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Why you shouldn’t buy a used car right now

Why you shouldn’t buy a used car right now By Josh Dowling April 10, 2021 A chronic shortage of new cars – caused by production interruptions due to parts delays during the coronavirus crisis – has prompted an unprecedented surge in used car values across Australia. Used car buyers are either treating themselves to a new set of wheels amid international travel restrictions, or planning to embark on an epic road trip. However, experts warn people should not buy a used car now unless it’s a necessity because they forecast values will hit the brakes in about six months once production of new cars ramps up again. The used car market has had an unprecedented boom since the pandemic began. CREDIT:ROB HOMER Data compiled by Moody Analytics - and sourced from auction houses that handle thousands of wholesale deals each month - estimate used car values have surged between 30 and 48 per cent since the pandemic struck early last year…

Aussies keen on electric cars according to new survey

A survey of Aussie drivers show that they are eager to jump into a particular new car, but there are several reasons why they won’t be big sellers.

Dom Tripolone

An electric car revolution is brewing in Australia.

New research from comparison website Finder shows that Aussies are warming to the emissions busting technology. The survey showed almost one in two Australians would consider buying an electric car as their next vehicle. Two of the biggest reasons cited were because it is “better for the planet” and to save money on petrol.

A new survey shows almost one in two Aussies would consider buying an electric car.Source:Supplied

Electric car sales in Australia are very low — 1755 zero-emission vehicles found a new home in 2020. This doesn’t include Tesla, which doesn’t report its sales figures publicly but is rumoured to be about double that figure. Taylor Bl…

The ‘last’ Holden Commodore manufactured in Australia sells for $750,000 at auction

The 'last' Holden Commodore manufactured in Australia sells for $750,000 at auction

A bidder has paid $750,000 for "the last car ever produced at Holden Australia" — even though General Motors says "absolutely the last Holden" is on display at the National Motor Museum in Birdwood, South Australia.

Key points: The car was sold as the "last" manufactured in Australia General Motors says the last is not for sale but is on display at a museum An ex-factory worker had bought the car before it went to a dealership

The historically significant vehicle was expected to fetch about $500,000 at auction on Saturday, but exceeded expectations.

An advertisement for the 2017 Holden VF Series II sedan ahead of the auction had described it as "the last car ever produced at Holden Australia".

Auctioneer Lee Hames said it was "arguably the most collectable … Australian car in the world rig…

The full list of new car models to be launched in 2021

The full list of new car models to be launched in 2021 Richard Blackburn

Last year was a year like no other for the car industry, as dealerships were shuttered and factories fell silent.

New model launches were pushed back and some cars due to arrive last year never made it. But 2021 promises to be a busy year for new metal, as the pipelines return to full volume. Here are the big arrivals for each of the major brands this year. Alfa Romeo An updated version of the Stelvio SUV will arrive in the first quarter, then later in the year there will be a farewell version of the 4C sports car, which has been discontinued globally. Aston Martin Manual and drop-top versions of the Vantage will arrive in the first quarter of this year, priced at $278,900 and $315,000 respectively.

The new Audi Q5 will be available in Audi dealerships in early 2021. Picture: Supplied.Source:Supplied

Audi New versio…

Hyundai i30 sedan review: Off-trend car still has its strong points

Hyundai i30 sedan review: Off-trend car still has its strong points Bill McKinnon Affordable, compact and practical, Hyundai’s newest member is unlike many new cars as the South Korean brand revamps an old favourite.

Once upon a time, way back in the 20th century, long before SUVs and one-tonne utes ruled the roads of Australia, the most popular style of vehicle was a much lighter, lower four-door car with a large box in the middle for carrying people and a smaller box at each end.

The front box, as is still common practice, contained the engine; the rear one — called, for some strange reason, “the boot” — was the load compartment. The four-door, three-box sedan is now almost extinct. Many car manufacturers have stopped making it altogether. Nobody wants a sedan any more. Why? I’ve just done 2000km in Hyundai’s new i30 sedan trying to find out.

Photo of the 2020 Hyundai i30 sedanSource:Supplied

ACT was the only state or territory to finish 2020 with a gain in new car sales

ACT was the only state or territory to finish 2020 with a gain in new car sales, thanks to a brief January supercell Peter Brewer Volkswagen cars, together with Mazda, Hyundai, Subaru and Honda, showed an upward shift in the ACT. Picture: Peter Brewer One extraordinary weather event almost 12 months ago handed Canberra's new car market such a huge retail boost that the ACT was the only state or territory to finish the 2020 calendar year with a positive result. New car retail data released on Wednesday for 2020 revealed Australia's national sales plunged to their lowest annual level of demand in 17 years, with the ACT being the only state or territory to post a gain over 2019. The ACT's new car retail sales for 2020 were 22.6 per cent up on 2019, against a national sales decline of 13.7 per cent. Canberra's sales boost was largely a result of last year's intense January 20 hailstorm which swept in from th…

Lithium miner back in the driving seat on electric vehicle rebound

Lithium miner back in the driving seat on electric vehicle rebound By Nick Toscano For Australia’s miners of lithium, one of the critical metals to make electric batteries, last year started out like the one before it: with the same weakness in demand and pricing that has been forcing operators into survival mode. The markets for battery ingredients lithium and cobalt, which soared from 2016-18, went from boom to bust after a rush of new projects tipped the industry into oversupply, and reductions in Chinese subsidy programs put a pause on the electric vehicle revolution. Pilbara Minerals CEO Ken Brinsden says 2020 was a “tale of two halves”.CREDIT:PHILIP GOSTELOW The price of hard-rock lithium concentrate known as spodumene had crashed by nearly half already and the COVID-19 pandemic threatened to drive car sales even lower. But as it turned out, 2020 was a “tale of two halves”, says Ken Brinsden, chief executive of Pilbara Minerals, one of Australia’s …

Car shortage continues for Queensland’s consumers with no certainty when supply will rev up

Car shortage continues for Queensland's consumers with no certainty when supply will rev up By Sharnie Kim and Samuel Davis Car dealership principal Richard Jaska says some customers have had to wait months for the vehicle they want.(ABC Far North: Sharnie Kim) Car dealerships around the country say it is still "extremely difficult" to source stock amid a global shortage of new vehicles and they are unsure when supply will recover to meet demand. Key points: The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to disrupt car manufacturing and supply chains globally One dealership in Cairns says it has 400 fewer vehicles in stock than this time last year The Australian Automotive Dealer Association says it is unclear when the issue will be resolved

The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to disrupt manufacturing and logistics around the world, forcing some prospective car buyers to wait months for a vehicle.

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Used cars for new prices as COVID drives WA sales through the roof

Used cars for new prices as COVID drives WA sales through the roof By Emma Young When Colin Taylor knew his car was not long for this world he thought he would just pop down to the dealership and replace it. Little did he reckon with a soaring WA market, countering trends in the rest of the country, in which customers are experiencing months-long delivery delays, buying higher-end models than they wanted, and buying used for new-car prices. Colin Taylor with his new car. The model of Mitsubishi Triton Mr Taylor wanted wouldn’t be available for six or seven weeks, his dealer told him. “I figured that would mean 12 weeks,” he said. “So I opted to buy a new one they already had in the showroom. “I needed the car urgently. My existing vehicle was on the way out. I paid about $6000 more. “There are so many people waiting for new cars, plus they also told me people were buying used cars with low kilometres at much more expensive prices than the…

Toyota, Chinese cars the big winners as annual sales announced

Toyota, Chinese cars the big winners as annual sales announced Richard Blackburn It was the year that Holden died and new-car sales plummeted but some brands defied the odds. These are the winners and losers, with some surprises.

Last year was one the car industry would prefer to forget. We said goodbye to Holden and sales across the board were down by 14 per cent. In Victoria, the new-car market was down by close to 25 per cent as dealerships were forced to shut their doors during lockdown.

Some brands and nameplates weathered the storm better than others, though. Here’s a list of what was hot — and what was not — in 2020.

Toyota’s RAV4 Hybrid proved a huge hit. Picture: Thomas Wielecki.Source:Supplied

HOT Toyota The Japanese brand’s dominance of the new-car market is mind-boggling. It has been our number one brand for the past 18 years and has the best-selling ute, car and SUV. HiLux was the best…