We work around your schedule and deliver your dream test-drive vehicle direct to either your home or office at the most convenient time for you. And we'll save you money once you decide to purchase…
Michael Hoffmann surely thought he was on to something when he built this gem.
Hoffman, a shop foreman in Munich, designed and built these spectacular oddities from 1949 through 1951.
This one featured a horrifically underpowered engine and only three wheels.
On the plus side, the three-wheeled configuration meant the “Hoffman” was, for tax and licensing considerations, a motorcycle and therefore cheap to own.
With rear-wheel steering via a baffling system of levers and an ultra-short wheelbase, the Hoffman was predictably deadly to drive.
Specifications:
Manufacturer: M. Hoffmann
Country: Germany
Drivetrain: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive three-wheeler
Engine: Air-cooled ILO 200cc two-stroke single which generated a modest 6.5 bhp
Transmission: 3 speed manual plus reverse
Top Speed: Approximately 28 MPH
So far this year, the best-selling vehicles in Australia have been Utes, but an unlikely usurper has stepped up and taken over the top spot.
Back in October, the Hyundai i30 hatchback leaped up the charts and took over as Australia’s most popular car.
Yes, the tiny Korean hatchback rolled off showroom floors and sold nearly 4000 units to bump the Utes off the head of the list.
And it all appears the main driver of the change in sales figures came down to pricing. The Hyundai i30 starts at $20,950 for a base model, the 2.0 GDi. Once that model is decked out in full trim, that price can ramp up to $33,950 for an SR Premium version. New car buyers showed up in record numbers during October to take one home.
The Hyundai i30
But have no fear, sales of sport-utes stayed strong lead by the always popular Toyota Hilux which came in a close second. Another Toyota model, the Corolla, came in third on the top-sellers list.
Hyundai i30
Toyota Hilux
Toyota Corolla
Ford Ranger
Holden Commodore
Mazda CX-5
Toyota Camry
Toyota Landcruiser
Mazda 3
Volkswagen Golf
In fourth place was the Ford Ranger, and the Holden Commodore settled in at fifth on the popular car list.
Though the strong sales of the Holden would have been a cause for celebration in previous years, local manufacturing of the Commodore came to a bitter end at the close of October.
The Mazda CX-5 was the top SUV on the list with some 2173 sales, and the Landcruiser finished eighth. SUV models appeared just twice in the top 10.
The Commodore SS utilizes a 6.0-litre V8 engine and T-56 six-speed manual transmission. The SS is recognisable from its quad exhaust outlets in place of the SV6 dual outlets.
The SS won two consecutive “Bang For Your Bucks” awards, and judges gave preference to the SS, saying “the VE Commodore SS really does represent the biggest bang you’ll ever get for your bucks like these.”
The SS V exterior features five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels and larger 20-inch wheels as an option are the largest wheels ever fitted to a Holden car.
Merry Christmas From TheCarTest – You can win a $500 fuel voucher just by filling out our survey and liking us on Facebook. So fill out the form below and prepare for your chance at lots of gallons of holiday joy.
The team at The CarTest are looking to know a little more about the habits of Aussie car buyers, and if you have a couple of minutes, you can help us out by completing this simple survey. To offer our holiday thanks, we’re putting a $500 fuel voucher up for grabs…
To be in with a chance to win you must complete the survey and register your email address with The Car Test. We’d also be filled with holiday cheer if you’d like us on Facebook.
The winner will be drawn at random on Sunday the 31st of December 2017.
You already know what you want from your next car. It might be pure, rock-solid functionality. It might be the hot flash in your gut you get from performance and styling. But you’re still faced with the difficult logistics of discovering who makes that car by seeing it, driving it, considering your choices in depth. You’ll only find that answer on the road, in real time and under real-world conditions.
Trips to various dealerships are in your future, and it’s not an attractive prospect. A ride around the block with a car dealer in the seat next to you – pitching nonstop – and making you feel rushed, sold, closed? Not the ideal afternoon.
But TheCarTest will flip that script.
Here at TheCarTest, we ‘extend the test drive’ to give you the immersive experience of your ideal car.
We put you behind the wheel of a brand new car under our version of a normal rental agreement from one to seven days. The process is carefully administered and licensed to include appropriate insurances coverage and all the details of traditional rental agreements.
Once you settle on that ideal vehicle, we help you take the next step with exclusive member-only discounts, prime benefits, and preferential pricing. And how about three years free servicing, roadside assistance and discounts on fuel. No Negotiations. No stress.
“Christian Schaefer, the startup’s founder, said the process trumps the traditional car testing process offered by dealers since customers can drive without the typical limitations set by a dealer, which often restrict drivers to roads in the suburb where the dealership sits.
‘To cover the process of trying a car out efficiently and know what you want, it’s next to impossible, since you don’t get a real chance to drive it where you want,’ he said.
With TheCarTest located in Brisbane, at the moment only customers living within a certain radius of the city can test a car using the service. However, there are no strict geographical limits imposed on where the customers can drive.
‘Compared to test driving with a dealer, we have no pressure, no expectation and no bias towards the experience. You can test a car properly by actually applying it to your everyday life and trips,’ said Schaefer.
Schaefer described the current test driving experience offered by dealers as “frustrating”, adding that in the digital landscape, customers should be able to set up and execute test drives from their own home.
So you’ve finally decided to treat yourself to a new car. You’ve earned it and you’ve even taken the time to narrow down your choices to three or four cars. Maybe a new MG GS SUV? So now you’re faced with a truly nasty little reality – you have to schedule test drives with dealers for each of those cars. You have to be sure about your choice, and a real-world test drive is the only way to make it happen.
If you’re relatively sane, you wouldn’t ask someone you’ve known for a week to marry you. You wouldn’t buy a house after a ten-minute tour through the premises. So how is it that you might buy a car, an expensive and critical purchase, based on a three-block-long “test drive” with a car dealer in the passenger seat next to you pressing his case?
Make the most of your car test drive experience with TheCarTest.com.au
Cars are expensive these days. Buying a car is likely to be the most costly purchase decisions you’ll make outside of a buying a house. You’re going to spend a lot of time in your car.
When you test-drive your potential purchase at a dealership, any good salesman will tend toward closing the deal by taking you on a brief run down a buttery smooth road. He wants to accentuate the positives of his vehicle and minimize the time he spends with you to close a deal. Hard to blame him for that, right? Business is business.
But we at theCarTest can offer you a way around this worst-case scenario.
You simply contact us with your choice, we deliver the car to your home or office, and you then put the car through a comprehensive exam on your own time, at your own pace on the roads of your choice.
The benefits are fairly clear. You have an extended user experience with your chosen car – in a no-pressure situation – and you have the freedom to control the test conditions. Bring a trusted friend. Bring a favored mechanic. Take the kids along to see if the car works for you and for them. You set the road-test parameters, and you set them at your leisure.
Say you’ve settled on a sports car? You can push down the pedal, crank it through the corners, go hard on the brakes. You can, in fact, test every scenario to make certain it performs in a way that makes you smile. Prove to yourself that it functions to your satisfaction, and in real-world conditions.
If you decide to purchase a family car or an SUV, bring all your pals or family members along and head out for a fast shopping tour. Once the trip is over, ask them if they were actually comfortable. Have them point out any shortcomings of the vehicle they might have experienced during the test. Who knows, they might point out problems you would never have considered. Put your car seats for the kids in the back and see how they fit. Load up a bag of groceries. Give your chosen ride a real going-over which plays up day-to-day driving tasks.
Do you love your music? Thoroughly test the media systems. Take long drives? Try out the cruise control.
Think ahead to how you actually use your car. Are you a golfer? Own a kayak? Tow a boat or a trailer?
Here are our baseline tips for your test drive time:
Think while you take your longer test drives.
Make a quick “test drive checklist” with your critical items
Listen closely for any annoying mechanical problem. Turn down the stereo system. Drive with the windows open at speed.
Check the steering for pulling and vibration.
Test the brakes to make sure your choice stops smoothly and under control in a straight line under hard braking.
Consider the exhaust note; you’re going to have to live with that sound for the life of the car.
Are you happy with the performance of the engine? Without smooth, punchy acceleration and acceptable levels of cabin noise, you’re bound for disappointment.
Does the transmission shift smoothly and quietly?
Check for any damage before you roll off.
Adjust the seat, the steering wheel and all mirrors to make certain they work for you and provide clear sight lines.
Take a minute or two to ride in all the various seating options to find out what the car might be like for your passengers.
Use every single one of the technology options. How good – or annoying – is the sat nav? Can you easily configure the audio system?
Check the air-conditioning and heating.
Flip every switch from the headlights to the windshield wipers to the hazard lights and seat adjustment switches.
Try out any special driving modes like “sport” steering or suspension.
Back up to check your visibility. Try a little parallel parking. Test the vehicle’s turning circle in a parking lot.
Throw your largest suitcase in the luggage compartment. Consider your skis or your surfboard or your tool boxes.
Does the open sunroof make a horrible racket and sound like a helicopter landing?
Michael Hoffmann surely thought he was on to something when he built this gem.
