4WD & AWD SUV 2018 COTY AWARDS
We Review ●70 Vehicles ●In 348 Pages ●In 12 Categories
The OzRoamer COTY Awards are without doubt the most independent and comprehensive 4WD & AWD SUV awards in Australia.
OZROAMER 2018 COTY AWARDS
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EDITORS COMMENTS
The number 348 is a stunning number. Stunning for OzRoamer because that is the exact number of pages this year’s OzRoamer 4WD and AWD SUV Awards magazine contains. Yes readers, that represents reviews on 70 vehicles in 12 categories with 12 winners and 58 other nominees. There is of course the cover page and my indulgence, the editor’s comments, contents pages and a link to our Ute Guide emagazine, along with one page supporting the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and the rest of the pages are reviews. A grand total of 341 pages of pure vehicle reviews for you to read. OzRoamer’s annual Car of the Year awards are widely regarded as the industry’s most comprehensive and independent review of the 4WD and AWD SUV’s in the Australian market. It has been a monumental effort by all those involved! The work involved in coordinating, writing and collating is extraordinary. Since we published our first 4WD and AWD SUV Buyers Guide in 2011 where we announced out inaugural COTY winners, the annual awards have grown and, we believe, become even more relevant for consumers. By breaking down the categories into those that best represent consumers buying decisions and parameters, the buyers guide enables consumers to compare vehicles in a logical fashion and really get a feel for each individual offering in their chosen segment. How can a buyer use the awards if they compare a sub $40,000 SUV to an $80,000 4WD or Prestige Sport SUV that costs upwards of $150,000? Buyers want a 5 seat vehicle or a 7 seat vehicle, AWD or 4WD etc. We want to keep it relevant! All the vehicles nominated in these awards are strong contenders and hold individual merit, however the winners highlight classleading attributes and those that offer the coveted combination of outstanding design, functionality, performance and value for money. Now in its eighth year, the awards continue to receive recognition from within the industry, individual consumers and motoring organisations. With SUV’s accounting for a bit over 45% of the new vehicle market last year, a thorough buyers guide and considered awards process to help consumers navigate the market has never been more pertinent. The categories also reflect the growth areas of the industry. The smaller SUV style vehicle has seen explosive growth in sales and as a result, a plethora of vehicle choices from manufacturers. The other growth area is Utes that are continually moving upmarket. Some Prestige SUV manufacturers indicate that SUV sales account for up to 70% of their annual sales. Another interesting trend has been the growth in 2WD SUV style vehicles. It appears that a growing number of consumers are looking for the SUV attributes without the want, need or desire to venture any further than the local shopping centre or cafe. That is something we will need to look at, along with the increasing prevalence of hybrid or electric SUVs, perhaps for future issues of our buyers guides. The people that work with OzRoamer, freelance for OzRoamer and are associated with us are all about as passionate as I am and it is with this passion that we produce the 2018 COTY magazine for your enjoyment. I thank the small number of dedicated people that have helped put this magazine together. There will definitely be some choices here that you won’t agree with, you will reckon we are nuts and that is the beauty of our choices. They are our opinions as to what we believe are the winners in each category. In many categories, the differences between the winner and second place can be so minute that it may warrant joint winners, however we have decided to bite the bullet and have only one winner in each category. I hope you enjoy this magazine, as our main reason for producing it is for you. Our COTY Award Special Edition magazine is more important than ever in helping you, the buyer, make educated buying decisions and find a car that fits your unique specifications. Thanks for your continued support � .
OzRoamer 2018 Awards Special Edition is published by OzRoamer Publishing Group, P.O. Box 207 Anna Bay NSW 2316. The publishers believe that all information that is supplied in this magazine was correct at the time of printing. Prices are supplied from redbook.com.au or manufacturers. The publishers do not however guarantee that prices are correct and suggest that you make your own enquiries and are not liable for any information being correct. It is not possible to ensure that advertisements comply with the Trade Practices Act 1974 and therefore it is the responsibility of the person submitting the advertisement. The Publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Copyright: Material appearing in OzRoamer Pty Ltd. Publications is copyright and reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. OzRoamer Pty. Ltd. Publications. P.O. Box 207 Anna Bay NSW 2316. A.B.N. 78 094 263 493
OzRoamer Car of the Year (COTY) Awards are now in their eighth year and have proved to be an outstanding success with buyers in helping them make educated buying decisions. They are deliberately oriented at having a complete reader and consumer focus, by breaking down the categories into those that best represent their buying decisions and parameters. They can easily compare different vehicles in the same category. In light of that, in 2018 we have multiple categories for various vehicles. This is line with our philosophy of comparing vehicles that are likely to be compared by buyers. How can a buyer use the awards if they compare a sub $40,000 SUV to an $80,000 4WD or Prestige Sport SUV that costs upwards of $150,000? Buyers want a 5 seat vehicle or a 7 seat vehicle, AWD or 4WD. We want to keep it relevant! We also want a wide choice in each category because buyers want to make their own assessments. The OzRoamer COTY Awards are without doubt the most independent and comprehensive 4WD & AWD SUV COTY awards in Australia. Since starting in 2011 we have grown the yearly magazine and this year, the magazine will be bigger and even more informative than before! This year is the biggest we have ever produced. The review process was exhaustive but worthwhile. The criteria for our awards is simple: ● The vehicle must be currently available for sale to the general public as at 31 December; ● The vehicle must meet the criteria for its category; ● Final contenders are selected by the panel; ● Each vehicle is subjectively and objectively measured against strict criteria and its competitors in the category; ● The vehicle with the most points wins. If there is a tie then the panel decides!; ● The judging criteria reflects real life situations because you, our readers, buy these vehicles for use in similar situations; ● The awards assist our readers make educated buying decisions; and ● Advertising dollars and marketing hype doesn't sway the eventual winners or even the contenders. Pricing comes from the industry website redbook.com.au with all vehicles adopting the Manufacturers List Price* (MLP*) as the standard. If it is unavailable, we use the manufacturers’ website pricing. The categories, we think, reflect real world buying decisions. If you feel we have left a worthwhile contender out, please let us know for next year. We have changed up the categories a little bit this year to reflect changing market trends and buyer expectations. The results are sure to prompt a lot of emails like last year as we have alternate views on vehicles and aren't influenced from manufacturers, advertising dollars or reputation. Our view is that the reader should be able to rely on these awards to assist with buying decisions.
So to the categories and contenders! 2018 SUV under $40,000 Award ● Honda CRV VTI-S AWD ● Hyundai KONA 1.6T Highlander AWD ● Mazda CX-3 Akari 2.0 Petrol AT AWD ● Nissan Juke Ti-S AWD ● Subaru XV 2.0i S CVT AWD ● Toyota C-HR Koba AWD
*MLP - Manufacturers List Price includes GST and LCT but excluding statutory charges, dealer costs and dealer delivery. See your dealer for RDAP. Does not include price of any options.
2018 AWD SUV $40,000 – $50,000 Award ● Audi Q2 2.0L TDi Quattro ● Holden Equinoz LTZ-V AWD ● Honda CRV VTi-LX AWD ● Hyundai Tucson Highlander 1.6T ● Kia Sportage GT Line 2.0R CRDi ● Mazda CX5 Akera 2.2 DTT ● Nissan X Trail TL 2.0lL DT ● Subaru Forester 2.5i-S ● VW Tiguan 132TSI Comfortline 4Motion 2018 4WD $40,000 – $50,000 Award ● Jeep Compass Trailhawk ● Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX ● SsangYong Rexton Ultimate ● Toyota Fortuner GXL 2018 4WD $50,000 - $60,000 Award ● Ford Everest Ambiente ● Holden Trailblazer LTZ ● Isuzu MU-X LST ● Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed ● Toyota Fortuner Crusade ● Toyota LandCruiser Prado GX Auto 2018 7 Seat AWD SUV $50,000 - $70,000 Award ● Holden Acadia LTZ-V AWD ● Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2R CRDi ● Kia Sorento GT Line 2.2R CRDi ● Mazda CX-9 Azami LE AWD ● Nissan Pathfinder Ti 3.5L V6 ● Toyota Kluger Grande V6 2018 AWD SUV $50,000 - $75,000 Award ● Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI Sport Quattro ● BMW X3 xDrive 20d ● Jaguar E-Pace P300 S Auto ● Land Rover Discovery Sport TD4 180 SE Luxury ● Lexus NX 300h F Sport ● Subaru Outback 3.6R 2018 4WD $60,000 - $80,000 Award ● Ford Everest Titanium ● Land Rover Discovery 2.0l SD4 S ● Toyota LC70 GXL Wagon V8 Diesel ● Toyota LandCruiser Prado GXL 2018 AWD SUV $75,000 - $100,000 Award ● BMW X4 xDrive M30i ● Jaguar F Pace 25D R Sport ● Lexus RX 350 F Sport ● Range Rover Velar P 250 SE
2018 4WD $80,000 - $100,000 Award ● Land Rover Discovery TD6 SE ● Nissan Patrol TI-L ● Toyota LandCruiser 200 V8 GXL ● Toyota Prado Kakadu DiD 2018 Prestige SUV over $100,000 Award ● BMW X5 M50d ● Infiniti QX 80 ● Jaguar F-Pace 35t S AWD ● Land Rover Discovery TD6 HSE ● Lexus LX 450d ● Maserati Levante 350 ● Range Rover Sport V8SC HSE Dynamic 2018 Prestige Sports SUV Award ● Audi SQ7 V8 TDi ● BMW X4 M40i ● Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT ● Maserati Levante S ● Range Rover Sport SVR 2018 Dual Cab Ute Award ● Ford Ranger XLT ● Holden Colorado LTZ ● Isuzu D Max LST ● Mazda BT50 GT ● Mitsubishi Triton Exceed ● Nissan Navara ST-X ● SsangYong Musso Ultimate ● Toyota Hilux SR5 DiD ● VW Amarok 420 Core 4Motion For this years awards we tested 70 vehicles in 12 categories for our readers. To find out the winners simply read the following pages and maybe there are a few surprises there. The OzRoamer team: Admin - Vicki Fraser Contributors - Alan Zurvas, Anthony Hood, David Brown, Pete Wilson and Rob Fraser. Editor - Rob Fraser