Tips and Advice

Q&A;: Which tyres are best for my car?

AFR FIRST USE ONLY PLEASE    AURION AFR 060207 PIC BY JESSICA SHAPIRO...  Toyota is set to launch its new Australian built six cyclinder sedan, the Aurion, at the Melbourne International Motor Show on Thursday. Story by Peter Roberts. EMBARGOED until Thursday 9 February, 2006    GENERIC car market, performance, manufacture, auto, wheel, body, tyre, chunky, headlights, drive, travel, muscular, buy, export, sales, sell, local, industry, jobs.    AFR FIRST USE ONLY PLEASE SPECIALX 46882

Kevin is looking to reduce the road noise created by his Dunlop tyres.

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Q&A;: HSV GTS suspension

2013 HSV GTS

Rodney wants to know what MRC suspension does.

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What seven-seater should I buy?

Toyota Prius V.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Barb needs a seven-seater that isn’t too big or thirsty.

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What P-plater car should I buy?

Kia Cerato

CAMERON MCGAVIN Stefano is about to turn 18 and has decided a small hatch with a manual transmission will be his first car.

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What family car should I buy?

The Honda Odyssey is still one of the best family cars on the market.

Cameron McGavin Emma needs a city car with a strong kid-carting focus and country-driving abilities.

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Q&A;: Am I being overcharged?

TOYOTA CAMRY FOR SUNDAY DRIVE.

(NO CAPTION INFORMATION PROVIDED)

Jim wants to know if he is paying the right price for a replacement drive shaft.

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What SUV car should I buy?

Subaru XV

CAMERON MCGAVIN Margaret needs a camping-friendly car that won’t be a pain around town.

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What SUV should I buy?

Mazda's CX-5 is a competent urban SUV.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Peter has an SUV in his sights but isn’t sure whether to buy new or used.

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What compact SUV should I buy?

The Honda CR-V is a more than capable SUV for a growing family.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Amanda is looking for an efficient compact SUV to fit her two teenage sons and two dogs.

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Q&A;: No reversing camera

Reversing camera

Martin has been waiting a month for Jeep to install a reversing camera which was supossed to come with his Grand Cherokee.

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Q&A;: L-Plater

L platers

Carol is wondering what else she can do to prepare her son for emergency situations.

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Q&A;: Correct wear-in of bores/piston rings

engine

Daniel is wondering which is the correct way to wear-in the bore/piston rings.

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Q&A;: Engine knock?

Subaru Outbackl

Graham's 2000 Subaru Outback has developed a knock sound from the negine when free revving.

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What lovable wagon should I buy?

The Mazda6 wagon

CAMERON MCGAVIN Jack wants to love his new ride, but it must be a practical motor.

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Q&A;: Territory rear suspension

SX Territory

Stephen's 2006 Territory has developed a rear thump, and he is wondering whether this is a common issue.

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What family cars should I buy?

Kia Rondo Si.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Narelle is trying to lock down two cars to cover off her family’s varying needs.

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Q&A;: Brake light sensors?

brake light

John is wondering why brake light sensors aren't installed in all cars as standard.

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Which family car should you buy?

Man and girl (6-8) loading luggage in car, woman and boy (6-8) in car family holiday school holidays grandparent grandafther generic families suburbs suburbia vacation kids children summer grandparents
Picture by PETER MASON OF GETTY IMAGES
ROYALTY FREE IMAGE PURCHASED BY SHD SUNDAY LIFE
http://www.gettyimages.com

DAVID MCCOWEN Drive surveys four classes of vehicle suited to a range of needs.

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What compact SUV should I buy?

Mazda CX-5.

Cameron McGavin Sarah's mother needs something easy to get in and out of, so they're thinking a compact SUV or high-riding small hatch will be best.

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Q&A;: RX-8 suspension?

Mazda RX-8

Darren is wondering if the 2003 Mazda RX-8s have any common suspension problems?

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What medium-size car should I buy?

Mazda6

CAMERON MCGAVIN Chris needs help sorting the mid-sized wheat from the chaff.

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What new small hatch should I buy?

Kia Cerato SLi hatch.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Should Wayne buy his new small hatch now, or wait for something better?

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Q&A;: Engine noise?

BA Falcon

Peter's 2003 BA Falcon engine is making a strange sound and he thinks it might be the timing chain.

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What diesel wagon should I buy?

The Ford Mondeo wagon

CAMERON MCGAVIN John needs an efficient family hauler for long road trips to replace his Land Rover Discovery 2.

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What long-distance driving car should I buy?

Kia Cerato SLi sedan

CAMERON MCGAVIN Holly is looking for a smallish sedan that is willing to do a lot of kilometres.

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Q&A;: Engine 'ping'?

A customer holds a petrol pump nozzle providing biofuel E10 in Hamburg, northern Germany, on March 4, 2011. German government seeks a solution to buoy up the sale of Super E10 biofuel at a summit with oil economy, car industry and consumer protectors.   AFP PHOTO / ANGELIKA WARMUTH      GERMANY OUT

Jason is wondering why his Ford Mondeo EcoBoost "pings" when using E10.

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Q&A;: Dirty transmission fluid?

Volkswagen Touareg  R50 6-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox 
SUPPLIED  PIC

Keith is wondering if he needs to change his transmission fluid.

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What affordable family car should I buy?

Hyundai i30 Tourer

CAMERON MCGAVIN Mel is trying to pin down the right car for impending family duties.

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What dual-cab ute should I buy?

Mitsubishi Triton

CAMERON MCGAVIN Patrick is looking to fulfil his caravanning ambitions with a dual-cab ute.

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What family wagon should I buy?

Ford's Mondeo wagon while technically a mid-sizer has as much back-seat space as a Commodore and has plenty of boot space.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Matthew is looking for a fuel-efficient wagon which will accommodate the kids to replace his two Commodore sedans.

Q&A;: Can I use E10?

A customer holds a petrol pump nozzle providing biofuel E10 in Hamburg, northern Germany, on March 4, 2011. German government seeks a solution to buoy up the sale of Super E10 biofuel at a summit with oil economy, car industry and consumer protectors.   AFP PHOTO / ANGELIKA WARMUTH      GERMANY OUT

Will is wondering whether he can use E10 in his 1995 Toyota Corolla.

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Q&A;: Why are autos more expensive?

Volkswagen Touareg  R50 6-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox 
SUPPLIED  PIC

Robert is wondering why automatic gearboxes across all cars cost so much more than manual transmissions.

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What fun small car should I buy?

2013 Ford Fiesta ST

CAMERON MCGAVIN Nick is looking to brighten up his daily commute with something small and sporty.

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What family off-roader should I buy?

Holden Colorado 7

Cameron McGavin Adam is looking for a tough 4WD to taxi the family around on some rough stuff.

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Q&A;: Can I use E10?

WH series II Holden Statesman.

Kevin is wondering if he can put E10 in his 2001 Holden Statesman.

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What small car should I buy?

Kia Rio

CAMERON MCGAVIN Ankit is after a highway-friendly light car with new-car benefits.

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Do I need premium unleaded?

Fuel pumps / petrol pumps.

It's more expensive and claimed to keep your engine in better shape, but do you really need to put premium unleaded in your car? Got a question for Drive's experts? Email qa@drive.com.au

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What comfortable small car should I buy?

Nissan Dualis

CAMERON MCGAVIN Noni needs a car that’s easier on her back than her old Ford Laser

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CBD parking secrets

Park

Kate Jones We've discovered the best parking bargains around.

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Used car jargon defined

Journalist David Morley in the role of used-car salesman. Pic Neil Newitt.

MATT CAMPBELL We help you translate well-worded car ads to help figure out what you’re getting yourself into.

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What reliable and sporty small hatch should I buy?

Ford Focus Sport.

CAMERON MCGAVIN Annette is after a sporty, modern and trouble-free small car to replace her old Alfa.

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Q&A

Q&A;: How do I know which car is safest?

Honda Accord crash test.

Drive Team With so many cars achieving the maximum five-star safety rating, what should people look for to ensure they are buying the safest car possible? Got a question for Drive's experts? Email qa@drive.com.au

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What sporty car should I buy?

Toyota 86

CAMERON MCGAVIN Patrick is looking for sporty car that gives some serious driving pleasure.

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Q&A;: Vinyl wrapping

viynl wrapping

Darren is considering vinyl wrapping but is worried that it may damage his original paintwork.

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Q&A;: Bird dropping stains

birds

Sue has noticed that her paint work seems to be damaged by bird droppings and is wondering if anything can be done.

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What rugged compact SUV should I buy?

Nissan X-Trail

CAMERON MCGAVIN Geoff wants a compact SUV that can rough it up without being a pig around town.

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Q&A;: Snow chains

snow chains

Drive Team Michaela is wondering whether she needs snow chains for her Subaru Impreza, and if so how to fit them.

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Q&A;: Changing Insurance

insurance

Drive Team Pam is wondering whether it would be beneficial to shop around or stay with the same insurance company.

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What baby-friendly car should I buy?

Kia Rondo

Cameron McGavin Dave needs to upsize from a city runabout to a more family-friendly car - but it needs to be good on fuel.

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Q&A;: Steering pulling to the left

Hyundai steering wheel

Drive Team Is it true that right-hand drive cars are set-up to pull to the left for safety reasons?

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What small sedan should I buy?

Ford Focus

CAMERON MCGAVIN Bill wants to downsize from his trusty Falcon sedan.

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What heavy-duty 4WD should I buy?

Toyota Prado

CAMERON MCGAVIN Judy wants to downsize from her Toyota LandCruiser but can’t compromise on toughness, rough-road comfort or off-road ability.

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Q&A;: Do airbags have a shelflife

Airbag

Drive Team Do airbags have an expiry date? Or do they need to be serviced?

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What small hatch should I buy?

VW Golf

CAMERON MCGAVIN Alison is after a roomy small hatch that's right at home on the highway.

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Q&A;: Drag racing

dragrace

I want to take my road car drag racing. What do I need to know?

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Q&A;: PCD?

Tyre

What is a PCD?

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What rural-friendly SUV should I buy?

What car should I buy?

CAMERON MCGAVIN Paul is after a compact SUV well-suited to life out of the big smoke

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This week's best new car deals

Pulsar ST hatch

MATT CAMPBELL Massive bargains on small cars from Nissan, Hyundai and Ford.

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What efficient rep-friendly wagon should I buy?

Rav4 GX Diesel

CAMERON MCGAVIN Paul is after a wagon or SUV that will stand up to his high annual kay counts and be cheap to run.

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What comfortable SUV should I buy?

Mazda CX-5

CAMERON MCGAVIN Claire and her husband are after a compact SUV that’s easy on the body.

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Features

Drive Glossary

An easy-to-understand guide to deciphering car industry jargon.

New cars of 2013

Drive previews the A-V of new cars due to hit our shores in 2013.

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Buying a car

Here's how to take the stress out of buying your next car.

New car buying tips

Dealing with car dealers can be daunting, but not if you go in with a clear understanding of your needs - and your rights.

Used car buying tips

Follow these simple steps and you'll emerge with your dream car and not a nightmare on wheels.

Getting a new-car bargain

Drive reveals their secrets on how to score a deal.

Choosing a car

Choosing your next car from the hundreds of models available can be bewildering.

Where to buy?

Buying from a dealer, privately or at auction each have benefits and pitfalls for the unwary.

Car brokers

Drive examines the swings and roundabouts of paying someone to negotiate a sharp price.

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How to test drive

Never rush your first encounter with the car that could become your best friend or worst enemy.

First car for the kids

Give yourself some peace of mind as you set your children on the road with their first set of wheels.

Trading in? Don't get ripped off

Going in prepared is the best way to maximise your old car's value.

Drive Car of the Year 2012

View all the winners from the 2012 Drive Car of the Year Awards.

Drive's motoring Q & A

Drive experts answer all your automotive queries.

Drive Green motoring guide

All the latest on driving that's friendlier on the environment.

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Swedish brand's facelifted flagship S60 sedan is a worthy alternative to the German triumvirate.

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Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The last Aussie-built coupe is likely to become a collectible classic.

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Nissan Dualis TS diesel v Peugeot 2008 Outdoor eHDi.

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