Prestige & Luxury Cars

Hitting 250km/h down Phillip Island’s main straight with a 5.2-litre V10 screaming directly behind your head is a pretty convincing way to get people to buy an Audi R8.

Ready or not, Jaguar won’t be making any more cars with combustion engines from 2025, and the Australian boss of the British brand wants to know what the prime minister is going to do about it.

Since the 1970s' W116 series, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has ranked among the best cars in the world. As a technological as well as luxury showcase, the full-sized German sedan has shown the way for others to follow, redefining its segment with a blend of safety, refinement, performance and quality. The seventh-gen model, the W223, thus has massive shoes to fill. Thankfully, it doesn't disappoint.

There are performance premium SUVs, and then there is the Mini JCW Countryman. Sitting on the top of the retro crossover's range, it adopts much of the same powertrain upgrades as the related BMW X2 xDrive M35i, for a heady turn of speed underpinned by all-wheel drive control. With generous equipment levels and a surprisingly supple ride, the result is a charming, great-value proposition.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the facelifted version of the third-generation CLS large sedan, with the coupe-style model due in Australian showrooms in the fourth quarter of this year

Australia has long been one of the most competitive car markets in the world, often with more than 60 brands fighting it out for sales. And there seems like there’s no chance of its slowing down either, even with the loss of Holden. 

It measures over five metres long, tips the scales at more than 2.2 tonnes, seats seven people in luxurious comfort, and goes like the clappers. Enter the Audi Q7 50 TDI quattro S line, occupying the CarsGuide garage for a three-month summertime stint.

Sitting high in the Jaguar F-Pace range is the R-Dynamic HSE with its list price of $110,404.Coming standard is the new 11.4-inch touchscreen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s keyless entry, push button start, dual-zone climate, power adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, a 13-speaker Meridian sound system, LED headlights and tail lights and the auto tailgate.The R-Dynamic HSE comes with the Jaguar P400 engine which is a 3.0-litre six cylinder making 294kW and 550NmThe F-Pace scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017. Coming standard is advanced safety tech such as AEB, blind spot assist, lane keeping assistance and rear cross traffic alert.

The Jaguar F-Pace might not be the last car you own, but it could be the last Jaguar with an engine you drive. The brand is moving towards an electrified future, and this luxury SUV might be the last grasp at a 'normal' drive experience. Can it stack up against stiff competition?

Volkswagen says its Tiguan is now the nameplate people most associate with the brand, so there's a lot of pressure on this facelifted one to outperform rivals. Does this new base model have what it takes?