By Ethan Franke
In a young Australian generation of motor enthusiasts and vehicle lovers alike, Sydney’s anti-automobile climate is raining on everyone’s parade (not literally).
Kids that once played the Need for Speed racing games and watched the hit TV series Top Gear every week have grown up to build a subtle but prevalent car culture within Sydney.
Young petrolheads find themselves being DIY mechanics, pimping out their rides, hoping to be able to flex their wheels on the streets and especially on social media.
All while aspiring to one day have their very own dream car.
Yet in the Sydney of today, the unfortunate reality of striving to own that dream car is more of a nightmare than anything else.
The long-lasting effects of COVID
The second-hand automobile market had gotten about 20 per cent more expensive since the early years of the COVID pandemic, while vehicle manufacturers struggled with production. Yet years later the effects still last, for some car models worse than others.
Popular fan favourite Japanese models like the Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra and the Mitsubishi Lancer EVO have all gone up considerably in price since COVID, some models 50 per cent more expensive in value. A friend of mine hesitated to buy a 1999 R32 Skyline off Facebook Marketplace in 2020 for $8000. That same car last year cost him $18,000.
Even with prices recently declining and with the market recovering, the damage has still been done, leaving soon-to-be owners with a rough starting point.
Fuel prices at a constant high
The average price of fuel in 2002 was 87 cents a litre. These days it’s around $2, with continuous promises for prices to go down … only for them to slowly but surely rise.
The trouble with this pricing stems farther than just a heavy sigh at the servo counter when paying for pump six. Drive past any petrol station selling fuel 10 cents cheaper than usual, and you’ll be bound to see cars piling up on main roads, eager to save a bit of coin.
Revheads are forced to re-evaluate their heavy foot at red lights, as getting up to speed just isn’t worth the cost. Worst of all, the awkward conversation of asking for “gas money” from friends has undoubtedly risen in accordance with these fuel prices.
Tolls, traffic, and more tolls…
Even after pumping premium-priced unleaded fuel into an overpriced car, the actual roads of Sydney are another tough pill to swallow.
The problem is that Sydney roads are some of the worst to drive on, poorly and easily susceptible to traffic build-up.
A good example is the Pacific Highway, a “main road” that bottlenecks thousands of daily commuters into a two-lane, bumper-to-bumper monstrosity.
Crawling through that peak-hour traffic also incorporates very expensive engine idling, as all your high-value fuel burns away.
Unfortunately, dodging all this traffic via tolls can add up quickly.
Toll roads like the WestConnex Tunnel can set you back over $10 a trip. Last year, some Western Sydney residents had reported spending over $60 a day for commutes via multiple toll roads, from areas like Bankstown to Barangaroo, just to make work on time.
Those that do drive to the city will quickly realise how Sydney city is not a great place to drive, as GPS will ask you to turn left and then immediately cut across three lanes to turn right, all while avoiding hundreds of scattering pedestrians.
The harsh reality
At the end of the day, NSW has some of the strictest vehicle modifications laws out of any Australian state.
Dedicated petrolheads will frequently find themselves pulled over by police and issued defect notices for their car’s modifications. Anything from how loud the engine is to how many centimetres off the ground your bumpers are.
Even if you aren’t caught out, both you and your car will surely suffer from frequenting those overpriced and busy roads, riddled with gaping potholes along the way.
Overall, the luxury of owning a car has certainly lost its touch in recent years, these issues going against the very joy of owning a car.
So, amid all these concerns, is having a nice car really worth it?
Boarding the train might be a smart solution to combat all these issues, but if things don’t change soon, Sydney’s car scene may continue to suffer in silence.
Featured image: Warm nights and headlights. Photo: Luke Miller/CC/Pexels
Wow great article Ethan! :O