I've owned a few Euros. The trick to acceptable ownership is to never buy parts from the authorized dealer and just find a competent independent mechanic. Servicing regularly is also a must.
You guys should now do a "Japanese/Korean cars we wouldn't buy" or "Japanese/Korean cars that don't live up to the hype" video. There'd be significantly fewer, but in the same way that people buy Euro cars because "oOOooH EurO!!," some people who think they know a bit about cars (they generally know much less than they think) buy late-model Mazda CX-30s, or Subarus with that godawful Lineartronic CVT, or modern Nissans, thinking that they'll go forever without a service. Even (controversial opinion) the 200-Series LandCruiser doesn't live to the "you won't have to service it for twenty years" hype -- just look at Doug Demuro's.
@@robertceroli3512Hyundai Konas are made in Czech Republic for EU market. They have a great reputation for reliability especially the EVs with their massive range.
I worked for BMW for years and years ago. One day, I had the pleasure of testing the latest BMW X6M 2011 at Phillip Island GP circuit as part of the driver training program and after 6 laps, this brand new car just shit itself. The turbo just stopped working and the engine stalled. Afterwards, the put me in a Mini JCW and it's so much more fun than the X6M.
early 2010s just doesn't really feel good to have a BMW or German cars in general (experimental parts like turbos and stuff), but the 2015 B58 engines made BMW taking up the ranks to be substantially more dependable than its N series. Specifically N54s and early N63s
@@baoquoc3710even after becoming substantially more reliable BMW is still less reliable than a Toyota. My roadside assistance program is the most popular in my state (in Australia) and it regularly releases which cars have the most vs least problems that require them to take action (obviously it’s in their best interest for us to buy a reliable car so they can charge us but do less work) Even tho this company is heavily invested in electric, Tesla is still at the worst end of reliability, along with Mercedes, bmw, Audi, VW And at the top is Toyota, Honda, all the usual suspects Now my conspiracy is that Toyota for many years built cars, at least the Camry, in Australia, and I think they have experience with our heat first hand, because where I live during summer 40°C is known as a “cold front” And every time I’m in my friend’s bmw it overheats, even during normal driving. He took it back to the dealer who said “yeah that’s what it’s like here, cars overheat during normal driving” But my mum’s 2012 Camry with 250k on the odometer has never overheated and despite being absolutely driven all over this country has not been problematic for her I mean even my Suzuki shitebox has never overheated once and it’s got 138k on the odometer
Im a car person and I bought a Bentley GT here in peru (we dont have a bentley dealer, you buy it using vw as a dealer so it was extra stupid) It was being sold for $55000... it had some electrical gremlins and the suspension was on the floor... it needed compresors and airbags... it also needed a full computer (idk how u call it)... it was about $105000 in repairs in vw so I negotiate it down to $33000 (has to be said, Vw adds like 40% on top of the bentley price because they are not the right shop to do the job)... I bought bags online and a bosch compressor for about $3000 in total (thats expensive for airbags and compressor) but after 6 years they have not failed me. The computer was a bigger issue but i bought the cayenne one for like $200 in a salvage aunction (overpayed cause is the same u find in a passat but i didnt knew that at the moment)...No issues whatsoever since. Got rear ended on january 2024 so I sold it cause no body shop wanted to give me a fair price cause it was a bentley... Sold it for $60000 and i bought a ram 2500. In all honesty, the bentley is easy to maintain if you dont give a f about having the car being fixed next to 90s toyotas and hondas... i MUST say, i've never talked to the average bentley buyer so i have no clue if other things go wrong... my experience was about $5000 in total invested and no issues since 2018 to 2024.
I have been driving Citroen C5 since 2014, the first one from 2014 to 2020, and the current one from 2020. I found the first one so reliable that I went for a later model and Exclusive badge in 2020. Extremely good value for money second hand, and way more comfortable and quieter than any other car I have driven (including Mereceds E200 and Volvo 850, S70). Everyone I have had as a passenger has commented on how quite and comfortable it was. It is cliche to say that the Hydractive suspension leaks, but neither of my C5s leaked (about 130,000km together). VEry cheap to maintain (well, the DPF clogged up and did cost a grand, but that can happen to any diesel car). For some reason Aussies have ignored this beautiful reliable and classy car. In a way it is good for those of us who appreciate this car as it is quite cheap for what it offers, because people are afraid to buy it, based on subjective opinions of those who have not owned one.
Don't give me hope, brother. I want one so had, but keep getting scared off by every review or research I've seen. Even a French specialist near Parramatta tells mebits impossible to get parts for. I've seen some that sit in his driveway for months as I drive past
@@vandur2322 I was also worried before I bought my first Citroen C5 in 2014. I decided to take the plunge after I drove one. The army guy that I bought it from said "once you have driven a Citroen you will never drive another car". I thought it was his sales talk, but when I thought of upgrading in 2020, I did not even look at other cars. In fact, I bought my current car unseen, untried from a dealer in Sydney (I live in Brisbane) and got it transported. I am very happy with it (as I was with the first one). It has not given me any problems requiring parts from overseas. It may be just my luck, but for their value for money as a used car, there is no competition. If I have to buy another car, C5 will be my first choice. Citroen focuses on comfort in their cars and if you are after sporty cars, it is perhaps not for you.
At least they can't say, and they don't, that some other car does what the C5 does. Every car that is not hydropneumatic is uncomfortable to me after owning these Citroens.
Several years ago I bought a 2005 Lexus LS430. Bulletproof, extremely comfortable, cheap to maintain and has already depreciated. Bang for your buck, it’s wonderful!
If it wasn't for the poor average fuel economy, I'd have bought one. Highway fuel mileage isn't bad, actually. If I was normally doing a lot of long trips on the highway, I'd get one. Super solid ride. Phenomenal value for the money, even when they were new.
@@cytherians an LPG conversion kit is a process in which additional elements are installed in a car's fuel system to supply the engine with an alternative fuel (as in, LPG) to switch between using petrol and LPG. LPG is an abbreviation for Liquefied Petroleum Gas, all you have to know about it is that it burns cleaner, has lower emissions than petrol and is dirt cheap to fill up (0.5 - 0.8 euros per liter where I am). A conversion kit will set you back 1000+ euros, but it buys itself back if you drive long distances on a petrol car. A car running LPG ends up using more of the said fuel, because its energy density is lower than that of petrol, but the thing is that LPG will still end up being cheaper to fill up than petrol. Petrol cars with direct injection are best for LPG, and in the case of diesel engines - LPG is mixed together with diesel in a 50/50 mix, reducing the overall consumption of diesel.
@@cytherians With no interest payments and no depreciation, you cannot spend enough on fuel to make it a bad idea. Ive got a lx570 thats just mint. Nonbetter car.
Women love Evoques, the reason people buy them despite all the advice to the contrary is they have no reference. They have no idea how bad a car can be and how quickly u get fed up with it. I have had so many men put me "on the speaker phone" with their wives as I try to explain why they should buy a Lexus NX or anything else in stead of an Evoque and some don't care and do it anyways.
My mum really wanted a RR but me and my dad talked her out of it and they got an RX then NX instead. Dad wouldve rather kept his 15 year old Prado if he had it his way but the Lexus was a nice compromise between the two. She still gets the euro itch though and asks 'what about bmw' and we talk her down to reality with stories of guaranteed oil leaks past 6 figure kms, replacing consumables 3-5 times more often than the lexus, repairs costing 2-3x more
After buying a brand new VW polo GTi in 2012 the oil light came on a week after it was delivered, after taking it back to the dealer the service manager said “yeah they burn a bit of oil”…..it burnt over a litre of oil per 1000kms and that was deemed by VW to be “within limits”.
no wories mate,that wasn`t the last one to burn oil😂literally milions of `em. Surprised that VW didn`t got sued by anyone till now,that was a pretty shit generation of engines(big plural,because alot of engines lol)..
@@eugenewang4650 I grabbed an immaculate 24 year old Corolla. 160,000 kms and doesn't use any oil between services. Something wrong with 10 litres between services.
I would avoid any car with a wet timing belt like Ford 1.0 Ecoboost, 2.0 EcoBlue, Honda Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo, Peugeot 1.0 VTi and PureTech engines and VW 2.0 TDI Also any BMW and Audi with the timing chain at the gearbox side of the engine.
High depreciation? Expensive parts and labour? Large wait times for spare parts? Complicated service and repairs? Expensive and fast wearing consumables? Suspension issues? Transmission failure? "Not a Yaris owners problem"
@@guillaumesibbille So sorry to hear that. The old Yaris sold bere in Australia was sourced from Japan, complete with the coveted J VIN number. "If it's not Japanese, you can keep it please" "If it's not from Japan, it's not for me man"
A relative had a Conti, and the costs are pretty crazy. $4,800 for a spark plug change (which for some reason needs to be done at 20,000km), and the infotainment screen (which looks like a VW one) is $13,000 when it dies. It was nice to drive, the overall driving character was very german, like it's an Audi A8 cosplaying as an english car; firm steering, seats and ride. It's interesting that a couple of commenters have brought up the Century, as I think that's a car that drives more like what you'd imagine a Bentley to feel. Pillowy ride, soft seats, airy steering, the sort of car where you'd sail over speed bumps and not feel or hear them.
@@KevinSan88 $4,800 for a spark plug change?, that’s insane, and it has to be done every 20,000km? I have a Toyota Camry V6 Azura, and the spark plugs cost around $100 for a full set of six, and they last 100,000km I had an Apple car play installed, and it cost me $500. You’re getting screwed, if you want luxury and reliability, buy a Lexus.
Please show her my comment, I'm a professional car buyer and refuse to source them new on principal. 4 Years ago I considered a Velar or my wife, the local dealer had a unit with 10,000kms on it, it was a 6cylinder $160k build. To say this car was rooted in every single way is a huge understatement. Buy a Porsche!
My Brother got a new off show room Evoque in 2019 $109,000. the engine needed pulling to replace the balance shafts within the first year of ownership, then all the infotainment has always gitched out even after software re-flashes and the reverse camera fell off, now since the warranty has ended the EGR cooler blocked up and failed needed full replacement $1800 thank u very much and just the day after the fix the top end of the egr system has failed a further $800 ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!!!!
Had C-Class, ML & GL Benz as company cars, poor bulid quality, transmission failures, oil leaks, electrical gremlins and the list would go on , only ever had 2 out of about 12 which never had issues. I now own Kia Sorento GT...
I bought a 2012 Focus for what I thought was an absolute steal. I asked the owner if he had done the dual clutch recall. He said he didn't but the gearbox was fine. It was for a bit.....then the hesitation etc started. I went to Ford who told me I had missed the recall window by six weeks. I threatened them with the ombudsman, so they fixed it labor costs only $1100. The gearbox was awesome and paired with that 2 litre, really rapid and fun. Luckily a tradie ran me into a pole so I got 12k for a car I paid 8k for. Then I bought the 2012 5cyl turbo Kuga, so good, now it is remapped, an absolute weapon and no dual clutch!
I was advised by a Mercedes Benz specialist who had apprenticed at York Star Motors in Sydney (been retired for over twenty years)don’t buy any model after 1993. Sure there are the occasional electrical faults in 1970’s and 1980’s models. But once they went to electronic trip meters is when the gremlins that infect all of them in the last 31 years began. The result of which they will simply stop working. You can keep driving with a wavering speedo, or the central locking not working and the auto gearbox not changing smoothly orl lose second or third gear. Fix vacuum leaks everything works normally or budget for a gearbox overhaul every 250000 kilometres ( hydraulic system so nowhere near as expensive as an electronically controlled gearbox). The zenith was 1983 to1990,s class, e class, c class although preferably with the number first rather than the letter. These usually had alloy cylinder heads and more prone to overheating. Would still buy a 300D/300E W123/124 or a190D/190E 2.3/2.6. All great driving cars. Cheers
I've had a Citroen C3 2019 model for 4 years and that was a solid car. The key part however is that it was the diesel(100hp). The petrol(puretech) however is/was horrid. Mine never needed anything other than service and I drove around 25-30k km in that thing every year. Now I fully understand that this is very anecdotal however, since this car has been very popular in Denmark, I've talked to quite a few owners and the story has always been the same. Owners of the diesel, almost no issues, owners of the petrol, a lot of issues on average with only a few not having any. The only reason why I sold mine was the offered price(70% of the original sticker price with 108k km on the speedometer ;) ) and the fact that the french cannot design a cabin it seems that is functional, at least not the small cars i've tried. EDIT: forgot to mention that it would easily do 25-27km/l and long trips on highway would easily be 29-30km/l. Very fuel efficient
Same for me with the diesel C5, currently sitting on 300,000km air suspension floats on air and getting 1300-1500km on a 60l tank. Only ever needed services. Citroen have some epic cars but get thrown into the French trash heap.
The 1.2 Puretech is actually OK, if you sometimes take it for high rev drive. I was surprised as well when I learned it but apparently (judging by what I found on forums) it has big difference in the long run. Also, the dealership told me that, the 1.5 HDI is awful, much worse than the 1.2 Puretech
@@x.kasiouris5503 What year and model? Mine wasn't like that. It was only boaty in corners :P but it stayed where it should which made it fun in a death wish kinda way :D
Oh yes when you touched above the VW Gen.1 Tiguan...! My neighbour here in Sydney a LONGTIME VW fan, spat the bullet with the issues he's had with his vehicle from new, the parts costs, crazy repairs, indifference from the VW dealer etc etc. He 'dumped it' and bought a Hyundai equivalent, no issues at all which parallel the VW problems. I have friends who run a local garage and its been servicing cars for over 45 years, father and son. They feel for example any Mercedes after the mid 90s is crap.
Just on the note for the Renaults and Citroens and Peugeots, sometimes they cost nearly half as much as their competition in fully working condition. So then it becomes "I know this thing isn't that reliable but the repairs shouldn't cost as much as the price difference".
Frog stuff is reliable so long as you turn your own spanners. Deadshit Australian “mechanics” are the biggest problem French cars have. I’ve owned at least 30 of them and most bought used and old, and all have needed a lot of bodges and poor repairs rectified. And then they’re great.
@@froggy0162 Had a few 207's and 308's. Cheap to buy, cheap for me to fix. But you have to fix stuff before you should have to. 100,000km - timing chain, oil seals, carbon in the inlet, turbo, plastic thermostat, saggy door cards, info display LCD.....
@@darrinheaven4643Those direct injected BMW engines are a bit high maintenance. All direct injection engines need valve cleans, and at least a timing chain job on those isn’t much harder than a lot of timing belts… But it’s not like the proper Peugeot engines that are really tough and reliable.
Fun fact - both the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport started out with the same engine/running gear as the Freelander 2, which is regarded as a reasonably reliable powertrain (especially in Australia, where they lacked a DPF system). Once they switched to Ingeniums in 2016 or so, reliability fell off a cliff.
I have owned a 2010 twin charge Jetta. Brilliant car, so smooth and responsive. No problems whatsoever. So having said that, it'll probably blow up now.
Peugeot 308 purchased for my wife - everything was odd. Most annoying was the security wheel nuts with a wheel brace that lost the pin needed to unlock the nut. A $30 tyre repair, ending up costing about $800. I couldn't get the wheel off, so I filled it with gunk to get it to the tyre shop. The tyre shop could not get the wheel off, so DR Nut had to come out. Turbo leaked and had electrical problems.The low profile tyre was ruined by the gunk, so could not be patched. My car is a 2008 Holden/Vauxhall/Opel Astra which has exceeded expectations. Machinally strong, but paint not designed for the Australian sun. The 308 was replaced in 2018 by a new Mazda 3.
My honda jazz 16 years old has driven 350000km. Every year drive about 50000km. Go to work and do ubereats. No problem at all. Sadly I hit my driver door, it is a little bit leak after I replaced a door from wrecker. I don't know what else car I would buy for a next one in the future.
Living in the Middle East for the past 8.5yrs i have never seen a Range Rover or Land Rover in the desert...and there are thousands on the road! Image-thing maybe... I drive a Pajero 3.8 V6
And sometimes you see them drive on highways at 100 km/h with fully collapsed rear suspension (particularly the LR3/LR4s). 😂 Like c'mon.... that can't be safe to turn corners in and the sway bar bushings will be the next thing on its way out.
Nice .. I have a 3.8 Pajero too.. fantastic car.. I also used mercedes CLS (sold it after 420k km)… and I currently daily a W221 S class.. so far 215k km on the odometer after 4 years and no serious issues.. greetings from Oman 🇴🇲 … and I always buy second hand with 30-80k km on the odometer so very little depreciation and relatively clean records to start with
@@MisterTee Nice to know . Do you have any insight into Audi S3 , sedan, year models from 2015-2020 , and if they were considered reliable '? I've only done a little digging but so far I can see that the EA888 engine, is it, is pretty bulletproof maybe 🤔
its just that the audi's are just a tad better than the clunkers on this list. They couldve just filled the entire segment with every land rover & range rover model.
We owned a 2010 E70 X5 35d and it was a BRILLIANT car. Awesome power for towing, drove fantastic and had very few minor issues. I will add though that I did all the services myself (not a mechanic) at 5000k intervals. I personally think that this is why it had no major issues. We did have the front shock top bushes fall apart, one front control arm needed replacing, one rear suspension airbag developed a leak and the electronic park brake switch broke.
Mate had an X5 and I was really sad when he sold it . I really looked forward to the ridiculous stories of doors not opening and lights not working etc etc that he would tell me . Funniest part was the insane amounts of money he poured into that thing . I miss those stories .
See, the list that you've just described, is longer than the sum of all the problems I've had over 24 years of owning aging Toyotas: one speedo cable ($80), one starter motor (free under extended warrantee), and one engine mount (in a 17-year-old Toyota Blade). I've got too much self-respect to have my time taken up dealing with unreliable cars.
Could be they are too fragile in the australian summer heat where outside temps regularly go over 40 celsius and a considerable amount of faults are attributed to the transmission; european market still has manual options that a lot of people go for which removes that point of failure. And stop start traffic is common where in europe its apparently more free flowing, which again puts a lot more stress on the vehicle. Also most of our Japanese cars are actually made in Japan where in foreign markets due to them being LHD (Japan is RHD), they have non-japanese factories making them which decreases quality.
Not really. They're just affordable to repair and we don't have that "no parts" problem. The Golf still isn't that reliable here, it's just affordable to fix. Also, depending on how you drive/live, it might be the best design as how long it'll last.
@@savots3812 I can speak from my own experience that most of the diesels(2L in particular)from Merc und VW are bulletproof, as long as you maintain them every 15-20 k km.
I think part of the problem is that for certain overseas markets, there will be specific models or engines produced for it. Not sufficiently tested and refined. So for instance, the tiny 1.4L engine VW produces for overseas was shredded as a failure by these guys. But VW & Audi's 2.0L engines are really (mostly) good.
@peterwilson8039 A friend of mine had an €800 1983 Porsche 924 at some point. What an absolute money pit that was. It was also very unreliable even after putting so much money in it. He had a Mercedes W115 from 1974 before it, and it was at least a reliable car. Even though it was expensive to keep it in good condition.
@@peterwilson8039 They're pretty great, not hard to work on and parts (at least in Europe) are quite cheap. Also if you pick the right ones they can be super reliable
Stellantis couldn't build a Lego set. I went to a friends house in Paddington. They had a Discovery parked out the front. After commenting on it the wife handed me the keys and said 'just take it'
Regarding the Renaults, my dad has been working at Hertz (car rental service) for over 5 years and all the Renaults which are just rebadged other cars like the Koleos and the Captur seem to be riddled with problems yet the Nissan equivilant doesn't have them despite having the same mechanical parts underneath. Almost like the second you put the Reanult badge on the car it becomes shit.....
See if you have ABSOLUTLY NO IDEEA of what you are talking about???? I had a 2011 Citroen C5 2.0 163Hp HDI , I kept it 8 years!!! It did 367.000 kms , and the only thing that broke , was the alternator. I bought after that a brand new Kia Ceed , 2019 model. Sold it after 10.000kms , GIANT PIECE OF CRAP. Now I am the happy owner of a 2016 VW Passat B8 2.0 TDI ❤❤❤❤ , that I am keeping for the rest of my life , and I am only 37!
I bought a 2016 S65 AMG a year ago for $150k when it was $490k brand new with 110k km on it, I set aside $30k for any repairs and haven't had to touch that once. It's currently sitting at around 145k km and my family and I recently made a nearly 7000km road trip in it and it's been absolutely faultless. I drive this car daily and it's the best car I've ever driven and owned by a country mile. No Lexus can replicate the feeling you get with this car. I think it's wrong to say you should stay away from all S - Classes, I understand choosing a Lexus over something like an S350, but there isn't a single Japanese car that will give you the same joy and satisfaction an S63 or S65 will. Take advantage of the huge depreciation and buy the top-of-the-line models. Obviously don't buy one if you can't afford to maintain it, but if you set aside some money for repairs, you will never be disappointed. I owned a 2007 LS460 in 2011 and it gave me far more problems than the S65 has and I sold it after 8 months. Even my 2019 LC200 has had more issues in the last year (they were very minor and cheap to repair to be fair). That being said, if you want something bulletproof, my father still drives a 2007 Prado he bought brand new, which he regularly takes off-road, it has 600k km on it and he's never had any major issues with it.
Bought a 2013 E63 AMG S third hand in Oct 22 ( faceflifted 5.5 litre (157 engine)but not 4 matic)Paid $72K. Knew it would probably need a substantial maintenance input in the not too distant future. Budgeted for this. All up, within next year, $10,000 ( engine mounts, oil leaks etc ( not head bolts though) new tyres( Michelin Sport 4S). Beautiful car….brutal acceleration, gut churning exhaust note, exquisite to behold ( Obsidian Black) and absolutely problem free since upgrade . Not exactly economical fuel wise around town but reasonably decent on long trips. Smooth as butter as an every day driver…..but a thug in a black-silk suit when required. Also own a 2012 C250 CDI Black Coupe. A real gem ….never any mechanical or electrical issues over the past 12 years. Faultless. Got 4.5 litres per 100k on a trip to Melbourne from Canberra a few years back ( that of course in Eco mode….but in Sports mode has two turbo chargers and 500 NM torque…not bad for a diesel (Wheels car of the year two years running). Paid $74,000 in 2013….Demonstrator and completely optioned up. Golden years for Mercedes. Yearn for a C63 Black Series Coupe from this time frame .
As a German I never owned a German car except for an older Opel Astra. Since 2017 I own Toyota cars, I chose them for their reliability. The majntenance cost here in Germany is probably similar for VW, but the cars itself usually dont have issues. Family and friends who own VW had issues, especially when it comes to the electrical wiring. I also dont like the looks of most German cars. BMW has some nice cars (not the SUVs) but they are from Bavaria and their cars are exceptionally expensive. Audi has absolute trashy infotainment and way too many glossy elements. VW interior is good, but looks too cheap with all the plastic. I dont know, I am not into German cars although they are in a majority here. 😅
Please expand on "X5M is not fast", moving 2.2 tons to 100 k/h in under 5 secs not fast? What's comparably fast for you? I just want to learn as believe being confused for years!
Live in EU, have w221 s500 5.5L 4matic. Best car I've driven. Already owned for 3 years, she can be a ballerina and bodybuilder depending on the needs. Already drove 90k km Tried BMW f01 730d but has to sell it... Really disappointing in build quality, it's not a limo it's a f10 but longer/wider
I have been a critic of this channel in the past. I could tell you how it was going to go minute by minute, almost word for word. I'm glad to see the guys are switching it up now.
Reading a lot of the comments has shown 2 things. 1. Euro car owners are upset that you guys are shitting on their favourite brand. 2. Euro car owners legitimately don't understand how much money it all costs to service/maintain/repair these vehicles from so far away.
As a german viewer I have to say I love your channel and I appreciate all the good content you create. I worked in the car industry for 8 years and also noticed the depreciation in build quality. Unfortunately, in Germany the media just refuses to admit that this is a thing as they are biased from the local manufacurers. Great to see a honest view on these topics !
Great video guys however; 2 Points here No 1. Never ever use the European dealership networks ever!!! Always do your research & buy parts from an independent supplier. 2. Labour rates at dealerships are ridiculously high so find an independent auto specialist who will save you at least 40% on dealer prices. I am a euro specialist mechanic My labour rates are between $100-$120 per hour. Maintenance costs should not cost the earth. Also I would throw the service interval booklet out the window. I service most euros every 6 months or 10,000ks Without fail service, service is the key. What people do not understand is Australian conditions are not normal operating conditions so they need to be serviced accordingly.
Jim I can't believe you missed the Audi Q7 :) I enjoy this format. I rarely watch a You Tube video that's longer than 10mins but happily watch one of these. I like how you throw up all of the pics of the cars as I think that really adds to the video.
Funny because the euro cars I've owned, which has been quite a few, have all been exceptionally reliable except for one which I'm pretty sure was cobbled together by multiple cars, not very well I might add. My current BMW 116i hasn't had a single thing go wrong in the 2 years I've owned it so far, remapped to 220hp and gets driven hard
Erm.... guys.... here in Germany, the Mercedes Glc is - according to Tüv and adac (tüv =mandatory technical check-up and adac = biggest car club for support on roads) - one of the quite reliable ones...
Wife wanted an Evoque. I test drove it and while a nice interior, I almost fell asleep at the wheel with how boring and lifeless the drive was. Bought an Sq5 diesel which was bulletproof.
I have a mk5 golf with the 1.4 engine needs a new turbo and the cost to repair is 1000s. So its been sitting in my driveway since 2022😢. Went to a Toyota 86. Will never go back to a euro car. Japanese cars are the logical choice in aus hands down
I was surprised to see the W220 on there. Why? You said it was "shit" without explaining why. The S320 CDI has the legendary OM316 motor in it - the best diesel motor ever built by Mercedes. The air suspension is like no other car I've ever owned, and it's easily the most comfortable car I've ever driven. And as far as depreciation is concerned, I'm afraid your logic is flawed. These cars are some 20y old now. They have ALREADY depreciated, which now makes them very cheap and therefore very good value for money. And FYI, mine has never broken down, and parts for them, when you need them, are cheap and easy to obtain. Also, European cars in general come apart into little bits (unlike Japanese cars) which means that you can buy individual components of systems, not half a car when you only need one bit. You missed the mark on this one
Met a RACV on road assist bloke last week, doing it over 10 years. He reckons he has never been called to a corolla or yaris breakdown, never....he also said, everyone in his immediate family drive these two cars...
Sons driving instructor had a yaris . I was in the car for his first lesson . After the fourth or fifth bunny hop start I asked him how many Km's he got out of a clutch , Apparently he sold the last one at 100k with zero issues . Thats a staunch car .
As a veteran of RAA SA. Toyotas are just as common as anything else. Differences being the amount that sell and how serious the issues are. Corolla is a good little car. But towed many that have had odd issues like fuel pumps dying, timing going to shit (owner maintenance) trans slipping ect. They are reliable but this whole "mechanics never see them" crap is a lie.
@@audoinxr6372 woman at work has a yaris. It clocked 330k km before the first repair, coil on plug went. Then at 370k km, alternator went.. no random issues.
I owned a 1997 Golf CL for ten years. I paid $18,500 for it. It was fours years old and had done 40,000 kilometres. The clutch cable and the clutch fork broke on seperate occasions. I sold the car for $600 to get rid of it after something went wrong with the clutch the third time, the AC compressor failed and the roof liner continued to fall down. If I got a new AC compressor and had the roof liner fixed I could have sold it for $6000, but I would have had to spend $1500-$2000.
not all alfa's are bad, some were actually made pretty well. same goes for volvo. u just have to research the best model. but for jaguars.. u will always get a problem at least once 2 months
When they were still a proper German brand, Opel was my faourite German car brand. Obviously not as prestigious as the big three, but I've loved every single Opel I've owned, from the Corsa all the way to the Astra Turbo Coupe. These days I won't touch any Euros though. For whatever reason the oil they use is too thin and they've started removing dip sticks so you can't even tell when you're 30 minutes away from needing a new engine. (looking at Audi/VW here). And BMW tells their customers that they can go 30 thousand km between services. Which is technically true if you only want to drive the car for 100 thousand km before buying a new one. But the poor sod who buys it secondhand is buying a ticking time bomb. If my Subaru's turbo blows up or the transmission breaks, I could have a secondhand replacement for under $500. Good luck if you have any of the Euros breaking the same thing. Even the French cars are ridiculously expensive parts-wise.
We have owned I 2010 mk6 golf 1.4 twin charge since 2013 got 214000km on the clock now, the original water pump started leaking a couple of months ago otherwise been very reliable
Secret is an exclusive ron 98 diet, spark plugs every 4 years (regardless of mileage) and the coolant changed every 4 years once it hits 80,000 kms. Oh and a good redlining every so often doesn't hurt
That's a first - the majority of the CAVDs don't last long due to piston issues and whatnot, nor do the 7 speed DSGs. As long as you give it 98RON and servicing is an ABSOLUTE MUST, nothing can go wrong :)
I still have and drive the first gen BMW X6 with the 35d engine. Apart from regular maintenance I have spent less than 1500 Euro on things that broke in about 15 years which is not bad for a first gen German Car (made in the US) Here are some reasons why me and my family love it. This is just my point of view. No hate on the ReDriven blokes. 1) When it came out in late 2008 (mine is beginning 2009) it was the best handling SUV at the time. Even better than the X5 (Now you can speck both the same suspension wise. Back then you couldn't) 2) Beaty is subjective. It was quite different at the time but still I think it looks great nowadays 3) The luggage space is only 20 liters les than the X5 and is still massive. So the X6 is quite practical despite its coupe design. 4) People up to 1.83m (6 feet) can sit comfortably in the back without their heads touching the roof. So again X6 is practical 5) The 35d engine is great engine - the X6 is quick enough for overtaking and economical enough to drive 850km in a full tank of fuel (outside the city) 6) In my country we have rain and snow and our roads are not good. The X6 gives you confidence when you drive in bad conditions (don't be an idiot, the laws of physics still apply 7) It is a great all around car - comfortable, decently fast, sporty, fuel efficient (outside the city), practical, with a polarizing design (you either love it or hate it) Yes, there are more comfortable cars, more sporty ones and more practical ones. But if you want/need/can afford only one car the X6 is a great all rounder 8) I personally like that it has a polarizing design. And I get why some people hate it. Maybe not the best car if you pay "public opinion tax" and care about what other people think. BMW expected to sell 1 X6 to 10 X5s in the first gen. They were astonished that the ratio was close to 1 in 3 So a lot of people like it and there are so many generations after the first one. This is my opinion. Not trying to argue or convince anyone. At the end of the day people vote with their money and car manufacturers care about sales numbers.
I've had Volvos, VWs, BMWs, Benzes, Saabs and a couple of Porsches, and they were all superb. But they were all built a long time ago. Wouldn't buy any of those brands' products for the last 20-25 years.
I’ve owned 46 cars in my life, mostly Japanese but also 2 Mercs. One was a brand new 2003 C180K Elegance ($74k). Had to take it back to dealer over 30 times for odd issues (mostly electronic) in its first 18mths. What an overpriced POS. Sold it after 2 years for almost half what I paid - worst car I have owned. The other Merc I owned was my late uncle’s 1986 300E (W124). Oh man that was one of the best cars I’ve owned. 29 years old at the time with 142,000km. My biggest regret was selling it.
@@mahcooharper9577 I had one with the original engine for a short time, it got replaced with a 350 chev, that was a wolf in sheep's clothing :) hated the diff that went with it though.
Sorry but you just wrong with the w220. I have one I bought it at 19 years old with 190k and I've had it for 4 year . Spent barley anything on it other than services. Done 40k in it and not had any issues . No rust got through every mot .everything works as it should and still ultimate luxury
I have a friend who works for a supplier that makes camshafts for various manufacturers. First: The cams are pressed onto the shaft using immensely high water pressure. They are no longer made from one solid part. Second: The permissible play can now only be measured in tenths, not in hundredths like the Japanese. He was on machines that produce camshafts for BMW and Ford and says himself: Stay away! We don't need to talk about VW, they are, sorry, rubbish engines. Timing chain that doesn't even cover 50,000 km.
You guys love getting stuck into European cars and yet you hold up Japanese and Korean cars as paragons of virtue. After your recent review of the Mazda CX30, you criticised that so heavily, why should anyone buy one? The Class Actions relating to Hyundai/KIA are well known, particularly in USA with owners told not to put their cars in the garage because they might catch fire! Your criticism of the BMW X6 was mostly on the way it looked yet it was the forerunner of most manufacturers bringing out coupe SUVs. I don't like them either but this is all personal preference stuff. As for depreciation, have a look at Genesis models which all have some of the worst depreciation of any car. If you are going to air more videos like this, just take out your personal preferences as it is so biased.
If you're after an antidote to the apparent Euro-hating, check out the video from last week which are the ones we would buy. Likewise, we have a series coming up of the Japanese cars we would and wouldn't buy. As for the depreciation thing, not sure where Genesis has come into the equation. Even a quick Google shows it's EVs that depreciate the worst. Plus, many articles assessing the worst five-year resale rates list Euro cars almost exclusively.
I’ve got a Citroen DS3 and typically love it. Clutch failed recently but, to be fair, it’s not a Citroen clutch. It’s a Sachs. It’s easier to get parts for my DS3 than for my commodore because, even in a regional centre, there’s a dealership. Holden dealerships, not so many, lol. And if I don’t like the price they’re asking, there’s eBay and for fun, I do a parts run to France every year or so.
Great presenting style mate! Not trying to be too clever while still funny, but plenty of good info also. In a raging sea of car review videos, yours stood out like a lighthouse, Subbed! (mechanic bloke good also)
The reputation is great all over Europe because people buy the image and are not aware of how terrible the cars actually are. VW stopped making quality cars in 2003 but the masses will never notice.
I had an Audi A5 Diesel. It went great for a while and then I had a series of expensive faults, especially sensors. Ouch. Cost me a bunch of money. Never again.
First: the BMW M57 (30d and 35d) is NOT A BAD ENGINE, not even in a SUV. It is reliable, fuel efficient, good power and is easy to work on. Rant warning was given, but still the mecanic should not let that stament pass. Second: The X6, I avoid looking at them. But it started a new trend that 5-6 other serius manufacturers copyed. So there was a marked for ugly cars that are less practical. And that gave us the Audi Q8. From it the RS Q8 was born, and it is my current dream car. So logic dictates we should be thankful BMW made the X6 (I'm pushing it, but justdon't look at the back and pretend they are X5s). Also the And the X70/X71 cars where/are reliable (with R6 engines). Just expensive to maintain, as all heavy/large premium model are. Third: I'm a car person and if I for some reason had unlimited cash and I could drive it with out anyone finding out it was me, I would get a 2. hand Bentley Continental Speed GT (2019->) with the W12 and slap a "Not banker/overpayed realestate agent/drug dealer" sticker on it. It looks so good both exterior and interior. W12 -> end of an era, man come on!? Yes it is a bit blingy, but it might be possible to service it at a VW dealer, so it is basicly a peoples car! I'm kinda dubting you guys will retract or correct your statments, but know this. Untill you do, I shall consider this more of an entertainment channel, than a factual one! And your not that funny! Just kidding, I ❤ ReDriven
I have a 2006 Citroen c3 1,4i very reliable and has no problems mechanically except for the maintenance that I keep up with It is a great car with low petrol usage you can do most of the mechanical work yourself!
Current owner of a Golf 7 TSI 2013. Is it true that they’re unreliable? Unfortunately, yeah. I have it for 5 months with 123K km. Had an engine rebuild, AC condenser and i’m now waiting to get my gearbox repaired (it won’t reverse). All under warranty btw, so i’m fine. With all that being said, i still enjoy driving the car because it’s soo comfortable and solid. I had a few more less serious issues so if you’re curious, let me know.
An engine rebuild at 123K?, that’s terrible, I have a 2000 Toyota Camry V6 Azura (it has the same 3.0 litre engine as the Lexus ES300), it’s done 174K and it runs perfectly and the automatic transmission shifts perfectly.
@@masteryoda498 i know that’s terrible. But come on, you’re comparing a VW to a Toyota… Obviously a Toyota will last 3 lifetimes more than my VW. My dad has an 2013 Auris with 213K, so i know how great Toyota is!
Here in the UK I know of several garages who refuse to work on anything with an Ingenium engine, simply because they break so often it's not work the comeback's as a mechanic. Also, if an engine goes on a 3-year old vehicle, none of the JLR dealers he knows won't even offer a gesture of goodwill towards an engine replacement, even if it's a week out of warranty, meaning your 3-year old Ingenium-powered JLR product is essentially a financial write-off such is the depreciation. A friend of mine has a Discovery Sport with the 2.0L Ingenium and she has all sorts of DPF issues, and she does mainly long journeys (>30 miles). She also has magically disappearing coolant, despite there being no external leaks, it constantly has the engine fault light on. To top it all off, it somehow uses 20% more fuel than her older 2.2L Peugeot-derived model. JLR, particularly the Land Rover side, have never had even a remotely good reputation for reliability here, but still the suckers keep coming. The rule of thumb is, if you want a reliable Land Rover, buy one made in Spain by the now-defunct Santana. Having both a Land Rover and a Santana myself, I can safely say the Santana is the much better-built vehicle, and you often get some mechanical and ergonomic upgrades thrown in that Land Rover either couldn't be bothered to do, or did several years later on the cheap.
@@cameronwood1994 ingenium is a hand grenade, I bought an xe with the Ford Ecoboost engine and it's great. If they weren't offered I would have stayed well away from JLR.
@@mistertuinkabouter I think it looks quite plain. However the Jaguar XJ (X351), particularly in long wheel base, is one of the nicest looking cars ever designed.
How dare you besmirch the Mercedes W220. I am brave/stupid enough to own two of them. A prefacelift S430 and post facelift S600. They are both great cars, the v12 is a brilliant iron fist in velvet glove. 500hp and 800nm of torque is very special. The S430 has 440k km and still has no rattles, and no error codes. For 24 and 20 year old cars they have stood up to ravages of time very well. I am happy to offer both of them for a review if you ever make your way to Brisbane. They are both certainly in better condition than the W221 S350 you reviewed.
My best mate's wife had a Renault Koleos. A friendly advice if someone's looking at one: RUN, run far away from it. What an absolute piece of abhorrent crap. They finally sold it couple of weeks ago.
Wifey loves her Koleos. It has everything she cares about and the seats are the only ones she's ever sat in where she can be comfortable and reach the pedals easily. It's also the only thing that she says feels safe because it really grips the road.
Aussie ex Falcon lover here living in France,where we own a 4 pot Fiesta and a Focus 3 cylinder, previous to these a Jaguar XType AWD 6 cylinder which I loved, the only model criticized here is our Focus with its oil wet drive belt which can break!
Hey, leave Kluger out of it! My 2009 kluger has 195k k's, no error codes, plenty of spare power, spent a total of $130 on repairs over 12 years , drivers window wouldn't go back up....thats it...easily carry ladders, bbq spits, patio heaters, you name it.....reasonable on juice too..
@laszlolorantfeher1957 I think the reference was more about the Mercedes being no better to drive than a kluger or other.. nothing to do with reliability. Kluger has never been a classy drive, just a solid reliable Toyota.
The MX-5 / Miata is great if you can fit in but sadly very few people who are 6" tall or over can fit in the current ND Model with any comfort. The earlier NC model may work for some taller people
Gees I must have been lucky. I had a new 2020 Audi A4 Allroad Tdi, then a 2022 Tiguan 147 R Line Tdi, now a 2024 VW Touareg 210 Tdi R Line. All have been or were faultless. The dealer experience has been varied, but overall its been reasonably good
We have 5 LR/RR 4wds at work, 2013 to 2018. Despite driving over 1,000km a week on some of the worst roads Australia offers regular servicing and preventative maintenance has seen them run rather easily and problem free.
Downsizing from a ranger, My 14 Touareg was worth the risk.. Half the price of an x5 the same age.. And the value proposition for a 20yo landsruiser just doesn't stack up.. Its the most practical do everything car I could've picked.
My Uncle in Ireland was a chauffeur for a local business man and picked one up brand new from the dealer and it broke down 1 mile down the road. They came out and couldn’t find the problem and he ended up with the dealerships managers car for a few weeks till they sorted it.
I would never buy any German, Korean, or Japanese cars, for the fact that their boring and obvious car brands. I love being different and unique. I will never buy a car that's seen everywhere. I want exclusivity. Especially the Toyta's your praising so mutch about, they're just soooo boring and everyday type of cars. I don't mind buying French, Italian, British or Swedish cars, especially Alfa-Romeo's. They're so unique and different from the crowd. I don't even mind depreciation and a bit more expensive parts. You only live once, right?
Imagine watching this the weekend after buying one of the dogs listed here. You'd either be wondering if you could on sell it fast to another moron or looking at your bank account realising it's about to lose a couple of zeros in the near future.
I had 2002 E320, looked great, drove well (when it wasn't being repaired).. Terrible car as far as durability & reliability...., oil leaks, transmission issues, aircon issues, trim parts that fell off or broke. An expensive mistake. I'd NEVER buy another Merc...
European cars up until say the early 90s were great and really did drive better than the Japanese equivalents. They were well made and stood up to rust much better as well but then the accountants started taking over from the engineers - I'm one of the latter who used to work in the UK in that industry. I look back at some of the cars I owned than and weep - uQuattro, several 5Cyl Audi Coupes, 944 Turbo S, E28, E34, 205 Gti, Pug 405 and even a BX Turbo Diesel wagon with 400K.
I don’t agree with you guys at all , not everyone stupid to buy Lexus or Toyota , terrible drive and inside all plastic and they maybe run a bit longer but life is too short to just bloody spend it with one car and tell people when you 80 years old that my car is has 3 million miles . I see Mercedes that driven 400k s class and hardly been broken down, I only deal with Mercedes sometimes small things can go wrong with any car specially if they give you the best of the best !!!
You obviously don’t know much about cars, Lexus/Toyota makes the best luxury cars on planet Earth, way superior to the junk made by Mercedes. Talk to any mechanic, and they will all tell you that European cars are unreliable money pits. Lexus craps all over Mercedes.
Mercedes are the only manufacturer to offer a full warranty with their taxis, at least here in Norway. That might've changed by now but when my dad ran a few taxis that was the case at least
Why you might consider an RCZ over the alternatives: 1. Mostly going to be looking - inside and outside they are pretty cool. I've not driven one, but I also hear they drive a little more sporty then a Gen 2 TT, which would go for similar money on the used market. The Lexus is nowhere near the same price point used. 2. SLC and MX-5 really aren't comparable at all. The MX-5 is a purist sports car - very small, very lightweight, simplistic, designed with driver enjoymentin mind. The SLC is by comparison is more or less exactly what you expect it to be - a comfortable GT stle luxury car with roadster looks. It's overengineered and fairly heavy, not really sporty at all. But alas it has it's purpose. I owned an MX-5 when I was younger (1989 original) and it was one of my most loved cars of all time - I would absolutlely love another MX-5 but with age has come a lot of extra weight ( I'm a fatass, not going to sugarcoat it) and I just cannot realistically fit in an MX-5 well enough to be able to drive it with any degree of comfort. Or even a GT86. But I can fit fine in something like an SLK/SLC or a Boxter. So for people like me, the SLC makes more sense te an MX-5. It would also make more sense for people who have maybe a little more mature taste and who want somethign a bit more premium inside, a bit more comfortable, a bit more relaxed to drive.
@@MJ-uk6lu Not even close to being comparable. The 407 is a big, heavy, soft and slow GT car. It's more Mercedes CLK. The RCZ is much smaller, lighter and sportier looking - and being a turbo four tit has aftermarket tuning potential for those who want a bit more fun. I would definitely buy an RCZ over a 407.
@@MJ-uk6lu Not even close to being lightweight? The RCZ weighs like 1355kg. That may have been considered heavy 20 years ago, but by today's standards that's Toyota GR86 / base model Corolla territory. So were talking about a 147kw/275nm/1355kg FWD car (RCZ) that runs a 15.1 and is readily available in manual form...vs a 155kw/290nm/1640kg FWD car (407) that rusn a 16.8 and is almost exclusively availiable with a sluggish 20 year old automatic. Then on top of that, the RCZ with a simple stage 1 tune is good for 175kw / 330 nm which should get it down to the mid 14's - no rocketship by any means, but more than quick enough to have a bit of fun with. Then on top of that the RCZ also looks fun and interesting both inside and out, with that classic double-bouble roof and lovely leather stiched dashboard. By comparison the 407 looks...lets just say "highly conservative" on the outside, while the interior is cheap, bland and dated. And being a hatch-style car with fold down rear seats the RCZ also has an impressively big and flexible practical cargo area, which means that (like the TT coupe) it's a surprisingly practical car for someone like me, who only needs to accomodate rear seat passengers 3 or 4 times a year. The 407 - being a traditional coupe body style - has a decent sized boot, but it's useless if you ever had to carry any larger, bulkier objects. And we haven't even toughed on the RCZ-R, which has a set of full-on bucket seats and the morre serious drivetrain from the 308 GTI 270 (199kw, 430nm with mechanical front LSD). That car ran a 14.2 in stock form and is supposedly one of the better handling FWD cars out there. At the end of the day these cars are for a totally different target market. The 407 is perfectly fine for the 50 - 60 year old retiree who just wants a comfy and elegant coupe to cruise around in relaticely unassumingly. It's the competitor for something like a 1st genMercedes CLK320. The RCZ being smaller, lighter, more tunable, more of a standout looker is goign to appeal more to a younger audience, probably more in that 35-45 range. These are going to be people who are past the 'boy racer' stage and want something that is maybe a bit more premium and grown up, but that still has an element of fun / cheekiness to it. The competitor for this is going to be more like an Audi TT. I'm selling my current weekend car (an 8V Audi S3) soon and will eventually be looking for a fun and relatively inexpensive weekend toy - i don't need the fastest thing on the planet, just something that puts a smile on my face and feels special when I drive it. The RCZ is on my shortlist. It's not HIGH on my shortlist, but it's on it. There is no way I would think about a 407. It just really doesn't have even an ounce of appeal to me.
@@pete3198 RCZ is very expensive used and it still is FWD shitbox that understeers and blows up motor, if you get petrol model. You can get diesel, which is reliable, but it's dumb in sporty car. Anyway, it's still a heavy FWD car and way too heavy if you want to corner fast. The R version is unicorn and at least from reviews it appears to lack too much traction to really take advantage from power improvement. At least 407 was comfy and didn't pretend to be what it wasn't and was a fair deal. RCZ was dumb and added nothing that 307 couldn't. Also let's not forget that it existed alongside with 307 CC, which is almost the same idea. Right now, BMW E46 compact is times cheaper, as fast, better in corners and actually a decent car, that just happens to be hideous. C class compact isn't hideous and is much cheaper.
I've owned a few Euros. The trick to acceptable ownership is to never buy parts from the authorized dealer and just find a competent independent mechanic. Servicing regularly is also a must.
I do the same over the past 20 years. Dealers just try to scam and rip you off. Once you find a good mechanic, never let go.
Rockauto gets you parts quicker than any australian dealer or parts shop and at times 1/10 of the price.
100%
If you know Chinese buy from Chinese website much much cheaper
@@nicko6710rock auto has some excellent prices for oem and better parts, great site
You guys should now do a "Japanese/Korean cars we wouldn't buy" or "Japanese/Korean cars that don't live up to the hype" video. There'd be significantly fewer, but in the same way that people buy Euro cars because "oOOooH EurO!!," some people who think they know a bit about cars (they generally know much less than they think) buy late-model Mazda CX-30s, or Subarus with that godawful Lineartronic CVT, or modern Nissans, thinking that they'll go forever without a service. Even (controversial opinion) the 200-Series LandCruiser doesn't live to the "you won't have to service it for twenty years" hype -- just look at Doug Demuro's.
Easy wouldn't by a Korean by Hyundai slash Kia too many horror story's of eng gdi shitting themselves
Great idea I'd love to see that too.
@@robertceroli3512 USA built engines.
@@robertceroli3512Hyundai Konas are made in Czech Republic for EU market. They have a great reputation for reliability especially the EVs with their massive range.
“Another example of a premium brand not being a premium product”. That’s so on-point. Well said.
I worked for BMW for years and years ago. One day, I had the pleasure of testing the latest BMW X6M 2011 at Phillip Island GP circuit as part of the driver training program and after 6 laps, this brand new car just shit itself. The turbo just stopped working and the engine stalled. Afterwards, the put me in a Mini JCW and it's so much more fun than the X6M.
early 2010s just doesn't really feel good to have a BMW or German cars in general (experimental parts like turbos and stuff), but the 2015 B58 engines made BMW taking up the ranks to be substantially more dependable than its N series. Specifically N54s and early N63s
@@baoquoc3710even after becoming substantially more reliable BMW is still less reliable than a Toyota. My roadside assistance program is the most popular in my state (in Australia) and it regularly releases which cars have the most vs least problems that require them to take action (obviously it’s in their best interest for us to buy a reliable car so they can charge us but do less work)
Even tho this company is heavily invested in electric, Tesla is still at the worst end of reliability, along with Mercedes, bmw, Audi, VW
And at the top is Toyota, Honda, all the usual suspects
Now my conspiracy is that Toyota for many years built cars, at least the Camry, in Australia, and I think they have experience with our heat first hand, because where I live during summer 40°C is known as a “cold front”
And every time I’m in my friend’s bmw it overheats, even during normal driving. He took it back to the dealer who said “yeah that’s what it’s like here, cars overheat during normal driving”
But my mum’s 2012 Camry with 250k on the odometer has never overheated and despite being absolutely driven all over this country has not been problematic for her
I mean even my Suzuki shitebox has never overheated once and it’s got 138k on the odometer
Im a car person and I bought a Bentley GT here in peru (we dont have a bentley dealer, you buy it using vw as a dealer so it was extra stupid) It was being sold for $55000... it had some electrical gremlins and the suspension was on the floor... it needed compresors and airbags... it also needed a full computer (idk how u call it)... it was about $105000 in repairs in vw so I negotiate it down to $33000 (has to be said, Vw adds like 40% on top of the bentley price because they are not the right shop to do the job)... I bought bags online and a bosch compressor for about $3000 in total (thats expensive for airbags and compressor) but after 6 years they have not failed me. The computer was a bigger issue but i bought the cayenne one for like $200 in a salvage aunction (overpayed cause is the same u find in a passat but i didnt knew that at the moment)...No issues whatsoever since. Got rear ended on january 2024 so I sold it cause no body shop wanted to give me a fair price cause it was a bentley... Sold it for $60000 and i bought a ram 2500. In all honesty, the bentley is easy to maintain if you dont give a f about having the car being fixed next to 90s toyotas and hondas... i MUST say, i've never talked to the average bentley buyer so i have no clue if other things go wrong... my experience was about $5000 in total invested and no issues since 2018 to 2024.
I have been driving Citroen C5 since 2014, the first one from 2014 to 2020, and the current one from 2020. I found the first one so reliable that I went for a later model and Exclusive badge in 2020. Extremely good value for money second hand, and way more comfortable and quieter than any other car I have driven (including Mereceds E200 and Volvo 850, S70). Everyone I have had as a passenger has commented on how quite and comfortable it was. It is cliche to say that the Hydractive suspension leaks, but neither of my C5s leaked (about 130,000km together). VEry cheap to maintain (well, the DPF clogged up and did cost a grand, but that can happen to any diesel car). For some reason Aussies have ignored this beautiful reliable and classy car. In a way it is good for those of us who appreciate this car as it is quite cheap for what it offers, because people are afraid to buy it, based on subjective opinions of those who have not owned one.
Yes, the C5 one of the most durable cars on the market. With the diesel versions people regularly go 400k miles without much issue.
Don't give me hope, brother. I want one so had, but keep getting scared off by every review or research I've seen. Even a French specialist near Parramatta tells mebits impossible to get parts for. I've seen some that sit in his driveway for months as I drive past
@@vandur2322 I was also worried before I bought my first Citroen C5 in 2014. I decided to take the plunge after I drove one. The army guy that I bought it from said "once you have driven a Citroen you will never drive another car". I thought it was his sales talk, but when I thought of upgrading in 2020, I did not even look at other cars. In fact, I bought my current car unseen, untried from a dealer in Sydney (I live in Brisbane) and got it transported. I am very happy with it (as I was with the first one). It has not given me any problems requiring parts from overseas. It may be just my luck, but for their value for money as a used car, there is no competition. If I have to buy another car, C5 will be my first choice. Citroen focuses on comfort in their cars and if you are after sporty cars, it is perhaps not for you.
At least they can't say, and they don't, that some other car does what the C5 does. Every car that is not hydropneumatic is uncomfortable to me after owning these Citroens.
Several years ago I bought a 2005 Lexus LS430. Bulletproof, extremely comfortable, cheap to maintain and has already depreciated. Bang for your buck, it’s wonderful!
If it wasn't for the poor average fuel economy, I'd have bought one. Highway fuel mileage isn't bad, actually. If I was normally doing a lot of long trips on the highway, I'd get one. Super solid ride. Phenomenal value for the money, even when they were new.
@@cytherians LPG kit could definitely "fix" the poor fuel economy problem tbf.
@@thedeadlinger6992 Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is an LPG kit, and are they designed for specific engines?
@@cytherians an LPG conversion kit is a process in which additional elements are installed in a car's fuel system to supply the engine with an alternative fuel (as in, LPG) to switch between using petrol and LPG. LPG is an abbreviation for Liquefied Petroleum Gas, all you have to know about it is that it burns cleaner, has lower emissions than petrol and is dirt cheap to fill up (0.5 - 0.8 euros per liter where I am). A conversion kit will set you back 1000+ euros, but it buys itself back if you drive long distances on a petrol car. A car running LPG ends up using more of the said fuel, because its energy density is lower than that of petrol, but the thing is that LPG will still end up being cheaper to fill up than petrol. Petrol cars with direct injection are best for LPG, and in the case of diesel engines - LPG is mixed together with diesel in a 50/50 mix, reducing the overall consumption of diesel.
@@cytherians With no interest payments and no depreciation, you cannot spend enough on fuel to make it a bad idea.
Ive got a lx570 thats just mint.
Nonbetter car.
I'm in Europe and we have specialists all over the place when it comes to our cars. You dont have many in Stralia.
Not just specialists but a plentiful supply of parts too
Also they barely make cars, only assembly plants.
@@kg9799no cars made in Australia for a long time
Women love Evoques, the reason people buy them despite all the advice to the contrary is they have no reference. They have no idea how bad a car can be and how quickly u get fed up with it. I have had so many men put me "on the speaker phone" with their wives as I try to explain why they should buy a Lexus NX or anything else in stead of an Evoque and some don't care and do it anyways.
My mum really wanted a RR but me and my dad talked her out of it and they got an RX then NX instead. Dad wouldve rather kept his 15 year old Prado if he had it his way but the Lexus was a nice compromise between the two. She still gets the euro itch though and asks 'what about bmw' and we talk her down to reality with stories of guaranteed oil leaks past 6 figure kms, replacing consumables 3-5 times more often than the lexus, repairs costing 2-3x more
Hahahaha this is so true. I got into the same situation, ended up buying the evoque for my wife. Now she drives a Lexus RX.
After buying a brand new VW polo GTi in 2012 the oil light came on a week after it was delivered, after taking it back to the dealer the service manager said “yeah they burn a bit of oil”…..it burnt over a litre of oil per 1000kms and that was deemed by VW to be “within limits”.
no wories mate,that wasn`t the last one to burn oil😂literally milions of `em. Surprised that VW didn`t got sued by anyone till now,that was a pretty shit generation of engines(big plural,because alot of engines lol)..
thats simply unacceptable quality standards. That sort of oil consumption is what you expect from a 15 year old vehicle.
Dis they bullshit you or you checked the manual?
@@MrBau007I am suing them right now.. please stay away from any European cars.😢just get a Toyota …
@@eugenewang4650 I grabbed an immaculate 24 year old Corolla. 160,000 kms and doesn't use any oil between services. Something wrong with 10 litres between services.
I would avoid any car with a wet timing belt like Ford 1.0 Ecoboost, 2.0 EcoBlue, Honda Civic 1.0 VTEC Turbo, Peugeot 1.0 VTi and PureTech engines and VW 2.0 TDI
Also any BMW and Audi with the timing chain at the gearbox side of the engine.
High depreciation?
Expensive parts and labour?
Large wait times for spare parts?
Complicated service and repairs?
Expensive and fast wearing consumables?
Suspension issues?
Transmission failure?
"Not a Yaris owners problem"
Why's this dealer🎶
Headroom and legroom, on the other hand...
Life is too short to drive boring cars like Yaris
Any bloke driving a Yaris that's not an uber delivery guy is a woman😂
@@guillaumesibbille So sorry to hear that. The old Yaris sold bere in Australia was sourced from Japan, complete with the coveted J VIN number.
"If it's not Japanese, you can keep it please"
"If it's not from Japan, it's not for me man"
I'm a car guy and would absolutely own a Bentley if I could stomach the maintenance costs. They are stunning.
You’d be better off buying a Toyota Century (the Japanese Rolls Royce).
After looking at a Century, id much rather own that over the equivalently priced and aged Bentley. Only problem is that parts are impossible to find.
A relative had a Conti, and the costs are pretty crazy. $4,800 for a spark plug change (which for some reason needs to be done at 20,000km), and the infotainment screen (which looks like a VW one) is $13,000 when it dies. It was nice to drive, the overall driving character was very german, like it's an Audi A8 cosplaying as an english car; firm steering, seats and ride. It's interesting that a couple of commenters have brought up the Century, as I think that's a car that drives more like what you'd imagine a Bentley to feel. Pillowy ride, soft seats, airy steering, the sort of car where you'd sail over speed bumps and not feel or hear them.
@@KevinSan88
$4,800 for a spark plug change?, that’s insane, and it has to be done every 20,000km? I have a Toyota Camry V6 Azura, and the spark plugs cost around $100 for a full set of six, and they last 100,000km
I had an Apple car play installed, and it cost me $500.
You’re getting screwed, if you want luxury and reliability, buy a Lexus.
@@masteryoda498 Well, there are 12 plugs, and you can't see or reach any of then when you open the bonnet 🙂
My wife obsessively loves the evoke and Velar and i absolutely will not sway on getting one
Stand your ground! My neighbors Velar spent 3 months in the shop out of a 2yr lease, he then went an got an F-Pace, pure madness.
@@genzigzagvery vivid example of having self esteem issues.😂
Please show her my comment, I'm a professional car buyer and refuse to source them new on principal. 4 Years ago I considered a Velar or my wife, the local dealer had a unit with 10,000kms on it, it was a 6cylinder $160k build. To say this car was rooted in every single way is a huge understatement. Buy a Porsche!
they do look really good tho imo
My Brother got a new off show room Evoque in 2019 $109,000. the engine needed pulling to replace the balance shafts within the first year of ownership, then all the infotainment has always gitched out even after software re-flashes and the reverse camera fell off, now since the warranty has ended the EGR cooler blocked up and failed needed full replacement $1800 thank u very much and just the day after the fix the top end of the egr system has failed a further $800 ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!!!!
Had C-Class, ML & GL Benz as company cars, poor bulid quality, transmission failures, oil leaks, electrical gremlins and the list would go on , only ever had 2 out of about 12 which never had issues. I now own Kia Sorento GT...
I bought a 2012 Focus for what I thought was an absolute steal. I asked the owner if he had done the dual clutch recall. He said he didn't but the gearbox was fine. It was for a bit.....then the hesitation etc started. I went to Ford who told me I had missed the recall window by six weeks. I threatened them with the ombudsman, so they fixed it labor costs only $1100. The gearbox was awesome and paired with that 2 litre, really rapid and fun. Luckily a tradie ran me into a pole so I got 12k for a car I paid 8k for. Then I bought the 2012 5cyl turbo Kuga, so good, now it is remapped, an absolute weapon and no dual clutch!
I was advised by a Mercedes Benz specialist who had apprenticed at York Star Motors in Sydney (been retired for over twenty years)don’t buy any model after 1993. Sure there are the occasional electrical faults in 1970’s and 1980’s models. But once they went to electronic trip meters is when the gremlins that infect all of them in the last 31 years began. The result of which they will simply stop working. You can keep driving with a wavering speedo, or the central locking not working and the auto gearbox not changing smoothly orl lose second or third gear. Fix vacuum leaks everything works normally or budget for a gearbox overhaul every 250000 kilometres ( hydraulic system so nowhere near as expensive as an electronically controlled gearbox). The zenith was 1983 to1990,s class, e class, c class although preferably with the number first rather than the letter. These usually had alloy cylinder heads and more prone to overheating. Would still buy a 300D/300E W123/124 or a190D/190E 2.3/2.6. All great driving cars. Cheers
I've had a Citroen C3 2019 model for 4 years and that was a solid car. The key part however is that it was the diesel(100hp). The petrol(puretech) however is/was horrid. Mine never needed anything other than service and I drove around 25-30k km in that thing every year. Now I fully understand that this is very anecdotal however, since this car has been very popular in Denmark, I've talked to quite a few owners and the story has always been the same. Owners of the diesel, almost no issues, owners of the petrol, a lot of issues on average with only a few not having any. The only reason why I sold mine was the offered price(70% of the original sticker price with 108k km on the speedometer ;) ) and the fact that the french cannot design a cabin it seems that is functional, at least not the small cars i've tried.
EDIT: forgot to mention that it would easily do 25-27km/l and long trips on highway would easily be 29-30km/l. Very fuel efficient
Same for me with the diesel C5, currently sitting on 300,000km air suspension floats on air and getting 1300-1500km on a 60l tank. Only ever needed services. Citroen have some epic cars but get thrown into the French trash heap.
I just bought a C5 V6 diesel and must admit that this video sent a chill up my spine 😮
The 1.2 Puretech is actually OK, if you sometimes take it for high rev drive. I was surprised as well when I learned it but apparently (judging by what I found on forums) it has big difference in the long run.
Also, the dealership told me that, the 1.5 HDI is awful, much worse than the 1.2 Puretech
I hate C3 I drive it almost everyday (companyleasing) the steering wheel trembles and it turns with a time delay, my personal car is a skoda fabia mk4
@@x.kasiouris5503 What year and model? Mine wasn't like that. It was only boaty in corners :P but it stayed where it should which made it fun in a death wish kinda way :D
Oh yes when you touched above the VW Gen.1 Tiguan...! My neighbour here in Sydney a LONGTIME VW fan, spat the bullet with the issues he's had with his vehicle from new, the parts costs, crazy repairs, indifference from the VW dealer etc etc. He 'dumped it' and bought a Hyundai equivalent, no issues at all which parallel the VW problems.
I have friends who run a local garage and its been servicing cars for over 45 years, father and son. They feel for example any Mercedes after the mid 90s is crap.
Is a 2015 golf GTI performance pack a good car
Just on the note for the Renaults and Citroens and Peugeots, sometimes they cost nearly half as much as their competition in fully working condition. So then it becomes "I know this thing isn't that reliable but the repairs shouldn't cost as much as the price difference".
Frog stuff is reliable so long as you turn your own spanners. Deadshit Australian “mechanics” are the biggest problem French cars have.
I’ve owned at least 30 of them and most bought used and old, and all have needed a lot of bodges and poor repairs rectified. And then they’re great.
French cars are also all dirt cheap for parts.
@@froggy0162 Had a few 207's and 308's. Cheap to buy, cheap for me to fix. But you have to fix stuff before you should have to. 100,000km - timing chain, oil seals, carbon in the inlet, turbo, plastic thermostat, saggy door cards, info display LCD.....
@@darrinheaven4643Those direct injected BMW engines are a bit high maintenance. All direct injection engines need valve cleans, and at least a timing chain job on those isn’t much harder than a lot of timing belts… But it’s not like the proper Peugeot engines that are really tough and reliable.
Buy the diesel versions
Fun fact - both the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport started out with the same engine/running gear as the Freelander 2, which is regarded as a reasonably reliable powertrain (especially in Australia, where they lacked a DPF system). Once they switched to Ingeniums in 2016 or so, reliability fell off a cliff.
Range Rovers were complete garbage 40 years ago too! 😂
I have owned a 2010 twin charge Jetta. Brilliant car, so smooth and responsive. No problems whatsoever. So having said that, it'll probably blow up now.
The manuals are far more reliable than ones paired to that god awful dry clutch dsg
Peugeot 308 purchased for my wife - everything was odd. Most annoying was the security wheel nuts with a wheel brace that lost the pin needed to unlock the nut. A $30 tyre repair, ending up costing about $800. I couldn't get the wheel off, so I filled it with gunk to get it to the tyre shop. The tyre shop could not get the wheel off, so DR Nut had to come out. Turbo leaked and had electrical problems.The low profile tyre was ruined by the gunk, so could not be patched. My car is a 2008 Holden/Vauxhall/Opel Astra which has exceeded expectations. Machinally strong, but paint not designed for the Australian sun. The 308 was replaced in 2018 by a new Mazda 3.
So far I've drilled out the 'security' wheel bolts on 3 Peugeots - that's 12 bolts. Each one takes about 20 minutes.
Hearing you say “wot a shit caah” in Australian is just hilarious. Makes me laugh every time.
Get a life.
My honda jazz 16 years old has driven 350000km. Every year drive about 50000km. Go to work and do ubereats. No problem at all. Sadly I hit my driver door, it is a little bit leak after I replaced a door from wrecker. I don't know what else car I would buy for a next one in the future.
Yep
No more jizz coming
to Australia
Should’ve said “if you’re looking at financing any of these, don’t, Driva can help you finance something better” 😂😂😂
Living in the Middle East for the past 8.5yrs i have never seen a Range Rover or Land Rover in the desert...and there are thousands on the road! Image-thing maybe...
I drive a Pajero 3.8 V6
And sometimes you see them drive on highways at 100 km/h with fully collapsed rear suspension (particularly the LR3/LR4s). 😂 Like c'mon.... that can't be safe to turn corners in and the sway bar bushings will be the next thing on its way out.
Nice .. I have a 3.8 Pajero too.. fantastic car.. I also used mercedes CLS (sold it after 420k km)… and I currently daily a W221 S class.. so far 215k km on the odometer after 4 years and no serious issues.. greetings from Oman 🇴🇲 … and I always buy second hand with 30-80k km on the odometer so very little depreciation and relatively clean records to start with
Are those just stollen from Canada? 😅
@@ahmed232323able I mean the land rovers
Surprised Audi didn’t make the list
The A6 with the Supercharged V6 and the Torque Converter tiptronic from the 7.5 series is a nearly bulletproof car
I guess they weren't the worst, but they're still awful. Especially with a 1.8 or 2.0 TFSI engine.
@@MisterTee Nice to know . Do you have any insight into Audi S3 , sedan, year models from 2015-2020 , and if they were considered reliable '? I've only done a little digging but so far I can see that the EA888 engine, is it, is pretty bulletproof maybe 🤔
its just that the audi's are just a tad better than the clunkers on this list. They couldve just filled the entire segment with every land rover & range rover model.
@@eugenewang4650 I mean... Audis are tarted up VW's in a lot of cases so... not really.
We owned a 2010 E70 X5 35d and it was a BRILLIANT car. Awesome power for towing, drove fantastic and had very few minor issues. I will add though that I did all the services myself (not a mechanic) at 5000k intervals. I personally think that this is why it had no major issues. We did have the front shock top bushes fall apart, one front control arm needed replacing, one rear suspension airbag developed a leak and the electronic park brake switch broke.
Mate had an X5 and I was really sad when he sold it . I really looked forward to the ridiculous stories of doors not opening and lights not working etc etc that he would tell me . Funniest part was the insane amounts of money he poured into that thing . I miss those stories .
See, the list that you've just described, is longer than the sum of all the problems I've had over 24 years of owning aging Toyotas: one speedo cable ($80), one starter motor (free under extended warrantee), and one engine mount (in a 17-year-old Toyota Blade).
I've got too much self-respect to have my time taken up dealing with unreliable cars.
😊qqqà😅
It's weird how some off the most unreliable cars in this list are the one off the most reliable in Europe.
Could be they are too fragile in the australian summer heat where outside temps regularly go over 40 celsius and a considerable amount of faults are attributed to the transmission; european market still has manual options that a lot of people go for which removes that point of failure. And stop start traffic is common where in europe its apparently more free flowing, which again puts a lot more stress on the vehicle.
Also most of our Japanese cars are actually made in Japan where in foreign markets due to them being LHD (Japan is RHD), they have non-japanese factories making them which decreases quality.
Not really. They're just affordable to repair and we don't have that "no parts" problem.
The Golf still isn't that reliable here, it's just affordable to fix. Also, depending on how you drive/live, it might be the best design as how long it'll last.
@@savots3812 I can speak from my own experience that most of the diesels(2L in particular)from Merc und VW are bulletproof, as long as you maintain them every 15-20 k km.
Exactly. Golf is really cheap to maintain, because there are parts everywhere, original or not.
I think part of the problem is that for certain overseas markets, there will be specific models or engines produced for it. Not sufficiently tested and refined. So for instance, the tiny 1.4L engine VW produces for overseas was shredded as a failure by these guys. But VW & Audi's 2.0L engines are really (mostly) good.
As an east european i heavily disagree.
Nothing says "succsessful scammer" like a 20yo bmw/mercedes suv. Accountants drive reliable cars😂
Also Eastern European: doesn't know a single car that isn't 3 series BMW or diesel Golf
But, but Euro cars are soooooo cheap second hand, says my daughter.
Dad mode engage... NO!
I will say that for something like a beemer, when you can pick one up secondhand for less the a Civic or Corolla - never done it, but been tempted.
@peterwilson8039 A friend of mine had an €800 1983 Porsche 924 at some point. What an absolute money pit that was. It was also very unreliable even after putting so much money in it. He had a Mercedes W115 from 1974 before it, and it was at least a reliable car. Even though it was expensive to keep it in good condition.
@@peterwilson8039running cost/repair cost matters more at this budget
Yeah I agree there are cars I will get myself as I work on my own and can deal with issues however I wouldn't let friends and family buy them.
@@peterwilson8039 They're pretty great, not hard to work on and parts (at least in Europe) are quite cheap.
Also if you pick the right ones they can be super reliable
Stellantis couldn't build a Lego set. I went to a friends house in Paddington. They had a Discovery parked out the front. After commenting on it the wife handed me the keys and said 'just take it'
Regarding the Renaults, my dad has been working at Hertz (car rental service) for over 5 years and all the Renaults which are just rebadged other cars like the Koleos and the Captur seem to be riddled with problems yet the Nissan equivilant doesn't have them despite having the same mechanical parts underneath. Almost like the second you put the Reanult badge on the car it becomes shit.....
@@Atenza5 Is that true ?? Becaus Qashqai has Renault engine
See if you have ABSOLUTLY NO IDEEA of what you are talking about???? I had a 2011 Citroen C5 2.0 163Hp HDI , I kept it 8 years!!! It did 367.000 kms , and the only thing that broke , was the alternator. I bought after that a brand new Kia Ceed , 2019 model. Sold it after 10.000kms , GIANT PIECE OF CRAP. Now I am the happy owner of a 2016 VW Passat B8 2.0 TDI ❤❤❤❤ , that I am keeping for the rest of my life , and I am only 37!
I bought a 2016 S65 AMG a year ago for $150k when it was $490k brand new with 110k km on it, I set aside $30k for any repairs and haven't had to touch that once. It's currently sitting at around 145k km and my family and I recently made a nearly 7000km road trip in it and it's been absolutely faultless. I drive this car daily and it's the best car I've ever driven and owned by a country mile. No Lexus can replicate the feeling you get with this car. I think it's wrong to say you should stay away from all S - Classes, I understand choosing a Lexus over something like an S350, but there isn't a single Japanese car that will give you the same joy and satisfaction an S63 or S65 will. Take advantage of the huge depreciation and buy the top-of-the-line models. Obviously don't buy one if you can't afford to maintain it, but if you set aside some money for repairs, you will never be disappointed. I owned a 2007 LS460 in 2011 and it gave me far more problems than the S65 has and I sold it after 8 months. Even my 2019 LC200 has had more issues in the last year (they were very minor and cheap to repair to be fair). That being said, if you want something bulletproof, my father still drives a 2007 Prado he bought brand new, which he regularly takes off-road, it has 600k km on it and he's never had any major issues with it.
Bought a 2013 E63 AMG S third hand in Oct 22 ( faceflifted 5.5 litre (157 engine)but not 4 matic)Paid $72K. Knew it would probably need a substantial maintenance input in the not too distant future. Budgeted for this. All up, within next year, $10,000 ( engine mounts, oil leaks etc ( not head bolts though) new tyres( Michelin Sport 4S). Beautiful car….brutal acceleration, gut churning exhaust note, exquisite to behold ( Obsidian Black) and absolutely problem free since upgrade . Not exactly economical fuel wise around town but reasonably decent on long trips. Smooth as butter as an every day driver…..but a thug in a black-silk suit when required. Also own a 2012 C250 CDI Black Coupe. A real gem ….never any mechanical or electrical issues over the past 12 years. Faultless. Got 4.5 litres per 100k on a trip to Melbourne from Canberra a few years back ( that of course in Eco mode….but in Sports mode has two turbo chargers and 500 NM torque…not bad for a diesel (Wheels car of the year two years running). Paid $74,000 in 2013….Demonstrator and completely optioned up. Golden years for Mercedes. Yearn for a C63 Black Series Coupe from this time frame .
It's like living with a hand grenade. It's 100% safe until it blows. 😢
But the anxiety???
As a German I never owned a German car except for an older Opel Astra. Since 2017 I own Toyota cars, I chose them for their reliability. The majntenance cost here in Germany is probably similar for VW, but the cars itself usually dont have issues. Family and friends who own VW had issues, especially when it comes to the electrical wiring.
I also dont like the looks of most German cars. BMW has some nice cars (not the SUVs) but they are from Bavaria and their cars are exceptionally expensive. Audi has absolute trashy infotainment and way too many glossy elements. VW interior is good, but looks too cheap with all the plastic. I dont know, I am not into German cars although they are in a majority here. 😅
Opel hasn't been german in a long time.
Please expand on "X5M is not fast", moving 2.2 tons to 100 k/h in under 5 secs not fast? What's comparably fast for you? I just want to learn as believe being confused for years!
I just commented this lol
Live in EU, have w221 s500 5.5L 4matic. Best car I've driven. Already owned for 3 years, she can be a ballerina and bodybuilder depending on the needs. Already drove 90k km
Tried BMW f01 730d but has to sell it... Really disappointing in build quality, it's not a limo it's a f10 but longer/wider
I have been a critic of this channel in the past. I could tell you how it was going to go minute by minute, almost word for word. I'm glad to see the guys are switching it up now.
Reading a lot of the comments has shown 2 things.
1. Euro car owners are upset that you guys are shitting on their favourite brand.
2. Euro car owners legitimately don't understand how much money it all costs to service/maintain/repair these vehicles from so far away.
As a german viewer I have to say I love your channel and I appreciate all the good content you create. I worked in the car industry for 8 years and also noticed the depreciation in build quality. Unfortunately, in Germany the media just refuses to admit that this is a thing as they are biased from the local manufacurers. Great to see a honest view on these topics !
Great video guys however;
2 Points here
No 1. Never ever use the European dealership networks ever!!! Always do your research & buy parts from an independent supplier.
2. Labour rates at dealerships are ridiculously high so find an independent auto specialist who will save you at least 40% on dealer prices.
I am a euro specialist mechanic
My labour rates are between $100-$120 per hour.
Maintenance costs should not cost the earth. Also I would throw the service interval booklet out the window. I service most euros every 6 months or 10,000ks Without fail service, service is the key. What people do not understand is Australian conditions are not normal operating conditions so they need to be serviced accordingly.
What area of Australia are you?
@@woodstarnet south eastern suburbs of Melbourne.
Jim I can't believe you missed the Audi Q7 :)
I enjoy this format. I rarely watch a You Tube video that's longer than 10mins but happily watch one of these. I like how you throw up all of the pics of the cars as I think that really adds to the video.
One reason to buy a Euro car is if you are in love with your mechanic and want multiple reasons to have to see them😂.
Funny because the euro cars I've owned, which has been quite a few, have all been exceptionally reliable except for one which I'm pretty sure was cobbled together by multiple cars, not very well I might add.
My current BMW 116i hasn't had a single thing go wrong in the 2 years I've owned it so far, remapped to 220hp and gets driven hard
Erm.... guys.... here in Germany, the Mercedes Glc is - according to Tüv and adac (tüv =mandatory technical check-up and adac = biggest car club for support on roads) - one of the quite reliable ones...
Lol
@@MrPhillip-o5m I know... I don't get it either....
Wife wanted an Evoque. I test drove it and while a nice interior, I almost fell asleep at the wheel with how boring and lifeless the drive was.
Bought an Sq5 diesel which was bulletproof.
I have a mk5 golf with the 1.4 engine needs a new turbo and the cost to repair is 1000s. So its been sitting in my driveway since 2022😢. Went to a Toyota 86. Will never go back to a euro car. Japanese cars are the logical choice in aus hands down
I was surprised to see the W220 on there. Why? You said it was "shit" without explaining why. The S320 CDI has the legendary OM316 motor in it - the best diesel motor ever built by Mercedes. The air suspension is like no other car I've ever owned, and it's easily the most comfortable car I've ever driven. And as far as depreciation is concerned, I'm afraid your logic is flawed. These cars are some 20y old now. They have ALREADY depreciated, which now makes them very cheap and therefore very good value for money. And FYI, mine has never broken down, and parts for them, when you need them, are cheap and easy to obtain. Also, European cars in general come apart into little bits (unlike Japanese cars) which means that you can buy individual components of systems, not half a car when you only need one bit. You missed the mark on this one
Met a RACV on road assist bloke last week, doing it over 10 years. He reckons he has never been called to a corolla or yaris breakdown, never....he also said, everyone in his immediate family drive these two cars...
yeah... people who work at the formerly known RTA in NSW knew that Toyota's were the most reliable. It's what mechanics would tell them all the time.
Sons driving instructor had a yaris . I was in the car for his first lesson . After the fourth or fifth bunny hop start I asked him how many Km's he got out of a clutch , Apparently he sold the last one at 100k with zero issues . Thats a staunch car .
As a veteran of RAA SA. Toyotas are just as common as anything else. Differences being the amount that sell and how serious the issues are.
Corolla is a good little car. But towed many that have had odd issues like fuel pumps dying, timing going to shit (owner maintenance) trans slipping ect.
They are reliable but this whole "mechanics never see them" crap is a lie.
I have a Yaris and I have used roadside for a dead battery.
@@audoinxr6372 woman at work has a yaris. It clocked 330k km before the first repair, coil on plug went. Then at 370k km, alternator went.. no random issues.
I owned a 1997 Golf CL for ten years. I paid $18,500 for it. It was fours years old and had done 40,000 kilometres. The clutch cable and the clutch fork broke on seperate occasions. I sold the car for $600 to get rid of it after something went wrong with the clutch the third time, the AC compressor failed and the roof liner continued to fall down. If I got a new AC compressor and had the roof liner fixed I could have sold it for $6000, but I would have had to spend $1500-$2000.
Spending $1,500 to $2,000 fixing a car, to get $5,400 more when selling it, seems like a no-brainer.
I bought some wipertech wipers for my Camry. Best I've ever had.
It's still a Camry..
@@68404 Yeah, that's why I bought it.
Wait a minute. The Jaguar is a no because of reliability but the Alfa is a yes?! Very inconsistent 😅
not all alfa's are bad, some were actually made pretty well. same goes for volvo. u just have to research the best model. but for jaguars.. u will always get a problem at least once 2 months
Cause Alfa's unreliability was 30-50 years ago. Not today. The Giulia when taking care of is a great car with very good reliability.
That's because that Jaguar is very unreliable but that Alfa Romeo is not.
@@manyord7089A Jaguar from the Ford era isn't that bad. Things went bad after they were acquired by Tata.
@@manyord7089avoid any British cars…
I remember a joke about Jaaag, that the most reliable parts are the pedals, they will never broke in half😂
When they were still a proper German brand, Opel was my faourite German car brand. Obviously not as prestigious as the big three, but I've loved every single Opel I've owned, from the Corsa all the way to the Astra Turbo Coupe.
These days I won't touch any Euros though. For whatever reason the oil they use is too thin and they've started removing dip sticks so you can't even tell when you're 30 minutes away from needing a new engine. (looking at Audi/VW here). And BMW tells their customers that they can go 30 thousand km between services. Which is technically true if you only want to drive the car for 100 thousand km before buying a new one. But the poor sod who buys it secondhand is buying a ticking time bomb.
If my Subaru's turbo blows up or the transmission breaks, I could have a secondhand replacement for under $500. Good luck if you have any of the Euros breaking the same thing. Even the French cars are ridiculously expensive parts-wise.
We have owned I 2010 mk6 golf 1.4 twin charge since 2013 got 214000km on the clock now, the original water pump started leaking a couple of months ago otherwise been very reliable
Secret is an exclusive ron 98 diet, spark plugs every 4 years (regardless of mileage) and the coolant changed every 4 years once it hits 80,000 kms.
Oh and a good redlining every so often doesn't hurt
That's a first - the majority of the CAVDs don't last long due to piston issues and whatnot, nor do the 7 speed DSGs. As long as you give it 98RON and servicing is an ABSOLUTE MUST, nothing can go wrong :)
Only 98 and it’s a manual so that helps.
I still have and drive the first gen BMW X6 with the 35d engine. Apart from regular maintenance I have spent less than 1500 Euro on things that broke in about 15 years which is not bad for a first gen German Car (made in the US)
Here are some reasons why me and my family love it.
This is just my point of view. No hate on the ReDriven blokes.
1) When it came out in late 2008 (mine is beginning 2009) it was the best handling SUV at the time. Even better than the X5 (Now you can speck both the same suspension wise. Back then you couldn't)
2) Beaty is subjective. It was quite different at the time but still I think it looks great nowadays
3) The luggage space is only 20 liters les than the X5 and is still massive. So the X6 is quite practical despite its coupe design.
4) People up to 1.83m (6 feet) can sit comfortably in the back without their heads touching the roof. So again X6 is practical
5) The 35d engine is great engine - the X6 is quick enough for overtaking and economical enough to drive 850km in a full tank of fuel (outside the city)
6) In my country we have rain and snow and our roads are not good. The X6 gives you confidence when you drive in bad conditions (don't be an idiot, the laws of physics still apply
7) It is a great all around car - comfortable, decently fast, sporty, fuel efficient (outside the city), practical, with a polarizing design (you either love it or hate it)
Yes, there are more comfortable cars, more sporty ones and more practical ones. But if you want/need/can afford only one car the X6 is a great all rounder
8) I personally like that it has a polarizing design. And I get why some people hate it. Maybe not the best car if you pay "public opinion tax" and care about what other people think.
BMW expected to sell 1 X6 to 10 X5s in the first gen. They were astonished that the ratio was close to 1 in 3
So a lot of people like it and there are so many generations after the first one.
This is my opinion. Not trying to argue or convince anyone.
At the end of the day people vote with their money and car manufacturers care about sales numbers.
I've had Volvos, VWs, BMWs, Benzes, Saabs and a couple of Porsches, and they were all superb. But they were all built a long time ago. Wouldn't buy any of those brands' products for the last 20-25 years.
I’ve owned 46 cars in my life, mostly Japanese but also 2 Mercs. One was a brand new 2003 C180K Elegance ($74k). Had to take it back to dealer over 30 times for odd issues (mostly electronic) in its first 18mths. What an overpriced POS. Sold it after 2 years for almost half what I paid - worst car I have owned. The other Merc I owned was my late uncle’s 1986 300E (W124). Oh man that was one of the best cars I’ve owned. 29 years old at the time with 142,000km. My biggest regret was selling it.
There's one old Volvo I wouldn't touch with an original engine in it, late model 2 series with the V6 engine.
@@melindamullen6335 the PRV motor was average, that's true - the P and the R were the problem ;)
@@mahcooharper9577 I had one with the original engine for a short time, it got replaced with a 350 chev, that was a wolf in sheep's clothing :) hated the diff that went with it though.
@@melindamullen6335 haha I did the same with a 264. Mine had a 9 inch tho. ;)
Sorry but you just wrong with the w220. I have one I bought it at 19 years old with 190k and I've had it for 4 year . Spent barley anything on it other than services. Done 40k in it and not had any issues . No rust got through every mot .everything works as it should and still ultimate luxury
What a great episode boys. Love your work. Thank you
When he says they’re shit you can hear it’s coming from deep within his soul. 😂
I have a friend who works for a supplier that makes camshafts for various manufacturers.
First: The cams are pressed onto the shaft using immensely high water pressure. They are no longer made from one solid part.
Second: The permissible play can now only be measured in tenths, not in hundredths like the Japanese.
He was on machines that produce camshafts for BMW and Ford and says himself: Stay away!
We don't need to talk about VW, they are, sorry, rubbish engines. Timing chain that doesn't even cover 50,000 km.
You guys love getting stuck into European cars and yet you hold up Japanese and Korean cars as paragons of virtue. After your recent review of the Mazda CX30, you criticised that so heavily, why should anyone buy one? The Class Actions relating to Hyundai/KIA are well known, particularly in USA with owners told not to put their cars in the garage because they might catch fire! Your criticism of the BMW X6 was mostly on the way it looked yet it was the forerunner of most manufacturers bringing out coupe SUVs. I don't like them either but this is all personal preference stuff. As for depreciation, have a look at Genesis models which all have some of the worst depreciation of any car.
If you are going to air more videos like this, just take out your personal preferences as it is so biased.
If you're after an antidote to the apparent Euro-hating, check out the video from last week which are the ones we would buy. Likewise, we have a series coming up of the Japanese cars we would and wouldn't buy.
As for the depreciation thing, not sure where Genesis has come into the equation. Even a quick Google shows it's EVs that depreciate the worst. Plus, many articles assessing the worst five-year resale rates list Euro cars almost exclusively.
Own a Euro??
I just you guys for the Aussie dialogue. Love it ❤
I’ve got a Citroen DS3 and typically love it. Clutch failed recently but, to be fair, it’s not a Citroen clutch. It’s a Sachs. It’s easier to get parts for my DS3 than for my commodore because, even in a regional centre, there’s a dealership. Holden dealerships, not so many, lol. And if I don’t like the price they’re asking, there’s eBay and for fun, I do a parts run to France every year or so.
Great presenting style mate! Not trying to be too clever while still funny, but plenty of good info also. In a raging sea of car review videos, yours stood out like a lighthouse, Subbed! (mechanic bloke good also)
So weird, here in Belgium the VW golf has one of the best reputations for small cars :p
Servicing and dealer support are a big problem in Australia.
The reputation is great all over Europe because people buy the image and are not aware of how terrible the cars actually are. VW stopped making quality cars in 2003 but the masses will never notice.
I had an Audi A5 Diesel. It went great for a while and then I had a series of expensive faults, especially sensors. Ouch. Cost me a bunch of money. Never again.
First: the BMW M57 (30d and 35d) is NOT A BAD ENGINE, not even in a SUV. It is reliable, fuel efficient, good power and is easy to work on. Rant warning was given, but still the mecanic should not let that stament pass.
Second: The X6, I avoid looking at them. But it started a new trend that 5-6 other serius manufacturers copyed. So there was a marked for ugly cars that are less practical. And that gave us the Audi Q8. From it the RS Q8 was born, and it is my current dream car. So logic dictates we should be thankful BMW made the X6 (I'm pushing it, but justdon't look at the back and pretend they are X5s). Also the And the X70/X71 cars where/are reliable (with R6 engines). Just expensive to maintain, as all heavy/large premium model are.
Third: I'm a car person and if I for some reason had unlimited cash and I could drive it with out anyone finding out it was me, I would get a 2. hand Bentley Continental Speed GT (2019->) with the W12 and slap a "Not banker/overpayed realestate agent/drug dealer" sticker on it. It looks so good both exterior and interior. W12 -> end of an era, man come on!? Yes it is a bit blingy, but it might be possible to service it at a VW dealer, so it is basicly a peoples car!
I'm kinda dubting you guys will retract or correct your statments, but know this. Untill you do, I shall consider this more of an entertainment channel, than a factual one! And your not that funny!
Just kidding, I ❤ ReDriven
I have a 2006 Citroen c3 1,4i very reliable and has no problems mechanically except for the maintenance that I keep up with It is a great car with low petrol usage you can do most of the mechanical work yourself!
Current owner of a Golf 7 TSI 2013. Is it true that they’re unreliable? Unfortunately, yeah. I have it for 5 months with 123K km. Had an engine rebuild, AC condenser and i’m now waiting to get my gearbox repaired (it won’t reverse). All under warranty btw, so i’m fine. With all that being said, i still enjoy driving the car because it’s soo comfortable and solid. I had a few more less serious issues so if you’re curious, let me know.
An engine rebuild at 123K?, that’s terrible, I have a 2000 Toyota Camry V6 Azura (it has the same 3.0 litre engine as the Lexus ES300), it’s done 174K and it runs perfectly and the automatic transmission shifts perfectly.
@@masteryoda498 i know that’s terrible. But come on, you’re comparing a VW to a Toyota… Obviously a Toyota will last 3 lifetimes more than my VW. My dad has an 2013 Auris with 213K, so i know how great Toyota is!
Love these sit downs guys, thanks 👍
Euro cars are definitely better than Australian cars
Over 100 countries are European
Here in the UK I know of several garages who refuse to work on anything with an Ingenium engine, simply because they break so often it's not work the comeback's as a mechanic. Also, if an engine goes on a 3-year old vehicle, none of the JLR dealers he knows won't even offer a gesture of goodwill towards an engine replacement, even if it's a week out of warranty, meaning your 3-year old Ingenium-powered JLR product is essentially a financial write-off such is the depreciation.
A friend of mine has a Discovery Sport with the 2.0L Ingenium and she has all sorts of DPF issues, and she does mainly long journeys (>30 miles). She also has magically disappearing coolant, despite there being no external leaks, it constantly has the engine fault light on. To top it all off, it somehow uses 20% more fuel than her older 2.2L Peugeot-derived model. JLR, particularly the Land Rover side, have never had even a remotely good reputation for reliability here, but still the suckers keep coming.
The rule of thumb is, if you want a reliable Land Rover, buy one made in Spain by the now-defunct Santana. Having both a Land Rover and a Santana myself, I can safely say the Santana is the much better-built vehicle, and you often get some mechanical and ergonomic upgrades thrown in that Land Rover either couldn't be bothered to do, or did several years later on the cheap.
@@cameronwood1994 ingenium is a hand grenade, I bought an xe with the Ford Ecoboost engine and it's great. If they weren't offered I would have stayed well away from JLR.
The V8s are pretty reliable
@@1maico1 I know the 5.0L V8 has or had timing chain issues.
I’m with Jim. The Jag XE is ok but nothing special to look at.
They remind me of a Ford Falcon.
Gonna friendly disagree here, for me the jaguar xe is one of the prettiest cars ever together with abarth 595.
@@mistertuinkabouter I think it looks quite plain. However the Jaguar XJ (X351), particularly in long wheel base, is one of the nicest looking cars ever designed.
@@murraysampson2501 I get that. And a bit VF Commodore like around the C pillar.
My dad had a company Mk7 Golf TDI with 70k km with no issues and it drove like a dream. I loved that car
How dare you besmirch the Mercedes W220.
I am brave/stupid enough to own two of them.
A prefacelift S430 and post facelift S600. They are both great cars, the v12 is a brilliant iron fist in velvet glove. 500hp and 800nm of torque is very special.
The S430 has 440k km and still has no rattles, and no error codes.
For 24 and 20 year old cars they have stood up to ravages of time very well.
I am happy to offer both of them for a review if you ever make your way to Brisbane.
They are both certainly in better condition than the W221 S350 you reviewed.
To be fair Volkswagen haven't made a twin charged engine for 12 years.
And they do generally reiterate and improve their drivetrains over time. The EA888 is not what it was, nor are their DSGs.
Yes I own the 1.0 tsi (on a fabia mk4) it's a really good engine
My best mate's wife had a Renault Koleos. A friendly advice if someone's looking at one: RUN, run far away from it. What an absolute piece of abhorrent crap. They finally sold it couple of weeks ago.
I read two-thirds of your comment in Jeremy Clarkson's voice.
Wifey loves her Koleos. It has everything she cares about and the seats are the only ones she's ever sat in where she can be comfortable and reach the pedals easily. It's also the only thing that she says feels safe because it really grips the road.
I have a 2017 Megane GT. Fairly similar to the Koleos. Really good car.
@@vandur2322 mate's wife loved hers too, but it was already problematic from brand new.
@@liberty0758 oh yeah I didn't say it was trouble free. It's already blown a transfer case among other minor things.
I laughed so hard when you bagged the Range Rovers. Thanks for another great clip guys
Aussie ex Falcon lover here living in France,where we own a 4 pot Fiesta and a Focus 3 cylinder, previous to these a Jaguar XType AWD 6 cylinder which I loved, the only model criticized here is our Focus with its oil wet drive belt which can break!
Great insights, just the right level of info that’s needs to be shared
Hey, leave Kluger out of it! My 2009 kluger has 195k k's, no error codes, plenty of spare power, spent a total of $130 on repairs over 12 years , drivers window wouldn't go back up....thats it...easily carry ladders, bbq spits, patio heaters, you name it.....reasonable on juice too..
Like to see a Kluger review.
you've got it wrong they said the Kluger is a reliable option instead of the European car
@laszlolorantfeher1957 I think the reference was more about the Mercedes being no better to drive than a kluger or other.. nothing to do with reliability. Kluger has never been a classy drive, just a solid reliable Toyota.
@@realvibephotography9706 2GR FE is about as bullet proof as they come .
@@realvibephotography9706
Rubbish, Toyota Kluger’s are great cars to drive, very smooth, quiet and have powerful engines.
Paris Hilton had a Conti GT for a while. You can’t look at her car history and honestly say she’s not a car person.
LFA supports your argument.
The MX-5 / Miata is great if you can fit in but sadly very few people who are 6" tall or over can fit in the current ND Model with any comfort. The earlier NC model may work for some taller people
Gees I must have been lucky. I had a new 2020 Audi A4 Allroad Tdi, then a 2022 Tiguan 147 R Line Tdi, now a 2024 VW Touareg 210 Tdi R Line. All have been or were faultless. The dealer experience has been varied, but overall its been reasonably good
We have 5 LR/RR 4wds at work, 2013 to 2018. Despite driving over 1,000km a week on some of the worst roads Australia offers regular servicing and preventative maintenance has seen them run rather easily and problem free.
European women yes. European vehicle's big NO. 🤣
I'll do both but only for a short time
I've done both.... I'm thankful now to be more than happy with my Japanese[s].....
Definitely stay away. I got my first car as an Euporean one and bruh
@@greathey1234hahaa
@@spdaltidhahaa
2011 MK6 Golf GTI owner, 188.000km's, 2nd turbo, but never had a problem with the DSG and only uses 500ml of oil every 15.000km (then I change oil).
Downsizing from a ranger, My 14 Touareg was worth the risk.. Half the price of an x5 the same age.. And the value proposition for a 20yo landsruiser just doesn't stack up.. Its the most practical do everything car I could've picked.
Love your program! Thanks for the Wipers! There Great!
My Uncle in Ireland was a chauffeur for a local business man and picked one up brand new from the dealer and it broke down 1 mile down the road. They came out and couldn’t find the problem and he ended up with the dealerships managers car for a few weeks till they sorted it.
Wow we got through a European cars to avoid list without Maserati being mentioned.
I would never buy any German, Korean, or Japanese cars, for the fact that their boring and obvious car brands. I love being different and unique. I will never buy a car that's seen everywhere. I want exclusivity. Especially the Toyta's your praising so mutch about, they're just soooo boring and everyday type of cars. I don't mind buying French, Italian, British or Swedish cars, especially Alfa-Romeo's. They're so unique and different from the crowd. I don't even mind depreciation and a bit more expensive parts. You only live once, right?
Does France make ANY good car ?
The Citroen Ami and the old 2CV are great cars.. on French roads, .but I would not drive one across the Nullabor mate...
Imagine watching this the weekend after buying one of the dogs listed here. You'd either be wondering if you could on sell it fast to another moron or looking at your bank account realising it's about to lose a couple of zeros in the near future.
I had 2002 E320, looked great, drove well (when it wasn't being repaired).. Terrible car as far as durability & reliability...., oil leaks, transmission issues, aircon issues, trim parts that fell off or broke. An expensive mistake. I'd NEVER buy another Merc...
European cars up until say the early 90s were great and really did drive better than the Japanese equivalents. They were well made and stood up to rust much better as well but then the accountants started taking over from the engineers - I'm one of the latter who used to work in the UK in that industry.
I look back at some of the cars I owned than and weep - uQuattro, several 5Cyl Audi Coupes, 944 Turbo S, E28, E34, 205 Gti, Pug 405 and even a BX Turbo Diesel wagon with 400K.
@@iboswell Some great cars there.
I don’t agree with you guys at all , not everyone stupid to buy Lexus or Toyota , terrible drive and inside all plastic and they maybe run a bit longer but life is too short to just bloody spend it with one car and tell people when you 80 years old that my car is has 3 million miles . I see Mercedes that driven 400k s class and hardly been broken down, I only deal with Mercedes sometimes small things can go wrong with any car specially if they give you the best of the best !!!
You obviously don’t know much about cars, Lexus/Toyota makes the best luxury cars on planet Earth, way superior to the junk made by Mercedes.
Talk to any mechanic, and they will all tell you that European cars are unreliable money pits.
Lexus craps all over Mercedes.
Mercedes are the only manufacturer to offer a full warranty with their taxis, at least here in Norway.
That might've changed by now but when my dad ran a few taxis that was the case at least
You obviously don’t much about cars, Toyota/Lexus makes great luxury cars, ultra reliable and great drive.
Lexus kills Mercedes.
Why you might consider an RCZ over the alternatives:
1. Mostly going to be looking - inside and outside they are pretty cool. I've not driven one, but I also hear they drive a little more sporty then a Gen 2 TT, which would go for similar money on the used market. The Lexus is nowhere near the same price point used.
2. SLC and MX-5 really aren't comparable at all. The MX-5 is a purist sports car - very small, very lightweight, simplistic, designed with driver enjoymentin mind. The SLC is by comparison is more or less exactly what you expect it to be - a comfortable GT stle luxury car with roadster looks. It's overengineered and fairly heavy, not really sporty at all. But alas it has it's purpose. I owned an MX-5 when I was younger (1989 original) and it was one of my most loved cars of all time - I would absolutlely love another MX-5 but with age has come a lot of extra weight ( I'm a fatass, not going to sugarcoat it) and I just cannot realistically fit in an MX-5 well enough to be able to drive it with any degree of comfort. Or even a GT86. But I can fit fine in something like an SLK/SLC or a Boxter. So for people like me, the SLC makes more sense te an MX-5. It would also make more sense for people who have maybe a little more mature taste and who want somethign a bit more premium inside, a bit more comfortable, a bit more relaxed to drive.
You can just get 407 coupe, that is better
@@MJ-uk6lu
Not even close to being comparable. The 407 is a big, heavy, soft and slow GT car. It's more Mercedes CLK.
The RCZ is much smaller, lighter and sportier looking - and being a turbo four tit has aftermarket tuning potential for those who want a bit more fun.
I would definitely buy an RCZ over a 407.
@@pete3198 RCZ is also slow, understeering FWD barge. It's more or less a 307 coupe and it's not even close to being lightweight.
@@MJ-uk6lu
Not even close to being lightweight? The RCZ weighs like 1355kg. That may have been considered heavy 20 years ago, but by today's standards that's Toyota GR86 / base model Corolla territory.
So were talking about a 147kw/275nm/1355kg FWD car (RCZ) that runs a 15.1 and is readily available in manual form...vs a 155kw/290nm/1640kg FWD car (407) that rusn a 16.8 and is almost exclusively availiable with a sluggish 20 year old automatic.
Then on top of that, the RCZ with a simple stage 1 tune is good for 175kw / 330 nm which should get it down to the mid 14's - no rocketship by any means, but more than quick enough to have a bit of fun with.
Then on top of that the RCZ also looks fun and interesting both inside and out, with that classic double-bouble roof and lovely leather stiched dashboard. By comparison the 407 looks...lets just say "highly conservative" on the outside, while the interior is cheap, bland and dated.
And being a hatch-style car with fold down rear seats the RCZ also has an impressively big and flexible practical cargo area, which means that (like the TT coupe) it's a surprisingly practical car for someone like me, who only needs to accomodate rear seat passengers 3 or 4 times a year. The 407 - being a traditional coupe body style - has a decent sized boot, but it's useless if you ever had to carry any larger, bulkier objects.
And we haven't even toughed on the RCZ-R, which has a set of full-on bucket seats and the morre serious drivetrain from the 308 GTI 270 (199kw, 430nm with mechanical front LSD). That car ran a 14.2 in stock form and is supposedly one of the better handling FWD cars out there.
At the end of the day these cars are for a totally different target market.
The 407 is perfectly fine for the 50 - 60 year old retiree who just wants a comfy and elegant coupe to cruise around in relaticely unassumingly. It's the competitor for something like a 1st genMercedes CLK320.
The RCZ being smaller, lighter, more tunable, more of a standout looker is goign to appeal more to a younger audience, probably more in that 35-45 range. These are going to be people who are past the 'boy racer' stage and want something that is maybe a bit more premium and grown up, but that still has an element of fun / cheekiness to it. The competitor for this is going to be more like an Audi TT.
I'm selling my current weekend car (an 8V Audi S3) soon and will eventually be looking for a fun and relatively inexpensive weekend toy - i don't need the fastest thing on the planet, just something that puts a smile on my face and feels special when I drive it. The RCZ is on my shortlist. It's not HIGH on my shortlist, but it's on it.
There is no way I would think about a 407. It just really doesn't have even an ounce of appeal to me.
@@pete3198 RCZ is very expensive used and it still is FWD shitbox that understeers and blows up motor, if you get petrol model. You can get diesel, which is reliable, but it's dumb in sporty car. Anyway, it's still a heavy FWD car and way too heavy if you want to corner fast. The R version is unicorn and at least from reviews it appears to lack too much traction to really take advantage from power improvement. At least 407 was comfy and didn't pretend to be what it wasn't and was a fair deal. RCZ was dumb and added nothing that 307 couldn't. Also let's not forget that it existed alongside with 307 CC, which is almost the same idea. Right now, BMW E46 compact is times cheaper, as fast, better in corners and actually a decent car, that just happens to be hideous. C class compact isn't hideous and is much cheaper.