With the Australian Auto landscape in flux, this year’s ABC Awards delivered some real surprises. Motoring editor Andrew Kerr reports
With the economy faltering and more and more options available in the market, deciding which new car to buy has become more complicated than ever.
Australia’s Best Cars does what you and I can’t. Its nine-man judging panel, representing motoring clubs across Australia, compares about 280 cars across 12 categories, rigorously applying category-specific judging criteria and subjecting short-listed finalists to additional back-to-back testing.
The most startling result came in one of the most crucial categories. According to the ABC judges, Australia’s best mid-size car under $28,000 costs just $18,990. That’s the Korean-built Hyundai i30 SX five-door hatch with manual transmission and 2.0-litre petrol engine. Second place went to the 1.6-litre diesel version of the same car, although the two i30s shared the trophy, handing Honda’s Civic VTi second spot.
Tim Pomroy and Scott Nargar represented NRMA on the judging panel. Pomroy suggested downsizing to smaller, more affordable cars with better economy was now at the forefront of many buyers’ minds. He said the panel had observed “increasingly competitive classes with an influx of diesel models reflecting increased buyer awareness”.
The panel praised the i30’s aggressive pricing, generous equipment levels, competitive running and repair costs, and five-year warranty. Despite its impressive value for money, the SX misses out on ESC, side airbags and curtain airbags, which are standard-fit on more expensive i30 models. The Mazda6 came out on top in the category for mid-size cars priced between $28,000 and $50,000.
In the Best Small Car class, the $16,500 Mazda2 Neo 1.5-litre five-door edged out the new 1.3-litre Honda Jazz GLi, meaning the price difference between the winning mid-size i30 SX petrol and the Mazda2 is just $2490. Judges described the Mazda as “a well-built car with a big heart and brilliant on-road ability, and astute interior packaging that makes the most of its dimensions”. The price cap for the small car category was lowered to $18,000 this year, resulting in the exclusion of two-time winner, the Volkswagen Polo TDI.
Ford’s locally-built FG Falcon fared extremely well. The base model XT was named Australia’s Best Large Car (beating Toyota’s Aurion V6 and Honda’s V6 Accord), while the high-performance G6E Turbo was runner-up to Audi’s much-improved A4 TDI turbo-diesel in the premium car stakes. Judges praised the Falcon’s body structure, new suspension and steering, as well as its gains in performance and fuel economy and its class-leading safety package. They concluded it had been “specifically engineered to meet the requirements of the premium car buyer” and described its performance as the best in the Premium Car category.
Volkswagen’s Tiguan TDI diesel with six-speed DSG transmission was a first-time entrant in the Best Recreational 4WD category. It overcame two other newcomers – the Subaru Forester and Renault Koleos – to win the category. It scored well for value, fuel consumption, five-star safety, car-like performance on the road, and good capability off it.
“In recreational 4WDs, car-like drive qualities were notable in models like the VW Tiguan and Honda CR-V, while the Forester was marked down for not offering a diesel engine,” said Pomroy.
In the sports car classes, interior space and practicality were deleted from this year’s judging criteria. Best Sports Car went to the newly released BMW 135i Coupé, usurping the more practical Volkswagen Golf R32, while the highly strung Audi TT-S quattro took the Best Luxury Sports award ahead of the BMW M3 and Audi S5 – both V8 coupés.
The hybrid Lexus GS450h remains Australia’s Best Luxury Car, the BMW X5 3.0d held onto its Best Luxury 4WD crown and there was no shifting the Land Rover Discovery from top spot in the All-terrain category. However five-time winner, the Honda Odyssey people mover, was finally toppled by the Hyundai iMax – a diesel eight-seater with commercial van origins.
Best Small CarAs tough financial times Loom, many new car buyers are looking to downsize. Reflecting this, the criteria for the Small Car class included a list price ceiling of $18,000 – which excluded last year’s champion, the Volkswagen Polo TDI. The 2008 winner, the Mazda2 Neo, is a well-built small car with a big heart and excellent all-round packaging.
The stylish looks and vivid colour range have already attracted attention, but it’s on the road that the Mazda2 shines. Mazda has injected a sense of sporting fun and driving ease into the car. Its advanced lightweight body, combined with an efficient 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, gives the Mazda2 a favourable power-to-weight ratio that delivers a pleasing blend of spirited performance and economical fuel consumption.
Yet the Mazda2 has not compromised on safety, either – the base model features dual front airbags and ABS, while the attractively priced optional safety pack adds side and curtain airbags and stability control. Mazda also deserves praise for upgrading the base model Neo from 14-inch to 15-inch tyres after criticism of its wet weather performance. On the downside, it still carries only a temporary-use space-saver spare wheel.
Space is always at a premium in this category but the Mazda2’s design makes the most of its dimensions. Comfortable seats, well-laid-out controls (particularly the gear lever) and clear instrumentation provide a welcoming driving environment. Space is tighter in the rear but still relatively comfortable. The modest boot holds more than you’d expect, and the split-folding rear seat is certainly handy even if it doesn’t fold completely flat.
Far from slipping into first place by default, the Mazda2 Neo has outstripped both the much-praised Honda Jazz and an offering from this year’s dark horse manufacturer, Hyundai (the Getz). Mazda has indeed put good things in a small package.
Price $16,500
Best All-Terrain 4WDThis year’s result is about as surprising as a rainy day in England. In fact, it’s a carbon copy of 2007 and 2006, with the Land Rover Discovery taking top honours and the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado retaining second and third place respectively.
Judges praised the Discovery’s impressive off-road abilities but also its on-road manners. Its precise steering and handling also set it apart from many other all-terrain vehicles, which are often cumbersome.
The 2.7-litre V6 common-rail turbo-diesel engine is the pick of the Discovery powerplants, combining strong pulling power with decent fuel economy (for this category, anyway). Mated to a slick-shifting six-speed auto, the powertrain feels smooth and refined. Diesel buyers will feel it in the hip pocket, though, with Land Rover asking a $10,000 premium over the V6 petrol version.
If there’s ever an Australia’s Best Cars hall of fame, the Land Rover Discovery will surely be its first inductee.
Price $75,990
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Best Mid-Size Car over $28KMazda6’s win in this ultra-competitive category says much about the improvements made to an already good vehicle. Most notable are the significant gains in the critical safety score, thanks to a raft of standard safety inclusions across the model range.
The new MZR 2.5-litre engine is willing and eager to please but it has not gained this extra performance at the expense of fuel consumption. The Mazda6 also sets new standards for smoothness and quietness, thanks to subtle changes to the body structure, insulation and suspension.
With increased standard equipment levels and some price reductions throughout the range, the Mazda6 constitutes excellent value. There is simply very little to be critical of.
Price $31,990
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Best Mid-Size Car under $28KUp against more than 30 models – including heavy-hitters like the Honda Civic VTI – the Hyundai i30SX is a controversial but deserved winner in this class. Most notably, the Korean manufacturer’s build quality continues to improve and the i30 is as good, if not better, than some makes with long-established reputations.
Value for money has always been Hyundai’s strength due to aggressive pricing, generous equipment levels, competitive running and repair costs and an impressive five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. The i30 can claim these assets along with solid, if not outstanding, on-road ability, plus the choice of petrol or diesel variants, with either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. There is little to split the base model SX petrol and diesel variants, with the latter just seven points behind its petrol sibling.
Pricing is critical in this category and here the petrol variant stands out. It’s $2500 cheaper than the diesel SX, reducing the bite of depreciation. The 1.6-litre diesel also lacks the power of the 2.0-litre petrol engine, peaking with 85kW compared with 105kW. But in torque the pecking order is reversed, with the diesel claiming 255Nm compared to the petrol’s 186Nm. The manual diesel also offers best-in-category fuel consumption of 4.7L/100km, well ahead of petrol at 7.2L/100km.
The i30 feels sure-footed and steering is reasonably well weighted. The ride validates Hyundai’s extensive testing under Australian conditions – even over backblock roads, jarring was minimal.
Seats are comfortable, the interior roomy, and controls and equipment are easy to use. The rear seat split-folds 60/40 and tumbles to form a flat cargo area. Tilt and reach steering adjustment is standard across the i30 range – a feature not found on several more expensive cars.
The i30 is rolling proof that Hyundai is closing the quality gap between Korean and Japanese manufacturers while still giving consumers exceptional bang for their buck.
Price $18,990
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Best People MoverValue for money is critical in this category and nothing but a well-packaged and sharply priced product was ever going to knock the Honda Odyssey off its perch – it has taken out this category five times in a row.
Though the iMax may lack the on-road performance of others in this class, being affordable gave it a valuable head-start and its competitors’ strengths could not peg it back. Big on space and providing a level of comfort that will appeal to large families and commercial operators alike, it’s the stand-out candidate. The choice is even more stark when one considers that the iMax comes with a five-year warranty.
Price $39,990
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VW has dominated this category for three years but there is no shame in being beaten by the BMW 135i this time round. Fitted with the twin-turbo engine from the 335i coupé plus a premium brake package, the 135i is one hot performer. You’ll never tire of the sweet-sounding direct-injection powerplant, which delivers all the way to the red line: it’s little wonder this beauty has been named International Engine of the Year for the past two years.
The 135i is also a terrific handler, with an almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution delivering superior ride and comfort. Sporty performance in a
well-rounded package makes the 135i a driver’s car par excellence.
Price $72,230
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Best Large Car While Ford rightly trumpeted the FG Falcon’s five-star ANCAP rating (a first for an Australian-built car), sustained product development meant safety was just one of many reasons it finally toppled the Toyota Aurion. The FG has a new body structure with revised door openings for better access, new suspension and steering for improved ride and handling, plus gains in performance and fuel economy as well as a class-leading safety package.
The venerable Falcon in-line six sports a new cylinder head and intake manifold to complement its existing high-tech features such as variable double overhead cam timing and four valves per cylinder. Healthy power and torque output continue to enhance the car’s naturally relaxed manner and on-road competence, while pulling power and rear-wheel-drive make its towing ability unsurpassed in this class.
The now-standard five-speed auto in combination with the enhanced engine is part of a concerted attack on its Achilles heel, fuel consumption. Official figures show a modest 0.2L/100km improvement, but road testing has revealed a much better story, with Falcon XT delivering an uncanny ability to float along at speed and consistently return figures below 11.0L/100km.
Cabin dimensions and comfort appear immediately familiar and yet there is completely new architecture providing better access without the steeply raked front and rear windows of the previous model. Redesigned doors with triple weather seals deliver a high degree of cabin insulation, and with the engine relaxed in its performance the drive feels effortless and quiet.
Seat comfort and support remain a strength and as a family vehicle Falcon also has the essential back seat width to accommodate three adults shoulder to shoulder or three child seats side by side. For drivers, the dash layout is among the best anywhere. The clarity of information, location of switches and range of adjustments for drivers of all sizes is excellent.
Not only does the FG Falcon deserve its many plaudits, it is a clear winner against some stiff Japanese competition and has pushed its old rival, the Holden Commodore, out of the top three.
Price $36,790
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Best Prestige CarThis latest A4 is the eighth iteration of Audi’s mid-size passenger car and it’s the best by far. An all-new design inside and out has granted Audi boffins the right platform to make key mechanical design changes and the improvements have paid off. The A4 has achieved huge gains in its handling score and there have been across-the-board improvements in ride, performance, braking, smoothness and quietness.
Sporting a much more contemporary look, the A4 makes a strong statement without being over the top. And, as always, Audi’s reputation for top build quality and finish is in evidence – it’s the best in this class.
Price $54,900
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The innovative Lexus GS 450h has nudged out the clinically efficient diesel Audi A6 and a very classy field of cars to retain the title it won last year. In a category where opulence and ability are paramount, the GS 450h provides everything you might expect – and with a healthy dash of social responsibility thrown into the mix. The petrol-electric hybrid delivers miserly fuel consumption, class-leading green credentials, and the car is loaded with safety features.
Supremely quiet at all speeds, with an extremely smooth ride and safe, sure-footed handling, the GS 450h is proof you can have lavish quality and performance without sacrificing the environment.
Price $128,899
Best Luxury Sports CarThe big question this year was whether anything could unseat the BMW M3 juggernaut. For pure performance the M3 still ranked highly and came in second overall, but when the criteria was widened it could not match the Audi TT-S TFSI.
From 17 scoring criteria, the TT-S rated at least eight out of 10 in 13 of them. It scored a perfect 10 for fuel consumption and nines for depreciation, safety, security and braking. Add on big scores for all remaining criteria and the TT-S was quite simply unbeatable.
The S means this is the ‘sport’ version of Audi’s TT. Endowed with 200kW of power and 350Nm of torque, the TT-S is some 53kW and 70Nm up on the standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder TT and even beats the 3.2-litre V6 version.
It has a hair-trigger response thanks to a heady cocktail of light weight, short gearing, Audi’s legendary quattro AWD system and a rev-hungry TFSI turbo engine. And it gets along: 0-100km/h comes up in just 5.2 seconds with a flat and distinctive blare from the exhaust.
Sporty it certainly is, with dynamic handling and a ride height 10mm lower than standard, but the TT-S also measures up to the luxury tag. Its interior is a fusion of function and style. Controls fall readily to hand, the comfy, powered front sports seats are fully adjustable, and the split-fold rear seat boosts its limited carrying space.
One final consideration: the TT-S is over $60,000 cheaper than the BMW M3 and almost $40,000 cheaper than its stable-mate and third-place getter, the Audi S5 FSI quattro. Unless you’re a purist who believes a luxury sports car has to be a V8, the prices say it all.
Price $96,500
Best Luxury 4WDThe BMW X5 is Australia’s Best Luxury 4WD for the second year running. It scored consistently well across all areas of assessment but secured its top place with knock-out blows in comfort, running and repair costs, and handling (for which it scored a perfect 10).
It was a standout in its ability to overcome the sternest off-road challenge. On the tarmac, the X5 proved its credentials with remarkable performance and acceleration, all the while delivering a composed ride. A refined interior and spacious and roomy ambience complete the package.
The X5 can handle anything thrown its way without compromising comfort, style or performance.
Price $88,541
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Volkswagen is not a name we’re accustomed to seeing in this category, but its diesel Tiguan has joined the scrum of long-term players and emerged victorious on its first attempt.
Not only was it good value for money, the Tiguan’s overall package of car-like performance on the bitumen and capability in the dirt started to put daylight between itself and the rest of the field. The Recreational 4WD category is all about lifestyle and a vehicle’s ability to cope with the demands of the city and country without sacrificing too much either way.
Thanks to VW’s 4MOTION AWD system (which works by redirecting the drive to the wheels with the most grip), the Tiguan rarely breaks traction or loses grip off road, and there is also a hill-descent function option.
The Tiguan’s ESC is enhanced with active rollover protection, which is vital in 4WDs due to their high centre of gravity. When it senses the vehicle has gone into a slide that could result in a rollover, it harshly applies the brakes on the slide side to cause a quick reduction in the centre of gravity and get the vehicle back on all four wheels.
Both environmentally and from a safety perspective VW has got its act together. The diesel Tiguan has a particulates filter for capturing the soot that would normally head out the tailpipe and VW claims it already complies with Euro 5 emission standards, which won’t be in force here for years. The Tiguan also has a five-star crash rating and a two-star pedestrian rating – not bad for a first-generation model. A towing capacity of two tonnes only broadens its appeal.
With the usual suspects like the Nissan X-TRAIL and Toyota Kluger absent from the top three, there is no question the game has changed in this category – and the Tiguan is its new champion.
Price $38,290
Click here to read the full review
Open Road January/February 2009
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