America on the Road

[This is a repeat of one of our most popular episodes this year. Jack and Chris are celebrating the Fourth of July, and they'll be back with an all-new new show on Saturday, July 8.]

Ford has just pulled the wraps off the all-new 2024 Ford Ranger and Ford Ranger Raptor, and we’ll have an exclusive interview with the truck’s marketing manager, Gretchen Sauer. The all-new Ranger is a serious step up from the previous edition, which had an overseas focus and was rushed into the U.S. market as midsize pickup truck sales rebounded in the past several years.

The first-ever Ford Ranger Raptor brings 405 horsepower to the party via its 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. Coupled to an advanced four-wheel drive system, a new electronically controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case, and front and rear locking differentials, the Ranger Raptor will get the job done off road.

The 2024 Ranger features a more powerful 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 as a drivetrain option. New features like an available integrated box side step and fold-flat rear seats make the Ranger more versatile and useful as a hauler. The wider bed means that the Ranger can now hold four-foot-wide materials flat on the deck between the wheel wells. In-bed and in-cab outlets can power tools and devices on the work site or campsite. Pro Trailer Backup Assist, an integrated trailer brake controller, and a 360-degree camera make it clear the new Ranger is ready to tow.

In this week’s road test segment, Host Jack Nerad will evaluate Lexus’s first all-electric vehicle, the 2023 RZ 450e. The small luxury crossover finds itself in the midst of a bevy of small battery-electric crossovers, all vying for the same customers. Lexus is counting on a secret ingredient to be a difference-maker, and we’ll tell you what is.

The hot new Nissan Z is our other road test vehicle this week. Co-Host Chris Teague took a week off from driving three-row family vehicles to put his foot to the floor in the hot two-seater. With 400 horsepower on tap and a willing chassis, the new Z is one of the best bang-for-the-buck cars on the market right now.

In this week’s news, we ask the important question, “Can you afford to buy a new car?” A lot of people can’t, and we’ll report on new data that shows just how difficult it is these days. We’ll have commentary and some tips that can put the situation in perspective.

While many cars are becoming more unaffordable, a select few are getting cheaper. We may soon see an all-out price war in the electric-vehicle market. More entries are coming into play while interest rates continue to shoot up, and consumers are confused about the recently changed federal tax incentives. The CEO of a major global auto manufacturer calls the recent pricing activity a “worrying trend.” We’ll tell you what it might mean to your family in this episode.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

Many critics might tell you the 2023 Nissan Leaf is well past its prime and a purveyor of old tech. But after a week in the Leaf, Host Jack Nerad came to a different conclusion. It might be one of the best electric car values on the market right now. In its upscale SV form the Leaf offers 212 miles of range and a 214-horsepower 160-kW electric motor. While these aren’t stunning numbers, they must be viewed in the context of the suggested retail price.

At $37,750, including the $1,095 destination charge, the Leaf SV is one of the least expensive vehicles on the market offering more than 200 miles of range. Meanwhile, the entry-level Leaf S offers about 150 miles of range at a suggested price of less than $30,000. These are just hints as to why Jack Nerad thinks the Leaf is one of the biggest EV bargains on the market. And his week road testing the perky hatchback just solidified that opinion.

At the same time Nerad was testing the Leaf, Co-Host Chris Teague was evaluating the 2023 Subaru Crosstrek, a vehicle that might be the unofficial Crossover Utility of New England. Could the Crosstrek stand up to the rigors of late spring in Maine…and to the rigors of the Teague’s 80-pound dog? We’ll tell you in this episode.

Our special guest this week is interesting guest Brian Nielander, chief exterior designer of the 2023 Dodge Hornet. Host Jack Nerad recently had a chance to talk with him about the first all-new Dodge vehicle in more than a decade, and we’ll share that discussion with you.

In the news this week, we have to ask the question is there a flying car in your future? That longtime dream might be closer to becoming a reality than you might think. We’ll tell you who has made a startling announcement about this effort and the exciting details later in this segment.

Also in the news, a well-reviewed electric vehicle is now the subject of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation. Several drivers of the vehicles report hearing a popping noise and then the car suddenly loses power. We’ll have details on that critical safety issue.

And in the True Crime Files Automotive Edition, fugitive Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has sued the company for more than $1 billion in a lawsuit filed to Lebanon's public prosecutor last month, according to a copy of the lawsuit seen by Reuters. As longtime listeners know Ghosn is currently living exile in Lebanon after have escaped from Japan where he was facing prison time.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

Lexus has just unveiled two all-new vehicles that promise to shake up the burgeoning luxury SUV market in the United States. We were there for the “double feature” event where the Japanese luxury brand unveiled the all-new 2024 Lexus GX and the all-new 2024 Lexus TX.

Staying connected while we are in our cars is critical for many of us. Now a new study shows just how important that is to American consumers and to the carmakers and data providers that are vying tooth and nail for what is predicted to be a giant market. We’ll have details on that coming up.

And just when you thought there were no more three-row SUVs to talk about, we have another for you. Buick has shown us a glimpse of the heavily revised 2024 Envision, and we’ll tell you more.

In the road test segment, Co-Host Chris Teague will describe his week-long experience with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500. Host Jack Nerad will discuss the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E, the all-electric Mustang crossover SUV.

Our special guest this week is Jamie Zinser, Vice President, Global Automotive, Novelis Inc., and a prime mover in a consortium called Alumobility. Jack Nerad recently had a chance to talk with her about the value of using aluminum rather than steel in automobiles. Electric vehicles might well be the biggest beneficiaries of that. I’m certain you’ll enjoy what she has to say.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

Jealously guarding its position as the maker of the bestselling pickup model in the United States, Ford develops and offers the Ford F-150 in a wide variety of work truck, personal-use, and off-road versions. One of our all-around favorites is the 2023 Ford F-150 Tremor, a vehicle we tested this week. To build it, Ford engineers started with the fully boxed steel frame, aluminum alloy body, and varied powertrains of the standard F-150 and modified it to give it more appeal to off-road enthusiasts. At the same time, they retained the everyday usefulness of the truck and made sure the price wasn’t out of reach.

Ford has offered the F-150 Tremor package since the current-generation F-150 was introduced for the 2021 model year. A big addition this year is the new availability of the brand’s veteran 5.0-liter V8 engine, now offered as an alternative to the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. That was the configuration of the F-150 Tremor that Host Jack Nerad got a chance to test in the silt and sand of the desert outside Indio, California. He’ll have a full report.

The 2023 Volkswagen Jetta GLI Autobahn Edition is the subject of guest co-host Matt DeLorenzo’s road test this week. The Jetta has always been an appealing compact sedan, but in this era of soulless electric vehicles, it might be more appealing than ever. Both Matt and Jack will detail their thoughts on the car in this episode.

Volkswagen is also the lead news story this week as the brand introduced the U.S. version of its much anticipated VW ID.Buzz, the spiritual successor to the legendary VW Microbus. The unveiling took place in Huntington Beach, California, as a bow to the Microbus’s surfer heritage. We’ll tell you all about it and have some personal reminiscences about our own experiences in Volkswagen buses from the way-back machine.

Our special guest this week is Toyota product expert Thomas Sondej. He recently sat down with Host Jack Nerad for an in-depth interview on the all-new 2023 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid and the hybrid version of the 2023 Toyota Corolla Cross small crossover utility.

If you expect the price of electric vehicles to come down to the level of conventional gasoline vehicles soon — well, don’t hold your breath. The chief executive of a major global automaker says it’s going to take a while, and we’ll tell you much more as we recap the week’s top automotive stories.

In the true crime files automotive edition this week, a French lawyer says he’s about to file criminal charges against a major automaker over faulty engines. And two other big car companies — one based in the U.S. — have just been required to pay major fines for violating fuel economy regulations.

All that and answers to your automotive question coming up this week on America on the Road.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

While the Lexus NX has underwhelmed many in previous incarnations, the 2023 NX 450h F Sport gets the recipe right. It is luxurious and fun to drive at the same time, as Host Jack Nerad found during his week-long road test of the small luxury crossover. With 302 horsepower on tap from its plug-in hybrid powertrain, the NX takes on a performance-oriented demeanor that other trims in the line only hint at. On top of the extra juice, the plug-in version provides buyers with 37 miles of all-electric range. The icing on the cake is stellar fuel economy. The 450h is EPA-rated at 84 MPGe.

Inside, the NX delivers a Lexus level of luxury. And the new Lexus multimedia systems do not disappoint. They are easy to use and full-featured in ways that the previous Lexus systems were not.

In our other road test this week, Co-Host Chris Teague takes a long look at the all-new 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid. After being reluctant about hybrids for years, Honda has recently done an about-face on the technology. For the 2023 model year, the top-level Accords all boast hybrid powertrains. The top-of-the-line Accords also feature a new and mightily improved infotainment setup, as Tague describes this week.

In the news, a major global automaker says it might be forced to limit shipments of some of its vehicles to states that have adopted the California fuel economy and air quality standards. If you are a Left Coast musclecar fan this might be extremely bad news. We’ll tell you which automaker it is and what the issues are in this episode.

Tesla still has some safety investigations to deal with, but it is out of the woods in at least one of them. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced it is closing a probe of a controversial former Tesla feature that allowed occupants to play games on its infotainment screen while the vehicle was in motion.

And in the true crime files automotive edition, A Turkish court has made rulings in cases involving former Nissan chief and now fugitive Carlos Ghosn.

Our guest for you this week is Brent Gruber, Executive Director of the Electric Vehicle Practice at J.D. Power. He is extremely knowledgeable about what’s going on with EVs and, in particular, consumer attitudes about them. He will share them with us this week

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R is the coolest truck in the Ford stable. This week AOTR Co-Host Chris Teague got the chance to match it up against the toughest tests Maine has to offer, including heavy-duty off-road driving and, toughest of all, a round trip to the home improvement store to get patio bricks and 50-pound bags of mulch. How did the truck do in those difficult circumstances? We’ll tell you in this episode.

While Chris Teague was hauling bricks, Host Jack Nerad was hauling ass in the 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 luxury crossover SUV. An appealing vehicle with some serious performance chops, the battery-electric GV70 won his praise for its 429 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. With 54 more horsepower and 125 lb-ft more torque than the gasoline-powered GV70, the electric SUV was hard not to like.

That brings us to our special guest this week, an expert on battery-electric SUVs. Jonathan Chen is a senior product expert at VinFast, a Vietnam-based automaker that is just entering the U.S. market. We recently got a chance to drive the VinFast VF8 battery-electric crossover SUV, and we’ll discuss that and VinFast plans for its American launch.

In the news, it is game-on in the midsize truck segment with an all-new 2024 Toyota Tacoma getting ready to do battle with an all-new 2024 Ford Ranger, all-new 2024 Chevrolet Colorado, and all-new 2024 GMC Canyon. The confluence of all these new trucks is rarer than sobriety at a frat party. We’ll tell you how they stack up.

A new consumer survey shows that many American car buyers want electric vehicles. But there is one big hangup that prevents many of them from buying one. We’ll tell you what that is and more on the survey in this episode.

BMW might make a production vehicle out of a recent concept car that caused a lot of buzz. We’ll give you details on that. And Stellantis is recalling a lot of vehicles because of a fire risk. More on that too.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

General Motors has been gathering many plaudits for its Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving system, but soon it will be supplemented by the even more sophisticated Ultra Cruise. To go in-depth on the intricacies of Ultra Cruise, our special guest this week is Tonny Kraatz, assistant chief engineer on the program.

Super Cruise is a highway-only system approved for hundreds of thousands of miles in the United States, but it lacks the door-to-door self-driving abilities of Ultra Cruise. In our interview, Kraatz will describe the nuances in detail and also point out how GM’s introduction strategy differs markedly from some other carmakers, including Tesla Motors.

In the news, true crime is our top story this week. A former Apple engineer has been charged with attempting to steal self-driving tech from his company and give it to his new employer. And the former Audi CEO has pled guilty to fraudulent negligence in the wake of the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” scandal.

Of more importance day to day, car makers are pushing back on the proposed Environment Protection Agency standards that would require a swift transition from conventional vehicles to battery electrics. They cite supply chain issues, high costs, and lack of consumer demand as key reasons the EPA proposals are unrealistic.

On the safety front, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is asking for the recall of 67 million airbag inflators because it believes there is a safety defect. We’ll give you details so you can see if your vehicle might be affected.

In this week’s road test segment, co-host Chris Teague will detail his family’s weeklong experience with the 2023 Ford Expedition Limited. Host Jack Nerad will examine the Lexus UX 250h, a small hybrid-only luxury crossover.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

Ford has just pulled the wraps off the all-new 2024 Ford Ranger and Ford Ranger Raptor, and we’ll have an exclusive interview with the truck’s marketing manager, Gretchen Sauer. The all-new Ranger is a serious step up from the previous edition, which had an overseas focus and was rushed into the U.S. market as midsize pickup truck sales rebounded in the past several years.

The first-ever Ford Ranger Raptor brings 405 horsepower to the party via its 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. Coupled to an advanced four-wheel drive system, a new electronically controlled on-demand two-speed transfer case, and front and rear locking differentials, the Ranger Raptor will get the job done off road.

The 2024 Ranger features a more powerful 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 as a drivetrain option. New features like an available integrated box side step and fold-flat rear seats make the Ranger more versatile and useful as a hauler. The wider bed means that the Ranger can now hold four-foot-wide materials flat on the deck between the wheel wells. In-bed and in-cab outlets can power tools and devices on the work site or campsite. Pro Trailer Backup Assist, an integrated trailer brake controller, and a 360-degree camera make it clear the new Ranger is ready to tow.

In this week’s road test segment Host Jack Nerad will evaluate Lexus’s first all-electric vehicle, the 2023 RZ 450e. The small luxury crossover finds itself in the midst of a bevy of small battery-electric crossovers, all vying for the same customers. Lexus is counting on a secret ingredient to be a difference-maker, and we’ll tell you what is.

The hot new Nissan Z is our other road test vehicle this week. Co-Host Chris Teague took a week off from driving three-row family vehicles to put his foot to the floor in the hot two-seater. With 400 horsepower on tap and a willing chassis, the new Z is one of the best bang-for-the-buck cars on the market right now.

In this week’s news, we ask the important question, “Can you afford to buy a new car?” A lot of people can’t, and we’ll report on new data that shows just how difficult it is these days. We’ll have commentary and some tips that can put the situation in perspective.

While many cars are becoming more unaffordable, a select few are getting cheaper. It’s very possible that we will soon see an all-out price war in the electric-vehicle market. More entries are coming into play while interest rates continue to shoot up, and consumers are confused about the recently changed federal tax incentives. The CEO of a major global auto manufacturer calls the recent pricing activity a “worrying trend.” We’ll tell you what it might mean to your family in this episode.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com

With the 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata, driving is the thing. And as we roadtested the Miata this week, it struck us that all the fun to be had from driving a Miata might be lost in the inexorable shift from gasoline-fueled cars to EVs. The whole prospect made us sad because the current Miata is such a hoot to drive. With its 181-horsepower four-cylinder engine and the six-speed manual transmission, the little sports car is just about the perfect way to have fun behind the wheel. No, we admit it isn’t especially practical. And no, it isn’t even all the fuel-efficient. But isn’t the joy it provides worth it?

At some point, we wonder, what in the world are we doing to ourselves? Battery electrics can be interesting to drive, but the fun they provide is nothing like the exhilaration a pre-dawn blast in a Miata provides. We know that firsthand. And we'll tell you more in this episode.

This week, our other road test is of a vehicle filled with pleasant practicality — the 2023 Toyota Sienna minivan. Now all-hybrid all the time, the Sienna has vaulted toward the top of the minivan charts with its appealing combination of fuel economy, interior space, versatile seating, and big cargo space. For a long family vaca, it is hard to find a better choice, as co-host Chris Teague discovered.

Our guest for you this week has a lot to say about the current and future state of the Toyota lineup. Michael Tripp is Vice President of Vehicle Marketing & Communications at Toyota North America. Host Jack Nerad sat down with him at a recent driving event in Southern California to talk about two brand new Toyota vehicles and where Toyota is going in this ever-complicated global market. He had some very interesting things to say that aren’t the typical auto industry line regarding the future of transport.

In the news, Stellantis, the parent company of Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and several other brands has offered buyouts to more than 33,000 workers in the United States. That’s never a good sign.

In the we-didn’t-see-this-coming department, something common to virtually all new cars turns out to be something that might kill you. We’ll have the potentially life-saving details on that coming up. And the U.S. Postal Service is having trouble getting a big delivery -- the delivery of its all-new mail truck. Or should we say 50,000 all-new mail trucks? We’ll tell all about that snafu in this episode.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark.

Car buyers are now being confronted with an interesting — and hard-to-answer — question: do I spend my money on an all-new battery-electric or do I spend it on a larger, more accommodating conventionally powered vehicle? This week’s two road test vehicles present just that conundrum. Co-host Chris Teague was at the wheel of the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5, one of the newest-generation of battery-electric-powered crossovers. Host Jack Nerad spent the same week piloting the 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The Ioniq 5 is a five-passenger vehicle with an extra-long wheelbase and an ultra-modern interior. The Highlander Hybrid will accommodate as many as eight in three rows of seating and offers 36 mpg fuel economy. With their as-tested equipment and trim levels, both had suggested retail prices of about $50,000.

So how would you spend your hard-earned cash? Are you ready to make the sacrifices in size and convenience that the battery-electric Ioniq 5 (and other BEVs) entail? Or do you feel the comfort, versatility, and freedom from range anxiety on long trips make the Highlander Hybrid a better choice for your family? We’ll discuss both vehicles and their ramifications in this episode.

AOTR’s special guest this week is Matt McAlear, Head of Dodge Brand Sales Operations. Host Jack Nerad had the chance to sit down with him at a recent driving event in North Carolina to talk about the newly introduced Dodge Hornet and the general direction of the Dodge brand. The Hornet marks the change of an era at Dodge, and McAlear will explain where the brand goes next.

The CEOs of two global car companies, Toyota CEO Koji Sato and Ford CEO Jim Farley, have just gone on record saying their companies must change their ways — and soon — to continue to compete against what appears to be a surging group of Chinese carmakers who are building very compelling EVs. We’ll tell you what prompted their remark and what they intend to do about it.

Also in the news, General Motors confirmed this week it will end production of the Chevrolet Bolt, its biggest-selling EV, later this year. GM is gung-ho about electric vehicles, but the Bolt doesn’t use its heavily touted Ultium platform. It’s likely the next Chevy Bolt will.

All that and answers to your listener questions in this episode of America on the Road.