Towing

Derek Ogden road tests and reviews the Mazda BT-50 XTR 4x4 dual-cab ute with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Towing or touring, the boxy family wagon had ample living room. New Until you got up close to the new X-Trail Nissan released in 2007 you could have been forgiven for thinking little had changed. It was the same boxy shape, but when you did get up close you discovered it was longer, wider and taller than the outgoing

Big US monster trucks are about to make a big comeback on Australian roads.

I would like to know the maximum towing weight for my 2010 Holden Cruze diesel manual. I have looked at manuals trying to find it, and research on another site says I need to know Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR). Can you help?

The massive SUVs are twins under the skin but have grown apart over the years.There was a time when Lexus just grabbed a Toyota, slapped a new badge on the bonnet, covered the seats in leather and called the vehicle its own.Things have changed and Lexus now goes to great pains to separate itself from its parent company, producing bespoke cars on different platforms with distinctive styling.Even the "twins-under-the-skin" — ES sedan and NX and LX SUVs — look and feel different.The LX used to look so much like a LandCruiser you'd mix them up in the carpark but now the Lexus has discrete new front and rear ends and the cabin has different architecture to match the up-market materials. Here is how the pair differs.At $140,500, the LX570 is $22,000 more than the top of the range LandCruiser Sahara, which puts it behind the eight ball on price.For that you get bigger wheels, a larger and more modern looking 12.3-inch centre screen, electric handbrake, extra safety gear, head-up display, adjustable ride height suspension and a "drive select" mode to vary throttle, transmission, suspension and steering settings.Standard fare on both includes twin DVD screens for rear passengers, leather trim, satnav, four-zone climate control and sunroof. Lexus provides a longer four-year warranty but no capped price servicing, which Toyota has on the LandCruiser for a reasonable $1320 over three years. They're the same size but prestige paint adds $1154 to the Lexus and $580 to the Toyota.Lexus has given the LX 570 a comprehensive styling overhaul inside and out, with new front and rear panels and a cabin design that distances it from the LandCruiser. Dimensions and basic equipment are the same yet it looks and feels like a more expensive vehicle.Some will prefer the more conservative looks of the LandCruiser over Lexus's in-your-face grille and sharper panel creases. The latter gains a more modern appearance from the bigger, lower-profile wheels and the wider use of space-age looking LEDs.Inside the Lexus, the big screen, head-up display, ambient lighting and leather-woodgrain treatments lift the cabin to another level while the LandCruiser looks and feels a little down-market and dated in comparison. Where the Lexus has plush pile and soft imitation leather panels, the Cruiser has harder plastics, cheaper-looking woodgrain and a smaller, old-tech screen. It also lacks some of the techno gadgetry of the Lexus, including the head-up display.Here's where the two diverge the most. The range-topping Sahara has a 4.5-litre V8 diesel while the LX goes with a 5.7-litre petrol job. There's no doubt the LX engine is quieter and smoother — and more befitting a luxury vehicle, perhaps — but it lacks the low-down grunt of the diesel. Off-the-line performance is strong (0-100km/h in 7.7 secs) but fuel consumption is a little frightening around town at a claimed 20.2L/100km to the LandCruiser's 11.2L. The Lexus claims an average 14.4L to the Cruiser's 9.5L.The LX's eight-speed auto shifts smoothly and swiftly and suits the engine's free-revving nature, making it a sportier drive than the Sahara's six-speeder.The Cruiser's V8 may be down on power and cubic capacity but its more accessible and more abundant torque is handy when you're lugging around 2.7 tonnes. Peak torque in the Toyota, 650Nm, is on tap from a low 1600rpm compared with 530Nm at 3200rpm for the LX. It won't win the traffic light drag but it never feels underdone for performance and would prove a better tow vehicle.Only the LandCruiser has a five-star crash rating because the LX sells too few to undergo testing. Each benefits from a substantial midlife upgrade, bringing them up to scratch with the rest of the segment. Ten airbags provide strong crash protection while driver aids now include active cruise control, lane departure warning, adaptive high beam, blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert.Neither SUV will feel nimble on the road. Steering is vague, there's plenty of lean and body roll through corners and they pitch noticeably under brakes.To be fair, they are both more comfortable off-road and on the freeway where they are supremely comfortable cruisers, with excellent noise suppression in the cabin.The only surprise is that the LandCruiser rides better. Its smaller diameter wheels with deeper tyre sidewalls soak up bumps and corrugations better than the lower-profile rubber on the Lexus, which makes for a wobbly ride on suburban roads.It's easy to be seduced by the Lexus's more sumptuous cabin. The LandCruiser's more frugal diesel is strong as an ox and its better sorted ride give it the points victory.Price from: $118,500 plus on-roadsWarranty: 3 years/100,000kmServicing: $1320 over 3 yearsService interval: 6 months/10,000kmSafety: 10 airbags, 5 starsEngine: 4.5-litre V8 turbo diesel, 200kW/650NmTransmission: 6-speed auto; 4WDThirst: 9.5L/100kmDimensions: 4990mm (L), 1980mm (W), 1945mm (H), 2850mm (WB)Weight: 2740kgSpare: Full-size alloyTowing: 3500kgClick here for more 2016 Toyota LandCruiser Sahara Diesel price and spec infoPrice from: $140,500 plus on-roadsWarranty: 4 years/100,000kmCapped servicing: NoService interval: 6 months/10,000kmSafety: 10 airbags, not testedEngine: 5.7-litre V8, 270kW/530NmTransmission: 8-speed auto; 4WDThirst: 14.4L/100kmDimensions: 5080mm (L), 1980mm (W), 1865mm (H), 2850mm (WB)Weight: 2740kgSpare: Full-size alloyTowing: 3500kgClick here for more 2016 Lexus LX570 price and spec info

I would like to know what would be the best vehicle for towing a three horse float with thoroughbreds weighing 500kg? I am happy for any make or model.

Ewan Kennedy reviews the GQ, GU and Y62 Series Nissan Patrol from 1996,1997,1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 as a used buy.

Richard Blackburn road tests and reviews the Ford Everest Titanium with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Work-and-play utes pack ever-higher spec but still involve some compromises. Richard Blackburn rolls up his sleeves.

The wagon earnt its place as a staple for off-roaders and caravanners. New Some of today’s wagons look like four-wheel drives, some even pretend to be tough off-roaders but when it comes to the crunch few cut it in the rough going like the Nissan Patrol. The Patrol, a genuine go-anywhere four-wheel drive, made no