Off road

An interested group of Australian motoring journalists attended the global debut of the latest Mazda CX-9 SUV at the 2012 Sydney motor show. Now the big wagon is on sale here and we have just enjoyed a great day’s driving in near perfect weather on several hundred kilometres on some scenic roads behind Melbourne.Such has been the success of Mazda downunder that the company’s Japanese head office gave Australia the honour of being the first to see the heavily facelifted new model. This is a real honour as there’s little doubt that importers and Mazda dealers in many other countries put up their hands to get first glimpse of the big SUV / people mover.The infotainment system in the big Mazda SUV has been upgraded and now features the latest audio, navigation and speech-recognition systems in what Mazda calls it’s HMI (Human Machine Interface).Mazda CX-9 has been upgraded inside and out and carries minor refinements to the engine and its ancillaries that are said to have reduced its fuel consumption. However, while it’s no longer the gas guzzler that it was in its early days the new model is still no fuel sipper. In some relatively modest driving on quiet country road, albeit with plenty of hills to climb, the 3.7-litre V6 was typically was using petrol in the range of 12 to 14 litres per hundred kilometres.The biggest feature of the latest version of the Mazda CX-9 is the huge grille that gives it a standout appearance in a market segment that is dominated by sensible looking people movers disguised as SUVs. There's room for seven adults without them being overly cramped, though four adults and three children is more realistic.The centre set of seats can slide back and forward to let you vary the amount of legroom available in this seat and the third row seats. With the centre seat in its rearmost position there's almost limo-like legroom. The third row of seats fold flat very simply to give a useful increase in luggage space. Even with the seats in use there's still space for a couple of fair-sized suitcases.Mazda Australia has been very strong on safety for many years, so the CX-9 has had electronic stability control and rollover protection to help prevent crashes since its introduction downunder in 2007. The list of safety features has been greatly expanded, particularly in the crash avoidance field. Forward Obstruction Warning (FOW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and High Beam Control (HBC) anticipate danger and help the driver avoid it. Not all safety systems are sold in every grade so it’s best to talk about that - as well as the luxury items on offer - with your nearest Mazda dealer.Mazda CX-9 can certainly be used in light-duty running on forest trails, perhaps even at the beach, but almost all owners will use it as a spacious people mover. We did quite a few kilometres running on dirt road and found the suspension did an excellent job of cushioning shocks and providing a comfortable, quiet ride.Suspension and steering haven’t been altered in the new model. Though Australian imports have more dynamic settings than the American models, the big Mazda CX-9 is relatively soft. Which is no bad thing as this SUV is aimed at the sensible person who is much more interested in comfortable travel for the family than in storming around bends at breakneck speed.The big Mazda has a good turning circle for its class and this is a real bonus when it comes to the reality of squeezing it into a tight parking space in an underground parking station.

A broken back and a heart attack would be enough to put most people off racing altogether, let alone the punishing Dakar rally. But neither will stop Bruce ‘Lazarus’ Garland taking on the world’s meanest rally in his Isuzu D-Max ute from January 5 in Lima, Peru.The 54-year-old fractured a vertebra in the 2011 Dakar when he landed heavily in a sand dune. It ended the event for Garland and long-time co-driver Harry Suzuki, who was not injured. It was a big setback, but the situation worsened when Garland suffered a heart attack two months later.“At one point I didn’t think I would make it out of the hospital,” Garland says. “I got ready to die, did my will and all that stuff.” Expert care at the MonashHeart hospital meant Garland survived, but only after open-heart surgery that included five heart bypasses.Garland, who had competed in four Dakar events, was determined to make it back into the D-Max driver’s seat. “I said I had some unfinished business, so I had to get back,” he says. A Dakar campaign seemed unlikely early on. “I couldn’t walk out to the letterbox when I got home,” Garland says.With the help of his wife Celena and a personal trainer, Garland improved steadily. He worked with Isuzu to build a racing version of the all-new D-Max, but the company was going through its own problems. “This all happened around about the time of that terrible Tsunami in Japan, so Isuzu was having a hard time as well,” Garland says.His car was one of the first of the new generation models off the Thailand production line, which was soon hit by devastating floods. “That was a terrible flood, really, really bad. They actually lost track of the ute in the middle of all of that and then found it in a field with some other stock about a month later.”Despite all the setbacks, Garland, Suzuki and his team were able to get the D-Max ready for the brutal Finke desert in June. Not only was the race, known for its high speed jumps, going to test the new ute, but also Garland’s back. “If anything is going to hurt your back, it’s the Finke,” Garland says.The event went well and the team did some other testing before heading across to WA’s Australian Safari at the end of September. It went pear-shaped on day three when Garland hit a fence post. “Normally, it’s not an issue, but this one was set in concrete, so it did a lot of damage.”The team decided to withdraw and fix the damage because the ute had to be shipped overseas in order for it to join the Dakar field. Joining it in the container was an Isuzu NPS 300 crew cab, which will carry a lot of the team’s spares from stage to stage. “It’s a great little thing with room for lots of gear, there’s a fridge in the back and two seats,” Garland says.He and Suzuki are in the car class, but often race in amongst the awesome heavy trucks that compete at Dakar. “When one of those things comes past it’s like a bloody tornado they throw up that much sand and dust,” Garland says. “You look across and all you see is their wheels, which are almost as tall as our ute.”Caution is required near the big rigs. “You don’t want to get in their way,” Garland says. “They don’t move or stop for anything or anyone.” In fact, it was a truck that contributed to Garland back-crunching crash in 2011. “We were in the sand dunes next to two trucks and I didn’t want to cut across and get hit by them. I was looking across and drove right off a cliff and into the ravine,” Garland says.He is confident of a top ten finish this year, which would beat his best result of eleventh, but deep down he knows making the start will be a great achievement in itself. 

My wife ran off the road in our 2008 Nissan Navara STX and hit a bump - never hit anything else - and the car broke in half. We have owned the vehicle since new and it has never been in an accident. Our insurance company has declined to fix the chassis as they say they don't repair faults in chassis. I have been told that you have had some other problems with Navara chassis reported to you. I would really like to contact those people so I can take it to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. I see this as a major problem with the Navara.

Subaru has been in the ‘compact SUV’ market since before that term even existed. The engineering-oriented Japanese marque pioneered all-wheel-drive passenger cars and station wagons over 40 years ago and remains a major player today.This early work by Subaru is paying big dividends today, because compact SUVs compete in one of the fastest growing of all market segments. Interestingly, this doesn’t just apply to Australia; buyers in many other countries are discovering how much sense it makes to own affordable, driver friendly compact SUVs.Which brings us to Subaru’s Forester, the midsize model in the extensive Subaru all-wheel-drive wagon range. So important is the Forester that Subaru Australia imported several pre-production generation-four Foresters to Australia to permit a select group of journalists to drive them on- and off-road this week. The new model won’t reach us downunder till February 2013.In an interesting move, all models in the Subaru Forester range have satellite navigation as standard. However, it’s a rather basic system with maps that look more like kid’s drawings than the real thing.New Forester can be specified with a 2.0 or 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine, and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. However, only the 2.5 petrol can be specified with an automatic transmission, the others have a six-speed manual gearbox. The automatic is a CVT unit and Subaru’s engineers have done an excellent job of minimising the sometimes irritating ‘slipping-clutch’ sound and feel. Once that transmission is designed to sit behind all engines in the Forester range we are sure it will be a big winner.The fourth-generation Subaru Forester is marginally smaller on the outside but clever design means the interior is slightly larger in most dimensions. Rear seat passengers are the biggest beneficiaries and I found my six-foot frame could sit easily behind itself, if you know what I mean.As is the way with most latest generation cars the Subaru Forester is quieter and smoother than ever before, with cabin noise levels diminished to the sort of levels that used to require an expensive sedan to achieve. Luggage space is lost due to the installation of a full-size spare wheel in an area obviously designed for a space-saver. But given the number of Australian drivers who may take their Forester off road this is probably an acceptable sacrifice.We road tested the EyeSight system fitted to the topline Forester. Unlike other crash avoidance and mitigation systems, Subaru's uses cameras, rather than radar, in its operation. Anything that can be seen by the human eye will create an image behind the cameras’ lenses, whereas radar only works when its beams are reflected back from metallic or similar surfaces, so may not ‘see’ pedestrians, cyclists or animals.Though we never needed Eyesight for crash prevention we did witness the warnings it gave when we deliberately let our Forester wander out of its traffic lane. It was even able to see very vague lines at the edge of country roads, lines that had been all but worn away by age, harsh sunshine and vehicle tyres. Impressive, and a potential life saver in situations that may result in crashes typically classified as ‘unexplained single vehicle accidents’.We did some reasonably serious driving in hills near Canberra as part of the press launch of the Forester. Its ground clearance of 220 mm is greater than that of all its competitors, even of some dedicated 4WDs. So deep ruts and large rocks will seldom cause hassles. The electronic traction controls, tagged X-Mode by Subaru, are arguably the best we have yet experienced; sophisticated, non-intrusive and simple to use. However, X-Mode is only fitted to Foresters with automatic transmission, not on manuals.Downhill and uphill assist are controlled by the throttle and brake pedals, making them significantly more intuitive than the hand controls generally fitted. Even first time off-road users of a gen-four Forester will feel they are experts in the way the wagon responds. Having said that, it may be best that these people have some professional instruction before they become too brave and get themselves stuck.On sealed roads, the added ground clearance of the Forester isn’t a problem unless pushed far harder than is ever likely to be attempted by the typical owner. Even then the electronics will do their best to keep you safe.To say we are impressed by the latest Forester is an understatement. While competing vehicles in this class are becoming softer by the day, Subaru has stuck to its guns and produced a genuine off-road wagon. Even better, Forester’s on-road behaviour has been further refined despite the upgrading of its allroad abilities.Though the new gen-four Forester won’t reach us downunder till February 2013 it may be an idea to contact your Subaru dealer well before then as there is likely to be an initial rush by existing owners wishing to update. However, they won’t have prices at this time.

It’s a pity that in sharing its underpinnings with the newer Evoque, the Freelander gave up its place in the compact luxury SUV sector. Now, this week in Canada, Freelander takes bits back from Evoque and again proves a strong contender to other European SUVs.The changes aren’t big - the replacement of a petrol engine with a new motor and some trim changes, with new paint and better finishes. But they should be sufficient to at least hold its own. Meanwhile, Land Rover is in an enviable place. Sales are booming - up 41 per cent globally on the same period in 2011 - and are so far ahead of predictions that it finds itself unable to quickly introduce new models.Pricing changes with the deletion of the 3.2-litre in-line petrol six-cylinder version and the replacement with this one, the Si4 with the Ford two-litre EcoBoost engine. But they don’t get cheaper. The old 3.2 SE was $52,510 and the incoming Si4, which is in showrooms now, is $55,600. Yes, the feature list is improved and the SUV gets some small exterior trim features to lift it a bit.More interesting is the upgrade inside. It looks better by borrowing a lot of switchgear from Evoque. It gets a far superior audio - standard is a 380 watt 11-speaker Meridian but a 825W 17-speaker is $1815 more - while sat-nav returns in-house with a $2500 tag.A rear camera and leather is standard as is 18-inch alloys. Build quality is up and in warranty terms, Freelander remains the most trouble-free Land Rover. Spec can be similar to rivals but remember this is a wagon that actually can go off the road.The good news and the bad news are the same - no change to the look. Yes, there are small changes to the headlights and tail lights and the grille has edges. The alloys have a new pattern. Not much else outside and that’s excellent because this is one neat hauler. Inside the Evoque switches lift the Freelander from Discovery to Vogue grade.The wagon still feels small inside compared with the Volvo XC60 but many buyers don’t need the extra space. For me, it is very well proportioned and just the right size.The main change is the introduction of the new Ford 177kW/340Nm two-litre engine. This engine is in practically everything - Ford Falcon and Focus, Volvo XC60 and S60, Jaguar XF and Caterham - for good reason. It replaces the thirsty 179kW/320Nm inline six-cylinder petrol which continues in one of the Volvo XC60 models.The gearbox remains a six-speed auto and drives all wheels continuously. The clever Haldex clutch that spreads the power to the wheels with traction also remains. New is a smart electrical system that only allows the alternator to charge the battery when the battery needs it. It saves fuel this way. There’s also an electric park brake that adjusts itself to ensure the car remains stationary.This is a five-star rated wagon - note that the sister car, the Evoque, is a four-star - with seven airbags, all the necessary electronic braking aids and extras like roll mitigation. The rear camera is standard and includes a guide path and also a new “hitch assist” that takes the towball directly under the trailer’s coupling. The spare is full size. There’s also heated side mirrors.Land Rover has honed the Freelander range and while the diesel was driven, I concentrated on the new petrol mill. From experience in other cars, we know this is an excellent engine with heaps of grunt and reasonable economy. The weight of the Freelander (1775kg plus occupants and fuel) slows down the engine’s verve a bit.The brick shape of the wagon also makes the engine noise apparent and though it’s minor, it’s more audible than say the Falcon model. An excellent seating position, great visibility (thanks to slim pillars) and comfortable seating makes any driver feel at home. Same with the location of controls.The touch screen gives quick access to data and sat-nav (optional) graphics are a decent quality. The engine’s response is aided greatly by the six-speed auto. Though the box’s mapping tries to maintain a higher gear - to improve fuel economy - it has a manual mode. Despite its smallish cabin dimensions, the Freelander feels “right”. It’s easy to park, manoeuvre in tight spots and solid on the open road.It can’t shine in the spotlights like Evoque, glide expensive city streets like the Range Rover or mercilessly pound the deserts like the Discovery. But despite a wave of luxury SUV rivals, the Land Rover Freelander does an exceptional job of being good at everything from toughing it out in the dirt to scrubbing up for a night out. 

You're dreaming if you think the latest crop of utes are good enough to replace a passenger car or an SUV as your family's drive.After a year of being bounced around in all the "new'' utes, of trying to park in tight shopping centre bays, grinding with freeway commuter traffic, going to off-road places no-one else has visited (and realising just why no-one had previously bothered), I have become disillusioned with the purported "dual-purpose'' role of a ute.Forgive me, my family is too valuable. But if you're a tradie or farmer, enthusiastic four-wheeler or need a rugged go-anywhere machine with decent load-carrying ability, these are your toys.The Isuzu D-Max here is made in Thailand and uses many similar parts to rival Holden Colorado and though drivetrains are different, there are enough common concepts to make buyers aggressively shop these against each other.VALUECall me harsh but a ladder frame, a simple diesel engine and some bulging body panels isn't worth nearly $50,000 - especially when tens of thousands are made each year. These are a license to print money for some ute makers.The Isuzu presents as a long-awaited, all-new ute in three body styles and with a more powerful engine. But it's not really all new. The LS-U Space-Cab model seats up to two adults and has (very) occasional seating for two people in the back via a set of small, rear-hinged doors.It has reasonable equipment - Bluetooth, fold-in mirrors, cruise control and a trip computer - but its strength is in its durability. The problem is it has a voracious list of rivals, though the Isuzu is generally the cheapest.DESIGNIt's a more muscular version of the old model and for 2012, presents in its Space-Cab version that has an extended cabin with a couple of floor cushions for the reluctant passengers. These two rear "seats'' contain storage bins beneath and the cushions fold up against the rear wall.The reverse opening rear doors make it a snap to load humans and other valuables. There are not as many changes over the 2011 model as you may think.Mostly its tweaking and honing which is an excellent strategy to attract buyers to a ute that has a brilliant history for reliability. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Changes of note include a 45mm longer wheelbase, a lower and wider tray, bigger cabin and redesigned dash.TECHNOLOGYRival Holden has a new(ish) 132kW/440Nm 2.8-litre VM-Motori turbo-diesel while Isuzu has upgraded last year's 120kW/360Nm 3-litre turbo-diesel to 130kW/380Nm. It's a strong, broad-power engine that is a bit more agricultural than rivals. But it's smart. Changes are made to improve longevity and things like the camshaft's chain drive, instead of some rivals' belt drive, will be appreciated by owners.Oil changes are out to 20,000km. The five-speed manual gearbox is made by Eaton. The front suspension is double wishbones and coils while the rear are traditional leaf springs that are unusually mounted on top of the rigid axle. Most of this is carried over from the old model. A 3000kg tow rating and 1050kg payload are good. No prize for the rear drum brakes, though.SAFETYThis is a four-star rated vehicle and, as I said at the beginning, you shouldn't put your family in a four-star car where you have a choice. The Hilux is also a four-star. But the D-Max has electronic stability and traction control, six airbags, ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, plus occupant safety measures including a high-strength welded passenger cell. Only the top-line LS-Terrain has a reversing camera.DRIVING On the road the let-down of the D-Max is the rubbery action of its five-speed manual gearbox. Spend the extra $2200 and buy the five-speed auto option. The ride is firm - more jittery than Colorado so prefers a load in the back - though well controlled while the steering is actually quite pleasant with a light action and good control.The engine is strong throughout the sub-3500rpm range. It's beefy off the mark and especially torquey around 2500rpm with such a broad range of grunt that it will pull from fifth from 1000rpm. Slowly, but it'll do it. The turning circle is typically wide which means it's hard work in city and suburbs.Brakes are adequate. But now, in the dirt through some long, lonely gravel roads and brutal rocky outcrops near Perth, it's a different machine. Engage 4WD Low via the twist dial on the dash and it'll idle up steep hills and hold pace to a crawl while descending.The suspension remains firm but reveals its necessary compliance in hard conditions. The seats are reasonable - heaven help those in the back - and visibility is very good. Isuzu claim 8.3 L/100km but a six-hour day in the dirt and a freeway ride home resulted in my average of 9.9 L/100km.Isuzu D-MAX space-cab LS-UPrice: $43,700Warranty: 3 years/100,000km, roadside assistService intervals: 12 months/20,000kmSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TCCrash rating: 4-starEngine: 3-litre 4-cyl turbo-diesel, 130kW/380NmTransmission: 5-spd manual; part-time 4WDThirst: 8.3L/100km; 220g/km CO2Dimensions: 5.3m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.8m (H)Weight: 1900kgSpare: Full size

Remember that short, kind of stocky looking kid everyone underestimated in gym class? Well he’s grown up and created a vehicle that will leave comparative, image-conscious SUVs in the nurse’s office.While the Abominable Snowman may have trouble fitting into this compact SUV, Skoda’s Yeti offers human families the opportunity to pursue a little adventure. Strength and tight handling on road, stability off, and a sturdy body - the Yeti brings a neat bundle to Skoda.PRICE AND EQUIPMENTThe automatic, 1.8-litre Yeti 112TSI 4x4 is priced at $35,290. It comes with 17-in alloy wheels (16 inch steel spare), eight-speaker stereo, ABS, ESC, ASR, EBD, Hill Hold Control, 12-volt sockets, Bluetooth, cruise control, trip computer, dual-zone climate control, pollen filter, auxiliary input socket, and a multi-function leather steering wheel.TECHNOLOGYThe six-speed DSG Yeti prowls with 112kW/250Nm, going from 0-100km in 9.0 seconds. 8.2L/100km is the official fuel combined, but we found 11L/100km on our mostly urban and off road test. The DSG slides through quick and smooth gear changes as the Yeti seeks new territory with confidence...as long as there isn’t a log or large ditch in the way, but we’ll get to that later.DESIGNExternally the boxy Yeti isn’t as well groomed as sleeker compact SUVs, but the Yeti isn’t one to worry about looks when the open road is calling. Internally the cabin is quiet and airy (except for an extremely high pitched noise on our test vehicle).The dash display looks slick, and the leather steering wheel adds a nice, high quality, touch. While the radio display screen gives plenty of programming options, it isn’t easy to navigate while driving, and the fan controls would work better as a dial than the easy to miss buttons.Drink holders are only able to hold small cups, leaving any long distance traveller with a serious lack of caffeine. Seats in back are a bit rigid and narrow for three adults to sit comfortably on a long trip, but kids will have no trouble. The middle seat flips down, providing two more insanely small cup holders, and vents in back will keep all types of creatures cool.The boot is small for an SUV, but storage compartments beside the spare wheel (which isn’t full size), sliding hooks for groceries, and the VarioFlex ability to separately fold down and remove each back seat, gives plenty of storage options, assuming you’re not carrying five people.SAFETYA five-star rating, seven airbags, height-adjustable front headrests with WOKS, ESC, ABS, EBD, and ASR, make the Yeti one safe little monster.DRIVINGThe Yeti can tackle moderate off road terrain. The frame sits tight over bumps and there’s no trouble stopping quickly on loose gravel and sand. The limitation comes with the vehicle’s clearance. With a low frame this 4x4 has difficulty with obstacles and scourged tracks. While the underbody protection can shelter a few dings, it won’t take much to bottom out, leaving the Yeti willing, but not able, to follow the pack. An optional off road technology pack brings a few more tricks for adventurous travellers, but the clearance will still limit you.Obstacles aside, responsive handling, very little body roll (especially considering the high interior), smooth DSG, and a fair dose of zip makes the Yeti a fun on road vehicle, with the ability to get a little dirty off road. VERDICTWrangle this beast and the Yeti becomes a solid, compact SUV for the family or moderate adventurer. 

Buyers seeking a compact soft-roader are being spoiled for choice with two significant candidates, the Mitsubishi Outlander and Honda CR-V, appearing in showrooms within days of each other. They're among the top of a class of 22 contenders in Australia's second-biggest car sales category.The Outlander was the best-selling SUV in Australia last month as the company discounted it by up to $10,000 to make way for the new model, which landed in dealerships this week.Australian media don't get behind the wheel of the new Outlander until next month. So we hit the pavement and lined up for a test drive at a Mitsubishi dealership as a mystery shopper. It was among the shortest road tests in Carsguide history but the 5.8km journey still gave some worthwhile insights. It was also good to get reacquainted with the experience new-car buyers go through every weekend, which can be unnecessarily harrowing and time-consuming.For the record, our mid-week jaunt to a car yard forecourt was relatively hassle-free, with the salesman demonstrating good knowledge and only one serious faux pas, wrongly claiming metallic paint on a rival was $1200 (it was $400).First, the basics. It's an all-new model (so why does it have a sad face?) but it sits on the previous car's underpinnings. The width and wheelbase are identical; the rear bumper is 5mm shorter than before.Prices start at $28,990 for a base 2.0-litre petrol manual front-wheel-drive model. But that rises quickly. Fitted with automatic transmission (which most people buy), the front-driver is $31,240 plus on-road costs. Most Outlander models are priced between $35,000 and $46,000.This makes the starting price dearer than that of the highly regarded Mazda CX-5, which is $29,880 with automatic transmission and gets a rear camera as standard (the new base Mitsubishi does not) although the Outlander gets rear sensors at this money. Cue the first "tut-tut''. The dearer Outlander models, however, come with a rear camera.Our test vehicle was the $38,990 (plus $495 for metallic paint) 2.4-litre part-time all-wheel-drive model with CVT auto and seven seats.The split tailgate of the previous Outlander that many buyers love (because they can use it as a makeshift picnic bench, nappy change table or somewhere to crook your leg while you wriggle into your running shoes) is no more. And the loading lip at the rear is higher than than before, so there's a little more heavy lifting to do.The second-row seat no longer stows and folds elegantly and automatically at the tug of one tag. The new design is a more manual arrangement; you first must stow the lower cushion, then drop the backrest.The advantage of this design is that you get about 30cm of extra cargo space and a perfectly flat floor. On five-seater models, the cargo area has hidden underfloor storage space; on seven-seater models there is a flat load space when the third-row pews are stowed. The chilled storage area above the glovebox is also gone.Despite these issues, first impressions of the interior are good, with better quality materials than before — the dash is made entirely of soft-touch padding. The layout is cleaner and less fussy. There are two 12V charge points, a USB socket and Bluetooth with music streaming.There's plenty of oddment storage front and rear, including six cup holders in five-seat varieties (eight  in the seven-seaters). In a welcome change, the steering wheels now has reach as well as height adjustment. The glass area is smaller on the new model but vision is good all around, aided in part by the convex side mirrors.Time to hit the road. It may be the proverbial lap around the block but we end up adding 5.8km to the demonstrator model's odometer, taking in the usual daily grind: school zones, speed humps, roundabouts, manhole covers and even an unusually steep hill.The all-wheel-drive test Outlander with CVT auto and seven seats feels peppy despite the sharp incline. It rides on relatively small 16-inch wheels but the tyres do a good job of soaking up the worst of the road surfaces and the Outlander also significantly quieter and smoother than the outgoing model. The most impressive aspect for me, though, is the steering: light, precise and direct, a highlight of the car.First impressions of the new Outlander are generally positive yet there are some aspects that owners of the existing model will miss  — while it gets rear sensors, the lack of a camera as standard on the base model is an alarming omission on an all-new car. Especially when the Mazda and Honda rivals have it.Meanwhile, faced with the choice between a runout Outlander at $10,000 off the RRP or a new one, I'm inclined to go with the old model. Problem is, they're almost all sold out.At least the new one is much more fuel efficient. Mitsubishi now just needs to either sharpen the price, add a rear camera -- or both. Stand by for a more extensive review of the new Outlander after more time behind the wheel.

Nissan Pathfinder is a reasonably tough off-road station wagon that has gained a lot of respect amongst Australian buyers in the 25 years it has been on the local market. Pathfinder is chiefly aimed at the suburban user, though you will find a fair number in the bush.Whereas the first models had a separate chassis, the full-wagon variant of the Nissan Pathfinder used a monocoque body. Just to cause further confusion, the latest one, from July 2005, has reverted to a full chassis for added toughness and is again virtually a Navara with extra seats. Though this time there is a fair bit of work in the passenger comfort field as well.Pathfinder began its Australian career in December 1986 as a two-door wagon. Following the sales success of the then-new concept, in October 1992 it became a four-door. These older models may be near their use-by date, though we still see some good ones on the road. November 1995 saw the introduction of a virtually all-new Pathfinder that was aimed more at the passenger market than the ute-with-more-seats buyer.We have experienced some body movement on rough roads in the second-generation models, the ones with the monocoque body. This can get worse as the vehicle ages, especially if it has led a hard life. This probably explains the decision to go back to the separate chassis in 2005 Pathfinders. So it’s probably best to regard the 1995 to 2005 models as soft-roaders rather than off-roaders.The earlier Nissan Pathfinders had good ride comfort for their class and era and have a reasonably spacious interior. There is less headroom than you might expect in the pre-2005 models, and legroom in the back could be better, though it’s certainly not cramped.The 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is significantly larger than the previous ones and has seating that’s good for four adults, five without too much leg rubbing. Headroom is good and the front seats are well shaped. The rear bench seat is reasonably comfortable. Boot space is large and easy to load.Most older Pathfinder models have a petrol engine with a capacity of 2.4 litres. A smooth 3.0-litre V6 was added to the lineup in 1993, it is a punchy unit, though the revs do have to be kept up to get the best from it. The V6’s capacity went up to 3.3 litres with the 1995 model change. The 2005 Pathfinder uses a big 4.0-litre V6 that has plenty of grunt.Diesel engines, though common in the Nissan Navara, were not offered in Pathfinders until the introduction of the new 2005 model. The unit in this Pathfinder is a healthy 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo that punches out more that 400 Newton metres. As its introduction coincided with the start of fuel price rises in Australia it’s no surprise that many buyers have opted for this oil burning option and it’s already being sought out on the used-car market.Pathfinders with four-cylinder petrol engines have a five-speed manual gearbox. The 3.0-litre V6 can be ordered as a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The 3.3 engine comes only with a four-speed automatic as does the 4.0-litre petrol. The turbo-diesel again wins out, having a choice between a nice six-speed manual  and a modern five-speed auto.Early Pathfinders used an old style 4WD system, but from the 1999 Pathfinder it came with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system with the title of All-Mode. This 4WD layout offers the driver numerous choices: everything from rear-wheel-only drive for easy on-road use, to four-low for seriously tackling tough off-road terrain. The Auto setting juggles the amount of drive needed to each end of the Pathfinder according to conditions under the wheels.On-road the later Pathfinders are almost car-like in their refinement and general feel. There is more wind noise than you would get in a passenger car of the time in the 1995 to 2005 models. Handling is reasonable in all models, but the centre of gravity is relatively high so you can’t drive a Pathfinder as though it’s a car.Nissan's dealer network is widespread with spare parts, repairs and servicing available in most areas, even in some pretty remote locations. Insurance isn’t usually over expensive as befits a vehicle that is seldom driven hard.WHAT TO LOOK FORRust can get into the lower corners of the door and the tailgate but is not common in vehicles that have been correctly driven and maintained. Check also for rust in the chassis rails, especially if you suspect it has been subjected to beach use.Look for damage to the protection plates, the sill panels and the underneath of the bumper-bar corners, all items that suggest rigorous off-road driving. Four-cylinder engines can sound harsh even when they have a fair bit of life left in them. Worn engines tend to be slow at picking up oil when started stone cold, resulting in low pressure. So listen for bearing rattle and watch for an oil-pressure warning light that’s slow to go off.Check for an engine that smokes from the exhaust. It is usually at its worst when the engine is accelerated hard after it has been idling for a minute or so.  Severe engine wear is the most likely cause.Gearboxes are generally tough, but try some fast gearchanges from third to second and feel and listen for worn synchros. Automatic transmissions should be smooth and quiet in operation and not have too long a delay when going into Drive from Neutral.If driven hard in tough off-road situations Pathfinders may suffer from suspension mounting or chassis cracks. Get an expert to do an inspection as these can be expensive items to repair.CAR BUYING TIPFour-wheel-drive purists scoff at those who never take their 4WDs off-road – that is until they come to buy a secondhand model for themselves. Then they opt for used vehicles that have never been taken off road… 

There's something gloriously inappropriate about the new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8.In a world where many people spend their lives worried about saying the wrong thing, where whole departments have been established devoted to playing it safe, the big, bad Jeep sends all the wrong signals and makes all the wrong noises but that's why we love it.Producing 10 per cent more power and 10 per cent more torque than its predecessor, the SRT8 is a product of Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology arm  a bunch of crazy guys and gals who spend their days turning Chrysler, Dodge and Jeeps into the equivalent of Olympic athletes.And, like its predecessor, the five-seat Grand Cherokee continues to sit on the same platform as the Benz ML SUV, even though the two have parted company  the chassis is incidentally 146 per cent torsionally stronger.Eager buyers have been stumping up $20K deposits for this vehicle, even before knowing the price. No one would have predicted a $76K price tag $7000 less than the old one. For the price, nothing else comes close. The SRT8 is choc full of equipment befitting a luxury vehicle. It rates highly for safety too, although missing out on a five star rating.It's a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 that delivers 344kW of power and 624Nm of torque, 90 per cent from 2800 revs. The previous 6.1-litre V8 produced 313kW and 569Nm. The engine is hooked up to a five-speed sequential auto with smallish steering wheel mounted paddle shifts. But, given the amount of torque that it produces, they're unlikely to see much use.A rotary control enables the driver to dial in more aggressive settings, with Sport and Track modes. Drive of course is to all four wheels. At 189mm it sits 25mm lower than the already good looking standard model, with LED lights, a deeper front dam and more aggressive stance.Ducts provide air to the brakes and take the heat away from the engine. The car rides on 20 inch alloys fitted with big, beefy 295/45 series Pirellis. They're run flats too, which means if you get a puncture you just keep on driving to the nearest servo even though a full sized steel spare is provided.The adaptive Bilstein suspension is controlled by the Selec-Track system and the stoppers are Brembos, 6-pot at the front and 4 at the rear because if you're going to go fast you need to be able to stop fast too. They certainly haven't skimped with this one.It's rated at 14.1 litres/100km. The rating is helped along by the Multi-Displacement System that shuts down four of the engine cylinders when not required to help reduce consumption by as much as 20 per cent.The twin centrally located Boxster-style exhaust was such a defining feature of the previous model we're sad to see it go. This one still has twin exhausts but the pipes have been pushed out to either side. The good news is that you can now tow a boat (you couldn't before because the location of the exhaust precluded a tow bar from being fitted). It can tow 2268kg by the way.Jeep claims the car will do the dash from 0-100km/h in less than 5.0 seconds. Our best run was 5.2 but the record is 4.8 seconds. It handles too. We were able to put the SRT8 through its paces at Anglesea proving ground outside Melbourne, with glimpses of the new Commodore passing in the background. It's perhaps not as sharp as Porsche's GTS Cayenne through the twisty bits but hey, it costs half as much. In a straight line, however, there's not much in it.Jeep is building only 4000 of these cars worldwide this year. Australia has been allocated just 250 of them, but is hoping to get another 1000 next year. Unfortunately most of this year's allocation is already spoken for.It looks fantastic, it goes extremely well and in this segment represents a real bargain. Start shopping it against the likes of Range Rover Sport, BMW X5 M or the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG and it's a walk up start.