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Why utes rule

Why Utes rule

It’s clear that Utes rule. Toyota Hilux has been the bestselling vehicle in Australia for 5 years. In the 12 months to February 2021, sales of new Utes overtook sales of passenger cars. Even in the US, a pickup (Ute) is the new family car. So why the fascination with Utes? Read More

road rules

Daft and not so daft road rules

There are some daft and not so daft road rules in Australia and you may not even know they exist. We tend to forget a lot of what we had to learn to pass driving tests. But it’s debatable how useful some of those rules are. For example, how many Western Australians carry heavy sacks of potatoes in their cars? Who today ties a goat to their vehicle in Victoria? Read More

car parks

How to protect your car in car parks

It’s no surprise that accidents happen in car parks. There’s a lot of activity, with cars and pedestrians constantly coming and going. It’s all too easy to collide with another car, or for vulnerable people to get hurt by moving vehicles. Meanwhile, thieves can find fresh pickings in a poorly lit or unattended car park. So how do you protect your car in a car park? Read More

used car

Is it better to buy a new or used car in 2021?

After a hairy 31 months of plummeting sales, we want to buy cars again. Pent-up demand combined with low supply has pushed prices of used cars higher than they have ever been. Is it better to buy a new or a used car? Is it cheaper to insure a new or a used car? We investigate. Read More

women

Women are safer drivers

The jury is out: women are generally safer drivers. They have fewer road accidents so are less likely than men to be injured or die in one. Men are more likely to drive recklessly, choose racier vehicles and drive for work, often in more dangerous vehicles. However, the price of your greenslip depends on many more important factors than gender. Read More

in-car tech

Does in-car tech actually work?

New cars are packed with technologies to make driving safer and more comfortable. While some drivers have no idea about their in-car tech, others may rely on it too much. As new safety technologies in cars are mandated, it is important to ask whether they are doing the job properly. Read More

vehicle emissions

How to reduce vehicle emissions

Do you ever think about how much CO2 your vehicle emits? Maybe not, but did you know Australian cars use 23% more fuel than advertised? Now there’s a new voluntary CO2 Emissions Standard to help reduce vehicle emissions. Even so, it’s not there to tell Australians what to buy or carmakers what to make. Read More

car use

How has car use changed in 2020?

Have you become more attached to your car again? The mood today seems to have shifted back towards cars, away from public transport and rideshare. Although car use in Sydney dropped dramatically during lockdown, it has 90% recovered to normal. Is this a lasting trend or just a blip on the way to Peak Car? Read More

small car

You’re more likely to die in a small car

According to a US study, you are more likely to die driving a small car than a luxury SUV. This is alarming news for small car drivers, but it’s not the whole story. Many recent model small cars have lots of safety technologies and receive five-star ratings in crash tests. It all depends on how you measure safety. Read More

ownership theft

Stop your car being stolen

Every 10 minutes somebody in Australia steals a vehicle and one in three owners never sees their car again. One great way to prevent theft is to store keys away from windows and doors but two in five people don’t bother. Be more vigilant if you own a Holden Commodore, live in Northern Territory or go out on Friday nights. Read More