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ABC News
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- ABC News
Ian McLeod, 95, powering his farm ute and house on waste vegetable oil
The blue farm ute in Ian McLeod's shed costs a couple of dollars a week to run, and his farmhouse power bills are virtually non-existent. In a world searching for sustainable and affordable energy, the 95-year-old farmer is quietly perfecting a personal power system, running on waste vegetable oil. "Most of the farms around here have brand new utes, so when I bought a SsangYong for $1,800 online, people thought I was mad," Mr McLeod laughed. "But when Rudolph Diesel first made the diesel engine, he used vegetable oil. "I thought to myself, 'I could do that,' so I set about finding a ute with a pre-combustion diesel engine and converting it. "Modern engines have to have the highest-grade fuel possible, whereas I deliberately went the other way. "I went for an engine that would run on low-grade fuel." Alongside the ute in Mr McLeod's shed at Glenroy in south-east South Australia are engines and mechanical inventions to purify the vegetable oil he collects from local restaurants. "Nine times out of 10, when I go to a restaurant, they say, 'Just take the oil'. They don't want it. All I have to do is clean it." For that job, Mr McLeod took an old electric separator and made a centrifuge out of the inner bowl, which purifies about 15 litres of oil an hour. "It costs me peanuts because the engine driving the separator is running on the same oil anyway," he said. "My main engine for generating power for the house runs on neat vegetable oil and starts from stone-cold on a freezing, cold morning. "I'm gradually getting it better all the time." For the best part of nine decades, Mr McLeod's remarkable mind for mechanical ingenuity has been known only by close friends, family and his wife Shirley, 92, a retired nurse. "Up until the past four or five years, people had virtually ignored Ian … now they realise he's worth knowing and a lot of people are pests now!" she laughed. As a child, Mr McLeod recalls being awed when his father took him by the hand and showed him a huge steam engine on a thrasher on their outer Melbourne farm. "That sowed a seed in me," he said. By the time he was eight, he had built his first steam engine using a turbine he made inside a Malt Extract can from his mother's kitchen. Mr McLeod also drew on his mechanical mind to overcome the trauma of his early school years. "I was a happy little kid, but I used my left hand to write, and the teacher in charge had a mind to change that and belted me. "It's a sad story; I stuttered then for 40 years and wet the bed until I was about 11 because I was just a bundle of nerves," he said. "So making these little steam engines and fixing things around the farm used to help me; it gave me back a bit of confidence." The McLeods came to the black-soil plains of Glenroy via a converted scrub block at Dorodong in Western Victoria, and the family farm at Bulla near Melbourne. The journey, marked by challenges met with determination, imagination and perseverance, is one which the pair look back upon fondly. "We got away to a pretty rough start on the family farm when the Depression ripped the rug out from under my father and his brother," recalled Mr McLeod. "Shirley was from Northern Queensland and her family pioneered the sugar industry up there. "Times got so tough at one stage, she wanted to go back. "I arranged with her early on — I told her she was free to leave with one condition: I'm coming too." And while they've faced tough times, Mrs McLeod said they had "gone through them together". "Some of our happiest years were when we first started on our own at Dorodong with a shed, two young children and second-hand tractors that Ian rebuilt," she said. Later, at Glenroy, Mr McLeod set his sights on irrigated cropping. "I hired a post-hole digger and, with the help of some local fellows, put five irrigation bores down in one day by hand. "I had to put multiple bores down because I didn't have enough money to buy the piping to connect them." Mr McLeod said he bought a stationary irrigator, which he converted to become self-propelled — one of the first in the country. "It became a useful machine. Then a company from Corowa got wind of it, hopped in a plane, hired a car, came out to the farm and crawled all over it, took photos and said, 'Thanks very much Mac', and I have never heard from them since," he laughed. Over his many years on the land, Mr McLeod has bought broken-down, second-hand and wrecked tractors and headers "for $25 or so" and rebuilt and redesigned them to create exactly the machinery he required for growing his crops. "We harvested our first crop of sunflowers with a $25 header that I rebuilt," he recalled. "I built a windrower, joined two old, wrecked tractors together; made a grain dryer for our maize crop, built weigh scales … I always looked for opportunities to mechanise and become more efficient." As the seasons change in the south-east, and Glenroy's flood-plain past is met with a two-year drought, the McLeods reflect on a long life on the land. "We just live quietly out here in our little nest. We're not part of the social set," Mrs McLeod said. "We've faced some tough times and plenty of good times," Mr McLeod agreed. "When things go wrong, that's an opportunity to find a way around it. "When things go smoothly, I get bored."
Auto Express
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
Help! I need a £15k executive car that's posh and economical on long trips
Dear Auto Express, I want a large premium saloon car to cover lots of miles in. A diesel engine is preferable for economy. What do you think? - Andrew Carpenter, E-mail Diesel fuel is sinking further out of fashion, but some executive cars are at their best with diesel power. With effortless torque and longer stints between fills, these models still make a lot of sense, and some of the best diesel execs from just a few years ago can be had for below £15,000 on the used car market. Advertisement - Article continues below The BMW 5 Series is the quintessential big saloon. For well honed dynamics, plenty of space and strong efficiency, it's tough to beat, but the Audi A6 might have the tools to do so. Its neat, understated styling is arguably slicker than the BMW's, and the interior is first rate. Plus, while it's not so agile, it is refined and economical. The Jaguar XF might be a left-field choice, but the Mk2's chassis flows very well over tricky surfaces, feeling plush without sacrificing sharp handling. It looks smart, too, and the roomy cabin has a few classy design touches of its own. Here's our expert pick of the three best premium executive cars available for a budget of £15,000, together with links to buy them through our Find a Car service… For: Smart looks, high-quality interior, frugal Smart looks, high-quality interior, frugal Against: Dull to drive, firm ride, not the best infotainment Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The 4th generation Audi A6 is a car which is ageing like fine wine. It's aged better than the BMW, although the A6 doesn't quite live up to those sharp looks on the road; the chassis leans toward security rather than fun. Despite this, the A6 still tends to thump over large imperfections – especially S line models with their sportier suspension – so it's not as comfortable as we'd like. The S Tronic auto is smooth, however, and the 2.0 TDI diesel is very refined, with over 60mpg possible, says Audi. For around £15,000, you could get a 2017 example with just over 47,000-miles on the clock. Advertisement - Article continues below Without doubt, the interior is the highlight of the A6 package. This Audi is beautifully built inside, with a fine blend of leather, metal trims and high-quality plastics, and from behind the wheel it feels every inch the premium executive express you would expect. Touches such as knurled metal climate control dials and a nifty fold-away sat-nav screen really elevate the cabin's ambience, even though Audi's MMI infotainment set-up isn't quite as slick as BMW's. There's plenty of room in the back seats, though, even for taller adults, and the boot capacity is a shade larger than the 5 Series' at 530 litres. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Used Audi A6 deals For: Efficient engines, fine chassis, spacious interior Efficient engines, fine chassis, spacious interior Against: Bland styling, a common sight on the road Next to the clean-cut Audi, the BMW's rounded edges and rippled surfacing mean it doesn't look as modern. It's a sharper drive than its German rival, though – the 5 Series' rear-wheel-drive chassis is engaging and agile in bends, yet SE spec's smaller wheels also give a supple, comfortable ride. The BMW is a refined cruiser, too, keeping wind and road noise at a minimum. The popular 518d model is powerful enough for most, and can return over 60mpg – deeply impressive for a big saloon. A 2016 model with 47,000 miles on the clock dips within budget. Advertisement - Article continues below The 5 Series' cabin has aged more gracefully than its exterior, with a rather attractive dashboard design, high-quality switchgear and a slick infotainment system. BMW's iDrive software is among the easiest set-ups to use from this period, with Bluetooth as standard and optional tech that includes a bigger infotainment display and a surround-view parking camera. Like its rivals, the 5 Series offers plenty of scope to adjust the driving position, allowing for a sporty posture behind the wheel if you want it. The 5 Series can also easily carry four adults in comfort, while the 520-litre boot is a respectable size. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Used BMW 5 Series deals For: Great to drive, upmarket looks, roomy cabin Great to drive, upmarket looks, roomy cabin Against: Patchy interior quality, rivals more refined The Jaguar XF Mk2 is one of the classier options in the segment. It's not an overly adventurous design, but the Jag has a flair that its German rivals lack, and it's equally impressive on the move. The XF is alert and expertly set up, feeling tied down over undulations and smooth over bumps. There's a poise here that not even the BMW 5 Series can match, although the XF's motorway refinement isn't the best in its class. The 2.0-litre diesel motor isn't as punchy as its rivals in 161bhp guise, either, but it has enough poke for most situations. A 2018 Jaguar XF with 36,000 miles on the clock comes in at just under £15,000. On the face of it, the Jaguar XF's interior is just as sophisticated as its exterior in terms of design and build quality – there are aluminium details, plus soft leather and wood trim that swoops around the base of the windscreen, but the quality isn't entirely up to the standards of its rivals here. Shiny, cheap-feeling piano black plastic trim is one aspect that lets things down in this company, and while the overall fit and finish are good, the German alternatives feel more tightly screwed together. The Jaguar's infotainment system is clunkier than its rivals', too, although the boot is the biggest of the trio at an impressive 540 litres. Rear-seat passengers will have no complaints about a lack of leg or headroom, either. Used Jaguar XF deals Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals… Find a car with the experts Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI Car Deal of the Day: A Volkswagen Golf R Estate for less than a GTI The Golf R Estate is one of the best performance estates around – and right now it's criminally cheap. It's our Deal of the Day for 9 June. Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non Should Citroen make a new 2CV? Some say oui, others say non A new Citroen 2CV could be inbound, but would this be a French fancy or a financial flop? Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Jeep Avenger for under £200 per month Car Deal of the Day: A fully-loaded Jeep Avenger for under £200 per month The petrol-powered version of Jeep's charming baby SUV is our Deal of the Day for 8 June
Top Gear
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Skoda Kodiaq Review 2025
Page 2 vRS? Sounds tempting... Don't get your hopes up. The new Kodiaq vRS might be the fastest seven-seater around the Nürburgring, but it isn't actually all that different from the standard car. Advertisement - Page continues below Let's start with the engine. Is that different? Yep. It's a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel with twin-turbochargers working sequentially. New to the Kodiaq, but we've seen and tried it before in the Volkswagen Passat and Tiguan. When this car was announced all those months ago, a lot of people (including us) questioned Skoda's decision to use a diesel of any size or type in the 'performance' Kodiaq, given the apparent move towards petrols, and the fact it has access to some quite good ones. Seat went with the 2.0-litre from the Golf R for the Cupra Ateca, and Skoda could easily have done the same. But the majority of Kodiaqs sold still have diesel engines – 57 per cent of them. And as it happens, the engine Skoda's gone with suits the Kodiaq rather well. It's almost as smooth as a six-cylinder diesel, and once you're up and running quieter than a few we've tried recently. Advertisement - Page continues below Smooth and quiet? Isn't this supposed to be a performance car? Kinda. As for speed, 236bhp and 369lb ft is supplied to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox, with little plastic paddles on the steering wheel for manual shifting. 0-62mph takes a shade under seven seconds, making the Kodiaq vRS brisk, if not massively fast. It accelerates purposefully, with the same kind of satisfying surge you get from brawny diesel engines. The gearbox is smooth too, whether you leave it to its own devices or take control with the disappointingly plastic paddles. But if you do the latter, it has that annoying habit of changing up for you at the redline. Not that anyone who buys one of these will ever notice. Or care. Ok. What else is new? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Besides the more powerful drivetrain, the vRS is pretty much as per lesser Kodiaq 'Sportline' models. Progressive Steering and Dynamic Chassis Control are standard and get vRS-specific software, but both these systems can be specified on regular Kodiaqs. Meanwhile the 'Dynamic Sound Boost' system that adds synthetic noise – both in and outside the car, it varies in tone and volume depending on what drive mode you're in – is new for the vRS and far from the worst we've heard. And, erm, that's about it. Ah. Yep. This is not a radically transformed Kodiaq, although that's not to say there's no fun to be had here. Body control is good, and though feel-less the steering is accurate and easy to get to grips with. Not like some variable systems, where the amount of lock you get seems to arbitrarily change everytime you turn the wheel. The ride's good too, in even the sportiest of the Kodiaq's six selectable drive modes. There's no firm edge, no harsh thumping beyond what you'd bargain for from a car with 20-inch wheels. The trade-off is bigger brakes, which haul the (optionally) seven-seater to a halt admirably swiftly. You can keep the vRS moving at a reasonable rate of speed using only fourth, fifth and sixth gears and a couple of thousand rpm, and it never really feels out of its depth unless you really start to push it. Till then the Kodiaq vRS does a decent job of hiding its 1,800-off kilogram mass, shuffling power between all four wheels as necessary (up to 85 per cent can be sent to any one corner if needs be – though it always feels distinctly all- or front-wheel driven). This means there's more grip than you'll ever need or indeed be able to exceed. But also, no real interactivity or engagement. Least it looks sporty. It does – exactly like the Sportline, which with the 190bhp diesel engine is several grand cheaper. We're talking a massive £42,870 for the vRS, versus £37,450 for the Sportline. And you can get a good, family-friendly Kodiaq with decent kit for much, much less. This is the first vRS to get the new logo, which eschews the traditional green in favour of red, which Skoda says symbolises 'sportiness and power'. The wheels are 20s, both head and tail-lights are of the LED variety and there's a full complement of gloss black trim around the window frames and radiator grilles. Inside there's a matt-finish (faux) carbon dashboard, digital dials, vRS logos everywhere and a chunky set of sports seats we're pleased to report are a) very comfortable, and b) don't eat in to rear-legroom too much. So what's the verdict? The Kodiaq vRS is a fine thing alright. But is it really worth that much more money than a normal Sportline, which save for the engine is mechanically and visually almost identical? The engine in the vRS is a welcome addition to the Kodiaq range – it's really very good, far as four-cylinder diesels go – but it ought to have been added to the Kodiaq range generally, rather than reserved specially for the vRS. You see that name, and your expectations change. It writes cheques the rest of the car has no hope of cashing, because it's basically just a regular Kodiaq with a few minor changes. This is a good car – it's issue is one of marketing. There isn't enough here to justify the substantial premium. It probably shouldn't have a vRS badge. And for that reason, while this is probably the best Kodiaq in a money-no-object kind of way, it's not the one we would buy. Page 3
