Ep 34: The ONLY new cars we would buy in 2025!

Ep 34: The ONLY new cars we would buy in 2025! The ReDriven Podcast · Sep 24, 2025

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40:53

Car

AMG V12

The AMG V12 is a very powerful engine made by Mercedes-Benz. It's designed for high-performance cars and is known for being very fast.

Term

kilowatt

A kilowatt is a way to measure how much power an engine produces. More kilowatts usually means more power for the car.

Term

Newton metres

Newton metres measure how much twisting force an engine can create. More Newton metres usually means the car can accelerate faster or pull heavier loads.

Term

twin-turbo

Twin-turbo means the engine has two turbochargers, which help it produce more power and run more efficiently by pushing more air into the engine.

Term

five million dollars

Five million dollars is a lot of money, often associated with very expensive cars or luxury items.

Car

Mazda 2

The Mazda 2 is a small car that's easy to drive in cities and gets good gas mileage, which is why many people like it.

Term

manual transmission

A manual transmission is a kind of car gearbox that you have to shift yourself using a stick and a pedal. It gives you more control over how the car drives.

Concept

five-door hatch

A five-door hatch is a type of car that has five doors: four for passengers and one at the back that opens up. This makes it easier to get in and out of the car and to load things in the back.

Car

Kia Picanto

The Kia Picanto is a small car that's easy to drive and park, making it great for city use. The GT line version looks sportier and has some extra features.

Term

naturally aspirated engine

A naturally aspirated engine gets air into the engine without any extra help from turbochargers or superchargers. This means it works purely based on the air pressure around it.

Term

nits

Nits measure how bright a screen or display is. Higher nits mean the display is easier to see in bright light.

Car

Kia I20 N

The Kia I20 N is a sportier version of a small car made by Kia, built for better performance and fun driving.

Car

2.5 litre

A 2.5 litre engine is a type of car engine that has a total size of 2.5 litres. Bigger engines usually have more power, but they might use more fuel.

Term

2 litre

A 2 litre engine is another type of car engine that is smaller than a 2.5 litre engine. Smaller engines usually use less fuel, which can save money.

Car

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is a well-known small car that many people trust because it's reliable and saves on gas. It comes in different versions, like sedans and hatchbacks, to fit different needs.

Car

Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is a well-known car that many people drive. It's known for being dependable and good on gas, making it a favorite choice for families and commuters.

Car

The Mazda 6 GT SP is a sporty version of the Mazda 6, which is a mid-size car. It offers more features and a sportier design, making it a great option for people who want a nice-looking and practical vehicle.

Car

BMW M340i Touring

The BMW M340i Touring is a sporty version of the BMW 3 Series that comes in a wagon shape, offering more space for passengers and cargo while still being fun to drive.

Car

BMW M340I

Term

three-litre turbo inline-six

This is an engine type that has six cylinders in a straight line and is three liters in size. It uses a turbocharger to make the car go faster and perform better.

Car

Suzuki Jimny

The Suzuki Jimny is a small SUV that is great for off-roading. It has a unique shape and is loved by many for its ability to handle tough roads and trails.

Concept

all-wheel drive

All-wheel drive means that power goes to all four wheels of the car, which helps it grip the road better. This is especially useful in bad weather or on rough terrain.

Car

Lexus LBX Sports Luxury

The Lexus LBX Sports Luxury is a small luxury SUV that combines comfort and performance. It's a step up from more basic models, offering more features and a nicer interior.

Car

Yaris Cross

The Yaris Cross is a small SUV made by Toyota. It is based on the Yaris car but is taller and has more space, making it better for city driving.

Car

Mazda Cx3

The Mazda CX-3 is a small SUV that's easy to drive around town. It's stylish and fun, making it a good choice for city driving.

Car

Honda That Honda

Term

hybrid powertrain

A hybrid powertrain is a system in some cars that uses both a regular engine and an electric motor. This helps the car use less gas and be better for the environment.

Car

Mazda Cx5

The Mazda CX-5 is a type of vehicle called a compact SUV. It's known for being stylish and fun to drive while also providing enough space for passengers and cargo.

Car

Volkswagen Tiguan

The Volkswagen Tiguan R is a sporty version of the Tiguan, which is a compact SUV. It has a more powerful engine and is designed to be more fun to drive than the regular Tiguan.

Term

$75,000

This is the cost of the car mentioned, which is quite high. It suggests that the car is likely a luxury or premium model.

Car

Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 is a popular SUV that many people like because it's reliable and good for everyday use. The hybrid version uses both gas and electricity to save on fuel.

Car

Lexus NX

The Lexus NX is a smaller SUV that offers luxury features and a comfortable ride. It's a popular choice for those looking for a stylish and high-tech vehicle.

Car

Toyota Kluger

The Toyota Kluger is a large SUV that's great for families or groups of people. It has a lot of space inside and is known for being dependable and comfortable to drive.

Car

Mercedes-Benz Mercedesbenz Gle

Car

Mazda Cx90

Car

Mazda Cx9

Car

Toyota Lean Cruiser

Car

Ford Ranger

Car

Genesis GV70

Car

Mercedes-Benz GLC

Car

Bmw X3

Car

Tesla Model

Car

Hyundai Ioniq 5N

Car

Kia EV6

Car

Mercedes-Benz Sclass

Car

Hyundai Genesis

Car

BMW G80

Car

Bentley Bentayga

Car

Land Rover Range Rover

Car

Toyota GR Corolla

Car

Toyota Supra

Car

Hyundai i30

Car

Audi Rs6

Car

Audi 100

Car

Porsche 911S

LIVE

635 kilowatt, 1100 Newton metres, twin-turbo AMG V12.

Five million dollars.

I know, it is a lot.

What is that?

Is that real money?

I'm not sure.

I don't even know what that is.

When I rock up for my small pretentious coffees in front of, you know, in a west cafe in Sydney,

I need to have a dual cabut that is just, just masculine enough to kind of make up for my

like a masculinity.

Soft around the edges.

A little bit on the classy side.

And I think it sort of suits me.

I get it.

Yeah.

G'day guys and welcome back to the Redriven podcast.

And today we're chatting about the only new cars we would buy.

And yeah, I know, I know, we generally only focus exclusively on used cars.

But we thought it might be just fun to dip our toes into the new car world for a change.

So these are the only new cars we would buy right now.

Now, as I just alluded to, if you're new to Redriven, we take you through all the good

and the bad in the world of used cars.

It's hosted by me, Adam Morris.

You're also going to be hearing from our resident mechanic, Jim Hull, who's been in the trade

for over 30 years, even though he doesn't look a day over 35.

I don't know how he does it.

Now, you can also catch us over on YouTube where we have hundreds of used car reviews

talking about what goes wrong, what goes right, and we work out whether you should buy them or not.

Now, this podcast is some of our longer chats where Jim and I sit down to unpack interesting

stuff in the world of cars.

And you can also find the full video versions over on YouTube if you'd rather watch us

and listen to us at the same time.

Remember, please give us a follow and rate and review this podcast if you're enjoying it

because it really does help us out so much.

Anyway, sit back and relax and let's get into this week's episode.

OK, so if you're familiar with Redriven already, you know that we primarily focus on used cars.

Generally speaking, the cars we feature have to be more than three years old.

Yeah, however, we do fairly frequently get asked about new cars all the time.

What do we think?

Do we have an opinion?

Well, yes, we do.

We do.

Hence this video, actually.

But we're going to do this differently to a lot of new car channels.

Instead of us going to a press launch and talking about how wonderful cars are after a week of driving,

the cars we've picked for ourselves in the new realm, these have to be really good to live with for the long term.

Yeah, we consider practicality.

We consider reliability, obviously.

And resale is a factor as well.

Exactly.

Ideally, Jim and I like to keep a car for, I like to think at least five to seven years,

ideally at least ten years.

You mean hypothetically if we bought new cars?

If we did.

You probably should just buy used cars instead.

But yeah, in the new car realm, these are our picks.

Yeah, we're going to kick it off with small city cars.

We're sort of talking about Mazda 2 size.

Yeah, but the problem we have here is that Jim and I agreed straight away on the small car that we would both buy.

And we're going to try as much as we can to have two different choices.

We don't always agree, but sometimes common sense.

And I'm going to let you win the car that we both picked here, and then I'll pick a second choice.

Yeah, look, my choice is the Hyundai i20N.

Cracking good cars.

It is such a good car.

Amazing.

Some of the specs, look, firstly the price, 36 grand drive away.

Yeah.

That's pretty cheap for any modern car.

Yeah, especially one with the performance credentials of this thing.

150 kilowatts.

Yeah, like that's a decent amount of power for small car.

It is a manual only, sorry for a lot of the younger folk out there.

Practicality, it's got a back seat with back doors.

It's a five door hatch.

Yeah.

I've lived with one of these.

I've had a few as press cars and I've taken them to the track and I've lived with it literally.

Loaded my drum kit in the back.

And the five year warranty, you can still go on the track and it's still going to be covered, I think.

This is a cracking good car.

Also, it's one of the least depreciating cars available on the market.

If anything, it might even appreciate depending on how you look after it in the age and whatnot.

So this is a cracking goodbye.

The second choice is actually still a really good car.

This is the Kia Picanto in GT line, current 2025 model, looking about 22 to 24,000 bucks drive away.

Solid little nugget.

Solid little nugget of a car.

1.2 liter naturally aspirated engine, really fuel efficient.

I know the power figure is at 62 kilowatts and 122 nits.

That's less than half of the I-20 N.

I know.

But this is a tiny car.

It doesn't weigh very much.

And the way Kia have engineered it, it is genuinely fun to drive.

Also, brilliant use of internal space.

I feel like they've used Japanese K cars as an influence here because just the amount of storage such a little car has is exceptional.

It's a really great little grocery getter.

It absolutely is.

I think easily in that city car, I suppose genre, this is the pick.

Okay, the next genre up, we're talking sort of medium car.

So we're talking kind of things in that sort of Mazda three kind of size, which is probably a coincidence because...

Yeah, that's exactly what I chose to be honest with you.

Look, in a sea of mediocrity, when all these cars are very similar, sometimes you just have to go with the one you like the look of.

And I think these look very good.

It is a really attractive car.

You're getting, I think, the 2.5 litre.

And we're looking, you know, if there are 2.5 litre, you're looking at somewhere between $38,000 to $45,000.

Some people might be surprised at the 2.5 because the 2 litre is more fuel efficient than the 2.5.

Yeah, but in the real world, you don't have to drive the 2.5 as hard.

So we found in our research, we've done a full video of this car.

So if you want more details on this generation...

You're really not going to notice in the real world, you know, and whatever the difference is, it's negligible.

Exactly.

Also, super well equipped.

Reliability is pretty good.

Did I mention good looking?

It is good looking.

Although look, it's not perfect.

Again, we've done a full video on this.

It's better looking than the car you chose.

I don't know.

Yeah, it is.

I like the car I chose.

Let's go.

Yes, we've featured the Mazda 3, but we haven't featured one of these.

My pick is the Honda Civic.

And I'm going with the EHEV LX.

That's the top of the range, the hybrid model.

This is a cracking good car.

I've got a few mates that have reviewed these and everybody raves about it.

I think it's a good looking thing.

Yeah, okay.

The reason it's my pick, it's the most practical car of this genre of car.

So I can easily fit my drum kit in the back of it.

Good point.

Super fuel efficient.

It's 135 kilowatts, 315 newton metres, which is nothing to, you know, nothing to sneeze at.

It's enough.

But with the hybrid system, you're looking at around about four and a half litres per 100Ks, which is efficient.

Loaded with equipment.

There is negative though.

What is it?

It's expensive.

Yes, it is.

Why are they $55,000?

Okay.

So Honda here in Australia, you can't really barter the price of it, negotiate.

It's just the one price because they're kind of going with this sort of agency setup or whatever it's called now.

So yeah, that's kind of the price.

And I do think it's a little bit much.

It's a lot for a small, medium car to drive around.

It's 10,000 or it's 10 grand more than the Mazda.

How much fuel do you need to save to make up that money?

It's a lot.

But it drives really well.

They are a good car.

It's a good car.

I think they've priced themselves out of the game though, to be honest.

They have.

Yeah.

Do we mention in this scenario, we don't actually have to pay our own money to buy these cars.

It's just pretend money.

It's pretend money.

It doesn't matter then.

Later on, it's definitely pretend money.

Yes.

The next one on the list is our large to medium cars.

Yeah.

So between the Mazda 6 size.

Yeah.

Toyota Camry size.

Which is the story there.

Weirdly, I chose Toyota Camry.

Why?

Look, I don't know why I wasn't thinking.

And I know I'm old, but I'm not that old to drive around in Camry.

I'm not ready to sell my soul yet.

And I'm also not ready to be an Uber driver.

But it is a solid car.

Oh, great car.

It was just the first one that came to mind.

And I think it's an honourable mention, to be honest with you.

Oh, totally.

I think when you see how many are used in ride sharing, this is an incredibly solid choice.

But then you've got to think, this is the car you're going to own for the foreseeable future.

Do you want to be known as Jim with the Camry?

Definitely not.

OK.

No, but think of how practical and cost effective and how good is the resale.

And yeah, still.

But you know what?

But then the problem is, we again come to this scenario where we've both agreed on the same car.

Yeah.

So I'm going to let you have this one.

And then I'm going to pick up a second option.

OK, so my backup choice was the Mazda 6 GT SP wagon.

Oh, yeah.

That is a nice looking car.

I'm going to go as far as saying this is, I think, one of the most underrated cars in the market.

We're talking the 2.5 litre turbocharged version.

So that's 173 kilowatts, 420 Newton metres torque, 55 grand drive away.

That's the same price as your Honda Civic.

Don't want to.

I'm trying to ignore that.

I'm trying to ignore the Honda Civic.

That's considering the same price.

That is actually pretty good buying.

It is.

Yeah.

You've got a driver.

We should also mention the Camry was, the fully optioned Camry is 53.

Wow.

Also cheaper than the Civic.

Yeah.

Damn it.

OK.

This Mazda, go and drive one.

Yeah.

First of all, it's a beautiful looking car.

It's incredibly well equipped.

But drive one, it is exceptionally good.

I'm repeating myself, but so underrated.

And because I stole your choice, kind of, what's your backup choice here?

OK.

Because this is a backup choice, I'm kind of breaking my own rules a little bit here,

which is all of these cars have to be on sale, brand new now in Australia.

Which this one kind of is, isn't?

In theory you can hear that.

Yeah.

I've gone with the BMW M340i Touring.

Some idiot at BMW Australia in the product planning department dropped the ball here

and we didn't get the Touring in Australia.

But you can get the Touring in Australia brand-ish new as an import.

Yeah.

This is the car.

Yeah.

Lovely car.

This thing's amazing.

115 grand.

Yeah, but it's a lot of car.

Yeah.

You've got three-litre turbo inline-six.

That engine is an absolute cracker.

Yeah.

Or we'll drive all the M goodies on it.

The sedan M340i that we reviewed.

Yeah.

Fantastic car.

Fantastic, but obviously.

Long-term prospects of those, not necessarily, I forget.

This is a fantasy land, isn't it, where we don't use our own money

and we don't have to worry about it out of warranty, right?

Yeah.

OK, well, that's fine.

But I think this is relatively reliable as long as it's maintained correctly.

Not as reliable as my Camry.

No, nothing is.

And I'm not going to drive too much like a dickhead

and I'm going to look after it.

So I think reliability should be OK.

Also, I think because it's an import and it's such a special car,

I think there's very little depreciation going on here.

Yeah, it might.

It might hold its own.

I think this is going to be a cracking car.

OK, so small city-sized SUVs.

Again, we've bloody agreed completely on the car.

So I'm taking the win this time and you can have the second choice.

All right, you have it.

Suzuki Jimny.

If you've watched any of our videos, you know,

I'm a massive Suzuki Jimny fan.

I'd go the three-door.

I just don't think the visuals.

I don't know if I could live with the visuals of the five-door

unless it's modified.

Problem is with the three-door because it's basically

in its extreme all-wheel drive off-road grocery getter.

Yes.

The three-door has got nowhere to put your groceries.

So.

At all.

Yeah, but I would.

Technically speaking.

I would probably get rid of the back seats.

Oh, OK.

Because who's going to use those?

In the UK, they don't have back seats

because they're going to be sold as a commercial vehicle.

Really? Yeah.

Fun fact.

Yeah, there's a lot of money.

I keep making really expensive cars for each category.

Yeah.

They're going to be at $37,000.

That is a lot for a tiny little.

Yeah.

It's about the size of my fridge.

Insufferable death trap.

It's not that bad.

OK, it is that bad.

I get it.

It's a cool car.

I don't think I'd be taking it off-road.

I'm not that masculine of a man.

I don't do a lot of off-roading.

But around town, I think it's great.

You don't have to worry about potholes.

You don't have to worry about, you know,

scrubbing a wheel on a gun.

Launch it over a median strip.

It's going to be fine.

It's going to be great in Westfield Car Park.

Not a lot of power, not a lot of safety features,

not a lot of tech.

But I think for around town,

this is a cracking great little SUV.

Yeah, pretty good.

Yeah.

My choice is all that plus steps it up a little bit.

I've gone with the Lexus LBX Sports Luxury.

This is stepping it up.

That is a pretty good little car.

Basically, for those not in the know,

this is a Yaris Cross Luxury.

So it's the same platform, same basic fundamentals

as a Yaris Cross.

Also capable of launching over median strips.

Yeah, decent amount of ground clearance.

It's not going to go rock crawling anytime soon.

But again, for an around town SUV

in this kind of Mazda CX3 kind of size,

cracking thing.

It's also the same price as your Honda Civic.

No.

And you get probably...

That really makes that Honda Civic look bloody expensive.

I know.

I know this.

I like that Honda Civic.

Anyway.

You're going for $55,000.

We've got a hybrid powertrain.

I'm going to ignore you.

Hybrid powertrain, premium everything.

Interior feels fantastic.

Great levels of tech.

Super reliable.

It will definitely hold its value better than most.

Yeah.

Practicality is good.

It's a good use of interior space without being amazing.

But yeah, this is...

I think you picked really well.

Yeah.

Okay, next up, medium SUV size.

Talking kind of Mazda CX5 kind of sizing here.

Yeah.

I'm going to let you go first.

And this, again, if you're a regular redriven viewer,

you're going to be surprised at Jim's pick here.

Look, this will shock a few of you.

I've gone with the Tiguan R.

Now, I also know that that kind of breaks the rules a bit

because they discontinued that in 24, I think, in Australia.

Yeah, they are.

I reckon somewhere a dealership's got a new one that I can buy.

Yes.

A new one.

But anyway, that's my choice.

You know what?

People know I'm not a huge fan of Volkswagen Audi products.

Brand new, they're fine.

Underwarning, they're fine.

Yeah.

Long-term prospects and resale, questionable.

Yeah.

But that Tiguan R is a great-looking car.

Absolutely.

Kind of sporty.

Yeah.

It looks great.

Properly quick.

It's a shame that their long-term prospects are not that good

because I think that car and the performance levels of that car

are bloody good.

It's one of those cars that really gets under your skin as well.

A friend of mine's wife has one.

I've driven it and it's annoyingly great to drive.

You go, this does all the right things.

The handles, it goes great.

But then when you don't want to go fast, it's very refined,

very comfortable, great levels of tech, very practical,

very expensive part.

Yeah, bloody expensive.

$75,000.

That's up there.

Yeah, it's a lot.

It is a lot.

It's still a cool car.

It's not our money, remember?

Not our money.

I'm going to be way more boring here.

I would buy the car that I think 95% of the world's population

should buy and would be completely happy with

because it just does everything right.

Toyota RAV4, hybrid, top-of-the-range cruiser.

Looking at about $55,000, probably more like $60,000.

Really boring.

We've done a full...

Would you have that over the NX?

Oh, Lexus NX is really good.

It's essentially the same thing except...

It is.

It's a bit more expensive.

Yeah.

No, I think I'd go the RAV4.

Two of my best friends have just bought this exact RAV4

and they couldn't be happier with it.

My parents own one.

They love it.

It's just the go-to medium SUV.

It's the one to get.

It's the car for everyone.

Yeah, good level.

It's like the new people's car.

It is a new people's car.

Good levels of tech, great levels of safety.

It's a hybrid, so it's pretty fuel-efficient.

It retains value like nobody's business.

Oh, yeah.

Nice to drive.

Just boring.

Yeah.

But it's a medium SUV.

Boring, but good.

Yeah.

Yours is like the super exciting medium SUV

and mine is like just kind of milk.

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But let's get back to the pod.

OK, next up, large SUVs slash people movers.

So we're talking kind of Toyota.

Cluga size.

That's sort of your big SUV.

Oh, I didn't think of a Cluga.

Also good.

But my choice is actually the Santa Fe.

Hyundai Santa Fe.

Top and range calligraphy.

Calligraphy, yeah.

That lovely car.

Beautiful interior.

Stunning.

I think it punches well above its weight

in the way the car drives and feels.

It is proper nice.

The dog bone tail lights though.

The rear design kind of, yeah, it doesn't do it for me totally.

Every time I see one, I'm like, nice.

I'm willing to forgive that though.

In terms of this car and this space and this category,

I think that's probably pretty good all-rounder.

You know what the design is for me?

It's when you see a picture on the wall

that's not quite right

and you want to go up and just kind of tweak it a little bit.

Just adjust it.

Every time I see one of these, I go, oh, God, that's...

Can somebody hear me a text?

I just want to fix this bit.

I think it's one of those design things

that everyone looks at now and goes,

eh, but I reckon in five years' time,

people will just warm to it.

Great car.

I did a bunch of driving work

on the previous gen Santa Fe, the final one,

and it was outstandingly good,

but it's not a new car anymore.

So we go to get the replacement one.

You're looking at $75,000 to $80,000 drive away.

All the tech you'd want, all the safety features you'd want.

If you're not familiar with this, go and go to a Hyundai.

This is not really an ad for Hyundai,

but go there and look.

If you have an idea of what a Hyundai Santa Fe is in your head

and you haven't been in one for five or more years,

go and look at one of these.

You'll go, holy crap, this is bloody nice.

The first time I saw and was in the new Santa Fe,

I think two or three days before,

it was in a Mercedes-Benz GLE.

I know which one has the better build quality and fit and finish

and it's not the German.

Actually, the American, because they're made in Alabama.

Yeah, the Hyundai, they're good.

Yeah, 100%.

My pick, however, is the Mazda CX90 G50E Azami.

I think a lot of people don't know about this car.

Yeah, technically, it's like the CX9 replacement, basically.

Mild hybrid tech, which honestly doesn't do

a whole lot for fuel efficiency,

there's the extra weight,

that's a whole controversial thing,

but still, excellent car.

$90,000?

Yeah, but again, go look at one.

It's funny, I know $90,000 for a big Mazda

sounds like a lot of money,

but when you compare it to a lot of the European rivals

that are asking north of $130,000 for a similar sort of car,

and you go, well, fit and finish is easily as good if not better.

It's got more standard equipment,

it's got a beautiful inline six, that engine is so smooth.

I'd love to see a back-to-back comparison video of these two cars.

Someone do that, someone who does new car things.

The Santa Fe and the CX90, that's a good idea.

Maybe car source should do that.

Or, you know, maybe Campbell at the right car.

Next one on our list is the off-road SUV category.

Proper off-roading SUVs.

I've gone straight up the Lexus GX550.

Great choice.

Super comfortable.

Overtrial.

It's got to be the Overtrial.

The Overtrial, yeah, of course.

That's rugged and rough.

It's a Lexus, so it's comfortable,

and it's bloody reliable.

I finally drove one recently.

All right.

Really great, made of mine.

Pete bought one, had a proper steer.

A bunch of my new car journalist mates

have raved about this thing.

Some of them have said it's their powerball car.

I agree.

This thing is, it's exceptionally good.

It is such a good thing.

You don't need to win the lotto.

You only need $125,000.

A lot of money.

3.5-litre twin-turbo-6.

It's still got a body on-frame chassis.

It's actually the same platform as the 300-series lean cruiser.

The Prado as well.

Yeah, loads of off-roading kit on it.

Loads of interior tech.

It's one of those things that you can take deep into the bush,

but at the same time, it looks very classy,

rocking up to a nice restaurant.

But, Jim, you could save yourself $20,000.

Yeah, and gain yourself two extra cylinders.

Two extra cylinders.

Again, if you're a re-driven fan,

you know what I'm going to say.

Yeah, you love these.

I love these.

And I do too, but I just think the GX was slightly better.

Nissan Patrol Warrior.

Yeah.

Y62.

I love these.

Good thing.

Most people, no, I'm not going to say most.

A lot of people that are going to buy a proper off-roading SUV,

they're going to modify it.

They're going to jack it up.

They're going to put some bar work on it, some lights.

Don't need to do that with the Warrior.

All done for you by the wonderful and talented folks down at Premcar in Victoria.

All the mods are backed by Nissan's warranty.

Yeah.

This is the end of the line for this platform of patrol.

So any of the issues have been ironed out.

And also, the fact that it's the end of the line,

last petrol V8,

I think that's going to help maintain its value secondhand.

The 2025 model has the new interior design.

So it's got new tech and more tech.

It's 20 grand cheaper than the GX550.

Yeah.

I remember when Pete was looking at the Lexus.

And I was like, yeah, but the Warrior, mate, the Warrior.

He had his reasons for going to the Lexus.

Nothing wrong with that.

That's a great car.

And you've picked very well.

Congratulations.

I just think with my $20,000 saved,

I think I've got the better off-roading SUV.

You'll need it for the fuel, but that's fine.

True.

Okay, next up, controversial category of car this.

Yeah.

It's the classic four-wheel drive dual-cab butte

or pickup truck, whatever the hell you want to call it.

Backy, I think, in South Africa.

Yeah.

Backy, backy, backy.

Now, yeah, we at Redriven have often said

all dual-cab buttes are a bit shit,

and all dual-cab buttes are okay as well.

So it's a really difficult space to pick one.

I'll go as far as saying this was, for me,

the hardest category to choose.

Because there's a bunch of...

Well, they're all pretty average, honestly.

There's nothing really fantastic.

And weirdly, we've kind of picked the same...

Sort of in a weird way.

We've kind of picked the same vehicle,

even though they're two different vehicles.

Yeah, I've gone down the workhorse path,

and I think it's...

I'm just going with sheer practicality here.

I tow a lot.

Yes.

You know, I carry a lot of car things around.

So I've actually gone with the new Ranger,

the Super Duty Ranger.

Yeah.

I'm kind of weirdly curious about it.

Yeah.

Really, I hope they do well.

I hope they've kind of got all the weird issues sorted out.

Yeah.

I think it's going to be a good thing.

And I really want them to see them stick it to the 79 Series Toyotas.

Yeah.

For those that don't know,

so basically, it's a Ranger with a GVM and GCM upgrade.

It's got a huge time capacity.

Yeah, yep.

You've got all the same tech that comes in the current Ranger,

which is copious, all the safety features.

Should be a good thing.

They're going to sell boat loads of these.

Yeah, I agree.

I quite like the Taliban Tan one.

I think that's it.

They're a good looking car.

I don't know if that's the...

Is that the official name of that car?

That's what Ford actually called it.

Yeah, it's really nice.

The Taliban Tan.

Imagine they got it through the marketing department and legal.

Yeah.

Pricing, I think it's still yet to be confirmed,

but you're looking around about the $90,000 mark.

Well, it's still cheaper than the 79 Series.

It is, very, very much.

So, I'm intrigued.

It's got loads of off-roading kit on it.

Yeah.

And it's super tough and practical.

Yeah, exactly.

See how it goes.

Yep.

So, Jim's obviously picked...

I would call that a masculine, you know,

and purposeful dual cabut.

I'm a bit of a pretentious wanker.

So, I've gone with the Volkswagen Amarok,

Panamericana TDI 600 V6.

Ford Ranger.

Which is also a Ford Ranger.

It's a Ford engine.

It's a Ford platform.

It's just wearing a Volkswagen skirt.

Yeah.

Volkswagen skirt.

Yeah.

Which I don't think is a bad thing.

I think it looks...

Probably looks better than the Ranger.

You've got to remember.

Yeah.

I am a wanker.

So, when I rock up for my small pretentious coffees in front of,

you know, inner west cafes in Sydney,

I need to have a dual cabut.

Yeah.

But it's not enough to kind of make up for my masculinity.

Just soft around the edges.

Soft around the edges.

Yeah.

A little bit on the classy side.

And I think it sort of suits me.

I get it.

Yeah.

I do think it's a better looking dual cabut than the Ranger.

Yeah.

Not that that should matter.

It does to me.

Yeah.

Loaded with equipment and it's all the Ford stuff.

Hey, the grand.

Yeah, exactly.

What you, it is an 80 grand.

Exactly.

Really.

Yeah.

It was a tough one.

I looked at Triton.

I looked at Navara.

I looked at the BYD.

Yeah.

So many chews from in this category.

BYD shark is very popular.

I did consider that.

It was on my list as well.

I was very, very close to picking it.

I just, BYD, the only reason I didn't pick it was BYD for me just hasn't been around

quite long enough yet.

I don't know what the backup support was like.

So, hence, Amarok.

Yeah.

However, in a massive contradiction to what we just said,

a pick for small, cheap EVs.

We have agreed on this.

Yeah.

BYD Dolphin.

Yeah, forget everything we said about the BYD shark.

We're talking small, small, cheap EVs.

I think they've got this, this, this segment, this car has got that corner.

This is what an EV should be for me.

I've been fortunate enough to drive one of these and I was not expecting it to be as

hilariously fun as it is to drive.

There's something about a small front wheel drive hatchback that has instant torque from

zero revs and we're talking 310 Newton meters of torque from something the size of a

fiesta.

Torque steer?

Yeah, which is hilariously fun, honestly.

This is loaded with equipment, good amounts of safety tech.

The extended range is pretty good.

I think you get about 420 kilometers worth of range from it.

That might be being a bit optimistic.

Obviously, EV owners know all about the charging issues and living with an EV

around town.

Yeah, cracking.

Cracking down.

Awesome, awesome little car.

But it's going to be interesting to see how they age in time.

We'll be able to cover it in three years' time.

Three years' time, yeah.

Now, from cheap EV, we're going to go into expensive EVs.

There's a few here to choose from.

I went with the Genesis GV70 EV.

This has to be, I reckon this is the most underrated EV on the market.

So, just real quick, compared to its competition.

So, we're talking, all right, BMW X3, one of the GLC Mercedes EVs, EQ GLC.

I don't know.

Tesla Y.

Tesla Model Y and the Audi, the Q5 electric Audi.

I should point out, I nearly did go with the Model Y.

I think the new one of them actually looks pretty good, but I'm sort of, I don't know.

Tesla's got a bit of a thing going on at the moment, so I just went with the Genesis.

I didn't know.

You worry with Tesla's depreciation.

Your buy-in, it's worth, you know, 60% less when you go to sell it in three to five years.

But that Genesis GV, the electrified one, it's great reviews, very few problems.

It's got more power and torque than pretty much all of its competition.

It's got more range than pretty much all of its competition.

It's on an 800-volt architecture, which means it can fast charge faster than its competition,

loaded with equipment and tech and safety features.

And only 135 grand.

Which, I know, sounds like a lot of money, but it's still less than a lot of the competition.

No one's buying these.

There are hardly any on the roads, and I don't know if it's because people don't know they exist

or why no one's buying it.

I think in that particular category, that's the pick.

Yeah, I reckon the uptake of second-hand ones would be pretty good,

because they'll be slightly cheaper and people are going to buy them second-hand.

My pick, however, isn't a normal, regular SUV turned into electric.

Mine is electric from the start.

I was so close to going the Ioniq 5N, because I adore that car.

I've lived with it, driven it on track and on road.

It's spectacular.

I think it's too much car.

I'm going to go the Kia EV6 GT.

This thing, and I'm talking about the facelifted model, which, yeah, I know it's not technically here yet,

but it's moments away.

Looking at about 100,000 bucks, still rapid, 0-100 in 3.5 seconds.

30 grand cheaper than the Genesis.

That's nothing to be sneezed at.

Yeah, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be cheaper than the Ioniq 5N.

It's the same platform.

It's going to pick up a whole bunch of the Ioniq 5N bits and bobs in technology.

It's going to have a drift mode, again, still on an 800-volt architecture, so still fast-charging.

I've driven and lived with the previous generation of this car, and it was excellent.

The new ones is going to step it up again.

Great car.

Okay, now, our next category, we're going to talk luxury cars.

We're talking big, luxurious cars, like an S-class Mercedes kind of vibe.

That's not the pick, though.

Definitely not the pick.

No, and I know from the cars that we've just mentioned in the EV section,

you might accuse us of being paid by Hyundai and Kia and Genesis.

That is not the case.

It's purely coincidence that I've gone with my particular winner in this category,

which is the G80, the 3.5T all-drive.

This thing's a spectacular car.

It feels weirdly like a Bentley.

I don't know if you've sat in one, even seen it.

It's got Bentley vibes about it for around about $500,000 to $600,000 less money.

And then a Bentley, yeah.

Napa leather everywhere, ventilated and heated seats.

All the interior tech you would ever want in a luxury car.

The ride quality, the levels of refinement.

This is a bonkers car.

They're just incredible.

And it's also about half the price of the one I've chosen.

Yeah, but I do wonder if yours is actually worth the price.

Yeah, I don't know.

I honestly have never driven one, so I don't know.

But I've chosen the 2025 Lexus LS 500H.

In sports luxury trim.

Oh my, what a beautiful looking car.

Is it worth $215,000?

Well, you know what?

When you see, I've seen one.

I haven't driven one, but I've seen one.

And when you look at the fit and finish of everything,

not just the panel gaps, but the way the leathers come together,

the way the interior trim meets the leathers.

You can see that every nook and cranny of this thing

has been thoroughly thought out.

The stitching.

There was a committee of 30 people that decided

what thickness the stitching was going to be.

Like, it is the epitome of luxury car.

I was torn here.

I was going to go the Lexus as well.

But then, I don't know, the Genesis deserves a wrap.

I think the Genesis is way better value for money.

Interesting to see how the Lexus depreciates.

I know Lexus usually hold their value pretty well,

but a $200,000 Lexus?

I don't know.

Yeah, I don't know.

But if you're in the market for a 7 Series or an S-Class

or an A8, go and look at the Lexus and the Genesis first.

I think you'll be blown away.

Well, if we're going to talk about depreciation,

it's going to win against all the Euro stuff.

It is going to win.

And this is controversial.

I think if you look at purely build quality,

I think you've got to go to the Korean or the Japanese.

Yeah, for sure.

Okay, next up, we come to a genre that neither of us like.

It doesn't make sense to us whatsoever.

And we get it.

We're talking luxury SUVs here.

Like, yeah, okay.

Like a Bentley Bentayga and a Rolls-Royce Cullen.

And they're amazing, but God, they're ugly.

Range Rover is a stunning, like stunning car,

beautifully insided out.

Nice looking.

But then like, how long is it going to last for?

Exactly.

And there's also depreciation.

If it wasn't my money, I can't justify dropping.

These top of the line Range Rover can drop $200,000 in value

in like five to eight years.

That is, it makes no sense.

And although we both agree and we don't really like,

nor are drawn to this category of car,

we agreed on what the car here is.

And this one is actually another Lexus.

Sorry.

They're not paying us.

They're not.

It's just a good car.

It's the GX550, the sports luxury.

Yeah.

It's bloody, fully loaded.

Go anywhere.

It's amazing.

Again, you've got to go and drive on and check it out.

I know a lot of you will argue that's, you know,

compared to something like a Bentayga or a Cullen.

It's not really a luxury SUV.

It's only 150 grand.

And also, what more do you want from an SUV

that the GX550 doesn't give you?

Okay, the badge snobs will, you know,

whine and complain that they don't get to say

to whoever they're on a tender date with,

I've got my Bentley or I've got my Rolls-Royce.

I think this is a cooler car.

Yeah.

It's a smarter car.

Yeah.

If you have to buy something in this category,

this is the least pretentious one to get.

Easily, 100%.

It's funny that a Lexus is kind of the workhorse

of this particular category.

Yeah.

Yeah, I agree.

Lexus GX550 sports luxury.

That is the luxury SUV to buy.

Yeah.

Now, to a category we both absolutely love.

Oh, yeah.

I love these cars.

It's affordable performance cars.

Affordable performance cars.

Of which there are many to choose from.

There are.

Yes.

No, there's only one to choose from.

There's two.

Affordable.

Yeah, no.

I went with a GR Corolla.

Of course you did.

Of course I did.

It's a great little package.

I haven't driven the automatic yet.

Apparently, they're quicker on track.

Yeah.

I think it'd be fun to drive.

I'd probably still get the manual.

Absolutely.

Practical.

You know, it's got back doors and a back seat.

I have kids.

I can't get rid of them.

Yeah.

So I have to think about cars I can put them in.

The problem is I was going to pick that,

but it's not practical enough for me.

See, I've tried.

I bought a new drum kit and I can't fit my new bass drum

in the boot of the GR Corolla.

It literally does not fit.

Can you imagine if they made a GR Corolla wagon?

Please.

Please do it.

But you know, you know the affordable performance car

that my bass drum does fit in the back of?

What is it?

Honda Civic Type R.

Yeah, you're going to say that.

FL5.

I love these.

It's arguably one of the greatest front-wheel drive cars

of all time.

Obviously, you've got to have it in championship white.

Best seats in the business.

Yep.

And it's about the same price as the Corolla.

Yeah.

Pretty much line ball.

Also, even on the use market, talking depreciation down the track,

pretty much line ball as well.

Similar levels of tech, both made in Japan.

Yours is all-drive in a three-cylinder turbo.

Apparently, it's going to be a four-cylinder turbo soon.

With a lot more power.

In the new Supra.

Yeah.

Mine is front-wheel-drive four-cylinder, two-litre turbo.

Look, if you're into torque steer and understeer, that's fine.

Get it.

But you know.

You drive around that stuff, mate.

It's a good car.

I'm not taking that.

It is a good car.

I have yet to drive one.

Yeah, right.

I'm dying to drive one.

Honda Australia.

If you've got a press car out there.

You know, if we did do...

Plenty.

I'd love one.

If we did all new cars, they would...

You could get one.

I know, I know.

I'd actually like to do, like, a long...

This is legit.

I promise this is legit.

I'd like to do a long-term test.

Maybe have the car for six to 12 months.

Yeah.

And do a bunch of videos on it and how it...

What is it like with a drum kit in the back?

What's it like to do the groceries?

What's it like with a drum kit in the back

doing hot laps at Eastern Creek?

Exactly.

Although, if I didn't need to lug a drum kit around every second weekend,

a Toyo Beru BRZ86 GR.

Yeah.

One of those very tempting.

Yeah.

That's a good, fun car.

Really great.

You're not going to get a drum kit in it,

but you are going to have fun in it.

Yeah.

It's also an N-D-MX5.

Oh, yeah.

There's also that.

Yeah.

There are some really good affordable...

There are a few too many choices there,

but you have to pick one.

That's the rules.

I'm going to...

No, I'm going to Civic Type R.

I'm going to Civic Type R.

Although, there's also the i30...

No, no, no.

I'm going to Civic Type R.

Stick with it.

Let's talk about expensive performance cars.

When we say expensive,

we're thinking, like, kind of north of 100 grand.

Oh, way north.

Yeah.

But under, like, the 300 grand mark, okay?

I know that's ridiculous.

Just.

Oh, come here.

My choice here is the Audi RS6 Performance,

comes in at a bargain price of $283,000.

It is a station wagon, so it's really practical.

That's what I'm just referring to.

Yep.

Four-litre twin-turbo VA.

Freaking weapon, really.

Again, it's the final iteration of this.

The last hurrah.

It's the last hurrah of this generation of RS6.

It's a sexy thing.

Yeah, it wouldn't want to own one out of warranty, though.

We've done a full review of a used RS6.

That was mind-bendingly quick, that car.

Yeah.

Check it out.

Bloody great thing.

It's funny that you've picked a wagon, or in advance, as Audi call it.

Yep.

Because I've picked a touring, or a wagon, as we call it.

We've given it away.

Second you said touring.

M3.

Yeah.

M3 touring.

I can't think of a more perfect car all-round.

So I can fit my drums in it.

It can be all-drive, so I can go to the snow in it.

It can be real-drive, so you can drift in it and do donuts.

Yeah.

It's got all the latest tech.

I actually like the previous iteration of iDrive compared to the latest one.

That's just me being a wanker.

I'd have the optional seats.

I think it looks fantastic.

Made of mine, Mitch owns one, and I'm incredibly jealous of him.

It's 100 grand cheaper than the Audi.

And it's a spectacular car.

Yeah, they are a good thing.

As a car, our drag races have proven as well.

With a bit of tuning.

Oh, yeah.

My God, these do be quick.

Not that, you know.

Straight line performance is all that fun.

But this is another one of those cars that, it's like they went,

let's make Adam Morris his perfect car,

and we'll make sure that he can't afford to buy it.

To be honest, I was sort of on the same page there,

and then I last minute went to the Audi,

because it's not my money, right?

Yeah.

And I didn't have to pay the repair bills or the tyres or the brakes,

but hey, you know, that's the only reason I was sort of swayed towards the Audi.

And again, we're picking these wagons,

because you get all your cake and you can eat it too.

So these are both incredible performance cars,

but you can still fit stuff in them.

Nothing wrong with, you know, Porsche 911s and, you know,

Aston Martin's and all that sort of stuff as well.

But in terms of one car that does it all, performance car,

it's got to be these two.

But also speaking of Porsche 911s, Jim.

Yeah.

Let's talk fantasy garage.

We're talking ridiculous money, people.

This is the one we all dream about.

We're talking power ball win levels of car here.

My choice here is eye-wateringly expensive,

but in this category, there are way, way, way more expensive cars.

This is a bargain at 700,000 bucks.

I took this category and ran way too well with it.

Compared to your choice, mine's an economical run around.

I've chosen the 992 GT3 RS.

God, I love those cars.

I know you do.

I haven't driven one, but I just love them.

The ultimate hypercar to me is kind of a bit silly,

but this is a race car.

Yeah.

This is completely impractical.

This is a race car.

It's built to go faster on the racetrack.

I like to do that.

Yes.

And this is good for that.

And I would like one.

What color would you have?

God, I don't know.

Green?

Really?

The orange.

I like, I don't know what they call the,

that flame red, orangey color.

Yeah.

What color?

Please, someone tell us what they call that color.

I don't know, but that's a good,

they're all, all of them look good.

I like them silver with the black highlights.

Anthrocyte wheels and stuff.

Yeah.

They all look good.

They all look good, honestly.

What?

With no stickers on it?

Because then it kind of looks like a Carrera Cup car.

Yeah, maybe.

In sort of like testing mode.

It's one of those few cars where I actually do like a kind of bright,

Larry color.

Typically I go with a more subtle colors,

but in this car I'll probably go with something really bright.

And at least you've got something to do your ironing as well.

Yeah, perfect for that.

Ironing.

What is ironing?

I've heard of it.

I don't do it.

Okay.

Look, I've actually changed one at the last minute here

because I saw on, you know, the list fantasy choice,

e.g. hypercar, I went, okay, cool.

And I'm going to make many of you hate me right now.

I was at Goodwood Festival of Speed this year,

and I saw one of these in the carbon.

In the flesh in the carbon.

And you think, okay, four to five million dollars for a car,

that's ridiculous money.

Nothing could possibly be worth that until you see one.

And like the level of engineering and grassmanship

and just seeing it up close is next level.

It's the Pagani Utopia, 635 kilowatt, 1100 Newton meters,

twin turbo AMG V12.

Five million dollars.

I know it is a lot.

What is that?

Is that real money?

I don't even know what that is.

You know, scratch it because I've gone too far.

I'm going to stick with my pricing a smidge more than your pricing

for my fantasy garage.

When I say a smidge more, it's $200,000 more.

It's fine.

It's not our money, remember?

And, okay, technically it's not a new car,

but it's technically a Resto mod,

but it is, I'm going to call it new.

It's the Camara Evo 37.

Now, if you don't know what this is,

after this video, go watch Throttle House

and their video of this car.

I adore this.

Again, this was my favorite car at Goodwood.

Seeing one in real life,

it is all of the hypercar stuff,

but with all the retro vibes.

Incredibly cool car.

Super, super cool car.

We don't have time to go into the details here,

but please go check it out.

It is a spectacular car,

and I love Rally.

Rally is probably my favorite motor sport.

And the Martini white livery.

Oh, my God.

For those that don't know,

it's a Group B Rally car,

kind of modernized and Resto modded for road use,

and it is absolutely special.

Did you mention it's based on the Lancia?

It is based on the Lancia by 37.

Sort of based on it.

Yeah.

That's it.

That's our list of sensible and stupid cars

that, if gone to our head,

we have to buy a new car,

they're the ones we get.

What would you get?

Let us know in the comments.

Also, are we going to do the new cars

we would avoid at all costs?

Oh, so many.

Should we do that?

There's so many.

What should we put in the list?

Let us know.

What new cars would you not go near

with a 10-foot barge pop?

Till next time.

Yep.

Thank you again so much for listening

to the Redriven podcast.

And look, if you enjoyed it,

comment, follow,

and review the podcast where you'll be listening,

because it really does help us out so much.

And remember, you can also find us over on YouTube

where we have video versions of many of these chats,

along with hundreds of used car reviews.

And if you have any questions

or suggestions for the podcast,

you can find our email in the show notes.

Thanks again so much,

and we'll catch you on the next one.

0:00

40:53

Kia I20 N

BMW M340i Touring

Honda That Honda

$75,000

Toyota Kluger

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