Skip to content

reviews

Wheel Bearings episode 21

Episode #21 – Lincolns, Lambos, Buicks and Cadillacs in Manhattan

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #21 - Lincolns, Lambos, Buicks and Cadillacs in Manhattan
Loading
/

We wrap up highlights from the 2017 New York Auto Show including an all-new Lincoln Navigator, Buick Enclave, SuperCruising Cadillacs and aero-vectoring Lamborghini Huracans. We also discuss a Tesla AutoPilot lawsuit and modern turbocharged engines.  In the time gap since we last recorded, Dan has driven the Genesis G90 and Lexus RX450h while Sam has been through the aging Infiniti QX50 and the stunning new Infiniti Q60. Sam also spent a weekend with Chevrolet’s second-generation Cruze diesel to see if it could be a viable alternative for the all the Volkswagen TDI refugees. Links 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir reveal Lamborghini Huracan Performante Active Aerodynamics Cadillac SuperCruise Tesla AutoPilot 2.0 Class-Action  2017 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Review 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

Wheel Bearings Episode 20

Episode #20 – Stump Pulling Trucks, Sport Sedans, Hatchbacks and Crossover Wagons

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #20 - Stump Pulling Trucks, Sport Sedans, Hatchbacks and Crossover Wagons
Loading
/

In episode 20, Dan ponders what to tow with the massive 910 lb-ft of torque available from the redesigned 6.6-liter Duramax diesel in the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD 2500 while Sam swaps the BMW 530i for a 330i. Buick has shifted gears with the new 2018 Regal, ditching the trunk in favor of a five-door hatchback or wagon/crossover and Hyundai Motor Group has launched two distinctly different vehicles off its first dedicated electrified vehicle platform. Sam got to drive the electric and hybrid variants of the Hyundai Ioniq while Dan got to at least see the Kia Niro. Links 2018 Buick Regal Sportback and TourX Fill White Spaces in GM’s Lineup Kia Reveals Its First Dedicated Hybrid, The Niro Crossover Plus New Optima Hybrids 2017 Hyundai Ioniq, Company’s First Dedicated Electrified Vehicle Platform Arrives In December Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like… Read More »Episode #20 – Stump Pulling Trucks, Sport Sedans, Hatchbacks and Crossover Wagons

2017 Acura MDX Advance SH-AWD

2017 Acura MDX Advance SH-AWD Review

Cadillac -The Standard of the World. Built Ford Tough. Mercedes-Benz -The Best or Nothing. BMW – The Ultimate Driving Machine. Audi – Truth in Engineering. Well maybe not so much on that last one, but you get my point. Successful automotive brands have an image associated with them that may or may not be entirely accurate, but that’s what marketing is all about. Honda’s premium Acura brand has always struggled with trying to determine what it’s image should be, no matter how good its products have been and they have typically been very good. The latest stab at remaking the brand image image is the 2017 MDX SUV which I just spent a week with.  Read the full review here 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… Read More »2017 Acura MDX Advance SH-AWD Review

Wheel Bearings #15

Episode #15 – Waymo Will See Uber In Court, Opels and Fried Chicken and Making HD Maps

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #15 - Waymo Will See Uber In Court, Opels and Fried Chicken and Making HD Maps
Loading
/

  This week we take a second look at the Honda Civic Sport Hatchback after Dan’s had a chance to drive it and Sam takes the less ostentatious version of the Lexus ES300h that Dan had last week with the Toyota Camry Hybrid SE. Some big news broke just before we recorded as Waymo sued Uber for stealing its LiDAR technology, BMW, HERE and Mobileye team up to build HD maps for automated driving and we discuss half-baked ideas about fried chicken and Opel. Sam talks with Ford’s Alan Dona about new Ford hybrids and then we answer listener questions about performance hybirds. Links A note on our lawsuit against Otto and Uber BMW, HERE And Mobileye Team Up To Crowd-Source HD Maps For Self-Driving 2017 Honda Civic Sport: The Return Of The Hatchback   Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the… Read More »Episode #15 – Waymo Will See Uber In Court, Opels and Fried Chicken and Making HD Maps

Wheel Bearings Podcast episode 8

Episode #8 – Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #8 - Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking
Loading
/

This week, Dan is disappointed by the Volvo S60 Cross Country and Sam is somewhat impressed by the Cadillac XT5.  Will the minivan see a resurgence thanks to autonomous ride hailing? Will every new minivan in the future be self-driving? Will Uber’s self-driving cars work better in Phoenix than San Francisco? Will Ford follow its second-generation autonomous Fusions with Transit Connects? Will expensive parking charges be enough to get Tesla drivers to move their cars once they are done charging? Autonomous Ride-Hailing May Hail the New Era of the Minivan VW to Reveal Autonomous Electric Microbus Concept in Detroit Uber Moves Self-Driving Volvos to Phoenix Ford Rolls Out 2nd-Gen Autonomous Fusions Parking a Tesla at a SuperCharger Gets Expensive   View at Medium.com Wheel Bearings has launched a Patreon. If you like the show and would like to chip in toward the cost of producing… Read More »Episode #8 – Psuedo-SUVs, Self-Driving Minivans and Expensive Tesla Parking

2017 Volvo XC90 T8 – The Big Swede Gets Plugged In

The launch of the second-generation XC90 marked the beginning of a new era for Volvo a couple of years ago. The XC90 is the first model to ride on the company’s all-new scalable product architecture (SPA), the first all-new platform to come from Gothenburg since Ford sold the Swedish brand to China’s Geely in 2010. After initially being available only with boosted four-cylinder engines, the XC90 is now the first regular production plug-in model Volvo is offering in America and I recently spent a week driving one. Read the rest of the review here 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

2017 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro – Autobahn Born and Bred

In Episode 5, Dan and I discussed the 2017 Audi A4 and now my full written review is available. Read the full review here [portfolio_slideshow] 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 #4 – Staying Entertained, Informed and Engaged in the Car

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #4 - Staying Entertained, Informed and Engaged in the Car
Loading
/

In Episode 4, Dan and Sam talk about a pair of updated SUVs, the Nissan Rogue Hybrid and Mazda CX-9 before getting deep into why GM delayed the launch of SuperCruise on the Cadillac CT6. While SuperCruise will monitor the human operator to make sure they continue paying attention while not driving, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto provide means to keep the driver entertained. As much as we might want to use smartphone based infotainment, it’s likely to be a dead-end technology. Finally, your humble hosts tackle some listener emails about visibility and opining on cars we haven’t yet driven.

Episode #1 – Welcome to Wheel Bearings

Podcast Archives
Podcast Archives
Episode #1 - Welcome to Wheel Bearings
Loading
/

Welcome the premier episode of the Wheel Bearings podcast where Dan Roth and Sam Abuelsamid talk about what they are driving and the stories they think are important in the world of cars and the future of transportation.

We kick off with a discussion of the Chrysler Pacifica, Jaguar F-Pace, Nissan Armada and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport. Then we get into the new Mercedes-Benz engine family with 48-volt electrical systems and the cancellation of George Hotz’s Comma One.