Used Car Reviews

The Subaru Outback has a hard-won reputation for family-focused practicality blended with all-wheel drive light off-road ability. We help you decide if it's a solid used car bet.

The Lexus RX has always been a favourite for families looking for something a little fancier than a Toyota Kluger. But what is the Lexus RX from 2015 to 2022 like as a used car? Read on to find out...

The third-generation Mitsubishi Outlander mid-size SUV was popular in Australia for good reason, with it offering buyers the choice of five or seven seats, and plug-in hybrid, petrol or diesel powertrains. As a result, it can also make for a good used car.

The third-generation Toyota Kluger was an extremely popular large SUV during its time in showrooms thanks to its space and safety. And these days, it's a great used-car buy.

Like music and fashion, the types of cars we drive tend to evolve with each generation. We are currently living in the age of the SUV, but for much of the 20th century, Australians loved the sedan.

So popular is the idea of going bush it has spawned a new breed of car capable of leaving the black top while retaining the attributes of a family sedan.  Most of these newcomers are sneeringly referred to by 4WD enthusiasts as soft-roaders for their limited offroad ability, but they offer acceptable around-town road manners and quite reasonable ability for the occasional dirt trip.Along with the Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan's Patrol is definitely not soft. Around town it's big and bulky, but it really comes into its own in heavy going.Nissan launched the GQ Patrol, also known as the Y60, in 1988. It was aimed fairly and squarely at Toyota's LandCruiser, which was the top-selling four-wheel-drive. The GQ was a traditional 4x4, designed for heavy-duty use in the bush or beyond.  It came in short wheelbase hardtop form or long wheelbase wagon and cab chassis.Its foundation, and the source of its great strength, was its separate chassis. Unlike softroaders, which are of unitary construction, the Patrol's body was perched on top of the chassis. As a result, getting into the cabin was quite a climb.There was a choice of three powerplants initially, a 100kW 3.0-litre petrol in-line six, a 125kW 4.2-litre petrol in-line six and an 85kW 4.2-litre diesel in-line six. They were all overhead-valve and carburettor fed.An update in 1992 brought a fuel-injected 4.2-litre petrol engine, which generated 129kW, and an 85kW 2.8-litre turbo diesel.  The standard transmission was a five-speed manual, and there was an option of a four-speed auto.Power was then delivered to the wheels through a two-speed transfer box. High-range two-wheel-drive was available for highway touring, with the choice of high and low-range four-wheel-drive once you left the blacktop behind. Coil springs were employed front and rear, with discs at both ends, and power steering.Models included the DX and ST Hardtops, and the DX7, ST, TI and ST3.0.  The entry-level DX had tilt-adjust steering, two-speaker cassette sound, cloth trim and vinyl mats. The ST also had airconditioning, power windows, power mirrors, central locking and four-speaker sound.Perched at the top of the model line-up was the TI, which had a leather sports steering wheel, woodgrain highlights, leather seats and seven-speaker sound. There were a number of upgrades before the arrival of the GU (Y61) in 1997.The trade gives the GQ Patrol the thumbs-up. There is little that goes wrong with them. The petrol engines are prone to cracked heads when run on LPG, but it's usually because the coolant has been low or lost. Gearboxes, drive lines and diffs give little problem, though leaks from the rear diff seals are common. Properly serviced, however, the leaks can be eliminated.Early Patrols were known to suffer from front-end shimmy, at 70 to 80km/h, but most were fixed under warranty. The fix was to remove the shims from the top and bottom of the steering knuckles, eliminating the free play. Generally, the body and body hardware stands up well.For more than a decade, John Thompson and his 1989 LWB GQ Patrol were as much a part of the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship as Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and the cars they raced.Thompson drove his long-wheelbase 4.2-litre petrol Patrol from one side of the country to the other towing a trailer laden with more than two tonnes of Shell track signs, flags and banners to every round of the championship. The Nissan has just ticked over 500,000km, and Thompson says he's delighted with it.It had bad wheel shimmy before the front end was realigned; has twice cracked cylinder heads; second-gear synchro went at 450,000km and it has blown a clutch.Tough and reliable heavy-duty off-roader for the serious off-road enthusiast, but a little big and beefy for anyone contemplating buying a four-wheel-drive for city duty.Tough and reliable off-roaderBig and bulky for regular around-town useSigns of heavy off-road useBig climb to get aboardCan have head problems

The LandCruiser has a long and proud history in this country. The big Toyota arrived here in the 1950s when it was put to good use on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Project.  In some parts of the country there is simply no other vehicle that can compete with it.MODEL WATCHThe LandCruiser's 100 Series is larger overall than earlier models. Weighing in at around 2.5 tonnes, it is perfect for heavy towing but is heavy on fuel unless you purchse a diesel model.  The LandCruiser isn't as roomy as its exterior dimensions suggest it should be.The petrol engine choices consisted of a 4.5-litre double overhead camshaft 24-valve six which boasted 165kW peak power or a 4.6-litre double overhead camshaft 32-valve V8 which delivered 170kW of peak power.  If you chose the diesel route there was a 4.2-litre single overhead camshaft 12-valve six cylinder unit with 96kW, or after 2000 a 4.2-litre double overhead camshaft 24-valve turbocharged six which could belt out 151kW.There was a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed auto transmissions with high and low range four-wheel drive and high range two-wheel drive.  Toyota offered a multitude of model options, including the base wagon RV, GXL, GXV. The entry wagon was a six-seater with split rims, manual front hubs, hard wearing vinyl trim, power steering and basic two-speaker sound.Step up to the eight-seater RV and you drove home with styled wheels, cloth trim, central locking, full-time 4WD, centre diff lock, power mirrors, carpets and better sound.The GXL features included anti-lock brakes, power windows, cruise, CD sound, front airbags and remote central locking. Add the V8 engine, auto trans, velour trim, cut-pile carpet, power seat, auto air, alloy wheels and a CD stacker and you were driving a GXV.IN THE SHOPThe LandCruiser is bought by most people to work hard, so look for wear on the interior trim and general lack of care around the car like dings and dents on the body.  Inspect the underside of the vehicle for damage through offroad use. Look for sandblasting of the underbody from being driven on unsealed roads, if it's severe enough it can lead to rust in exposed steel panels.Also look for bashed and beaten underbody fittings, like brackets, fuel tanks, suspension components, even the underbody itself. Inspect all drive-line joints for broken seals that could have let water into the joints.  Check for a service record and have a specialist check done before purchase.Don't be surprised if fuel consumption is as high as 20L per 100km from the petrol engine models. Many owners convert their LandCruisers to dual-fuel to save money, but be careful as the cost of the more regular valve lash adjustments needed with LPG can rule out any cost saving.CRUNCH TIMEA recent used car survey rated the 100 Series significantly above average in protecting its occupants, but much worse for the impact on the occupants of what it hits.OWNER'S VIEWLes Wilkinson owns a 2000 Landcruiser 100 Series with the turbo diesel six and auto trans which has what appears to be backlash in the drive line.  Brian Montgomery has a low-kilometre 2001 100 Series LandCruiser which has a chassis squeak when driven over slightly uneven roads.TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 100 SERIES 1998-2002Check for signs of off-road abuseCheck drive line joints for broken sealsGood off-road capabilityLarge towing capacityVery thirsty petrol enginesHigh seating positionTough and reliableRating12/20 The big bruiser is still the king of the heavyweight four-wheel drives. It's great for towing, but its size also means regular stops at the petrol pump.

Mitsubishi's long-lived Pajero off-roader is one of the last, true, off-road specialist vehicles.

Buying cheap second hand cars is a risky business. Buy the right car and you can look forward to many years of affordable, worry-free motoring, but buy the wrong one and your motoring dream could become an expensive nightmare. In buying a cheap used car you're potentially buying someone else's problems, but there's no