The Honda Fit is a versatile car that can be deployed in various roles such as passenger transport and light cargo transport. It can carry 5 adult passengers in relative comfort and has sufficient boot space to carry their luggage. With its rear seats down, in what Honda calls the ‘magic seat’ configuration, it can haul sizable cargo comparable to a light delivery van. All these plus its excellent fuel efficiency makes the Honda Fit a very desirable car and it’s often heavily used. This makes the Fit a tricky car to buy in the used market and you need a comprehensive checklist when buying one. This is where this Buyer’s Guide becomes handy.

This 2018 Toyota Prius Owner’s Manual is specifically for cars that are sold in the New Zealand market.

This 2017 Toyota Prius Owner’s Manual is specifically for cars that are sold in the New Zealand market.

This 2016 Toyota Prius Owner’s Manual is specifically for cars that are sold in the New Zealand market.

The VW Golf is the epitome of excellence and longevity in the automotive field and it’s one of the most longstanding cars in production today. Hardly a minute passes by without one driving down the highway in any part of New Zealand. It has long been prized for its reliability, but it took a heavy hit when it onboarded the complex DSG gearbox which has been the cause of misery for many owners. The engines have also gotten complex in the pursuit of more power and efficiency. Buying a used VW Golf is no longer a walk in the park but it’s a complicated process that requires accurate information.

When it comes to efficiency, practicality and affordability, nothing beats the Nissan Note. You will be hard-pressed to find an alternative that can match it across these parameters. In New Zealand, the demand for the Note is shooting through the roof but historically, the Note has not been stellar. It takes a hit when it comes to long-term reliability and stories abound of how it does not age gracefully. Its engines have also been fingered to be less than stellar when it comes to longevity. Is this still the case or has the Note improved? This is the question we seek to answer.

The Ford Ranger has become the backbone of light commercial transport in New Zealand. It’s one of the best performing pickup trucks in the market and it has a wide array of configurations to choose from which makes it a versatile pickup. It can be deployed for various missions such as cargo transport, family car, towing, off-roading and many more. In this guide, we talk about its reliability and the common problems to look out for when buying a used Ranger. We give you a detailed comparison with the Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton, Isuzu D-Max and Nissan Navara including pros and cons of each of these pickups.

In the ever-changing landscape of automotive engineering, the Suzuki Swift stands out like a sore thumb as one of the few cars that has maintained its simplicity. This simplicity however comes at a cost as simpler cars are often less safe than the complex ones. It’s a double-edged sword and a dilemma that most buyers grapple with. Should you choose a simpler car that is reliable but less safe or should you choose a complex car that is safer but less reliable? Nowhere is this dilemma more acute than when buying a Suzuki Swift. Worry not, this is the main question that we address in this guide. We go into detail on the safety of the Swift and tell you about its safety and reliability. We delve into the engines that come with the Swift, these are the 1.2-Litre DualJet K12C Engine (Petrol), the 1.0-Liter BoosterJet K10C Engine (Turbocharged Petrol) and the 1.2-Liter DualJet Hybrid (Hybrid). We tell you about their performance and efficiency in real life scenarios. We compare the Swift with its closest rivals such as the Toyota Vitz, Honda Vitz, VW Polo and Mazda Demio.  At the end of this guide, you will be empowered to make the right decision.

The Mazda Axela has had a rapid ascent to the top of New Zealand’s hatchback tree and it’s now one of the most sought after compacts in the market. It strikes a perfect balance, blending exceptional features and world-class driving dynamics into one package. It comes with a wide range of engine options both petrol and diesel that can fit many applications such as the normal school runs to more demanding ones such as track-tearing speed runs. This wide range of options presents a major challenge for many buyers and it’s quite daunting to make the right choice especially when presented with such a wide array of engines. There’s nothing as worse as getting stuck with the wrong car that doesn’t fit your needs or that comes with a host of issues you didn’t know about. This is what this guide will help you to navigate the complexities of buying a used Axela and equip you with the information you need to make the right decision.

This 2015 Toyota Prius Owner’s Manual is specifically for cars that are sold in the New Zealand market.