The most popular motoring stories of the week

Vote in the 2024 AA DRIVEN Car Guide New Zealand Car of the Year People's Choice category and YOU could win!

Vote for Peoples Choice and win $5k of fuel or charge credit!

What is YOUR pick for best car out of the ten top-selling vehicles in 2024?

This year a diverse range of vehicles made the top ten in New Zealand, including traditional favourites like the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Outlander and Suzuki Swift, as well as last year’s Peoples Choice winner, the Toyota RAV4, and even a van in the form of the Toyota Hiace... READ THE FULL ARTICLE (AND VOTE TO WIN!) ON DRIVEN CAR GUIDE.

Is it worth using the cheapest low octane petrol if the manufacturer of your car recommends the more expensive high octane stuff?

Can you save money by just filling up with the cheapest petrol at the pump?

With petrol prices rising steadily over the last decade, many drivers are considering ways to cut costs. One potential option might seem to be switching to a lower-octane, cheaper fuel. However, is this truly a cost-saving measure?

Approximately 90 percent of petrol-powered vehicles in New Zealand are designed to run on 91-octane petrol, leaving few options for cheaper alternatives. For owners of cars that require higher octane fuels, such as 95 or above, the temptation to switch to 91-octane in pursuit of savings can actually lead to significant issues rather than financial benefits... READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON DRIVEN CAR GUIDE.

Here's a quick guide to getting a dead battery back on track.

How to jump start a car safely: a step-by-step guide for drivers.

Car battery problems can happen at the most inconvenient times, and knowing how to jump-start a car is an essential skill for every driver.

Whether you’re in a quiet parking lot or on the side of a busy road, following the correct procedure will help you get back on the road safely.

Here’s a straightforward guide to help you jump-start a car while prioritising safety and efficiency... READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON DRIVEN CAR GUIDE.

The all-new Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is here. It is a hybrid, and it is very good!

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Hybrid first drive: plenty in reserve.

Some say Napolean Hill is the best 4x4 trail in New Zealand. It’s 12km between Reefton and Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island, once a route to a thriving goldmining town and impressively varied in terrain.

Oh, and it’s been wet this week; because we’re on the West Coast of the South Island.

So here’s the question: is Toyota’s self-consciously retro and really quite posh new Land Cruiser Prado Hybrid still the right thing to bring in here?.. READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON DRIVEN CAR GUIDE.

We headed to the Australian Outback to put the Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster ute through its paces on and off the road.

Ineos Grenadier Quartermaster first drive: cool, capable and compromised.

New Zealand new car buyers love SUVs. That much is very obvious, but there is something we even love more, and that is utes, with the biggest selling individual models in New Zealand being utes.

Our love of utes is something we share with Australia, South Africa and the Americas - North and South - making the global segment quite a big one. So if you are a manufacturer that has recently launched a new ladder chassis SUV, then it makes quite a bit of sense to build a ute version.

And that is exactly what newcomer to the car world, Ineos Automotive, has done with the release of the Quartermaster ute version of its Grenadier wagon... READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON DRIVEN CAR GUIDE.