Used Car Reviews

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.

While Holden had the larger end of the SUV market covered by the start of this decade, it didn't have a fair dinkum contender at the bite-sized end.Enter the Trax, a high-riding wagon with the usual SUV touches including the wheelarch extensions and big alloy wheels.The catch was that the Trax you really wanted was the more expensive version with the superior engine.Nothing has changed there.

Holden came to the SUV party quite late and, without a home-brewed SUV of its own, it gave us the Captiva, a rebadged Daewoo.The Captiva’s formula has always been a simple one: Lots of car (and seats) for the money.Earlier versions could be had with a five-seat layout, but in the very last of them, Holden was offering just the seven-seat layout as acknowledgement that this was a pragmatic family purchase in the majority of cases.You also got lots of choice with two or four-wheel-drive and petrol or turbo-diesel power.

Mitsubishi has a bit of a knack for making cars that people seem to remember fondly.In the case of its Mirage model, the very first series set the mood beautifully.The short, three-door hatchback had clean styling, an affordable price and was sadly missed when it disappeared from showrooms in 2003.But clearly, Mitsubishi buyers have long memories, because the model that sold here from 2013 to 2018, clearly traded on the goodwill engendered by that original Mirage.The formula was more or less the same, too; a compact, cheap and cheerful hatch that would be the first brand-new car for a lot of young drivers.Nothing wrong with any of that.While everybody knows the Mirage hatchback, there was also the rather more obscure Mirage sedan in the range, too, which arrived about 18 months after the hatch and really failed to fire the imagination of buyers.Which means the five-door hatch model is the most common one of the two models out there in used-car yards and, let’s face it, the one you’d want anyway.A quick comparison shows the sedan is longer and has a little more wheelbase, but the practicality of the hatch’s folding rear seat can’t be ignored.Beyond the external size differences, the interior dimensions are close enough to be not worth the argument, and trim levels and standard features are also on par with each other.That said, the Mirage as a price list leader model, where cost and RRP are everything, was a bit of a stripped out model.So forget about fancy projector headlights and a standard body kit, because power steering, basic air-conditioning and Bluetooth connectivity were the standout features.Unless you can find one of the 400 LS 'Plus Pack' limited-edition models which also got a few splashes of chrome and a front spoiler.Even the next-step-up model, the Mirage Sport got a rear rear spoiler (but no side skirts) and it did get alloy wheels.If you wanted cruise control, you had to stump up for the flagship version, the LS which had 15-inch alloys, climate control air, rain-sensing wipers and chrome door handles.Resale value won’t vary much these days, so you might as well find an LS or a Sport model as these were also the ones most likely to have been fitted with accessories like floor mats from the dealership.Oh, and if you want the hero colour from the day, forget boring old silver, black, red or blue and find one in that stunning shade of metallic lipstick pink… if you’re game enough.Despite the Mirage’s small exterior size, the boot on the sedan is actually very big and even the hatchback has decent luggage capacity contained in a practically-shaped space.Which is handy because there’s probably not enough actual roof area for a roof rack and towing a trailer is not the Mirage’s thing.While the Mirage’s rear bench is technically a three-seater, that’s really only if those three are smaller kids.But the front seats are actually quite generous and comfortable even for bigger adults.The catch there is that the steering column is adjustable for height, but not reach, so it won’t suit all body shapes perfectly.What mostly lets the Mitsubishi’s cabin down, however, is a high level of noise when on the move, coupled with an interior that feels like it’s been made from recycled take-away containers.And, again, because the car is built down to a price, you can forget about stuff like a sun roof, a fancy touch screen, or a standard navigation system.Neither do you get Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, but the stereo system does have Bluetooth connectivity, so you can stream music that way.Mind you, you might want to give that a miss, too, because the sound system in the base-model Mirage is pretty lame with just two speakers, a radio and a CD player.It’s no surprise that a lot of Mirages have aftermarket stereo upgrades, so check an individual car to see what’s been added.So what do you get? Mainly air conditioning and power steering, but there were power mirrors and windows, too.And if you buy a car made after the 2014 facelift, you’ll also get cruise control.Under the bonnet was the Mirage’s main point of difference with other tiddlers as well as perhaps its most charming feature.In size terms, the engine was par for the course, but if you look at its other major engine specs, you’ll see something very interesting.Rather than a conventional four cylinder engine, the Mirage had just three cylinders making up its 1.2 litres of capacity.That gave the motor great, useable torque but also a really fun feel and vibe.The whole budget thing meant there was no turbo or supercharger like some of the higher-priced competition, so you still had to make do with just 57kW of power.That’s clearly not a lot of horsepower, but with the car’s minimal kerb weight of just 900kg or so, it was a lot better than the bald figures suggest.Also helping was that 100Nm of torque which was meaty and accessible.Servicing costs will be a little higher than they might be, as the suggested oil for the engine is a synthetic type (more expensive) but at least the engine uses a timing chain instead of a belt which should be good for the life of the car.Mitsubishi offered a choice of gearbox with a conventional five-speed manual or a CVT.Not a normal automatic transmission, the CVT did, however, ensure that as much of the torque was available more of the time, so it’s actually okay to use.We’d always opt for the manual in such a vehicle, though.That said, from 2016 onwards, the only way to get the five-speed manual was to buy the base-model ES version, all others becoming CVT only.Because this was a conventional hatchback and not an SUV, there was no all-wheel drive version; just a front-drive platform that makes more sense anyway.At just 35 litres, the fuel tank looks ridiculously small, but when you consider the official combined consumption number of 4.9 litres per 100km, it starts to look a realistic size.We’re yet to see a Mirage with a towbar fitted and, in fact, Mitsubishi didn’t even list a towing capacity for the car.Aside from the fun of revving that little three cylinder engine up and playing tunes with the gearbox, the other thing you’ll soon notice is just how good the fuel consumption is.It doesn’t really matter how you drive it, the mileage from each tank will amaze you and put a big smile on your face as you stretch every litre of petrol.Acceleration is not exactly strong, though, and 0-100km/h will take more than 10 seconds, but outright speed is not really what this car is all about. And in any case, it feels faster than it is, which is probably more important.There’s plenty of ground clearance for speed humps and the steering is light and fast for tight, underground parking stations.Ride quality is okay, but not outstanding, and the Mirage relies on its standard tyres which have plenty of sidewall to cushion the ride a little.Watch out for a car whose previous owner has fitted aftermarket alloy wheels and low profile tyres as this can completely ruin ride comfort.The other downside is that the Mitsubishi is a fairly noisy device especially at highway speeds where the cheap interior plastics fail to damp out much of the noise and vibration going on around you.The Mirage scored five stars for crash safety in local independent testing, so that’s a good start.It features six airbags as standard, ABS brakes and brake-force distribution as well as stability control.There’s no standard reverse camera which seems a shame in a car aimed at young drivers, and only the Mirages built after the March 2016 facelift had ISOFIX mounting points for baby seats.Earlier cars still had restraint mounts, but the ISOFIX type is regarded as the industry standard.Despite its bargain price when new, the Mirage seems to have weathered the years pretty well and shows a distinct lack of common problems or other issues that lead to consumer complaints and lunchroom talk of mechanical defects.The engine seems pretty sturdy as does the CVT transmission (not something that can be said for every CVT out there).We would check the condition of the clutch, though, as many younger drivers struggle with a manual gearbox and this can accelerate clutch wear.Make sure there’s no noise when you let the clutch out in neutral and make sure the car doesn’t shudder or bunny-hop when you take off from the lights.The Mirage should have low servicing costs, but beware a used example that has suffered skipped services as reliability will be reduced as a result.Check the owner's manual for the service regime and stick to it.That way, any residual factory warranty still applying to a later Mirage will be yours to claim if the unthinkable happens.MORE: If anything crops up, you’ll probably find it on our Mitsubishi Mirage problems page.

Holden’s compact family car offering from a decade ago was the Cruze, a front-drive vehicle that can be broadly divided into two camps for the duration of its production.From its launch in 2009, through 2010 and up to March 2011, the Cruze was available as a sedan with just two engine options and was built in South Korea by GM-owned Daewoo.From the 2012 model-year until its demise in 2016, the car was built by Holden in Adelaide and in a much wider range of trim levels, engine choices and even body styles.It can be confusing, so make sure you can identify any Cruze you’re looking at to avoid paying too much.The imported Cruze was available in just one bodyshell (a four-door sedan) while the range consisted of two trim levels, CD and CDX.Engine choices were limited to a four-cylinder petrol or a turbo-diesel.Once the car was being made locally, Holden ramped up the choices with a five-door hatchback joining the sedan and a much wider range of trim levels, adding Equipe, Z Series, Sri, Sri V and a couple of new engines including a 1.4 and 1.6 turbo petrol.The used price of these variants can vary enormously, so take the time to learn to identify what’s what.How much a Cruze will cost you now has much more to do with specification and its engine that simply what year it was made or its RRP at the time.The Cruze seemed to attract a fairly conservative buyer, so you don’t see a lot of them with aftermarket rims or other sporty accessories like body kits, a rear spoiler or side skirts.Most dealers threw in floor mats and a lot of buyers opted for dealership add-ons like paint protection and rust-proofing that will add nothing to the price now.With an early example, the only real decision is petrol vs diesel, but if you’re looking at a locally made Cruze, the model comparison gets tougher as the models range from the base-model to the top of the range with a lot in between.The Cruze defied modern size protocols by being bigger than a compact but smaller than a medium-sized car.Inside, though, it was about as big as a medium car of just a few years ago thanks to efficient packaging.Many Cruze buyers were traditional Holden owners (many of whom got a surprise when the Cruze turned out to be something else altogether) and since many regional centres still had Holden dealerships, a surprising number of Cruzes lived in the sticks.You’ll spot some of them by their budge bar (although a bull bar is unlikely) and maybe even an LED light bar.Certainly the exterior design of the car allowed for these fitments, although it’s important that any nudge bar is air-bag compatible.All Cruzes had cruise-control, air-conditioning, power steering and a decent range of safety gear.It would be worth checking with a Holden dealer, too, if any warranty applies to a used Cruze.Holden was extending the warranty of some later Cruzes, beyond the standard three-year time limit, so a late version may still have factory cover.Check the boot for a spare tyre, too.Some Cruzes had just an inflation kit, others a space-saver spare tyre.The Cruze’s interior dimensions were about the same as a mid-sized car, so the packaging was pretty good.That meant plenty of interior space as well as a really good boot size for better-than-average luggage capacity.Even so, plenty of Cruzes sported roof racks come family holiday time.The five-door hatch is a more practical car than the sedan.Don’t forget, either, that between 2012 and 2016 Holden also sold the station-wagon version (still made in South Korea) alongside the locally-made Cruzes.Externally, the wagon is about the same size, but the luggage space is huge.The catch was that the wagon was not available with either of the perky turbocharged petrol engines, so it was the turbo-diesel or the 1.8 petrol or nothing.Inside any of the Cruze variants there was a ton of storage spaces including bottle-holders in each door and even an overhead console.The early Cruze had an AM/FM radio (no digital) sound system with six speakers and was MP3 compatible although there was no Apple CarPlay or Android connectivity.Examples from the mid-2013 update also got Holden’s MyLink infotainment system which included a touch screen, and Bluetooth streaming.Those cars also got keyless entry.Upmarket versions the Cruze could be had with leather seats, a sunroof was optional and air-conditioning and power steering were standard across the board.A satellite navigation system had been available on some versions, but that was replaced with the 2013 upgrade as MyLink was able to offer the same functionality with added voice control.The biggest gripe with the Cruze’s cabin is that the plastics can look and feel a bit cheap.Imported Cruzes had just two engines to choose from, a 1.8 litre petrol and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel motor.For all that it was about the right size on paper, the 1.8-litre four-cylinder was a bit harsh and was only just adequate.The diesel, meanwhile, with its diesel particulate filter to clean up its emissions was sweeter and more flexible especially when paired with the six-speed automatic (there was also a five-speed manual gearbox available).When manufacture switched to Australia, Holden doubled the number of engine choices, keeping the two original powerplants and adding a 1.4 litre and 1.6-litre petrol four cylinder unit, both running a turbocharger.Of all these engines, the later ones are the picks and the 1.4 is smooth and willing while the 1.6 turbo petrol is the performance option for those who want a little more acceleration.Even so, a lot of buyers pondered the diesel vs petrol equation and chose the former for its flexibility and fuel economy.These are the Cruzes you’ll find fitted with a tow bar, although the rated towing capacity is just 1200kg, not bad for a car this size, but not huge.Much of that is down to the Cruze being front-wheel drive (there was no AWD or 4WD option).In fact, the diesel option meant that buying a petrol Cruze and converting it to LPG in the name of running costs just wasn’t worth the effort.Most buyers chose the auto transmission but the manual Cruze is a surprisingly liveable alternative, too, if you can find one second hand.When it comes to horsepower and engine specs, all Cruzes were rated from 103kW to 132kW, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.The diesel was super flexible and the turbocharged petrols were smooth and zippy.Which leaves the 1.8 non-turbo as the one you’re best avoiding.Some Cruze engines use a timing chain which should be good for the life of the car while other use a timing belt which needs periodic replacement.Fuel mileage will be best with the turbo-diesel while the 1.8 non-turbo petrol is likely to be a bit thirstier because it has to be driven so hard in the first place.At around 1400kg, the Cruze is quite heavy for its size and it has a fuel tank capacity of 60 litres.That’s not a huge tank, making the diesel fuel economy even more impressive.The Cruze’s compact dimensions mean it’s an easy drive in and around the city and suburbs with a good turning circle and enough ground clearance for clearing speed humps.That’s provided an ambitious previous owner hasn’t messed around with the suspension or added odd-sized alloy wheels and super low-profile tyres.But even on standard suspension, the Cruze is hardly a race car and while it points okay, the electrically assisted power steering can feel a bit vague at first.But overall, there’s a decent combination of ride quality and handling and the cabin is pretty quiet unless you’re in the 1.8 petrol and driving it hard.The turbo-diesel is super grunty and hardly needs a gearbox at all, while the turbo-petrols are both sweet little things that spin nicely and sound pretty good into the bargain.Straight line performance figures were never what the Cruze was about, but 0-100km/h comes up easily and the car has enough grunt and acceleration to stay with modern traffic as well as be a convincing inter-stater.Again, though, if you can afford any of the turbocharged versions, they’re a vastly nicer car.Safety features on any Cruze included six airbags including side-curtain airbags, ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, stability control, and traction control.As a result, all Cruzes sold here scored a five star safety rating for crash safety.Parking sensors became standard from the mid-21013 upgrade on, but a reversing camera was not standard on any Cruze in any trim level.The Cruze did, however, have ISOFIX child restraint mounting points as standard.Like a lot of modern cars, there’s a bit to watch out for when it comes to common faults, issues, problems and owner complaints.The diesel particulate filter becoming full and clogged is one source of these and many owners have reported multiple fault messages caused by this filter.If the filter became clogged enough, the computer would sometimes cut engine power and ultimately, a trip to the dealership was needed to clean or replace the filter which was neither cheap nor simple but was the most common of the Cruze’s diesel engine problems.A few cars have also experienced automatic transmission problems, including complete failure of the unit.Symptoms are a car that shifts erratically or can’t make up its mind what gear to be in.If the problem is bad enough, the car may not be able to select some gears or may lose the ability to move altogether.When inspecting a car, make sure the auto transmission fluid is clean and doesn’t smell of burned toast.Manual cars are less prone to transmission issues, but the clutch can still take a beating from a previous owner.Make sure any manual Cruze takes off smoothly from the lights with no shuddering or noises.Check that all the electronics work as they should and drive over some bumps to check for squeaking or rattling interior trim pieces.To add to that model’s reliability woes, the non-turbo 1.8 was also susceptible to a cracked cylinder head which can be spotted by poor running, hard starting, mis-firing and engine overheating.Service costs may be a little lower than some of the competition as Holden specified 15,000km service intervals (versus 10,000km for many cars).MORE: If anything crops up, you’ll probably find it on our Holden Cruze problems page.

Retro designs don’t always work out the way the carmaker planned.But the Toyota FJ Cruiser is one that does, recalling the early Toyota LandCruiser of the 1960s and '70s that we remember so fondly.Launched in 2011, the car was only on sale here until late 2016 (after it flopped in the United States).By then, sales had slowed, and plenty were still hanging around showrooms well into 2017 and maybe even 2018.Even as late as this year, 2019, you still see the odd one with not much more than dealership demonstrator kilometres showing, and these can be great buys. The five-seater, off-roader with the old-school looks was actually based on the Toyota Prado, so it’s a very capable vehicle in any conditions.That’s why you see so many getting around with serious accessories and aftermarket features which can range from extra recovery points, a snorkel, winch, a tough bash plate (for better underbody protection than the factory provided) awning, chunky rims and tyres, bull bar, side steps, a light bar and other driving or spot lights.How much is a car loaded with accessories worth over a standard one? It all depends on the quality of those features and whether you want or need them in the first place.Basically, they can add greatly to the cost of an FJ Cruiser when adding them, but don’t always add the same amount to the resale value.On top of that, a heavily modified or accessorised vehicle suggests that it’s been used in the bush quite a bit, while more typical, soft-roader additions such as floor mats, tinted windows or a nudge bar speak of an easier life.Some of these fitments were available as dealer-fitted factory options, so check each vehicle carefully.Trim levels weren’t extensive in the FJ Cruiser and there’s really only one specification that includes gear like cruise control, VSC (stability control) power steering and a driver-operated diff lock.So forget about models within models, different sizes and different interior dimensions, design details, exterior fittings or seating layouts and concentrate instead on finding the best example by way of a direct comparison between individual examples. An FJ Cruiser is an FJ Cruiser, in other words.One area where you do have great choice is in the FJ Cruiser’s range of colors.This is where Toyota really let its retro heart rule, and as well as some old-school blue, yellow, red, orange, grey, black and green shades (all with a white roof) the hero hue was a throwback beige that mimicked perfectly those early LandCruisers. The FJ’s exterior dimensions (it’s shorter and lower than a Prado) play a big part in its storage capacity and boot space.A cargo-bay liner is a nice touch, but a cargo barrier can actually reduce versatility especially when carrying long loads.Many owners have fitted their FJs with drawers in the rear section to maximise storage and many others have resorted to the roof rails or an aftermarket roof rack for extra carrying ability.The bottom line is that the Toyota is not huge inside.How many seats you need will also determine whether you make use of the removable cushions on the rear seat which can open up a lot more space for luggage or recovery gear.Accessing that rear seat, meanwhile, involves a small, reverse opening rear-side door on each side.The catch is these can’t be opened without the front door being opened first, so it’s not as practical a layout as it might seem at first.Rather than use leather seats, Toyota went for a hard-wearing, semi-waterproof material that doesn’t look too odd beside the hard plastics that make up the rest of the interior.The basic sound system is just that; basic, but it does use eight speakers and incorporates a CD player and radio, but you can forget about a subwoofer, Apple CarPlay (iPhone) or Android Auto streaming.Similarly, there’s no push button start (although there is keyless entry) no touchscreen or DVD player.Meantime, you do get plenty of cupholders, air-conditioning, Bluetooth, power mirrors, power windows and an immobiliser.From early 2012, a GPS-based navigation system became standard which makes sense given sat nav is so important for the adventurers among us. While many carmakers like to offer a turbo-diesel engine, petrol engines that range in size and all sorts of motor layouts from four to eight cylinders, Toyota played a very straight bat with the FJ Cruiser.In fact, there was just one mechanical layout and that started with the 4.0-litre V6 petrol engine.The engine specs aren’t hugely impressive for such a big engine (it’s not a lot of horsepower for four litres, for instance) but the secret was in the way the 200kW of power and 380Nm of torque were delivered.The engine is well regarded in the trade and also runs a timing chain rather than a belt which should be good for the life of the vehicle.Plenty of owners fitted their FJs with LPG conversions, too, but some experts reckon the Toyota V6 doesn’t really like such conversions.And just as there was only a single engine offered, there was also just one gearbox, a five-speed automatic.The vehicle was aimed at the US market, remember, where the manual vs automatic debate is a forgone conclusion in favour of the auto.The towing specifications are pretty impressive, and the Cruiser has a towing capacity of up to 2250kg, although it should be said that this is well short of the latest dual-cab utes’ towing ratings.But that’s because the FJ is a bit lighter than those new utes at 1955kg and has a gross vehicle weight of 2510kg.Even so that’s still decent pulling power and the reason you see a lot of second-hand FJ Cruisers with tow bars fitted.Plenty for sale also have a dual battery system fitted which is great for camping, although the basic vehicle made do with a single battery.Since it was a proper off-roader, the FJ Cruiser got a fair dinkum 4WD system, not a 4X2 nor an AWD (all-wheel-drive) set-up like a lot of 'soft-roaders'.On bitumen, the FJ was a rear-wheel drive vehicle, but when things got tough and you selected 4WD, the Toyota got very serious with low-ratio gears and enormous off-road ability.Fuel tank capacity is important in vehicles like these which operate where service stations are few and far between.Which is why, if the budget will allow, you should look for a post-February 2013 built FJ Cruiser.That’s when Toyota more than doubled the fuel capacity by adding an extra 87-litre tank to the original’s 72-litre number.As well as giving the car enormous range potential, it means you don’t have to mess around fitting an expensive aftermarket long range fuel tank or carrying jerry cans. The biggest shock to those coming out of a conventional car and into a off-roader will be the fuel consumption.And it doesn’t matter how you express it (l/100km or km/l) the fuel mileage from the petrol V6 will always be a bit scary even on the freeway, where you can count on using around 11 or 12 litres per 100km. Off-road, in sand and mud, that figure can easily jump to 20 litres.But it’s the vehicle’s off-road review where it really shines with huge capability, including a wading depth of 700mm and 224mm of ground clearance, making an aftermarket lift kit only for really serious bush bashing. And even then…And if you buy the later model with the extra fuel tank, you’ll also get Toyota’s 'CRAWL' off-road system which uses the on-board electronic driver aids to maximise grip and traction.In fact, the standard rear diff-lock becomes a bit superfluous in a CRAWL-equipped FJ.On road, the FJ is a bit of a mixed bag.The large kerb weight means it has enough performance, but it’s still not a car built for speed, so 0-100 acceleration will still take about 10 seconds.The turning circle is pretty large for urban parking spots and if a previous owner has replaced the original tyres on the standard alloy rims with more aggressive rubber, they can contribute to a fair bit of road noise.In ride terms, it’s better news and the independent front suspension coupled with coil-sprung rear suspension does a better job than many vehicles of making a long journey comfortable. The FJ Cruiser isn’t included on ANCAP’s safety rating list and it’s not fair to simply take the Prado’s rating and apply that, because there are far too many structural differences between the two for that to be valid.But the FJ does get a full compliment of front and side air-bags, including curtain bags to protect all five passengers.You also get a reverse camera, ABS, brake-force distribution, brake-assist, stability control and traction control, but ISOFIX child restraint mounting points are not fitted. Being a late model Toyota as well as being based on the very well proven Prado platform, the FJ Cruiser is largely free of common problems.The body is not prone to rust and the faults and problems mentioned by owners and the experts are generally fewer than many other vehicles, helping to give the vehicle its terrific reliability rating.The fact that the FJ Cruiser was designed from the start to be a serious off-roader also means a high level of durability and inherent toughness.The petrol engine means the Cruiser is likely to impose lower service costs on its owner (compared with a modern turbo-diesel) but, as with any vehicle, make sure you check the owners manual and the service record to ensure that the car you’re looking at has been maintained correctly.The engine itself is proven and long-lived and automatic transmission problems also appear rare with no discernible pattern to be wary of.Ultimately, the FJ’s health and well-being as a used-car is likely to be down to how it has been maintained and, crucially, how it’s been used in the past.A car that has been driven extensively off-road, over rocks and through salt water is likely to be showing more wear than one that has been used for the school run.That’s especially so when it comes to the condition of the body and there are a couple of things to watch in this department.The full-sized spare tyre mounted on the rear door saves interior space but it is heavy and that can mean the hinges on the door can become a bit sloppy over time.If the rear door doesn’t want to open and close easily and smoothly, there could be wear.The reverse-opening doors and the way they make the total door opening a very big one can also lead to some vehicles developing cracks at the base of the B-pillar.Toyota actually recalled early FJ Cruisers to fix this, so make sure any repairs have been done professionally as this area of the body is structural and also forms a seat-belt mounting point, a crucial area.As with the rear-door hinge problems, the cracked B-pillars only seem to show up on cars that have been regularly hammered across rough terrain.Other recalls included a check for a wrongly-wired airbag sensor and a fuel breather that was routed too close to the car’s exhaust.Cars built in a three-week period in 2013 were also recalled to check for a critical manufacturing flaw in the steering column.A Toyota dealer will be able to identify affected cars. 4/5 - Retro cool and off-road savvy: What more do you want? 

Released in Australia in 2012, the Audi Q3 is a compact SUV that shares a lot of engineering (and competes) with the Volkswagen Tiguan.