In New Zealand we used to have mandatory six month safety checks on any car more than 5 years old (thankfully thats gone!) but I knew it was new car time when every time I took my old Toyota in it needed more work... I was a student so couldn’t really afford to get a new car. Fortunately that car made the decision…

Perhaps Jalopnik has an international audience? Did you think of that? I read this site daily and spend my time between Australia and New Zealand, two countries that happen sell and market the Cactus and to be honest I don’t see that many on the road. All marketing is good marketing. Lighten up. 

So my take. We had a 3 year old Toyota Kluger (highlander) that we bought new. And a 5 year old BMW 135i that we had bought used. We moved cities and states. Not long after I arrived my BMW threw a check engine light (thankfully I had a warranty!), the local dealer could not have been more helpful they provided a…

This post is so gross! I have a long term rental car at the moment while we are overseas for my wifes work... I keep cleaning the damned thing because I can’t cope with a filthy car. We will only have it for 4 months... and its just a Corolla sedan but I cannot cope with it being messy. We have a three year old and…

Yes do it! Get a crazy mini truck. Get a Daihatsu Deck van. Its got sliding doors, and a tray!!!! Also 4wd.

I’m going to make road noise holes in my car. I wonder why Subaru never thought to include them...

So 14 speed with a transfer case :D 

This going to give some people a shock when it breaks down! “But, but I thought it was a Toyota!!!! Why is it $7000 for a new door hinge” Toyota service dude in rural nowhere: “Hmmm parts cataglogue says contact Rolls Royce...?”

If you look back to the cars of the of the 1940's, ‘50's, 60's they all had higher ride heights. Basically they were all body on frame and they hadn’t figured out suspension properly and therefore you just sort of slid into them. Once they worked out that lowering the car made it not fall over in corners then cars got…

OK so I did a quick poll I live on a sorta busy street in Melbourne and a quick look over my balcony confirmed the following: European cars tend to have the filler on the right side. Japanese cars seem to be a case of whatever. Toyota predominantly on the left, but some have it on the right but Subaru seems to be…

That may be the reason they no longer sell it... Unfortunately American car manufacturers try to sell their products as a more premium car to say a Japanese one, so they go in guns blazing with their marketing, people are stupid enough to buy them then wonder why the door panel falls off on their $100k car. When the…

Ha! I thought they were still selling the Journey... maybe it was on run out because they were going pretty hard on advertising... that might have been a year or so ago...

It is, but they still have no plans to sell it in Australia or New Zealand though, we also get the new “Pathfinder” which is awful.

Thats fantastic! My first High School bus driver was so bad at driving, he crashed into at least two cars, and a post... I really do think my 13 year old self could have done a better job at driving it than him... I mean I was driving tractors since I was 10

The lack of power is what I dislike most about my Outback, and its why I won’t be buying another... The step up to the 3.6 is just too steep

I think I’m pro. My wife’s teeny tiny VW Polo has one and I appreciate that I don’t slam my knee’s into the steering wheel every time I get into it.

No it hasn’t. Its been discontinued in Japan. Its still listed for sale on suzuki.co.nz and suzuki.com.au. The little Vitara is an entirely new model to compete with compact SUVs like the Mazda CX3 and Honda HRV. 

Sorry, should have also noted that they use Japanese efficiency rather than Italian “flair” :p

This! I was following a CLS550 this morning and all I could think was, you have ruined your car - then he turned the wrong way down a one way street...karma

Simple. The Grand Vitara has been in production since 2005. The Jimny since 1998 (I know theres a new one about to launch) and the APV since 2004. When your investment is paid for all you can do is profit. Also they are pretty good at platform sharing, the S-Cross and Vitara share a platform and the Vitara is a pretty…