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How Much For The Paint?

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
How Much For The Paint?
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This week Sam went through two vehicles that are basically the same, internal combustion engine, 4 wheels, 4 doors plus a hatch and neat paint jobs, the Toyota Corolla Hatchback and the Maserati Levante Trofeo. One is slightly more expensive than the other. Nicole has been driving Mazda MX-5 RF and Robbie is still foregoing new cars while he catches up on a backlog of reviews In the news, VW has started US production of the ID.4 with a new cheaper standard model with less range and more screen. VW is also confirmed as the customer for the $4 billion lidar order from Innoviz and GM is doubling the number of roads where Super Cruise can be used. Toyota has just barely started selling the bZ4X and is already considering a buyback. Sam spoke with Hyundai’s VP of Product and Mobility Olabisi Boyle and we… Read More »How Much For The Paint?

Into the Swamp

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Into the Swamp
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This week in the garage Sam has been driving the 2023 Kia Sportage hybrid which is now longer and electrified. Nicole has Nissan Altima with AWD and Robbie has just started testing some e-bikes. Nicole got to do a first drive in the Ford Bronco Everglades through the swamps of Michigan’s Drummond Island. Ford will no longer allow customers to buy out their EVs at the end of the lease while Hyundai gives the first official glimpse of the Ioniq 6 electric sedan. At Pikes Peak, Randy Pobst almost ran off the side of the mountain because he couldn’t find the windshield defroster control on the touchscreen menu of the Tesla Model S Plaid he was racing and the TFL Truck crew put the Ford F-150 Lightning to the towing test. Finally we answer listener questions and Sam interviews Toyota executive vice president of sales… Read More »Into the Swamp

Cadillac Sings a New Tune

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Cadillac Sings a New Tune
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This week in the garage, Sam drives the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing (unfortunately with an automatic transmission) and Nicole gets the new Acura Integra (spoiler, Mr Nicole who owned an original Integra back in the day approves). Unfortunately, a flight cancellation means Nicole didn’t make it to Utah to drive the new Cadillac Lyriq, Sam and Robbie did get to try it out. Nicole did however, get to drive the second-generation Honda HR-V. At Goodwood, Polestar demoed the prototype of the 5, their new 884-hp GT sedan and Sam went for a spin in Ford’s new simulator. Links Polestar 5 prototype Ford dynamic driving lab Sam’s take on the Cadillac Lyriq Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing and hosting it you can join at https://www.patreon.com/wheelbearingsmedia

Talking About Pie

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Talking About Pie
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In this week’s garage, Robbie reveals that he is the last journo to drive the Kia Stinger, Nicole spends time with the Ford Bronco 2-door and Sam has the refreshed edition of the Lincoln Navigator. Polestar has revealed the first photo of the 3 electric crossover with the full unveiling coming in October. Renders of the new Ford Ranger-based Volkswagen Amarok are out but the truck isn’t coming to North America. Honda has a larger Civic-based HR-V coming to the US market. Lightning owners get an adapter to let their trucks charge stranded Teslas. The Biden administration has rules for EV charging companies that want federal dollars. Nicole has driven the Cadillac Escalade-V and Sam talks with Toyota product planning VP Cooper Ericksen. Links Polestar 3 VW Amarok 2023 Ford Ranger 2023 Honda HR-V Lightnings with Tesla adapters EV charging rules Warda Patisserie Wheel Bearings… Read More »Talking About Pie

ToyotaPalooza 2022

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
ToyotaPalooza 2022
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In the garage this week, Nicole is back in the Mercedes-Benz GLS450 while Sam has the dual motor, all-wheel-drive version of the VW ID4. Last fall, Robbie was about to review the refreshed 2022 Chevrolet Bolt when he got a call just after receiving it, telling him not to drive it. Since then, GM has replaced batteries in all of the Bolts built to date and they are safe again so Robbie is taking another stab at it. Last week, Toyota held the second annual edition of its all-Toyota-all-Lexus auto show at its North American headquarters in Plano, TX. Nicole and Sam got to check out the new but very familiar looking 2023 Lexus RX, see the Morizo Edition of the GR Corolla and drive the hybrid-only 2023 Sequoia. They also got to see some stuff that they can’t talk about or even acknowledge yet.… Read More »ToyotaPalooza 2022

Lightning Strikes

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Wheel Bearings
Lightning Strikes
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This week in the garage, Roberto and Sam have been evaluating electric driving range. Robbie has been pushing the BMW iX to its limits while Sam has been driving the Hyundai Tucson plug-in hybrid. Meanwhile Nicole has been on the road and in the desert with the 2022 GMC Sierra in Denali Ultimate and AT4X forms. Nicole and Sam have finally gotten behind the wheel of the Ford F-150 Lightning and they share their impressions and answer a bunch of questions. Sam also sat down with Darren Palmer, VP of electric vehicle programs at Ford to talk about charging, range estimation and how the Lightning came to be. We also discuss Robbie’s recent article on whether it’s better to keep driving an old beater or buy a new EV. Tesla doesn’t support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but one creative person got it sort of… Read More »Lightning Strikes

Coexisting Assistants

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Wheel Bearings
Coexisting Assistants
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Nicole is off again this week caring for her mom, but the boys are carrying on. Roberto has been putting more miles on the BMW i4 and found it to be surprisingly efficient. Meanwhile Sam also got very good fuel efficiency while driving the Honda Civic Si which retains a rapidly nearing extinction manual gearbox. In the news, the New York Auto Show was this week where Genesis showed off a new electric luxury coupe concept, Ford expanded its relationship with Amazon Alexa and some cool Radwood cars appeared on the show floor. BMW also announced a mid-cycle refresh of the X7 and Sam again spoke with Alfa Romeo NA boss Larry Dominque. Links Ford and Alexa BMW X7 refresh Genesis X Spedium concept Radwood at NYAS Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward… Read More »Coexisting Assistants

Electric Volvos and More

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Wheel Bearings
Electric Volvos and More
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This week our usual recording time coincided with both Roberto and Nicole being in transit somewhere while Sam is hitting the road again in a couple of days. But rather than let you down, we do have some fresh content for you. First off, both Nicole and Sam drove the new Volvo C40 Recharge and sat down in a garden afterward to discuss their impressions. While at the Volvo event, Sam also chatted with Volvo Cars NA chief Anders Gustafsson and Senior product manager Christina Vasandani. We also have the rest of the interviews Sam recorded at the Chicago Auto Show including Steve Gehring, safety regulation and policy executive director at Hyundai, Jasen Turnbull, marketing manager for the the Ford F-150 Lightning and Arie Groenveld, Ford Bronco Raptor chief engineer Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to… Read More »Electric Volvos and More

Gliding Actively Sometimes

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Wheel Bearings
Gliding Actively Sometimes
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Unfortunately, Roberto woke up today with a massive migraine so it’s just Nicole and Sam this week. Nicole has been driving the refreshed 2022 Acura RDX A-Spec, while Sam has been shuttling around in the 2022 Infiniti QX60 Autograph. The embargo has lifted on drive impressions of the updated 2022 Lincoln Navigator, the first model in the lineup with hands-free driving assist and we have some thoughts. Sam also had a conversation with Mike Sprague, North America director for Lincoln about the brand and where it goes in the future. Mike’s boss, Jim Farley, made a big announcement about reorganizing Ford and we talk about how that might affect dealers and customers. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares laid out a vision for the company through 2030 and showed off first renders of the upcoming 2023 Jeep EV and 2024 Ram 1500 EV. Polestar revealed a stunning… Read More »Gliding Actively Sometimes

They’ve Seen Cars With 4 Wheels

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
They've Seen Cars With 4 Wheels
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Nicole is back doing the Disney thing with her family this week so it’s just the boys. Roberto spent time with the new Subaru WRX and the eighth generation VW GTI (sadly with an automatic). Sam has been driving the 2022 GMC Sierra Limited AT4 with the lovely 3.0-liter inline-six diesel engine. In the news, Virgin Hyperloop has given up on carrying passengers while Morgan is back with an all-new 3-wheeler. Polestar is shifting from using Volvo shared platforms to purpose built aluminum architectures with help from Lotus veterans. NHTSA is finally about to update headlight rules to allow adaptive lamps and it is possible to go topless in winter weather. We also have an interview with Steve Kosowski, manager of long range strategy and planning at Kia America. Links Virgin Hyperloop pivots to cargo Top Down in Boston Top Down in Detroit New Morgan… Read More »They’ve Seen Cars With 4 Wheels