All The Switches
After last week’s travel challenges, Robbie and Nicole are back. Nicole has driven the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Honda Pilot Elite while Sam had the Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary Edition. Robbie tells us about the new Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS and we discuss the company’s new drive by wire system. GM is apparently going to build a new Buick sedan as well as a new Camaro. Nissan has a new electric Juke for the rest of the world and Porsche has a convertible 911 GT3 S/C with a manual transmission. Uber is pouring $10 billion into robotaxis. VW has a revamped with ID3 Neo with all the switches. Doug Field is leaving Ford and that might signal the end of the Model E division as it basically gets rolled back into the main Ford. Ford’s cancelled 3-row electric crossover has been visible on… Read More »All The Switches
Going Rogue
Robbie and Nicole both ran into travel delays today so Chad Kirchner is jumping in. Sam makes the case for buying an Acura Integra A-Spec over the ADX. Nissan has revealed its next-generation Rogue and teased the upcoming XTerra. Kia is laying out its plans through 2030 including a midsize pickup with hybrid and EREV drivetrains and more EVs. Hyundai is launching an Ioniq sub-brand in China. BYD wants 20 dealers in Canada by the end of this year and is planning to install 300 1,500-kW charging stations in the UK in the next 12 months. VW has ended production of the ID4 in Chatanooga and the Scout Traveler and Terra might be delayed. Listener Michael Burns jumps in from the Discord to tell us about his recent car shopping experience and we have Nicole’s interview with Nissan CMO Allyson Witherspoon from the NY Auto… Read More »Going Rogue
Boulder Incoming
Unfortunately, it’s Robbie’s turn to lose his voice this week so our pal Perry Stern stepped in which worked out well because he was also at the New York Auto Show with us last week and we have lots to talk about. Before that Nicole shares her thoughts on the Dodge Durango Hellcat, Perry drives the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and Sam has the VW Jetta GLI. From the New York show we have the Hyundai Boulder, Kia Seltos, Kia EV3, Kia PV5 taxi, Volkswagen Atlas, and Subaru Getaway. Stellantis wants to build Leap Motor EVs in Canada and ride hail drivers are paying exhorbitant fees to rent cars. We also have a conversation with Gentex VP Craig Piersma about full display mirrors and Dodge/Chrysler CEO Matt McAlear. Links Hyundai Boulder Concept Takes Aim at Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco 2027 Kia Seltos HEV Overview… Read More »Boulder Incoming
The Darth Vader Edition
This week Nicole has been driving the Hyundai Santa Cruz trucklet and Sam had the Genesis GV80 Coupe in Prestige Black (aka the Darth Vader edition). In the news, Infiniti unveiled the its own crossover coupe, the QX65 and Nicole spoke with product marketing manager Brian Maragno. Chevrolet took the wraps off the new Corvette Grand Sport and its 6.7-liter LS6 small-block V8. Afeela is finally calling it quits. VW CEO Thomas Schafer blames his predecessor for allowing the company to go with so many touch controls and bad door handles. We look back at the Audi R8 V12 TDI that never made it to production. Nissan has refreshed the Versa for the Mexican market but America can’t have it. GM has started road testing of its hands-off, eyes-off level 3 automation. We remind all of our listeners to not be jackasses. E15 is coming… Read More »The Darth Vader Edition
Infiniti Adds Coupe-ified QX65 Midsize Crossover
Infiniti is a brand that has long struggled to find its place in the automotive landscape. Is it just a more luxurious Nissan? A sportier Nissan? It’s still not entirely clear what the brand is actually going to be in the coming years as parent company Nissan tries to get itself back on a firm footing. But in the meantime, Infiniti is launching a new model in its lineup that draws heavily on what it’s already doing, the new 2027 QX65. From the front, the QX65 will look familiar to anyone familiar with the Infiniti lineup since this is essentially a coupe-ified version of the QX60 three-row crossover. It rides on the same 114.2-inch wheelbase and is about 0.4-inch longer overall thanks to the reprofiled fascias. The big difference is the roofline which goes from the traditional long roof SUV layout and instead slopes down… Read More »Infiniti Adds Coupe-ified QX65 Midsize Crossover
The Scammer Edition
Sam’s getting better but his voice is still a bit hoarse as he drove the Infiniti QX60 Sport AWD. Nicole had her turn in the Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line without a turbo and was still impressed. In the news, BMW has unveiled its new i3, an all-electric 3 series, with up to 440 miles of EPA range and 400-kW charging while Rolls-Royce has decided to keep offering V12s for a while. Lexus is about to start offering its next-generation ES sedan with the battery electric version arriving before the hybrid. Carvana is expanding from used to new car sales by buying some Stellantis dealers. A couple of people with shady business records are back as Trevor Milton pitches an AI powered business jet and Malcolm Bricklin is pitching an electric 3-wheeler. Stellantis EVs can officially Supercharge now and there are rumors of a more powerful… Read More »The Scammer Edition
To The Cosmos and Beyond
This week, Sam is a bit under the weather, but he talks about driving the Mazda CX-30 S Aire Edition while Nicole had the Toyota Tundra Platinum Off-Road and Robbie got to try out the Everrati Land Rover Classic. Nicole and Sam both had the chance to drive the new 2027 Kia Telluride in Santa Barbara and Hyundai looks set to follow it’s Kia cousin by ditching the V6 engine. Honda has cancelled all of its North American EV plans and Afeela is probably going next. Rivian has dropped pricing on the new R2 and it’s not starting as cheap as many hoped. GM steps up to help get an EV1 back on the road. VW is renaming its EVs and so is Cadillac. The FTC is warning car dealers about hidden fees, and Volvo is also dropping the EX30. We also have conversations with… Read More »To The Cosmos and Beyond
The Ram Promaster City is Back and Bigger for 2027
Just over a decade ago, Ram joined Ford in offering a compact commercial van for the North American market. At the time, Ram was part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles before its parent company merged with PSA to form what we now know as Stellantis. Like its big brother the full-size Promaster, the Ram Promaster City was a rebadged version of a European Fiat van, in this case the Doblo. Ram discontinued the Promaster City after the 2022 model year but the name is back for model year 2027, although it has now moved up to a midsize van platform. Instead of the compact Doblo, the new Promaster City is now based on the Scudo (also sold as the Peugeot Expert and Citroen Dispatch) and will likely find more appeal in the North American market. Like most vans, the base platform is actually offered in several… Read More »The Ram Promaster City is Back and Bigger for 2027
Denver Croissants
This week, Nicole tells us about driving home in a remote area of New England in the Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic while Robbie shares some thoughts on the new Mercedes-Benz GLS and GLE. Sam shares thoughts on the gas guzzling Toyota Sequoia and has mixed feelings on the Polestar 4. While visiting his daughter in Denver, Sam saw one of the new Waymo Ojai robotaxis in her neighborhood. Lexus announces pricing of the new 2026 ES which will start cheaper for the electric version than the hybrid. Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh provides updates on the brand’s progress toward production. Kia is dropping the EV6 GT from its US lineup and Hyundai is dropping standard versions of the Ioniq 6. Chris Fuell is out at Chrysler and replaced by Matt McAleer. Kia added a solar canopy to its West Point Georgia factory to protect… Read More »Denver Croissants
Can’t Share Non-Existent Profits
Even as a non-fan of minivans, Nicole found some beauty in the latest Toyota Sienna with a hybrid system and all-wheel-drive, plus 18 cup-holders for all her diet Cokes. Sam drove the Volvo XC90 B6 and really enjoyed the new Kia K4 hatchback. The EPA published its latest annual Automotive Trends Report and US automakers still lag far behind the rest of the industry in fuel economy — really far behind! Range Rover is preparing an electric replacement for the Velar and it looks like it will adopt a fastback profile. Toyota teased its new 2027 World Rally Championship machine and it might be a preview of a new Celica. The next Nissan Pathfinder might be two very different vehicles. Stellantis’ huge 2025 losses mean no profit sharing checks this year. Researchers have found new ways to fool automated driving systems. Ford is reportedly developing… Read More »Can’t Share Non-Existent Profits