Well said! Consumerism is the problem, NOT older cars!

Keep buying used, old classics is definitely way greener than buying the latest thing and get rid of it in a few years

Pre owned vehicles that are still on the road ARE the “green alternative “

I'm saving the planet by continuing to drive my 23-year-old Mercedes C Class 5 cylinder turbo diesel, which by the way, still runs like a Swiss watch👍😁

"Save the planet" is a catastrophically absurd and arrogant notion. Keep your old car and plant a tree. Pick up your trash. Eat your leftovers. Have a nice day.

Your 'tax on the poor' point is totally spot on.

I was involved with BMW when the 728 was launched. We all thought that it was a remarkable car. Some still exist in almost as new condition and they make excellent cars to use sparingly and drive with friends in comfort. They will also cover 500 miles in a day without a second thought. The construction of one car, running it with great pleasure over 20 years is incomparably more eco efficient than building four cars over the same period.

Its absolutely incredible how BMWs were advanced 25 years ago.

The greenest car you can possibly drive is the one you drive already!

People baulk at the thought of spending 2k a year to keep a great car maintained and running, but accept losing 5k a year on depreciation of a new car. Nuts

A $13 cassette shaped adaptor that plugs into your cellphone; means you can play mp3 files and use your phone's GPS in a car from the'90s ... That's what I do ...

Totally agree on our throwaway culture and always wanting new. We should be buying second cars and taking advantage of what's out there. Also, loved your point about the cost of electric cars and how it's taxing the poor. Top stuff

I've been banging on about this too. I totally agree. We generally don't get anywhere near the full use out of our cars. Its better for the environment to keep an older car for many years rather than replace them every 2 years with a brand new one

Too many new cars being created these days, that doesn’t help either. Just like Apple releasing a new iPhone every year and people feeling that they must upgrade. Miss the old days when a new car launch was something to look forward.

Nice rant, Jay, and I'm with you on that muddy road thing. On the whole, though, we're the lucky ones. Driving a lovely car like that along a country road is a joy and pleasure that future generations will not be able to experience. Let's just make the most of it while we can.

Great Video! And may I point out that especially old BMWs with the M52 and M54 engines can be easily converted to run on LPG, thus effectively halving fuel costs while lowering emissions at the same time. Greetings from Germany, E39 520i touring, 407000km (300000 + on LPG) and still going strong ...

Totally agree. The underlying issue is one of consumption that is out of control. Keep and maintain the stuff we have. Use up existing parts and resources, rather than digging up new ones and wreaking environmental havoc.

I agree wholeheartedly. Unfortunately the decisions are being made by clueless urban muppets with no idea about cars or real situations. Greetings from Darwin, Australia.

In regards to the milage problem, i dont have numbers from the UK, but in my home country(Denmark), the average milage for a scrapped car is 110k miles. A newspaper did a calculation in terms of c02 on a nissan leaf. You needed to do 180k in the leaf, running on all c0s neutral electricity to offset the production emmisions compared to a 2015 diesel Passat

I am absolutely with you! Driving a 1998 5 Cyl. Volvo S80 - as second hand owner - with roughly 80k miles on the clock is a bliss compared to all these small sized EV worth a cottage. Old car, smooth ride... Btw: USB/BT connection is provided by a nifty €5,- Dongle in the lighter socket.

Utter truth! Recycle by reusing cars (oldtimers) is much better than wasting money on new cars!

Got a sore neck from nodding in agreement all through this video.

100% agree which is why I handed back my 2016 118d at the end of it's 3 year lease and bought instead for cash a 2010 BMW Z4 with an old school NA 6 Cylinder 3 litre engine with just 33,000 miles! Exactly as you put it for what little mileage I do (less than 10,000 a year) I just couldn't see what use I was getting from a new car every 3 years, seem to be a total waste. It's just bonkers. Most people I know these days buy on PCP especially the younger generation, they don't understand the implications as pointed out in this video or the financial implications of buying on finance. If you can't afford to pay in cash 3 to 5 times the value of the car then you can't properly afford it. My 10 year Z4 gives me way more enjoyment than my brand new 1 series ever did, it has a silky smooth NA 6 cylinder engine doesn't have the stupid stop start or laggy turbo and for just 150 quid I installed an MMI box to give me Apple CarPlay which brings the infotainment bang up to date. I can't see my myself parting with this beauty anytime soon!

I had a fully loaded 735i facelift sporty shorty, and to this day I still miss it, best car I have ever had to just put a smile on my face every time I got in it, smelled amazing, super comfortable, cheap to run, super drive both for cruising and also a bit of fun, couldn’t think of a better all rounder for the money

Planned obsolescence. One of the major flaws in our modern world. Totally agree with you. 👍✌

I've said it before and i'll say it again, they're going after the motoring industry simply because they're an easier target. They should be going after the bigger companies who use far more resources than we do. Ie, cargo ships, airplanes, big factories pumping waste into the air every day. we'd see such a big impact almost immediately

@JayEmm on Cars May I also recommend an old Volvo as an excellent choice - then you don’t have to compromise so much on 20 year old car safety. I am a particular fan of the 850 (although the R versions are starting to become a desirable classic!) and the V70. The 5 pot petrol and diesels can easily do 250k miles and the interiors hold up incredibly well (especially the leather seats).

I don't do a lot of driving, especially the last 12 months for obvious reasons. Most drives I do take are over 450kms. I'd been eying a Phaeton ever since the early 2000s but never came into range budget wise. The enormous depcriciation of this class of cars meant that by December of 2019 I was able to lay my hands on a W12 from 2002. Since then every trip I make with the car is an absolute treat. I'm able to do most of the maintenance myself which keeps costs reasonable. So obviously I couldn't agree more with your experience. And congratulations to Moustafa on being able to enjoy this gem of German engineering.

Venezuelans and Cubans are like "we've known this isht for 60 years you fools! What took you so long!!!"

As Harry's garage went into in a recent video, I would have to run my current BMW for 100 years to make the same co2 amount as buying one new polestar electric and running that for ten years. The best thing we could do for the environment is keep what we have and stop building and buying new cars every year.

I’ve owned a 2005 Honda Civic up to about 450,000 miles and still sold it for $750. I plan to get my current civic to 1,000,000 miles :)

Agreed. I drive an E46 325Ci with 340.000 kms and it's still a very nice car. Sure, it needs its maintenance to keep the experience as good as it once was, but high mileage is indeed underrated with certain cars.

Everything changed with finance. I can remember when I was young in the '70s and '80s when my mother's Street only had 4 or five cars in it. Now each house has at least 2. Then, if you couldn't buy a car out right or had a golden credit you just couldn't afford to have one.

"Nobody wants to drive a 30 year old diesel" *Cries in Mercedes 300D*

Great thought, great video...May I add that modern gadgets if deemed essential can be retrofitted to your ultimate driving machine, Satnav, bluetooth, Reverse cameras, etc can easily be fitted without braking the bank.

Couldn't agree more. Just bought a 120,000 mile 635D for £5500. Dropped £1500 on a deep service, replaced vaccum hoses, regassed the aircon, changed water pump, thermostats, belts, harmonic balancer, diff oil and got ZF gearbox service and I've got a beautiful, fast, comfy car that drives like new and will easily see another 50,000 miles. £7k all in.....or about the price of a 90,000 mile miserable 4 pot Golf.

These luxury cars from the 90's were the best thing ever, like driving around on a sofa, proper luxury!!!!!!!

Yep, when i was living in London recently everyone seemed to have new cars, all my colleagues leased cars two or less years old for a couple hundred quid a month or more. One guy who was only 20 signed up for a 3 year lease on a 2018 420i. And I bought an older 2002 330CI for 1850, it was a fine car. In 5 months of lease payments, he could have owned my car outright.

When I was a teenager I used to clean neighbours cars on my drive, I cleaned a 7 series like that one when it was a few years old. I loved it and thought what a lucky guy, now they fetch a few grand and very affordable, if you find one looked after, they are still reliable and an absolute bargain, still built well with no crazy new electrical new gizmos to go wrong.

The future is now! They are becomimg more and more expensive, so the time is now to have one. My first 7 series was a 28i manual, a few years back and it was a really good allrounder, with all the space and comfort it can offer, all while doing really good mpg and still going pretty good for such a heavy car. Though its performance is absolutely uncomparable to the "big engine" models. I sadly had to get rid of it a few years back, but then i got a '94 40i, and i have to say, its just as reliable looking back the last few years. The only thing what is worse is the mileage obviously, but its worth it, it's really a night and day difference. Of course i got a second car, for winter, and as a daily, because i'd like to preserve the 7 series as much as i can, so i can enjoy it for years to come. Ironically my second car, the daily is a now exactly 30 year old diesel 😃 anyway,the 7series is a great car, its has all you'd realistically ever need, and it was really made to last. No touchscreen, no usb, no such fancy things, but really, what do you need? A good bluetooth dongle costs about €30, and you are ready, this sound system is actually pretty good as it is. Satnav? Anyone who has a mobile phone, has to get a phone holder for a few quids. And it will be faster, and better than most of the built in satnavs anyway. And parts are cheap to have, if anything unexpected happens. You just have to look around, there are plenty of good options out there 🙂

Never had a new car and probably never will so I will keep running older/secondhand cars

Timeless E38! We didn’t get inline 6’s in the states just the V8 and 12! Old BMW’s ftw!

I switched from a 1-year-lease to a 1999 740i with around 200.000 miles. So far it has been the best financial decision I have made. After 8 months and ~15.000 miles it cost me far less than my lease would have. I totally agree with your argument for using the cars already there instead of producing new cars (even tho I work for a car manufacturer).

Totally agree. I drive a 2003 Toyota Avensis 2litre vvti auto. T-Spirit estate. I bought it 2 years ago for £2k and it has now done 84k miles which for Toyota is barely run in. It does around 30mph (albeit on Uber expensive premium petrol). It’s a superb car if not very exciting - we’ll equipped, comfortable and drives beautifully. It looks and drives like a fairly new car. Keeping it on the road saves all the very well hidden environmental costs of producing a new electric cars.

I used to like owning big lumps like the straight 6 Jags & 7 series of the 90's as they where big luxury cars but weren't scary to own, unlike the newer ones that are just to complicated & expensive to fix

The best argument in this video is definitely the “tax on the poor” one. BUT the best argument on this topic that I’ve heard was Harry Metcalfe discussing the harm EVs do to the environment relative to ICE cars throughout their life-cycle.

I have a 2011 Abarth 500 on 180,000km, a 2001 Fiat Bravo HGT which has done 259,000. Both going ok still. Although spend a bit on maintenance I trade off zero finance costs and minimal (if any) depreciation as both have got to about rock bottom. It amazes me people are terrified of a service bill yet ignore interest and depreciation. NZ doesn't have the whole PCP madness, but car finance is not cheap even when it is '0%'. Ironically my mechanic sometimes gives me a seven series like you drove as a loan car. Mostly does BMW work, his loan fleet are 90s 3 & 5 series and the 7. Reckons that era is far better engineered than the newer product. I hate to think how many modern cars will be written off when the tech, rather than the mechanicals, goes wrong. It happens now with crashes. Minor ding, damages wiring loom, triggers airbags or whatever and the car is sent to scrap

Great video! I am actually considering a 728i myself and you have just given me another great reason to buy one of these gems before they get far too expensive to obtain. I’m 24 and I’m really bored of seeing turbo hatchbacks everywhere and I’ve always dreamed of owning a classic/vintage bmw, cannot think of a better time to do so! Well said.

I agree, my old golf has already offset two EV’s. People need to see the bigger picture. Great video Jay

The whole thing is as you said, a tax on the poor. This whole climate hystaria absolutely blasts the people that aren't so wealthy.

As a serial and parallel owner of several E39s and an E66 760Li, I have to say I think this E38 is utterly gorgeous...

The best review you have ever done. Calm, considered and funny.

Old is gold. Love this example

I just clicked to see my dream car, but was really glad to hear your thoughts . I also think that some old classics are better for people and the planet grid wise . And my idea is to use them instead of new "cheap" cars, furthermore I am working on how to merge the new tech with older cars, so that classics could get ev bolt-on kits with a decent mileage . Great video, thank you

Firstly nice to see you are safe and healthy, especially in the current climate. Excellent video, that strikes at the core of issue regards cars, buying them and emissions. I would love to buy a new car, however, I can't afford one £20-30K is well beyond my budget (and I guess many people), hence I (and many others) buy what I (we) can afford (used). Also many older cars (BMW 728i) a just better looking than their modern alternatives (Renault - Zoë). Stay safe and healthy, and keep up the good work.

Such a great example of E38. As new inside and outside without any 💩 tuning, blacked out grills, loud exhaust and stereo system bigger than car it self.

If the penalty of a crime or action is a fine, that law only exists for the lower class.

this is one of the few car channels that gets the sound perfect, well done, looks like you have a dead cat mic shield on a lavalier, sounds brilliant though, everyone should take note

Excellent commentary on where we’re at, and what the future holds (re legislation). I’ve owned my W124 E280 for 12 years. In that time I’ve covered 150,000 kilometres. Currently though I do around only 100 km per week, and one days when I’m not working I usually walk or use public transport. While it does cost perhaps 2k in maintenance very couple of years, there is no depreciation and I still enjoy driving it.

Harry's Garage did a great video about the 2030 ban breaking down the carbon footprint of having a new electric car every 3 years like people do on these leases, it ended up being astronomical with an electric car creating 50% more carbon than a regular fuel powered car during manufacturing

It's ok if you people in Western Europe get rid of your cars after a few years because we in Eastern Europe snap them up at good prices 😉

Agree with old car argument as I’ve done it all my driving life. It helps local mechanic also rather than Mr Toyota or VW boss. Keep em running. I don’t need sat nav or music centres they’re on my phone

They are indeed lovely cars. I always found as well that the V8 and V12 compared favourably to the V6 at motorway speeds. (I’ve owned quite a few.)

Subject to your funds in today’s modern world any interesting spec old BMW, Mercedes or Porsche is so much more rewarding to own and can be easy on the pocket with a good local independent service specialist. Ideally in more interesting colours than todays boring blacks and silver with boring and dull black leather ! Be it a 190e 2.6, or a 535i or a high spec early 987.

Good video , Volvo/ polestar have produced some interesting stats on this . On average the manufacture of an electric car generates 63% more C02 than a petrol or diesel equivalent . As a result Volvo have determined that a polestar 2 needs to run for 78,000 km before it’s carbon footprint is smaller than a diesel xc40 .

I am near San Francisco, drive a 1995 525i manual, wife drives a 1998 Volvo S70 and we have a 2005 XC90 for trips to the mountains. The S70 is approaching 300K miles, the other two approaching 200K. So I suppose I agree with you! Simpler, more mechanical, quality cars with plentiful parts; keep them going as long as is practical. My business is testing emissions from industrial processes (power plants, oil refineries, etc.) including auto assembly. Steel, aluminium, rubber, plastic, paint, batteries - I have seen the production of all those commodities used in building cars - each has a significant Carbon footprint. We will continue to reduce all those emissions, and regulations do help push that progress - but should be written to avoid schemes that impoverish the poor. Meanwhile, re-use and recycle what we already have, and when it is time to move to something more recent, purchase thoughtfully for many years of use. .

Been preaching this exact monologue for at least the last five years, aint nothing green about buying a new Prius every 3 years, even if it did emit only flower petals, by constantly replacing it you've also contributed to reducing the life span of a 12 year old African cobalt mine worker. Also, I have to say; I used to drive my old man's E38 740i, and without doubt (having also driven its competitors back then) it was likely the best handling full size sedan of its era, and possibly BMW's finest hour. It felt as nimble and connected to the road as its smaller siblings of that time, yet looked the dog's nads (not like the visual vomit they've made since) and was beautifully engineered . Amen to everything in this video!

I am skint. Always have been, probably always will be. But it's not the gruel slurping existence that the popular press would have you believe. I also live out in the sticks without much, if anything, in the way of public transport. So when my 800 quid Honda died about six months ago, I happened upon a 600 quid Saab 95. It's lovely. Leather everywhere, pokey motor, great ride, loads of space. It was slightly incontinent regards oil, but that's been sorted now. I'm reasonably handy with a set of spanners and I reckon I can keep the old Swede going until tinworm comes to claim it. So, yes James. I agree entirely, Keep these old motors going for as long as possible because the effort that was put into making it in the first place must surely offset the effort to replace it before it's time. And I'm skint.

Sadly the true reality of ecology will never be embraced by a government like it should. Appearances are far more important than a actual chsnge for the better Imagine if they subsidised and gave grants for keeping old cars running like they do electric cars. Hopefully one day petrol cars can be hydrogen converted.

Amazing rant (waffle)!! This issue plays on my mind a lot. We should never 'pull the reigns to hard', but slow down and gently steer our way to success. Legislation is pushing too hard in a short sighted manner to put all the eggs in one basket. On the EV subject I am afraid that by pushing everyone to rely solely on one power source, which is already used for everything else we do outside of transport, we will uncover unforeseen limitations or issues. Not to mention the environmental damage battery mineral mining will cause once scaled up. And not to mention the CO2 emissions involved in rewiring the EV charging infrastructure. I bought my E65 Sport 2 years ago, I use it for daily long distance commute and I feel I rarely have to fill up. Repair bills don't scare me as I'm not tied to a finance deal. And I intend to keep it for long enough that it might even start to appreciate! Keep up the good work.

I love the BMW straight six lumps. A thing of beauty and that sound is to die for.

Check out Harry’s Garage on electric vs ICE, he’s done good research on it. Bottom line, if you plan to change your electric car every 3 years with or without a PCP the damage to the environment of producing a new car is significant and we will need to get used to keeping our cars for 10+ years. Now that is going to be a bitter pill for car companies and consumers alike to swallow.

Harry’s Garage did a good video on the EV environmental impact and the future of classic cars. Spoiler...classics will be around for a long time.

Great video mate, couldn't agree more. On your query of the overall CO2 generated while sourcing materials and building a Prius I remember reading an article a few years back where they did a cradle to grave assessment of the Prius and compared it with the Jeep Wrangler. You can probably imagine which vehicle was 'greener'. Don't get me wrong I advocate electric and hybrid cars, but we need to look at the real impact they are having on the planet.

Cheers JayEmm. I was thinking the exact same thing a few days ago. Just seen this video about it. My car is 15 years old, and has 150,000 miles on the clock. It has been refurbed/ upgraded (RS parts) with new stuff where it needs it, and the old stuff taken off it has been recycled. It sounds awesome, is way too fast for public roads and is serious fun to drive. It is a lot more potent now than when it rolled off the Sar Louis Production line in 2006. It handles better, goes quicker, stops quicker and is relatively easy to work on, in fact, I have used it as a learning platform for developing my mechanical skills. Lots of stuff from replacing the clutch/ flywheel to RS spec. to upgrading the turbo components through to replacing the braking system, wheel bearings and suspension linkages. It has a bit of history and character, and it is a well loved car by many. Definitely by me that's for sure lol. This car gets 'greener' the longer it lives, and I get more knowledgeable the more I work on it. That enables me to keep other cars running longer. My 5 pot 2.5 turbo Focus ST. Will be a long time before I buy a new car if at all. In fact, I'll keep this one thanks.

Se thing as Harry came out with recently, sad bit is that cars nowadays aren't designed to last any length of time.

In Asia (and eastern europe) there is a large market of aftermarket headunits for older cars (yes even that 20 year old BMW) to have Android based audio and gps systems.

Agree with this, proud owner of a 2005 6 series with the straight six in individual malachite green color with Champagne merino leather. Bought the car for the price of its paint and seats when it was new. Still not cheap as it was well maintained and it has the SMG which will take some money to fix. The car just feels so good and I love it.

You are so right ✅ BMW drivers, "relax and chillout" equals, driving slow, not paying attention and so chilled they don't use their indicators........! You summed that type of driver up 100%. 👍😎👍MDS

You make some very very good points here James! I don't understand how pushing millions of people to EV's which are bought on PCP deals and swapped every 3 years can ever be better for the environment than using something older like this E38. Think of all the emissions involved in the production of a new car, not to mention the fact that currently a significant proportion of the electricity used in that EV is still made by fossil fuels...

May I suggest cutting this video down a bit, keep out the car review bits and send the rest about our transportation to a few news desks, the general media and public should hear these opinions

A very thought provoking presentation. I am very proud to say I own a 1999 V registered E38 2.8i with 74000 miles on the clock, I am the second owner having purchased it in 2008 and it is the best car I have ever owned, long term it has not been excessively expensive to maintain and it is always a pleasure to get in and drive. These fabulous models were built to last, as long long as you stick to BMW's servicing and maintenance schedules.

Well done on this, brilliant cars and still amazing to look at and to drive or be driven in. There was a YT presenter recently talking about electric cars, he went on a trip to the north of England and had to wait three hours to charge his electric car as there were two people in front of him and his car apparently took about an hour to charge. Not the very best of problems you want on a long journey!

Politicians love to pretend....

A “Twizzy” sounds like a rapper from South Central or somewhere like that😂😂.. love these old 90s beemers!

I bought my 535i E39 for £4200 in 2007, still a lovely car to drive anything else feels less.

Thank you Jay. I've agonised over my motoring choices (e90 m3 - just had to have one of the last NA v8s) but then feel guilty when my electric friends shame my gas guzzling ways. I plan to keep it forever. Happy to lavish a couple of grand a year on a work of art that gives me joy (and acceleration) with my family on board. Only now, I'm wondering about the more mature shabby chic of an e38...

I think far more people (petrolheads and normal people) need to watch this video. I'm glad someone like James has portrayed these problems, I thought only a few people were aware of the combination of the mentioned issues

You are talking a lot of sense. One of the issues is, we're so accustomed to "luxury" features on cars, it's hard for a lot of people to consider a car so old. Yes, we can modernize them to an extent, but many can't be bothered to do that. I agree that people don't need to be changing cars every couple years, it's something that's part of our "throw away" society. Think how many messages we get every day about the latest and greatest material goods, so no wonder we're conditioned to believe we "need" that new car or new phone or new TV

Wise words, I couldn't agree more. The newest car I have is a 17 year old Mondeo ST220 estate with a bit more than 225.000kms, just bought half a year ago to safe my BMW E34 525i estate with 460.000kms for the nicer days of the year. Both cars run great and there is absolutely no reason to buy sth new.

Spot on! Your comment on pulling away in an "old" car, is 100% spot on mate!

I've been saying the same thing for several years. 10 years from now who's going to buy a used electric car, and what happens to the old batteries? Thank you.

Algorithm brought me here M539 Restorations. I would say your friend Mustafa's taste is cars has definitely improved...somewhere around 750%-1000%. As Bill Maher says, Smart Cars are neither Smart nor Cars, they're electric mixers with wheels like all EVs. Audi's Quidditch tournament...I just busted a kidney there. Keep it up, James.

some valid thinking there, and especially with cost of production of new cars and the effect on the planet. Thank you.

My favorite exterior/interior color combo. I miss my 550i 2011, very similar to this, a nice old sofa with a cassette player to play my Dire Straits tapes, and an engine to float along the freeways of Southern California.

sounds like your rules tax the poor a little more. I really hope govts don't penalise old cars, moving forward.

I absolutely agree with your points. Just to mention something that can rejuvenate those good old style gasoline engines, in cars like that BMW a LPG system can be worth being installed. Running costs are halved, and they immediately get (at least in Spain) the so much cherished "Eco" sticker that entitles its bearers to drive into downtown areas of most major cities.

Jay Emm, if I ever meet you in person, I’d like to shake your hand most certainly sir! Without going into too much detail, you have just made a video about something I have been saying for the last decade! Anyway mate, great video content as always 👍🏼

I've just bought a 20 year old Volvo S80 petrol. I agree with you, I'll stick to my old cars

Speaking of Auto Trader, it's always fun to see the amazing deals on older cars. There are so many cars in mint condition at great prices, yet people reject them because they want the latest high tech car on the market.