Most people think reviewing cars is about testing Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Sometimes it is. But most of the time we’re behind the wheel of everyday vehicles.
This was supposed to be a Top 10 list but I stretched it to 15 because I love too many cars.
Most new-car buyers get to take a test drive around the block before they sign on the dotted line.
We get to drive them for a week, which is enough time to live with them and put them through the daily grind – and well as run a ruler and a VBox timing device over them (pictured above).
Even though the year isn’t done yet, I was thinking the other day about the impressive cars I’ve driven so far in 2024.
Many people ask ‘what’s the best car you’ve driven’?
But with more than 500 cars in the market – and roughly 200 tested through the year (one or two a week plus up to five on a new-model launch over two days) – it’s not an easy question to answer.
I always start with budget and try to give some kind of reasonable answer from there.
Sure, Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis are awesome (believe the hype).
But they’re a bit like having a race horse for the kids to ride in the back yard. You really need a race track to get the most out of them.
So with that in mind, here are my Top 15 attainable new cars I’ve driven so far this year that I didn’t want to hand back because they were so good.
I started with a list of 10 and then kept adding more. I decided to stop at 15 but probably could have kept going.
Footnote: Yes, all these test cars go back to the manufacturer (just like Trevor’s loan phones).
But when testing the new cars listed below, I spent a good amount of time running the finance numbers over in my mind, they were that good. Whether I really needed a car like that or not.
This is the best people-mover – and best-seller in its class – in Australia.
And has been at the top of the charts for more than a decade.
But the latest update has made an excellent car even better.
We’re still putting the review together for this one, but I recently tested the base model V6 petrol Kia Carnival S (about $55,000 drive-away).
It’s the same spec you get at the rental counter. And it’s epic.
Hard wearing fabric seats, hi-tech interior, all the safety boxes ticked, a lusty (if a little thirsty) V6 engine, and an oh-so-sweet ride.
The suspension on the base model Kia Carnival (with the chubby 17-inch tyres, not fancy low-profile rubber) is actually nicer and more comfortable to drive than the $200,000 Lexus LM people-mover I drove the week before.
I don’t have a family to freight and nor do I need a people-mover, but I genuinely love this car.
It’s a serene machine. Just like the next car.
Haters of cars such as the Kia Carnival will say ‘but it’s a people mover’. Yeah but good suspension tuning is good suspension tuning, no matter the shape of the car.
The cabin is also the most practical in the people-mover class.
A lot of motoring media gave the Kia EV9 a hard time over the price (it’s over $100,000) but this is another awesome vehicle.
For now there is no other electric car of this size, space, comfort – and with such a bold style statement – for this kind of money.
As with the Carnival, the EV9 shows just how far Kia has come as a brand and as a manufacturer of quality vehicles.
The top-of-the-range GT-Line looks the business, we just hope over time Kia will ditch the silly digital side ‘mirrors’ and go with conventional side mirrors.
Other than that, this car is close to perfect if you’re after a seven-seat electric SUV.
It’s why I voted for it in the World Car of the Year awards – and might have shared my enthusiasm about this vehicle with EFTM editor Trevor Long (who now owns a Kia EV9 Earth).
It’s been a while since I’d driven a Tesla and this year I got reacquainted with the new-look sedan.
The regular Tesla Model 3 is nice, but the Performance is next level.
Not only is it super-quick, it finally has gone to finishing school in terms of the way it drives.
Tesla put a spanner on the suspension and made the Model 3 Performance deliver a nicer blend of cornering and comfort.
Many brands make the suspension too stiff, but the Tesla Model 3 Performance feels taut and well connected.
It’s a highlight for me this year.
Alas, it’s not perfect. Tesla has homework to do on its speed-sign recognition tech (which is deeply flawed), and crash avoidance tech (also deeply flawed).
In Sydney’s long tunnel network the car thought I was on surface roads and slammed the brakes several times in a 90kmh zone without warning.
It was borderline dangerous and the traffic around me didn’t appreciate it.
Also, I know it will never happen, but I really wish Tesla would get over its dislike for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The absence of this common smartphone mirroring tech (standard on even the cheapest cars in Australia) is a deal-breaker for many buyers, including me.
Here’s another car I voted for in this year’s World Car of the Year testing.
This is the best electric hot hatch to date and has set such a high benchmark, it will be hard to top.
Epic acceleration, handling, and braking.
Plus lots of cool stuff. Namely the mode that enables the single-speed electric motor to mimic the feeling of a dual-clutch transmission slamming through the gears.
It also has a really convincing (but artificial) hot-hatch sound inside and out at the press of a button. Or you can make it sound like a spaceship, or be eerily silent.
It’s a work of engineering art. This is a future classic.
Why a car like this didn’t come from Volkswagen or Ford (the other brands with deep hot-hatch heritage) is a mystery.
Hyundai ought to be very proud of this car. And owners hopefully realise they have something special.
Ok I’m going to shift it up a gear here.
I love US pick-ups. They serve a purpose. Most people who buy them live and/or work on the fringes of our metropolises and tow or haul heavy stuff.
Yes they are big. Yes they are heavy. But so is a Kia EV9 electric SUV, and we don’t see public backlash for them.
US pick-ups like the Ram 1500 are also not much bigger than a Toyota LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol, and Australians have been living with them for decades.
I put the negative commentary down to tall-poppy syndrome – and a lack of understanding around the facts.
The reality is the Ram 1500 (and other US pick-ups like it) are family cars in the US.
They are supremely roomy and comfortable and drive more like an SUV than a pick-up.
I also got decent fuel economy out of it on my test run, despite having a V8 under the bonnet.
So if you’re in the market for a US pick-up, consider one of these.
The new Ford F-150 (twin turbo V6), Chevrolet Silverado 1500 (V8) and the upcoming Toyota Tundra (twin turbo V6 hybrid) are also definitely worth a look.
What a little gem this car is.
A pint-sized pocket rocket.
Enjoy it while you can, kids. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
The Ford Fiesta ST and Renault Clio RS baby hot hatches are no more.
If you want performance in a fun-size package, this is an absolute blast.
This car is so engaging (with its tiny turbo engine and agile handling) it feels like you’re travelling at warp speed even though you’re still well under the speed limit.
Honourable mention: The new-generation Suzuki Swift Hybrid (the regular version, as there is currently no hot-hatch option in the updated model) is an absolute sweetie, too.
As a colleague put it, there are so many cars from China cutting corners to get into the Australian market as quickly as they can at the moment, but it’s great to get into a budget-priced car that does everything it is supposed to do – and does it so well.
Rival car makers have been trying for years to come up with a genuine competitor to Toyota’s hybrid technology and its efficiency.
Few get close, but the new Nissan X-Trail e-Power is the closest we’ve tested to date.
It also steers with precision, and is taut rather than jarring over bumps. Downside: no spare tyre on this one.
There is a reason this is the best-selling car in Australia that’s not a ute.
It’s the perfect size, delivers mind-boggling efficient fuel economy (4 to 5L/100km without even trying), is loaded with safety tech and has all mod cons covered.
Sure the infotainment screen and instrument cluster are starting to look a little dated, but this is still a superb car and my pick in the medium-SUV class.
It’s head and shoulders above the rest.
This might be a be bit plain for some tastes, but Toyota does this well.
Massive seven-seater with fuel economy not far off a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
If you need the extra space and have the budget, the Toyota Kluger Hybrid is a gem.
Our pick: You only need the base model.
Anything more than that is an indulgence.
When I went to collect the new Hyundai Santa Fe I thought they had thrown me the keys to the wrong vehicle.
I was booked into the base model and what was in front of me looked like the top of the range.
My mistake. When it comes to the new Hyundai Santa Fe, the base model looks a million bucks – and it gets better from there.
There are three models in the range.
And while I loved the base model I preferred the middle-of-the-range Hyundai Santa Fe Elite because it gained better headlights and a better stereo.
The Elite also comes with leather upholstery, though the fabric seats in the base model feel hard wearing and of good quality.
We got almost as good as a Toyota Kluger Hybrid when it came to fuel economy in the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (6.5L/100km), which was a quiet, serene machine with superb road holding and braking.
I genuinely did not want to hand back this car.
If you’re in the market for a full-size seven-seat hybrid SUV, the Hyundai Santa Fe Elite would be at the top of my list.
Confession: I’m a bit of a van tragic.
I love the tall driving position, the storage cubbies galore in the cabin, and the massive cargo hold.
They also generally have excellent turning circles and comfortable seats.
And of course, they’re great for parking in a loading zone to run an errand. Wait, did I say that?
The Toyota Hiace is the top seller in the van segment in Australia but the Hyundai Staria Load has more standard safety kit, more features, and a higher tow rating.
It also drives a bit nicer than the Toyota Hiace too.
So if you need a van, ignore the Hyundai Staria Load’s spaceship looks and get behind the wheel of the best vehicle in the segment.
In particular the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain model grade is the pick of the D-Max line-up.
The recent facelift has given it a styling refresh, plus some technology upgrades.
Overall, though, the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain with its drive-away price of $67,990 offers one of the best value propositions at this end of the ute market.
An equivalently priced Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger doesn’t even come close to the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain standard equipment list.
There is a reason this is a strong Number Three seller to the top two utes in Australia.
In the same way the Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain hits the sweet spot when it comes to price and features, the range-topping Isuzu MU-X LS-T is the pick of the seven-seat 4WD class.
Priced from $67,990 drive-away it has more equipment for the same or less money than its rivals from the Ford and Toyota showrooms.
The 3.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine (the same in the Isuzu D-Max ute) may not have impressive power or torque numbers, but it gets the job done without raising a sweat.
The six-speed auto is a smooth operator, too, and it’s not busy choosing between 10 ratios as is the case with the Ford Everest gearbox.
The Ford Ranger Wildtrak X came and went in a blink.
I thought it was a regular addition to the Ford Ranger line-up when it turned up earlier this year.
But it was a limited edition, so here’s hoping it returns.
It was halfway between a regular Ford Ranger Wildtrak and a Raptor.
It got heavy duty off-road shocks (Bilstein rather than Fox) and excellent off-road tyres.
I’d never heard of General Grabber before and went in with low expectations.
But it pulled up in an emergency stop in a shorter distance than most other utes – despite being an off-road tread pattern.
It was also supremely comfortable in the daily grind.
Only downside: It was equipped with a Euro 6 version of the twin turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine and it requires regular AdBlue top-ups.
On the plus side, Ford has created a space for an AdBlue gauge on the digital instrument cluster. Nice.
The other good news: the upcoming Ford Ranger Tremor (pictured above) is basically a Ford Ranger Wildtrak X (in terms of off-road upgrades) but in a more affordable package.
Honourable mention : If the budget stretches far enough, the Ford Everest Platinum is basically the Range Rover of double cab utes.
It even smells like a Range Rover inside (I wonder if it’s the same leather supplier?).
If you like performance and luxury – with double-cab ute practicality – ignore this vehicle at your peril.
Powered by the same turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine used in the Ford Mustang and Ford Focus ST, the VW Amarok Aventura TSI is the second-fastest ute in the segment.
The only other ute faster than it in this segment of the ute class is the Ford Ranger Raptor.
Here’s a quick recap for the numbers nerds.
And, drumroll please:
VW Amarok Aventura TSI (Volkswagen-speak for the single-turbo 2.3-litre petrol engine): 7.5 seconds.
With the exception of the Ram TRX, only the US pick-ups are in the same realm as this VW Amarok.
Most US pick-ups do the 0 to 100km/h dash in 6.0 to 7.5 seconds depending on the model.
The VW Amarok Aventura is available with a choice of single-turbo 3.0-litre V6 diesel power (184kW/600Nm) or the single-turbo 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol power (222kW/452Nm) as a no-cost option.
That is, take your pick, the price is the same.
We much prefer the petrol engine option and hope it sticks around. Especially as AdBlue starts to become the norm in the diesel ute class in the coming years.
Lighter over the nose, it’s also a better balanced vehicle and is nicer and more responsive to drive than the diesel.
With comparable fuel economy (10 to 12L/100km in the turbo 2.3 petrol Amarok versus 9 to 11L/100km in the turbo 3.0 diesel Amarok) – combined with the same towing and carrying capability – all of a sudden this petrol engine starts to make a lot of sense.
VW also had to wrestle me for the keys before I handed this one back.
I’m now trying to find another excuse to test it again.
Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, most of that time with Fairfax (The Sydney Morning Herald), News Corp Australia (Herald Sun and News.com.au), and most recently Drive.com.au (owned by Nine Media). He is also a World Car of the Year judge, has won numerous journalism awards, and test drives up to 200 cars per year.
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