American freaks out over the cars in Sydney, Australia - REACTION

[@AUmarcus]

"Ute" is more of a general term here for a utility vehicle. We would still call that a ute or dropside ute. The term "truck" is used for vehicles with larger load carrying capacity than a "ute".

[@richardhague801]

i was just about to say this. UTE is short for utility - trucks are big vehicles ...you know, like trucks and stuff

[@Onyaga]

he knows this already

[@raze4789]

So is a SUV a "ute" then?

[@Wispectre]

@@raze4789 wtf?

[@raze4789]

@@Wispectre question seems clear enough.

[@xXSinForLifeXx]

5:50 You won't find anyone calling anything other than a semi trailer a "truck" in Australia... Everytime you call a Ute a truck I can't help but think of actual trucks like 18 wheelers.

[@piglos]

I sort of agree. But I call heavy rigids trucks, such as an 8 pallet tautliner. But definitely not utes, or pickups such as F150s. Or 1 tonners

[@grandy2875]

@@piglos our mob tend to call any of the F series utes an "effy" coz it's just easier...

[@Cheepchipsable]

No, anything over a certain tonnage, like a tip truck or flatbed truck etc. Most people refer to 18 wheelers as semi-trucks or semis. Maybe something you need to climb into?

[@gazza750]

@@Cheepchipsable Yes have to agree Americans calling a semi a tractor... WTF a tractor is a farm implement for ploughing a paddock/field

[@bill9845]

if its not a hr or bigger its a pretend truck , tipper and dog is the smallest i would call a truck, smaller and that theyre just a delivery vehicle, if it doesnt have a cat or a cummins , its pretend.........

[@Anvillius]

When I visited my Bro in Oz (I'm a Brit), I drove a Jimny from Perth to Esperance, and right in the middle of nowhere I got stopped by the Police, who among other things asked me "what the hell you doing out here in that?" then proceeded to take the piss out of me; Great times, great place, great folks, I miss it.

[@kristiemclennan]

Haha to funny! It’s certainly but the kind of car I’d want to be driving out there! When driving in those kinds of places you should always take a satellite phone incase you break down which in a jimmy is quite possible!

[@gavinmcmillan6222]

You are brave taking a Jimny on that trip. No wonder they took the piss out of you. They were concerned for you.

[@Cheepchipsable]

LOL, not like those places are really remote any more.

[@kristiemclennan]

@@Cheepchipsable I just had to google map Esperance, I thought it was in whoop whoop outback but it’s on the way to Adelaide so I guess a satellite phone isn’t needed as I first mentioned.

[@harryr7047]

hahaha love it mate.

[@sweetfannyadams3253]

Haven't ever driven on the other side (was always too wussy to hire a car when overseas) but the biggest issue my Canadian ex-husband had when driving in Aus was the indicators! Every single time he would try to signal to turn, he would turn on the windscreen wipers! It was hilarious!

[@kevo6190]

Yep😆. I had a Holden WB Ute and a pugot 505 and no matter what I drove..... The windshield wipers were on😤🤣

[@Adlaybra445]

Driven a golf mk6 I always turned the windscreen wipers on 😂😂

[@jimm2297]

The Astra was originally an Opel Kadet in 1979. Rebadged a Vauxhall Astra for the UK in 1980. The Holden Astra appeared in Oz in the mid 80s, but were rebadged Japanese cars. Australia finally received genuine GM made Astras in 1995 from the UK. Later generations were made in Belgium, Poland, S. Korea and UK.

[@Shattered65]

I think you will find that all Astras were rebadged Nissan Pulsars. There was some legal reason for doing this to do with import rules somewhere in the world. At the same time all the major car makers started doing it to exploit a legal loophole somewhere in the world and then realised it could be profitable. At the time GM was making Opel and Holden Astras out of Pulsars Ford were rebadging Mazda 323s and 626s in Australia the 323 was called a Laser and the 626 was called a Telstar I believe they used these brand names in the UK and Europe as well.

[@jimm2297]

@@Shattered65 in the UK, the astra was made in England, Belgium and Poland. The Nova originated in Spain. To my knowledge none of the small GM or Ford cars were built outside of Europe. Rover and Honda did some platform sharing before BMW bought Rover. The Australian astra was a rebadged Nissan Pulsar and made locally in Victoria.

[@The_Calm_Chaos]

Speaking of Utes, in Australia I once saw a classic Jaguar turned into a Ute and it was the coolest most eye-catching car I've ever seen.

[@kevo6190]

Car culture is still alive. It's like a secret language only true petrol heads understand! I love how cars bring us together!🤘🇭🇲🇺🇸

[@davidlee-michaels9430]

Until they mandate replacing them all with electric cars which all have the same motor and components.

[@bill9845]

yep...theres a big list of terminology we could start up .tell a non petrolhead you just dropped it on its ass you would be up on spousal abuse charges

[@starlightshimmery]

Most of this is filmed around Surry Hills in Sydney, love seeing the old terrace houses in the background. (I’m much more interested in architecture than cars 😂 but I do enjoy that you enjoy the cars and this guy’s enthusiasm is nice to see 😊)

[@Offtapcrew363]

Wooloomooloo aswell

[@SalisburyKarateClub]

Here in Aus, a ute is usually either a car style or based on a car. You can drive any of them with a standard car licence. A truck on the other hand is a heavy vehicle and requires a heavy vehicle licence. That's the main difference.

[@skullandcrossbones65]

G'day, As a slightly older Aussie, a ute must combime the tray portion and the cab portion as one seamless pannel. These vehicles are also based on a sedan. So if the tray portion can be removed and replaced with a different tray then it is NOT a True Blue Ute. I do understand that meanings of words evolve over time and the term Ute is often now used to include lots of different vehicles. If you look closley at registration papers you should see variations it the descriptions used. The Prado is basically a Hilux Wagon with the Landcruiser badge, so that way Toyota can charge more fore them.

[@davidmc105]

Totally with you there, a ute is car based. Yes, words evolve, a lot of that is due to the younger generations picking up American words from TV. We don't p*ss in a bathroom, you do that in a toilet but so many younger people now say they're going to the bathroom. I honestly don't have a word for the baby truck style 'ute' but they're more truck than ute to me.

[@davidrobertson376]

@@davidmc105 I would call them a tray top

[@joshthomas2536]

So commodores and falcons that came with tray backs from factory aren't true blue utes as they don't have a seamless panel?

[@davidrobertson376]

@@joshthomas2536 they are one tonners

[@skullandcrossbones65]

@@joshthomas2536 For me and many others that would be a correct statement.

[@garros]

I'm not a car guy but I love watching car people do their thing. :)

[@andrewh.8403]

You spelt "their" correctly. What are you trying to do? Show all the others up or something?

[@garros]

@@andrewh.8403 LOL I spent 15 years doing captions for the Deaf and hearing-impaired audience so I blame that. No offence meant to anyone. :)

[@Goatcha_M]

I've seen quite a few people driving on the wrong side of the road outside Avalon Airport, very dangerous. And all along The Great Ocean Road they now have signs up reminding people to drive on the left, so it must be a common problem there.

[@andrewlaw]

It's common practice for countries who drive on the left to signpost this at airports and sea ports advising "please drive on the left". I've never seen this same courtesy extended in countries that drive on the right. I'm a Brit and I've driven across Europe but only in UK spec RHD cars, I don't know how I'd cope if the wheel was on the other side along with the gear shift. I think an auto would be preferable.

[@jaymills6091]

I have seen those signs here in Queensland, the NT and WA. Obviously a very common problem.

[@Cygnus888]

@@andrewlaw You get used to it in a few months. I've driven both configurations without problem.

[@matta2738]

Not just there. We hired a car in the USA and when we pulled out of a servo we found ourselves on the left side of the road. It just happens unconsciously

[@TheRealHoltzy]

In Australia, the term "Ute" is an abbreviation of "Utility". For a car to qualify as a ute, it has to have a regular car interior, drive like a regular car, but must have a bed or aluminium tray. this is why a Hilux with an aluminium tray and a Holden Commodore are both called "Ute's".

[@mareky1234]

Regarding Utes. It was actually an Australian invention. The story goes that a farmers wife wife wrote to Ford Australia (back when we still built cars) and asked for a vehicle that was practical enough to take the pigs to market on Saturday, and still be nice enough (cab wise) to go to church on Sunday. The original Ute that ford built, looks more similar to modern American pick ups, than what Australian Utes morphed into, which is a 2 door sedan front end, with a tray. But any vehicle that has a nice comfortable easy to drive cab interior (both 2 & 4 door) that also has a tray, is by very definition, a Ute, as it’s clearly a utility vehicle, one that’s much nicer to drive than a basic truck. We invented both the car, and the term, and what sort of vehicle that it applies to. So to sum up, a Ute is a vehicle with a tray, that is also quite simply, a much bigger pleasure to drive, than a truck would be. So by definition, ANY AND ALL pick up trucks are simply inferior. Your Pickups indeed do look a lot different in minor ways, you’ve mentioned how the Toyota Hilux isn’t available in the US, well it was designed over time, to suit the Australian taste as Utes are extremely popular over hear, even as simple recreational vehicles. And the other manufacturers copied this successful business model, since it made them more money. In fact their are (far to many) a lot of fancy looking Utes out there, that are almost too fancy to be used for actual work. So an Australian Ute (regardless of where it’s made), is still fundamentally different to an American pickup truck. Yours are still trucks, they look and feel just as appetising as a big standard truck. Where as we created a comfortable compromise. Even the fanciest looking Ute, by law, still has to be able to carry certain loads etc, just that they might be too fancy looking to want to scratch. A Ute, is a utility vehicle that’s useful in more than one way, but it also HAS TO BE nice enough to be presentable, when needed, aka, going to church in. It’s this inherent design influence, that still exists, is what makes a Ute so much more than simple plain pickup truck. Pick ups are still perfectly fine for what they are made for, but at the end of the day, they will always only ever be a smallish “Truck”, whilst a Ute is capable from the very outset, to be so much more. Even stock standard. To get an idea of just what’s out their. Start of by typing “Australian Ute styles” in Google images. You will see all sorts, including the original Ford, and Then Holden models. And for the fancy/silly end, just type “fancy Ute styles” instead. Or any variation of the theme you like, as long as “Ute” is included, you will get a good proportion of what’s actually available in Oz (the “.com.au” web address, will signify what’s legit or not). Or to put it really simply. A Ute MUST have a very ice and comfortable Cab section, regardless of tray options. And sadly, one of the previous Right wing federal government, totally and utterly destroyed our ENTIRE car manufacturing capability. So their won’t be anymore Aussie Utes in the traditional styles you mentioned. Not unless someone overseas makes them for us. Have fun with your research.

[@georgecurrenti]

As an Aussie I found it difficult driving on right… first time driving in the US was in Chicago, stayed overnight, then drove to Columbus. On the highway kept wandering across the lanes, and found it difficult at cross roads.

[@adriandyck9138]

It’s all very easy driving in the US. Long left, tight right.

[@matthewbrown6163]

Did the same the 2nd day in Calif going to work. I drove 1/2 a block at 5.30 am before I realised. I used to get in the wrong side of the car or walk back to the right side & realise my mistake. I was there 2 months on my first work trip & found it weird when I got back to Oz.

[@jimwebster5320]

How did you deal with the transmition?

[@matthewbrown6163]

@@jimwebster5320 It was Auto for me but I used to flick the windscreen wipers on for the blinker a few times LOL.

[@blueycarlton]

At the age of 63 my wife and I drove 11,000km in the States in a Ford Escape, not a problem driving on the wrong side. Drove a little in LA and in San Fran. But mostly kept to back roads West Coast and Mountain states. American drivers are good and very courteous. Traffic drops off once get out of Cal. Just stay clear of those yellow school buses at school drop off time. They were a nightmare. Take or buy a GPS, my tablet stopped working on a LA freeway, so we went to a Walmart and bought a GPS. Also pick up one of those Rand McNally (?) road atlas, they are inexpensive and you can plan trips and mark in with a fluro texta were you have been. Great things to see, buy a National Parks pass, save a lot of bucks. My wife kept saying WOW!!! while taking a thousand pics.

[@nolesy34]

@6:51 the reason for the aftermarket "bed" is so if you put building materials in like a 2x4 it doesnt scratch the paint of the side, The words mini truck, pick-up and pick up truck are definately an American thing the lifestyle that goes with a similar "mini truck" in Australia would be called A "deni" ute after the deni muster which is where everyone with a ute comes to show it off utes with ridiculously oversized parts like actual truck- truck bullbars, 10 foot CB radio antennas and mudflaps, Im sure Americans use utes for farm purposes but Australia did invent utes as a one vehicle for all like work during the week and church on a Sunday a good concept since cars were (and still are) dear but also saved everyone having 2 cars per family

[@billschild3371]

To see you both geeking out over Australian cars made this truly special. It was like this guy was your eyes on the ground. Truly one of my faves on your playlist.

[@habegunt4802]

We have 3 main different types of landcruisers in Australia -The flagship ones (big luxury suvs) current gen is the 300 series -70 Series, the basic, ultra reliable and practical ones which you can get in dual cab, single cab utes (or trucks as you would say), 4 door SUV and 2 door troopcarrier or "troopy" -Prados, many people don't consider these actual landcruisers as they have smaller engines and are more car like and affordable compared to the others. They're basically like an SUV version of the Hilux. Hope this helps

[@PBMS123]

When you buy a ute in Aus, if its new and you're choosing options, for a Hilux, Ranger, Navara, BT-50 etc. you can choose to get the regular Tray (the tray is what you call the bed), or an Alloy Tray, which is the aluminium tray you see at 6:54. They are stock options that come from the manufacturer. Some people will get after market ones, they're usually the people who take the ute out 4WD as well.

[@k-dinho9247]

Yes you are correct but I'd not even call the standard stock body option a tray but rather a tub with the optionof having a "tub liner" to protectthe tub. Trays I see as the steel or aluminium versions with drop down sides or a flat bed with no sides

[@joshthomas2536]

Who in Australia calls the stock option a tray, it's a tub😂

[@jeepnutscotty]

Alloy trays ARE NOT made by the manufacturer at all, almost always contracted to local suppliers and manufacturers of alloy trays…. And you dont get to choose one or the other, the tub comes with the car FREE, if you want a flat alloy tray with or without sides you pay another 5K plus for that alloy tray… They just stick a toyota or whatever badge on it as per contract. And the standard supplied “tub” is just that, a tub 😂 calling it a “tray” denotes that its flat, just like “allot trays” from the aftermarket which the stock tub definately is not… YOU CLEARLY HAVE NEVER BOUGHT A BRAND NEW UTE IN YOUR LIFE

[@Xantosh82]

Fun fact, the Suzuki Jimny have been in Australia since the 70s/80s but they were called Suzuki Sierra and also they were in the USA they were called Suzuki Samurai Also the Ute and truck thing came from the 80s, America had Pick-up trucks which were stronger and could carry a fair amount and Australia had Utility Trucks which had a lot less carrying capacity, most Ute's can handle a metric tonne ( 2,204.6 lbs ) Holden astra is actually an Opel, there is another Holden model called the Vectra which is a Vaxhaul

[@fionaorton7076]

As one of the hundred or so who recommended this vid, glad you did this one (and enjoyed it!!). Also hope you did go a smidge further in the vid and see the Opera house close up!!

[@WastelandFirebird]

Thanks for giving my channel some attention! Great work on your channel too, sir.

[@markgriffin4888]

You are spot on, a ute Is a Commodore, early falcons, and so forth. AU Falcons and onwards aren't real utes but cab/ chassis . Manufacturers of vehicles are now calling them utes. True Australians call them what they are, hilux and co are cab/ chassis or duel cabs👍👍👍

[@Shattered65]

Wrong the Ute was invented by Ford Australia and the original ones predate the existence of commodores or falcons and they were cab/chassis vehicles.

[@markgriffin4888]

@@Shattered65 want to put money on that were cab/ chassis, the ute section of the vechicle is attached to the cab,which makes it a ute. AU Falcons and onwards aren't all one body.where as the commodores are all one body. I know that vehicles up till the fx had chassis under them, l have a'39 ford which has a chassis under it. What the video is about is what the manufacturers of today are calling utes. It an explanation for Ian and others to understand, so unless Ian is going to look-up all the old pictures of AUSSIE utes , which I recommend that you do the same. A good book to get is from Larry O'Toole called the GOOD OLD AUSSIE UTE 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@gazza750]

DUAL CAB or DOUBLE CAB "DUEL cab" ? I did not know cabs fought eacher with pistols or swords

[@markgriffin4888]

@@gazza750 --- well apparently both , considering some of those comments on this topic, I could be in for a DUEL over what is a REAL UTE

[@pathogan632]

A "ute" as we call them in Australia, is just an abbreviation for "utility vehicle".

[@peterhoz]

11:30 Right vs Left, I did exactly the same thing when driving in Europe. And multiple times I listened but didn't watch the GPS and turned the wrong way!

[@markdrennan5723]

Hi Ian the Holden Astra is actually an Opel from Germany as too was the Saturn re badged as Holden or Chevrolet. The Truck or Ute with the aftermarket tray is purchased as a cab chaissie. The idea is that all the sided fold down for easy access and can have a pallet forked onto any side. This tray can usually handle two pallets. Where the steel sides on a ute or truck cannot take the width of a pallet because of the wheel arches.

[@WMH-MUSIC]

Great job! Wesley Media Hub has now subscribed to this Channel 👍

[@mattede8744]

My sister has the Landcruiser you're talking about. We call them troopies. She needs one cos she lives in a valley in the freaken middle of nowhere. She just got the internet last Friday though!!

[@toomasargel8503]

10:39 No Saturn Astra but in Europa is OPEL Astra and in UK Vauxhall Astra . all almost same but in UK "wrong" and in Australia "wrong" side drivingwheel.

[@ajc7295]

Haha, is it just me or was it kinda endearing to see him so excited about everyday cars 😊😂

[@rickpratchett2986]

He said that the MG car wasn't common in America, but a 70s song by the US singer Neil Sedaka, "Wheeling West Virginia" features the lyrics "Racing my MG back to MGM," which proves America did know this car.

[@Ken_James_SV]

It was on the TV News about a year ago that Australia has more brands of vehicles than any other country on Earth, and in the last year since that report we have even more new brands from China, Taiwan, Malaysia and India to add to the mix. And the Utes with the aluminium trays on the back are often called One Tonner's because they are permitted to carry loads up to 1 Ton.

[@saraelizabethjoyce]

Yay! I requested this on Instagram! So excited for this!

[@Reneesillycar74]

The easiest way to get Ute in your head is to jump straight to the word Utility. Simple meaning: something useful or designed for use. Both Utes & American trucks are designed to be useful/carry stuff 🤷🏼‍♀️ So if you want to be pedantic it could be argued Australian Utes are actually the correct name 😝😂 And let’s not forget to discuss the 1 tonner! 🤣🤣

[@phunkmonkeycookiegarage7773]

Using that logic, vans could also be called utes lol

[@yannikavadas1490]

@@phunkmonkeycookiegarage7773 A ute with a factory body enclosure is called a panel van .

[@Reneesillycar74]

@@phunkmonkeycookiegarage7773 not quite, considering it’s open so can carry more. Utes are very utilitarian don’t you know 😂 *Plus what Yanni said 🤣

[@Lnch4ALion]

@@phunkmonkeycookiegarage7773 "that logic" is purely understanding that ute is just short for utility, which isn't really questionable

[@timjohnun4297]

I think "Truck" is slowly creeping into Aussie language now since we started getting things like Silverado, Dodge Ram, etc. They are too big to be called a ute and in a lot of cases are over 4.5 t and need a heavy vehicle license to drive (Light rigid). Sad but true ;)

[@conmanumber1]

Dropside ute decks are so handy and you don't worry about panel and paint damage. You can load pallets and welders etc without a worry.

[@xtratic]

Heh, at @9:39, i have one myself, although it's not Holden, Saturn, Chevy or Buick (or Vauxhall), it's Opel Astra. Just shows how true the proverb "We have many names for the things we love" is.

[@markpaweena781]

Ute means utility vehicle. Can be car based monococ (sp?) chassis or a leaf spring sprung 4wd ladder frame based chassis. Same thing. 2 seats and cargo no more than 1000kg capacity

[@grahamwright6010]

Back in the 1970’s 1980’s we called the car body with a tray back a one tonnes because the load limit was one tonner’s. As the well-back is a utility (ute)..

[@Ragnar6000]

Not sure if you realized but he was driving towards the Opera House....lol

[@neilshepherd1904]

Traditionally in Oz, a ute has always had a sedan car (mostly Holden or Ford) front and the ute back. At a car meet like the Deni Ute Muster, you'll see utes. Over the years though, and new players and expanding model ranges, heaps of cars have become variously labelled as "ute" (EG: pickups, 4WD types, drop-side utes, style-side, twin-cab, flat-bed, etc. etc. ). In Oz, trucks are commercial vehicles like light trucks, medium-rigid, heavy-rigid, pantechs, semi-trailers, etc. Cheers.

[@Sander1678]

Actually I found this Wasteland Firebird guy just before I found you. I think both of your channels are great. I live in Europe and of course we too have our own range of cars that you don't see in other parts of the world. Now I've been to Canada twice (around the year 2000) and what stood out to me there was the Pontiac Sunfire. Never seen it before and there were a lot of them at that time.

[@uncle_matula]

at 10:00 is an Opel Astra, is popular in Europe, in Au is Holden and Vauxhall in UK

[@keithwilson1554]

There was a Ford Falcon Ute raised up and 4WD and a Holden Kingswood Station Wagon 4WD Overlander.

[@kellyhartley2693]

Saturn's were pieces of crap here in Australia. Astra are holders but comes from Vauxhall in Europe

[@bengeary96]

The Toyota Echo that was in this video is different to the Echo that was sold in the States as the Australian Echo was sold as the Yaris for most other markets and then it was changed to Yaris for the Australian market for the second generation onwards, whereas the Echo sold in the states was a small sedan and was different from the Echo/Yaris for Australia and Europe

[@MitchZero9]

Okay, so about the ute and truck thing. The Commodore and Falcon-based are utes (as you covered, ute being short for utility). But due to typical Aussie laziness, some of us also call HiLux, Triton, Ranger ect utes and some of us call them a truck. In NSW at least, a Hilux (ect) are actually registered as a "light truck". Aluminium trays you saw that that ute/truck offer a wider loading space over what we know as "style-side" utes like a Commodore. Tradesman tend to favour width and length and shallow tray backs with drop sides over deep and narrow "style side" utes like the Commodore ect. As you can see, you can easily bolt down lockable a canopy (safe storage for tools) as well as roof rack on top. Once you work out of a tray back, you'll never go back!

[@CMDRRustyDog]

Yeah as 'Ute' is for 'Utility' the pickup would count in that category. 'Truck' is really for much larger vehicles like 18-wheelers. Did you notice when he started driving, you can see the Sydney Opera House out of the windscreen (on the right).

[@Blazeor2]

The Astra (Corsa, Vectra, Tigra and more too) origin is from Opel (Germany, long time part of GM group), thats right: build licence as Vauxhall (UK) and Holden (Aus) for the markets of rightside-steering, in the 90th DAEWOO (korean brand) got the old Astra moldings and sold it with small design changes as 'Nexia'; later Daewoo got rebrand to Chevrolet to be their "small car" section. But nowadays Opel (after be in trouble) got from GM to PSA (Peugot-Renault Group) to Stellantis. It still holds the Astra as midsize hatchback... electric version too.

[@vk3crg]

That bloke is spot on re getting left and right mixed up! I’ve been to the US lots of times and driven there many times and every time I drive there I get my “left” and “right” mixed up 😂 After a few days you do get used to driving on the other side of the road but that’s when mistakes happen. When you relax 😂 I also found I was almost unable to parallel park against the curb in the US. I was once in West Hollywood trying to parallel park and a very kind lady realised I was having trouble, took pity on me, realised I was from overseas and actually parked my car for me. I was so embarrassed as here I Australia I have no trouble parallel parking against the curb but when you’re on the opposite side of the car and street it’s a tad odd 😂I own the 8th last 2015 VF HSV Maloo R8 Ute ever made #1372 - you don’t get them in the US too often! Craig - Australia

[@572Btriode]

Craig, I still mis-name right and left for the same reasons, I moved to France from the UK 10 years ago and only just now getting relaxed in an also 10yr old left hooker and somewhat natural driving on the right, 50 years of left side takes some erasing in the brain. Parallel park ? I have a button for that, the car does it way better than I can !! All the best from here. Richard (F4VPR)

[@IWrocker]

Great story Craig! 😎

[@vk3crg]

@@572Btriode Hey Richard! Wow driving in France - what a beautiful place but I've been to Paris twice and it's nuts on the road! Yeah you're right re parking. My current car does it by itself but back in 1995 when that happened it's a wonder I didn't end up on Candid Camera trying to park 🤣Hope you catch you on 40m or 20m one day! 73, Craig VK3CRG

[@572Btriode]

@@vk3crg I retired here Craig, doubtless you have looked me up, you know where. . . . ! I wouldn't go anywhere near Paris, what a nightmare; I really do not like cities but I have had to drive into Lyon (second largest city here) twice, stressful. . . . . . Yep, I do 80 and 40 no problem, plus 20-15-10, although I like 15m especially. The sunspots are steadily returning, here's hoping for good prop again ! I don't know if I'll see the following cycle after this one, I'd be about 90yo. 🙂 73 - Richard (F4VPR)

[@brettalexanderdorahy5544]

I drive right down the center of the road no matter the country, i find it easier.

[@RoverIAC]

the one's with the tray on the back is usually called a 'one-tonner' where I am.

[@InConsulting]

So a few things to clarify. Skoda, Seat, VW, Audi, all derivatives of the VW usually all using the same engines in their diesel ranges, not so much in the petrol side of things. The Astra actually is an Opel, no wait a Vauxhall, a Holden, or is it a Saturn, surprisingly sold in different countries under numerous brands. Even weirder back in the 90's in South Africa GM used to manage Mazda and Ford in SA and they used to bring out the same model in both brands with slight variations and all their parts were interchangeable. Lots of seemingly strange things happen in the southern end of the world in the car space, and in Europe to be fair.

[@steviegbcool]

ah yeah there were some old mazdas and fords that were the same in the uk too

[@madskelli]

Thank you for watching!

[@QBTO]

In the UK we have the same Astra but it's from Vauxhall the identical car (apart from left hand drive) is sold in the rest of Europe as the Opal Astra.

[@Phiyedough]

Interesting to see an American who is enthusiastic about small cars! As a Brit it saddens me that there are so many Japanese cars in Australia and New Zealand. In the '60s it would have been mainly British cars, a lot of them assembled there due to high taxation on vehicles imported complete. They had some interesting models that we didn't get in UK. Often engines were bigger to cope with the huge distances between cities.

[@jeffreyflynn2805]

How much of the British car industry died in the 70 s? We had Morris Austin Hillman Leyland popular in Australia. All ceased to exist so we went japanese

[@Chapps1941]

I did primary school in the 60s and High School from 1972. My thoughts were why buy an Austin Freeway or Wolseley when you could buy a far superior Peugeot 404. The 404 was such a good car it cruised, breaked and cornered better that the 60s Holdens or Fords let alone the stodgy, stale English cars.. Same why buy a constipated British small car when a VW or Renault 8 or 10 were far better? Renaults and VWs are Aussie distances up whilst driving a pommy car from the time was like sitting in a bottle transporting darts.

[@kaindog100]

I still have a 1970 mini and love it.

[@genuinerecycling]

Ian, you missed the best part! At the end of this street you can look left to the Sydney Harbour bridge and on the right is the Opera house.

[@AussieTVMusic]

A pickup truck has a truck chassis whereas a ute has a car chassis. I'm with you Ian.

[@DADZGARAGE]

We love our cars downunder, 2 door, 4 door, v8 or barra turbos. Thanks for sharing our amazing cars to the USA.

[@MattiAntsuK]

If you're still wondering where the Škoda is from, it's a Czech car manufacturer (Czech, east of Germany and Southwest of Poland). The most popular Škoda in Sweden that I've seen, must be the Superb and Octavia. And if you ever see a similar video like this one about Swedish cars, you will most likely be supriced of the amount of Volvo's, Wagons and Hatchbacks there actually are over here.

[@HarlekinEO]

The Astra was designed in germany by Opel. In different countries they were named differently. Back then they were part of GM, now they are in the Stellantis (Peugeot, Citreon, Opel, Dacia, etc) group.

[@IcanBePsycho]

First time I drove in the USA, I pulled out from the car rental, started to head down the road then I saw 4 lanes of car coming straight towards me 😬, I quickly drove over the medium strip to the other side of the road. Geez” I got abused 😂. I learnt very quickly to keep the middle of the road out the drivers window, although 4 way intersections in the US still has me stumped, so I just creep out slowly & get more abuse from those behind me. 😂

[@samsta65]

Turning is the worst! And so is coming back home and having to get used to the other side of the car again, scratched all down the passenger back panel on the wheely bin 2nd day home from the States 😭

[@andrewlaw]

4 way stop is supposedly first arrive, first go. You need eyes in your arse if all 4 junctions are in use, that's why roundabouts have proven to be more efficient.

[@billgrisenthwaite3874]

having driven in the usa many times and in europe the best bit of advice till you get used to driving on the "wrong side" is wherever you are always remember the driver is next to the center on the road

[@Robochop-vz3qm]

Yep, so easy to get in that situation, same for yanks coming here.

[@lauramartin7675]

I've recently decided there should be a global sticker/pass that you can put on a car, to let people know you come from a country that drives on the other side of the road, and you're learning the road rules for 'this' country.

[@gordowg1wg145]

5:30 - can you guys in the USoA get your pick-up trucks/utes in that flat deck/tray style? Seems almost everything at the lighter end of the scale is like step-sides where there's sort of bodywork forming the rear deck area?

[@miguelagramos]

The Saturn Astra is a re batched OPEL/ Vauxhall - ASTRA. There are alive in EUROPE since 1991. In hatchback, Sedan, Coupe, Station, Cabrio. I thing there are in the 5th generation now. Still live and kicking.

[@jamesgovett3225]

You’re right regarding the car based vehicle with a bed where the cargo area is part of the structure being a Ute as seperate from a cab chassis where the body is seperate from the tray bed being a pick up truck, unfortunately newer generations and the Australian motoring industry calls them all nowadays a Ute but this was not the case for many years until relatively recently as Australia also manufactured Pick up trucks as seperate from the smaller car base Utes such as for decades we built Ford F-series from the F-100’s, 250’s,350’s up to Fseries prime movers for semi trailers but the Australian Fseries and Chevy C-series and others were all known as pick ups not Utes, even when Holden built the HQ series to WB series they built a car based Ute and also a Cab chassis with a tray bed but these were never called a Ute in the day as they were just known as a Holden one tonner, so these days everything is just called a Ute here!

[@harrycooper5231]

I spent a summer driving a Skoda diesel around Western Europe, put on over 14,000 klicks. Reliable beast. Top speed of 160, tested on the Autobahn.

[@mattede8744]

The aluminium bodied 'ute' we call a 1 tonner or a tray body. The previous one is the ute, with a lid.

[@daciousinoz6028]

Australian utes are coupe utilities. They are not a 'pickup' or truck because except for the recent post 90s Ford Falcon Ute there is no frame under it and no separate bed. Even the Falcon the cab from the doors forward is the same as the monocoque car - it has abbreviated rails under the back.

[@laurencejames7948]

We called the tray backs one tonners and as said earlier a ute is a utility vehicle and has the body and bed all in one body

[@philrichmond5919]

1:09 I didn’t think anyone would be excited to see a Citroën van! I drive one like that, and they truly do run on the smell of an oily rag. For the Americans, my fuel consumption average at present is 48mpg. That’s 4.9 litres per 100km in French. But doing repairs, Jésus a pleuré… there’s a kind of logic to it, just not a kind I’ve ever found on this planet before!

[@redoz9768]

Aussies rarely refer to a cab chassis light truck with a tray as a Ute. A Ute is typically as you described, derived from a family sedan with a bed in the back. Even the Holden HQ-WB flat trays were called "One tonners" and not Utes.

[@robertleeimages]

I've only ever referred to a ute as like the Holden and the Fords like you with the Elcomino, the higher off the ground are pick ups with truck missing from the wording and a truck is something 4.5t and above that you then can't drive on a normal car licence

[@Malc664]

We don't get the Ford Bronco in Australia. The American term "truck" which is our ute, is slowly creeping in to our vocabulary. Amercan trucks typically have tubs you call beds. We call the aftermarket beds flat tops or trays. Peugeot pronunciation the French way is Per - geot. Not Pew - geot. You got the last part right.

[@paul.kristoff]

I find when driving on the other side of the road that using 'big turn' and 'little turn' rather than left or right makes the transition easier. One of the biggest challenges I find is knowing where I am in the lane. Sitting on the other side of the car means you always veer to far to the line. Driving in heavy traffic is actually easier, becuase you're really on your game. When the roads are quiet is when you can get complacent and make a silly mistake.

[@module79l28]

3:05 - Skoda is a former czechoslovakian brand and since the early 90's it's part of the VW Group. Their cars share the platforms and engines with many of the VW Group cars. 7:35 - It's not really "the australian things", if he went to any european city he'd be equally in awe and probably even more because we have many models here that are not sold in Australia. 9:50 - Vauxhall, Holden and probably the Saturn Astra, are all rebadged Opels. 12:35 - To me, the only thing I think would be harder to get used to when driving in Australia or the UK or Japan or Mozambique, has to be shifting with the left hand. 😀

[@RedLine0069]

yes the astra it was a rebadged opel now it is a rebadged Peugeot lol

[@Snarfcat]

It is also proven to be more dangerous to drive on the wrong side of the road as your right side is normally stronger. When you drive on the left you right hand and right eye are doing 99% of the work, by flipping it around you're now using your weaker side to control the car and see oncoming traffic.

[@bremCZ]

@@Snarfcat Which studies show that? That'd be an interesting read.

[@KristoferOlsson]

lots of Buicks was rebaged Opels to. Until GM sold Opel.

[@module79l28]

@@KristoferOlsson - When did GM sell Opel? I'm asking because every part I can look at in my 2001 Opel Astra has a GM brand on it, as well as all the OEM parts I bought up until now.

[@rustyblades2566]

Cool video Ian. Was working in America south of Columbus, Ohio in 1998 and I drove a short distance in a friends Oldmobile. I also drove a small hatch owned by a girlfriend at the time around the south of Chicago in the Kankakee area. However without her in the car, some intersections where a little confusing lol. I have since driven in Hawaii a couple of time with no issues lol. One thing that I found interesting was..you guys had a version of an old Toyota Corolla here in Aus (1985 model I believe). But there you guys called it an Arrow...I think it was called?. P.S. my Grandfather on my Mother's side was from Detroit and only ever bought Fords here in Sydney 🤣.

[@gavinramsay539]

Commodore utes are a style side. Falcon had both tray and style side, and most 4x4 utes have both.

[@jonpestana6704]

The actual major problem of swapping driving sides is in the actual car. When I 1st drove in the USA, I landed in LA & drove onto a freeway. I have always sat on the right side of a car to drive. So when I need to change into the left lane, I TURN/TWIST my body to look over my left shoulder. PROBLEM: if you are now seated on the left hand side of a car… You drive onto a freeway on the far right and merge left at greater speed. What happens next… is that you head-butt & smash your face into the left hand side window; which has never been there before. The second problem is that the indicator & wiper arms are on the wrong side of the steering wheel. Something nice is that all volume knobs are now closer to you. If you ever go to the Bahamas… all the cars are American but they drive on the British side of the road.

[@fleaniswerkhardt4647]

Skoda are made in the Czech Republic. A ute has either a tray top or tub tray. A ute is not a truck. Trucks above a certain carrying capacity require the driver to hold an appropriate licence grade.

[@peterhoz]

Those tray utes are often, tho not always, car based. Many (but not all) of them even run on petrol, not diesel. There's such a huge variety of combos (combinations).

[@michaelmayo9048]

The aluminium tray Ute we use to call Ford and Holden ones ...1 toners(1 ton)

[@robertharrold3173]

In oz to the trayback or ute bed can be sold separately to the vehicle when you buy one like an optional extra thats why our ute trays look different to the vehicle

[@shamrockfile]

Spent a month in Barbados. Exhausted I caught a late afternoon flight home. Arrived around 11 o’clock and went to an off airport parking lot to pick up my car. Drove out of the parking garage and got into the left lane and then started wondering why somebody put the stop light on the right lane.LOL It still took me about 30 seconds to move over to the right.

[@royalirish4208]

You just have to remember as a driver you should always be closest to the center of the road, thats how I did it driving in the US and Mexico.

[@osocool1too]

The truck in the video is referred to as a Ute, but it isn't as utes are car or SUV based vehicles, while the latter stretch the point somewhat.

[@MayYourGodGoWithYou]

The car we hire when we want to go shopping in the next town or similar is a Renault Clio. I wouldn't recommend it to buy (decent stereo speakers though). The seats aren't comfortable and the roof is very low inside - my 5'8" hubby hits his head even in the front seat where the roof is much higher than in the back. Very hard getting in if you have mobility issues and the trunk/boot won't fit a wheelchair, let alone a wheelchair and a weekly shop. The Nissan Micra, that is our current car of choice (and the one my daughter owns), a wheelchair will fit in the trunk/boot and we can even fit the shopping around it. Will take four adults but not in comfort (small car). The one I would have a gain is the Suzuki Swift, lots of room, easy to get into the back or the front even if you're disabled, trunk/boot takes a wheelchair - without having to dismantle it first - plus a weekly shop and a lot of other stuff as well.And you can fit four adults plus a child without discomfort. You must get at least one of the French cars there, because that is what Columbo drove, Renault I think but I won't swear to it. Greetings from Ireland.

[@davidb1630]

Hey, Ian, those Land cruisers you were thinking were 90's copies made new, they were actually 70's age. Nearly 50 years old styling just with better engines, bigger lights and new interior.

[@garylovesbeer]

Worked for a car rental place in Aus for a while. Advice to anyone from the US was to pull into the traffic and follow the car ahead of you for 20 minutes or so no matter where they took you just to get the feel for the mirrored driving experience without having to worry about conciously thinking about which side to stick to. Worked for me when I drove in LA for the first time and the same in Europe. Roundabouts still freaked my though.

[@giuseppesavaglio8136]

'Ute' or Utility just means a multi purpose vehicle. When we say 'Ute' it generally means car(with)open boot and if we say 'tray' we generally mean car(with)tray. Truck we usually use for vehicles larger than a small van.

[@gooseknack]

Basic idea of a Ute? Anything up to 1 tonne carrying capacity on the tray. A truck is anything above that, with the exception of the rare Holden 2 tonner ute(it was a dual axle rear end). Essentially, "trucks" begin at 3 tonnes. Did you know, most "utes" in cab/chassis format have a 3.5 tonne towing capacity at the towbar(factory), in both i4 and v6 formats.. very few are V8. V8 powered cars/utes are somewhat rare here, mostly due to running costs.

[@skidman5111]

ute is short for utility so if you have a trayback (such as hilux )or a tub(eg commodore ute) they are all classed as a utility vehicle

[@godamid4889]

Haha, ute - utility vehicle. If you can take your missus to dinner in it and also load it up with firewood, it's a ute. The cruiser variant you are keen on is the HDJ79, a variant of the J70 design released in 1984. To be honest even those are kind of niche purpose - the Hilux is now capable of doing most things the old cruisers could.

[@saintsone7877]

A lot of vehicles from overseas are adapted for the Australian environment. Apart from right hand drive, transmissions, shock absorbers etc are designed for Australian conditions and many car makers have circuits where they test vehicles before production for the Australian market. Rarely will you see the exact same vehicles outside Australia even if made by same manufacturers.

[@Django45]

Škoda cars originate from my home country, Czech republic. For a lot of years now it is under VW company. I used to own their Favorit and Felicia models not long ago. They were the old cars from the '90s.

[@Teagirl009]

Thanks for doing my and others suggestion of this 🙂. We definitely need to see YOU doing a similar video when you come to Australia. Lol

[@globalhuman10]

In Australia a truck is a Kenworth or large transport vehicle. If it's car sized and has a flat tray in the back, it's a ute.

[@PBMS123]

The chevy SS was sold the same years as the Australian Commodore, between 2014-2017, so roughly 4 years. The difference though, in Australia, the commodore comes in many models, with a Ute and Station Wagon version of each too. From cheapest to best you have: -Evoke (3.0L SIDI V6 Engine 180kW) - cheapest model, cheapest trim, brand new these were about $32,000 AUD -SV6 (3.6L SIDI V6 Engine - 210kW) - This is the sports version with same trim as a standartd SS with a V6 engine. $35-40kAUD -SV6 Storm - Special Edition version of the SV6 with some different trim options etc. But mostly the same -SS - (6.0L V8 280kW (2013-2015) or 6.2L V8 304kW (2016-2017)) The most basic SS that holden sold, with most the same as the SV6 -SS-V (As above) A Nicer Trim version with some extra bells as whistles -SS-V Redline - (Engines as above) This was the highest regular model trim of the SS, it came with Brembo Brakes, better suspension, and HUD this model is very much what the export model was based on -SS-V Redline Motorsport - Limited Edition, basically the Australian version of the Export Model, with the MagRide, heated and vented seats etc. -Calais (3.6L or 6.0L/6.2L V8) This was the luxury trim of the Commodore and the only version that doesn't have a Ute counterpart (there is still a stationwagon counterpart). You can get this in the V8, and they sound the same as the SS Models, but they have softer suspension Nicer Insides -Calais-V Basically the extra bells and whistles version of the Calais

[@IWrocker]

Awesome break down thanks!

[@overworlder]

It’s nice to see Americans geeking out over Australian cars, cos I watch Motorweek retros and THAT’S a whole alternative car universe going right back.

[@ozzybloke-craig3690]

I watched this video a week or two ago and I left a comment that you would love this video Ian lol I knew you would. This fellow American of yours shares your enthusiasm for Australian cars. Maybe you should contact him. You might end up good mates.

[@lovemyrainydays]

....and to confuse you even further, in Queensland, especially rural/farming areas, a ute is also called a tilly (like ute, it's an abbreviation of utility). I'm in my 50s and growing up where I did, they were always called tillies, I never heard anyone I know call 'em utes till I was in, like, my late teens. And it's only recent years people have started calling the non-"car-based" ones trucks - they were just a 4wd (a truck here was, well, a dirty great big truck - as in more than 4 wheels)

[@callabeth258]

Any vehicle that is cab in the front and bed in the back but “car sized” is a Ute, its not a truck unless its big and has like a enclosed compartment in the back like a truck that would move soil or even moving vans.

[@56music64]

My nephew's first car he bought himself was a Jimny, he pulled it down a few times, of course. They are very popular with younger drivers here in Oz. No a truck is something that moves large amounts of dirt, gravel, rocks etc or maybe a prime mover with a trailer, but never a ute!