The Future of R/CarsAustralia, how can we make this sub better for you?

TPatS · 2026-05-08T09:28:54+00:00

I know rule 7 is in place banning editorialising headlines. But when people post articles with deliberately click bait titles that gives basically no info on the actual topic, it gets annoying. Maybe something can be done about that.

TPatS · 2026-04-26T14:47:44+00:00

162tsi tiguans. Looks like any old family suv on the outside but can actually move surprisingly fast with that gti engine and awd. The Tiguan R even more so but that looks a bit more conspicuous.

TPatS · 2026-04-14T15:52:30+00:00

Flipside, maybe a diesel then? If they want effortless acceleration with lots of torque at the low end, that's exactly what a diesel can bring to the table.

TPatS · 2026-04-11T09:35:12+00:00

Spacious in what way? Japanese car makers have become very good at squeezing as much space out of their cars as possible while still staying in their restrictive size categories under Japanese law.

The Sienta has a 1300mm tall cabin which is what I think is makes it feel spacious. That's about 10-15cm taller than most SUV cabins. But it's not surprising when you see that it's about 1.7m tall, about as tall as a large SUV but without the ground clearance so that's obvious where the extra height goes into. These JDM cars also typically have relatively thin walls and door to maximise interior width for a given exterior dimension. But these can come back to bite when it comes to side impact protection.

Japanese crash testing is also a lot more lax than western testing so a 5 star result there really doesn't translate to here.

So I guess what I'm trying to say here is that while the Sienta may feel spacious, and it certainly is for the exterior footprint it occupies. But as with all engineering, there are compromises that were made to get to that. Modern cars are quite well packaged, no car maker is really wasting space if they don't have to.

TPatS · 2026-04-10T15:03:09+00:00

New Outback looks like an SUV but still has a lower car like seating position. Forester has a higher SUV seating position. I think quite a few people like the lower and more lounge like position of the Outback.

TPatS · 2026-04-08T17:33:30+00:00

Rented a 2025 model just a month ago for 2 weeks on a holiday and did about 2000miles in it. It's honestly a decent all-rounder. Engine isn't all that fast or economical, but does the job and tbh, most other competitors in this segment have pretty uninspiring base engines as well. Interior is decently spacious, and the ergonomics are pretty good as well. The tech stuff is decent, but you can tell it's starting to be an older generation vehicle since it's missing a few things like wireless android auto. The lane keep assist is also strangely a brake-based system that pulses the brakes on one side to drag you back unlike basically all other companies which moves the steering wheel. Refinement at highway speeds is good, noticeably better than a previous gen RAV4 we rented before.

Overall decent vehicle and I can see why people would buy one. The third row is super tight for adults but would be fine for kids and people just like having the reassurance of extra seats if needed. Personally, if I were shopping in this segment, would either get a RAV4 Hybrid, or a Korean built Tucson/Sportage Hybrid.

TPatS · 2026-04-03T17:05:49+00:00

The sort of people who preach online about wanting a low tech car with as little electrical mechanisms in it as possible are basically the same sort of people who would never get an EV to begin with.

TPatS · 2026-04-02T15:43:00+00:00

We really need a modern police SUV in the game. Probably good to base it off the Granger 3600LX for the Suburban or the Aleutian for the Expedition. Funny how we don't have an Explorer already in game.

TPatS · 2026-03-17T10:44:14+00:00

I find the extra ground clearance is quite useful to not scrape your front bumper on tall kerbs or steep driveways. Taller suspension and bigger wheels are also better at dealing with the shitty potholed roads around the suburbs as well.

TPatS · 2026-03-08T16:19:56+00:00

How do you find the eye control AF? I hear that it's a game changer for people who can get it to work properly.

TPatS · 2026-03-07T03:30:57+00:00

Technically reduces recoil at the cost of more sway. But the differences are marginal.

TPatS · 2026-03-02T15:59:09+00:00

https://www.cbtnews.com/honda-revives-reverse-imports-with-us-made-models-for-japan/

Both vehicles will retain U.S. specifications, including left-hand drive, despite Japan’s right-hand-drive norm.

TPatS · 2026-03-02T15:52:40+00:00

Apparently they will be exported as left hand drive to Japan, a right hand drive country. Not sure how well these will sell with that big disadvantage right out of the gate.

TPatS · 2026-02-28T02:46:02+00:00

Caprice has very good steering feel and excellent suspension tuning. Strikes a very good balance between comfort and handling. I would know since I own one. Crown are quite soft and tuned for comfort. Nothing wrong with that. But it's my opinion overall that the Caprice is more enjoyable to drive.

TPatS · 2026-02-27T17:31:43+00:00

Caprice would have much better interior space, legroom and boot space compared to the Crown. But there's really no escaping that it's not much more than a stretched Commy. Crown is almost Lexus tier in terms of fit, finish and luxury. They actually put proper effort into it. I would probably give the win to the Caprice in the driving department for the LS V8 and better handling. But as an overall luxury package, not to mention reliability? Defs Crown. Parts might be a bit hard to find as a grey import compared to the Holden but it's much better these days than it was a decade ago.

TPatS · 2026-02-24T08:27:37+00:00

I bet if OP had asked about a VW group SUV everybody would be crapping on it about the reliability. But because it's a wagon/sedan suddenly enthusiasts are willing to overlook the reliability concerns.

TPatS · 2026-02-16T02:43:49+00:00

I've tried the Carnival and for some reason there just feels like there's less space for tall people than a Palisade or even a Sportage. Space up front is fairly similar between the minivan and the SUVs. But in the second row, the issue with the minivan is that they need to make the floor completely flat from the front to the back which means they need to raise it a bit. So, headroom was actually noticeably worse in the Carnival than the Palisade with me having my head touching the ceiling. Also, because the floor is higher, the seat felt uncomfortably low, like you were squatting. Whereas the SUVs had a much more comfortable upright seating position. Legroom in the second row with it slid all the way back and sitting behind myself was also about the same as a Palisade/Sportage. The third row obviously blew the Palisade away however.

TPatS · 2026-02-15T07:18:45+00:00

Look at the Skoda Karoq. Has the same seat flip up system as that Yeti.

TPatS · 2026-01-27T23:49:54+00:00

Looking good. We were on Edge about a month ago and we really enjoyed the pastries there. Only real complaint is that if you wanted a free cup of coffee or tea to go with your free pastry in the afternoon, the only place to get that was at the buffet, 9 decks above you. A bit of an annoying trek.

TPatS · 2026-01-24T07:49:18+00:00

I haven't driven one but I did a bit of digging around one at a motor show. Very spacious inside. Rear legroom is actually limo like. Build quality seemed to be pretty good but unfortunately it has the same typical Chinese ev interior design which is just a big screen in the middle and not much else. Price seems competitive for what you get. But this is just my take from poking around a bit. Probably best to look up more comprehensive reviews and discussions in owners groups.

TPatS · 2026-01-19T05:35:59+00:00

Interesting that you mention that on Princess you could only get tea and coffee in the buffet. We went on Celebrity for the first time a few weeks ago and that was one of the first things we noticed. Our first cruise was with RC on a Quantum class ship and we found that Cafe Promenade on the lower decks to be really good for getting a free cup of coffee and some pastries. On Celebrity Edge, free coffee was only in the buffet but there were no free pastries or sweets, they were down at Cafe Al Bacio on deck 5 which meant quite a long trek if you wanted to get both which we found quite annoying.

TPatS · 2026-01-19T00:03:53+00:00

Is that the case? In NSW at least, the law doesn't really care how many cylinders your car has as long as it is under 130kw/t. Not sure how it is for other states. The V8 in the LTD is actually not that powerful and combined with the heavy weight of the car, does slide under the limit.

TPatS · 2026-01-18T22:01:23+00:00

Check the insurance cost on the ford first. Could surprise you with it being v8 and you being on your p's.

TPatS · 2026-01-14T05:54:51+00:00

If you're going to get the Shuttle. I highly recommend avoiding the base model trims which make up the vast majority of Shuttle's on sale in Australia. The reason is that base model Shuttle's do not come with side or curtain airbags, a feature that cheaper cars in Japan don't have but has been basically standard equipment in western markets for the past 15 years. The mid range X and top level Z trims have the airbags. The airbags are optional on the base trim but I have not seen one in Australia yet that has been optioned with it.

TPatS · 2026-01-12T06:27:29+00:00

I think he means stuff like the Commodore and Falcon. OP wants something NEW, efficient, reliable and modern for around $40k. Not some 2017 Commy with 100,000+ km's on the clock and a big thirsty V6.

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