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Episode #072 – A Baby Ford, Kia’s Progress, Care and Feeding of Brands and Bad Tarriffs

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #072 - A Baby Ford, Kia's Progress, Care and Feeding of Brands and Bad Tarriffs
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This week Sam drives Ford’s new baby SUV, the EcoSport and Dan marvels at the progress of Kia over 20 years after driving the new Sorento. This week Fiat Chrysler held their annual What’s New preview and showed off the latest even faster Challenger variant, the Hellcat Redeye. Like the Challenger, many of the products in the FCA lineup have been around for quite a long time but the company has made an effort to continuously update them in ways that seem small on the surface but matter to customers. The show wraps up with a discussion of the impact of proposed tariffs on the auto industry. Links 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye Dodge focusing on performance Auto industry not happy about a trade war The price of a Toyota Camry would jump $1,800 because of tariffs Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you… Read More »Episode #072 – A Baby Ford, Kia’s Progress, Care and Feeding of Brands and Bad Tarriffs

Episode #071 – Insights on Insight, Buying Derilect Buildings and Big SUVs

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #071 - Insights on Insight, Buying Derilect Buildings and Big SUVs
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The delay between episodes is always Dan’s fault. Most of the miles were put on this week via 737-700s and a rental Kia Soul. Sam was busy paying attention to all of the automotive goings-on, including leadership shuffles at General Motors, and Ford’s latest real estate investment in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, while also finding time to drive the 2019 Honda Insight. Because it’s been a while, there’s also a plethora of cars we’ve been driving. Sam was in the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and the 2018 Nissan Leaf while Dan tried out the 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie and the 2018 Lincoln Navigator Black Label.   Links First Drive of the 2019 Honda Insight Ford Buys a Train Station Dan Ammann and Mark Reuss shift responsibilities at GM Volvo has a new US plant   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show… Read More »Episode #071 – Insights on Insight, Buying Derilect Buildings and Big SUVs

Episode #070 – Acura Returns To Its Roots and FCA Has A New Plan

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #070 - Acura Returns To Its Roots and FCA Has A New Plan
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This week Sam really likes the third-generation Acura RDX, Dan likes the Mazda CX-5 and then they try hard not to talk about Tesla and mostly succeed although you can see more of Sam’s opinion on the subject at the link below. The guys also talk GM and Softbank and the upcoming product plans for Chrysler and Dodge. Just kidding on the last part, there are no known product plans for Chrysler and Dodge but Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo and Maserati are all getting new stuff. Links GM Cruise and Softbank Hook Up To Work on Deploying Automated Driving Tesla Updates Brakes Over the Air, What Could Go Wrong? FCA’s New Five Year Plan   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

wheelbearings podcast episode 68

Episode #068 – Quirky Subarus and Driver Monitors

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #068 - Quirky Subarus and Driver Monitors
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This Sam is in California talking autonomous cars at a conference. He’s driven the BMW X3 before the trip and trying out the Cadillac CT6 with SuperCruise in Silicon Valley. Dan has been enjoying the rough edges of the Subaru WRX. The guys discuss Teslas crashing into fire trucks, batteries that re-ignite and the pending demise of the diesel. Links No Diesel for new Volvo S60 Sam on This Week in Tech Crashing Teslas   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

Episode #067 – Luxury SUVs, Plug-in Minivans and Bad Decisions

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #067 - Luxury SUVs, Plug-in Minivans and Bad Decisions
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Sam spends time with the Range Rover Velar and laments touchscreens that can’t be seen through polarized sunglasses. Dan continues to be impressed by the Genesis G80 and lauds the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid as a great family hauler that is also really efficient. Rolls-Royce follows the crowd and launches and SUV named after what else? a massive diamond. The guys lament the deather of the Cadillac ATS. Waymo is learning to see through snow, Uber can see but doesn’t know what to do and battery fires don’t always stay extinguished. Links Rolls-Royce Cullinan Waymo Learning to See Through Snow Uber Can See But Still Doesn’t Know What To Do Self-re-igniting batteries Cadillac ATS dies     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

Episode #066 – Plug-ins, Hybrids, Diesels and AV Safety

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #066 - Plug-ins, Hybrids, Diesels and AV Safety
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After a week off, the guys are back with lots of stuff to talk about. Since the last show, Sam has been in the Mini Countryman Cooper S E (where do they come up with these naming conventions?) and the BMW 530e xDrive while Dan has found himself surprisingly enamored with the Toyota Camry Hybrid. While electrification is the future, it’s not the only solution for improving efficiency, especially in the big trucks that Americans favor. That’s why Ford is launching a diesel engine in the F-150. Someday we may not be actively driving anymore but we’re still a long way from that being commonplace. Sam compares the hype for automated vehicles to the currently reality and the hype just doesn’t hold up. Oh and Amazon can deliver packages to your trunk. Links Ford F-150 Diesel first drive BMW picks Innoviz solid state lidar The… Read More »Episode #066 – Plug-ins, Hybrids, Diesels and AV Safety

Episode #064 – Hatches, Hatches and More Hatches

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #064 - Hatches, Hatches and More Hatches
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It’s all hatchbacks this week as Sam talks about the Hyundai Ioniq Electric and trying to find an EV charging station in San Jose. The Toyota Yaris was also surprisingly enjoyable to drive but Dan had the best ride with the VW GTI. The EPA has decided to rescind the Obama administration’s late decision to lock in the 2022-25 fuel economy and CO2 standards and your hosts the discuss the impact or lack thereof on the industry. Ford debuts the fourth generation Focus which Americans will get far fewer of. Sam rants about jackasses doing stupid shit with Tesla Autopilot on Youtube and urges listeners to report the bad behavior to Youtube. Links Toyota Yaris – It’s surprisingly OK 2019 Ford Focus Mobileye Responsibility Sensitive Safety Model     Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip… Read More »Episode #064 – Hatches, Hatches and More Hatches

Episode #063 – Praising Sedans, Self-Crashing Teslas and Self-Driving Waymo-Jaguars

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #063 - Praising Sedans, Self-Crashing Teslas and Self-Driving Waymo-Jaguars
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This week, Dan and Sam come in favor of a couple of very different sedans, the plug-in hybrid BMW 740e and the latest generation Honda Accord. Despite how different these cars are, both feature a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder engine under the hood. The show is a bit late because Sam was travelling in California last week for the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference. Meanwhile on the opposite coast, Waymo and Jaguar announced a deal, Nissan unveiled an Altima with variable compression ratio, VW took the wraps off a pickup truck concept, and Lincoln showed the first of new generation of vehicles from Ford. Sam also goes on a rant about another fatality in a Tesla running on AutoPilot. We remind you that NONE of the vehicles currently in production with various levels of partial automation are self-driving. These are all driver assist systems and we… Read More »Episode #063 – Praising Sedans, Self-Crashing Teslas and Self-Driving Waymo-Jaguars

Episode #062 – Death By Uber, Cadillac Goes To 8

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Wheel Bearings
Episode #062 - Death By Uber, Cadillac Goes To 8
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This week Car and Driver transportation editor Pete Bigelow drops by get some family car buying advice and discuss the first pedestrian fatality from an automated vehicle. Dan drives the Nissan Armada while same raves about the Kia Stinger and Cadillac has a new twin-turbo V8 engine. Links Autonomous Uber kills a pedestrian Cadillac Gets A New Twin-Turbo V8   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

Episode #058 – A Fast Jeep, Driving Assists and a Volvo Triple

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #058 - A Fast Jeep, Driving Assists and a Volvo Triple
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Dan and Sam fired up the recorders late Friday night to marvel at the insanity that is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk and the combination of practicality and efficiency that is Hyundai’s new Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid. Sam gives a primer on advanced driver assist systems in responses to comments on the Accidental Tech Podcast #261 and Waymo gets a license to operate an autonomous ride-hailing service in Arizona. Volvo launches its first three-cylinder engine. The demise of now former Ford executive Raj Nair shows that automakers may finally be getting serious about tackling harassment and bad behavior in the workplace. Finally, Sam responds to a listener tweet asking about car makers selling our data. Links Accidental Tech Podcast #261 Waymo Gets a Ride-Hailing License Raj Nair becomes first auto exec fired for harassment Making money from selling your car data  Volvo hits a triple 2018… Read More »Episode #058 – A Fast Jeep, Driving Assists and a Volvo Triple