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Paddy's eUp woes, Budget '26 for motorists & lukewarm Honda S2000?
370 Plays10 days ago
This week, Paddy's loveable eUp has caused him some issues - find out more inside.
With Budget '26 announced, we look at what is in it for motorists and just how much money do the Irish government take on every litre of fuel that you put into your vehicle.
Mark has said goodbye to his Porsche 911 but a look at what might have been his next car didn't quite live up to his expectations.
We also announce the Irish prices for the new Nissan Micra with fresh reaction from the lads.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:04
Speaker
Welcome to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Cars, Ireland's favourite car buying website with a widest selection of cars from certified trusted dealerships. Most Irish drivers find their next car on Dundeele Cars, like you do maybe at some stage, Mark.
00:00:19
Speaker
Yeah, if you go, you know, when you get your screen time on your phone, you can see what apps you're on a lot. it's I'd say Done Deal is is high up there at the moment. Yeah, it would be. my um and My section is the classic section, the vintage section. I'm never off that. So, um yeah, yeah that's my it's my happy place. So um so how are you have you been?
Ray Darcy's Career Discussion
00:00:39
Speaker
I've been okay. Yeah, you're not going for Ray Darcy's job? No.
00:00:42
Speaker
and Quarter of a million a year. Who would get that job? I'm sorry, what happened there? i didn't i saw the headlines. Was he just not renewed or? ah His Jane Law ratings were down.
00:00:54
Speaker
um ah he He was, I think he was definitely expected on air on Thursday. We're filming this or recording this on Friday morning. ah because the guy who covered yesterday afternoon, Shea Byrne, was also on air yesterday morning.
00:01:08
Speaker
so On rising time? On rising time. So that's not, you know... What a hero. i think Having worked in the radio industry for a long time, that's not how things work if everything's going to plan. That's a panicked, Shea, are you around this afternoon? Yeah, why? Need you to cover, Darcy.
00:01:21
Speaker
ah Okay, in we go.
Ray Darcy's Lifestyle and Finances
00:01:23
Speaker
So and i'm I'm reading between the lines. Was he told his contract wasn't being renewed? And he said, right, good luck to you. I'm literally exiting the building. Yeah.
00:01:32
Speaker
um Because Clare Byrne has been allowed to have a longer buy. So I think it depends on the terms you're leaving. And like, it's not like he's going to be fishing down the back of the sofa looking for money for pot noodles, in fairness.
00:01:45
Speaker
and No, I mean, let's let's be let's be straight here. Ray was on almost half a million a year when he initially went towards you because he was doing that god-awful TV show on Saturday night. Yeah.
00:01:56
Speaker
And I always bought Volkswagen Golfs. I think he still has one. Yeah, because he's meant to be a tight git. Oh, well, we couldn't possibly comment. But he was never flashed with his cars anyway. No. He always bought, he did when I was in Volkswagen, he bought a few Golfs. Nice, nice spec Golfs.
00:02:13
Speaker
mind you, but but not GTIs or anything, just a nice disrespect. No, under the radar, Darcy. That's that's him. I once heard a story, I don't know if it's true, but it's a good story, so let's continue. ah Someone from Tile Market chased him out to the boot of the golf, and that's why I think this true, because they knew it was a golf.
00:02:28
Speaker
And he he thought they were looking for an autograph, he just forgot to sign the docket for the tiles. And they were like, no no, no, I just need your signature for the bill. Oh dear.
00:02:39
Speaker
Oh dear. all right okay why would't you say it Would you would you not go on for that? ah No, no, it's not. Not my kind of bag. and ah You know your limits. I was only listening to it the other day. for It was probably Tuesday, um Tuesday this week I was listening to it and I just happened to be listening to The Budget in the car and his show was shortened because there'd been a longer news at one and he sounded sore about it be annoyed about that yeah yeah so um if the new act people came in early or late uh he'd be very annoyed about that um like i remember his first day on rt his first link he crossed over with eileen dunn who's also now retired and uh he was giving about giving out about the price of the soup and the rt canteen that was his first words on his new show so it's like right start as you mean to go on
00:03:28
Speaker
And he could afford the finest soup in the world on half a million a year, which was the irony of it. Good luck to him now. He'll be fine. He'll be fine. and So look, tell tell us about what you've been driving this week. and I saw on, I was just browsing YouTube and I saw a very, very interesting Mamba Green Elrock RS. How did you get on with that?
EV Trip to Belfast
00:03:49
Speaker
ah Got on good with it. Did a decent trip up to be beyond Belfast yesterday. Wanted to see, could you do an extended motorway test drive um without having to to charge, basically?
00:04:03
Speaker
Now, I deliberately left the house with 52% charge because I wanted to see, could you do a sporadic last minute trip ah in an EV? Yeah. If I had left at 100%, like a normal EV customer probably would have, I wouldn't have had to stop at all.
00:04:18
Speaker
It was a round trip of about 340 kilometers, climate control on, 120, cruise control, literally driving like you would drive a a normal car. And it was fine. And how it was that? Elaborate and fine. Give me some numbers.
00:04:34
Speaker
and 21 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres, quite a bit off the official figures, but we know WLTP is an average speed of 47 kilometres an hour, which is often an awful lot. ah They probably maybe have the aircon off or certainly in eco mode. I would say Um, so I left Dublin just after 9am. I was back for the school run at, uh, two, so two, two 35. I was there five minutes early. Um, I did get back with like 8%, but I'm okay with that. You know, there's 8% left. So
EV Range and Anxiety
00:05:07
Speaker
that's fine. There's about 40 kilometers. Um, that, that, you know, people always say, oh well, like the the EV range,
00:05:14
Speaker
It doesn't always match. And that is true. And ah I particularly find the last few percent and you obviously drive an EV, you might be able to confirm this or not. The last few percent really does quickly diminish that buffer.
00:05:26
Speaker
Suddenly you've got 100 kilometers, you look down, you've got 60 and you're like, oh, Jesus, am I going to make it or not? Yeah. um Yeah, I can hear Blake Boland twitching wherever he's listening to this podcast at to you doing 120 with the aircon on. He would be... But that's... No, I know. And I know, and then that's, it's it's interesting that you did that because that's the, that is the that the way you'd normally do it. Obviously, in terms of get longer journeys you are and we tested it when when i was in the aaa you're getting about 25 to 28 less than you would do by driving at 100 alone and some difference some difference and the other thing is that car was was rapid charged twice yesterday because of this trip so i had to plug into ionity at 50 what maybe for late forty s
00:06:10
Speaker
Did that for half an hour. ah <unk> The battery wasn't fully warm. I did use the optimizer, but I got to about 100 kilowatt. The LROC is somewhere between 175 and 185 peak.
00:06:21
Speaker
But then when I got back to Dublin, I needed to charge again on the ESB charger. I was actually at a charger. Can you imagine it? One of the 140 kilowatt chargers and there was no one on the other side. oh nice.
00:06:31
Speaker
The LROC held on to 140 kilowatt for ah well into the 60s. And then even when it slowed down, it was still doing sort of 110, 120 because the battery was lovely and toasty. and And it was fine.
00:06:44
Speaker
Because I have some serious issues with some of the figures being quoted for charging speeds. yeah um Stellantis Group as well. I'm looking at you heavily. you see You'll see figures of, okay, you can charge at speeds of up to 160 kilowatts.
00:06:59
Speaker
um So the Opa Grandland I had last week, yeah that's the figure, 160. Now, when you look into it, it's probably for the first 10%.
00:07:12
Speaker
right And very few people are actually going in, you know, not unless you're me, and we'll get onto that later, but you're firmly not going into your charging point on two or 3%, you know, because, you know, that's very squeaky bum time.
00:07:28
Speaker
So if you look at the numbers and there's a very interesting website called EV a database or database, depending on how you want to pronounce data or data. and And it's really interesting for that. they if It gets into the absolute weeds on charging speeds.
00:07:43
Speaker
And that car, that car's from 10 to 80 is 90.
00:07:50
Speaker
Right. Yeah. so So, so, you know, 160 happens for a little bit and then, and love that's borne out by when I went to charging points in this and I was seeing, right, I was seeing sort of seventies, eighties.
00:08:04
Speaker
I've seen you do it a lot of times in your videos where you've, been charging it and been saying, oh, look, I'm not getting much out of this. And right, some cases it's the charger. Like so sometimes the ESP ones, which are like, I know the ones in Portaleche were like that. i'm not sure if they're the same, but even the rapid, that the the ultra ones were still putting out 50. I remember Bob Flavin telling me that it this that was all that was available in the grid to put into those.
00:08:27
Speaker
And obviously as well, when as you just mentioned, when you plug in with someone else, so suddenly it halves. Yeah. So ah your 150 is now 75 max.
00:08:39
Speaker
So, but, you know, this it was the same with the Citroen EC3. Again, barely managing 60s. for most of the charge. So that figure of, I would be very, head and like, it's good to hear that, you know, the LROC, for example, was putting out, what did you say, 140s? 140, and that's really more important as an EV customer. the the head Think of the the top peak figure like a headline figure, but that actually when you go into the article, that's really what matters. And yeah, it's more about how long your car will hold on
00:09:11
Speaker
to a reasonable charging speed. more It's more significant to you getting back on the road quicker if you are trying to do kind of long commute journeys. um And um yeah, it was i was fine.
00:09:25
Speaker
Because I did a short video for Dundee cars and it was ah about charging curve and in the Citroen EC3. And I was showing that when I was down at sort of 75, when was up 75, 80%, I was down 16 at one point.
00:09:37
Speaker
i was down to sixteen one point in terms of um charging speed. So, and it's, please people, stop sitting on chargers to 100% because it's taking you as long, in some cases, to get from 80 to 100 as it is from the for the first 10 to 80. But it is also, again, depending on the car because I've been in some EVs this year that even at 80% and beyond, they're still charging at quite decent speeds.
00:10:05
Speaker
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Like Kia, Korean brands in particular, a really, really efficient right all the way. Some of the Kia ones are are incredible, but and but it also begs the question as well. like we If this you know we're talking about charging etiquette and you know you're not meant to charge, you you shouldn't really charge to 100% of the loads of people watching you.
00:10:25
Speaker
Are we at all times only ever dealing with cars with 80% potential? Because if you were going on a longer journey, you're thinking, right, okay, the range this car is 300, but I'm going to have to stop and I can probably only charge to 80%.
00:10:42
Speaker
So I'm only ever working off, you know a lower number than, you know, you're seldom, unless you've charged at home when you're leaving from home, as you said earlier, you know, if you charge from home, to 100%, you would have been working up that full range. If you're public charging network, it's quite difficult and challenging to charge.
00:10:58
Speaker
And it also takes a bloody long time. And and also, maybe unnecessary, you know, someone replied to me like, it's my first day in school to say, you know, oh, the quickest way is to just stop at a shorter stop and go to the next one.
00:11:13
Speaker
And that that is true as well. It's another kind of more efficient way of doing it. But when you're going across the border, things can get a little bit leery when it comes to the charging network. I'm also i'm I'm charging differently. I'm not paying for the charging most of the time. The brand is so I'm looking for, you know, a charger that's going to work with the card I have.
00:11:34
Speaker
And actually, ah if anyone is using the or trying to use the Airside and Soares, they have really nice new
ESB Charger Issues
00:11:41
Speaker
ESB chargers, e-car chargers, bigger than I've seen anywhere else in the country.
00:11:46
Speaker
For the second time earlier this week, I tried to charge the LROC. It wouldn't connect. I had messages from people saying, yeah, I'm having issues with those chargers three and four times to get it to connect. Obviously, if you're an e-cars customer, you have the app, but I still don't know if those chargers are working properly.
00:12:01
Speaker
perfectly so if anyone out there is listening and has some responsibility for them maybe check I'm sure they're on a computer somewhere somewhere but yeah speaking of difficulty charging I had some tricky moments um I do have a Volkswagen E up which I haven't driven in in quite a while now um like I decided to him
00:12:24
Speaker
Do I need to send help? yeahm Sorry. Are you getting emotional about the E-Up? A crumb. That was a crumb from earlier. and I retrieved my E-Up from Automotive Team and who thankfully held on to it for a little while.
00:12:38
Speaker
I had serviced it recently in Frankkeens and Furze Road. um No issues. Three new tyres which I would have expected on an EV because EVs are munching tyres.
00:12:50
Speaker
Brake pads, wiper blades, nothing major. um So I collected it and it was on about quarter charge, 86 kilometers range. So I left Sandiford and I, yeah, i did ah I did a traffic report for you on um and on the radio, I think. it so did I forgot you.
00:13:12
Speaker
i know everyone knows you were in AA recently, but yeah I forgot you were you were one of the Lorraine Keene alumni. I wasn't Lorraine Keene. She had left... But i okay not long after, actually, and I worked with the lovely Ian McIver, who's no longer with us.
00:13:28
Speaker
Oh, yes, yes. Jesus. fred Yeah, Vanna Lyons, Helen Vaughan, a few others as well. Did they train you how to say roundabout? Well, I think i might have been a bit of an antidote to the roundabout because i was some loud, but um yeah they do they do to train you. They had that a lovely guy called Brian Munn who's, um who's who would who you know the voice from the Lions tea ads.
00:13:54
Speaker
An older gentleman, um you know would have been that really rich. Are we talking about lines when they used to give away a Toyota Starlet if you bought them with tokens? Yeah, back in the day. So he is his job at the time was to come in and teach us how to speak proper.
00:14:08
Speaker
Good. um And it was great and because, you know, he he sort of taught you how to pitch your voice down and and all that stuff. and And, you know, obviously the older you get and my voice has changed to the older I've got.
00:14:20
Speaker
and so That's normal, yeah. But I, so I was... Radio 1. So they wanted me on Radio 1. So i I used to do Morning Ireland with Maxie, who would always be always be grey crack. And then I'd go on to do Morning Ireland, which is very serious. So you had to be, you know, no messing around. This was, you know, there's a three mile tailback, blah, blah, blah. And then you're signing off, whatever. So, but no, that was um that was a great time. But I had a 21 year gap between my two stints in the AA.
00:14:48
Speaker
Wow, that's a big, and you're not even that old, like... Well, I kind of am now, yeah. But yeah, that was, well, it was pretty much my first, it was one of my first jobs. I was, you know, we were all fresh friends. On Morning Ireland, were you Cotl, whatever his name was? Cotl McQuilla.
00:15:03
Speaker
Yes. He was one of the presenters, probably, ah Stephen, Stephen Murray, Sean Murray, Sean, Stephen. Yeah. And who was who was the, was there, they had gender balance even back then, I presume, on Morning Ireland. Who was the female presenter?
00:15:18
Speaker
um God, I don't know. was the name? can't remember now at this age. It's so long ago. But yeah, they they had, him that but that was the that was the the crack with that there. But yeah, so I was, so in the up anyway, driving down. Back to the up. I was like, what am I even talking about? To remind myself.
00:15:37
Speaker
ah driving and Driving down the road and I was getting incredible efficiency. And that that really, that was something I noted and I i i i said said it to you at the time. I had got out of cars like a Citroen EC3,
00:15:50
Speaker
c three 19 kilowatt hours, you kilowatts per hundred kilometers. and And, you know, some of them are 15, 16. i was doing eight. And then I got onto the motorway, I was doing 10.
00:16:03
Speaker
Now it was 19 degrees, but I was like, I forgot how efficient that car is now. and And, you know, the quality of it as well felt streets ahead of some of the stuff that's coming on stream from the at that sort of lower end market. So, ah you know, there is a, there is a home for that car, but and Anyway, I started to run down and charge as it did, even though it was efficient and I said, right, better pull in, Junction 14, went up to charge, put it in, red light, communication error.
00:16:31
Speaker
It's like, okay, right. and Tried another one of those because you have a pat you know you have a line up of them there, they're all pretty much empty at Junction 14, all the same error, red light error.
00:16:43
Speaker
So, all right, legged it over to um another place where they had EasyGo chargers. um Okay. No, didn't work. Another then tried apple green, didn't work.
00:16:54
Speaker
So at this stage now, I'm pretty running pretty low on charge. I have tried charging in few different places. It's evening time. it There's no dealerships open. I ring my brother who has a pub in Geishel in Offaly.
00:17:07
Speaker
Are you there, Michael? And he goes, yeah, I'm here. Sorry, all right, I'm heading for you. So I pulled into the back gate of the pub ah on 0%, 0 kilometers. And i mean, I rolled in.
00:17:19
Speaker
How long have it been on zero for? it's just rolled in I'd been on zero for the last two or three e kilometers. Now, I had done 103 kilometers on um a predicted 86 kilometers range.
00:17:34
Speaker
So there's always a bit built in. Not a lot built in. It does start screaming at you. But I got in the gate anyway. he had i hi the i have a three pin plug. plug in the E up because it does actually charge pretty efficiently on the three pin plug plugged it in the window of his kitchen and green light fine next morning because I wasn't going anywhere for 10 hours but I did have four very delicious pints Guinness and next morning got into the car it had only got to 80% so right okay i I'll go again but I said right I'm going to stop and see whether this thing still won't charge different charger point again no no charge
00:18:14
Speaker
Went to Michael Moore's and thank you to Robert Moore and Michael Moore's who looked after me very well. Gave me an office, gave me everything. They looked over the car, couldn't find any falls. pull it Put in the out and then the charger outside, coarse green light, perfect.
00:18:29
Speaker
and So I charged 100%, drove down here again on fumes to Ballycotton and can charge it here outside. So I don't know, but for some reason I cannot charge on public chargers.
00:18:42
Speaker
Doesn't matter what. Just justs public chargers. Just public chargers. And there's no fault with the car apparently but it means that. And are we talking AC public chargers?
00:18:53
Speaker
Either. or Either. Because I did have an issue before with a Kia press car and there was a pin with the EV6. There was something wrong with the pin and the connector and you so you could charge at home but you couldn't charge publicly. So it doesn't sound like it's that.
00:19:06
Speaker
Now is this car still under a warranty from the battery? Yeah, it's fine. And look, I mean, I have some good credit in Volkswagen, I think. So and hopefully they will look after me ah in terms of, you know, if there is any fault. But yeah, it's just a strange one. It's one of those ones.
00:19:21
Speaker
If you didn't know a bit, you would think, oh, tick, I don't what I'm doing. But I do know a bit in this regard. And and I just can't identify it. Now, as it happens, I don't drive that car very often. i'm leaving I'm probably leaving it down here to spin around. I'm not going to be going up and down to Dublin in it.
00:19:36
Speaker
But the same time, we need to get to the bottom of it. And hopefully will in the in the coming weeks, you know. And do you do you do you leave it with any certain state of charge in it when you're leaving it lying around? and When I'm leaving lying around, i would, no, if I have it here, I will always start it. And and and I think the guys in automotive team would have done the same. i think they had on a trickle charge long as there's any issue there.
00:19:55
Speaker
and but But yeah, i we want to get to the bottom of. And look, the only thing is that that car, I have no option for that car in September of next year when my PCP is up but to hand back, which is a bit of a shame because such a good car, really enjoy driving it. It's an absolute crack on the back road.
00:20:12
Speaker
and But because of Volkswagen messing around with the retail pricing of cars and discounting them at the time. Yeah. Yeah. Cause you did spend, you did the CEO cost you 30 grand.
00:20:24
Speaker
so Did you get a staff discount on that? No, no discount. I was, um, it was,
PCP Car Financing Challenges
00:20:30
Speaker
it was a car. It was, you know, they had a few of the time and they were really well equipped. Like it has climate cruise control,
00:20:40
Speaker
and You know, everything heated seats. A little phone holder, the way it works. Did you ever have that with the radio? Yeah, phone holder. And that's your navigation. And then there's a Volkswagen Maps and More, which comes up and shows your speed and everything.
00:20:53
Speaker
As a car, really efficient, really nicely built. But the buyback on that is 14 and a half grand. So my options would be to give them 14 and a half grand for a car that you could have bought new for 20, three years ago.
00:21:06
Speaker
And it's probably worth... I was going to say, like, um you don't have to hand it back if you have some equity in it and you could just sell it yourself. I don't think the finance companies actually care once you're handing them a draft for the the balance. You're not technically meant to do it, but I've done it that way before with Close Brothers Finance.
00:21:25
Speaker
And I didn't give them a car. I just gave them a draft and they were very happy. um But don't think you're in that situation with EOP where... But I yeah i was joking with a friend last night. ah like What would happen if I sort of hand the keys back, walk out one door and come in another door?
00:21:41
Speaker
Hey, I'm just wondering, do you have any tungsten silver E-ups with about 36,000 kilometers on it? That's like something the general did, I think, back in the day. He would, was he going to get his doll and then they came back out? or There was some armed robber anyway in Dublin who...
00:21:57
Speaker
they They made sure they were seen in the bank. And then the next minute, a van pulled up. Nothing's doing me. Look, i'm I'm just here collecting my money. So, yeah, I could try that and just say, look, I'm shopping for a tungsten silver E-Up and I've got about seven grand to spend.
00:22:14
Speaker
You wouldn't have one, would you? that' it I wonder, does that, that must happen. I mean, well I think it's a reasonably new situation because, you you know, this didn't occur. the whole the lot of the premise of PCP, and I think it's why you're starting to see more of the brands pushing people into and HP on EVs.
00:22:36
Speaker
And, you know, we've seen that. If you look at the ads, you'll see a lot of lower APRs on HPs. Because today when the model came out, and and I remember the first one was a Polo, that was the first PCP in Ireland was a Polo.
00:22:47
Speaker
Folks were going to introduce the PCP to Ireland. And the whole premise of it was that you would have equity. So so yeah you would have your you use your low monthly payments.
00:22:58
Speaker
There was few, generally because the residual values were so solid on the cars, folks, Polos, Golfs, Passats, there was always a few quid. So people would go back and get another one. This can't have been the case for Certainly early ID3s, E-ups.
00:23:14
Speaker
No. You know, the ID4 I think has settled down a bit, but there couldn't have been that much, if any, equity in and those was cars. No. And banks don't like losing money because the house always wins. So you can see why they are pushing HP again. Obviously, it's the customer's problem.
00:23:31
Speaker
if If it's a HP, you know, if if there's negative equity, that's your issue, buddy. Whereas if it's PCP, it's the bank's issue. But I remember a situation and I remember asking at a time, this is early on in the PCP journey, like how many people have handed back cars? And at one point there was none.
00:23:49
Speaker
None? None. Right. So that, you know, this is early on and, you know, there have been just polos and golfs or whatever. But ah the model works so well that it was just like, no, well, why would I?
00:24:01
Speaker
hand it back let me just go again yeah but i wonder what it how much that has changed yeah like we've pcp in our house and i personally think it's 500 odd quid and yes you could offset it that you're not paying 160 a month on petrol anymore because it's electric but it's still in there a lot of money every month for something that you don't even own well i look i've effectively rented a knee up for three years that I'm going to hand back. Yeah.
00:24:31
Speaker
Because there's no, there isn't like, i you know, I talked to the dealership and draw it and you know, I know the lads there, they're like, Paddy, the only thing you can do is hand us the keys back. and And that's, that's the only option. And it's a shame because I, you know, as I, you know, like you, I drive a lot of press cars and for where I live, the roads, et cetera.
00:24:50
Speaker
Could you approach the finance house and say, look, we both know this car, you're going to lose money on it. yeah I can't get the equity back. How about I buy it off you? The the settlement figure is 14. How about I give you six?
00:25:06
Speaker
Because they're going to take a hit on anyway. Yeah, well, I think there are some regulations in Savara. That's why I think I don't know whether I do have to hand it back first. But yeah, no, interesting one. we'll we'll let we'll We'll visit that in September. Because you know what? I actually would like to keep it for for so you know for for something that I would just run around, especially, you know, you haven't been down here yet, but the the roads are kind of nice, but small and twisty.
00:25:29
Speaker
and I have the best phone driving this. Sorry, just to correct you, I have been down in Ballycotton. I had an Audi RS3 around Ballycotton because it was one of the stopovers.
00:25:41
Speaker
It was one of the stopovers on Bumblebee a couple of years ago. So I stayed in the Ballycotton Hotel there are is Ballycotton Bay? Bayview Hotel. Yeah, it overlooks that island opposite the very end of Ireland and Oh, what a place.
00:25:55
Speaker
yeah Well, you haven't been to me yet. so for No. For points. So we need to fix that as well. No, that's true. Another car you've been driving is the Kia PV5. And i I haven't got to watch the video yet. I'm looking forward to That's on my list for just before the Late Late Show tonight. Rock and roll lifestyle and is to watch that.
00:26:12
Speaker
but You need to get a dodgy box. I know, yeah. But the I really like the look of this thing. um Is it as good as I think it is? It depends what you think it is. um so I just think it's a boxy utilitarian EV. It is.
00:26:28
Speaker
That you can um do stuff with. That's it. And the price is very, very acceptable. So the cargo version will is low 30s, including that. ah The equivalent ID Buzz is €50,000, including that.
00:26:42
Speaker
And then you have the passenger version, which starts from about €42,000, €43,000. It's available in up to a seven-seater if you want. to You can fold two seats down. ah Sorry, you can fold one seat down in the middle row, shove a surfboard in from the boot, still have two people.
00:26:57
Speaker
So, you know, it's still a four person car with a few surfboards. and It's got a massive, massive boot. It's not the best looking thing in the world. It is boxy. It doesn't drive anywhere near as well as an ID Buzz. It's front wheel drive, a little bit underpowered in the cargo version.
00:27:11
Speaker
I do like the key on the press ship gave us a big, heavy cargo load to kind of give you an idea of what does this thing drive like if you've got 600 kilos in the back. um And they put that in all of them.
00:27:24
Speaker
ah In the cargoes? Yeah. Because there must be hiding something because, you know, it might be drives like absolute shit if you don't have it laden. Well, yeah, that's a good point because it, you know. Because you were telling me about the Amarok, you know what I mean? Was it the Amarok? I can't remember what you said. You couldn't really put the power down. I was like, well, yeah, you need a fridge or something in the back. So wonder how. Yeah, I was talking Alistair. Heavy batteries, front wheel drive, empty cargo load.
00:27:53
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. A lot of, I actually didn't get time on on the price trip to drive the passenger version. I did drive the cargo version. lot of body roll, little bit underpowered, bit of, there wasn't much wheel spin, but I think they were trying to balance the trade-off of making it drivable, but not,
00:28:14
Speaker
maybe needs still a little bit more power. IDBuzz obviously rear-wheel drive. And it's just, you know, the PV5 does have brilliant turning circle, as does the Buzz, but the Buzz just has it has more character.
00:28:27
Speaker
But in many other the ways, the PV5 is... a more useful product and it's significantly cheaper. Well, it's that's just, ah yeah, there's, you know, you way more money left. and That's the main point. That's it. You know, I love the idea of it. I like the idea, like I like the idea of a sort of multi-space thing.
00:28:47
Speaker
i have this dream of having something that you can sort of sit and do some work in, you know, go to the beach in, Um, you know, is there a potential of a camping version of this?
00:28:59
Speaker
They didn't mention it. Could you, could you stick a bed in, you know, could just stick a kind of a mattress in one and sleep one sleep in it the seats maybe aren't as modular as well not that you can well yeah like I managed to fit a very thick inflatable mattress in the back of an ID Buzz passenger and a few people have said they've done that because obviously there isn't Buzz camper I don't think there ever will be a Buzz camper never said ever but there was supposed to be think they may have I think they've ruled that out is there anything stopping you buying the cargo one and converting it I wonder
00:29:35
Speaker
No. um The weight would be a... The weight is an issue. You can get a double crew cab version. They're not sure in Kia Ireland are they going to bring it to Ireland. Depends on the price and the taxation on it for them.
00:29:46
Speaker
But what's the battery and what's the range and power and all that? So there's two battery sizes. One is in the 70s, one is in the 50s and there is an LFP smaller battery. I think it's 43 something coming next year. and You're talking maximum range of maybe 450 kilometers, certainly in the cargo version.
00:30:04
Speaker
But it's Korean so it'll do that. It'll do that. Even laden, if it was
Kia PV5 Cargo Load Effect
00:30:09
Speaker
due, you know, laden with a few bits and bobs, if we you were getting 300, that's enough. Yeah. And they'd even worked out for every, was it 100 kilos? they They had done a weight to battery decrease calculation for you. So that was like for every, think it was every 100 kilos of payload, you were losing a percentage of range.
00:30:30
Speaker
Well, when I was in the AA, they had looked heavily at the e-transit, the electric transit, and and they still probably are because they want, to you know, they want to go that direction.
00:30:43
Speaker
But like you just said there, the main issue for them was the tools that they carry around to fix people's cars are so heavy. like I'm not even talking about towing here or anything like that. The amount of things in the back of an AA van are incredible what they can do.
00:30:56
Speaker
So to put anything like what they need in the back, your range would be minuscule. So it just hasn't worked for for them yet in that regard. It's a big, I mean, I suppose the AA is a bit like, I saw the guards charging some EVs and I know quite a few guards and some of them love driving EVs and there's a certain limit.
00:31:17
Speaker
You know, they're not much use in a chase to a point, although they did have ah a Kia EV6 GT on on the fleet for a while. I saw actually a lovely red Octavia RS yesterday on the M1 that had pulled someone over.
00:31:32
Speaker
You would have no idea it's a Garda car. And then I probably shouldn't go into too many details for operational reasons. But um there is a substantial Volkswagen I had on the press fleet at the start of last year that went straight to the guards.
00:31:49
Speaker
That's all I can say. I've seen it. I have a weird thing for number plates. And I saw in this car and I was like, I'm pretty sure that's the thing I had. And I texted the person and they're like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:32:01
Speaker
Right. So you've piloted that at some stage. I have piloted, but ah what I was told. Have I driven it? I'm not sure. i was told how stable it was flat out.
00:32:13
Speaker
And obviously we can't test things flat out. so Interesting. So look, PV5, who's it going to be for? who will buy it? and Well, for a long time we didn't really, MPVs kind of died. What was the Mitsubishi? Not the Space Star. What was it? Delica.
00:32:32
Speaker
Oh, sorry, this but there was this the... Was it a Space Star? There was the Space Star. It was like a two-tone colour. had like ridges low down. It was like a grey with a silver. trying to think the name of Anyway. Yeah, okay, another one you mean.
00:32:46
Speaker
You know, we went mad. Space Wagon. Space Wagon, I think. ya Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's one, yeah. So like they were, and anyone with a few quid and ah and loads of kids had them in the 90s. And then we have obviously gone into the seven-seater world and there's lots of seven-seaters now at various different prices and everything else.
00:33:03
Speaker
and I think we're going to see maybe a bit more of of the MPV happening because they are like even taking the ID Buzz long wheelbase, A lot of seven seaters are so compromised in the third row. Adults don't really fit in them.
00:33:17
Speaker
The long wheelbase ID Buzz, you would comfortably sit adults there all day long. um And ah like the Kia they had for PV5 wasn't the seven seater. The static model was just a five seater.
00:33:28
Speaker
But the boot is massive. So if you genuinely have a large family, and I think maybe are a bit older, And kids aren't moving out as young as they were anymore. They can't afford to buy a house. 40 year olds in the booth, third row seats.
00:33:43
Speaker
That's entirely possible now. Like we're laughing, but it's not funny. And, andt know you know, if if now suddenly this offer comes from Kia, that's way more affordable than the ID buzz and is the answer to your prayers. And you can all still drive to Auntie Mary's on Christmas Day comfortably with two 40 year olds and come back.
00:34:02
Speaker
the The issue was that they just, didn't they made them so bad looking. and and Yeah, and they didn't drive well. and No, yeah and that was, there's nothing, i think there's nothing sadder on a Saturday than seeing some guy who's in his mid to late 30s driving a Citroen Berlingo, or sorry, yeah, a Citroen Berlingo or a Citroen Picasso.
MPVs Design and Popularity
00:34:23
Speaker
And you just look at the look in his eye, he's just going, where's it going? Hates his life. Hates his life. I used to have a Golf GTI. Now I'm in a Ford S-Max.
00:34:34
Speaker
It's over. Like, just give them, you know, so give them something that they want to look quite cool. And then, yeah, ID Buzz, yeah, everyone's going to love one of those. So maybe PB5 will fix, will be a part of that in a more accessible way.
00:34:49
Speaker
Yeah, I've said it on all the social media stuff i've done on it. it it's it's It doesn't have the charm of the buzz, but, you know, for what it lacks in charm, but it has a lot change. 20 grand saving is charming for me, I think. that's Yeah, you could buy yourself, you know, a nice old Golf GTI with your spare change. Exactly, yes exactly.
00:35:06
Speaker
look Well, look, we'll take a break and coming up after the break, we're going to have a little bit of a look at the budget and also what you're paying for when you put fuel in your car.
00:35:20
Speaker
Welcome back to the Drivers' Public Podcast brought to you in association with Dundeele Cars, Ireland's favourite website for car buying with more certified, trusted dealers than anywhere else. You're sure to find the right car for you on dundeele.ie. Another RT breaking story as as we've started recording part two. Ciarán Cudahy, good afternoon to you, is the new host of Liveline.
00:35:41
Speaker
Is he going to have to hand back his MG? because... Yeah, well, Joe Duffy had ah cars. Now, depends if he's a contractor or not. Yeah, Joe originally had Fords and then the deal finished, but he still drove Fords. Now, we could be talking a long time ago.
00:35:57
Speaker
Jerry Ryan had a Mazda. Zados. Zados, yeah. um And Jerry, I know personally, Jerry got nothing for this. They were caught. Even Mazda were like...
00:36:08
Speaker
He doesn't want anything. They were like, no, no, he's just happy to drive the car. Now, these are obviously different times. yeah ah So I don't know. Would he have to give his MG back? Well, what's the space? Yeah, I mean, I always i always thought that it's funny. like I think ambassadors, but you know, brand ambassadors are fine if you're on a fairly light show or something like that. or you you know But if you're tough news, I don't know whether you should be in ambassador's car. We'll figure out whether he does that anyway. But... um But yeah, we had with the budget this week and not a huge amount for motorists. I mean, we there was talk of attacks on the weight of cars, um which was potentially going to affect SUVs, especially plug-in hybrid SUVs.
00:36:54
Speaker
and Didn't happen. No changes to VRT for now. Now, we haven't seen the finance bill, but I don't think there is going to be anything. Now, what we did see is, and we would always see and we'll continue to see until 2030, mind you, is increasing carbon tax.
00:37:10
Speaker
and And so that's that overnight put two and a half cents on the price of a litre of fuel. And there will be another increase in There'll another increase later in the year um on something called the better energy level levy, and which will put another two to three cents on it. But I thought it would be interesting to have a look at the taxes that we pay on petrol and diesel. And, you know, I'd been talking to Kevin McPartland from Fuels for Ireland during the week, and he said,
00:37:40
Speaker
He'd outlined some of these for me. i've I've talked to Kevin before about fuel and, you know, we'd we'd constantly looked and when I was in the AA for fuel prices and and that they're at a reasonable level now. You know, they're not, they're they're very average currently. They're about, you know, 170, 180.
00:37:55
Speaker
They're about... know whereouts just Just to give you context for me with this conversation, I've literally opened an email in my inbox that has announced prices of the new Nissan Micra, which is fully electric, right?
00:38:09
Speaker
And is is the same car underneath the Renault 5. So you're going to talk to us about the cost of fueling an internal combustion engine car. I'm just going to... Precede that by saying even a Nissan Micra is now €26,000 from €26,000. The most expensive Nissan Micra is €33,000, including grants and excluding delivery related charges. So you could be talking €34,000 for a Nissan Micra. When a petrol Nissan Micra was on sale, it was two thirds of that price.
00:38:44
Speaker
yeah have they Have they come in under Renault 5? Do we know? Well, unless they've put up the price of the Renault 5, which I haven't checked right now, it's very, very close. I thought they were going to make it slightly more affordable.
00:38:57
Speaker
Having said that, we could remove our motor journalist heads and go, a public person doesn't really care. They're not thinking about, you know, the Renault 5 is a more attractive proposition maybe than ah an Nissan Micra is.
00:39:10
Speaker
Maybe the public, they don't even know nor care that there's the same car underneath. They're not even thinking of it the same way. I don't know. Renault 5 from £25,995. Okay, so the exact same price now.
00:39:22
Speaker
I think the Micro should, they should have taken a bit of a cut on the Micro. So and I think they've actually increased the Renault 5 price slightly to make a parity. Now, we should alert people that they're coming from the same building.
00:39:35
Speaker
so Yes, yes, that was never going to. For people who don't know, there was never going to be a massive price war in-house, but... I think the only car that will suffer in that fight is going to be the Micra.
00:39:48
Speaker
i You know, we've talked about the Micra before. i I haven't been in it, haven't gone near it. have an idea what it's like. haven't been in a five, but from a purely marketing and perception perspective, and I'm not sure that...
00:40:03
Speaker
you know, competing against their N05 so closely, I think they should have made it, and you said the same thing, I think they should have made it a bit more of a budget prospect, you know, stripped down a bit of the spec and had it in at 22 or 23.
00:40:13
Speaker
two or three Yeah, I think, you know, I don't have any knowledge of this, but, you know, reading between the lines, as you say, when you're operating out of the same building, ah maybe reporting to the same people, it's very difficult to tell your colleagues down the corridor who are selling the exact same product that you're undercutting them by 10%. That's going to make for the awkward Christmas party. So, yeah, yeah that's, i'm I'm not surprised, but I think, yeah, it would have been, if they were operating in totally different businesses, I think the micro would have been more affordable.
00:40:43
Speaker
Yeah, true. Anyway, look, we'll give people an idea. So if you go to the petrol station, you put in your 80 or 90 euro, God knows, depending on the the car. what How much of that is going in tax?
00:40:57
Speaker
So look, I'm going to break this down
Fuel Tax Breakdown in Ireland
00:40:59
Speaker
for you. So say based on 180 per litre at the pumps. um Yeah, yeah. I only looked yesterday. So when I was sitting there charging the Elrock RS, I had a look. So...
00:41:09
Speaker
ah Circle K, diesel, normal diesel was 171.8 and ah normal... Why have they got three different types of... They've got miles...
00:41:22
Speaker
it a Bio. What's mild bio? Have they put some... They've made it with bioethanol. Vegetable? Yeah. So it' so that's 10 centilitre than regular diesel. At least HVO, for a while anyway, was similar price.
00:41:36
Speaker
And petrol is 175.8. Now, obviously, prices vary around the country, but yes that was the M1 yesterday. Yeah, so so look, if if we were saying 180 for the purposes of the maths, okay, so ah out of that, you've got excise duty.
00:41:51
Speaker
So excise duty accounts for about 33% of the um purchase price of that litre, approximately 60 cents. What is it? It's a flat government tax on fuel that goes into the exchequer.
00:42:04
Speaker
So that's just a clean tax. Then you've got VAT. 23% VAT applies to the total price. So that's 17% of the total price. So 31 cents.
00:42:17
Speaker
Then you've got a carbon tax. And this is the one which is going to keep increasing until 2030. So that has that's the element that went up in the last budget again and will go up every year.
00:42:29
Speaker
and So that's a tax based on the CO2 emissions from burning the fuel designed to encourage lower carbon alternatives and fund climate action. So 13 cents. Then you have something called the Nora Levy.
00:42:41
Speaker
and It's a small enough figure, 1%, counts for about 2 cents per litre. And that is a very interesting one. And it funds Ireland's emergency oil reserves.
00:42:54
Speaker
And it's managed by the National Oil Reserves Agency, Nora. I was wondering was there some Elwin called Nora who's in to win this generation? No, exactly. It's my view. Get out. him So, Noir became, Noir was, came into focus around the time of, do you remember when petrol and diesel went up over two euro per litre? Yeah, yeah. remember you talking about it.
00:43:17
Speaker
Yeah. Ad nauseum. Oh my God. i Three times a week in some radio stations. and So, basically, at the time and of the Ukraine war, start of the Ukraine war, there was some issues in terms of getting access to fuel, really, because so much fuel, petrol and diesel manufacture was made and in that part of the world.
00:43:39
Speaker
and Kevin McPartland, who's really interesting guy, that's how I got to know him at the time because he's the CEO of Fuels for Ireland. And he and I were so many times in the same radio station. We were in the Oireachtas and all sorts of things. And and he was explaining and to me at one stage that Ireland ah had got down to such a low point of fuel reserves that they were three or four days away from running out.
00:44:07
Speaker
Running out. of Of which types of fuel? Of petrol and diesel. Which we import anyway. Yeah, but the the reserves had got so low and and this is, you know, this is what the nor that's what what it does. But we were days away from from running out.
00:44:25
Speaker
And look, it it it didn't happen, but there were they had those conversations about, okay, who gets the fuel? So, you know. and is there and Is there a a Troika for for fuel?
00:44:37
Speaker
Well, it's funny. What would have happened? you it it It's logical enough insofar as right. And we would have been part of the conversation being the AA because we would get some um at the time when I was there, you know. So you've you've got your guardie, your ambulance to service, your trucks who are delivering food. You've got...
00:44:56
Speaker
you know, any emergency service. And then after that, it's kind of, well, that's it. and Electric car drivers would have been, now, provided we were getting electricity, would have been hugely smug.
00:45:08
Speaker
imagine you being an Uber driver with an EV? You'd be doubling, traveling. Absolutely, yeah. So apparently we were days away from it. But that's what Nora is. So Nora is having those reserves. Now, I believe, and my memory is bit hazy on it, I think our fuel reserves are offshore.
00:45:28
Speaker
So I think we, I don't think our actual our fuel reserves are actually in on the land. I think they're on, they're offshore. So they're in a tank undersea where the Russians are circling with their... I don't want to speak out of turn because i can't don't really remember the detail, but I know that they are, can be tricky to get. And I know that, so that was ah a bit of an issue as well.
00:45:47
Speaker
Now there's another tax called the Better Energy Levy, and that's the one that's going to account for the increase in January of another two to three cents. and And that's a small levy to support renewable energy and energy efficient programs. So apparently this money, which is 0.01 cent basically, goes into encouraging, you know, new renewable energy sources.
00:46:11
Speaker
Then there's a wholesale fuel and distribution costs. What? The actual cost of refining, transporting and supplying the fuel, which is which is actually one of the pretty much okay costs. ones you would expect.
00:46:23
Speaker
So getting it around transport. you So you're paying for Circle K to transport the fuel that they're charging you for. According to this, yeah. and So that's 60 cent.
00:46:34
Speaker
It's like McDonald's getting restaurant tax. and But that's around 33%. In fairness, when you look at these figures, the so the retail margin apparently is 4 cents a litre.
00:46:47
Speaker
Now again, i don't know if that's accurate or not, them but it's apparently about 2%, which is what the petrol station keeps them proper. they don't They don't, I believe, make a lot of money on the fuel. They know they want people to come in and buy coffee, donuts, whatever else. That's that's why your your service station has never been better than it was. Yeah, exactly. I used to work in Statoil, which were around before says Circle K. And yeah, like the money and jam bonds and things like that, they make it for it.
00:47:14
Speaker
Well, yeah, the like the the coffee machine. i remember so someone telling me like the, you know, the likes of the, you know, that Texaco that's next to Volkswagen Group Ireland heading out of Yeah, yeah. Near the Fox Hunter tax school, I think. Apparently that's one of the busiest in the country. patizations And the coffee machine makes apparently tens of thousands of euro per week. Yeah, yeah. My cousin works in Circle K for forever.
00:47:41
Speaker
And I think he was responsible for those Costa machines that went into, so I don't know if they're still there. But they brought those kind of dispenser costume machines and and they were a big success. and And also, i think the guards were for a while, certainly ah they would get free coffee in the Circle Ks. They in that one in the Texaco. Look, it's ah it's a wise thing to do for any place to give and free because' coffee because at any time of the day or night there's a guard in there. Yeah. You don't want your money held up. Yeah, exactly. And so even even back when I worked there we had those capsules that went up in a chute so they don't keep money. I mean you would get in serious trouble. If your manager came in someday on the tail and you had a load of 50s you'd be told to offer it.
00:48:29
Speaker
Yeah, so that the the fact that you'd have guards there is better than somebody shoving a saw off in your face looking for the money that's up a chute. Yeah. So look, ah out of the so out of that 180, the total tax is around €1.06.
00:48:45
Speaker
so And can I just, just in case anyone needs reminding, this is on top of VAT. This is on top of VRT. Yeah. This is on top of all the money they get when you get your car serviced. They are, like the motorist is one of the biggest cash cows for the government. Yeah.
00:48:59
Speaker
Yeah, so so that's like, so, you know, 60, 58, about 60% of the price. Now, I thought it'd be interesting and I got some help from the wonderful world of AI to have a look at if EVs were taxed the same.
Comparative Analysis of EV and Fuel Taxes
00:49:14
Speaker
So I didn't know this and ah I need to check whether you knew it or not. that there's There's a different VAT rate on and home electricity and public charging electricity.
00:49:25
Speaker
Do you know that? ah It makes sense. I can't tell you for sure. Did I know that? Yeah. Apparently it's 13.5% at home and 23% on a public chart. Sorry. Yeah. didn Didn't they drop it for cost of living crisis? And I think that is either up for discussion or... Yeah. another It's got another while about it. Yeah. So...
00:49:48
Speaker
If you were charging at home, sorry, if you're charging on the public network and say you're charging, say it's around 50 cents per kilowatt hour, or in some cases, you know, it can be 66, it would effectively double if you had the same tax on it.
00:50:05
Speaker
And I use one real world example of ah Volkswagen ID.4. And if you went to a fast public, if you went to ah an ESB fast charger at 66 kilowatt hour, 66 cents per kilowatt hours,
00:50:17
Speaker
If it was charged the same as petrol or diesel, it would cost 103 euro cents to charge an ID for. Which is a lot. And yeah I know this is AI, but you could be predicting the future here because if, let's say everyone switched to EVs in the entire country in the next five years, all this money that you've been talking about is gone.
00:50:38
Speaker
It's bit like the motor tax that, you know, for so many vehicles fell because of the the emissions and the cars. So they will want to get this money somewhere else or they'll say, oh, no, no, no, we need to go green. that That's the incentive. We don't care about tax.
00:50:52
Speaker
Governments never not care about tax. No, well, they but also they they're going to have to. i mean, just for good balancing of the books, they're going to have to find a way because their VRT take is down significantly. and So they are going to have to find a way.
00:51:05
Speaker
Obviously, you know, if there's talk about looking at weight on for VRT and things like that, but they're most but going to be, they'll have to look at some stage of how are they're fueling the cars and how they're taxing the fueling of cars, if you like. So, and you know, is there a case that,
00:51:20
Speaker
cars, you'll have to find a way to detect whether you're using you're charging your car at home so that not all the electricity is the same. Or and certainly in the public network, that's that's a real... Because if you look at the tax it, there's a real potential there. you know With smart meters, they could very easily assume...
00:51:37
Speaker
that people are charging their electric cars at home overnight. They could have a different VAT rate. I'm not trying to put ideas in their head here. I'm sure there's people in there that can think of these things themselves, if I can think of it.
00:51:49
Speaker
ah You know, you could have and a scenario where from 11 p.m. the overall rate might be cheaper for a unit of electricity, but they'll they'll take more of that. Yeah, that's that's a potential. But if so, if you took, conversely, if petrol was charged at the same price as EV charging is now, it would be 84 cents a liter for fuel.
00:52:15
Speaker
Okay. Well, that's a big drop. that Yeah, that would be pretty nice, wouldn't it? Interesting figures though. That's a good AI mathematician there. Yeah, well, ah yeah, it was part part dragging the recesses of my brain, but then also some AI for the maths bit. But look, it it it is, it and it shows. Look, it shows it the thing that, you know, when we we we blindly put petrol and diesel into our car, and we we we always think as well, and it's it's the one to think about, people still put in 20 euro or 50 euro or 60 euro worth a few.
00:52:50
Speaker
you're always better to try and put in liters. but If you want to try and get an idea of the costs at various different, and look, there's not massive variation at the moment between different retail outlets.
00:53:03
Speaker
Geographically, I remember there was always quite different pricing. So, m I would have been responsible for the AA average fuel prices. um so And how I did that, because I'm psychotic, was I would drive down the length of the country and from Drogheda, where I lived at the time, to Cork, where I'd be down here a bit.
00:53:26
Speaker
And I would take down fuel prices between Louth and then I would get aa patrols to give me some of the west of Ireland. and But what I discovered was...
00:53:39
Speaker
weirdly that the actual if you wanted to see the average fuel price for the prices in Ireland today go to um Apple Green in Julianstown and Counting Meath because that's the average whatever way I would do the maths every time I'd be driving home past that one in Julianstown and that was always in and around the average for the country because it was just outside Dublin it was close enough to Dublin that it was still a little bit more expensive it wasn't as cheap as some of the ones in say you know, the Midlands or Cork. Cork was always a little bit cheaper.
00:54:11
Speaker
and But that would end up being the average. so And it was, it was your job as well back in my circle days, kate or sad old days, the manager's job would be to drive around even some of the same, because some of them were franchises.
00:54:24
Speaker
So you'd have a look at the Statoil five kilometres away and you'd you'd you'd either match them or maybe even slightly undercut them. And they do that a couple of times a week. But you know do you you remember the when it went to over two euros per litre?
00:54:38
Speaker
That was an accident. So they, it was an accident because, well, it was an accident that started. Someone pressed the wrong button like. Well, they were, it was an, I think it was a, it was a, it was a petrol station in Aran and Aran Mullhuderd.
00:54:52
Speaker
And, um, we at the time in the AA were looking at very closely at, because it was a big story. We were at 197 and 198 and everyone kept bringing, you know, are they going to go over two years per litre? And that was a big story was wait after this, you know, waiting to happen.
00:55:08
Speaker
And, um, Apparently, ah somebody put in the wrong price or a price that it was going to be in the one in Mulhudderd outside.
00:55:20
Speaker
and involved and then, like you said there, ah people were, other ones were checking. The story, someone had taken a picture, put it on social. um my God. m Oh look, first two euro per litre.
00:55:33
Speaker
The papers went mad. Every other petrol station in the country went over two euro.
00:55:40
Speaker
And then the story. So that so that was that was what happened. It was it was ah it was an accident. Oh my God. look yeah well Look, when you hear all that, you could kind of go, right, I think I'll get an electric car now.
00:55:52
Speaker
I think I'll buy it at a mid 30,000 euro Nissan Micra. Exactly. and Coming up on the Drivers Republic podcast, there were tears in my house this week.
Selling a Beloved 911
00:56:05
Speaker
Welcome back to the Drivers Republic podcast brought to you an association with Dundeele Cars with Ireland's widest selection of cars for sale from certified trusted dealers. The right car for you is on Dundeele.ie. So Mark, the 911 is gone.
00:56:17
Speaker
There were tears in a noble household this week. There were tears. they weren't necessarily my tears. They were my young Philip Will's tears, but he does get quite emotionally attached to cars, even though he he takes a while to warm to them. Like he loved the MX-5 from the start.
00:56:29
Speaker
ah The 911 was a bit more of a, it took a while, but like he was bawling, bawling. Like the the the two gentlemen who took the car away said, if he wants to go for one last spin, like it's no problem. i was like, no, no, he's grand, he's grand, he's grand.
00:56:43
Speaker
So I have a photograph him. have a photograph of him with bloodshot red eyes. big but Like, said, come on, put put your tickets away. I'm not happy he was crying, but I'm happy that he was crying, if you know what i mean. Like, I'm happy that he was, yeah that like, it the fact that he cried on a 9-11's departure makes me incredibly proud of him You know, that's wonderful. But I'm not, i hope obviously, I don't want to hear he was upset.
00:57:04
Speaker
No, and and my daughter Faye was a bit bit upset as well, but there were no tears from her. She's a bit colder. and But how how did how did you feel? I felt sad. I did feel sad. i i gave it. It's it's like, you know, this day is someday ahead, hopefully a long way away. But, you know, people bring their dogs for the last walk and, you know, their last little treat and their last rubs. Yeah.
00:57:26
Speaker
I was like, look, it had been lashing rain. I'd been stuck in a protest for an hour and a half and I'd moved the time forward to collect the car. But I really wanted to, like, ah you know, even though it was a private sale, I would never have a car ready for someone that wasn't washed.
00:57:41
Speaker
vacuumed, entire dressing done, alloys properly cleaned. ah So with with minutes to spare, I think there was snow foam still over the driveway when the lads arrived. So got the car ready. It was about five o'clock um that the the two lads came. And, you know, i wouldn't always say this, but i had a bit of due diligence about who who the new owner was and we sort of knew some similar people. So I was happy enough just taking Revolut.
00:58:07
Speaker
And it was fascinating to see Revolut now. Money just goes obviously straight across, but then it also goes into your Bank of Ireland account on a Saturday straight across. And it's just so much like in the years gone by. And look, you should do this in certain circumstances, get a bank draft and all the rest. But the hassle or, you know, if you're getting cash in an envelope and now due to um fraud and money laundering, if you go into a bank and ask for even 5000 euro, they're going to ask you what it's for.
00:58:32
Speaker
And equally, if you're lodging it and there's no trail, it's it's all very, you know, technology is amazing. and I just got a Revolute business account and it's just so good. Like it just works so seamlessly and it worked integrates into all your accounting software and everything.
00:58:45
Speaker
You can probably get into a lot of airport lounges with that now, by the way. Yeah, no, I'd be looking forward to trying that. fa But anyway, look, so you you went you went up north in the Mamba, Elrock.
00:58:56
Speaker
Yes, there was a nice 2008 Honda I've been looking at it for a while. It's been on sale for maybe the best part of the summer. Looked really clean in the photographs. So I was like, needs to have a look. um So drove up in the Mamba Green RS.
00:59:13
Speaker
And, you know, like, i I think there's mixed messages here. Some people maybe think I have ah i've money burning a hole in my pocket. i also have a wife. So... They're kind of two different pockets telling you two different things. Right. um But anyway, went to... An understanding wife then.
00:59:30
Speaker
Well, it has a hard top, 31,000 miles. It has had a block rebuild, but there's there was a there was a folder, a binder folder of everything. Everything, all the genuine Honda parts, the bolts, everything that should be replaced from a factory setup had been done. The place it was done is a very reputable place.
00:59:52
Speaker
wouldn't necessarily the rocket cover had been painted um underneath the engine bay it was clean but not suspiciously clean you know sometimes i've seen things where like ah you know you open up the bonobos silver car and there's definitely a silver paint spray there none of that looked like a very very straight car albeit with history that you might say well honda engines don't blow up what the hell happened to it um you could look at it that way um So I drove it, I test drove it. I was aware that people had set talk spoken about the the VTech power band and that whole thing. And I remember growing up in the noughties, I had plenty of Golf GTIs and you'd have mates who'd have tight bars and the slagging would be back and forth. Oh, you and your golf and you'd be like, yeah, yeah, but like your little, you know, your rice rocket does nothing before sort of 5,000 RPM. I'll be gone on my Golf GTI. What are you talking about? Oh, Golf GTI doesn't handle, look at my tight bar around the corner. All this stuff. And it all came flashing back to me because now even not comparing it to the 911, but even comparing to the LROC Core S, the power band is just so different.
01:00:52
Speaker
and And it's been a while. It's modern technology and it is yeah it is there's quite a difference. But yeah, I mean... yeah ah You spoke to me after and and the impression i got from you straight away is just didn't float your boat necessarily.
01:01:07
Speaker
yeah Especially at the price. If we were talking about prices of S2000s a good few years ago, I think it would have been a different scenario. And you know what? It's it's testament to the Mazda MX-5 and I can still feel my old NB in my seat of the pants and everything else.
01:01:21
Speaker
I think that's nearly a better car to drive. Like it's down over 100 brake horsepower less. It was more comfortable. The seating position was lower. You're sitting relatively high in an S2000. I didn't really account for that.
01:01:34
Speaker
ah it's It's crashy. It's rattly. Now, I only drove it for 10 minutes. I didn't, you know, I didn't do it on my roads that I'm familiar with, but I was a little bit underwhelmed. And a lot of people had said to me I would be.
01:01:47
Speaker
Yeah, and look, the thing about, you know, anyone who's sniffy about an MX-5 has never driven one. I've said that before, you know, they're so good to drive and it is the benchmark. And look look at the numbers of MX-5 that are sold versus Honda S2000s and they didn't make any more S2000s after that.
01:02:04
Speaker
So, you know, it's there's a reason why the MX-5 was so but so popular. and And, you know, you could argue that for what you needed for, to go out, have a bit of crack at a weekend, there probably still isn't a better car than an MX-5, you know, for that actual job of what it is. Now, depend you're you're looking at maybe something that's going to serve several different purposes, not just that. you're um You know, let's say you're a content creator.
01:02:30
Speaker
you You need something that's going to be ah of interest. So, um and, you know, that car, the ST-1000 might have done before. You know, as I said to you, like the VRT is a huge issue because if if that car was 30 years old and you were 200 euro road tax and 250 grand insurance, you'd be like, yeah, fine, I'll have it.
01:02:51
Speaker
I had a lovely man who sent me a and long lengthy few emails called Michael. He is in Clontarf in Dublin. He has an S2000. He imported one earlier on this year. he went through the whole VRT calculation because it is a guess until you actually present the car, then revenue come back to you.
01:03:05
Speaker
They initially charged him well into the teens, which you have to pay up front. He was pretty much told by the staff member in the VRT NCT centre to appeal it. He did. And he got a significant chunk wiped off the car. But his was 2005.
01:03:20
Speaker
not a 2008, which maybe also has less mileage. So it really could very easily be a a mid 30,000 euro car. I'm back to having that kind of money tied up. As you say, this is something you're driving couple of times a week, if even. I do wonder what I get as or nearly as much enjoyment out of something like a Mark II Golf 2Ti, something very retro, um a BMW Z4, maybe with 2.5 petrol engine, something that you're not in it for as much money.
01:03:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think so. i am i you know I think I'm still voting Corrado. I just think that that would be good car to get, you know, especially with it either the G60 or the VR6. You don't see a huge amount of them around. Really fun to drive. and But, but you sorry, you are right. I am also trying to buy a car that is will help me make videos. so So that's another layer to the classic thing. So there's a lot of... Yeah, like the Zen 4 is not going to be special enough. The MX5 isn't going to be special enough unless you supercharge it or...
01:04:21
Speaker
put a tow bar on it or something. you know So you're going to need something that's quirky, unusual. You know, I did suggest Lexus SC430, but... You did, you did. Well, ji Jim Corr, as far as I know, had one of them. So I don't know why they always gave me the ick. Right.
01:04:38
Speaker
Yeah, interesting car. Big, squishy, comfortable, ah ridiculous. Not at the time heavy and overpriced, but now because it's a Lexus, everything will work.
01:04:49
Speaker
The engine's, you know, still sweet. um and you You brought one on a ferry before, did you? Myself and a friend of mine, his father had one and his father had bought one and was in Spain and asked two young Ejits to bring it to Spain for him.
01:05:09
Speaker
So we were like, yeah, yeah, no problem. So we went to, we went down, missed the ferry because we were Egypts, went out in Ross Lair, had a great old time, ah got on the rescheduled truckers ferry.
01:05:23
Speaker
So we were two young flas with a hundred grand car and load truckers who loved us. Then we proceeded to drive through the night from France to Barcelona.
01:05:35
Speaker
with a roof down in Lexus SC430 with a Mark Levinson audio system. I can see why you put memories of it. At questionable speeds. Questionable. Did you take turns in the driving?
01:05:48
Speaker
We did, of course. And plenty of caffeine involved in Red Bull and everything. But I am, oh my God, what a drive. And and it i've ah because I have good memories that car, because at that task of crossing continents, it just nailed it.
01:06:02
Speaker
Just nailed it. So um I've always fond memories of that car. So, and but yeah, and like, that's the kind of thing that I think for you would be interesting and quirky and a story um because you don't see a lot of them and everywhere you go and it's going to be an event. But look, again, you'll figure out. No, but I do have a huge soft spot for for all kinds of Lexus, to honest with you.
01:06:24
Speaker
All kinds of them. I think they're just wonderful, wonderful cars. um So, yeah. Yeah, I mean, this is the interesting part of it's a bit like a new relationship where everything's exciting and you're looking at cars on Dunedin every night so and beyond and some of the classic websites in in the UK. We don't really have, know we've autostad and stuff, but we don't have huge amounts of classic cars. The market here just isn't the same.
01:06:48
Speaker
No, and but you know, it's interesting when you do stroll through Dunedin cars and you see some of the odd things that are still around and still there. Now, I think with anything like that,
01:06:59
Speaker
And I think that would be the interesting part of the content that you might do would be to get one that's a bit shit and, and bring it back to life and bring it back to its original glory and then let it off again.
01:07:10
Speaker
And that's where I think it would be interesting. Like, is the Z4 interesting enough? No, it's not. It's an MX5, interesting enough, not unless you find a really unicorn one or the cheapest one or the worst one.
01:07:23
Speaker
You know, i mean that 10-year anniversary one was a really special car. That blue one, the six-speed with the Nardini interior, that was that was a um that was our special car if you could find one of them.
01:07:36
Speaker
and for But, you know, otherwise, you know, you're going to need something quirky or classic, I think. But then let people might let us know. And I think we are very lucky that Dundee will have vintage section because a lot of those kind of classified places don't.
01:07:54
Speaker
No, I'm very proud of that section. Look, there are people chance of their arm on it throwing up absolute dirt, but you'll also find, you know, that every, every, every few swipes of the phone screen, you're like, oh, oh, hang on. Oh, oh, 7 Series. What? Oh, 740i. Oh, limousine spec. Oh.
01:08:14
Speaker
um Oh, yeah. So like, would you consider, are you tied up to a convertible or sports car? Like, you drive a big luxury barge, like a 7 Series or something? I think that would be so cool.
01:08:26
Speaker
Again, a few years ago, I don't know now, it's been a while, but you would get an LCI, I don't know what, E generation at this stage, there's so many of them, 7 series, for five grand because no one wants it. People are scared of them.
01:08:36
Speaker
But they soft close doors and they have all the, you know, a car phone and the armrest and... 750 IL, that's what you want. you know, in Ireland, if you want to find one of them, Dundeal is probably the only place you will find one of them yeah on a classified site.
01:08:51
Speaker
Exactly. So look, we'll not we'll see more in the coming weeks, I guess. You know, it's it's nice to follow the story though. And it's great to see that, you know, on your own channel as well, you're getting nice input from people who, you know,
01:09:02
Speaker
yeah you're getting less of the, oh, first
Engagement with Car Enthusiasts
01:09:05
Speaker
world problems. You're getting more of the actual people who are really invested in this. Yeah. People, people emailing me, people offering me their cars to test.
Garage Policy Considerations
01:09:12
Speaker
I've actually, this week, I'm waiting hear back. I've been looking in into getting the garage policy so I can, you know, legitimately take someone's RS4 or whatever and and be properly covered in it because God forbid something happens.
Importance of Taxes and Insurance
01:09:22
Speaker
Uh, I've always wanted to be quite straight like that. Pay me taxes and get the right insurance. Um, exactly. So I'll see how that goes as well. If someone looking for quotes to me this morning.
Boosting the Channel and New Content
01:09:30
Speaker
So, um, Yeah, look, it's just, I'm still going to do all the new stuff as well, but it's definitely for me, from my perspective, it's giving the channel a kind of a nice little boost or whatever.
Call to Action and Contact Information
01:09:39
Speaker
Well, look, people love cars and of all shapes and sizes, so you know, there's a hope for them all, you know.
01:09:43
Speaker
Anyway, you need to go. you So we better yeah we better wrap up this week. and Thanks for joining us this week. As ever, subscribe to us and share with your friends and and just write to us as well if you've anything you want us to cover. DriversRublyPodcast at gmail.com.
01:09:58
Speaker
um Until next time, Mark. <unk>ll See you next week. Bye-bye.