RAC's Best Drives of 2023

5 March, 2024 By Alex Forrest

Watch Alex take you through the top four standout cars featured in Best Drives 2023. Continue to read below for the full list of vehicles.

New car deliveries surged back towards pre-pandemic levels and beyond in 2023. This was largely thanks to increased production at factories, which enabled long-standing orders for many new cars to finally be filled. Adding to the increased flow through showrooms were price reductions on some models.

Plus, 2023 was also the first full year of the Federal Government’s fringe benefits tax exemption for electric vehicles (EV), at a time when the market also experienced a significant increase in the number of affordable EVs to choose from.

It wasn’t all rosy though – continuing interest rate rises through 2023 made it more expensive to finance a new car, while fuel prices and broader cost-of-living pressures all tempered new car sales to some extent.

RELATED: WA's cheapest cars to own and run »

But those negatives weren’t enough to stop Australian car sales reaching more than one million by October 2023. It was the first time a million had been reached so early in the year, and 100,000 more cars than the amount sold at the same point in 2022.

Big increases in WA car sales

Nowhere was this increase more prominent than in Western Australia. In the 10 months to the end of October 2023, car sales here were up by 17.7 per cent when compared to the same period in 2022. That’s the biggest percentage increase of all Australian states and territories. We didn’t sell as many cars as the bigger states, but we had the most dramatic increase.

A range of new models entered the Australian market in 2023, including the new and long-awaited Subaru Outback XT turbo, the new Nissan X-Trail and the frenetic and furious Toyota Corolla GR, which clearly has the most entertaining three-cylinder engine ever invented.

More electric vehicle choices

New electric vehicles, particularly affordable ones, increased their presence in Australia significantly in 2023. The arrival of the GWM Ora (from $38,200 drive away), the MG4 ($42,630) and the BYD Dolphin ($41,760) led the charge in bringing EV prices down to earth.

Those looking to get a little more amped up from their EV experience had little resistance against current models such as the Kia EV6 GT and Hyundai Ioniq 6.

Among the utes, 2023 saw the launch of the new Volkswagen Amarok, while other new ute arrivals included the Ford F-150 and Toyota Hilux GR Sport.

Here are some of the standout vehicles we drove in 2023.

Compared to other MG products like the ZS small SUV and the ancient MG3, the MG4 is a huge leap forward in safety, handling prowess, build quality and infotainment system user friendliness. First and foremost, the MG4 is an up-todate, fun-to-drive and highly practical small car. It just happens to also be electric. For all the reasons above, the MG4 is one EV that thoroughly deserves to play a major role in bringing EVs to the masses.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is one of the cheapest PHEVs on the Australian market, so while its name is a mouthful, it can also help keep your wallet full. Be diligent with recharging it after every use, and you’ll hardly have to buy any petrol at all. New for 2023 was the addition of a 240-volt power point in the boot, which is supplied by the drive battery. It’s a comfortable, compact and affordable electrified vehicle with the safety net of petrol power if you need it.

Medium-sized cars may be an often-overlooked category nowadays, but if you decide to forgo an SUV in favour of a conventional car, there are benefits to be had. Compared to the equivalent Mazda CX-5 SUV, a Mazda6 G25 Touring wagon will cost about $2500 less, use less fuel and handle more sharply while keeping a comfortable ride. Driving the Mazda6 in 2023 was an excellent reminder of how much value, practicality and driving enjoyment can be crammed into this triedand- true format. Go for the wagon for extra style and practicality.

Among all the utes, EVs and small SUVs we drove this year, mid-sized SUVs were fighting for our attention. But we did get some seat time in the new Nissan X-Trail – the first new one in nine years. The still-competitively priced and long-overdue new X-Trail brought an all-new body design, plus an interior that refreshingly had retained physical buttons for the main controls rather than embedding them in the screen. It has no shortage of strong rivals, but the entry-level X-Trail is a wiser choice over the cheaper, bargain-basement alternatives.

Ever since the launch of the updated Outback in early 2021, buyers had been yearning for the one option they knew was missing from the Outback range – the turbocharged XT, which was already available in the USA. By early 2023, the XT was finally available here. With markedly stronger outputs (183kW/350Nm) from a slightly smaller engine (2.4 litres), the XT completes the Outback range and makes it one of the best large SUV/wagon buys out there.

Roomy, refined and really quite affordable luxury are the three Rs of the Hyundai Palisade, and these have continued in the current model which received a mid-life update in late 2022. Despite a price rise of between $3700 and $5700 depending on the variant, it’s still a tremendous amount of size and tech for the money which was further expanded with another update in October 2023. We strongly recommend stretching for the diesel all-wheel drive versions, which are lighter on fuel and tyre wear.

After the usual level of fevered anticipation among enthusiasts, the most un- Corolla-like Corolla ever made by Toyota was finally launched in late 2022. We drove it in early 2023 and can confirm it is absolutely sensational at plastering a smile on your dial that lasts quite a while. Gone are the 1.8-litre hybrid and 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines of regular Corollas, replaced by a small and raucous 1.6-litre turbo three-cylinder engine mated to a full-time four-wheel drive system that you can adjust to suit your driving desires. It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

The Pajero Sport deservedly was first in its class in our annual Car Running Costs survey, and it gets a mention as one of our Best Drives because it’s also great value. The model will be nine years old in 2024, and there’s a new one expected in early 2025. While not as new and refined as a Ford Everest, it is more accessible with a proven track record, and offers excellent warranty options. Four-wheel drive versions can be had with the Super Select system, which allows drivers to select 4x4 on sealed roads without damaging the drive system, which not all rivals offer.

A bump in power, some extra bulk to the bodywork and beefed-up suspension means the Toyota Hilux GR Sport is much more than just a wheel and sticker pack. As unconvincing as it might be to describe one of the most expensive non- American utes as good value, extra gear such as the underbody protection, KYB shock absorbers, a wider track, overall taller ride height and of course the 10 per cent extra power and torque all make the Hilux GR Sport an extremely capable off-roader straight out of the box.

The Kia EV6 GT won’t be responsible for getting as many people behind the wheel of an EV as the sub-$43,000 MG4 recognised under small cars in this feature. But as with any expensive technology, the EV6 GT shows what is possible and what might become more affordable in coming years. The EV6 GT can, on a racetrack, move the flesh on your face around with its acceleration. But it’s also completely docile driving around town with no tailpipe emissions. Those three things together in the same car were unheard-of just a few years ago.