Author archive
Private Fleet Car Review: Lexus GS 200-t
Lexus continue to make inroads into the luxury car market, against established players from Germany, England, and Italy. Spread across sedan and SUV vehicles, Lexus pitch the GS sedan range right into the middle of their models, including the “entry level” $83K plus GS 200-t. A Wheel Thing was thrown the keyfob to a blue metallic painted version, with a sumptuous black and cream interior, for a week.
The centerpieces of the car are the turbo four cylinder engine (180 kW and 350 Nm, 5800 and 1650 rpm peak) and the drive system. It’s a seven speed auto, with F1 style paddles inside, along with a dial for Eco, Normal and Sport. Although there’s more than suitable response in Eco, it’s in Sport, unsurprisingly, where the GS 200-t really sings. From a standstill, it’s a “seat of the pants” six seconds to 100 kmh, with the official figure being 7.3 seconds. There’s a touch of hesitation, turbo lag, from stand still, with silky smooth, almost double clutch auto shifts, with a barely audible but perceptible sound from the transmission as it does so.
It’s so good it almost makes the paddles redundant…almost. There were times when they were needed to get the transmission to change ratios, from fifth to six to seventh, plus there’s always the fun factor of being involved in telling the gearbox what to do. Having said that, it’s still not a fully manually operated device, changing up or down irrespective of the driver using the paddles when in Sport mode.
Economy wise, with mostly around town driving, A Wheel Thing finished on a reasonable 8.2L of 95RON gogo juice consumed per 100 kilometres. That’s from a 66 litre tank and up against Lexus’ own consumption figures of 8.0L per 100 km for a combined cycle.
It’s certainly one of the nicer workplaces to be in. From the powered steering column adjustment, to the DAB enabled radio tuner, analogue clock, and four auto up/down windows, the heated and vented electric seats support and cosset the driver and passenger up front whilst rear seat passengers get a ski-port, with built in cup holders, accessing the boot. 
The dash itself sports a leather look with stitching, with the ergonomic mistake of placing the trip meter buttons down out of sight, behind the steering wheel near the driver’s right knee. Not a major issues in the greater context of a single driver usage, but pointless when it could and should have been incorporated into the onboard and dash displayed information and considering the sensible placement of the Start/Stop button to the left of the driver’s eyeline.
That information in the dash is accessed via a four way tab system on the tiller’s right spoke, with a graph displaying turbo pressure and G forces adding to the sporting flavor of the GS 200-t. The dials are mechanical, with a hue of metallic grey. It complemented the interior trim and certainly adds class. Of course there’s Bluetooth streaming, auxiliary inputs via USB and 3.5mm plug as well. All of these plus climate control, apps etc are accessed via the centre console mouse and Enter pad, with the mouse centreing itself when the Stop button is pressed.
It’s devilishly simple to use and has the added touch of being the only way to make the climate control a dual or single zone operation, as there’s no button apparent otherwise. The numbers in the temperature displays roll up or down as they change, as opposed to simply changing as you press the red or blue tabs. Simple and elegant, it adds to the cabin ambience. What doesn’t is the placement of the heating and venting controls for the seats, stuck at the bottom of the centre stack and ahead of the fold up lid for two drinks holders. It’s an awkward placement and not in step with the rest of the layout for the supplementary controls.
There’s plenty of space inside, with rear seat passengers (two abreast) having plenty of leg, head and shoulder room, however do miss out on the independent climate controls found further up the range. That space extends to the boot, complete with full sized spare, allowing a family to utilise the flat floored cargo space’s 520 litres sufficiently well.
What the GS 200-t doesn’t miss out on are the driver aids, such as lane keeping alert, blind sport alert, forward collision alert and reverse camera with lane assist. There’s a full suite of airbags and electronic assistance such as Traction Control, of course, but it’s both rarely needed and felt. Lexus have dialed in some fun, allowing the GS 200-t to skip around at the rear in certain turns and corners and also on a good launch.
Never, though, do you feel as if there’s something untoward about to happen, such is the balance and response of the car. There’s the transfer from front to rear as you accelerate, the hunkering down of the body at speed as the aero plays its part, the gentle roll as a turn is encountered and the slight nose down attitude under brakes. The stoppers themselves are sensibly calibrated, with the pedal requiring only a slight push before you know there’s pad on disc. Once biting, there’s a smooth progression through the pedal and will haul up the 1745 kilo machine precisely.
There’s also that sense of precision in the ride and road holding. There’s confidence in the chassis, a fluidity in the way it absorbs bumps and irregularities, whilst turn in is sharp and provides minimal understeer through the slightly numb on centre steering. Nor was there noticeable oversteer once the foot was lifted from a turn and accelerate move on a dry road, it was more unsetted or broken up surfaces where the rear would skip gently.
The exterior is long, lithe, showcasing the blue in some light as almost black. The recent redesign may not appeal to some, especially with the trapezoidal grille and separate L shaped LED driving lights sitting above the rounded lower section of the front bumper and below the more traditional halogen lamps, compared to the GS 450H’s LED setup. At the rear, there’s twin exits for the exhaust, integrated into the rear bumper.
It’s a look that has grown in appeal as far as A Wheel Thing is concerned. Rubber is 225/50 wrapping 17 inch alloy wheels in a design that’s neither pretty nor offensive, but rather more middle of the road in appeal. Bear in mind, of course, the 200-t is the entry level to the GS range.
Warranty wise, it’s four years or 100000 kilometres, whichever the driver completes first, with servicing at every 15000 kilometres. Lexus do offer a fixed price service structure but it would be nice to see the warranty increased to five years to suit the level of quality you get when purchasing one.
At the End Of The Drive.
It’s a larger car than the Lexus IS range, the GS and comes in three trim levels (Luxury, F Sport and Sports Luxury) and is therefore plugged fairly and squarely into the battlefront filled with A6, E-Class, 5 Series, XF Jaguar style vehicles. It’s well finished, drives beautifully, has good economy for the engine and weight and certainly comes well equipped to kick things off.
Yes, that front end design may raise an eyebrow but that’s in opposition to everything else you’ll get for your hard earned. Consider the handling, the amount of room in the GS, for starters, and the appeal it will have to a buyer that doesn’t wish to be seen as mainstream, and then the whole package suddenly becomes much more appealing.
Head over to Lexus GS for further information.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Isuzu D-Max LS-T 4×4
Isuzu. It’s a brand name perhaps more familiar to truck owners and drivers than car owners, however it’s a name that’s been part of the Australian automotive landscape for over four decades. Of late, Isuzu is known for the two tier range of D-Max and MU-X, a ute and SUV pairing. A Wheel Thing spent a week with the Isuzu MU-X.
Isuzu have aimed for a market, it seems, that go for functionality. That’s the initial feelings upon getting inside the vehicle. The seats are of a vinyl look, the plastics are hard but smooth in texture in the centre stack, there’s some contrasting silver highlights in the fluid looking, the centre console has an eyecatching circular cluster design with a bold, red, LED display for the temperature and there’s a DVD player (sans headphones in the review car) that didn’t appear to be able to not play the audio separately for the rear seat passengers. 
The audio screen itself is surrounded by control tabs, which were legible and soft touch however the screen itself had a colour screen and font at odds with the modern look of the housing. It did, however, sound clear and punchy through the six speakers fitted to the LS-T, plus there’s Bluetooth and auxilary connectivity. There’s an copper-ish hue to the silver look plastic trim on the tiller, and a hard feel to the tabs as well, needing a little more cushioning.
The dash has an easy on the eye monochrome centre screen display, which was simple in design and presentation, offering basic information such as trip meter, outside temp and fuel, with a complementary charcoal-grey colour to the mechanical dials. Unfortunately, the storage locker in the upper console refused to play, not opening cleanly every time the release was pressed.
The centre console surrounding the circular aircon controls was a matt black plastic with a hint of satin to the finish, the gear selector has the same plastic trim as the steering wheel and the off road drive selector dial, housed in the matt/satin plastic between the driver and passenger seat, has the same copperish hue in the look, and a definitive click/clack feel to it. Although clean and simple in design, there’s a feeling it doesn’t match the competition as well as perhaps a $53K SUV should.
Seat coverings in the rear were the same, with the seats themselves of a fold and tumble design. It’s a seven seater, to boot, with the rear folding flat, offering up 235L (seven seat mode) to a very usable 800L (five seater configuration). There’s plenty of family oriented storage, with 14 cupholders (!) and some extra nooks spread throughout the cabin.
Under the bonnet, a non alloy one, is a somewhat noisy 3.0 litre diesel, with 130 kilowatts and 380 torques. To context that, the Holden Colorado, effectively the M-UX’s fraternal twin, packs a smaller engine with more power and 500 torques, 120 more than the Isuzu. Noisy it may be, but it pulls the near two tonne MU-X well enough, slurping 8.3L of diesel (combined figure, automatic transmission) from the 65 litre tank for every one hundred kilometres covered.
The auto is five ratios, not six, a curious decision in a landscape filled with six, seven and even eight speed autos, such as Mitsubishi’s new Pajero Sport. It’s smooth enough in its changes, if sometimes a bit jolty under light throttle and it’s reasonable to think an extra ratio would help in overall driveability and economy. Being four wheel drive capable, it’s a matter of twisting the drive selector, making sure that you’re at the appropriate speed to safely move between two and four wheel high range.
Low range requires, like all 4WD electronic transfer cases, the vehicle to be stopped and in Neutral to engage cleanly. The MU-X delivers good gravel road holding in 2WD, taken to a rocky road in the far west of the Blue Mountains. With the four wheel drive engaged, the LS-T tightens up in ride quality, with a more surefooted apprioach to the road and exhibiting only a small amount of plough on understeer in the tighter turns, easily controlled by a dab on the well balanced brakes.
Road wise, it’s typical 4WD SUV; floaty on top but speedbumps and potholes crash through the suspension. In slow corners there’s a clear sensation of body roll, with the car leaning into the suspension whilst the somewhat vague steering on centre has the MU-X understeer more on tarmac. On the freeway it absorbs the undulations effortlessly, with the ride settling quickly once the road flattens out, rather than endlessly pogoing. Dive and squate were there, but not to any extreme. The ride’s also helped by the all purpose 255/65/17 rubber.
Acceleration is adequate, accompanied by the rising and falling chatter of the engine as the gearbox changes. There’s no paddles on the steering column and the manual shift made no difference to the alacrity of the changes, so the discerning driver will use the five speed auto as an auto, rather than getting involved. Brake feel was also a good thing, as mentioned, with a slight amount of travel in the pedal before the vented 300 mm front and 318 mm rear discs bit and with a good progression in the pedal there on. Handy, given the MU-X is rated to tow up to 3000 kilos.
There’s also some hidden smarts in the MU-X’s drivetrain, with an adaptive learning function on board. It reads the gearbox’s shift points depending on throttle input and brake behaviour, modifying the shifts to suit. Safety wise, there’s Hill Start Assist, ascent and descent controls, curtain airbags and a strong high tensile steel safety cell with side intrusion bars.
The exterior finishes off the MU-X, with a wedgey, almost blokey profile, solid rear window pillars ahead of the rear window, angular headlights bracketing a two bar grille, and broad spread tail lights are linked by a chrome bar. Although top of the range, the LS-T misses out on a power tail gate, increasingly common in this sector. Also, there’s a door handle visible at bottom centre but the actual door release is near the numberplate.
There’s flared guards,and in black poly-urethane, the lower section of the front bumper plus the test vehicle came fitted with a sports nudge bar. Overall, it’s a cleaner look than its Holden badged sibling, the Colorado 7. It rides on a 2845 mm wheelbase, covers 4825 mm in total length and stands an imposing 1830 mm in height.
At The End Of The Drive.
Isuzu Australia offers the MU-X with a five year, 130000 kilometre warranty. Mechanically, that shouldn’t be called into play but it’s a goodly amount of peace of mind. Although the cabin needs more soft touch plastics, there weren’t any squeaks or rattles; impressivegiven the MU-X LS-T had clocked up nearly 17000 kilometres and there’s a sense of being solidly built.
The car provided costs in the order of $53K and that’s a reasonable ask, given the range starts at just over $40K. It puts it in right in the game play with the Colorado 7, the Pajero Sport, Fortuner from Toyota and Ford’s Explorer range. There’s certainly good enough ride quality, an economic diesel, but a few details such as no powered tail gate would need to be considered.
For more info on the Isuzu MU-X, go here:https://isuzuute.com.au/mu-x/specs-and-compare.aspx
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Kia Optima GT
Kia’s Optima nameplate has been with Australian drivers for well over a decade, being launched under that nomenclature in 2001. Based on Hyundai’s Sonata, it’s been a quiet seller yet has a high level of loyalty. When the third generation was released to the Aussie market in 2010, it quickly gained recognition for its slinky, sexy, good looks. The latest version with a mild reskin, now comes with the standard 2.4L in Si trim or a turbocharged four cylinder 2.0L engine. Called the Optima GT, it’s this that A Wheel Thing spent an enjoyable week with.
Torque is the now seemingly standard 350 Nm for 2.0L turbo engines, available between an immensely usable 1400 through to 4000 revs. Peak power is 180 kW, at 6000 revs. The engine itself is a square bore design, with bore and stroke at 86mm x 86 mm. Drive is put to the ground via the front wheels, through a slick six speed auto, complete with paddle shifts.
One of the more subtle yet noticeable things (once you give it some thought) about the GT’s driveability is the lack of torque steer. For a front wheel drive car, with a good dose of twist across such a rev range, Kia have performed some magic on the drive train. Under all forms of acceleration, there’s no noticeable pull, no is there any lack of traction from the 235/45/18 Michelin Sport rubber. Bluntly, it’s a superb piece of engineering and greatly aids the driving experience.
As a result, it goes like a hungry dog after a thrown bone. Sink the slipper and expect to see the rev counter’s needle zing around the dial. Expect the speedo to change numbers rapidly as well and potentially see Kia’s quoted fuel figure of 12.5L of 91 RON being slurped from the 70 litre tank. Even if you match that figure it’s still good for 560 kilometres. A Wheel Thing saw around 9.0L/100 in a predominantly urban drive. Hit the other extreme of 6.3L/100 km and that’s somewhere in the order of 1100 kilometres. That’s Perth to Kalgoorlie. And back. Overtaking? Simple. Safe. Belying the 1605 kg kerb weight, it’s a matter of correctly picking the moment and then it’s done.
Consider the dimensions of the Optima and you’ll quickly see why that although it slots into the medium segment because of the engine size, it’s a big car otherwise. It’s 4855 mm in length, 1860 mm wide yet sits close to the ground at just 1465 mm in height. Lob in a wheelbase of 2805 mm and what you’ll get is plenty of interior room, with rear seat passengers getting loads of head space and there’s oodles of shoulder room all round. Boot space? A mafia pleasing 510 litres.
It’s a long, low, slinky and very much an aero shape, the Optima, with swept back headlights, LED driving lights (and LED interior lights, by the way), a high belt line and an almost coupe swoop for the rear window line. The “tiger grille” is bracketed in the lower front bar by sporty looking intakes inserts, looking as if they’ll divert cooling air to the front brakes.
The tail lights have been modified slightly, as has the point where the rear door roof section meets the rear window, compared to the previous model. A minimum ground clearance of 135 mm has the Optima GT looking as if it’s a low riding European sports car, which isn’t far from the truth.
The chassis work that goes into a Korean designed, engineered and built car to have it suitable for Aussie roads is astounding. Get into one and you’ll be driving possibly the best handling and riding car in its class. A Wheel Thing has lauded the updated Subaru Liberty and Outback range for the on road abilities they have, however the Optima GT takes them on and wins.
It’s beyond precise in its handling; point it at any curve or turn and feel the nose tuck in exactly where you expect it to go. Come down to a tightening radius corner and there’s no need for brakes as the nose follows the line in, communicating back to the driver’s seat the subtle and not so subtle variances in tarmac conditions. Undulations in the road have the GT barely move in the suspension as it rolls untroubled across them whilst unsettled surfaces genuinely seem to be reduced in impact to the quiet cabin. Even with the low profile rubber (which certainly helps in handling) the ride is just simply superb.
All of this can be enjoyed from the sumptuous cabin. Leather look stitching in the plastic on the dash, a sweet looking dash, spot on ergonomics, heating and cooling for the electric front seats (the driver gets eight way adjustable and four settings for the lumbar support), an updated look to the touchscreen (finally showing station info with RDS but no DAB, lacking that factor against its Euro and some Japanese competitors), 
the firm yet comfortable seats and the almost suede look and feel to the buttons. It’s fair to say the overall presence is better than its sibling, the Sonata. There’s the panoramic glass roof, dual zone climate control and a somewhat flat sounding Harman Kardon sound system.
The dash stays with mechanical needles for the dials; perhaps a move to LED screens would imbue the GT with a higher level of tech-look and ambience. What is techy is the wireless charging pad ahead of the gear selector, but currently only suitable for LG and Samsung phones. no surprises given the Korean origins. 
There’s also a heated steering wheel, surprisingly useful during the the cold snap Sydney experienced during the test. Yes, it might seem a bit wanky but cold leather look materials do benefit from heating on a cold day and this was a welcome addition.
Backing up the ride and handling is the comprehensive safety package: ABS, stability control, Hill Start assist, Emergency Stop Signal (flashing brake lights under emergency stopping), Blind Spot Detection and Lane Change Assist, an intrusive (but thankfully switch off-able) vocal speed alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, reverse camera, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning System, auto leveling and swiveling head lights, plus the usual curtain and front airbags (no driver’s knee bag?) and that seven year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
What should you expect to pay for the Optima GT? Kia says $43990 as the recommended retail price plus ORCs. That’s getting up there in price, thanks to the government charges, but there really is a fair amount of car for the money. Servicing costs aren’t bad either, with the first service due at six months or 7500 kilometres, oddly, not a gratis item, at $191.00. It’s $408.00 at two years/30000, about the same at three years/45000 but a hefty $769.00 at four years/60000…
At The End Of The Drive.
In simple terms, A Wheel Thing believes the Kia Optima GT is one of the best cars in its class currently available in the Australian market. It’s a gorgeous thing in the flesh, a superb handler, a great ride and except for those fuel figures, unacceptable in today’s environment, a cracker package overall.
There’s a wagon, a “shooting brake” in the works and potentially a slightly larger, more upmarket, REAR wheel driver version also.
The Kia Optima GT‘s details can be found here: Kia Optima GT details
Australian Aftermarket Association For Cars Seeks Better Protection
The aftermarket industry for the automotive field is a multi-billion dollar industry. It covers items such as oil, filters, light globes, seats and seat covers, wheels, tyres, roll bars, roo bars, lights and more. And there’s a push to make sure that you, the buying motorist, gets looked after. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) submission to the Australian Consumer Law Review demands better protection for Australia’s 17 million vehicle owners.
The AAAA wants a special focus on protection of vehicle owners’ consumer rights because of the high value of the initial purchase and ongoing maintenance, and the vital contribution vehicles make to consumers’ working and family lives and to the Australian economy.
Executive Director Stuart Charity said this Consumer Law Review is required because there is a significant power imbalance between consumers and the large global vehicle manufacturers and their dealer networks.
“AAAA is uniquely positioned as a technically astute observer of the consumer protection regime for new vehicle sales and their ongoing servicing and repair. The 21st century is bringing significant change to the way we buy and maintain vehicles,” he said.
“The AAAA observes that Australian Consumer Law, while successfully delivering improvements in consumer protection, does not currently adequately protect consumer rights in respect to car purchase and ownership.
“Recent examples include the behaviour of VW in their emissions scam, the slow and imperfect responses by Toyota to their poor pedal design and by General Motors to its ignition switch fault. These cases affected millions of vehicle owners.
“There are sections of Australian consumer law that are subject to ‘creative compliance’ rather than actual compliance with the letter and the spirit of the law,” said Mr Charity.
Lemon Law
Another key issue raised by AAAA in its Australian Consumer Law Review is the lack of a clear definition for what constitutes a “major failure” for motor vehicles. “We need what is commonly referred to as a “Lemon Law”. 
The absence of an Australian Lemon Law leads to significant consumer disadvantage. Under current regulations, car owners are forced to return to the point of sale repeatedly for ‘repairs’ and often do not achieve a satisfactory outcome over an unreasonably long period.
“The AAAA supports the clear definition of ‘motor vehicle major failure’ used to protect consumers in the USA,” he said.
Unsafe products.
From the perspective of road safety, AAAA is concerned that there is no rigorous consumer protection to ensure owners learn about vehicle recalls and technical service bulletins in a timely manner. Mr Charity said: “At present, there is a voluntary industry code in place, which requires car manufacturers to advise vehicle owners in the event of a safety recall.”
“However, the manufacturer is not obligated to maintain contact with vehicle owners should they change address, or to advise the new owner when a vehicle is sold.
“Technical service bulletins include information on known vehicle faults and fixes that are not deemed by the car manufacturer to warrant a full safety recall. These important bulletins are not shared with the owners or independent repairers working outside the authorised dealership networks.
“The AAAA calls for a mandatory process to ensure car manufacturers notify vehicle owners and the entire service and repair industry of all safety recalls and technical service bulletins. Only a robust advisory process will ensure that Australians owning new and second hand vehicles are travelling in safe vehicles.”
Promote competition to empower consumers.
AAAA strongly advocates the principle that car manufacturers must provide consumers with access to data related to the service and repair of their vehicles and control over the data generated by their vehicles. “Currently there is no legal protection for consumer access to data stored in electronic log books or data exchanged via telematics,” said Stuart Charity.
“For example, AAAA believes that the owner should be able to assign permission to access and update their cars electronic log book to their repairer of choice, be that a dealer or an independent (non-dealership) workshop.
“Since 2009, AAAA also has advocated for a mandatory industry code that ensures manufacturers make service and repair information available to independent workshops for a fair price.
“A mandatory code will create a level playing field with both dealerships and independent workshops able to operate using the latest technical data. Consumers will then benefit greatly because they will have genuine choice of repairer opportunities.
“Current Australian consumer law is not sufficiently protecting vehicle owners’ rights. In many comparable international jurisdictions, the issue of vehicle data ownership is recognised and is protected through special provisions to ensure competition is maintained in this important market.
“Australia has made great progress in protecting markets and consumers, but in respect of vehicle ownership, we must do better.”
With thanks to AAAA Communications Adviser Barry Oosthuizen
Level 2, 9 Help Street