Australia's Best Car Awards 2012 - Part 2

Today we’re looking at the winners of the over $50,000 categories in Australia's Best Car Awards 2012.

Following a rigorous testing and analysis process, the winners in each category have been announced on australiasbestcars.com.au by the Australian Automobile Association.

BMW 320i - Best Medium Car Over $50,000
The BMW 320i boasts exquisite design and handling features that make it an absolute pleasure to drive. Powered by a 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder turbo engine with an 8 speed automatic transmission, the 320i gives a mileage of 6.0L/100km. It faced some tough competition from the Volkswagen CC 125 TDI and Mercedes-Benz C250 CDI, however the BMW outclassed them because of its spacious interior, power, improved ride and greater fuel efficiency.

Ford Falcon G6EcoBoost - Best Large Car Under $60,000
The Ford Falcon G6EcoBoost silenced its rivals - the Toyota Aurion AT-X and Peugeot 508 Allure HDi - with a satisfying driving experience backed by a powerful engine. The EcoBoost has a 2.0 litre 4 cylinder engine with a six speed automatic transmission system that yields 8.5L/100km. It retails for $40,835.

Lexus GS350 F Sport - Best Large Car Over $60,000
The Lexus GS350 F Sport has an amazing spec sheet with a 3.5 litre,V6 cylinder engine and a 6 speed automatic transmission system. A true powerhouse, it yields a mileage of 9.7L/100km. The finalists in this category included the BMW 520i and Audi A6 3.0 TDI Quattro, both of which lost out because of the GS350’s spacious interior and superior handling.

Kia Sportage SLi AWD - Best SUV Under $40,000
Kia has once again won the under $40,000 SUV category. The Sportage SLi AWD has a 2.4 litre, 4 cylinder engine, with a 6-speed automatic transmission system. It has a mileage of 9.2 L/100km - remarkable for an SUV. The contenders for this category included the Volkswagen Tiguan 103 TDi and 

Mazda CX-5 Maxx Sport 2WD. 

Land Rover Discovery 4 SDV6 SE - Best All Terrain Four Wheel Drive
The Land Rover Discovery 4 SDV6 SE is a clear winner in the All-Terrain Four Wheel Drive category. With a 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine, and a 6 speed automatic transmission it makes for one of the most powerful four wheel drives available in the country. It yields an average of 9.3L/100km, which is decent considering its size and power. The contenders for this category were the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo CRD and Toyota Prado GXL.

Demystifying Your Car Insurance

Car insurance is something that most experienced drivers are familiar with, but it can be pretty confusing to young drivers and new car owners. The type of cover you take out will affect the ongoing cost of your vehicle, so you should always shop around for car insurance and find a price and level of coverage that suits your situation. 

To get you started, we've put together a quick list of the four types of general insurance that relate to owning and operating a private motor vehicle in Australia:

• Compulsory Third Party Insurance
• Comprehensive Insurance
• Fire & Theft Only
• Third Party Property Only

Compulsory Third Party

All drivers should be aware of Compulsory Third Party Insurance as it is illegal to drive a vehicle that does not have this coverage. This insurance protects individuals who you may injure whilst driving a vehicle. In Tasmania this insurance is provided as part of your vehicle registration fee (called MAIB Premium). This insurance covers injuries sustained to others and yourself in case of an accident and this is why it is so important to ensure that your vehicle is registered at any time when taken on public roads!

Comprehensive Cover
This can cover repair or replacement of your vehicle for events  including theft, collision, malicious damage and weather related damage. It can also cover repair and replacement of other vehicles that are damaged by your vehicle. Comprehensive insurance is usually chosen to cover vehicles that are in good condition. Your insurer may choose to not provide cover to vehicles that are over a certain age, in a poor state of repair or have issues such as rust.

Fire & Theft Only
This type of cover will not help if you are involved in an accident, but it may repair or replace your vehicle in the case that it is stolen and damaged by fire.

Third Party Property Only
This can provide cover for damage caused by your vehicle to other vehicles or property, but does not provide cover for your vehicle. This type of cover is typically taken out by someone with a relatively low value vehicle, primarily to protect them from having to pay for the damage their car might do to a more valuable vehicle or other property belonging to a third party.

Here is a handy graph provided by the Australian Government's MoneySmart website that illustrates the different types of vehicle insurance you should consider.

Type	Damage to your car	Damage to other people's property (e.g. other cars)	Damage or loss caused by theft of your car	Injuries or death to other people in an accident
Compulsory third party
Third party property
Third party property, fire and theft
Comprehensive

Please note that the information above is generic and Insurance policies will vary from company to company so make sure you understand the cover before purchasing.

Online sellout of Subaru sports car in 3 hours changes dealer dynamic

Subaru in Australia has pioneered an internet-only sales process for its latest release BRZ sports car - which sold out in just three hours!

Media reports indicate that the car was sold online because the company was only allocated 201 cars for the Australian market, of which 50 had been bought by dealerships as demonstrator models, and therefore decided to sell the remainder online.

The online sales strategy may be cause for concern among Subaru’s 105 Australian dealers, who invest substantial amounts to establish and operate their dealerships. However Subaru claims it has used the online approach on this occasion so that customers could buy the sought-after BRZ, and then collect it from their nearest dealer, rather than have dealers competing for an allocation of the cars.