As seen on:

SMH Logo News Logo

Call 1300 303 181

Australia’s Best New Car News, Reviews and Buying Advice

Archive for October, 2015

Private Fleet Car Review: Car Review: 2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent/SX/ZR hatchbacks.

It’s the world’s best selling car with over 41 million sold since being released close to half a century ago and has been seen in three, four and five door versions. Australia was the first market outside of Japan to receive the Corolla and Australia was the first country to build it outside of Japan. A Wheel Thing had the rare privilege of being able to review three versions of the hatch, back to back, with the Ascent manual hatch, the SX hatch and rangetopping ZR hatch with both fitted with a seven ratio CVT.2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch profileSitting comfortably amongst its competitors, such as the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato, Honda Civic, Mazda 3 and Ford Focus, the Corolla sports a 1.8L alloy blocked four cylinder. Peak power is 103 kW at 6000 revs, torque a decent 173 Nm at 4000 rpm, with a handy amount of that being felt once the tacho swings past 3000. Toyota claims the hatch will sip from the 50L tank at a rate of 6.7L (manual) to 6.1L (auto) per 100 klicks on the combined cycles. The ZR hatch finished on 7.3L/100km and that was virtually all freeway.2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch engine2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch engine2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch engineThe manual transmission is a delight; sweet shifting, an almost perfectly balanced take up point for the clutch but a perhaps too light feel for the travel itself. This, of course, depends on the strength of the leg pushing the pedal and with far too many cars in Australia being of self shifting means, it’s not likely to trouble a buyer. Speaking of self shifting, the SX and ZR came with a constant variable transmission, programmed with seven shift points for those that like a manual auto.2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch centre console2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch centre console2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch centre consoleThere’s a well weighted shift mechanism for the auto’s gear selector, it’s not flimsy in feel to move it, plus there’s the paddle shifts on the column. In order to extract the most from the engine with the auto, it does need to be taken up to around 4000 rpm, with that noticeable change in attitude at about 3000, but it’s better done with gradual to moderate acceleration, as a heavy right foot has the engine “slipping the clutch”, with the CVT feeling as if the power isn’t fully utilised.

The changes are reasonably sharp, using the paddles, but forward motion is much more noticeable, with response from the engine at a higher plane than using the right foot alone. The manual has a completely different character, the tacho zipping around nicely and with no feeling of losing power to the transmission when pressed, unlike the CVT.

There’s different levels of ride quality, not unexpectedly, with the Ascent the most plush of the three. Compared to the tight SX and the taut ZR,the Ascent simple sponged over bumps, exhibited a small measure of body roll when pushed, a touch of tyre understeer and did pass through a bit more road noise as well. The SX was defineably tighter and the ZR, although not as much of a gap between Ascent and SX, was noticeable in being tighter again.2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch wheel2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch wheel2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch wheelTurn in was more precise in the SX and ZR, understeer negligible and felt more stable on the roads. Undulations on the freeways were followed as if the cars were part of the surface, with the body of each following each dip, ripple,curve as if it were glued evenly across the surface, with the suspension dialing out rebound or pogoing swiftly. Both the SX and ZR left the driver feeling confident and safe thanks to the tied down chassis, plus the ZR’s damper rates were just that bit quicker than the SX, imbuing an even higher level of feedback.

Having lower profile tyres on slightly bigger wheels helped as well, with the Ascent rolling on 205/55/16s, the SX with Michelins 215/45s on 17s and the ZR the same. Outwardly, the three look similar, with sports styling on the bumpers. The ZR ups the ante, with LED running lights and self levelling headlights for the ZR, plus a massive glass roof, known as Skyview, for the ZR.2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch skyview2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch headlight2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch rear2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch rear2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch rearThe current design philosophy of the Corolla hatch is of a slinky, laid back profile, edgy tail light design that wraps around into the rear flanks of the hatch. The head lights have a similar look, with LED running and headlights for the ZR, as mentioned. The front bar of the ZR and SX are of a more sporting bent than the Ascent, understandably, with an almost Formula 1 appearance, with wings wrapping around the bottom corner globe lit driving lights. The rear of the SX and ZR refelct that same design styling.2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch front2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch front2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch front

The interior of the three, naturally, had a commonality. Of note was the lack of DAB radio, alloy pedals, electric seats and heating/cooling for the ZR. There’s plainish black cloth in the Ascent, red stitching and red highlights in the SX with the seat print looking like (out of place) tyre tread, while the ZR gets machine leather with the squabs of a perforated design.2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch front seats2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch front seats2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch driver's seatCheapish looking and feeling faux carbon fibre inlays span the dash for the Ascent and SX whilst, somewhat confusingly, the sportier oriented ZR gets a matt black finish. There’s old school dials for the aircon for the Ascent and SX; the ZR had flick switches and the somewhat counterintuitive light for the Dual zone being OFF, not on…

There’s the same basic dash design, with a small binnacle arch for the driver, tying the look back to the seventies but with a catch. The airvents are the throwback, the future comes in the form of a 6.1 inch (Ascent) or 7 inch (Ascent Sport/SX/ZR) touchscreen with deliciously blue backlit tabs on either side. 2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch dash2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch dash2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch dashThe Ascent has a basic info centre screen laid into the speedo, with tacho and fuel gauge either side, whilst both SX and ZR get the higher res and more info screen in a central position between blue backlit dials, as seen in Camry and Aurion.2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch centre console

The ZR gets satnav, as did the SX, with the SX reading out, audibly, speed camera zones and road entry/exits to certain suburbs. The ZR didn’t, but that would be a setting that hadn’t been enabled within the menu system.
The system provides an option to connect a smartphone, accessing apps built in via ToyotaLink, plus all cars get Bluetooth connectivity, USB and Auxiliary inputs. Safety wise, a reverse camera image is shown on the screen and a nice surprise, with the steering column across the range being adjustable for tilt and reach.

There’s keyless start for the ZR, extra buttons on the tiller for SX/ZR to access the centre screen info, Sports mode button in the centre console in the upper two models, alongside the traction control seen in all three. Cruise is also standard. At the rear, the Ascent and Ascent Sport get full sized spares (the sedan gets a 470 litre boot), SX and ZR cop the lightweight spacesavers.2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch space saver spare2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch cargo2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch cargo2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch cargo

Toyota being Toyota, there’s safety by the hatful, with seven airbags including curtian, Hill Start Assist plus emergency braking lights for following vehicles should your car need to suddenly stop. VSC, Vehicle Stability Control, is standard, as is Traction Control.2016 Toyota Corolla Ascent hatch rear seats2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch folding seats2016 Toyota Corolla SX hatch rear seats2016 Toyota Corolla ZR hatch rear seat

Warranty wise, Toyota is somewhat behind the Koreans,with “just” a three year,100,00 kilometre warranty. Compared to the five and seven years offered by Hyundai and Kia….There is capped price servicing, Toyota’s own Comprehensive Vehicle Insurance and Extra Care Roadside Assistance to sweeten the pot, however.

The Wrap.
Corolla isn’t the world’s best selling car for nothing. Toyota have made sure that the little battler doesn’t just appeal to your wallet, it goes for your soul as well. There’s always a measure of charm but A Wheel Thing feels it’s time that Toyota did to the Corolla what it has done with the bigger siblings: leave the past behind and give the interior a more modern feel overall.

Hyundai’s i30 has been outselling or been so close behind in sales numbers to the Corolla of recent times, Mazda’s 3, Ford’s Focus and even the forthcoming Holden (Opel) Astra have gone “clean sheet” for the dash, the part of the car a driver sees more of than any other. With the top of the ladder ZR omitting simple but expected items, surprising omissions given its intended market, some will look at the opposition and look at what’s included.

With the three cars tested, there’s something to like in each. The Ascent delighted with the manual, the SX sat nicely in the middle of the model road and the ZR offered a great view upwards. On the flipside, the Ascent’s somewhat softish ride, SX’s interior trim and ZR’s lack of extra niceties as a top range model lose a few brownie points. Plus, the mix of throwback seventies and today’s tech is a jarring combination. However, Toyota’s core Corolla buyers are generally those that aren’t a fan of massive change yet appreciate the newer things in a car.

The recent exterior updates are mild, enough of a refresh to keep Corolla fresh, but not too wild as to alienate those that haven’t bought a new Corolla for five years. With manual adjustment only for the seats in all but the ZR sedan, Toyota have cannily guided those that may have considered Camry but didn’t need a physically big car into the Corolla funnel, with the “old school” touch of being able to “do it for myself”.

Were A Wheel Thing to choose a Corolla, it’d be the ZR with the Skyview roof and a manual gearbox. For your choice, head to Toyota Corolla range http://credit-n.ru/kurs-cb.html

Back To The Future: The DeLorean DMC-12

DeLorean_DMC-12_with_doors_openI’m writing this on 20th October 2015, which means that tomorrow is Back To The Future day. For those of you who managed to miss out on watching Back To The Future II and don’t quite get what’s the big deal about tomorrow, the date 21st October 2015 is the date to which the time-travelling De Lorean hops forward to.

In honour of the occasion, it’s time to take a little look at the car that this movie series pushed into the limelight: the DeLorean. To be more specific, the DeLorean DMC-12.

The Back To The Future movie series is about the only place you’re really likely to see the DeLorean DMC-12. The company wasn’t a success, in spite of the sort of “product placement” that many manufacturers would pay vast amounts of money for. It didn’t flop simply because it was a small and obscure company – similar product placement of an obscure brand in a sci-fi movie during the mid-1980s worked for Reece’s Pieces in the E.T. movie. It flopped for a number of reasons, including a massive slump in the US car market, the fact that the main DeLorean factory was located in Belfast, Northern Ireland smack-dab in the middle of the notorious Troubles and the arrest of the company’s head, John DeLorean, for drug trafficking.

It’s a pity that the DeLorean didn’t get more widespread, because this two-door sports coupé had a lot going for it, really. The body styling was innovative and futuristic (which was why it was chosen for the starring role in the movie).  It featured a fair amount of fibreglass, a very streamlined rocket-like shape and those über-cool gullwing doors, which also graced the Mercedes-Benz 300SL.  Another innovative styling feature of the DeLorean DMC-12 was the decision to leave the metal unpainted but to let the brushed stainless steel speak for itself. Rumour has it that a small, select group of DeLoreans were plated with gold. I hope that last one is a rumour, as it sounds extremely tacky and gag-worthily ostentatious.

The engine – which was mounted in the rear like an old-fashioned VW  Beetle – was a 2.9-L V6 PRV job, with PRV standing for Peugeot , Renault  and Volvo.  The initial plan was to have a centrally mounted Wankel engine, but this sounds like a mechanic’s nightmare, so it’s just as well that this idea never made it past the drawing board or the DMC (DeLorean Motor Company) might have flopped a whole lot sooner. The transmission came in two types: a five-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. It could do the 0–60 mph sprint (American equivalent of the 0–100 km/h time) in 8.8 seconds for the manual and 10.5 seconds for the automatic version.  The suspension was a four-wheel independent job (double wishbones at the front, multi-link in the rear) that worked alongside coil springs, and telescopic shock absorbers.  Power-assisted disk brakes completed the performance and handling package.

The DeLorean came reasonably well equipped with bells and whistles for a mid-1980s vehicle, featuring a cassette player, a clock built into the gearshift knob, leather seats, air conditioning, electric windows and power (central) locking.  Most DeLoreans were left-hand drive jobs but a few right-hand drives were produced for the UK and Australian market.  They never took off.

There were a few teething problems with the radio antenna, which had rotten reception with its first location on the front roof, and with the battery, which went flat horribly easily.

The DMC company folded in 1983 after having made about 8000–9000 units since production began in 1981, including the right-hand drive models.

A few years ago (in 2013), there were a few rumours out there that the DeLorean was going to make a comeback as an electric vehicle with the iconic body style, including the brushed stainless steel with no paint and the gull-wing doors.  Although a prototype has been put around a test track and there was a bit of a buzz about it, this project also seems to have fizzled.  Or do I speak too soon?  A news report from Belfast, Northern Ireland, yesterday hints that an all-electric high-tech version made by the engineering department of Queen’s University Belfast is going to be unveiled tomorrow for Back To The Future Day (OK, make a few adjustments for time-zone differences!).

Today, DeLoreans are mostly found in the United States in the hands of enthusiasts. You are unlikely to see one on Australian roads. If, however, you have been lucky enough to spot a real one, tell the world!

Cheers,

Megan http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/4slovo-bystrye-zaymi-online.html

You're On Course: Golf Stars In The Suburbs.

It’s not quite the age old question: in the rich and the poor suburbs, around Australia, what do people drive? It’s fair and reasonable to presume that the “toffs” are redolent in their Beemers, Mercs, Jags and maybe even the higher end stuff like Astons, Bentleys or Maseratis. One of Australia’s biggest online presences has dug into the archives, “crunched the numbers” in regards to enquiries on cars and has come up with some very surprising answers…

To start of, let’s look at what are Australia’s wealthiest suburbs. In NSW, there’s a few, such as Edgecliff, Rushcutters Bay, Vaucluse, Spit Junction. Victoria has St Andrews, Toorak and Hawksburn, whilst Perth sees beachside Cottesloe and riverside Peppermint Grove. In fact, NSW has six of the listings (multiple suburbs) with Victoria taking three of the other four. The guideline was pretty simple, what’s the mean incomes of the suburbs?

From here, the investigation took an unexpected turn. Far from the list of cars previously mentioned, the number one car enquired about wasn’t the latest Mercedes or BMW or Lexus….step up, Volkswagen Golf! VW GolfYup, the car most enquired about in the number one wealthiest suburbs, is a German made, five door, with a four cylinder engine. The second highest income suburb, St Andrews in Victoria, had an even more surprising choice. Nope, not German. Nope, not a hatchback. Hello Mitsubishi Triton!Triton

The next four groups of wealthiest suburbs also decided that the little car from Germany was worth enquiring about, with Hawksburn and Toorak in there, in fifth position, but semi staying to type, with the also German BMW X5 tying with the Golf. The Golf features in three of the bottom five, with tenth placed Northbridge (NSW) seeing the only British entry, with the Range Rover Sport, and seventh placed Portsea (Victoria) shunning the Golf and looking, instead, towards yet another German car, with the ML350 from Mercedes-Benz. Ninth placed Hunters Hill and Woolwich (both NSW) also stayed German, with the X5 the star enquiry.

Then there’s the breakdown into the most enquired car on a state by state basis. Raise a glass to the local hero and it wears the lion…in South Oz, N.S.W., the A.C.T. and Victoria, Holden’s Commodore was the car most people enquired about. The mining money in Western Australia went to Japan, as did Queensland, with Toyota’s LandCruiser going west and north to the N.T. and the HiLux getting the sun in the north eastern parts. The “take no BS” Subaru Forester went south, tackling the Tasmanians and the broad open plains, with one section of unlimited speed on a highway, also had the big LandCruiser as the most wanted in the Northern Territory.carsales quarterly index media release _12102015

 

The spread of choice in the wealthy suburbs is completely at odds with the cars of choice for the poorest, with the LandCruiser, HiLux, Prado featuring alongside the RAV4, Nissan’s Navara, Mazda BT50, Commodore and in the interestingly named Bogan Gate, the Kia Sorrento.

Viewing habits in regards to researching new cars also through up a surprise: Saturday is not the day to look for info, with 13.6% of weekly searches being done on that day. fast forward two and three days instead, with Monday claiming the lion’s share at 15.5% and Tuesday with 15%.

Of note was the breakdown in Golf numbers; buyers say they looked at the Golf for its size and ability to drive around town and in the wake of the emissions scandal, just 16% of Golfs were diesel…There’s also some crowding at the top of the ladder in this class, with the top three small cars (Corolla, Mazda 3, Hyundai i30) all selling from 43000 to 31000 units, whilst Golf and Holden’s Cruze sat on 20000 and 17000 for fourth and fifth. Those numbers for the Golf also have it in tenth place overall in the sales figures to 30 June, 2015.Carsales Quarterly Insights Report_top sellers

How does Sir like his coffee? White? Just over 27% of Golf enquiries went the same way, Australia wide. Yet, in that number, the variations across the country for specific colours is noticeable. In the north, Territorians had just over 59% of their Golfs in silver and Queenslanders contributed to that 27% by ordering white to the tune of 34%. At the other end of the colour spectrum, the N.T. and QLD considered black to the tune of just 3.7% and 12%. Nationwide silver clocked up just under 25% (with the A.C.T. going to nearly 35%) and 17.5% in black. Blue and red averaged under 9% for the nation however the Sangropers went for the colour to match the Indian Ocean, with 12.3%…Carsales Quarterly Insights Report_colour

The current model Golf was launched in 2013 and is halfway through its model cycle, which may account for a monthly drop of 31 units in 2014-15 to the year before. In regards to engine choice, enquiries barely varied from a ratio of 83% to 17%, petrol to diesel.Carsales Quarterly Insights Report_fuel

So, if you’re considering “Golf”ing, you’re on course.

NB: Information supplied by Red Agency via Carsales.com.au http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/creditplus-online-zaimi.html

Nicknames For Cars

General Lee

General Lee

There’s something about cars – at least cars that have been well designed by human beings rather than computers and algorithms – that makes them into a sort of mechanical animal. Given that we spend as much time with our cars as we do with our pets, it’s no surprise, therefore, that we give silly nicknames to our cars.  Some of us go to the point of getting a personalised plate with the name on.

Oddly enough, even if you decide to give your car a nickname, it might not stick.  Over the years, I have attempted to christen several of the vehicles owned by the family but only a handful of them have stuck.  These have been Goldbug (Morris 1300), Suzy (Isuzu Bighorn), Roger The Blute (blue Nissan Navara ute) and Dinky-Wee (Daihatsu Charade).  Why these nicknames stuck while others didn’t is uncertain. My attempts, for example, to christen the Saab I used to own and the Volvo I currently drive The Valkyrie and Hilda respectively, never quite came off.  However, somebody else referred to that Saab as The Eurobeast and that name stuck.  Sometimes, I wonder if the car itself has a say in its naming.

kitt_1

Kitt

How cars acquire nicknames is another story.  Colour, make and the letters on the licence plate all seem to play their part.  My grandmother, for instance, used the letters on the licence plate to christen her Alfa Romeo Lorenzo (plate had LZ in it) and the red Fiat Uno Orlando (plate with OR) (Italian names for Italian cars – my grandmother was nuts about all things Italian).  Sometimes two factors get used: our Roger The Blute takes its name from the licence plate letters (RJ) and the colour (blue), with “blute” being a portmanteau word combining “blue” and “ute”.

BumblebeeCamaro-05

Bumblebee

 

Research seems to support this hunch. One survey in the UK found that 30% of people who gave their cars nicknames used the licence plate, while 27% used the car’s “personality”, 16% used the make or model name as a starting point, 8% used the colour and another 8% just chose something they liked. The same study found that 50% of female drivers and 33% of men gave their cars names, and that those aged 18–24 were most likely to name their cars: 70% of this age group in the study had done so, compared to 30% of those over 65.

That same British study found that the most popular nicknames for cars were as follows:

  • Names with ‘Blue’ in them (Bluebell, Blue Boy, Bluey, etc.)
  • Fred, Freddie or Freda
  • Betsy
  • Babe/ Baby
  • The Beast
  • Penelope/Penny
  • Names starting with ‘Little’ (e.g. Little Ripper)
  • Bertie/Bert
  • Bessie/Bess
  • Bertha
  • Katie
  • Names starting with ‘Old’
Herbie

Herbie

Other people have turned to movies or TV shows to find the right moniker for their car. Herbie, Bumblebee, Kitt, General Lee, and Lightning McQueen are all fairly high in the popularity stakes for VW Beetles, Ford Camaros, anything sleek and black, Dodges and anything sleek and red respectively.  Batmobile is also a contender for slick black vehicles.  We’d have to include Daisy or Miss Daisy here, which is either a reference to Daisy Duke or to Driving Miss Daisy.

 

 

What about you?  Do you have a nickname for your car?  What is it?  How or why did you choose it?  Let us know in the Comments below!

Safe and happy driving,

Megan (one of several drivers of Roger The Blute) http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/denga-zaimy-nalichnimi.html