Tag Archives: Karl Ferguson

MOTORNET: Solid Citizen

Article – Karl Ferguson With the on-going volatility of petrol prices, the tide appears to be turning against the large Sports Utility Vehicle, but we shouldn’t be too hasty in tarring all such vehicles with the same brush. Solid Citizen … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Close Encounters – Volvo S80 3.2

Article – Karl Ferguson There’s a reason that Volvos have a reputation for being safe cars. That’s because they are. Up until recently, I have never needed to know first hand just how safe – I have always taken them … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: More Than Meets the Eye

Column – Karl Ferguson It would be easy to dismiss the latest Honda Legend as just another attempt by a Japanese carmaker to get a slice of the luxury car territory. After all, the paying public is spoilt for choice … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Playstation Effect

Column – Karl Ferguson At first blush, I was beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about. Commuting in a WRX STi Spec R mid-winter, as the rain came down and the windscreen wipers heaved, it was hard not … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Baby Swede

Column – Karl Ferguson A cynic might suggest that a red Volvo is a good way to get attention for a new model, but believe it or not, Volvo have a tradition of producing red cars, especially when it comes … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: By a Nose – Subaru Tribeca

Article – Karl Ferguson It’s unfortunate, but inevitable, that many will remember the first iteration of Subaru’s Tribeca, not for its smooth six cylinder motor, or its seven seats – a first for Subaru – but instead for its rather … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Solid Citizens

Column – Karl Ferguson There are times when technology, rather than aiding us, seems frankly more inhibiting than anything else. It was this thought than ran through my mind after a few days with Volvo’s latest offerings. Despite a week … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Cardigan Wearers Need Not Apply

Column – Karl Ferguson People who wear cardigans do not drive V8s. Well, I suppose there are a few ancient Rovers V8s around and their drivers might well wear cardigans on occasion I grant you, but as a general rule, … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: T Is for Taut, Terrific… Tantalizing?

Opinion – Karl Ferguson I wouldn’t describe Carterton’s White Swan Hotel as pretentious exactly. Like any other pub in the Wairarapa on a Friday night it has a mix of patrons – some locals, some weekenders, and some like us … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em…

Opinion – Karl Ferguson For a brand that markets itself heavily on lifestyle attributes, Subaru are very late to the SUV party, but arrived they have, and it’s an arrival that has not been without controversy. MOTORNET: If You Can’t … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: A Bit of Swagger

Opinion – Karl Ferguson Rightly or wrongly, Jaguar’s are often seen as stately, even genteel cars – cars that convey their passengers in comfort and silence, cosseted, removed even from the real world. It’s the smoking jacket effect, lingering on … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Best of Both Worlds – Volvo C70

Column – Karl Ferguson > It’s easy to feel smug in a convertible. It’s also easy to feel a bit of a git. On the one hand you’re confident that people are looking at you enviously as you cruise with … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Boost for Ford Territory & Escape

Opinion – Karl Ferguson It’s been a few years since I last drove the Escape, Ford’s early ‘new century’ answer to the unprecedented Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) demand. The Escape offered a welcome alternative to a heavy and gas-guzzling full-sized … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Diesel Kia Leads Lineup

Column – Karl Ferguson It’s getting to the point that to be a credible importer of vehicles into New Zealand these days, you need to offer at least one diesel powered vehicle in your passenger car line up (though some … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Muscled-Up Italian – Alfa 159

Opinion – Karl Ferguson The motorway into the city was unusually deserted for a Saturday evening but perhaps not surprisingly given the lateness of the hour. The Nissan Skyline was virtually abreast of me when I noticed it, its passengers … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Heavy Hitters

Column – Karl Ferguson I can’t be sure exactly what the cyclist was saying, but his sentiment was clear. It had a lot to do with his shaking fist and angry expression. It seems that while driving to work one … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Free-Revving Six – BMW 130i

Column – Karl Ferguson It’s a Friday night. Things are quiet at this end of town, and few people are about save a couple of commuters who perhaps stayed for one beer two many and now make haste to catch … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Sexy Lexy? – Lexus IS250

Opinion – Karl Ferguson “You know, that really is a good looking car,” my boss said rather wistfully as he stared out my office window at the car-park five floors below. “In fact, it’s probably the first Lexus I would … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Ford FPV – Comic Book Capers

Column – Karl Ferguson Toxic terror yellow, caped crusader blue – is it possible that Ford’s FPV colour palette has in some way been influenced by comic book super heroes – or anti-heroes for that matter? Judging by the sheer … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: More Than Skin Deep – Alpha 147 Hatch

Column – Karl Ferguson Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini – Italian exotica that causes most men to go just a little weak at the knees at even their passing mention. Unfortunately, such exotica is usually well beyond the reach of most mere … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Advantageous Acquaintance

Opinion – Karl Ferguson How can something as common as an engine noise sound so magnificent? After all, it’s just cylinders and exhaust working in unison and yet, there’s nothing quite like the sound you hear from Aston Martin’s latest, … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Picanto Style

Opinion – Karl Ferguson When it comes to cars, $16,690 is not a lot of money to hand over for a brand spanking new model. In fact, you can’t do any better, and with its new Picanto, Kia is clearly … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Sound of Silence

Column – Karl Ferguson Sophistication is a quality that more and more people are beginning to expect when it comes to diesel cars. The knock-knock-knock of a cold diesel engine chugging into life and the accompanying clatter from under the … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Q Car, Mazda Style

Opinion – Karl Ferguson Want to build yourself a Q car? Simply take your standard sedan, add a modest body kit and some more performance oriented options like upgraded engine and brakes, and presto, you’re done. Jaw dropping expressions from … Continue reading

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MOTORNET: Makeover Madness French Style

Column – Karl Ferguson Peugeot, it would seem, are in the mood for makeovers. Not only has the 206 hatch range had a recent revitalisation with the arrival of the 407 sedan, estate and coupe, but now so has mid-range … Continue reading

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