BMW’s New 3 Series Keeps the Six-Cylinder Alive With 326kW M350 xDrive
BMW isn’t ready to turn the 3 Series into an EV-only affair just yet. The eighth-generation BMW 3 Series is...
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Dashboard warning lights explained: which ones mean stop driving now, and which ones are okay for the moment
Red lights usually mean stop as soon as it is safe. Amber or yellow lights usually mean a fault that...
How to Tell Whether a Used Car Has Been Maintained Properly Before You Buy It
Start with service records, then inspect the car cold and take a proper test drive. A complete, regular service history...
First Road Trip Checklist for New Car Owners
Before a long road trip, check tyre pressure and tread, including the spare if you have one, plus oil, coolant,...
How to Choose the Right Engine Oil for Your Car
Choose the oil your service manual specifies first: the required viscosity grade and, more importantly, the exact manufacturer approval or...
Dashboard warning lights: which ones mean stop driving, and which ones are okay for now?
Treat dashboard lights in three groups: green or blue usually means a system is on, amber or yellow means caution...
How to tell if your car battery is weak before it leaves you stranded
A weak car battery usually shows up as slow cranking, dim lights, warning messages, corrosion, swelling, or a sulphur smell....
Is Your Car Service Actually Due? How to Tell, and What a Basic Service Should Include
A basic service is due when the manufacturer’s schedule says it is, not when a workshop labels it that way....
How to Choose the Right Used Car for Your Budget and Driving Needs
Choose the used car that best matches your weekly driving needs, budget and risk tolerance. Start with the body style...
How to tell if your tyres need replacing before they become a safety problem
If the tread is down to the wear bars, close to Australia’s 1.5 mm legal minimum, or the tyre has...
Petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric? The drivetrain debate is really a use-case quiz in a trench coat
Choosing between petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric is often sold like some grand philosophical test of taste, as if one...
How to spot a promising used car before the lemon starts its opera
Buying a used car is a bit like dating with receipts. Everyone looks tidy in the listing photos, everybody claims...
How to read the tyre pressure sticker on your car without making it weird
Tyre pressure is one of those delightfully unglamorous things that can still make a big difference to how your car...
Dashboard warning lights: the Australian driver’s guide to not panicking at the wrong little icon
The trouble with dashboard warning lights is that they’re built like a tiny theatre company: some are genuinely alarming, some...
EV charging in plain English: what actually matters at home, at work and on the road
Electric vehicle charging has a talent for sounding like a tax form written by a power station. The good news...
What an EV really costs over five years in Australia, compared with petrol
The great EV ownership debate is usually presented like a pub argument with spreadsheets: one side waving fuel savings, the...
How to Choose Replacement Tyres Without Paying for Features You Don’t Need
Match the tyre size, load index, speed rating and cold pressure on your car’s placard or owner’s manual first. Those...
Towing capacity: how much do you actually need, and what should you check before hitching up?
Towing is one of those jobs that looks simple until the numbers arrive wearing steel boots. Your vehicle might be...
How often should you service your car in Australia, and what actually gets done?
If you’ve ever wondered why one car seems to want a service every blink and another is happy to coast...
Buying a Used Car? Ask These Questions First
A used car can look perfect in an advert and still turn out to be a complete headache. That does...