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Ultra Fine, Fine and Ok

Wheel Bearings
Wheel Bearings
Ultra Fine, Fine and Ok
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This week in the garage, Roberto has the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Sam is driving the one of the last traditional full-size sedans in America, the Toyota Avalon Hybrid and Nicole is in the improved and refreshed 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. In the news, while Robbie was in Europe, he also got to try out the new Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot system, a level 3 conditional automation system that let’s you go hands off and eyes off, but you can’t take a nap yet. Stateside, Sam tried out a prototype of the updated 2022 GMC Sierra with Super Cruise that let’s you go hands-free while towing a trailer but you have to keep eyes on the road. In the world of truly self-driving cars, Argo AI is teaming up with Lyft to deploy robotaxis in Austin and Miami. Links Mercedes-Benz Drive Pilot 2022 GMC Sierra Super Cruise… Read More »Ultra Fine, Fine and Ok

Sweet, Sweet Options – corrected

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Wheel Bearings
Sweet, Sweet Options - corrected
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I messed up and linked the wrong file, this is the corrected version This week, two-thirds of the team did some travelling as Roberto went all the way to Switzerland to try out Mercedes-Benz first US market bound electric vehicle, the new EQS. Sam just took a train to Chicago and spoke with Ford Maverick marketing manager Trevor Scott about the new compact truck after spending some time driving the new Genesis GV80 luxury crossover. Nicole got to toss around the Mini John Cooper Works convertible with a nifty Union Jack pattern on the top. In the news, a class action lawsuit against Ford is moving forward over destination charges on new vehicles. New car inventories across the US are at all time lows, Rivian has pushed back first customer deliveries of the R1T for a couple more months. Chevrolet Bolts that got software updates… Read More »Sweet, Sweet Options – corrected

Dodge Will Sell American eMuscle

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Wheel Bearings
Dodge Will Sell American eMuscle
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This week in the garage, Roberto is driving Volkswagen of America’s new entry level model, the 2022 Taos compact crossover. Nicole has the new 11th generation Honda Civic sedan in a strange sort of silver color with a hint of blue and same discusses the VW ID.4, the brand’s first dedicated electric vehicle for the North American market. In the news, we have lots more electrification stuff to discuss. Croatian EV startup Rimac has taken over control of Bugatti from the Volkswagen group. BMW brings its i4 and iX roadshow to Detroit and Stellantis spends a couple of hours fleshing out its plans to sell mostly electric vehicles by the end of the decade including the 2024 launch of a battery electric Ram 1500 and a new Dodge eMuscle car and battery-powered versions of every Jeep by 2025. Also from Stellantis, Peugeot has taken the… Read More »Dodge Will Sell American eMuscle

Interesting and Slightly Less Interesting

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Wheel Bearings
Interesting and Slightly Less Interesting
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This week in the garage, Nicole has something interesting and something slightly less interesting, the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Limited and the Aston Martin DBX, you can guess which is which. Roberto has the Mercedes-Benz E450 wagon and Sam has the Mazda CX-9 Signature. In the news Volvo hosted a tech moment where they unveiled some news about their electrification and automated driving plans and revealed the Concept Recharge which previews the replacement for the XC90 coming in 2022. The Concours d’Elegance of America is coming up at the Inn at St Johns in Plymouth, Mich. on July 23-25. New owner Hagerty announced that in 2022, the show will move to midtown Detroit and the Detroit Institute of the Arts. GM is partnering with Controlled Thermal Resources to develop domestic production of lithium for all of its upcoming electric vehicles and Sam has an interview with… Read More »Interesting and Slightly Less Interesting

Just a Basic Entry Level Sedan

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Wheel Bearings
Just a Basic Entry Level Sedan
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This week in the garage Roberto drove a car that we agree is basically interchangeable cross-shopped with the Hyundai Accent, it’s the new 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Meanwhile, Nicole had Kia’s new “not-a-minivan” minivan, the 2022 Carnival which replaces the Sedona with slightly more crossover-ish styling. Sam drives the latest sedan from the Acura, the 2021 TLX A-Spec. In the news, some early deliveries of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L may get delayed due to flooding in a storage lot near the Detroit plant and the Woodward Dream Cruise is returning this August with sponsorship from Ford. Honda has announced the name of the upcoming electric crossover that GM will build for it starting in early 2024, it’s the Prologue. Finally Volvo decides to make lidar a standard feature on the next-generation electric XC90 coming in 2022. We answer some listener questions and Roberto tempers… Read More »Just a Basic Entry Level Sedan

You Can Have Too Much Grille

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Wheel Bearings
You Can Have Too Much Grille
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In the garage this week, Nicole has the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid with plugs in the back and a work surface perfect for holding Crumble Cookies. Roberto drives the Subaru Forester Sport and we wonder if black wheels and red trim stripes can actually make a vehicle sporty. Robbie also spends time in the Ford Bronco Sport and has complaints. Sam drove the new hybrid Toyota Sienna and comes to the realization that Chevrolet was just premature in trying to make the old Uplander look like an SUV and also spends a weekend with the Polestar 2. In the news, Toyota proves you can have too much grille when an image of the 2022 Tundra leaks out, Infiniti adopts a new design language for the new QX60 and Ferrari takes a new direction with the replacement for its long-running series of V8 sports cars… Read More »You Can Have Too Much Grille

Return of the PT Cruiser

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Wheel Bearings
Return of the PT Cruiser
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For episode 200 of the show, both of our emeritus hosts return for a special guest appearance as Rebecca Lindland and Dan Roth stop by. Sam and Dan compare notes on the Ford Ranger as Dan bought a Lariat with his new employee discount and Sam drove the new Ranger Tremor. Nicole also had a Tremor from Ford but hers was based on the F-350 Super Duty. She also spent time with the new Kia K5 during a trip to Seattle. Roberto shared his impressions of the plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4XE. In the news we discuss the new Papal Transport from Fisker, the absurd Tesla Model S Plaid and the new 2022 Lexus NX. We wrap up with another round of listener questions about mini cars, Raptors, selling Miatas and our favorite cars. Links Tesla Model S Plaid 2022 Lexus NX Wheel Bearings has… Read More »Return of the PT Cruiser

Small Trucks and Toyota-Pallooza

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Wheel Bearings
Small Trucks and Toyota-Pallooza
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This week in the garage, Sam has been driving the 2022 Infiniti QX55 Sensory AWD, while Nicole had the opportunity to drive the newest Mitsubishi Outlander in many years, the 2021 Outlander that shares its platform with the Nissan Rogue. Robbie didn’t have anything to drive this week, but he did go to LA to check out BMW’s new electric vehicles that are coming to America, the i4 sedan and iX crossover. Nicole went to Toyota HQ in Texas for a huge product showcase featuring the new Corolla Cross, GR86, bZ4X, Lexus LF-Z and Teammate hands-free driver assist system. Nicole and Sam share some first driving impressions of the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder and then we dive into a discussion of Ford’s new compact pickup truck the Maverick which will take on the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Links 2022 Ford Maverick BMW i4 2022 Nissan Pathfinder first… Read More »Small Trucks and Toyota-Pallooza

Wanna Buy A Sports Car Assembly Line?

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Wheel Bearings
Wanna Buy A Sports Car Assembly Line?
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This week Roberto reconfirms yet again that the Honda Ridgeline is all the truck that most regular people ever need (although it could use more braking performance) as he drives it and uses it to tow the Honda Talon. Robbie also shares his thoughts on the Polestar 2 and its Android Automotive infotainment system. Nicole spends time with opposite ends of the utility vehicle spectrum, the Subaru Forester and the refreshed Nissan Armada. Sam also gets back into a big SUV, returning to the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, this time focusing on the new second-generation Super Cruise system. In the news, as Lotus prepares to end the 25 year run of the Lotus Elise and its offshoots, it has put the tooling up for sale for anyone that wants to continue building this amazing sportscar. Tesla drops radar from the Model 3 and Y and we… Read More »Wanna Buy A Sports Car Assembly Line?

What is this doing here?

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Wheel Bearings
What is this doing here?
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In the garage this week Nicole has been driving the new Chevrolet Suburban with the fabulous 3.0-liter diesel while Roberto drove the Acura TLX Type-S and commutes on the Ducati Multistrada V4. Sam sampled Buick’s latest import from China, the 2021 Envision. In the news, we have more on the Ford F-150 Lightning with the announcement of the Pro which contrary to the badge is actually the least expensive version designed as a work truck. Ford is also partnering on a joint-venture with SK Innovation to build lithium ion cells for its future EVs, Kia had the US unveiling of the new EV6 in Times Square and the group ponders how GM managed to make the new Hummer EV pickup weigh over 9,000 lbs empty. In listener mail we got a picture of what appears to be a Holden Commodore Ute and wonder why it’s… Read More »What is this doing here?