Ford Ranger’s 3rd win in 4 years, aided by a model refresh and some extra kit being added in 2016. Ford Ranger XLT 3.2 is Australia's Best 4x4 Dual-Cab Ute.
Motoring
Australia’s Best Sports Cars in 2016
Australia’s best cars 2016: Best Sports Car under $50,000
Winner: Ford Focus ST
With the demise of Aussie muscle cars going the way of the local industry generally, the four-cylinder turbo models that dominate this class will be a lot more popular.
Ford Focus ST offers the best bang for your buck. It’s a clear winner in design and function, helped, in part, by the best seats in the class which are well bolstered for good comfort and support. Ford’s clever Sync2 system, combined with the eight-inch touch-screen that incorporates sat-nav, makes it class leader for ergonomics.
It was equal class-leading for performance and braking – not surprising given it pumps out 184kW and up to 360Nm of torque. Performance enthusiasts rejoice as the ST comes with a six-speed manual transmission.
Ford has upgraded the ST’s dynamics which improves front suspension, steering and handling but it can’t match the other finalists for point-to-point precision.
The ST gets lots of other go-fast bits such as sports-tuned suspension, Recaro sports seats, body kit, HID headlights, LED daytime running lights and dual centre exhaust. Overall, it’s a standard features list that leaves daylight between it and most others in this class.
| Best Sports Car Under $50,000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VALUE FOR MONEY
|
||||
|
Pricing
|
Medium |
4 |
8 |
6 |
|
Cost of depreciation ($) |
Low |
4 |
7 |
6 |
|
Running and repair costs |
Medium |
4 |
5 |
3 |
|
Fuel consumption |
Low |
4 |
7 |
6 |
|
Warranty and dealer access |
Medium |
4 |
4 |
6 |
|
Insurance |
Low |
6 |
8 |
6 |
|
Standard features |
Medium |
6 |
2 |
1 |
|
DESIGN AND FUNCTION |
||||
|
Safety |
Critical |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
Environment |
Critical |
6 |
7 |
7 |
|
Seating comfort/support |
High |
8 |
7 |
6 |
|
Ergonomics |
High |
7 |
5 |
5 |
|
Build and finish quality |
High |
6 |
4 |
6 |
|
ON THE ROAD |
||||
|
Performance |
Critical |
9 |
7 |
7 |
|
Ride |
Medium |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Handling |
Critical |
6 |
7 |
7 |
|
Braking |
Critical |
8 |
6 |
7 |
|
Smoothness and quietness |
Low |
5 |
6 |
5 |
|
OVERALL AVERAGE |
662 |
624 |
620 |
Australia’s best cars 2016: Best Sports Car $50,000 - $100,000
Winner: BMW M240i
Buyers in this segment expect something special, and BMW M240i delivers. Replacing the M235i, it comes to market $3500 cheaper, plus it sports extra standard equipment and features. That gives it a better start for price and depreciation.
However, the extra coin for the Merc will get you a lengthier list of standard features than the BMW, even with its recent upgrades. New features include adaptive headlights, 360-watt 12-speaker Harmon Kardon audio and driver assistance technologies such as approach control warning, lane departure warning, pedestrian warning, autonomous emergency braking function and attentiveness assistant.
The M240i has the latest M Performance engine that uses a little less fuel than its predecessor and, importantly, delivers an extra 10kW and 50Nm. All judges enthused over the twin-turbo engine’s muscular performance through the rev range and its eager throttle response backed up by the greased-lightning-fast gearbox. The powertrain’s smoothness and power delivery are sublime.
The BMW is well finished, and the cabin features the latest BMW iDrive infotainment system. Very comfortable front seats with good adjustability rated well.
| Best Sports Car $50,000 - $100,000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
VALUE FOR MONEY |
||||
|
Pricing |
Medium |
3 |
3 |
8 |
|
Cost of depreciation ($) |
Low |
5 |
2 |
8 |
|
Running and repair costs |
Low |
3 |
1 |
3 |
|
Fuel consumption |
Low |
5 |
3 |
3 |
|
Warranty and dealer access |
Medium |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Insurance |
Low |
4 |
5 |
7 |
|
Standard features |
Medium |
7 |
10 |
5 |
|
DESIGN AND FUNCTION |
||||
|
Safety |
Critical |
9 |
9 |
7 |
|
Environment |
Critical |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Seating comfort/support |
High |
7 |
8 |
7 |
|
Ergonomics |
High |
8 |
7 |
5 |
|
Build and finish quality |
Critical |
8 |
7 |
5 |
|
ON THE ROAD |
||||
|
Performance |
Critical |
10 |
10 |
9 |
|
Ride |
Medium |
7 |
6 |
5 |
|
Handling |
Critical |
9 |
9 |
8 |
|
Braking |
Critical |
8 |
9 |
7 |
|
Smoothness and quietness |
Low |
8 |
6 |
6 |
|
OVERALL AVERAGE |
746 |
738 |
658 |
