Jack has spent over a decade test-driving and reviewing used cars across Australia. He focuses on practical, no-nonsense buying advice — what to check before you sign, and when a great price is hiding a bad car.
You’ve received a traffic fine and need to know whether you can keep driving. Demerit points explained simply, Transport for NSW sets the unrestricted licence threshold at 13 demerit points. What matters now is when the points count and what choices you have. The rules below are for NSW. Demerit limits, double demerit arrangements and […]
Only one of the four car insurance types is compulsory. The other three are optional, and the broadest of them averages about $1,560 a year, according to Mozo. Which one you should buy comes down to what your car is worth. Which car insurance is compulsory in Australia? What does each level of car insurance […]
Whether you need a roadworthy certificate before you sell comes down to your state. Queensland puts the job on the seller and the certificate dies at 2,000km. New South Wales asks a private seller for nothing. Here is what each state requires. Do I need a roadworthy certificate to sell my car? What does each […]
A listing that says “long wheelbase, high roof” tells you almost nothing about whether your bed will fit. The numbers that matter are 2,530mm against 3,180mm of load length and 1,340mm against 1,615mm of internal height, as measured by AutoExpert. Get those two wrong and you rebuild the whole interior. The HiAce comes in two […]
Outback driving isn’t risky because of the distance. RACQ reports that 65 per cent of the 1,252 lives lost on Australian roads in 2023 were lost outside the cities. Fatigue, road trains and animals do most of it, and each one has a rule you can follow. How often should you stop when you’re driving […]
The HiAce towing capacity printed in a spec sheet assumes an empty van. A finished camper fitout adds 400 to 700kg, and Commercial Motor Group puts a typical HiAce’s total payload at about 1,000 to 1,200kg. What’s left decides your trailer. How much towing capacity does a HiAce camper actually leave? Less than the towing […]
Most of what stops you sleeping in a van in Australia isn’t a national law. It’s the council you happen to be parked in. Byron Shire bans camping across every street, park and reserve it controls, and charges $110 on the spot for it. Why isn’t there one national rule for sleeping in a van? […]
A HiAce 4WD suspension lift is not illegal, but the height that triggers an engineer’s certificate is different in every state. Queensland raised its certifiable springs-only limit from 50mm to 75mm, according to a September 2018 Queensland Government statement. Three things decide whether yours passes. How much can you lift a HiAce 4WD before it […]
Registering an imported campervan happens in two halves. The federal half is the same wherever you live, and the state half is not, which is why your mate’s Queensland experience keeps not matching yours. Here’s where the difference actually bites. Why does registering an imported campervan differ from state to state? What is the Register […]
Campervan gas certification is not a form you fill in when the build is finished. Gas work in a camper is licensed work in every state, and Queensland won’t let the van change hands without a certified system. Here’s what has to be signed off, and when. Why does camper gas work need a licensed […]
Most people importing a HiAce mix up RAWS and SEVS. One decides whether the van is allowed into the country at all. The other is who makes it legal to register once it lands. Only one of them has to be settled before the van is on a ship. The workshop side is predictable, at […]
Your HiAce is finished and you’re wondering whether it’s still legal to drive. A camper fit-out adds 400 to 700kg, according to Commercial Motor Group, which is most of the van’s payload. A HiAce GVM upgrade fixes that, but plenty of builds don’t need one. How much does a HiAce camper conversion weigh? A finished […]
All three Korean seven-seaters wear five ANCAP stars, yet the Kia Sorento’s rating expires in December 2026 while the Santa Fe’s runs to December 2031. Same stars, different meaning. Here’s what actually separates them. Jump to: Do you need an SUV or a van? Which one has the strongest safety rating? Which model suits which […]
Three vans fill most Australian work fleets, and the HiAce vs Staria Load vs Deliver 9 choice usually starts with price. Start with the safety grading instead. ANCAP scores the current Toyota HiAce at 90 per cent and the LDV Deliver 9 at 74 per cent, and what sits behind those numbers tells you which […]
Every dual-cab ute in this guide holds five ANCAP stars, which is a pass mark rather than a ranking. The category scores underneath run from 70 per cent to 93 per cent, on results published by ANCAP Safety. Dual-cab ute safety is decided in that gap, not on the badge in the window. What does […]
Handing over the keys doesn’t end your relationship with the car. In NSW the buyer has 14 days to complete the car registration transfer, according to Service NSW, and until they do, the record still has your name on it. One form fixes that. What do you have to do when you sell your car […]
How should you compare family SUV boot space? Which SUVs give you the most space with the seats up? What do you give up for a bigger boot? Which family SUV should you choose? Family SUV boot space matters most with every seat occupied, not after the second row is folded. The NRMA comparison ranges […]