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It Hears Me

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Wheel Bearings
It Hears Me
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Robbie is back from Germany and Korea but he can’t talk about that stuff yet. Nicole drives the Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV and Sam has better luck with the voice interface on the 2023 Lexus RX500h. Stellantis has launched a new compact pickup called the Ram Rampage in Brazil and while they haven’t yet announced anything, it could be coming to America. The Kia Stinger has sadly left us too early, but an electric replacement may be on the way. As Rivian joins GM and Ford in switching from CCS to NACS charging connectors, Texas and Washington are mandating that any publicly funded chargers include the Tesla-developed connector. Rivian also bought and is integrating A Better Route Planner and Sam gets a first opportunity to drive the Chevrolet Silverado EV work truck. Links Ram RampageKia Stinger EV replacementTexas to mandate NACS charge connectorsRivian acquires ABRPChevrolet Silverado… Read More »It Hears Me

Tremors Big and Small

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Tremors Big and Small
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Robbie is on his way to Korea for a secret mission so it’s just Nicole and Sam this week. Nicole drove the Genesis G80 Electrified and the “last call” Dodge Charger Swinger. Sam had the Ford Maverick Tremor. In the news, Sam and Nicole both drove the new 2024 Ford Super Duty pickups including towing some huge trailers. Ford also announced they are building a special Ford Ranger to take on the Dakar Rally starting in 2024. Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new electric concept called Vision One-Eleven with axial flux motors and will start testing ChatGPT in its voice system. Finally, a battle is brewing over Massachusett’s new right to repair law with NHTSA telling automakers they don’t have to comply and senators pushing back against the agency. We also answer some listener questions. Links Nio scraps free battery swapsMercedes Vision One-ElevenMercedes debuts ChatGPTNHTSA overules Mass… Read More »Tremors Big and Small

Yanking the Steering Wheel

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Yanking the Steering Wheel
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Sam spent the past week testing out the new version of BlueCruise in the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E and was pleasantly surprised at the energy efficiency. Nicole had both the Toyota Sequioa TRD Pro and Lincoln Corsair PHEV. Robbie drove the new Chevrolet Colorado and the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica. Nicole and Sam took a quick trip to Austin to see the unveiling of the 2024 Lexus TX and GX SUVs. After the Lexus show, they went for a ride in a Cruise robotaxi and they have thoughts. Meanwhile in Milan, Volvo unveiled its new inexpensive EV, the EX30. Tesla got another win with GM announcing its switch to the North American Charging standard. On the other hand, Tesla drivers that buy their insurance from the automaker will pay more if they use Autopilot. Links Volvo ex30Crusing in Austin2024 Lexus GX2024 Lexus TXThe death of CCSTesla… Read More »Yanking the Steering Wheel

Buzz Me

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Buzz Me
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In the garage this week, Nicole has been driving two very different vehicles from the Hyundai Motor Group stable, the new Genesis G90 and refreshed Kia Telluride. Robbie has car for dog lovers, the Subaru Crosstrek and Sam was pleasantly surprised by what the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid could do with a fully charged battery. In the news, VW revealed the longer 3 row ID Buzz that’s coming to America. Sam spent some time at the track with Honda getting a ride in an Indycar-powered hybrid CR-V, sampling electric racing go-karts and testing the LogR app with the new Civic Type-R. Lordstown’s electric pickup doesn’t have much Endurance and Tesla claims the cheapest Model 3 now qualifies for tax credits. Finally Ford changes its pricing strategy for Blue Cruise. We also answer listener questions Links Honda electric racing cartsHonda CR-V hybrid racerHonda LogR 2.0 appVW… Read More »Buzz Me

Live From the Kona Coast

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Live From the Kona Coast
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We’re all back together for a brand new show after a week away for some vacation time. We’ve got lots of rides to discuss this week. Nicole had the Mercedes-AMG G63 and Genesis GV70 Electrified. Since we last had him on the show, Robbie drove the Ford Expedition to Tahoe for a band gig, the BMW i7 and the new Mercedes-Benz GLC. Sam reviews the Chevrolet Equinox that he and his wife had as a rental in Hawaii. Sam and Nicole were both in Hawaii to drive the new Toyota Grand Highlander and get a first look at the all-new Tacoma midsize pickup including the Trailhunter overlanding version. BMW has unveiled the next-generation 5 series sedan including the electric i5. The 5 series is also the first car to get support for Airconsole game streaming. Ford has decided that it can’t rely on the likes… Read More »Live From the Kona Coast

New York Conversations

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
New York Conversations
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Sam and his wife are on a beach somewhere in the middle of the Pacific this week so we’re giving Robbie and Nicole the week off too. Instead of news we’ve got interviews that we recorded at the 2023 New York Auto Show. Most of these interviews have already been published for our patrons, but there are a couple that haven’t been heard yet. First up is Tom Somerville, marketing manager for Ford electric enthusiast vehicles. Then we have Hyundai CMO Angela Zepeda. Next up are Christian Meunier, global CEO of Jeep and Jim Morrison head of Jeep North America. Mike Koval, CEO of Ram trucks talks about the Ram 1500 REV and midsize trucks. Olabisi Boyle, VP product planning and mobility strategy talks about Hyundai and finally we have Mike Wilde, director of product planning and pricing at Kia America. Wheel Bearings has launched… Read More »New York Conversations

One And A Half

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Wheel Bearings
One And A Half
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This week, Robbie is playing at a wedding in Yosemite with one of his bands, so friend of the show Tanya Gazdik is back with a plethora of Stellantis vehicles. Among the Ram Rebel 1500, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and Jeep Grand Wagoneer L you might be surprised to learn which is her favorite. Nicole has been driving the Subaru Impreza RS and Sam had the BMW X7 M60i. Nicole and Tanya both drove the new Subaru Crosstrek in some Woodstock mud, but without any classic rock bands. Nicole also drove the new second-generation Chevrolet Trax. There’s an all-new second-generation Mini EV coming in a few months with lots more range and performance. If you prefer the classic mini Mini, you too can go electric thanks to Electrogenic. Back in the early 1990s, a decade before Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning conceived of the Tesla Roadster… Read More »One And A Half

The Essential Part Not Included

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Wheel Bearings
The Essential Part Not Included
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This week Robbie tells us about sleeping in and driving the new BMW XM. Nicole spends a week with the Mazda CX-90 and Sam drives the BMW i4 M50 and Maserati Grecale Modena. Lots of news including the NEVs Emily GT, an electric successor to Saab that didn’t make it but is for sale. The dumb yoke is now a $250 extra cost option on the Tesla Model 3. Toyota buyers trade in for EVs at Carmax and older women are more skeptical of EVs. Tesla has great uptime on superchargers. The Chevy Bolt is going away and the Hyundai Ioniq Essential misses some essentials. Links NEVS Emily for sale$250 for Tesla yokeToyota top trade-in brand for EVsAre women more skeptical of EVsTesla claims 99% uptime for Superchargers, Model 3 TCO higher than corollaDon’t buy an Ioniq 5 EssentialThe end of the Chevy BoltRobbie’s BMW… Read More »The Essential Part Not Included

Oh That Grille!

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Wheel Bearings
Oh That Grille!
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This week in the garage, Robbie is wondering why anyone would buy the Ford Bronco Everglades and Nicole wonders who uses the third row of the Toyota Highlander. Nicole also drove the Honda CR-V hybrid while Sam had the Cadillac CT4 with Super Cruise. Sam also got a first taste this week of the Hyundai Ioniq 6. In the news, we’ve got more new stuff from the Shanghai motor show including the gorgeous MG Cyberster and ultimate Lexus for those who appreciate the spindle grille, the LM minivan. Volkswagen showed off the ID.7 sans color changing camoflague and Hyundai is partnering with Itselectric on new curbside chargers while the IRS published the latest update to the list of which EVs are eligible for clean vehicle credits. We wrap up with a conversation with Maserati America’s head Bill Peffer Links MG CybersterHyundai curbside chargingVW ID.7Lexus LMClean… Read More »Oh That Grille!

Champagne Mode

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Wheel Bearings
Champagne Mode
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This week in the garage Nicole does the mom thing with the Toyota Sienna AWD, Robbie does the dog thing with the new Subaru Imprezza and Sam does the hands-off thing with the Nissan Ariya. In the news, we’ve got a bunch of vehicles all debuting between recording time and the embargos lifting. Lincoln has an all-new Nautilus midsize crossover with hybrid power and all the screen space. Buick has a new entry level crossover called the Envista. Polestar has a sporty new crossover without a back window in the 4. Regular old cupholders just wouldn’t do for champagne flutes so Mercedes-Maybach goes electric with its variant of the EQS SUV and its special champagne flute holders. We also have an interview with Stellantis chief design officer Ralph Gilles. Links 2024 Lincoln Nautilus Polestar 4 Ford BlueCruise Subscriptions GM Tow Dolly Patent Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV… Read More »Champagne Mode