spk_0
I love my new wheels. Learning English helps me to talk about it.
spk_1
SPS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia.
Josipa
Hi, I'm Josipa, and I love a good weekend getaway. There's just something special about jumping in the car, putting on some tunes, and hitting the road with no rush to be anywhere. You might have heard the expression 'hit the road' before. It means to start a journey.
Josipa
But I have to be honest with you, my love for road trips isn't the main reason I chose this topic today.
Josipa
I went on a date recently with someone who wouldn't stop bragging about, that means talking proudly about their car.
Josipa
Anyone would think they'd build it themselves. Like, come on! Now, as you can imagine, I can't say the date went well, but the whole conversation got me thinking. Turns out there are heaps of English expressions about cars that I still need to learn.
Josipa
So, I asked Alan and Claire to meet me at the car park after work because Alan just got himself some new wheels. Congrats, Alan.
Josipa
By the way, all the wheels literally means those round parts that touch the road. In casual English, 'wheels' is also a fun informal way to say a car.
Josipa
Let's listen to how they chat about cars and pay close attention and see if you can catch any expressions you don't know yet. It's time to learn.
Claire
Wow, your new ride's pretty flash. tinted windows, alloy wheels, looks the goods.
Allan
Cheers, it's a hybrid, so it's great on petrol. Big boot too, heaps of space, plus it's got lane assist, drives like a dream.
Claire
Not bad for a hatchback. Is it brand new?
Allan
Nah, picks it up second-hand, but it's in top nick, perfect for zipping around.
Josipa
So we already heard that in a friendly casual conversation, people often use the word wheels instead of car.
Josipa
You might also hear someone say 'a set of wheels' that means the same thing, but here's one I didn't know at first. The word ride can also mean car.
Josipa
In casual English, especially in Australia and in the US, when someone says a ride, they're usually talking about the car, especially when they're proud of it or showing it off. Bragging basically. Let me give you a few more examples with the word ride.
Allan
Check out my new ride.
Josipa
That means, 'Look at my new car.' By the way, you might also use the word ride to offer to take someone somewhere in your car, as in, 'Can I give you a ride?' You can also say, 'Can I give you a lift?'
Josipa
The first is used more in American English, and the second in British English, but you can hear both of them here in Australia.
Allan
That's a sweet ride.
Josipa
Here, Alan is saying the car looks awesome. Claire said something similar when she used the expression.
Claire
Wow, your new ride's pretty flash,
Josipa
Pretty flash. That's another way to say something looks fancy or impressive.
Claire
Tinted windows, alloy wheels, looks the goods!
Josipa
Claire is clearly impressed by Alan's car. She points out two features of the car that are particularly flash: tinted windows and alloy wheels. Windows that are tinted are dark, and they give the car a stylish look, as well as helping block out sunlight.
Josipa
Alloy wheels are lightweight wheels made from metal that are shiny and often make the car look more modern or sporty.
Josipa
Finally, Claire says, 'looks the goods', which is an Aussie slang expression. It means the car looks really good, stylish, or impressive.
Allan
It's a hybrid, so it's great on petrol. Got push button start and lane assist, drives like a dream.
Josipa
Let's look into each phrase separately.
Allan
It's a hybrid, so it's great on petrol.
Josipa
A hybrid car uses both petrol and electricity, so it saves petrol. That's why Alan said his car is great on petrol, meaning it doesn't use much.
Josipa
If a car doesn't use petrol at all and runs only on electricity, it's an electric car.
Josipa
We often use the term EV or electric vehicle.
Josipa
A petrol car uses petrol, which you can buy at the server. That is short for service station or petrol station.
Josipa
Your car could also run on diesel fuel. In that case, it's called a diesel car. Diesel cars are often strong, so people use them for long trips or for carrying heavy load. That's why a lot of trucks use diesel. Allan also said that his car has,
Allan
Big boot too, heaps of space. Plus, it's got lane assist.
Josipa
If your car has a big boot, it has a lot of space in the back for things like shopping, luggage, or sports gear. In Australia, we call the back storage area of the car, the boot. In American English, it's called the trunk.
Josipa
Lane assist is a safety feature that helps keep the car in its lane when driving.
Josipa
The car sends a signal to the driver if it can sense that the wheels are leaving the lane you're driving in. And finally, Alan said that his car.
Allan
Drives like a dream.
Josipa
Drives like a dream, which means the car is very smooth and comfortable to drive.
Claire
Not bad for a hatchback. Is it brand new?
Josipa
A hatchback is usually a small or medium sized car with a back door that opens upwards. That back door is called a hatch.
Josipa
A hatch is any kind of door that opens upwards or downwards rather than on the side. So you can see them in the ceilings of houses, for example, or in submarines.
Josipa
Another type of car that is very popular among my friends is the SUV. That stands for sports utility vehicle. This is a bigger car that is good for driving on rough roads, so people like to use it in the outback or for carrying a lot of people or things. My brother drives a ute, which is short for utility vehicle.
Josipa
A ute has a cabin in the front and a flat open tray at the back for carrying tools or equipment.
Josipa
I like to think of it as a mix between a car and a small truck.
Josipa
Claire also asked Allan if his car was brand new.
Josipa
Do you remember what he replied?
Allan
Nah, picked it up second-hand, but it's in top nick, perfect for zipping around.
Josipa
Allan picked up a second-hand car, which means that someone else owned it and used it before him.
Josipa
You could also say,
Claire
I've got a used car, and that would mean the same thing. Buying a second-hand or used car can be a good way to save the money if the car is still in good condition.
Josipa
This is an informal way of saying that something is in very good condition. Here's another way you can say the same thing.
Claire
It runs like a dream. Allan also said that his car is.
Allan
Perfect for zipping around.
Josipa
If your car is perfect for zipping around, it means that it's small, fast, and easy to drive. My hatchback is great for city driving because it's easy to get around in. So yes, I could say that my car is also perfect for zipping around.
Josipa
I have to say, working on this episode has taught me so many new expressions that I can't wait to start using them. But before I do, let's listen to the dialogue one more time.
Claire
Wow, your new ride's pretty flash. tinted windows, alloy wheels, looks the goods.
Allan
Cheers, it's a hybrid, so it's great on petrol. Big boot too, heaps of space, plus it's got lane assist, drives like a dream.
Claire
Not bad for a hatchback. Is it brand new?
Allan
Nah, picks it up second-hand, but it's in top nick, perfect for zipping around.
Josipa
Remember how at the start of this episode I mentioned my date bragging about his car as if he built it himself.
Josipa
Well, my colleague from SBS Dutch, Paulien Roessink, actually spoke to people who do build their cars, the participants of the World Solar Challenge 2025 race.
Josipa
Let's hear from last year's winner, Kevin van der Putte from the Innoptus Solar Team, as he talks about his car.
Kevin
Yeah, so our solar car is actually a really, really aerodynamic car. Um, it's super light, it only weighs about 170 kg, purely made out of carbon.
Kevin
And it also doesn't require fuel, so it only uses energy of the sun, and when we're, when we're driving at, let's say 90 kilometres an hour, it even can charge charge while we're we're doing that, uh, but it's super efficient on, on every front.
Josipa
Well, that was a pretty technical brag, but I guess Kevin has a real reasons to be proud of his team's innovation.
Josipa
Here's team manager Daniël Blik from Solar Team Twente.
Daniël
Yeah, our car is a very innovative prototype car built entirely by students, whereas the usual car has a
Daniël
Usually 4 wheels and a big steel frame our cars very aerodynamically shaped and made of, of, of, of carbon parts, um, and uses 3 wheels instead of 4. our car is the best because every detail, every innovation has to be fine-tuned for maximum efficiency.
Daniël
Um, and efficiency is the key for a fast car when developing solar cars.
Josipa
Efficient and innovative? I mean, how amazing must it be for students to build a car that actually works and maybe can even win a race.
Josipa
Anyway, it's time to practice. See if you remember the meaning before hearing the answer. What kind of car is a hatchback?
Allan
A hatchback is a car with a back door that opens upwards. That backdoor is called a hatch.
Josipa
If you're driving an SUV you are driving.
Claire
an SUV you're driving a bigger car that has plenty of space and is particularly good for driving on rougher roads in the outback.
Josipa
I think I said it many times that practicing saying phrases out loud really helped me. It's an exercise that gives me confidence to speak to people in English. So please check out our bonus episode. But in the meantime, let's repeat after Alan and Claire.
Claire
Wow, your new ride's pretty flash.
Allan
It's a hybrid, so it's great on petrol.
Claire
I've got a second-hand car.
Josipa
On our website and socials, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, you'll find more tips and learning resources. Just search for SBS Learn English. My name is Josipa, and thank you for learning how to brag about cars in English with me today.
