Best SUVs / 4WDs

Excellent build quality and firm ride, impressive off road capability and handling. I have purchased Pajero in 2015 brand new, used it for few years and overall it proved to be a good choice. Engine pickup was slow however, but I enjoyed every ride. Show details

Sold our 80 series single ute, which we owned for 17yrs, and 80 series station wagon, which we owned for 26yrs, both for more than we bought them… Read more

for during Covid!!! Both were used every day, have been around Australia & to the tip Of Cape York, through the NT, over dirt, sand & snow, & the worst we ever had happen was a blown gasket in the wagon once. We keep up with our services etc, but these cars just go & go & go. When we sold our two Toyotas, both over 600k Kms (diesels), we bought the 2020 Military 79 & as usual, this dual cab diesel has not missed a beat. It's been everywhere man, it's been everywhere. I will never buy another brand of car!

I have owned 4 TOYOTA‘s out of the last 5 cars I have owned since 2017. I first bought a brand-new 2017 CHR base model which I kept for 4 years. I… Read more

wanted something bigger so I swapped it for a 2017 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE CROSS, which I kept for about 2 years but I missed the CHR so much. I sold the Mitsubishi and bought another 2017 model CHR but the top model KOBA. I had services every 6 months. I used 98 Shell and BP fuel in my CHR’s along with PEA (Polyetheramine) fuel additives 4 times a year, with multiple freeway trips for between 1 to 2 hours 6 - 7 times a month and I still had carbon buildup in the engine. I always warmed my turbo engine up and cooled it down for at least a minute or two and drove conservatively for the first 10 minutes or so; did regular spirited freeway driving; had them serviced every 6 months but they both still had excessive carbon buildup. My fuel economy was between 6 to 8 L per 100 KM. I loved the shape of the CHR. That’s what drew me most to buy them and of course because it was a TOYOTA but from my experience with both the base model and the KOBA top model which I owned I would never purchase a turbo engine again. I loved the CHR however due to my back pain and arthritis worsening in my knees as well, I needed a car that was bigger and easier to get in and out of. I did a lot of research before I chose the RAV4. I wanted a car that was going to last me at least 20 years with minimal mechanical issues and good fuel economy. The first thing I did was watch multiple YouTube comparison reviews and the RAV4 was always in the top 3 if not the top vehicle in most of the reviews, the sales of the RAV4 speak for itself. There are a lot of new SUVs coming out trying to compete with the RAV4. They may have extra tech and extra comfort features but they don’t have the history to prove the reliability and I think it is a big gamble to buy a new model car just designed and built whereas TOYOTA has already built a good reliable name for itself and the design of their hybrid engines are well established and have proved to be extremely robust and reliable. They may not be as fancy as some other cars but it has everything you need - the more features you have the more chances of things breaking down and the more cost involved especially since everything is computerised these days. The safety tech in the TOYOTA fifth generation is one of the safest cars out there with a 5 Star ANCAP crash rating. The GX model has 7 airbags. The TOYOTA Safety Sense 2.5 has Automatic Emergency Braking - the pre-collision system has vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection, it also has Intersection Collision Avoidance and has Emergency Steering Assist which helps drivers to stay in their lane and not manoeuvre which helps the driver maintain more control: It has Lane Departure Warning with Lane Centering and Steering Assist with road obstacle detection ; Blind Spot Monitoring - if a vehicle is in your blindspot you will see an orange vehicle symbol flashing in your mirror but you should also make sure you still do your shoulder checks as well; it also has Rear Cross Traffic Alert with vehicle and pedestrian monitoring when reversing with the reverse camera - an alarm will sound with large orange arrows appearing on the reverse camera screen. It has front and rear parking sensors with three levels of sensitivity. The reverse parking camera also has guidelineWILL s to help you park more easily. It also has Road Sign Recognition so there is no excuse for speeding. The speed limit will show up on your instrument cluster and if you’re listening to music the sound will go down if you go over the speed limit and the speed limit sign on the cluster will turn red. The best part of the safety technology in the RAV4 is the Emergency Driver Stop System - this system only works when you are driving in Adaptive Dynamic Radar Cruise Control whilst Lane Trace Assist is operating. It monitors the drivers steering and attention level for example if you not steer properly and lane detection is detecting excessive movement or your hands aren’t detected on the steering wheel the car issues audio and visual alerts on the instrument cluster alerting the driver to take control. If there is no response the Emergency Stop system takes control and brings the vehicle to a gradual stop: The car will stay in its lane and the hazard lights will be activated and all doors unlocked. This feature saves lives when it comes to driver fatigue or medical episodes. The RAV4 also has an advanced integrated Emergency Assistance safety system through the TOYOTA Connected Services App, some features must be paid for through a subscription but the Automatic Collision Notification and built-in SOS Emergency Call button is FREE. You may be driving on a road where you can’t use your adaptive cruise control and you may have an accident. Or you may be alone and feel unsafe. You may be out in the country somewhere for example. If you need help all you have to do is press the SOS button on the roof of the car and Emergency Services will be sent to your exact GPS coordinates location. This works on the 4G and 5G Telstra network and is free for the life of the network. If you are unresponsive, the car has built in crash detection sensors and will automatically contact Emergency ervices and send them to your location. This is great peace of mind, especially if you do a lot of country driving, or drive long distances or drive alone. These safety feature was one of the main reasons for me buying this car also. The RAV4 drives beautifully, I would have to say it is the best car I have ever owned in my life and I have owned countless cars over my 40 years of driving. It’s smooth, the steering is nice and responsive. It’s comfortable there’s plenty of leg and head room. It’s large in the back especially when you fold the seats down. It comfortably fits 3 adult passengers in the back. If you have two passengers in the back there is a pull down armrest in the middle with cupholders. There’s air vents in the back and charging ports. The passengers in the back can choose to have the back of their seat in two positions either more a upright or slightly back. I really wanted heated seats however I was not going to pay thousands of dollars more just to have heated seats when I didn’t want all the other features so I simply bought a 12 V plug in lumbar back cushion for my driver seat which is both heated and a massager for just $40 from Autobarn with a 2 year warranty. I upgraded the sound system which cost me around $1500 and because they only had white vehicles available I had a professional body wrap done on the sides to make it stand out. I absolutely love driving my RAV4. It has Adaptive Cruise Control with a radar allowing for 3 different distances you can choose to maintain behind the car in front - when they slow down your car automatically slows down as well, even if they come to a full stop you gently come to a full stop right behind them, then you just tap the accelerator when they begin to move and your car will gradually build up to speed; if they go faster you continue doing your set speed, when the speed limit changes you simply press a button on the steering wheel you can click quickly and go down or up by 1 km at a time or keep the button pressed longer to go down 10 or 20 km for example. ACC is great when you’re on a long trip or if you have aches and pains in your leg. There is also a ‘HOLD’ button on the console, once pressed, every time you come to a complete stop and have to wait at traffic lights for example, the word ‘HOLD’ will light up on the instrument cluster in Orange and it will hold the brake in place; it saves you constantly pressing your foot on the brake pedal while you wait. As I have arthritis in my knees and sciatica in my right leg and hip, I find it extremely helpful and I use this feature every time I drive, once you turn the engine off, you need to reset it when you turn the engine back on. It also has Eco Mode to save on fuel, especially on long trips in cruise control or when you’re using your air conditioning, Eco Mode is particularly good for driving in the city when you have stop start traffic and a lot of your driving is in EV mode when the car is running off the hybrid battery instead of the petrol engine. Normal Mode is the general driving mode, great for normal urban driving. It will give your acceleration more power than Eco Mode especially when turning across traffic or merging. Sport Mode is for more spirited driving and windy roads. Sport mode is particularly good for hills as it gives the acceleration more power and the car feels more ‘zippy’ to drive, however you will use more fuel driving in this mode, I only use it for steep hills and windy mountainous roads but it is not recommended to use Sport Mode in the wet. It is best to drive in Eco or Normal Mode. I got the GX model because it’s basic and all the controls are easy to use, both the instrument cluster and the multimedia screen are extremely easy to use there’s controls on the steering wheel as well. I like the fact that you don’t have to go into the multimedia screen for everything, it has push buttons for the air-conditioning and heater and knobs for the temperature and volume. It has Apple CarPlay, Android CarPlay and Bluetooth with USB ports and 12 V. It has road sign recognition so there’s no excuse for speeding. If you’re listening to music and you start to go above the speed limit your music will go down and the screen will appear red. It has auto wipers auto high beams daytime running lamps, fog lamps and they’re all led as well. I watched multiple tutorials on the RAV4 - everything from maintenance to hybrid driving techniques; and since the RAV4 was the best selling SUV in the world, it was not a hard decision to make. The base model GX had everything I needed. All the RAV4 models have the same safety systems built into them. The higher models just have extra features which I did not really need. I bought my RAV4 in July 2025 the brand-new price was $49,706, drive away, but there was a 5 - 6 month wait on new cars so I bought a 2024 August build RAV4 with just 15,000 km for $44,321 (saving, $5,385‼️); because I had bought all my other cars from the same dealership I got a fantastic deal - they even paid my registration transfers for me with 6 months registration and a bonus year of warranty so I had the equivalent warranty of a brand-new RAV4 which is 7 years (+ 1 bonus added year) and 10 years on the hybrid battery, with fixed price servicing for the remainder of the first 5 years. A hybrid car suited me very well because I am a naturally conservative driver, as hybrid cars are better driven with slower acceleration from takeoff - although they do move very quickly if you put your foot down but if you’re fuel economical like I am you will drive it conservativey; gliding and braking gently to a stop, where possible when you see the lights ahead have changed to red also helps with fuel economy because gliding and coming to a gentle stop with gentle braking you are charging your hybrid battery to give you more EV driving rather than using the petrol engine more often. There is no point in driving up to a red light fast and then having to stop quickly and then put your foot down when it turns green. Hybrid cars use regenerative braking to recharge the hybrid battery. The battery also charges as you are cruising along especially downhill. Brakes last about 3 - 4 times longer than normal brake pads because you only use the brake pads when you brake heavily. Fuel economy is phenomenal in the 2.5 L hybrid engine. I do 80% freeway driving (5 trips a week consisting of 25 KM urban driving at around 70 KM per hour with a few traffic lights where I use the hybrid ‘pulse and glide’ driving method, which provides much better fuel economy in urban traffic; and 40 KM freeway driving at 80 to 85KM per hour using Adaptive Cruise Control in Eco mode and I get between 4 to 4.3L per 100 KM (TOYOTA states 4.8 L per 100 KM). TOYOTA states for the 2 L petrol RAV4 that it uses 6 to 6.5 L per 100 KM combined. Hybrid cars are more efficient in city driving and low speeds. They use more fuel on the freeway that’s why I drive at 80 - 85 km/h instead of 100. It really makes a difference. I can do my 5 weekly trips on the freeway for 80 km at 100 km/h but my fuel consumption increases to around 5.8 - 6 L per 100 KM so by taking a more economical route and slowing my speed down on the part of the freeway I can’t avoid driving on, I save quite a bit on fuel and with the price of fuel these days and being on a pension I need to save every dollar I can. What is the point of buying a hybrid if you are going to drive it fast and accelerate it into the ground? It beats the purpose! I turn adaptive cruise control off when I drive up and down steep inclines and declines as it does not put as much pressure and stress on the transmission as it tries to maintain the same speed. I only use adaptive cruise control on flat roads or slight inclines and declines. For very steep inclines and declines and winding roads I drive in Sport mode (except in the wet, when I use Normal mode); when driving down steep declines I use the ’S’ gear to prevent wearing out the brake pads and allowing the gears to keep the car moving in a slower mode descending. During the week I also do around 10 short trips of around 3 to 5 km in city driving and multiple short trips are not very good for hybrid engines. In the long-term you need to do frequent freeway drives to get the engine to optimal temperature to not only burn off carbon buildup but moisture that gets into the engine and fuel system; so when I am on the freeway once a fortnight I do a very spirited drive at 100 km/h for 40 minutes. I use 95 Shell and BP fuel in my RAV4 for the additional cleaning agents in the fuel along with PEA (Polyetheramine) fuel additives 4 times a year; even though the RAV4 has a dual fuel injection system having both port and direct fuel injection to help reduce carbon buildup on the manifolds, the many freeway trips I drive as well as the regular spirited driving, using nothing but top quality fuel and a PEA fuel system cleaning agent 4 times a year will not only help reduce carbon buildup but keep my car running much better with less mechanical issues in the long-term. Another thing I love about the RAV4 is the automatic transmission in the hybrid. It has an E-CVT transmission which has no belts or pulleys but an ‘E’lectronic planetary gear system which is described as being the most robust, smooth and fuel economical transmissions ever built, often described as “bullet-proof” whereas the petrol only RAV4 uses an eight speed automatic transmission. With regular transmission fluid changes at approximately every 80,000 KM you will never need to replace your transmission in a RAV4 - but you need to look after it - sealed transmission units are not ‘lifetime’ fluid that never needs changing as claimed. It needs to be changed. Transmission fluid gets extremely hot and gets fine particles of metal throughout over time which can eventually lead to gears slipping; once this has occurred it is too late to change the transmission fluid as it is the small metal particles that are keeping your gears in place, changing the fluid at this stage will cause more gear slippage creating an even bigger problem. Coolant and inverter coolant is just as important and also needs to be changed more regularly than TOYOTA suggests, even though TOYOTA has long life coolant, coolant becomes acidic over time, leaving it can literally start eating away at your car from the inside out without you even realising it. Regular servicing is just as important, TOYOTA recommends oil changes and servicing every 15,000 km or yearly. It is important to stick to this TOYOTA logbook routine to ensure you don’t break your warranty especially for the hybrid battery as it needs to be checked and serviced yearly, the air vents and filters for the hybrid battery need to be cleaned regularly to allow good airflow and stop the hybrid battery overheating. As well as cabin and engine air filters which can be done by yourself very easily, saving you extra at the dealership. However, I also get a service in between at JAX TYRES who use TOYOTA genuine parts, so I have them done at 6 monthly intervals or around 8,000 KM. If you want a car that is going to last you a long time, you can’t beat a RAV4. They are virtually unbreakable even when sticking to TOYOTA‘s recommended scheduled servicing but if you want longevity I would suggest the extra oil changes and the fluid changes along with conservative driving. Of course it costs you extra but it’s basically engine insurance. I don’t have any cash left and can’t get a car loan being on a pension so that’s why I put so much research into choosing this car because I knew it was the last chance I had at buying a car to last me as long as possible. I’m almost 60 and I’m certain that this car will out do me.

The ASX is our "family car". It's a solid build which continues to serve us well after several years. We did have an issue with the touch screen being unresponsive but this was repaired at no cost by Mitsubishi (apparently a known problem). Show details

I would not recommend. The car is two years old. Recall last year for a battery replacement then broke down in February 2026 and March. It’s now May… Read more

and still no car. Nissan customer service very poor. No guide to when my car will repaired. Terrible!!

Great car... have done multiple interstate trips with 3 kids and works fine. We have long fuel range which is great for remote travel after hours. No issues in 3 years and good value services. Actually has a real spare tyre. Show details

After recently spending over $42K to purchase a Kia Sportage I was very bitterly disappointed to discover that a hardcopy version of the owners… Read more

manual was not supplied! How ridiculous to expect customers to use their electronic devices to access important information needed when familiarising yourself with a new car! For instance waiting at traffic lights and a warning light illuminates on the dash. You can't pick up your phone to determine what it means can you? I have incurred extra expense in having a hardcopy printed and bound for my own reference and had I known this fact prior to deciding between 2 differing cars I would have chosen the other vehicle and will probably not consider Kia for my next new car purchase.

I bought a Mazda CX-5B 10 months ago. For the most part I really love it. But there's one feature that's a deal killer. Knowing what I know now, I… Read more

wouldn't buy it again. The remote key is a piece of junk. I've had to press the buttons up to 15 times to get it to work. Lock and unlock. And if you don't lock it, someone can hop in, start it, and drive it away. I've tried new batteries. I've tried both keys it came with. It's downright dangerous. I also own a Mazda 6. Never had a problem. Until Mazda fixes this, stay away.

I have the 2023 Forester so I've had almost 3 years with it and done about 60,000 k.m.of uninterrupted motoring. The tyres are still pretty good with… Read more

another potential 10,000km.. Having good clearance and all wheel drive handles well on dirt roads and a bit of mud. I do drive a few kilometres on dirt weekly and the car does well. I love the unobstructed vision all round making this car very easy to stay safe. Brakes are great. A full size spare is with this car and I wouldn't want to be without it. The spare has no tyre pressure sensor and it might be nice if it did. I like the size and space for luggage. Aircon is great, seat heating something I never thought about but it's great. Auto lights, wipers and keyless ignition are very nice. Keyless open and locking is great and so is the ability to remove the key from the electronic part so you can take the key for a swim. Space is fairly comfortable for 5 adults. The car runs well on. 91 unleaded and is quite economical returning around 7.8 l per 100km on highway driving. I have no complaints about CVT transmissions. It is smooth and always in the right gear. The insurance for it has been very reasonable. My record is very good.

I have it serviced at a dealer's workshop who is much more fair priced than the new car dealership. Happy to avoid big dealership prices. Service intervals are reasonable. I don't have deep concerns or complaints but there are annoying things. 1. Eyesight fails to work when it rains and if you're driving at highway speed and a downpour happens it shuts off cruise control and it isn't smooth to rapidly be decelerating. I'd rather not have it at all. The windscreen has cameras in it I believe so a smashed screen would need careful attention. I've never lost a screen in my lifetime of driving so I don't worry much about it. Heads up display would have been far more useful and keeps driver focus where it should be - on the road. I really think that is much smarter than all the other junk. The car has an excellent turning circle. 2. Stop start technology is awful and it is shuddering on restart. A rubbish idea. 3. Cabin noise is a bit high. 4. I dislike adaptive cruise control, hate beeping out of lane warnings, telling me to watch the road when I am looking at all aspects not just straight ahead. 5. Auto breaking is not anywhere near smooth as my human touch. If it thinks you are not braking soon enough or getting too close to an object it will auto brake with a horrible shudder. Modern tech is just not great and if there was a one button way to turn most of it off I would. 6. The sound system is pretty terrible. I had an XV prior to this car and it had a much better sound. 7. It is not a soft roader. I think they could have done better, maybe via seating. You'll get a much better ride out of a Mazda CX5 but it won't do what the Forester does .

Mitsubishi sold me a car with a faulty fuel gauge. Luckily found out only a few kms after turning off the M4 after midnight. since then have… Read more

repeatedly washed their hands of doing anything to rectify the situation by blaming the now 3 diabolical service centres who have either refused point blank to address the issue (Camden Valley) or blatantly lied straight to my face about doing the diagnostic work that is required (Castle Hill). Third Mitsubishi Ive bought. NEVER AGAIN. If you want any defects fixed understand Mitsubishi will take ZERO responsibility for them. STEER CLEAR!

It's the last of its kind, and if you care about your fuel bill, that's a good thing. The Patrol Warrior is a great out-of-the-box experience for… Read more

those looking for a fully built and engineered 4WD built to factory standards. With help from Premcar, these Nissan Patrols look, drive and sound better than the standard Patrol.

If you're lucky enough to have not bought one early, Nissan have even updated the interior to finally move the Patrol's insides out from the late 2010's. The new screen and instrument cluster make a world of a difference in day-to-day liveability.

It's a car for those who know they need the space, the capacity and the power. It's an awesome option if you plan to spend a lot of time away from the road and big cities. It also doubles as a far more affordable V8 powered alternatives to a Defender V8 or G63 AMG.

The trade-off is the fuel bill. It's massive. You're required to fill with premium to extract all the performance you pay for from the naturally aspirated 5.6L petrol V8 too. The rolling resistance from the all-terrain tyres and ancient auto gearbox increases your fuel consumption compared to some more modern rivals. And it doesn't help that this car is functionally a brick in the world of aerodynamics.

It's a reliable and easy to live with 4x4 for those who can afford to park and fuel. If you're short on European 4x4 SUV money, it's a logical choice if you're chasing V8 power and sounds. Otherwise, it's really a statement piece for those who don't use the Patrol to its full off-road potential.

Bought a new Honda HRV in late 2016. In 2021 during 50k service a transmission oil leak was confirmed by Honda dealer. Vehicle still in warranty at… Read more

this time.Action was to monitor. At next service the leak was again confirmed and leak was supposedly remedied by replacing transmission housing seal (2023) at a cost to me of $960 as the vehicle was now out of warranty. 16 months later (2025) there is still an oil leak this time the Honda dealer says that the leak is due to porosity of the transmission housing casting. From a literature search, it appears that the cracking evident in the photos is due to a defective casting process, a phenomenum know as "rats tails", this is not something which develops in time, it is a manufacturing defect caused by incorrect temperature control during the casting process. QAQC processes should prevent defective components like this one being used. Honda Australia have been contacted about supplying a replacement transmission and they have refused. A case has now been raised with consumer protection so we shall see how this progresses. Update - After Honda Australia was contacted by Consumer Protection they agreed that the fault was not due to wear and tear and agreed to pay for the repairs. I should not have needed to refer this case to Consumer Protection as logic and common sense should have prevailed!!

Just purchased 2026 sorento S. My main grip is NO USB ports in 2nd or 3rd row, there is a 12 volt station there. How out dated is this. I will have… Read more

my grsndkids in the car at times and will have to purchase something so they can charge phones. To people with kids this could be a Deal breaker. Kia get your act together and port these ports in. For $60,000 i would expect them. Hope the car goes ok.

Reliable mid size SUV, have bought it second hand and sold after 150K KM, didn't face any major issues, despite I missed few services, there was oil seepage but not sure if it was common issue with others, overall its a safer SUV to ride with family Show details

What causes fan on for around 5mins after the engine is off? – What causes fan on for at less 5mins after the engine is off especially reverse park my Nissan qashqai? Coolant replace every second year and the water temperature always stay below half on the cold side. Is that possible CVT is overheating? Show details

Cheap shoddy piece of rubbish. Purchased my LST July 2024. Since then has been in the dealership 10 times for a engine light issue, finally requiring… Read more

a new engine wiring loom. When receiving recall for tow in issues took it to dealer and was assured it was OK. This week the inside of my tyres looked like racing slicks, took vehicle in a seems there are tow in issues but have to wait on Isuzu Australia for the go ahead for repair. Plastic seat adjuster has fallen off. Generally poor workmanship and quality control, would not recommend. To be fair local dealer has been great but the manufacturer wants to get a grip. Vehicle has only 17000 highway kms on the clock.

By far the best car I’ve owned. I bought it second-hand with 140,000 km on the clock, and it hasn’t missed a beat since. The only maintenance I’ve… Read more

done is a transmission fluid change. It averages around 11L/100km on the highway. Being a front-wheel drive, it can surge a bit under acceleration, but other than that, I’ve had no issues at all. I’d highly recommend the Lexus RX350.

Delayed warranty repair without reason. Still waiting to act it for 12 months. Claimed warranty after 3 months of purchase Show details

Had my Outback for 4 years now (MY22 model Sport) and done 115,000 km. No major issues, early on the occasional glitch in the infotainment centre but… Read more

software updates have fixed those. Spacious and very comfortable, acceptable levels of performance. I do a lot of long-distance trips and just finished a 13,500km trip from the east coast of NSW to WA and back over a 5-week period. Enough room for 2 people to do an emergency camp in the back but luggage has to be moved to front seats etc. Really more suited to single person car camping.

Very comfortable as a cruiser. Great seats, good vision, really little to complain about other than the sometimes-intrusive safety systems and being told I need a break after 5 minutes of driving. The paint is extra thin and scratches easily.

Drives great on any road. Currently using Yokohama G015 tyres as they are mud and snow rated yet a good all-year tyre. The combination of those tyres and the excellent 4WD system makes for safe driving.

Servicing costs are high compared to most other makes and the 12,500 km service interval should be 15,000 km as applies to the turbo version.

Fuel economy could be better, but it isn't terrible considering it is full-time AWD and a decent sized vehicle.

Very pleased overall and would recommend to others.

Mostly overlooked because of its badge – It’s the V6 twin-turbocharged luxury SUV from Volkswagen, which shares a chassis with many well known luxury SUVs from the likes of Porsche, Audi,… Read more

Bentley and even Lamborghini.

This is the cheapest way to get into the luxury SUV market, but with one major catch: you’re not wearing a luxury brand to match that $100,000 price tag.

The build quality here is next to none. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. This is a German bank vault on wheels; it is as solid as you’d imagine a luxury SUV like this should be. Heavy doors, lush leather and tight tolerances reign supreme here.

This car starts at $108,990 before on-road costs, but with the options fitted to our test car like the Sound and Comfort package priced at $6,500 and premium paint which is priced at a whopping $2,100, you’re looking at a $117,590 SUV.

The premium paint is self-explanatory, but the Sound and Comfort package adds a 360° camera, four-zone climate controls, reverse autonomous braking, parking assist plus, heated rear seats, memory front seats and the Dynaudio sound system.

You’re getting a 5 year/unlimited kilometre warranty with this VW. Servicing will cost you either $1,350 for 3 services or $2,500 for 5 services. Servicing occurs at either 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You don’t need active sound cancellation in a car that’s this isolated from the road. There’s what feels like the weight of a Volkswagen Polo’s worth of sound deadening throughout this car. The only sounds that manage to peep through include a light amount of tyre noise and the faint whistle of those turbochargers under load.

Powered by a 3.0L turbocharged diesel V6, this SUV produces 210kW (285hp) and 600Nm, and sends its power to all four wheels.You can get from 0-100km/h in just 6.1 seconds, too.

The 8-speed automatic here feels just as every bit premium too. It’s buttery smooth in its operation, and actually a bit of fun to manually operate too. In Sport mode, you get a lively set of gears to really make the most of all that power.

Standard air suspension is always a plus. Offering a relaxed ride around town, the added weight and wide footprint of this SUV makes for a rich ride. With the added benefit of air bags, you can lower the ride for a more reactive Touareg, making it a lot of fun to throw through corners. If you find yourself doing SUV things, the air suspension can be raised to increase ground clearance too.

For a big SUV with a big SUV motor, VW claims a feeble 6.8L per 100km combined. I found it to consume around 8-10L per 100km in my tests. However a 90L tank capacity will see you travel far without needing to fill up often when out on a road trip.

All your key controls are available within arms reach from the driver's seat, in both physical, digital and haptic form. The latter proved to be a controversial inclusion in Volkswagen cars.

A way to hint that the Touareg is related to more expensive siblings is the 12.3-inch drivers display and 15-inch centre touch screen. I haven’t seen a screen this big outside of the Tesla Model 3!

The usability of that centre screen is fine, but it does take some getting used to, as it’s just a tad bit complicated.

Lacking a third row of seats is a great way to add boot space. You’re getting 810L of space and a total of 1800L with the 40:20:40 split seats folded. This car offers supreme comfort in all of its seats. Sure, the rear middle seat is a little tight, but it’s fairly generous for a car in this class.

For most, they’re going to want to spend the same or more on a similar brand affiliated with being a luxury brand.

Volkswagen is offering you a better value premium SUV with the same build quality and features as brands twice as expensive.

I’d highly recommend this SUV, but it's for those who don’t want to stand out from the crowd. It’ll fly under the radar and it's a perfect “quiet wealth” car.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

The family hauler with serious off-road capabilities. Thoughts from a Discovery 3 owner of 10 years – Build quality is an absolute strong suit for the British manufacturer in recent years. Even though this is the Discovery S (the entry level model),… Read more

construction was at its highest throughout the cabin and on the exterior.

Weighty doors, solid ‘thunks’, high quality faux leather and cloth seats and soft touch plastics were a treat.

This is the Discovery S D300, meaning it packs the best diesel engine option Land Rover offers. Priced from $101,875 before on roads as a starting point, throw in a few options like the ‘Advanced Off-road Capability Pack’, wireless charging, and an ‘Active Rear Locking Differential’ and you’re looking at a $110,910 car.

From memory, our fully-laden Land Rover Discovery 3 HSE TDV6 was priced around this point, so a combination of inflation and price rising has occurred since 2006 - that’s for sure.

To be honest, there’s a lot of standard equipment provided on the new Discovery, even in its base form.

Air-suspension, comprehensive 3D camera system and electronically folding seats are all excellent standard features that usually would have been reserved for higher trims.

Land Rover recently upped its warranty offering from 3 years to 5 years/Unlimited kilometres with 5 years of roadside assistance. You can purchase a service plan for 5 years or up to 130,000 kilometres of driving, for $2,650.

Wind noise was non-existent - something I’d put down to the dramatically smooth design, compared to previous generations of the Discovery.

Stopping a Land Rover never felt so smooth. I distinctly remember the car I learnt to drive on (the Land Rover Discovery 3) was incredibly smooth to operate, and was more than capable at sudden braking and trail braking away from danger.

The same can be said here, but with additional ability than a car built in 2006. Braking is predictable, and requires no more effort than using a brake pedal found in a Fiat 500.

Under the bonnet of this Discovery is a 3.0L twin-turbo charged 6-cylinder diesel mild-hybrid motor, and it packs a real punch.

Traditionally, big cars and big diesel motors never result in performance on the road. However, Land Rover’s Ingenium D300 motor is a completely different story.

Producing 220kW at 4,000rpm and 650Nm at 1,500-2,500rpm, there’s plenty of power here being sent to all four wheels via an AWD system. 0-100km/h times are as brisk as 6.8 seconds, which is quicker than my 1000kg Abarth 500! This is mum’s 7-seater SUV we’re talking about, which is faster than ever.

The 8-speed transmission in the Discovery was mostly fault-free, although on occasion it did have a moment where gears clunked together, rather than being swiftly engaged.

Around 95% of my driving saw a flawless performance from the Discovery. Shifting into gear was easily operated, I especially love the dedicated park button that helps you avoid any mis-shifts.

5% of the time I experienced moments of indecisiveness from the gearbox, which momentarily distracted from an otherwise premium driving experience.

Land Rover’s air suspension system is a lot of fun, thanks to just how adjustable it is. The car can move from an access height, through to ‘Off-Road 2’, which allows it to wade through 900mm of water.

The ride height difference is amusing at times, allowing you to tower over Mercedes G Wagons, and then change the height to enter a sub-2m tall underground car park.

It’s a sublime ride, and there’s never an issue with being uncomfortable in the Discovery. It’s capable on road, through corners and on loose surfaces. Although, compared to the Defender, I could tell the Discovery did waver a little bit through sweeping bends at high speeds, thanks to its high centre of gravity and narrower footprint.

Off-road, there’s a reason why you’ll see more smiles in a Discovery at the end of a serious trip away from the tarmac, compared to cars like a Jeep Wrangler. Ruts, rocks and large dips in the road didn’t once make me feel uneasy, unlike some cheaper 4x4 SUVs. It’s clear that spending the additional money provides a far superior ride both on and off-road.

Even though this is a diesel, has turbochargers and is a mild-hybrid, don’t expect to be saving at the pump. Claimed combined fuel efficiency is 7.5L/100km, however daily driving saw me produce figures as high as 12L/100km, even after heading out on the highway.

Land Rover has stepped up the game with the new Discovery’s interior. It’s an exercise in minimalist design, while still giving you everything you need right at your fingertips.

There’s plenty of space throughout the cabin, however it starts to get a bit cramped in the third row’s foot well. I particularly love just how much foot room the driver gets, making it a lot more comfortable to drive long distances behind the wheel.

The curved infotainment display uplifts this cabin into 2022, along with a noticeable lack of physical buttons. The important ones are there, like climate controls, volume and terrain response, but that’s it. I miss the old adage that you could operate all the features in a Land Rover while wearing a pair of thick gloves.

As Land Rover becomes more reliant on screens, you’re going to need to ditch the gloves to take full advantage of that touch screen.

Storage is the other headlining feature here, with a ridiculously deep, dual level glovebox and secret compartments under the transmission tunnel and behind the climate controls. It was a lot of fun to see just how much stuff you could fit in and around the Land Rover’s interior.

With all three rows up, there's only 258L of boot space on tap. However, fold all of those seats down, you’ll reveal 2391L of boot space. You’d see why we chose this car back in 2006 to help us move to Australia after living overseas.

A most welcomed surprise was just how easy it was to operate the electronically folding second row seats. Both up and down, you can use buttons in the boot to completely fold the second row flat, making it less of an effort than ever before. Although, if you want to just fold the middle seat down, you'll still need to do that manually.

Second row space is extremely generous, although the seats sit a little too close to the floor of the car, creating a gap between your knees and the seat itself. This forces you to recline back to retain comfort on long trips. Seating for three is beyond reasonable, as three adults can place their feet comfortably on the flat floor, thanks to an absence of an obvious exhaust/transmission tunnel.

Despite its size, third row seats are a little tight for adults to comfortably rest. Additionally, the ingress and egress hasn’t been as well executed like in cars such as the Kia Sorento. However, if you frequent the third row, it’s still one of the larger sets you can sit in, this side of $150,000.

The only reason my family didn’t keep our old Discovery for longer than 10 years was the cost of servicing post-warranty. When things go wrong (and they did), it did cost a lot to keep a car as complex as that on the road.

We weren’t burnt by our experience, rather, we bought a Range Rover Evoque to ‘downsize’ from the burly Discovery 3. Additionally, I think we would step into a new Discovery if we wanted to, as it really is an excellent evolution forwards for the iconic nameplate.

The added warranty period gives a massive leap in confidence for what would usually be a normal finance period (5 years). Although, my eyebrows would become raised following the end of that warranty period, from our past experiences.

For most, the Discovery will hit the nail on the head for a car that’s easy to use deep in the inner-city, and take out into the wilderness. By comparison, the Defender can become a little too big for its boots when operating along the school drop-off route and in tight side street parking situations.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Good value for money,has excellent features and very well appointed with 19 inch alloys,side steps,tow bar,leather trim,heated seats,parking… Read more

sensors,reversing camera,blind spot monitoring,adaptive cruise control,lane departure warning,keyless entry.I paid $19000 for a 2019 Koleos with 98000ks and full service history.Never had cvt transmission before but I am pleasantly surprised at it’s performance and fuel economy.Having owned a Nissan x trail for many years and this vehicle sharing all it’s mechanicals I have no doubts of it being a reliable car that I will keep for a long time.

Biggest lemon ever.. Where do I start? Purchased 2009 ST, 6 sp manual model in 2014, 90000kms on clock. By 130,000km, it had already needed shocks,… Read more

clutch, alternator, battery and EGR replaced. Cruise control stopped working at about 130000km. Electrical wiring issues with brake and headlight constantly blowing. Timing chain replaced 18 months ago at nearly $2700. I’ve only kept it due to using it to tow horse float but no Longer have any trust in this vehicle to not break down in traffic while towing so it’s pretty much useless now. My mechanic refuses to repair it now as he says I’m just wasting my money. Too much blow by in engine. It’s now occasionally going into limp mode and error code of camshaft position sensor. Plastic trim around console peeling and arm rests also. Just going through all my receipts and I’ve spent close to $22,000 in repairs (not including services) It’s done 290,000km now and can’t wait to send it to the scrap heap.

the thing is with Suzuki models they rearly brake down 5 year warranty on new models parts are not expensive cheap to run .they are comfortable to drive is a good car for the wife to drive or the familly to travel in. Show details

If you like a car that won’t stop beeping - Buy this.

Pros: Drives well, picks up speed. Good sized boot when the removable shelf is dropped. Petrol consumption is good approx 600kms to a tank. Lane… Read more

assist, blind spot are great.

Cons: If your short like me (1.51 cm) the headrest is uncomfortable as it is tilted forward and cannot be straightened (liftable in height yes, but front tilt angle changed, No). I have no support from my shoulders to the headrest which is pushing my neck forward. I've already had a chiro and osteo appointment after longer cross City drives.

For a short person, the highest seat raise is required, otherwise the side mirror units block full view of other road vehicles when looking right at lights waiting for green. I am sitting on a cushion to see over the actual side mirror unit.

There's no automatic locking system after you drive X minutes, which is disappointing. It was taken off this model. Crazy when we are living in a violent society. I am manually locking the doors by touching door switch which is very old school for 2025 car model.

My navigation system also isn't turning on automatically. I'm waiting for a Mazda software patch fix (advised as known to be problematic for some 2025 models by Head office). This is very disappointing as I purchased the car in January 2026 and was fobbed off initially with the excuse "oh, it's just this model you purchased". It's nearly May 2026 now and 4-5 months later I'm still driving around manually turning on navigation and re-doing it again after the car has been put into reverse.

To be honest this has been the biggest let down given it's my first ever experience at buying a brand new car.

Also design has only two front compartments to hide things. I don't like the middle compartment it's useless. The drink holder not too good either. I don't know where a passenger would put their hot drink in their hand easily? In comparison, my old 2011 Toyota Yaris had way better hideaway front design than this Mazda.

As a shorter female buyer/owner I'm 50/50 re this vehicle model. I wish I had looked at other brand options.

The Jeep Wrangler has long been a symbol of off-road freedom — rugged, capable, and built for adventure. With its military heritage and unmistakable… Read more

boxy silhouette, the Wrangler is one of the few vehicles that has remained true to its roots while gradually evolving with modern comfort and tech.

The dealership had "no idea" why my engine was being weird and having almost choking issues. Turns out it was my cat being clogged. Which is due to… Read more

faulty engines that all need to be recalled 2010 to i think 2022 are all in the firing line for metal shavings being left in during the building phase which leads to catastrophic engine failure.

Services are up to date, normal city driving no off roading. They also clearly don't pay attention and suggested a diesel vehicle addon for my next service.... its a solid petrol engine never even had an accident diesel fill....

Oh but they'll charge you excessive amounts to "diagnose" the issue....

I would stay away from this car, if you have an iPhone 14 or above. There technically is not compatable so there is no car play available. We have… Read more

not had car play since we bought the car a year ago. Definitely buy another suv. Plus customer support is all via email so there is no real help with any issues.

2017 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed Bought my Pajero Sport new back in 2017, and it’s now ticked over 140,000 kays. Honestly, it’s been rock solid.… Read more

I service it myself every December — it’s that easy. Anyone who can handle a screwdriver and a spanner will have no trouble doing it. You’ll never need a workshop with this car; it’s built simple and smart.

Only issue I’ve ever had was a small leak in one of the intercooler hoses around 120,000 km — replaced both just to be safe. Still on the original front rotors, barely touched the rear brakes, and the engine doesn’t use a drop of oil.

It’s done plenty of towing and weekend hunting trips off-road, and it’s handled everything with ease. I don’t flog it through mud holes — just use it properly — and it’s never missed a beat.

What cracks me up is the online ratings. My car’s got nothing but 4-plus-star reviews from owners, yet somehow ends up with an overall 3.9. Meanwhile, Jeep — the king of breakdowns — scores almost the same. Go figure.

Verdict: Super reliable, tough, and easy to maintain. Would buy the same car again tomorrow. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐