Magnet Finance

01/09/2026

WHAT CAR DID YOU LEARN TO DRIVE IN?

Long before reversing cameras, lane assist and parking sensors, most of us learned to drive with one nervous parent in the passenger seat and a car that had already lived a fairly full life.

Maybe it was Dad’s Falcon. Mum’s Commodore. An old Corolla that refused to die. Or a farm ute with a clutch that felt more like gym equipment.

You probably remember the stalled starts, the first clean gear change and the exact stretch of road where it finally began to make sense.

What car did you learn to drive in — and who was brave enough to teach you?

20/08/2026

There are dual cabs — and then there’s the Ford Ranger Super Duty.

It’s made for people whose weekends can look suspiciously like hard work: remote properties, heavy equipment, rough tracks and jobs well beyond the suburban hardware-store run.

The newer XLT version adds a few everyday comforts without pretending this is just another lifestyle ute. It’s still a serious machine with a very specific purpose.

For most people, it’s probably more ute than they’ll ever need. For the right owner, that may be exactly the attraction.

What would you actually use one for?

17/08/2026

For years, the Prado has been the automatic answer for families wanting one SUV to tour, tow and head bush.

Now the Denza B5 has arrived with a very different pitch: plug-in hybrid power, serious performance, loads of technology and proper off-road hardware wrapped in a boxy five-seat body.

The Prado brings familiarity, seven-seat flexibility and a reputation built over decades. The Denza brings fresh thinking and a lot of equipment.

If both were sitting at the start of the same dirt track, which key would you pick up — the proven Toyota or the electrified newcomer?

14/08/2026

Some cars chase attention. The Toyota RAV4 just gets on with the job.

The updated 2026 RAV4 Hybrid brings sharper technology and a more polished drive, while keeping the basic recipe Australian families already know: sensible size, useful space and hybrid running without having to rethink every trip.

It’s the sort of SUV that can handle school drop-off all week, then swallow the picnic gear and head for the coast on Sunday morning.

It might not be the loudest choice in the driveway — but is that exactly why it works?

11/08/2026

The new Nissan Navara Pro-4X and Mitsubishi Triton GSR share plenty underneath — but they don’t feel exactly the same where it matters.

The Navara gets Australian suspension work from Premcar, while the updated Triton brings its own Yamaha damper setup. One aims for a more settled everyday ride; the other keeps the tough, familiar Triton character.

That makes this less about the badge and more about how you actually use your ute: weekday traffic, corrugated tracks, camping weekends or a bit of everything.

Same bones. Two different attitudes.

Which one are you taking home?

08/08/2026

The Kia Tasman certainly doesn’t look like every other dual cab in the car park and that’s probably the point.

It’s big, bold and built with the sort of gear that makes you want to load the van, grab the dog and disappear up the highway for a few weeks.

But the real test of a ute isn’t how tough it looks outside the coffee shop. It’s how it feels after thousands of kilometres, a few rough roads and a caravan hanging off the back.

Could you see yourself doing the big lap in a Tasman, or would you stick with a Ranger, HiLux or D-MAX?

05/08/2026

RANGER OR HILUX: YOU CAN ONLY PICK ONE.

It’s the argument that has filled worksites, pubs and family group chats for years.

The Ford Ranger feels like the modern all-rounder. It’s comfortable, loaded with towing technology and available in enough versions to cover everything from the weekday workhorse to the full-noise Raptor.

The Toyota HiLux takes a more familiar approach. It has earned its reputation over decades, parts and servicing are rarely far away, and its tough, straightforward character is exactly why so many owners keep buying another one.

Properly equipped versions of both can tow up to 3,500kg braked.

So this choice probably isn’t settled by a number.

The Ranger is the one many people choose with their head: newer-feeling cabin, clever technology and plenty of capability.

The HiLux is often the choice made through trust: you know the badge, you know the reputation and you know what it represents.

You’ve got one driveway spot and one set of keys.

Ranger or HiLux?

No fence-sitting. Drop your answer below. 👇

02/08/2026

BYD SHARK 6: IS THIS THE NEW AUSSIE WEEKEND UTE? 🦈

A few years ago, suggesting a plug-in hybrid ute for the Australian weekend would have earned you some very strange looks around the barbecue.

Then the Shark 6 turned up.

BYD claims 321kW, 650Nm and a 0–100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. That is properly quick for something big enough to carry the camping gear.

It can travel up to a claimed 100km using electric power under its nominated test conditions, then keep going with petrol when the weekend takes you further from home.

There are power outlets in the tub for campsite equipment, a big cabin and the sort of acceleration that makes traditional diesel utes feel surprisingly old-school.

The trade-off? Its 2,500kg maximum braked towing capacity sits below the 3,500kg offered by several established rivals. That matters if there’s a large caravan or heavy boat in your plans.

But for the beach, the campsite, the family and the Monday commute, the Shark 6 is a genuinely interesting bit of kit.

Would you plug one in—or are you keeping the diesel?

30/07/2026

ONE UTE. ONE BOAT. ONE LONG WEEKEND. 🎣

The boat’s packed. The weather looks good. You’ve knocked off early and there’s nothing between you and the water except a few hundred kilometres of open road.

This is exactly why Aussies love a proper dual cab.

The Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-MAX can all offer up to 3,500kg of braked towing capacity in the right configuration. But a good tow rig is about more than the biggest number on the brochure.

You want something that feels settled with weight behind it, has room for the crew and doesn’t make every launch ramp feel like an audition for Australia’s Funniest Home Videos.

For comfort and towing technology, the Ranger is difficult to ignore.

For something familiar, tough and backed by years of HiLux history, Toyota remains an easy choice.

And if you want straightforward diesel pulling power without too much fuss, the D-MAX keeps making a strong case for itself.

Three very different utes. One very good excuse to disappear for the weekend.

Which one is towing your boat?

17/07/2026