Sean, Scott and Jade are back talking about EV owners beating the Victorian government in the High Court, Ranger Raptor engine issues that could lead to replacements and the Super SUV from BMW, the XW is in the spotlight this week.
Welcome to our new video podcast! While we've been publishing the CarExpert Podcast as an audio podcast for some time, we wanted to change things up with a video podcast! It’s hosted by Sean Lander (one of our videographers), resident CarExpert Scott Collie and our Social Media guru Jade Credentino.
Skip Ahead:
Intro: 00:00
EV owners beat the government 00:55
New emissions testing 07:31
Ranger Raptor engine replacements 17:37
BMW XM review 22:08
Our picks of the week 31:41
Outro 35:48
We review every new car on the market, bust car myths, cover the latest car tech and answer your burning questions.
Whether you need new car advice, purchase validation or simply love learning more about new cars and technology, we are your car experts.
Subscribe to Car Expert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DvMhvy3H7ntEgn9n3xQcQ?sub_confirmation=1
You'll find us dropping new video content three times a week. If you'd like to ask a question about one of our videos, simply leave us a comment. If you'd like to give us any feedback on our content, feel free to email us, or alternatively, hit us up on social media.
Finally, we want this channel to grow with your support and feedback. If there's anything you don't like or would like to see us change, we'd love to hear from you!
Follow us on social media to see what we're up to and to ask any questions!
CarExpert:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarExpertAus
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CarExpertAus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carexpert.com.au
Paul Maric:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulMaric
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PaulMaric
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PaulMaric
Welcome to our new video podcast! While we've been publishing the CarExpert Podcast as an audio podcast for some time, we wanted to change things up with a video podcast! It’s hosted by Sean Lander (one of our videographers), resident CarExpert Scott Collie and our Social Media guru Jade Credentino.
Skip Ahead:
Intro: 00:00
EV owners beat the government 00:55
New emissions testing 07:31
Ranger Raptor engine replacements 17:37
BMW XM review 22:08
Our picks of the week 31:41
Outro 35:48
We review every new car on the market, bust car myths, cover the latest car tech and answer your burning questions.
Whether you need new car advice, purchase validation or simply love learning more about new cars and technology, we are your car experts.
Subscribe to Car Expert: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DvMhvy3H7ntEgn9n3xQcQ?sub_confirmation=1
You'll find us dropping new video content three times a week. If you'd like to ask a question about one of our videos, simply leave us a comment. If you'd like to give us any feedback on our content, feel free to email us, or alternatively, hit us up on social media.
Finally, we want this channel to grow with your support and feedback. If there's anything you don't like or would like to see us change, we'd love to hear from you!
Follow us on social media to see what we're up to and to ask any questions!
CarExpert:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarExpertAus
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/CarExpertAus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carexpert.com.au
Paul Maric:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulMaric
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PaulMaric
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PaulMaric
Category
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MotorTranscript
00:00 G'day and welcome to the Car Expert podcast.
00:02 Today we've got a very interesting show for you.
00:04 We're gonna be talking about some interesting
00:06 governmental developments that have occurred
00:08 in the EV space and also the fuel space.
00:11 We're gonna be talking about the Ranger Raptor.
00:14 It's the rapture of the Ranger Raptor maybe,
00:16 with the engines potentially needing to be replaced.
00:19 So we're gonna cover that off.
00:20 And we're gonna talk about BMW's $300,000 SUV
00:25 that you too can own if you have $300,000 to spare.
00:29 But to help me get through all of that,
00:31 we've got joining me on the couch,
00:32 to my left, Jay Credentino.
00:34 How you doing Jay?
00:35 - Good, how are you?
00:36 - I'm very well thanks.
00:37 - A bit croaky today, so if you can hear it.
00:39 - She's wearing a jumper,
00:41 we're keeping her as far away from us as possible
00:43 just to be safe.
00:44 And closer to me, 'cause he's not as diseased,
00:47 Scott Colley, how are you mate?
00:48 - I feel so much better now we've kissed, hello.
00:51 So nice to be close.
00:52 - Disease free as well.
00:53 - Yeah, absolutely.
00:54 - Well we'll jump right in.
00:56 A bit of a win for EV enthusiasts this week
00:59 in Victoria.
01:00 The High Court ruled that the road user tax
01:03 that was imposed by the Victorian government
01:05 is unconstitutional because they declared it an excise,
01:09 which can only be done at a federal level.
01:11 So we're gonna open it straight up to the floor.
01:13 Who wants to take away with this one?
01:15 - Let me give you some background on this
01:17 'cause there's a little bit to it.
01:18 But at the moment, if you own a petrol car,
01:21 along with the registration you pay to the state you live in
01:23 and your compulsory third party and that sort of thing,
01:26 you contribute to funding the roads and their repair
01:29 by paying the fuel excise.
01:30 So every time you fill your car up with petrol,
01:32 48.8 cents per litre of that petrol price at the moment
01:36 goes to the federal government in Australia.
01:38 And that money, although it can be used for anything,
01:41 every year in the budget they publish how much of it
01:43 goes back into road infrastructure.
01:45 If you own an electric car at the moment,
01:47 you don't contribute to that
01:48 because you pay your state registration,
01:49 but you're not filling it with petrol,
01:51 which means you're not paying the fuel excise.
01:52 So what Victoria did was kind of get in early
01:55 and look at the fuel excise and say,
01:57 "Well, we don't get to control that money.
01:59 "It goes to the federal government.
02:00 "But maybe with electric cars,
02:02 "if we get in early and we tax Victorian EV owners,
02:04 "we can control a revenue stream
02:06 "that's only going to grow going forward."
02:07 And they implemented this road user charge
02:10 for electric vehicles, which is, Jade, 2.8 cents per kilometre?
02:14 Yeah, that's for electric vehicles
02:16 and then 2.3 cents for plug-in hybrids.
02:19 And what electric car owners need to do
02:21 is every year they need to send a photo of their odometer
02:24 to the Victorian government
02:25 and they then pay the charge
02:26 based on how far they've travelled.
02:27 Whether or not that was actually in Victoria
02:29 is besides the point.
02:30 But the argument that has been made by Chris Vanderstock,
02:35 who was one of the people who took this case
02:37 to the high court, is that essentially this is an excise
02:40 in the same way the fuel excise is an excise.
02:43 I'm going to say excise some more today.
02:44 And therefore, Victoria can't actually do it.
02:47 It had to be the federal government
02:48 and they won their case,
02:50 which means that, as for now,
02:52 the Victorian EV tax is unconstitutional.
02:54 What that actually means, though, we don't know going forward.
02:57 Yeah, so we'll have to see whether it's rolled back,
02:59 how it's rolled back.
03:00 I think the idea of having an excise for electric vehicles
03:03 is really important.
03:06 On average, they weigh more than a regular internal combustion car
03:09 and they're using the roads the same amount.
03:11 So I understand where this is an issue on a state level,
03:16 but the federal government probably should be implementing
03:18 something like this.
03:19 But as usual, they're very behind the eight ball
03:21 with anything that comes to technology.
03:23 I think the argument that was also made in Victoria,
03:26 and this, without wanting to go too far into my Year 12 legal studies,
03:29 if you want to take a case to the High Court,
03:31 it has to be a constitutional matter
03:32 and you have to be actually given standing to do it.
03:35 So part of the reason that these EV owners challenged it
03:38 was not just because it was unconstitutional,
03:40 but because it's a really bad policy
03:42 if you are trying to encourage people to buy an electric car.
03:45 You're taxing them on top of your registration
03:47 and that sort of thing.
03:49 What I think we need to move towards,
03:51 and I'm really curious for your thoughts on this, Jade,
03:53 as someone who owns a car, obviously,
03:55 is the same road funding for everything,
03:58 no matter how you drive your car or what you own.
04:01 So I think that this lays the foundation now
04:04 for, rather than the states doing their own thing,
04:07 for the federal government to look at overall reforming
04:09 how Australians actually pay for using the roads.
04:12 And maybe that is a per kilometre charge,
04:14 but it's the same for every single car.
04:16 Maybe registration centralised,
04:18 because it's done in some parts of the world.
04:19 It opens the door for all sorts of things.
04:21 But I suppose I'm curious to know
04:22 if you would be actually willing to, or happy to,
04:25 change from paying 700 bucks a year for rego
04:27 plus fuel excise to just paying as you go per kilometre.
04:32 - Yeah, look, I think it'll help with the cost of living.
04:33 I know that petrol prices right now
04:35 are ridiculously expensive and at an all-time high.
04:38 So obviously being able to lower that every day,
04:40 that kind of obviously helps.
04:42 And then you kind of, I know I pay my registration
04:44 once a year, so it's like a once a year hit,
04:45 and then I don't have to think about it again.
04:47 I think that it needs,
04:49 I do agree with Sean in the part that eventually
04:52 it will need to be a federal matter
04:53 and actually be implemented
04:55 if they want to encourage a lot more EVs on the roads,
04:58 then where's that funding gonna come from
05:01 to repair the roads?
05:02 I think they're stuck between a rock and a hard place
05:04 because you obviously wanna encourage EVs in space,
05:07 and especially we're getting more and more manufacturers
05:10 finally bringing their models here.
05:12 But if then people turn around and say,
05:14 "Well, I don't wanna buy it
05:15 "because now I'm gonna have to pay an even higher tax,
05:18 "or I'm gonna have to pay something
05:19 "in addition to what I'm already paying."
05:23 It kind of doesn't even itself out.
05:26 And I think that's why we're in this situation
05:28 in the first place.
05:29 And I don't know if it's because he was like the,
05:32 what was his name?
05:34 The one that filed the lawsuit.
05:36 - Chris Vanderstaff. - Yes.
05:37 I do understand that obviously Victoria's the only state,
05:39 so it's a bit like, it's unfair.
05:42 But I think eventually it will have to be a federal thing.
05:45 But it's hard to say,
05:46 "Hey, we're gonna tax everyone who has an EV
05:47 "but we also want you to go and get an EV."
05:49 - I think this is purely based
05:51 on our back of the envelope maths
05:52 that we did before the podcast today.
05:55 An average person who does,
05:57 like an average Australian does around 10,000 Ks a year.
06:00 And so we worked out that even with this current EV charge,
06:04 an EV owner was only paying about a third of the amount
06:06 of excise as what internal combustion driver was.
06:09 - So 10,000 Ks at 2.8 cents a kilometer is 280 bucks.
06:13 - Exactly, so it's a lot less than what you're paying
06:15 if you're driving a petrol or diesel vehicle.
06:18 So I mean, I don't see the issue
06:21 with the uptake being there.
06:22 I think the problem, as Scott alluded to,
06:25 the problem came from the fact
06:26 that the Victorian government was doing the dodgy a little bit.
06:29 - Oh yeah, yeah.
06:30 - So I think it's like, it's really important.
06:32 It doesn't necessarily have to be the same amount
06:35 because obviously part of the petrol one
06:37 is an emissions thing.
06:38 But I mean, not having it seems worse than having it,
06:43 to be honest.
06:44 - I think it needs to be the same across the board.
06:48 Maybe it's weight-based,
06:50 which is something that's coming in in France.
06:51 - Well, that's always the case with registration
06:53 is it is weight classes that, like I pay a lot more
06:57 than what Jade would pay for her rego per year.
06:59 - Right, Ford XR8, Hyundai i30.
07:02 - Yeah.
07:03 - But I think it needs to be consistent
07:05 regardless of what's powering your car.
07:07 We need to just say that this is what it's gonna cost you
07:09 to travel on our roads based on how much your car weighs
07:12 or what size it is or whatever classification they use.
07:15 Because ultimately at the moment,
07:17 electric cars are still a new technology,
07:19 but they're growing so quickly.
07:20 At some point, it's just going to be a car.
07:22 And it's gonna be more complicated
07:24 to try to distinguish between them with different taxes
07:26 than just to treat them the same way as cars and motorists.
07:30 - Well, to stick to the same area as we've been discussing,
07:35 the AAA will undertake a government-funded quest
07:38 to test 200 brand new vehicles
07:41 to see what their real world fuel economy is.
07:43 - Pop quiz for both of you.
07:45 What does AAA stand for, Shaun?
07:46 - Oh, I have it written down, so I cheat, so you can go.
07:50 So it's the Australian Automobile Association.
07:54 - Yeah, basically the governing body behind the NRA,
07:56 the RACV, RACQ, basically they're the hot clutching ones.
07:59 - Yeah, pretty much.
08:00 So they're gonna run a test to the tune
08:04 of about 14 million government-funded dollars, I think.
08:06 - Something like that, yeah.
08:08 - Out the back of Geelong on 200 brand new vehicles
08:11 to see whether the fuel claims
08:12 that you get on your little sticker
08:14 stacks up to real world figures.
08:15 Now, before we start this,
08:16 I'm gonna preface this by saying we know in this office,
08:19 and for you at home so you know,
08:21 those figures are tested in a laboratory setting.
08:26 All the parameters are idyllic for the car
08:29 to be able to get optimum fuel economy.
08:31 So the idea of those is not
08:32 that that's what you're gonna achieve,
08:34 but it's to compare-
08:35 - Apples with apples.
08:36 - Yes, a Tucson does this, a RAV4 does this.
08:39 You can have an idea of how much more fuel it's gonna use.
08:42 But anyway, I digress.
08:44 - So I think the interesting thing about this is,
08:46 although we know that because we work in the industry
08:49 and we spend a lot of time driving cars
08:51 and looking at the figure going,
08:52 that's not what the manufacturer said.
08:54 I don't think general punters out there do.
08:56 I mean, we get a lot of messages from people
08:58 who have bought a car and it doesn't match the fuel claims.
09:00 There's even been court cases recently in Australia
09:03 where someone has sued, it was Mitsubishi Australia,
09:06 for their Triton having significantly worse fuel economy
09:08 in the real world than on the official combined test.
09:11 So this is an issue that people really care about.
09:14 And it's an issue that was really thrown into the spotlight
09:16 even more with Dieselgate, with Volkswagen back in the day.
09:18 - I loved that documentary.
09:20 - It was really good, wasn't it?
09:20 - I highly recommend it.
09:22 I think it's on Netflix.
09:23 - Unless you work for Volkswagen, don't watch it.
09:25 - Yes, I'd be a bit traumatic.
09:27 But yeah, it was actually really interesting.
09:29 And it will give a lot of context
09:30 to obviously what the AAA are doing now.
09:32 - But the reason that these lab tests
09:34 are not necessarily accurate to the real world
09:36 is like Sean said, conditions are ideal,
09:38 but also car makers know what they are.
09:40 And I'm not saying the car makers are cheating on them
09:42 because it's not cheating if you're given the parameters
09:45 and you study to solve that test.
09:47 But ultimately, software in gearboxes
09:50 is designed to shift up at the right point
09:51 so the car is efficient on that test.
09:53 And emissions control systems work their best on that test.
09:55 - It's an open book exam, pretty much.
09:57 - Exactly, and that's what it needs to be
09:59 because car makers need to know
10:01 what they're working towards.
10:02 Otherwise they invest billions of dollars
10:03 in engine development
10:04 and then have to go back to the drawing board.
10:06 But putting things in the real world
10:07 does bring in some new variables
10:09 that is gonna give data
10:10 that's more relevant to Australian buyers.
10:12 And I think that can only be a good thing.
10:14 - I think one thing that I'm gonna find really interesting,
10:17 so, and correct me if I'm wrong, Scott,
10:19 but most of this testing is done,
10:21 say for instance in Europe or in America
10:22 where these car manufacturers are actually based,
10:24 but Australian road conditions are very, very different.
10:27 And what an Australian would travel,
10:30 like what their daily travelling looks like,
10:33 I presume would be very different to a European
10:35 or even an American.
10:37 So I'd be very interested to see the final results.
10:40 I did a little bit of research into it
10:42 and it looks like a very interesting topic.
10:44 And I'm really keen to see,
10:46 I think they're releasing something in November.
10:49 So I'm really keen to see what it comes out with.
10:51 But I think it'd be interesting,
10:53 if I was a manufacturer,
10:55 I would kind of be a little bit hesitant.
10:58 I mean, I don't know,
10:59 it's already happened with Mitsubishi once.
11:01 I don't know what's gonna happen
11:02 once these results actually get finalised.
11:05 - I have a bit of a problem with the whole thing.
11:06 - Oh, okay.
11:07 - I'm gonna get into it quickly.
11:09 These real world conditions are great
11:11 if you live in Geelong,
11:13 but if you live in Bundaberg,
11:15 or if you live in Broome,
11:16 it's not gonna relate to you so well.
11:18 And hear me out on this one.
11:19 So the other problem is,
11:22 so they test them all in a lab, so it's all the same.
11:24 But what happens when they go out to test car X,
11:27 it's a nice warm sunny day,
11:28 they go out to test car Y,
11:30 it's cold and raining,
11:31 they go out to test car Z
11:32 and it's windy but 38 degrees.
11:35 Like the real world conditions are great,
11:37 it's a great theory,
11:39 but you're suddenly not comparing apples to apples
11:41 anymore with this.
11:42 The results are not gonna be as consistent
11:44 as they maybe need to be
11:46 for something like this to have any effect.
11:48 - I think what I would say to that is first up,
11:50 that yes, I understand if you don't live in the area
11:52 they're testing, the numbers won't perfectly match you.
11:55 But ultimately a drive cycle kind of makes sense
11:59 across different parts of the country
12:01 if you are on the road.
12:02 So I still think it is gonna be more useful information
12:04 than a lab test,
12:05 despite the fact that the highway they're testing on
12:08 might not be the same as the one that you drive on.
12:10 As for the data that comes out of it,
12:13 I actually don't know how they're gonna handle that.
12:15 But I do know that it's very easy
12:17 to build in a range for example.
12:20 If you look at WLTP numbers from Europe,
12:22 they'll give you the best possible range,
12:24 which is a car with no options on small wheels,
12:26 they'll give you the worst possible range,
12:28 which is a fully optioned car,
12:30 big wheels, sunroof, heavy, et cetera.
12:32 I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility
12:34 these figures will just give you a range
12:36 calculated based off the testing and the conditions,
12:39 which again is not perfect,
12:40 but ultimately it's an imperfect science.
12:42 And this figure is still gonna be more useful
12:45 than the lab figure if you live in the real world.
12:47 - So Jade, quick question to you.
12:48 - I was gonna say something,
12:50 but hit me with your question.
12:52 - Okay, very quickly.
12:53 Would you as a consumer feel more comfortable
12:57 taking those results on from the AAA
12:59 in the theory that they've tested in the real world,
13:01 or are you not gonna care?
13:02 You're just gonna continue to buy it?
13:03 - Sean, did you read my mind?
13:05 'Cause that was exactly what I was gonna say.
13:07 I think being a consumer and going out
13:09 and being able to have the knowledge
13:11 that although this isn't exactly my conditions
13:13 of how I'm gonna drive this car,
13:15 I'm not relying on a manufacturer's marketing campaign
13:19 or a manufacturer's based off claim
13:21 that has nothing got to do with Australia as a whole.
13:23 I think if I'm comparing a RAV4 hybrid with a Tucson,
13:29 I probably won't be comparing it like this has 5.2 litres
13:33 versus this has 5.4 litres.
13:35 I'd be saying which one is closer to that claim,
13:37 and then probably going with that option.
13:39 Because that's probably where realistically
13:42 the vehicle is gonna sit with everything else
13:44 that I'm looking for,
13:45 and that's gonna be more relevant
13:46 and data-driven type thing.
13:50 Whereas if I look at a claim,
13:51 and for example, Toyota says their RAV4
13:54 is 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres,
13:57 but then they do this test, it's actually 9 litres.
14:00 I'm gonna drop a little bit--
14:01 - So distrusting, aren't you?
14:02 - Yeah, you know what I mean?
14:04 And that's, I think, it's not necessarily there
14:06 to create lawsuits and stuff like that,
14:08 but it's there to empower people who are buying a car
14:12 that are just going off these claims.
14:14 And if you do a really nice marketing campaign,
14:16 people aren't even gonna look at these numbers.
14:18 But if you bring awareness to the fact that,
14:20 hey, actually, just because it has the word hybrid in it
14:23 or it has a battery in there,
14:25 it doesn't necessarily mean it's gonna be as fuel efficient
14:28 as what you would expect.
14:29 - I think the last part of this that's relevant
14:32 is ultimately, although this data might be more useful
14:34 to the average consumer,
14:35 the best possible thing you can do
14:37 is take a car for a long test drive.
14:39 So if you've got a RAV4 hybrid
14:40 and you can have it for 24 hours,
14:42 I know that they're in short supply at the moment,
14:44 but you are able to drive it to school or to work
14:47 or to whatever it is
14:48 and actually see what it uses on that cycle.
14:50 And I think of examples
14:52 where I've driven some European cars
14:53 with start-stop systems that save heaps of fuel,
14:55 but on a hot summer's day on my commute,
14:57 the start-stop doesn't work
14:59 'cause the engines work so hard to keep the AC going.
15:01 And all of a sudden, the figure blows out.
15:03 So I think out of all of this,
15:05 the other thing is,
15:05 if you can get your hands on the car before you buy it
15:08 and spend some time behind the wheel,
15:10 that is the best possible way to understand
15:12 how it actually performs in your conditions.
15:14 And maybe you can do your own data
15:15 compared to the AAA and to the official claim.
15:18 - Also, we do have owners reviews on our website.
15:20 So you can check those out as well.
15:21 If you're looking to buy a car,
15:23 there's obviously long-term owners reviews
15:25 that people have.
15:25 So carexpert.com.au.
15:27 - Well, speaking of carexpert.com.au,
15:29 here we go. - Ah, here we go.
15:30 - Last week, Jade, you hosted your Car Expert Open Day.
15:35 So tell us a little bit about how it went.
15:37 - Everyone keeps referring it to mine.
15:39 It was Car Experts.
15:40 I just happened to be organizing it.
15:43 It was really good.
15:44 I stuck around the BYD Dolphin, which we had,
15:47 and it was really cool to have that there.
15:48 So big thank you to BYD for organizing that.
15:51 - You need a bit of security next time, though.
15:52 Someone sprayed graffiti all down the side of that.
15:54 - Yeah, I know.
15:55 - It looks good.
15:56 I mean, it doesn't--
15:56 - Yeah, weird that they put the name of the car
15:58 in their graffiti up, but you know.
16:00 - Just to be cool, we put a photo up,
16:01 but BYD had stickered it up
16:03 with all sorts of graffiti down the side.
16:05 - It was a real Banksy.
16:06 - It was a real Banksy, yeah.
16:08 - But yeah, we had a whole list of cars.
16:09 We had the Ioniq 6, the MG4, the Renault Megane E-Tech,
16:13 which I know that you kind of enjoyed.
16:14 - Yeah, I did enjoy driving it.
16:16 - We had the--
16:18 - Chevy Silverado made it in the end.
16:20 - Yes, the iX1, the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
16:24 - For the full list, check out the website.
16:27 There's a story here.
16:28 - There's a whole lot of complicated names and things.
16:30 There were a lot of standouts.
16:32 The big standout, I think,
16:33 was the Cayenne and the Patrol Warrior,
16:36 which was really cool for a lot of people
16:38 to see that in the flesh.
16:39 - People love V8s, too.
16:41 The common theme for both of them is V8s.
16:41 - We had a rev-meter match,
16:42 and people were just like, adrenaline, oh my God.
16:47 Yeah, so we exceeded our expectations
16:50 on how many people were going to get tickets for the event.
16:54 So, a massive thank you to everybody who did.
16:56 And the podcast, actually, listeners,
16:59 there were so many of you there.
17:00 So, I did want to say a personal shout out to you guys
17:02 for listening to the podcast
17:03 and also coming and introducing yourself.
17:06 Stay tuned, there might be some more news
17:08 about something in the future.
17:10 - And Scott and I will try and beat out this time.
17:12 - Ah, yes, those.
17:13 - I was on a beach in Queensland while this was going on.
17:15 - I was at a rally stage in South Australia.
17:17 So, you know, same, same, but slightly more busty.
17:19 - I also saw dolphins, though.
17:20 - Did you? - Yeah.
17:21 - Oh, there you go.
17:22 - Not the BYD dolphin. - Not the BYD dolphin.
17:24 - RV8, it was a great day.
17:25 - Oh, good, well, I'm glad to hear it.
17:27 A massive thank you to everyone that came along
17:28 and a massive thank you to Jade for putting it together.
17:30 So, well done, Jade.
17:31 That was really, I think we should give her a little clap.
17:33 - Oh, no.
17:34 - Yeah, a little clap, a little clap.
17:35 - A little golf clap. - Yeah, there you go.
17:36 - A fair clap.
17:37 - All right, so if you're a Ranger Raptor owner,
17:39 you may have heard about some of the issues
17:41 that are popping up around the place.
17:44 - Do we know any Ranger Raptor owners?
17:46 - I feel like we do.
17:47 - Oh, maybe we work with, anyway,
17:50 but yeah, anyway. - Yeah, anyway.
17:51 - So there's been a few issues come up.
17:54 People have reported drivetrain shutters.
17:55 They've reported wobbly engines.
17:58 They've reported squeaky diffs.
18:00 - Yes. - But now Ford,
18:02 a leaked, allegedly leaked--
18:04 - Dealer Bulletin.
18:05 - Dealer Bulletin has popped up saying
18:07 that there could be a potential for an engine replacement
18:11 in a Ranger Raptor if the valve springs are shot.
18:14 Who wants to take this one?
18:15 - Yeah, so look, at the moment,
18:16 it's understood to be a small group of cars
18:18 that may be affected by this problem,
18:20 and it's not yet clear if those cars
18:21 will actually need the engines replaced,
18:23 but the process that Ford has laid out
18:26 sort of goes through troubleshooting.
18:27 I know you've written it all down here,
18:28 but essentially step-by-step trying to fix the problem,
18:31 and the final step in the process is,
18:33 if all else fails, give them a new engine, basically.
18:36 - Yeah, so inspect spark plugs,
18:39 check for cylinder leakage, check compression,
18:42 check the valve springs, and if they're broken, yeah,
18:44 new engine, and don't forget to replace the turbochargers,
18:47 it says at the end, very important, that one.
18:49 - Look, I think this is obviously,
18:52 if it does come to the point of people
18:53 getting their engines replaced,
18:54 I think it's actually, it's both a bad story for Ford,
18:57 because obviously you don't want engines blowing up on you,
18:59 but the fact that there is a process in place
19:01 for people who are suffering this issue
19:02 that may be a warranty engine replacement,
19:04 and it being very upfront about it,
19:06 it's probably not a bad thing.
19:07 I think the other thing that's quite interesting is
19:09 there's a lot of performance car engines
19:11 that suffer problems similar to this.
19:14 I've written down a couple here,
19:16 but Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT3,
19:20 the first of the 991s, were both prone
19:23 to flambéing themselves on the track,
19:25 they'd just catch fire.
19:26 Subaru BRZ, Toyota 86, the current model
19:30 is going through an issue with the oil supply
19:33 on tracks at the moment.
19:35 You spend a lot of time on track
19:36 and you go around a corner for a long time,
19:37 it may end up starving the engine of oil
19:39 and blowing up your engine.
19:42 And then Ford's also suffered problems
19:43 with the 2.3 litre EcoBoost engine
19:46 that's used in the Focus RS, the Mustang,
19:48 with white smoke and cylinder heads.
19:50 - That's in the new Amarok now as well, isn't it?
19:52 - It is, but it's a different version of the engine.
19:54 So it was a more highly stressed one in the RS.
19:56 So it's obviously bad news if you own a Ranger Raptor
19:59 and you've been suffering problems with it,
20:01 and the fact that the problems are there is disappointing,
20:03 'cause we know obviously that if you spent 90 grand
20:06 on a ute, it's reasonable to expect
20:08 that you're not going to need a new engine
20:09 within the first 12 months of owning it.
20:11 But I do think that we should remember
20:13 that Ford is not the only company to have these problems,
20:15 and the fact that they're hopefully doing something about it
20:18 is a positive thing.
20:19 - Yeah, I'm a little curious,
20:20 because there seems to be quite a number of cars these days
20:23 that do seem to be having these odd issues.
20:25 So with the Raptor, for instance,
20:27 Ford, not new to building performance utes,
20:30 they've been doing it for a long time.
20:32 Obviously Falcons, the F-150 Raptors in the States.
20:35 - Yeah, the Lightning.
20:36 - Like, they know what they're doing,
20:38 and I'm curious, like,
20:39 why do you think this is suddenly happening?
20:41 Is it just rush production,
20:44 tie production, poor form, like?
20:46 - I think the first time,
20:48 and I know that you say they've been doing
20:49 performance utes for a long time,
20:50 but this is the first time a Ranger
20:52 has had a properly powerful petrol engine in it.
20:56 There's a lot of off-road hardware going on,
20:58 interacting with that engine.
20:59 I know the platform is designed to do it.
21:01 The Bronco in the US has a different version
21:03 of the same setup,
21:05 but I do think the first time you produce
21:06 and develop anything, there are always gonna be issues.
21:09 And obviously this is a very significant issue.
21:12 It's not something that can be fixed
21:13 with a software update or something like that.
21:15 But I don't think it comes down to rush production
21:18 or development or anything like that.
21:19 I think it's just, there's a lot of moving parts involved
21:21 in making this happen, and unfortunately for Ford,
21:24 they haven't got it perfect first time around.
21:26 - Well, I guess if you do own a Ranger Raptor, bugger.
21:30 (laughing)
21:32 - Oh, that's Toyota, sorry.
21:34 Anyway, we'll keep the podcast moving along.
21:37 If you're looking to buy a new car,
21:39 well, we have the website to help you out.
21:42 It's called Help Me Car Expert.
21:43 It's very, very simple to use.
21:44 You head to Google, you type in Help Me Car Expert,
21:46 and it takes you to a page
21:47 where we can help you find a new car,
21:49 connect with a dealer, and get you a great deal on it,
21:52 and get you in it sooner.
21:53 So if you've been speaking to a dealer that says,
21:55 "Oh, it's a four-year wait on this car,"
21:57 well, maybe check out Help Me Car Expert.
21:59 We'll hopefully be able to help you
22:00 get into a new car much quicker.
22:02 If you do use the service, leave a comment,
22:04 let us know how was it,
22:05 'cause we'd love to know what your experience was like.
22:07 All right, guys, we'll move on to the review of this week.
22:11 It's a big one.
22:12 - Literally, yes. - Literally big in every way,
22:15 and most of them the wrong way.
22:17 But it is the BMW XM,
22:19 and it is a $300,000 super SUV from,
22:23 oh, actually, it's a proper, like, proper ground-up M car,
22:27 which there's only ever been
22:29 a very, very small number of those.
22:30 - I'm gonna stop you on that one.
22:32 It's sort of a proper ground-up M car.
22:33 - They're claiming it's a ground-up M car.
22:35 - It's a dedicated car.
22:36 There's no BMW version of it,
22:38 but if you were to strip away all the M bits,
22:41 it's kind of an X5 with the 4.4-liter V8 from the M5
22:46 and the plug-in hybrid bits from other cars.
22:49 - We should mention, it is a hybrid.
22:50 - Yes, it is a hybrid. - It is a plug-in hybrid.
22:52 - Forget all of that.
22:52 How do you think it looks, Jade?
22:54 - Oh, God, I don't, yeah.
22:56 Look, we had the car last week or the week before.
23:01 Didn't get to drive it,
23:02 nor did I really have an urging need to.
23:06 We went inside the car,
23:07 and I think it was myself, Jack, and Will,
23:10 and we all opened up different doors,
23:12 and we all just looked at each other and were like,
23:14 "What is this?"
23:16 (Jack laughs)
23:16 And not in a good way. - The interior.
23:17 - No, why? - I see it.
23:19 That's the thing I like about you two.
23:20 - Yeah, I'm the same.
23:21 I really like the way it's finished.
23:22 - And I'm looking at your notes here, and it says,
23:25 where is it?
23:26 "Lovely interior, less lovely exterior."
23:29 My opinion is lovely exterior, less lovely interior.
23:33 - I really like the way it looks on the outside.
23:34 - I think it looks like a beast.
23:36 - Oh, wow. - There's a few people
23:37 around the office that drive them, not us.
23:40 (Jack laughs)
23:41 And it just looks like it owns the road.
23:44 You just, you wanna get out of the way, and it's--
23:46 - I think you're confusing it for the Chevy Silverado
23:48 we got in the office the other day.
23:49 - That was, yeah, that was a beast.
23:50 But I think it looks cool on the outside.
23:52 It definitely attracts a lot of attention,
23:54 and you guys will probably say in the wrong way,
23:56 but I'm with it.
23:57 I'm an SUV kind of girl.
23:58 Inside, for me, it was just too overdone.
24:02 Like, I cooked, cooked.
24:04 I burnt banana bread yesterday.
24:06 It's the same.
24:07 It's like burnt banana bread.
24:09 Like, it still tastes good, but like, why?
24:11 - Well, see, that's the thing.
24:12 I was all, "What do you do with burnt banana bread?"
24:13 And I was like, "Geez, that looks terrible,"
24:15 which is the same thought I had at the XM.
24:16 - Yeah, see?
24:17 Good analogy.
24:18 - The interior of the XM, for me, is the strongest part.
24:20 - Yeah, I agree.
24:20 - It's got an incredible stereo.
24:22 I love cranking inappropriate music for the car
24:27 when the car's got a stereo like that,
24:28 and listening to "Rage Against the Machine."
24:30 - "Cotton Eye Joe."
24:31 I know you listen to that a lot.
24:32 - Gonna leave that one truly alone.
24:34 Heavy sort of rock music on that stereo.
24:38 It's like being at a concert.
24:39 It is so crisp and so clear and so loud.
24:42 And I actually think BMW's improving
24:45 its interior design pretty rapidly,
24:46 but the XM has some really interesting materials.
24:49 You can get that baseball glove leather,
24:51 and each car is unique.
24:52 - The roof.
24:53 I have a problem with the roof.
24:54 - Yeah, so instead of a sunroof,
24:55 it's got like a tessellated pattern on the roof
24:58 that's backlit.
24:59 I don't love that.
25:00 I'm with you there.
25:00 - It just looks like a kindergarten's paper map.
25:02 (laughing)
25:03 - It's not gonna look good when you're kindergarten.
25:05 It gets in the backseat of it, though.
25:05 - Oh yeah, with like a crayon.
25:07 - Oh, they're just their fingers
25:08 and rub some Maccas all over it, yeah.
25:10 - But what I struggle with with this car
25:12 is it's trying to do a lot of things.
25:13 So it is a massive car.
25:14 It's five meters long.
25:15 It weighs more than two tons.
25:17 It's a plug-in hybrid V8,
25:18 so it's meant to be efficient, but also fast.
25:21 It just feels like it's wearing too many hats.
25:23 And that kind of plays out on the road in normal driving
25:26 with a ride that's pretty firm.
25:28 It also means that when you put your foot down,
25:30 unless you're in exactly the right drive mode,
25:31 you get electric motor and then engine,
25:33 and then they both work together,
25:34 and it just takes a second before you go.
25:37 It just all feels like it's trying to do too much in one go.
25:39 - It felt like it wasn't good at any of it.
25:41 Like it wasn't great.
25:42 Like it went through. - It's not bad at it either.
25:44 It's just it doesn't excel in any area.
25:46 - You would think for $300,000,
25:47 it would be really good at all of those things.
25:49 But like, you know, it's not really an M car.
25:52 We had the M3 Touring a little while ago, and like.
25:54 - I love that car.
25:55 - You can't, it's hard to think
25:56 that they've come from the same workshop, you know?
25:59 It's like, but my biggest gripe with it is that it,
26:02 for two thirds of the price of that,
26:05 you just buy an X5M, which has very similar power,
26:09 weighs a hell of a lot less, and is 100 grand cheaper.
26:11 - It's also quicker in a straight line, the X5M.
26:14 I actually-- - And it looks a lot better.
26:15 - I agree with that, yeah.
26:16 I had a drive in an X5M on the road,
26:18 and this was out in the back of the hills in Victoria.
26:22 And I got to the end of this really twisty road
26:25 in this thing, and I had this splitting headache,
26:27 and I couldn't work out why.
26:29 I turned around to go back,
26:30 and I realized it was because the thing corners
26:32 so aggressively, I was holding my breath
26:34 to hold my body up in the corners.
26:36 I hadn't breathed properly for the last half hour.
26:39 That X5M is a weapon,
26:40 and I do think it's a better all-rounder.
26:42 But I suppose what BMW wants with the X5M
26:45 is to take on the Bentley Bentayga.
26:47 It wants to be a Lamborghini Urus rival.
26:50 And in that context, if you flip it,
26:52 it's actually pretty good value,
26:53 because they're $450,000 and $500,000 cars.
26:55 - Not that you would get them for that price these days.
26:57 You'd be paying a lot more.
26:58 - You'd be paying a lot more with your options on there.
27:00 So as much as I don't quite understand it,
27:03 and it's of everything M that I've driven,
27:05 it's my least favorite,
27:07 but that's also the M3 Touring I adore.
27:09 And it's a hard crowd to beat.
27:11 I do think in the context of what it goes up against,
27:14 it represents decent value.
27:16 And I think also, like Jade's saying,
27:18 if you want to look like you own the road and stand out,
27:20 you can get some really interesting color combinations.
27:23 You can get green with sort of black highlights,
27:26 or I picked up an XM recently,
27:28 and there was a bold, bright blue
27:30 with gold trim up the side of it.
27:32 At least it's got some stuff going on.
27:34 - Yeah.
27:35 - So I'm curious, your thoughts on this.
27:37 We've discussed this a bit in the office, I know,
27:40 but for the listeners at home,
27:42 BMW's design is interesting these days.
27:47 So look at the M3 that currently exists.
27:50 A few years ago, I remember seeing that and thinking,
27:52 "Hmm, that would look much better as an AU Falcon."
27:54 But it grew on me, and I now really, really like
27:57 the look at the front of the M3.
27:59 But then the M2 came out, I wasn't a fan of that.
28:02 The X2, the new X2.
28:05 - I actually really like the look of the new X2.
28:06 - That seems to be dividing the office.
28:08 - Yeah, I'm not a fan of it personally.
28:09 But what do you guys think?
28:11 Do you think that they're pushing in the right direction?
28:14 They're trying things,
28:15 or someone's just been getting a little high
28:17 on their own supply?
28:18 - Well, no.
28:21 I quite enjoy it.
28:22 I think it's, especially all their new class, class?
28:27 Anyway.
28:28 - The direction they're going with those concepts, yeah.
28:30 - I think it's quite revolutionary
28:33 in what they're trying to do.
28:34 Like with Japan Motor Show coming up,
28:36 you're seeing so many concepts,
28:37 but none of them meet that level of design
28:41 and that level of quality
28:42 that I think a lot of people are expecting.
28:44 I think when you go into,
28:46 like when I think of futuristic,
28:48 and when I think of like what cars
28:50 are gonna look like in 2050,
28:51 like BMW I think is really nailing it.
28:55 I think everyone else is thinking too much outside the box
28:59 and it's just not realistic.
29:00 Like that concept form is just never gonna make it
29:02 to production and what's the point?
29:04 So to answer your question,
29:05 I think they know what they're doing
29:08 and I think it will work.
29:09 I think, is it maybe too aggressive too soon?
29:12 Perhaps it's not for everybody.
29:14 Like, are you Falcon fans?
29:16 - Mate, that was out of its time, what can I say?
29:18 That is now a classic.
29:19 I think the other thing BMW is doing well now
29:21 is like the worry that we had with the M3
29:25 and with the X6 is everything's gonna end up
29:28 looking like that.
29:29 But BMW has actually gone the opposite direction
29:31 to Mercedes and it's giving each car quite a unique identity.
29:34 So the seven series, massive grill, aggressive lights.
29:38 - A lot of lights.
29:39 - A lot of lights.
29:41 It's just, it is a lot.
29:43 But ultimately BMW has decided the people who buy that car
29:46 want it to be a standout, boxy, bold sort of thing
29:50 that really shows off basically.
29:52 The new five series and i5,
29:54 I think look fantastic in the pictures.
29:55 James has driven them in person, says they look great.
29:58 They're much more muted because that's what that buyer wants.
30:01 I think BMW is now in a spot where it is actually
30:04 kind of tailoring the designs to the right people.
30:07 And I'm kind of looking forward to seeing
30:08 the next three series based on that new class concept,
30:11 the next X3, to see what the sort of toned down,
30:15 more affordable, more mainstream take
30:19 on that design language is.
30:20 Because I think the best looking BMs are the ones
30:22 that have the least sort of glossy stuff on them.
30:25 They're just sort of to the point like the new five series
30:27 or the current three.
30:29 - So I guess to BMW's credit,
30:31 because we've been a little bit harsh,
30:32 well I don't think we've been harsh,
30:33 but we've been mean to them because of their XM.
30:35 - Don't bring us into your bucket, Chad.
30:38 - At least they're doing something
30:39 because we spent a lot of time,
30:40 and I remember I spent a lot of time throughout the years
30:43 saying that all the Germans make the same looking cars.
30:45 And I think to their credit, they are trying things,
30:47 whether it works or not remains to be seen.
30:49 - I never liked BMW's and I never, yeah, I just,
30:53 I looked at them. - Interesting,
30:54 the eagle's just turned off your microphone by the way.
30:56 - Sorry.
30:57 Yeah, I never really liked them.
30:59 And I've kind of had a chance to walk through a few of them
31:02 with the exception of the XM.
31:04 And if I had the money, I would kind of consider them.
31:06 And that's kind of what I aspire to be able to purchase.
31:10 Like before it used to be, you know,
31:12 the Lexus and the likes where, you know,
31:14 it was just very predictable design
31:18 and very predictable comfortability.
31:20 Whereas I think BMW's going out on their own,
31:22 they're doing something different
31:23 and I kind of respect them
31:25 and I'm leaning towards them now a little bit more.
31:27 - Okay, well, I'm curious what you guys at home are thinking.
31:30 Do you think BMW are going in the right direction?
31:32 Do you think they've lost their marbles?
31:33 Or instead of spending $300,000 on an XM,
31:36 would you buy three Ranger Raptors
31:37 that way when the engines blow up,
31:38 you have some left to drive?
31:40 Leave a comment and let us know.
31:41 We'll move on to our picks of the week.
31:44 Jade, I'll throw it over to you first.
31:45 I know you've got an absolute cracker this week.
31:47 - Oh, cracker.
31:49 Yeah, so my pick of the week is the race
31:52 that they did in the Bathurst Six Hours.
31:55 - Well, it's the weekend of the Bathurst Six Hour, yeah.
31:59 - There was a race for Hyundai XL's now special spot
32:02 in my heart.
32:03 My dad used to drive on them a very long time ago.
32:05 Now this video shows the driver overtaking
32:09 all of his opponents from a wide angle approach
32:11 through a bend.
32:12 Now it was very impressive.
32:13 - Just to be clear,
32:15 so they go full wide through the chase
32:17 at the bottom of Conrod Street.
32:18 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
32:19 - The fastest corner in Australian motorsport.
32:21 - But I remember watching this video so intently to try,
32:25 'cause obviously they were manuals.
32:27 I could never do that.
32:29 I honestly couldn't.
32:30 There was so much hand-eye coordination happening there.
32:33 So shout out to Tyler, did a great job.
32:34 - And credit to him as well,
32:35 because the XL's don't spread out like a typical field.
32:39 They will be bunched together in a group of four wide
32:42 and five deep, and they will go down Conrod
32:45 absolutely flat and accurate.
32:46 So yeah, it's a really impressive drive, yeah, 100%,
32:49 'cause that is a scary track at 60 k's an hour,
32:52 let alone flat out.
32:53 (laughing)
32:54 All right, Scott, what have you got this week?
32:56 - I've gone slightly faster than a Hyundai XL.
32:58 Misha Shadruin, I think is how you say his surname.
33:01 I'm sorry if it's not,
33:02 but he's essentially the Nürburgring master.
33:04 He had a company where he would teach people
33:06 to drive around the Nürburgring, rent them cars,
33:08 and he's now doing these videos on Instagram and YouTube
33:11 where I rock up in my car and he'll take me for a lap
33:14 in my car of the Nürburgring.
33:17 People rock up in all sorts of crazy stuff,
33:19 modified cars, race cars,
33:21 all the way down to really basic stuff.
33:23 But he posted a video of hopping around in a Model S Plaid
33:27 with a race seat or a car in it,
33:29 and on one of the straights, he hits 306 kilometers an hour.
33:33 The way this thing accelerates is unbelievable.
33:35 The way it stops, less unbelievable,
33:37 looks a little bit sketchy as he gets on the brakes.
33:39 But just watching it accelerate and watching this driver
33:41 who is very, very experienced at that track
33:43 in all sorts of cars,
33:45 and even the way he reacted to the top speed,
33:47 I just thought it was incredible.
33:49 - He's like, "Yep, not doing that again."
33:51 - Once was enough.
33:52 - And to Misha's credit, he's a phenomenal driver,
33:55 and he does this on what is like tourist days there.
33:58 So there is just hunters that have paid their 40 euros
34:01 or whatever to drive around the track,
34:02 and he's dodging all of them, going absolutely flat.
34:04 - In someone else's car with the owner
34:06 in the passenger seat, it's brave.
34:08 - I'm not sure what their insurance premiums are,
34:09 but I don't want to pay it myself.
34:10 - I don't know if they come with an UberGring.
34:13 - Not many do, I think.
34:15 Look, I'm going to go faster than both of you combined.
34:18 Now, if you are a fan of Formula One,
34:20 you may fondly remember the RB7.
34:22 That was the mighty V8-powered Red Bull machine from 2011.
34:26 It is a weapon.
34:29 Chills at the sound of it.
34:30 They're racing in Texas this morning.
34:33 If you're watching today,
34:34 we'll release a podcast on Monday,
34:35 but they just raced this week in Texas.
34:38 But to celebrate that,
34:39 they took Daniel Ricciardo to Nashville
34:41 to do some donuts in the street,
34:43 and then they took him into the garage at Third Man Records.
34:46 Now, Third Man Records is a place owned by Jack White.
34:48 - Of the White Stripes.
34:49 - Of the White Stripes.
34:51 He has a very famous song called "Seven Nation Army,"
34:53 which the Red Bull mechanics then chose to play
34:56 with the engine of the RB7.
34:58 And I'm going to play an audio clip for you now,
35:01 so those of you at home can hear it.
35:03 (engine revving)
35:06 Can we do a separate podcast on the fact
35:12 that the White Stripes was Jack White and his then-wife,
35:15 but instead of telling them that they were together,
35:17 they told the world that they were siblings?
35:19 - Yes, it was very strange.
35:20 - Very strange.
35:21 - I mean, they might be siblings.
35:24 - No, they, no.
35:25 (laughing)
35:26 Another podcast entirely,
35:27 but Jack White, fascinating dude,
35:29 and this, not my favorite rendition of "Seven Nation Army,"
35:32 but a pretty cool take on what you can do.
35:32 - Yeah, what you can do with an engine.
35:33 - Look, "Seven Nation Army" at 18,000 RPM
35:36 is pretty damn cool.
35:37 So yes, I think anything with the RB7 is awesome.
35:40 So I love that they still get that out
35:42 and still drive around in it.
35:43 Guys, that's pretty much it for this week.
35:46 Any final thoughts before we wrap up?
35:47 - I'm looking forward to seeing Daniel Ricciardo race.
35:50 I know that we're going to have found out how he went
35:52 by the time this goes live.
35:54 - Oh, he did a great job, didn't he?
35:56 - Damn, that crash.
35:57 - Not again.
35:57 - How disappointing.
35:58 But F1 has kind of caught the world's attention recently,
36:02 and Danny Ricci is one of the characters
36:04 that people just love.
36:05 So very much looking forward to seeing him back out there
36:07 flying the flag for Australia.
36:08 - Two Aussies on the track at the same time.
36:10 How good is that?
36:11 - It's going to be awesome.
36:12 Piastri will be up the front, Ricciardo maybe not.
36:14 - Yes, but I don't remember.
36:16 It's been a long time since we saw two Aussies on the track.
36:18 - It would have been when Weber and Ricciardo
36:20 were out there at the same time.
36:21 - Yeah, and they were nobody,
36:23 but now they're both somebodies.
36:24 They're both absolutely killing it in that world.
36:26 - Absolutely.
36:27 - It is really awesome to see that.
36:28 Yeah, all right, well, that pretty much wraps us up
36:30 for the week.
36:31 All right, guys, thanks for coming and sitting down with me
36:33 and thank all of you for joining us.
36:35 We're going to be back next week
36:36 with another very exciting show.
36:37 So make sure you subscribe on YouTube
36:39 or on whatever podcast streaming service you listen to.