The new Lexus RC 350 is styled to within an inch of its life.It really is a stunningly good looking sports coupe...There will be no mistaking it for anything else. Its large aggressive zig zag grille treatment sets it apart from similar vehicles.
Up front there are no fewer than six headlight lenses... small rectangular LEDs emit a bright powerful beam of light on high and low beam. Truly one of the best systems I've encountered.
Luxurious butterscotch coloured leather seats on the test car made the interior a real standout. Everywhere you touch on door panels and console you'll find generous padding.
The driver's seat has three memory positions and both front pews are extremely comfortable, being both heated and chilled.
The doors open wide for easy access, but there's little room for rear seat passengers especially if those up front are tall. The detail in the cabin is of exceptional quality.
I found the interior cosy, albeit a tad cramped thanks to the low roofline and narrow window glass. Being tall I found my hair brushing the roof of the cabin even with the seat on its lowest setting. However there's more than enough legroom.
Inexplicably, Lexus still hangs on to the anachronistic foot operated park brake, instead of the electronic device found on so many cars these days, even some much cheaper than the RC 350.
That aside, all the controls are well laid out, and easy to use.The door window glass rises and lowers swiftly and silently.
A touch pad controls audio, sat nav and other functions.
The audio system is digital and produces superb quality sound from 12 Mark Levinson surround speakers.
Ride comfort is excellent,soaking up all but the most severe road imperfections.
The suspension and transmission can be tuned three ways.. Eco, Normal and Sport. The RC 350 is whisper quiet on the road at any speed, and the naturally aspirated 3.5 litre V6 goes about its business with silent ease, delivering a healthy 233 kw and 378 nm.
However the motor soon changes character when given its head. There's a glorious snarl from under the bonnet as it soars towards the 6,400 rpm redline.. it's a seriously quick car.
Flung with abandon though winding hills roads.,The RC 350 sits flat, purposeful and well balanced on its 19 inch rims with 35 and 40 series tyres,with precise steering feedback..
It really does what it looks like it can do.
It's performance when pressed is quite exhilarating...a real driver's car.
Shifting is done with paddles or console lever and the eight speed gearbox itself is buttery smooth.
The week I had the car, with a combination of city and country driving, it averaged about 11 litres per100 kilometres, giving a range of around 500 kilometres.
Priced from 67 to 74K, the RC 350 is exceptional value for money.
Packed with features, it's simply an all round exciting drive.
Peter Sellen
.
The new MINI is proving to be a very popular car indeed in Australia, with several variants available, from a convertible to SUV style wagon and more. In all, MINIs have a 46% share of the light car segment for models over 25K.
For those wanting a bit more leg room than the regular two door MINI, there's yet another choice.. the MINI five door.
This is the Cooper S version and what a fine little car it is. It remains just a four seater though, despite the fitment of a token middle rear seat belt. Only children or very thin adults need apply in the rear.
The MINI is twice the size of the original from the 1960s and is surprisingly roomy inside. Even six footers will find enough leg space and headroom.
The car on test here had a full length sliding glass roof and an interior that is a kaleidoscope of colour.
The ring surrounding the central screen changes colour when you select a station or change the volume.. the interior is bathed in a mauve glow at night from the roof to footwells, with highlights on each door card. There's so much going on, it's like Disneyland in there. The speedo sits in front of the driver as does the small tachometer.. both are attached to the adjustable steering column, so you always have a clear line of sight to them.
The seats are comfy and supportive and the ride is exceptional for a light car. The suspension is adjustable three ways. Eco, Mid and Sport.
The driver gets an extra side sunvisor and there's also a pop up screen for the heads up display on the windscreen and standard sat nav. The MINI has keyless entry and start, operated by one of almost a dozen aircraft style toggle switches, both overhead and on the console..
On a blast (one of several) through winding hills roads the MINI handles like it's on rails.. it's so much fun you'll be wanting to let it off the leash at every available opportunity.
The two litre 141kw turbo engine is a real firecracker..it just loves to rev, and when you do, it's accompanied by a raspy growl from the twin exhaust pipes and a pleasing shove in the back.. On overrun there's a delightful burble that leaves you in no doubt of its sporty heritage.
Even better, the MINI's 280 nm of torque allows you to pull cleanly away in sixth gear from just fifty kilometres an hour. The five door's engine has the now common stop/start idle fuel saving mode as its default setting, but it can be overridden.
The steering is a a tad heavy for my liking but you always know what the driven front wheels are doing. There's little hint of torque steer, even under hard acceleration.
The six speed manual gearbox itself is a quite stiff and notchy, but might free up a bit with more mileage.
The MINI's audio system is excellent.. a digital sound quality up there with the best.
However adjusting the settings from the central console " mouse" is a bit awkward with the armrest down, it's accessible with just your fingertips. With the armrest raised it's easier, but the armrest hits your elbow when changing gear. Headlights have only average spread and penetration and there's no spare wheel, just a compressor kit and sealant.
The MINI has grown up into a very desirable sporty conveyance and I liked it very much.
It's one that should be on your shopping list if you want to be seen in something a little different from the run of the mill.
It's so much fun to drive and at around 38 K for this Cooper S 5 door, is well within most people's budget.
Peter Sellen
The first thing that impresses about the new C Class is the almost total serenity in the cabin. There is no wind or road noise to be heard, as the C 250 wafts down the road.
Mercedes has done a good job with the new interior, and it looks all very luxurious.
Gear selection is via a wand on the right of the steering column.. up for reverse, down for Drive and Park is enabled by pushing a button on the end of the wand. I found it easy to use, but occasionally my left hand went searching for a console mounted shifter, out of pure habit. Gear changes in the 7 speed auto,can also be made manually with steering wheel paddles. Wheel adjustment is via another wand to the left of the steering wheel, and cruise and speed limiter is taken care of with yet another wand on the same side. Thankfully there's now an electronic park brake.
The seats are firm but supportive and there's reasonable room inside the cabin although tall rear seat passengers might find it a bit squeezy.
The large information screen is fixed and sadly looks like a bit of an afterthought. Audi has a similar sized display on its upmarket models but it retracts into the dashboard out of the way when not needed.
The C250 here was fitted with similar goodies to the new E class tested elsewhere in this blog. They include a sliding glass moon roof, heads up display in front of the driver, showing direction, the road you are on, speed and cruise settings. It's very useful and I liked how easily read it was. Other niceties, self parking and un-parking, active cruise control that will slow the car by itself to a full stop if need be....active lane keeping steering that keeps the car in its lane should the driver's attention wander, a lane change warning in the wing mirrors, a multi speaker digital sound system and more.
I didn't mind the fake wood interior trim, and I liked the illuminated door handles and scuff plates at night. Headlights are suitably brilliant on high or low beam.
The 4 cylinder two litre turbo engine is a ripper: quiet and powerful, from its 155kw ,350 nm of torque. Handling is very good as you'd expect, the C250 sits flat and purposeful through corners. The suspension is adjustable five ways, from ECO to sport plus, with Comfort in between.
However even on Comfort the ride is anything but..it's just too firm.Passengers I took on a couple of occasions remarked at the jiggling the average suburban ruts and bumps produced. On the highway at speed every bump is transmitted to the interior.
Perhaps the wheel and tyre combination was to blame..225/40/19s up front and 255/35/19s at the rear.
Many buyers might not notice this and probably will get used to it, but the ride should be much more supple in a car of this calibre.
The C 250 retails at just under 68K.
Peter Sellen
Honda's Jazz has been around for more than ten years now and it is still holding its own in sales in Australia in the light car class
It continues to make some headway on rivals in the segment, last month selling more than twice the number it did in the same month a year ago, just over 800 compared to 350.
During my week with the test car I was amazed at the number of Jazz out there. Everywhere I went there seemed to be dozens of them
The styling has been "jazzed up" but the same basic shape remains, and it looks pretty good.
Not only that , the Jazz has one of the more practical and clever interiors you will find in the segment.
The Jazz has what Honda calls Magic Seats, enabling no fewer than 18 different seating configurations. T
he operation to re-jig the seats is not too complicated and makes the Jazz the most versatile in the class in this respect.
This is the top of the line VTi-L.
The interior is remarkably spacious, and with the driver's seat adjusted for my 6'3" frame there was still plenty of leg room behind me.
Visibility is good all round thanks to the large glasshouse, and the heated leather clad front seats are firm-ish, but provide good support. All four windows are power operated but only the front pair are auto up/down.
A sure sign that everything is well put together is the sound the doors make when closed.. I can report that on the Jazz they all shut with a quality thud... very encouraging.
This top spec model comes with most of the things you'd expect, including plenty of connectivity options, reversing camera with a large clear 7" touch screen, and easy to read instruments. Fog lights are standard on the VTi-L.
The wing mirrors fold in at the touch of a button in tight spaces and there's keyless entry and start.
The sound system is more than adequate, even though there are only four speakers.
Headlight brightness is good on low beam but the spread on high is only average.. still it's better than some others I've driven.
At the rear, Honda has appeared to have borrowed the vertical bent taillight styling from Volvo's V 60. Regardless it makes for a classy looking and distinctive set up.
The 1.5 litre four cylinder engine is no powerhouse at just 88kw and 145 nm, but it is very willing and no slouch when given its head.
When you do, you are rewarded with a nice throaty snarl from under the tiny bonnet.
The CV transmission is operated by steering wheel paddles and locks in to seven positions for a more sporty drive.
Under full acceleration there's none of the usual CVT "slipping clutch" whine from the gearbox. Honda has somehow engineered the automatic box, to make it more like a regular torque converter auto. There's an eco mode which helps deliver an average fuel consumption of just under six litres per 100 kilometres.
.At highway speeds there's very little in the way of wind and road noise..
You won't be disappointed with the handling of the Jazz.. it's benign and surprisingly good in corners. It sits flat and is a ball to punt quickly through bends.
Ride quality is good, not too much gets by the suspension into the cabin...very impressive Honda.
The Jazz is quiet, comfortable and roomy, with style and overall practicality that sets it apart from the rest.
Really, you couldn't ask for more in a light car and at prices from around 17 K to 22.5K for this VTi-L model, it's also great value for money.
Peter Sellen.
The Holden Captiva has tried to captivate numerous buyers looking for a multi seat SUV since it first hit the market in 2006 with a five seat model.
The Korean made Captiva 7 was fourth in the sales pecking order last month behind Toyota's Prado, the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Toyota Kluger.
Captiva 7 sales are about half of those three.
Various engine, AWD / front wheel drive and seating combos are available including powerful and economical diesels.
This is the base petrol powered LS seven seater.
Style wise it's a good looking vehicle.. the new nose and tail treatment works well.
The seven seat configuration is a good idea in an SUV this size.. the rearmost seats fold flat into the floor when not in use.
Fold down the middle row and the cargo area is cavernous. However the LS lacks a few amenities you'd expect to find, including a reversing camera.. all you get are sensors in the rear bumper.
I couldn't find any information on outside temperature settings or distance to empty despite poring though the handbook, which only seemed to describe the more upmarket versions.
Pushing the info button on the radio console didn't result in anything being displayed.
After several minutes of fiddling and searching I was none the wiser. The sound system is pretty good though, and more than adequate for tone and clarity.
Access to the cabin is good although the shorter in stature might find it a bit high climbing in. There's plenty of storage space including a deep and convenient recess below the console cup holders. The front doors have large red lights in the lower edge for safety when opening them at night, the armrest is in just the right position, and there's a well positioned dead pedal for the driver's left foot.. Headlights are reasonably powerful on high or low beam. There's the convenience of keyless entry and start as well as a hill descent feature for safer off roading. And you get a full sized spare wheel.An electric parking brake is also welcome.
However the ride is disappointing...very firm and choppy over even mild suburban ruts and irregularities and hard unforgiving seats don't help here.
I have driven earlier versions and don't recall the Captiva being so harsh and uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, it corners well, but the steering feel is a little numb. The wheel itself is adjustable for reach and rake.
The 2,4 litre 4 cylinder engine lacks adequate torque( just 230 nm) and with a full load struggles to get up to speed. Once there however it's a quiet cruiser.
At around 30 K the Captiva 7 LS is reasonable value but competitors offer just a bit more in the way of comfort and kit, even in basic configurations..
Still if it's seven seats you want it's worth having a look.
Peter Sellen
.jpg)
