A third of New Zealand’s car dealers could go out of business in the next 18 months, says a leading car industry commentator.
Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide, says:
“A perfect storm just got worse. In addition to the recent meltdown of many key local finance companies, we have a […]

If politicians were cars, how would they be rated by The Dog & Lemon Guide?
Helen Clark becomes a Hummer battlewagon. John Key becomes a smooth and slick 1950s American sports car, while Greens leader Jeanette Fitzsimons gets run over by Helen Clark. Act leader Rodney Hide is ‘an overweight relic of the 1980s’, who gets […]

The National Party still needs to answer the hard questions on toll roads, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.
Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson said today:
“National is riding into the election on a series of vague promises and denials. For example, their transport spokesman said on Sunday that some motorists could be paying $50 a week […]

The National Party needs to clarify its position on toll roads, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.
Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson said today:
“National is promising public-private partnerships in order to build new roads. That sounds fine on paper. However, taxpayers need to know what the real-world costs of these public-private partnerships will be.”
The Dog & […]

A leading road safety campaigner has savaged a recently released list of safe and unsafe second hand vehicles. The study, compiled by Australia’s Monash University, claims to have used actual crash data to determine whether a type of vehicle is safe or unsafe. A leaflet based on the study is being widely distributed by the […]

Motorcycle riders are around 14 times more likely to be killed than a person driving a car.
The recent dramatic rise in motorscooter sales will inevitably mean a big increase in road deaths and injuries, says a leading road safety campaigner.
Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the car buyer’s Dog & Lemon Guide, warned today that motorcycle riders […]

The current shortage of electricity raises further doubts about the viability of electric cars, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.
“The Minister of Energy wants electric vehicles to gain a 5% market share by 2020, rising to 60 percent by 2040. If that many electric vehicles were in use today, then New Zealand would […]

New Zealanders shouldn’t be fooled by quick fixes to the current energy crisis, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.
Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson says yesterday’s EECA Biofuels and Electric Vehicles Conference in Wellington appeared to be a thinly disguised promotion for energy wastage.
Matthew-Wilson – who was not invited to the conference – said the event’s […]