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Episode #075 – Diesel, Plug-in and Inevitable Conclusions

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #075 - Diesel, Plug-in and Inevitable Conclusions
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Since we last turned on the mics, Sam has been in the Ford F-150 King Ranch diesel and the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid. Dan has been sampling Subaru’s new big SUV, the Ascent. The automotive world loses big names to the inevitable. Links FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne Dies Ford Designer Chris Svensson succumbs to cancer 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 #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

Episode #069 – VW SUVs, Real SUVs, A Plethora of Cars and More Tesla Trouble

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #069 - VW SUVs, Real SUVs, A Plethora of Cars and More Tesla Trouble
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We missed last week for reasons we don’t need to get into (OK, it was Dan’s fault) but Sam drove the Volkswagen Tiguan and Atlas while Dan had the new Jeep Wrangler. Sam went to the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally at Road America where he went for a ride in the Ford GT and drove a whole bunch of other cars and utilities. He came to the conclusion that for those that actually want to have fun driving, the VW GTI is a better choice than the Golf R. Finally, Tesla continues to have quality issues and Elon Musk goes on the attack against anyone that stoops to criticize and his most trollish followers pile on. Links A lap in the Ford GT VW Tiguan review VW Atlas review Edmunds Tesla Model 3 Long Term update What It’s Like When Elon Musk’s Twitter… Read More »Episode #069 – VW SUVs, Real SUVs, A Plethora of Cars and More Tesla Trouble

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 #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 #065 – Midsize Luxury SUVs, New Electric Utilities and Fast Charging

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Episode #065 - Midsize Luxury SUVs, New Electric Utilities and Fast Charging
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Since the last show, Sam has spent time with the Volvo XC60 and Mercedes-Benz GLE550e plug-in hybrid. Dan gets an encore with the Nissan Armada and some time with the Dodge Charger GT. As we head into this year’s Beijing Motor Show, images of the new Mercedes-Maybach sedan-SUV concept surface and frankly it’s not good. Audi provides a preview of some of the testing they are doing with the upcoming e-Tron Quattro and VW subsidiary Electrify America gets ready to challenge the Tesla SuperCharger network. Finally, Toyota commits to talking cars and wants the rest of the industry to come along for the ride. 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

Podcast #054 -New Trucks Will Drive the Profits That Pay for Self-Driving Cars

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Podcast #054 -New Trucks Will Drive the Profits That Pay for Self-Driving Cars
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This week Sam commutes through the winter slog to the Detroit Auto Show in the 2018 Jeep Compass while Dan gets Toyota’s new non-crossover crossover, the CH-R. The guys discuss all of the pickup trucks that debuted at the Detroit show and all the car brands that didn’t show up along with more new crossovers and another Mustang Bullitt   Links Fuel mileage vs fuel consumption 2019 Ram 1500 Goes Mild Hybrid 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen GM’s Robo-Taxi Ford Edge ST Detroit Show Stars to Fund CES Promises 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 51

Episode #051 – Small Utilities and Sedans and Passages of Time

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #051 - Small Utilities and Sedans and Passages of Time
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For the final edition of 2017, Dan drives the 2018 Hyundai Accent, Sam gets in the Mazda CX-3 and Larry Vellequette from Automotive News drops by to talk about the end of car collecting. There’s a growing backlash from people tired of drivers trying to bypass traffic jams with online navigation apps like Waze but will the problem only get worse when we have automated mobility services like what Uber wants to build with money from Softbank? Kenichi Yamamoto, the brilliant engineer that led Mazda for many years and made the Wankel rotary almost viable, dies at 95 and the guys talk about some of their favorite rides of the past year. Links Softbank buys into Uber Kenichi Yamamoto passes The Waze backlash The end of car collecting The best of 2017   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and… Read More »Episode #051 – Small Utilities and Sedans and Passages of Time