THIS MOTORING YEAR 2016: Top 10 comparisons
We take a look back at your favourite comparisons of 2016Our comparison reviews cover the gamut of vehicles sold Down Under. From workhorses to show ponies we cover the lot. But as local tastes change, so too does the demand for comparison tests.
There’s not a Commodore v Falcon test to be seen. Your clicks tell us you’re more interested in off-roaders, SUVs, small cars, and of course, performance models.
It’s Japan versus Germany in tenth place with an all-wheel drive shoot-out, on-road and off.
We took the popular, and recently updated, Subaru Outback and its high-tech European rival into the Aussie bush for a work-out, the result coming as something of a… Well, you’ll see.
It’s pretty obvious that as a nation we love to head off-road. To get away from it all: the rat race, mobile phones, indoor plumbing… And what better way to see Australia than in low-range!
In this test, we pitted popular 4WDs head-to-head, including the Ford Everest, Holden Colorado, Isuzu MU-X, Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner.
Who won? Click thru to the Offroad SUV comparison to find out!
Full-size American pick-ups... They’re bigger than Texas and more than capable of hauling a heavy load.
In this tête-à-tête we had a look at which of the locally-converted Yank Tanks offered the best bang for your buck, towing the biggest caravan we could find for good measure.
Packed with tech, horsepower to burn and even a gun rack (!) onboard, these ‘trucks’ are impressively equipped to say the least.
As was the case in our Top 10 Reviews of 2016, it’s the SUV that again dominates the comparison scoreboard.
This time round, it’s the family-friendly seven seater; in particular the Holden Captiva, Kia Sorento and carsales.com.au Car of the Year Winner, the Mazda CX-9.
Who won?
Well, we may have given that away already…
Once THE rally replica, fast car stars, it’s fair to say the Evo and the WRX were (and perhaps still are) cult classics...
But, time marches on, and with little in the way of innovation the once-fearsome Japanese duo have become embroiled in a sea of hot German offerings from Audi, BMW, Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.
Sentimentality aside, our Japanese warriors still push the right buttons, and go pretty hard to boot.
It seems that while some of us are dreaming of weekends away or blasting down a country road, there’s even more that are pragmatic, rationale… Dare we say, beige?
In fifth place, it’s two of the best-selling cars in the country that piqued your interest.
It’s a close battle between Mazda and Hyundai, and one that shows the narrowed gap between Korean and Japanese cars… Though, as this comparison proves, in which order that phrase should be written is now another point entirely.
Is there any better video soundtrack than two German thoroughbreds at full noise on a quiet country racetrack? These are the best in breed of the medium performance segment, gnarling and oversteering their way into our consciousness at a rapid rate of knots!
Which one wins? Well, it’s a close call, and really it depends on where you plan on driving them. On the racetrack, and at the hands of our own V8 Supercar driver, Luke Youlden, the answer was pretty clear.
Now, what were we saying earlier about pragmatism? It seems our readers just can’t get enough of the sensible family car, you know, the ones most of us spend money on…
This time round it’s the ultra-practical Honda CR-V and the bulletproof Toyota RAV4. White ones. With a few options.
Tough call? You betcha. But there’s a definite winner when you look beneath the surface.
Following on from our Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 comparison (see above), it’s probably no surprise that we find even more medium SUVs. This is a burgeoning new car segment Down Under and the softroaders are fast becoming a default family choice.
This time around it’s the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mazda CX-5 that fight it out in what was truly one of the most closely contested comparisons we’ve had all year.
If points were awarded, this one would be down to fractions…
Yep! It surprised us, too. But the comparison between the warmed-over turbocharged Civic and Mazda’s ‘big block’ 3 nearly broke the interwebs. Well, sort of…
Published to coincide with the release of the all-new Civic in May, the comparison test has stuck to the top of the charts like the proverbial to a blanket ever since, and continues to attract your clicks even as we speak!
What makes the Civic RS and 3 SP25 so popular? There’s only one way to find out…
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