edge it desperately needs to compete with low priced imports.The job of selling the cars is up to Holden's marketing people but having that badge on the back is a good place to start.It's a thing the automotive industry calls "badge power".Holden claims the new TK Barina has been heavily re-engineered for its new role in life.It was offered briefly by Daewoo here under the name Kalos for $14,990.As such many people would not have given the car a second thought, but with the name Holden on the back those same people are likely to give the Barina serious consideration.The new Barina is competes against a dozen different cars in this segment, led by the Toyota Yaris and Hyundai Getz.It's easily outsold by both but at a price of $12,990 undercuts every player in the field, even Hyundai's 1.4-litre Getz at $13,490.For your money, you get a three-door hatch with a "lively" 1.6-litre engine, airconditioning, power steering, two airbags, power windows, power mirrors and a CD player with six speakers and steering wheel mounted audio controls.You also get a full size spare wheel.The price does not include ABS ($1190 including alloys) or automatic transmission ($2000), nor is it a driveaway price so on-road costs must be added.However, it's still adds up to a pretty impressive package.The DOHC 16 valve engine is good for 77kW of power at 6000rpm ad 145Nm of torque at 3600rpm.Fuel economy is a claimed 6.9 litres per 100km for the manual or 7.8 litres for the auto.It should be noted that the Barina's rear brakes are drums but this is reasonable with a lightweight vehicle such as this and does not justify crossing it off your list.The original Kalos was not a bad looking car but we like the subtle changes that Holden has made.It's roomy inside, with a bright, fresh young feel and a finish that is better than some cars we've driven lately.While dynamically it's not a patch on its Euro predecessor, the ride and handling is acceptable.The 1.6-litre engine is a willing worker, but coarse at times and runs out of puff if pushed hard.The five-speed manual shift is disappointing, with a spongy feel and the distance between gears is too great.Annoyingly, it also suffers from throttle run on when changing gears.This is best dealt with by waiting a tick for the revs to die before completing changes.All in all, Barina is excellent value for money but is unlikely to win Wheels Car of the Year as its predecessor did.But at the price, who really cares? 

It's a rebadged Daewoo Lacetti hatch which we didn't see here as a Daewoo and is quite a good looking car.There might be some sort of stigma attached to its country of origin (Korea) but we don't know why.Apart from a few minor annoyances, the new Viva is a good thing _ goes well, doesn't use much fuel, handles and rides acceptably, is easy on the eye inside and out and best of all, is bargain priced.The five door hatch is one of three new Viva's available and we reckon it's the best.Far from being a "povvo pack" car without much equipment the Viva is right on the pace with both luxury and safety goodies including height-adjustable front seat belts with pretensioners, air conditioning, power steering, four speaker single CD/MP3 capability audio system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, front power windows (all round on the wagon), heated exterior mirrors, six-way height adjustable drivers seat and a tilt and telescopic-adjustable steering wheel.All three variants: hatch, sedan and wagon, feature four air bags as standard equipment and prices start at $17,990.Power comes from a twin cam, 1.8-litre, four cylinder engine with 89kW/169Nm output driving through the front wheel via a five speed manual or optional four speed auto.The engine complies with future Euro 4 emissions standards and returns fuel efficiency figures of 7.4 litres per 100 kilometres (manual transmission).Holden says the entire car including the engine and transmission has been tailored to suit Austalian driving conditions.That may be so but there are some areas that could do with improvement, specifically, the long travel gear selector and the reluctance of the engine to drop revs when you change gears.Both are annoying making it difficult to drive the Viva smoothly unless you adopt a certain driving technique.But in practical terms, Viva's extremely useful offering plenty of boot space, good rear seat legroom and more than 20 storage compartments including cup holders and coin trays.Holden engineers tweaked the Viva's suspension but it's fairly mainstream stuff offering comfort and a reasonable degree of composure on most surfaces.Interior noise is about on par for the class.Brakes are discs all round with ABS optional.There's been a fair bit of negative press about the Viva but it seems misplaced after our time behind the wheel. The car is a cheapie to be sure and should be considered in that context. It ticks most of the boxes for performance, equipment, style, practicality, ride and economy. What more do you want for under $20,000.

IN THE next year or so, I will be buying my first car. I am looking at the 1993-95 Audi 80. Could you give me a price range for the Audi 80 and suggestions on what to look for? I'd be looking at an automatic with either the 2.3 or 2.6-litre engine.

WHAT would be the best choice of first car for my son, 18, who will have $3000 to spend. He wants a sedan with auto trans and has looked at VK Commodores, Nissan Skyline Executives and Ford Lasers. I prefer rear-wheel-drive, but he turns up his nose at my '87 XF Falcon, which is LPG only and cheap to run. I thought a Gemini, Escort, or Mazda 626 would be an ideal first car.

Love the styling but the car just needs a little more go and the 147kW turbocharged engine should be more than up to the job.In the meantime, there are few better looking hatches on the road. Not sure what makes it a coupe and not a three-door hatch. But only panels shared with the five-door hatch are the front bumper, front fenders and bonnet. 1.8-litre 16-valve DOHC four cylinder engine puts out 90kW of power at 5600rpm and 165Nm of torque at 3800rpm. Ninety per cent of maximum torque available between 2200 and 5500 rpm. Good mid range performance but lacks some punch off the line. Our test car was the CD manual which at 1243kg is the lightest of the lot and offers the power to weight ratio. Fuel economy for the coupe is a claimed 7.8L/100km for the manual and 8.2L/100km for the auto. Tanks hold 52 litres and fractionally better power figures achieved with premium. Rides and handles well. Throw it at a corner and this one won't bite back. Coupe gets lower ride height package, which includes modified damping rates for a more responsive, sports oriented handling. Very small rear window reduces vision. Large rear pillars and small rear side windows further reduce vision. As with most three-doors, the large front doors are heavy and open wide, requiring ample room when trying to access rear seat. No good for cramped garages. Rear seat access via tilt and slide front seats. Front seat slide mechanism is okay but can be tricky to operate especially seated in the back. Rear set leg room is not bad, but dark trim and small raised rear windows contribute to a claustrophobic feel. Good for two but would be squeezy with three in the back. Can't get used to the blinker control arm being on the right hand side with this model. Most Euros have it on the left by default as did the old model. Good news for music fans. Blaupunkt seven speaker 80 watt sound system supports MP3 playback from discs. Volume adjusts automati- cally with speed. No spacesaver. Full size steel spare wheel, just the way we Aussies like it. Standard equipment includes includes 15-inch alloys, four airbags, ABS and brake assist, cruise control, power windows, heated power exterior mirrors, steering wheel- mounted audio controls and air conditioning. Astra Coupe CD is priced from $23,490 and CDX from $25,990 

I'M 17 and will soon be looking for my first car. I am keen on the 1989 Nissan Skyline. I am looking to spend $5000 to $7000 and want something reliable. Are there any significant problems with this model Skyline or are there other cars I should consider instead?

Instantly recognisable over the previous model from the front, the Mazda2's cosmetic surgery consists of an eye-lift, plumper cheeks, a reshaped nose and a redesigned grille. All this comes with a styling tweak to the bonnet.The Mazda2's rear end also gets a bit of a tuck and lift with redesigned rearlights, a wider (but slimmer) LED high-mount stop light and a rear bumper that takes away from the car's previously boxy look. But, while looks do account for a lot, the Mazda2 incorporates a whole heap more.Mazda2 is the first car in its class (under $18,250) to offer six airbags and ABS brakes across all models.It is also the only volume-selling car in its class to offer automatic transmission ($1850) with manual shift available across the range.Mazda expects the four-speed automatic will increase figures of automatic buyers from 54 per cent to 60 per cent.The safety pack is standard on the Genki and an $1150 option on Neo and Maxx models.In fact safety additions are numerous in the little car with dual front airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners with load limiters, anti-whiplash front seats and an intrusion-minimising brake pedal that reduces the chance of foot, ankle and lower-leg injuries standard across the range.Both the Maxx and Genki models tested (automatic and manual respectively) feature steering wheel-mounted audio controls, plus an in-dash six-CD player, driver's seat adjustment and a retractable key.They increase the price by $100 on the previous model. With the exterior makeover they also feature 15-inch alloys while the Genki gets new-look side skirts, a sports grille and driving lights in the front bumper.On the road the Mazda2's 1.5-litre engine is zippy, even in automatic.The engine has the highest power in its class with 82kW and impressive torque of 141Nm, while fuel economy hovers around 7.0-litres per 100km.Modifications have improved torque delivery between 1500rpm and 3000rpm.The addition of electric power-steering, a system that is based on the company's RX-8 flagship model, makes for easy manoeuvrability. But it does get heavier at speed for a more solid feel.But it gives the Mazda2 a handy turning circle of 9.8m. While the stiffer body makes for better handling, ride comfort in the Mazda2 is not on the luxury side of the scale. It feels a little rough.The view from inside the car is excellent. The large windows and windscreen allow for good vision all around the car and the big rear window helps when reversing.The Mazda2 has a number of hidey-holes to keep things out of sight and two cup-holders located in front of the gear lever.An automatic one-touch driver power window is usually a feature of more expensive cars but both the Maxx and Genki have it.It is a dream at tollgates, parking lots or anywhere you are trying to juggle acceleration and (usually) changing lanes with a handful of change while being blown about until you can close the window.The clutch on the Genki was on the light side, has a high take-up point and, in the test car, had a slight shudder.Yet, once you got used to it the gear changes are quite smooth and no sore legs result from sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic.The top of the line Genki's new-look body kit made it the sportiest looking of the bunch. Genki also gains a retractable key and has a starting price of $20,985.With the recent facelift the Mazda2's nose has edged a little in front of closest rival, the Honda Jazz, but in terms of sales the Toyota Echo and Hyundai Getz remain top of the small-class tree.

I BOUGHT an LX Torana SL202 dual-fuel with factory airconditioning as my daughter's first car. The aircon does not work correctly. Is it worth getting it fixed? The engine has been modified for gas and it starts first time on gas. Should I still run premium petrol every now and then?