Top five comparison tests of 2018

Comparison testing gives you a deeper understanding of why one car is better than the another one at the dealership down the road. While for the road test team, it’s a chance to really analyse rival vehicles in identical surrounds, the back-to-back aspect of comparison testing underscoring all that’s good, bad or ugly of a particular automotive genre.

In 2018, the carsales.com.au road test team undertook no fewer than 400 reviews and comparison tests, each accumulating tens of thousands of clicks.

Unsurprisingly the majority of your favoured examples were comparisons of the SUV kind, the trusty dual-cab ute and family sedan also making the grade.

5. Holden Commodore Tourer v Subaru Outback v Volkswagen Passat Alltrack Comparison Test (Bruce Newton)

Despite slow sales, any content related to Holden’s first imported Commodore was golden in 2018; and for our list, it’s the ‘softroader’ Commodore Tourer that kicks off the year’s Top Five comparison tests.

Running against similarly-oriented wagon rivals including the stalwart Subaru Forester and high-tech Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, the Holden Commodore Tourer ultimately lacked the ground clearance needed to do the dirt road justice; but it did impress us in other ways.

Now find out why the Holden Commodore Tourer, Subaru Outback and Volkswagen Passat Alltrack was the fifth most popular comparison test of 2018.

4. Large 4WD SUV Comparison Test (Matt Brogan)

Continuing the off-road theme, it’s the battle of the Large 4WD SUVs that takes fourth place on our list.

Taking place in South Australia’s stunning Flinders Ranges back in 2017, this no-nonsense five-car test tackled tough-going four-wheel drive tracks and extended outback touring roads in equal part. It really was a test that let the cars shine in the environment for which they were designed.

Participants included the Ford Everest, Holden Trailblazer, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner – and as always, there was only one winner. Proving that the age of a comparison is no match for the sheer interest in these types of vehicles.

Now find out who won the Large 4WD SUV Comparison by clicking here.

3. Honda CR-V v Mazda CX-5 Comparison Test (Andrea Matthews)

The Honda CR-V versus Mazda CX-5 Comparison Test was one of two top-five entrants that was actually published in 2017.

Pitting the new Honda CR-V against Mazda’s then refreshed CX-5, the test continued to pull in the clicks right throughout 2018; and while the CX-5 is Australia’s best-selling medium SUV, it wasn’t the winner of our comparison, the Honda CR-V trumping its rival with handy seven-seat packaging and an at-the-time better warranty and infotainment package.

Of course a lot has changed since September 2017, and were we to run the test again today the result may well be different. That point aside, this is one comparison test that has truly stood the test of time.

2. Holden Commodore v Mazda Mazda6 v Toyota Camry Comparison Test (Marton Pettendy)

We called it ‘The New Medium’, and when it comes to the new Holden Commodore at least, ‘Medium’ is the segment in which our once-favourite family car now resides.

Formerly a Large car, in competition with the also Australian-made Ford Falcon, the smaller, imported Commodore took to this comparison against its newfound rivals the Mazda6 and Toyota Camry (now also imported).

Looking at the most economic variants of the range, the Holden Commodore v Mazda Mazda6 v Toyota Camry Comparison Test saw a turbo-diesel-powered Holden and Mazda take on a petrol-electric Toyota.

Across some of outer-Melbourne’s roughest rural roads, the three family cars were praised for not only refinement, comfort and dynamic benefits, but also improved technology and cost of ownership merits.

1. Dual-Cab Ute Comparison Test (Sam Charlwood)

It’s interesting to us that the highest comparison test of 2018 wasn’t written in 2018 at all.

You see in spite of the myriad new ute reviews and comparisons we’ve run across carsales.com.au in 2018, it was the 2017 Dual-Cab Ute Comparison that drew the most ‘clicks’ overall.

According to the stats, it’s vehicles like the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux that lead the sales race Down Under.

The reason for that is versatility, the ever-growing list of creature comforts and outright driveability of the modern ‘ute’ – combined with the go-anywhere ‘haulability’ for which four-wheel drive models like these are famous.

Oh, and if you’d like to know who won the 2017 Dual-Cab Ute Comparison, you know what to do.