The Star: October 18, 2018

42 Thursday October 18 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
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Best
Motorbuys
TM
NZ NEW
$18,999
2007 toyota hiluX X/CaB 4X4
3.0 Turbo Diesel, 5/spd, alloys, flatdeck, one owner ute,
clean and tidy, drives well.
NZ NEW
275 Colombo St, Christchurch.
Cnr Colombo & Milton Sts. Ph: 337 9629.
$15,999
2009 nissan navara D/CaB 4X4 DX
2.5 Turbo Diesel, 5 speed, p/s, new mudder tyres, good
size Galv flatdeck, clean & tidy ute that drives well.
NZ NEW
1994 toyota hiluX D/CaB 2wD
2.4 diesel, 5 speed, p/s, nudge bar on
white spokes, priced to sell.
Christchurch Commercials & 4x4's MVT
$5,999
361 Wilsons Rd, Christchurch, Ph (03) 982 8674 • 20 Opawa Rd, Christchurch, Ph (03) 982 4106
2006 COMMODORE ‘S’ UTE 2002 MINI COOPER 2006 lExUS IS350 ‘S’
12mth Warranty
2009 kia sportage 4wd 2010 mazda cx7 2009 holden commodore sw
2700cc, auto, tiptronic, abs, multi airbags,
ac, cd, sunroof.
2.3 Tiptronic, alloys, airbags, abs, cd, pearl
white, dark interior, superb ride.
3.6, VVT sIdI, airbags, alloys, parking sensors,
full electrics, great colour,
great value.
From no dep
now only
$10,990
Car City
EST. 1973 ChCh
$9,990
2010 mazda PremaCy
2.0 auto ABS twin airbags,
7 seater.
$10,990
$72PW
3.6, 6 Cylinder, automatic, factory alloys, Tonneau cover & towbar.
NOW ONly $11,995
AUTODROME
113 Main South Rd, Riccarton
027 344 4488
www.roadways.nz
Finance available T.A.P
nz new
$27,999
2008 BMW X5 3.0 Si -7 Seater
Stunning 7 Seater, looks sharp in black with full
black leather, heated seats, reversing camera,
parking sensors, double sunroof, all electrics,
Heaps of room for the whole family.
Inch Quality
European
12mth Warranty
1600cc automatic, nice & tidy on factory alloys, only 135000kms.
NOW $6,995
1996 ToyoTa Prado
Good VaLUE oNLy $10,750
From no dep
now only
$12,990
$7,990
2002 Subaru ImPrezza
2.0 rare 5 speed, alloys,
ABS, twin airbags.
$8,990
7 seater TX model, 3 litre turbo
diesel power, drives very well,
excellent 4x4.
$39PW
www.carcitychch.co.nz
* NO DEPOSIT SUBJECT TO NORMAL LENDING CRITERIA (no on road costs)
12mth Warranty
84,000km, cruise control, 10x airbags, factory body kit.
WAS $15,995 NOW ONly $12,995
401 TUAM ST - OPEN 7 DAYS
WAYNE 021 0821 9854
$15,999
2004 BMW Z4 Convertible
2.2 litre, black leather seats, climate air cond,
spoiler, alloys, only 79,000kms, stunning in red!
Sure to impress!
From no dep
now only
$16,990
OVER 1000
VEHIClES
FOR
SAlE
Below is a small
selection of our
great deals!
To advertise in Best Motorbuys, phone Lea Godfrey 021 277 3086
$10,990
2006 mItSubIShI outlander
2.4, auto, alloys, ABS,
twin airbags.
$11,990
$79PW
2008 ToyoTa HIaCE WIdEBody
2.7 litre petrol, auto, huge interior
cargo space, ideal camper conversion,
or commercial use vehicle.
EXCELLENT BUyING oNLy $15,500
Cnr Moorhouse Ave & Ferry Rd
Christchurch
03 379 4254
$23,999
2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe
3.5 litre V6 auto/tiptronic, heated Leather seats,
Parking sensors, Reversing camera, NZ Sat/
Nav, NZ owner’s manual, Front tyres near new &
brand new rear tyres, stunning coupe!
541 Moorhouse Ave
Christchurch
Ph 03 3799529 or 0274366076
New CX-8 slots neatly
into Mazda line-up
I GOT talking to the
regional manager of Star
Media the other day.
Steve McCaughan is a car
enthusiast and we got into
a conversation about rising
fuel prices and we were
weighing up the options of
diesel against petrol.
Mr McCaughan’s daily
driver is a diesel-fed Volvo
XC90, and he said that
even though he travels a
lot of kilometres in a year,
by the time you take into
account road user charges
it works out only slightly
cheaper to use diesel.
I agreed, but also argued
that you get an involving
driving experience
with diesel, the mid-range
torque that the modern
diesels develop provides
much satisfaction.
The subject of this evaluation
is Mazda’s CX-8, a
large, seven-seat crossover/
sport utility vehicle which
has just been released on
the New Zealand market,
and the reason for
my introduction is that
the CX-8 is a diesel-only
model.
That’s not unusual, in the
last couple of years there
have been several new diesel-only
models launched.
and in an age where the
advantages are fast being
eroded, there is still a
healthy market for diesel,
and Mazda will capitalise
on that.
The CX-8 lands here in
three specification variations;
it starts at $53,495
(two-wheel-drive) and ends
at $62,495 for a Limited
four-wheel-drive.
It was the latter that I had
on test and I immediately
formed a bond with it. As
you would expect from
Mazda, it is beautifullybuilt
and feels just right
when you are seated and
when it drives, there is an
involving feel, and as a
vehicle it reeks of quality, it
is also a car which is highspecced
and intuitive to
become familiar with.
The CX-8 shares a lot
of hardware and software
that is fitted right across
the Mazda range, it is
user-friendly and spacious,
occupant comfort has been
a high manufacturing priority.
It is also an easy to vehicle
to access, wide rearopening
doors means getting
in and out of the third
row of seats isn’t restricted.
Along with all of the
Motoring
Ross Kiddie
MAZDA CX-8: Diesel power only.
usual features you’d expect
in an SUV of this stature,
the CX-8 also has a high
safety ingredient. The
i-Activesense suite of safety
technologies includes the
latest generation features
to come out of the Mazda
development process.
• Price – Mazda CX-8
Limited, $62,495
• Dimensions –
Length, 4900mm;
width, 1840mm;
height, 1720mm
• Configuration –
Four-cylinder, fourwheel-drive,
2191cc,
140kW, 450Nm, sixspeed
automatic.
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 8.9sec
• Fuel usage –
6l/100km
The Star
Under the bonnet sits
a 2.2-litre, turbocharged,
four-cylinder engine. It
drives through a traditional
six-speed automatic gearbox,
and while that doesn’t
seem out of the ordinary,
the thing is that the driveline
is spectacular in its
simplicity, it gets about its
business cleanly and effectively.
Mazda rates the CX-8
with 140kW and 450Nm.
In traditional diesel form it
develops maximum torque
very low down at just
2000rpm, which relates to a
strong throttle pedal feel.
As mentioned, that burst
through the mid-range is
quite exciting, the CX-8 is
quick (80km/h to 120km/h
in 5sec and 8.9sec to make
100km/h from a standstill)
and it delivers its verve
without complaint. The
engine works tirelessly with
subdued sound right across
the rev band, and the entire
vehicle is superbly quiet at
all speeds.
Mazda also claims a sixlitre
per 100km (47mpg)
combined cycle fuel usage
rating. That’s a good figure
for a heavy vehicle
(1840kg). At 100km/h on
the highway the engine
is turning over at just
2000rpm, returning a
5l/100km (56mpg) instantaneous
figure. At the conclusion
of my evaluation
the CX-8 was showing an
average of just 7l/100km
(41mpg), which I thought
was spectacular given that
included acceleration testing
and a couple of acrosstown
journeys.
I also drove my usual
highway loop taking in
the great roads around
Hororota, long sweeping
corners, and the occasional
tight section.
The CX-8 is superbly
quiet and smooth at open
road speed, and has controlled
balance over the
suspension. It is tall at over
1.7m, but there is little body
lean in a corner, and the
suspension soaks up uneven
surfaces with absorbent
bump and rebound. Of
course, each axle is located
by a fully independent
suspension set-up and that
complexity provides surety.
With 200mm of ground
clearance the CX-8 has
a little more ability than
the average cross-country
vehicle. It’s not a true offroader,
but it is at home
on uneven tracks, the long
travel suspension adapts to
broken surfaces and grip
goes down well through
huge 19in Toyo tyres
(225/55).
The CX-8 sits neatly
between CX-5 and CX-9
in the Mazda line-up, but it
is there to offer an alternative
for those brave enough
to take the diesel plunge,
those who do will find it
very worthwhile.
If you are a high-mileage
vehicle user and you need
a large wagon, the CX-8
answers that criteria. It’s
a pleasure to drive and its
bulk is far from a burden.
It is also fuel-friendly that
will pay its way over time.