Long term reviews

Time's up for the Skoda Kodiaq - well time with the Berry family that is. So, has this Hyundai Santa Fe rival stood up to the test of family duties?

Three months in with our Geely EX5, is having an electric car at the price of an internal combustion engine car too good to be true?

It's missing its original stereo, but still has a CD stacker.Interior is excellent quality. There is just enough space in the rear cargo area.It handles quite well for its age. It brakes well but it could do with a little more power.At the moment it's a bit expensive and hard to find parts. The insurance costs are great.Not too bad but it needs a little work done on it. 

Cutting edge tech package. Features are a cut above standard Asian offerings in its competitor set.Excellent. More interior space than my Genesis GV70 mid-size SUV.Ride is firm and responsive. Steering is accurate. Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) is well damped.Nil servicing costs. Three years free servicing negotiated at time of purchase. Fuel costs are minimal.I've had no issues at all.

To be fair by today's standards the multimedia would be considered poor, however it has Bluetooth for my phone and the rest of it is just something I personally don't care about and has too much focus. It is, after all, a car and they're designed for driving which should be your primary focus when using one, not what apps it has.Safety wise it is comparable to vehicles of its era and is, for me, quite good. The biggest safety system is the person attached to the steering wheel, something that seems to be lost with all the focus on auto emergency braking (AEB) and adaptive this and that, which is a reflection on people forgetting their competence, importance, responsibility and accountability.Absolutely awesome! It is voluminous inside and with some tetris-style packing it will swallow an amazing amount of life's detritus and junk.The front seats are amazingly comfortable on long journeys. The flexibility of splitting the three rear seats individually and down to a completely flat loading floor with a huge boot gives you panel van-sized loading space. Additionally, the extra two seats for a seven-seat configuration are actually rated for adults and have excellent foot room, although I personally wouldn't want to be travelling long distances in them as an adult.Quiet, refined and an accumulator of speed on the open road that handles with aplomb for a 2.5 to three-tonne high-riding brick, it carries way more speed than you think was possible.Cruise control is a definite must on the open road or you will find yourself in the crosshairs of the constabulary.This is no sports car when it comes to steering input and feedback, but it has an inordinate amount of grip, it goes well and handles wonderfully, with the air suspension doing a fantastic job of absorbing the horrible road conditions. Cornering is relatively flat and the car is extraordinarily quiet at any speed, regardless of how fast you're going.OMG! You only have one kidney to sell to pay for the hideously expensive genuine Land Rover spares and servicing here in Australia.You might need to find yourself an aftermarket specialist Land Rover mechanic as this could save you literally thousands of dollars. Use OEM or very good quality aftermarket parts unless you have very deep pockets and money is no object. Allow an average of $2-3000 a year just for servicing (I service every 10,000km, not the 20,000km+ that Land Rover specifies) plus tyres and other consumables. I do an average of 20-25,000km a year with my driving so costs will vary depending upon what you do.Fuel economy depends on your driving style, but with my modified-for-off-road and regional travel D4, I regularly get between 9.0-10L/100km on the open road and less than 14L towing a near two-tonne camper trailer. Around town is variable with traffic and how hard I drive but typically it’s under 12L/100km.The big killer is the massive rise in insurance costs over the past two years. The value of the vehicle has decreased by more than 15 per cent but the cost to insure has increased by more than 35 per cent, so expect bills well in excess of $3K a year for quality insurance.The only reliability issues I have had with this car are aftermarket accessories being installed by supposedly reputable companies doing average work. Their dodgy installation and lack of customer service has caused issues and as such I can't hold Land Rover responsible for that.You must understand though that this is a big heavy car and things like brakes and suspension components work hard to keep everything going so they do wear out and need regular replacement, but Land Rover is too expensive price wise.

Two months in, has the fancy veneer worn off the Geely EX5?

It is very basic as I have had to add a rearview camera, central locking, GPS, a dash cam and a throttle controller. I would have liked to have parking sensors and cruise control. The rear seat area is confined and uncomfortable, and the door cards are poorly made. but the tray area is a good size and very handy.The take off and pickup is sluggish, but once it is up and going it just purrs especially on the highway.Wet-weather driving needs caution as it tend to lose traction when it has no load.Found the maintenance cost to be minimal and servicing is not costly as it rarely has a problem. The fuel cost is about 9.5-10L/00km.I have had the car for 16-plus years and had one problem that was easily taken care of in the fuel line at minimal cost, so apart from that I have had no gripes.I regularly go on 4WD fishing trips and it hold up well.

The multimedia is clear and informative with the Sync 3 system. Emergency services are quick to access with the cars Sync 3 system which also has voice capability. Apple and Android support is also included.The inside cargo is spacious enough for most things everyday-use wise. The boot space can be limited if there is a spare tyre, however without it, there is plenty of room for a hatch of this size. This car drives like a dream. The all-wheel-drive system makes taking turns a breeze. The 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine is enough power to take the vehicle from 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds. Though it can be stiff sometimes, the joy of driving this car is more than worth it.Fuel is your standard unleaded 98. The insurance for me personally was more expensive than I thought because of it's Ford Performance label and possibly my age. Servicing is standard when looking after the car. However price on new tires can be quite expensive.This car feels reliable in the sense of bringing fun, excitement and thrills to the driver. It functions like a regular car would on the daily, but I use it for weekends and special occasions. This car does not disappoint when it comes to reliability in any way. Just keep the spare tyre in the boot for emergencies, though. 

The Toyota Camry doesn’t scream family car, it’s been pigeon-holed as a ride share vehicle or taxi, but I’m going to break those stereotypes.

The Ford Ranger Stormtrak launches into an increasingly congested plug-in hybrid ute market, but it promises to do things a little differently to the top-selling BYD Shark 6.