Finally an adult conversation(s) about the car industry in Australia & the world. I really enjoyed this two part series from the Redriven team and yourself John.

For a dirty old man, your ethical backbone, and moral fortitude is impeccable. Never sell out and you'll have fans for life ❤

We live in an era where lying has become the norm our Politicians set the standard.

This is the corrupt world we live in, when the power of money can sap the strength of any criticism. I stopped reading/watching commercial journalism years ago because they simply cannot be trusted to tell the truth. All power to you guys and keep up the good work.

I am 77 and have a new Camry Hybrid. I love it; I can go from the Gold Coast to Sydney on less than the 50-litre tank in comfort. I don’t have a clue about horsepower handling etc., I never read a review from anyone, and it fits my requirements perfectly.

I'm still driving a 2004 Magna I've had for a long time. The fucking thing just won't die and everything still works and it still drives well. The poor man's Camry.

I had the spare part thing years ago. My Ford Laser was a rebranded Mazda. The 12 volt power socket died. Ford wanted $100. Mazda was the exact same item for $20

Two of my favourite car channels in one video.......NICE !

Years ago, I noticed how car magazines would write about all of the wonderful improvements that the updated model made. Including all of the problems they solved from the previous version. But they never reported on those problems when they were reviewing the previous version. You had to look for subtle nuance to find the truth.

With our current economic woes and the huge costs of living, Channels such as ReDriven are becoming more and more relevant for the average Australian. With his extensive knowledge of cars, Jim Hull might well just be one of the most important people in the car industry!

I just want a fucking Car that gets me around the Town. I don`t need all these silly B.S cameras, sensors and other silly bells and whistles. I just need a Radio and maybe an air conditioner. Cause in 10 years' time, all that B.S just fucks up! Been making Cars a hundred years and still can`t get it right.

If there ever was a podcast that tells me to keep my LS430 and keep it serviced to the nth degree (which it always has been) this is it. Many thanks gentlemen.

The taxi driver where i live still uses a Falcon AU, i have asked him why have you not got a new car, his reply was this just keeps going with minimal maintenance and is not worth updating.

Brilliant. More with these guys please.

Parts costs are why our bloody insurance premiums are so expensive 😢😢

100% correct. My family I guess you could say is pretty normal. I have a wife that works 3 days a week and three kids in school. A mortgage that is pretty low compared to most people. A pretty reasonable income I guess you could say, 160k combined gross. I just bought a 5 year old Camry $26k for my wife because that’s about all the cost of living allows for. A 130k ev is just absolutely BS and not even on the radar. Even a hybrid Camry would be a stretch because I’m being careful to make sure we can afford to live through a few more interest rate increases.

Confirmation of something most independent thinkers always knew.

The *entire* car industry is dedicated to getting you to spend as much as possible. The industry has people believing that the sensible thing is to work out the very maximum you can afford, then go and find something that "uses up" all that money. It's insane!

I think the 2024 car of the year award should be my 2006 Ford Courier 4x4 5 speed manual, 2.5 diesel ute, 320,000 km.👍

Car awards, actors awards any kind of awards is nothing but a wank fest! All paid and already decided! Money money money. No honesty these days. That’s why I subscribe to you and Redriven!!

I had the opposite experience with a local dealer. I was looking for a particular battery. One of the well known cheap mobs had them so I checked the price and rang one of our local car dealers who were also suppliers of them. Got the guy to tell me the price while expecting to have to ask if they price matched and they were about 40 bucks cheaper. Got great service as well. I'm still going to therapy.

This is amazing - I have followed ReDriven from the word go so to see you ream up with Adam and Jim is just incredible. The parts thing is insane. Don’t know if you watched Mat Armstrong rebuilding his Lambo? The side repeaters were £60ish from Lambo. When he looked closer, they were actually Focus Mk1 items and £16 off Ebay! Same with the throttle bodies of which he needed four- Lamborghini wanted about £1200 each. When he took the Lambo cover off, underneath was a Bosch part number which when he cross referenced it, turned out to be the identical throttle body used on a 2.4 litre petrol 2000-2007 Volvo V70! About £80 instead. And the ashtray was quoted at over £600! The identical part was identified as an Audi A6 rear door part and with the posh Lambo cover removed and glued onto the Audi part, fitted perfectly! Madness

The real take out of this piece is the acknowledgement that not caring what others think of you is the greatest experience of liberation available. Running a close second is the realisation that, when the flak is thickest, you know you're over the target. Bravo, guys! A great segment.

Thanks for introducing me to ReDriven. Seem like ethical and knowledgeable gents.

Car makers have truly lost the plot.people just want affordable, reliable, reparable car that last end of story.

Gosh John - I love nearly all of your work but this expose par excellence has inspired me to actually “put pen to paper” to compliment you and your cohorts… thank you

I drive a 1994 GS Nova (Corolla) 5SP. Cost $500…six years ago. Service every six months. Changed timing belt at 200k…oh, and replaced the wiper blades. That’s it…unlike the Fords I suffered with for far too long.

Great to see these 2 channels working together.I watch them both and look forward to all that they do together or independently.

I’m in NZ , But the only Car journalist I Trust is John , Raw , Straight to point , no Bulls** Simple easy and perfect ✊👍

toyota corollas and camerys give a great ride and just keep on working for years .

Reliability and integrity, is that too much to ask from the motor industry, manufacturers to journalists.

Chrysler Centura - Wheels Australia - "Its not just a pretty face like the Europeans try to sell us" - I have that magazine in my collection...

Overtightening a set of wheel is easy to do with an air tool ! A few years back Canadian Tire ( Crappy Tire ) did that for me ! A days labour and $400 later my wheel was fixed by a great mechanic and his apprentice ! An expensive lesson for me to not go near Crappy Tire ever again !

The other scam is the lifetime service plans where dealers claim that you will know exactly how much each service will cost for the life of the car. I had a situation recently, where a well-known and popular car brand (a brand that John often mentions in his top brands) wanted to charge me a lot more than the fixed-price service for items that the car marker recommends be replaced. Mine was for the 20,000km / 2-year service where the fixed price for the service is about $320 (to basically change the oil and oil filter). The service desk told me that the car maker recommends that the cabin filter and brake fluid be replaced every 2 years. They told me that the cabin filter will cost $130 and the brake fluid would cost $95. But they claim that the 2-year service cost under their lifetime service plans is $320. Instead of costing me $320, they quoted me $545. Surely this is anti-consumer behaviour and in breach of Australian consumer law. If the car maker is advising their dealers to replace cabin filters and brake fluid every 2 years, then why isn't that cost built into the lifetime service plans? It's not included, because cars sell better if they publish lifetime service plans with every other service costing of $300 to $400 instead of $500 to $600. I told them to go ahead with the brake fluid, but not the cabin filter. The service desk told me that it won't be a problem not replacing the cabin filter and we can look at it again next service. They also advised that the service technicians will just clean out the cabin filter and put it back in. When I got home, I removed the cabin filter to check it. It was a little bit dirty, but I could clearly tell that the service technician did not remove and clean it because it had a couple of leaves or other loose debris laying on top of the filter. I seriously doubt that the service technician even looked at the filter. If I had given them the go-ahead to replace it, they would have removed and replaced it and charged me $130. Out of interest, I contacted the car dealer's spare parts department and asked how much a new cabin filter would cost, they said $116. I then checked online and found a supplier interstate and the cost delivered for the cabin filter was $25.

I agree with you 100% regarding the i30N (6 speed manual) vs the (F80) M3 as I own both. The i30N is more fun and actually quicker point to point in an urban / suburban environment.

I know Subaru was mentioned here, but have to say I love my 23 BRZ in part because of it's lack of crap. In the 6 speed - no eyesite, no stop/start, no AEB, no bloody nagging. Just a glorious analogue experience. Naturally they've now gone and fitted those things to the updated model due to legislation.

I had an old Mercedes C class. Failed MOT on brake pipes. Mercedes wanted £400 for the parts. Got identical ones made up at Partco for £11.

Premium cars attract thieves, not worth the cost and stress.

Great show as always, love both channels, keep it up.

John, I'm glad you have joined up with these blokes. Love the content from both channels and have been a fan since you covered a certain car had its sunroof explode. (worked on the car in question)

I absolutely loved the format of this video . . . straightforward and no BS!!

The Three Wise Men of Australian automotive KZfaq, together at last #respect

Some companies like BMW ( motorbikes and cars ), Mercedes etc and also Harley Davidson sell a lifestyle, not a vehicle, because their stuff is often worse less reliable and badly put together than 'less premium' stuff like Honda and Toyota.

Being an average motorist, I have followed John on his journalistic motoring adventures because has something that is lacking in most mainstream media journalists, integrity. As far as the cars I purchase, their reliability and value for money is very important, and I tend to look at what taxi companies and hire car operators use, so at the moment I own a Camry and a Kia Carnival, they haven't let me down yet.

Great collab guys. Clicking part 2 right now.

Good work John! This will be a great video 👏🏼

I am so glad I found your channel, keep up the great work.

Fantastic collab. Still miffed you didn't send Cletus.

What a brilliant Chat/Conversation, well done.

Speaking of parts, I had the actuator on the transfer case of my E53 X5 fail and was quoted $3,500 by BMW (looked like a wiper motor to me 😱) and I bought an OEM replacement out of the Us for $700 delivered. All for the sake of a nylon gear that stripped on the actuator. (I understand you can now buy the gear for a couple of dollars 😡). They also quoted me $550 for a genuine Xenon globe and I could buy one buy it out the US but could only buy them in a two pack…they cost me… wait for it…$26 delivered in 3 days from Florida !!!.. now I also have a spare globe 😂

Owned my 2016 VF Commodore for 8 years now. Can't think of a new car I'd prefer to buy.

Sorry dude, I realized this back in 1983 when Motor Trend proclaimed that the Renault Alliance was Car of the Year. 41 years later and you guys are finally catching up.

Brilliant stuff. Thoroughly enlightening and entertaining.

Loved it ,good chat between guys that know there stuff👍

Awesome video. The lads from ReDriven are great value. I love there reviews.

Great to hear the industry truths on a forum that reaches out to so many people, Having been in the industry myself for 50 odd year's the thing that concerns me most is the cost of servicing a new vehicle and the components and materials replaced and not distinguishing between the time or milage, an example being a 2nd or 2 year service on a nissan navara that had only traveled 15,000 km costing $800.00. When questions where asked the owner was told if all materials and parts listed hadn't been replaced, the vehicle warranty would have been forfeited.The item questioned was the wiper blades.

Back in the mid 80's Porsche 924 exhaust valves were the same as used the VW 2 ltr LT Van, both using the VW EA831 Audi 2 ltr engine. Needless to say the price difference was huge, nothing changes.

Super informative. Great content.

My Fiat 850 Sports Coupes had only fifty odd 🐎, but through the Canberra roundabouts, on the smooth bitumen, it was bye byes. 108 mph @ redline.

Great work again guys very informative.

John, you are the KZfaq equivalent of The Dog and Lemon Guide, which had three Review summaries, the most common of which was "Avoid Like the Plague."

Loved the colab - more please.

Hello AEJC. Great stuff. Thanks. Cheers.

Tremendous! More, please! (watched both)

Great report, spot on

One thing I regard as a scam is failing the MOT (here in UK) because of failures of non-critical systems that could otherwise just be turned off. Tyre Pressure Monitoring for example -- a fragile system that I'd happily do without, but when it failed I was not allowed back on the road until it was fixed, at significant expense of course.

Fantastic program John and thanks to all for great show..

When it comes to parts mark ups its across industries. I work for a construction machinery OEM and when working on a mini excavator had a cracked TX valve on the AC unit, a new one costs $1200 from our parts department and there were none in the country. To try and get the customer going looked up other brands that use the same TX valve, Isuzu had the same valve for $660, and it also matched a mx5 ($120 from Mazda). Aftermarket from Repco the part cost $65, genuine is just a rip off.

The OEM spare parts racket is where vehicle manufacturers actually make their real profits, not selling new cars from the factory. I remember back in the 80's where a particular car magazine (Wheels maybe?) undertook an experiment whereby they priced every single OEM part from a dealership service department that was required to build a particular car from scratch (and it wasn't anything fancy but just some regular 1980's Japanese sedan from memory like a Camry or Bluebird or something similar). We're talking the body shell, all doors & panels, engine, drivetrain & suspension components, wheels & tyres, dash & complete interior, and also all the nuts/bolts/fasteners/fixtures/wiring harnesses etc required to complete the job. The cost of all these parts together came to something like almost three times the actual RRP of the brand new vehicle purchased off the dealer showroom floor, and this figure didn't even take into account the additional labour costs of paying a mechanic to fit all these parts together (and also professionally paint the body & panels) in order to build the finished car. And this was 40 years or so ago, when cars were relatively simple & rudimentary, and devoid of most electronics & gadgets when compared to today's vehicles.

In regard to car journalism the question is whether the customer is the reader or the advertiser and in with declining magazine sales it is likely the latter. I'm guilty of helping this situation as 20 years ago I used to buy Wheels, Motor, Two Wheels and Australian Roadrider every month but now I'm just happy with KZfaq.

Really enjoyed this … cheers.

Great Podcast. Awesome Content.

Thanks for this, was a beautiful production 😁

Great work John!

Good heavens, younger versions of JC! I've subscribed to them. Think you've properly brought them to the Dark Side Lord Palpatine!

Brilliant episode!

Peter wherrett was I feel telling it as it is!

Another great video, love the content.

Real, honest, data and experience based opinion?!?! I’m lost for words. I didn’t think this existed in car land anymore. I paused to make my first comment. The rest of this post is so encouraging to hear. I’m now going to watch the other half. Very well done gents, bravo.

brutally honest review of cars - these are the only guys worth watching

great idea for the follow up

That's why I love Re-driven and John's channels, you know that with most of the channels reviewing new cars, they have to restrain themselves due to their need to retain their relationships with the channels, but you don't need those relationships so we can trust what you say. I remember one particular channel being sponsored by VW, and people noticed that their reviews of VW products had very little criticism suddenly. Ended up with their viewership plummeting and the presenter leaving for another channel.

It’s not journalism if it’s been commercially censored.

Corrupt top bosses big bonuses on the line 🤬🤬🤬

This is the first youtube video where AEJC has worn pants. Great vid gents.

Whose garage!! Awesome.... Great chat fellars really enjoyed this format.

John/Adam/Jim, that was great. Can you please do more of these discussions.

Thanks John, really enjoyable.

Had a 2015 diesel Santa Fe… oil filters from the Hyundai dealer $52. From the Kia dealer…$22… same part number.

This is brilliant! Can we have more?

Thank you John. I've been raving on about this for 30 years.

Geez, a really candid show this one.

My god the spare parts fiasco! Are car makers really that naive that we wont look online and research the part ourselves? I had that happen about a month ago, $400 part from a dealer compared with $30 aftermarket that does the same thing!!

Extremely relevant topic indeed guys.... Kudos to you all!

Marvellous collaboration! The more stories of hi tech shit fuckery I hear the more I like my 12 year old Rav 4.

Great video, as usual. Whilst listening to part 1 on Redriven, you were talking about the dealers changing out brake pads early. I actually have the problem the other way round. I used to get the brake pads changed every 18 months to 2 years (140-160,000KM), but my driving has changed drastically and I am now driving less than 1K a month. On my current car, the brake pads are about 60% down after 120,000KM, but the car is now 10 years old. My mechanic looked at the brakes, when he swapped the winter wheels for the summer wheels a couple of weeks back and said that there is still a lot of wear left in them. I've heard of brake pads disintegrating, but never had a mechanic tell me, I need to change the pads due to age and I've never had a set of pads disintegrate. Are pads like tyres and should be replaced anyway after a certain amount of time or can you keep using them until they are worn down? I did have a set, back in the mid-90s that got glazed after an emergency stop at motorway speeds and I could feel the braking performance had suffered, so I changed them out, but other than that, I've always worn them down to

Shock horror- awards for products are nothing more than marketing exercises. Usually, you have to pay membership to the awards organisation. Food. Movies. Cars. Books. All awards you have apply for. Lavish fancy dinners and holidays also help. It's all BS. Just marketing.

I was a parts storeman for Amcap parts in WA from '89-'96. Every year, they would raise the price of parts by 10%. That's why parts can be expensive.

My 3 favourite KZfaq car guys together - WOW 👏👏👏

This is the most honest discussion about the car industry i have ever encountered online