America on the Road

The Ford Bronco is the hit vehicle of the decade, and in this episode, we test a version that is smack in the middle of the lineup. The Bronco Badlands is engineered for serious off-roading with 33-inch all-terrain tires on 17-inch aluminum wheels as just a hint of what it offers. Our two-door test vehicle had the special seven-speed manual with the ultra-low crawler gear to enable some very Old School off-roading.

At the same time, even the most gung-ho off-roader has to drive on the pavement for a percentage of the time. So how the $58,000 Badlands trim negotiated the wilds of suburban South California proved just as important — and probably more daunting — as any off-road trek. We’ll tell you how it all went coming up.

Also coming up in the road test segment, Co-Host Chris Teague and his family spent a week with a $120,000 2023 Cadillac Escalade. The big SUV’s level of luxury is off the charts with more video screens than a Buffalo Wild Wings on an NFL Sunday. Did Chris Teague’s daughters really do somersaults and cartwheels in the Cadillac? We’ll check into those claims in this edition of the show.

If you plan to buy a car in the next two or three years you’ll want to hear the interview with our special guest. Mike Darrow is President of TrueCar and an absolute expert on the car-buying process. He has some very educated advice about what to do in the current situation in which vehicle inventory has conspired to make car buying both difficult and expensive. TrueCar has some solutions for you.

In the news, we’ll have the results of an illuminating new survey that attempts to answer the question: do Americans really want electric cars?

At the same time, Steve Center, a key car company executive at Kia, is speaking plainly about the effects of the federal legislation passed this summer that changed the way tax incentives are determined for electric vehicles. We’ll have the details of what he said and why he said it.

All that and plenty more coming upon this edition of “America on the Road.”

The Toyota Tacoma has long had a strong off-road reputation, and that reputation will only be enhanced by the introduction of the 2023 Toyota Tacoma SR5 Double Cab Trail Edition. This is the third year the Trail Edition has been in the lineup, and it is the best version yet.

The front end features a new 1.1-inch lift thanks to taller coil springs. The standard SR5 front air dam has been removed to help improve ground clearance. And the combination of the changes gives a better approach angle (34 degrees.) At the same time, the rear suspension has been lifted 0.5 inches thanks to a spacer between the rear axle housing and leaf springs. This offers better departure and breakover angles.

As Host Jack Nerad found when he tested the truck, it has bronze-finished wheels that provide a 0.5-inch wider track width for a broader stance plus Goodyear all-terrain tires with an aggressive sidewall tread. Skid plates borrowed from the TRD Off-Road trim provide added protection over uneven terrain. In all the Trail Edition is better than ever, and Nerad will offer his personal opinions in this episode.

Also in the road test segment, Co-Host Chris Teague tests the all-electric Ford F150 full-size pickup in the frigid temperatures of late-fall in Maine. Was the Lightning able to stand up to the challenging weather? And was the infrastructure able to support the innovative truck in a way that owners of the vehicle would find acceptable? Teague will answer those questions and more in his report.

Our guest this week is Jenny Chang, a product planner at Kia. At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Host Jack Nerad sat down with her to discuss the details of the heavily revised 2024 Kia Seltos. It promises to be much more exciting than before with more horsepower and a new level of fun to drive.

In the news, the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year Finalists have just been announced. Here they are along with some predictions by the North American Car of the Year jurors. And of course, Jack Nerad and Chris Teague offer their comments as well.

The finalists for each category, in alphabetical order, are:

North American Car of the Year

Acura Integra

Genesis G80 EV

Nissan Z

North American Truck of the Year

Chevrolet Silverado ZR2

Ford F-150 Lightning

Lordstown Endurance

North American Utility Vehicle of the Year

Cadillac Lyriq

Genesis GV60

Kia EV6

Also in the news, General Motors says its electric vehicle sales will be profitable in 2025, thanks to more than a little help from its friends. We’ll tell you who those friends are and have some additional comments coming up in this edition of America on the Road.

2023 Acura Integra

The 2023 Volkswagen Golf R offers a wealth of good stuff: 315 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG transmission, adaptive-damping suspension, a giant display screen, and impressive driver assistance technology. With a starting MSRP of $44,740, it is an amazing performance bargain. But at the same time, one of our testers asks the question, “Is it too smart for its own good?”

While there is no doubt that the Golf R delivers more than enough performance per dollar spent, the interface between the car and its driver might blunt some of its goodness. Depending upon your point of view, the car's systems could require the driver to make too many choices. And those choices must be made through a touchscreen display that isn’t all that easy to use, especially at speed. Guest co-host Matt DeLorenzo, author of How To Buy an Affordable Electric Car, and Host Jack Nerad will explore that in this episode.

We’ll also explore the all-new 2023 Kia Sportage compact utility. Jack Nerad and his wife had the opportunity to test all aspects of the Sportage HEV (hybrid) on a recent tour of Central and Southern California that took them from the SouthBay of Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast and then to the desert east of Palm Springs. It was a revealing drive, and Nerad tells all about it in this show.

In the news this week, an all-new, upcoming version of one of the seminal SUVs has just been revealed. The International Scout has achieved legendary acclaim (and it is also the vehicle driven by the hero in Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark.) Now Volkswagen has purchased the rights to the Scout name, and it will begin selling off-road-ready battery-electric SUVs under that brand starting in 2026. We'll tell you what we think about the whole thing coming up.

And despite rosy predictions, this year has been an extremely tough one for electric vehicle start-up manufacturers. Rivian, Lucid, Lordstown, and Canoo are among the EV makers suffering big losses as they try to reach profitability. We’ll give you the gory details a little later in the show.

An all-new version of the Honda Pilot, one of the most popular SUVs in the country, has just been unveiled. And we were among a handful of journalists to see it, sit in it, and ask Honda product experts questions about it. The 2023 Pilot rides on a new chassis, has a new engine, and it is filled with innovative features like a disappearing second-row middle seat. Under its new longer hood is Honda's most powerful V6 ever, an all-new dual overhead cam 3.5-liter engine that delivers 285 horsepower.

Other good news: The off-road-oriented 2023 Honda TrailSport trim adds impressive new tech like the second-generation i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system. It also offers additional ground clearance and dedicated all-terrain tires on special wheels, so its days as an “appearance package” are over.

The 2023 Pilot has the most cargo room in the model's history, and it’s the only vehicle in its class with eight-person seating and an opening panoramic sunroof, which is standard on Touring and Elite trims. Heated seats are standard across the lineup, just an example of the added luxury the new Pilot offers.

In the road test segment, co-host Chris Teague put the all-new 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 to the test as temperatures in Maine dipped into the 30s. So how did it survive the cold? We’ll tell you that, and we’ll also tell you the Electrified G80 is a battery-electric luxury sedan that can compete with the best of the Mercedes-Benz and BMW luxury electric vehicle offerings. It is a truly stunning sedan inside and out.

Also in the road test segment, Host Jack Nerad had the opportunity to flog the 2023 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Premium on some very challenging roads in Southern California. With its four-cylinder engine, the Mustang EcoBoost might not get the respect it deserves from ponycar fans. The fact is the EcoBoost Premium might be the best performance-per-dollar value in the entire Mustang lineup.

While many automakers are touting an all-electric future, an executive from a major global automaker is warning about problems that could de-rail EV sales before they even get started. We’ll tell you more about that and much more in this week’s show.

The 2023 Nissan Ariya crossover SUV is the long-awaited production model based on a battery-electric concept that was first displayed in 2019 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The Ariya’s American launch was postponed until late 2022, based on COVID-19 concerns. And with that Nissan lost what could have been a strong competitive edge. In the interim, several other automakers have introduced new crossover EVs, leaving Nissan to play catch up.

But having driven the all-new Ariya we can say with assurance that the vehicle is all it should be to compete in the segment, and a whole lot more. With coupe-like exterior style and an innovative and simply beautiful interior, the Nissan Ariya seems destined to find more than its share of buyers when it comes to market toward the first of the year. It leverages the learnings Nissan has gained as one of the mainstream electric-vehicle pioneers. And it takes those learning from the Nissan Leaf in an entirely new direction.Initially, only front-drive Ariya models will be offered, but later they will be joined by variations with the innovative e-4orce all-wheel-drive system. In addition to the choice of front-drive or all-wheel-drive, buyers will also be able to choose between long-range and standard battery arrays. Prices for the 2023 Ariya start at $43,190 for the front-drive Engage trim. Our test vehicle, driven at North American Car of the Year testing in Michigan, was a 2023 Nissan Ariya Premiere with an as-tested price of $58,850.

Also in the road test segment, AOTR Co-Host Chris Teague took the 2023 Subaru BRZ sports coupe through its paces in the beauty of the Maine fall. The 2023 BRZ test car was powered by a 2.4-liter 228 horsepower “boxer” engine paired with a six-speed close-ratio manual transmission. (A six-speed electronic direct-control automatic transmission is optional.) Offered in two trim levels, The Subaru BRZ has a starting price of $28,595, and is a true bargain in driving fun.

The BRZ’s list of standard features includes a Torsen limited-slip differential; keyless entry, LED headlights, stability control with track mode and dual-zone automatic climate control. But the big question is this: Could it contain the six-foot-tall Chris Teague with his daughter in a booster seat behind him? We’ll answer that question and others in this week’s edition of America on the Road.

This week our special guest is Mark Bole, who is Vice President and head of Battery Solutions for General Motors. His arm of GM is ready to deliver electric power, not just to your cars, but also to your home. And he’ll tell that fascinating story in an interview with Host Jack Nerad in this episode.

The all-new 2023 Honda CR-V is one of the most important vehicles to be launched in the United States this year, and we’ll have a special report. The CR-V compact SUV was one of the industry’s original “crossover vehicles.” And for the past quarter century, it has consistently built sales momentum to become one of the most popular vehicles in the Honda lineup. In fact, Honda claims the CR-V has been the bestselling of all SUVs of any size since it was introduced in the 1990s.

The 2023 CR-V marks the beginning of the vehicle’s sixth generation. It’s available in front-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations and powered by either a turbocharged four-cylinder engine or a hybrid drivetrain. In comparison to the previous-generation CR-V, the 2023 is longer and wider than before and 15 percent torsionally stiffer as well. This gives it a good basis for the tuning of its heavily revised suspension. Host Jack Nerad had the chance to drive both the conventional and hybrid versions of the CR-V during North American Car of the Year testing this past week in Michigan. He’ll have a detailed driving report and guest co-host Geno Effler, Director of Corporate Communications at J.D. Power, will give his consumer-based perspective on Honda and the CR-V.

This week’s interview segment features a discussion with Mark Savino, who is the Product Strategy Manager for SUVs and Trucks at Kia. He and Jack Nerad will take a very detailed look at the all-new 2023 Kia Niro. Available as an EV, a plug-in hybrid, and a hybrid, the Niro seems poised to graduate from specialty-car status to become a more mainstream offering. In this era of high gasoline prices and runaway inflation, the Niro seems right on target for the times.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, thousands of flood-damaged cars and trucks will enter the new and used car markets in the next several weeks. And they can become nightmares for those who buy them without suspecting that they could experience big problems. We’ll tell you how you can avoid being burned by one of those vehicles coming up.

Also in the news, Toyota is considering a big increase in its production of battery-electric vehicles, but if it happens it won’t come right away. Instead, Toyota has a future date in mind. We’ll tell you what that date is and why Toyota thinks that’s a good place to start.

And formal talks have begun between representatives of the European Union and the United States as the result of the passage of the Inflation Act, which could have a devastating effect on the sales of electric vehicles in the United States. Ironically, that’s directly opposite to the goals of the new law. We’ll tell you what it could mean to you going forward in this episode.

Few things seem like more fun than bashing around the Maine woods in a Ford F-150 Raptor. And that’s just what America on the Road Co-Host Chris Teague did this past week. We’ve tested Raptors before but this one was equipped with an upgraded package that included 37-inch 50R17LT BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires. Among other things, the beefy sidewall tires improved the ground clearance of the off-road marvel by over an inch. And they also had some other unexpected effects.

Power was never a problem with 450 horsepower readily available from the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6. It channels its power through a 10-speed automatic transmission and a standard four-wheel-drive system and a two-speed transfer case. The Raptor’s suspension is remarkably supple, meant to glide over obstructions instead of confronting them.

The big question is this: after driving the Raptor with 37-inchers does Chris Teague prefer it to the Ram 1500 TRX? And what does Host Jack Nerad have to say about all that?

In addition to having his own opinions about the Ford F-150 Raptor Nerad also tested another off-roader this week — the Lexus GX 460. While the Lexus name doesn’t always conjure up an off-road image, the GX 460 is in many ways more at home on the trail than on suburban avenues. Underneath it is a truck that owes a lot to the fabled Toyota 4Runner. In fact, you could look at it as a more potent 4Runner since it is powered by a 301-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. Its one of a dwindling handful of V8s left on the market and delivers more power than the 4Runner’s V-6.

With four-wheel-drive and 329 lb-ft of peak torque, the Lexus GX 460 offers a robust 6,500-pound towing capacity. And it has trailer sway control to enhance straight-line tracking with a boat or camping trailer behind. In all, the Lexus GX 460 might not be what many of its prospective buyers think it will be with virtues they don’t anticipate and foibles that might frustrate them. We’ll discuss all of that in this episode of America on the Road.

In the news, there is reason to be concerned if you’re sharing the roadways with drivers who are misusing some advanced driver assistance systems. According to a new study, many drivers are asking those systems to perform tasks they are not capable of handling. And the results could be tragic for them and for others on the highway. We’ll have the details on that coming up.

Also in the news, recent federal legislation has thrown the EV market up in the air. Now government trade regulators are in talks with their European counterparts to try to resolve the problems it has caused. But once the law has been passed can its obvious flaws be fixed? We’ll tell you our opinions next.

And there are new developments in the partnership between Honda and Sony on electric vehicles. They've set a date, though they don't have a bridal registry anywhere. More to come on that too.

Our special guest this week is Brittany Grande, GM Field Service Engineer She and Host Jack Nerad will talk about the critical shortage of auto technicians that is currently plaguing the industry. It might represent a big opportunity for you or someone you know. General Motors has a program that can make a big difference. And we’ll talk with her about that.

All that and more is served up hot right here on America on the Road.

The all-new 2023 Kia Niro EV we just tested is the value-priced portion the brand’s global effort to become a big-time competitor to Tesla Motors and the world other important electric-vehicle makers. The Kia EV6 is Kia’s flagship battery-electric offering, but the Niro EV deserves headlines as the “affordable” entrant in the market. Within a few years, Kia hopes that the majority of its sales will come from battery-electric vehicles.

The all-new 2023 Niro EV we tested is the second-generation Niro battery electric, part of a trio of brand-new Niros that also includes a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. Kia product planner Mark Savino told Host Jack Nerad Kia expects the Niro EV will grab about a quarter of the model’s total sales when production is normalized. Expected to be priced at less than $40,000, the Niro EV will be available in Kia dealers in all 50 states.

With its single 201-horsepower permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, the Niro offers 188 lb-ft of torque and a 113 MPGe fuel-economy equivalent. According to Kia, range of a full charge for the 2023 Niro EV is 253 miles. When connected to a DC fast charger, the Niro EV can take on an 80 percent charge in less than 45 minutes, excellent charging performance.

For those interested in more conventional performance, Co-Host Chris Teague tests the all-new 2023 Acura Integra this week. The name itself is a headline. In years past the Acura Integra was one of the brand’s most popular and evocative models. But it was discontinued as Acura pursued an alphabetic naming scheme for its vehicles. Now it is back, and it offers some of the best pieces from the Honda-Acura parts bin. Drawing heavily on the basics of the North American Car of the Year Honda Civic, it features the Civic Si’s turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which can be backed by a CVT (Boo) or a 6-speed manual transmission (Yay!) With 200 horsepower on tap, the new Integra promised to be an exciting platform to wind through the fall colors of New England in October. And Teague will tell us all about it.

Our interview guest this week is Jeep Vice President of Product Marketing Tavon Brooks. The occasion for the interview was the introduction and press drive of the new long-wheelbase Grand Wagoneer L and Wagoneerr L. It took place in and around Bozeman, Montana, right at the gates of Yellowstone.

In the news, car prices are leveling off, but new problems are on the horizon for car buyers, and we’ll detail them for you. And Hyundai has announced a big, bold plan to offer the public “software-defined vehicles.” We’ll tell you what that means and discuss how it could affect you in the future. Our guess is you might not like the idea.

All that and more coming up in this episode of “America on the Road.”

“America on the Road” hits the highway to the Midwest in this edition. Over the course of just a couple of days at the wheel of a new Mazda CX-9 Signature, our intrepid crew set down in Kansas City, Missouri. The goals were multi-fold: attend a Kansas City Royals baseball game at Kaufman Stadium, sample the legendary Z-Man sandwich at Joe’s Kansas City Barbecue, tour KC’s now-revived Union Station, and witness a country concert featuring Thomas Rhett, Conner Smith, and Parker McCollum. Almost too much good stuff for a 48-hour visit.

The challenging itinerary included a drive from Kansas City to Columbia, Missouri, in time to see the concert held on the campus of the University of Missouri. On the face of it, that’s not too hard. But we left KC after touring all the major sites in that city hoping to have enough leeway to get prime Midwest steaks at CC’s Broiler in Columbia. Oh, and then we had to drive back the 120 miles to KC after the concert before getting some scant minutes of sleep. Just to increase the degree of difficulty, the state of Missouri decided to shut down all the northbound lanes of Interstate 70 between the two cities in the middle of that dark and rainy night. The good news is the Mazda CX-9, one of our favorite crossovers, took it all in stride. All four of our AOTR crew arrived at each destination fresh, relaxed, and ready to devour another mammoth meal.

In addition to full road trip coverage, this week we have the details on the just-announced all-new Maserati GranTurismo, and it is one hot car. It comes with not one but instead two very innovative powertrains — a 550-hp twin-turbo gasoline engine and a 760-hp all-wheel-drive electric. The car keeps its classic proportions, but it is obvious that the very best of Italian design and technology has been brought to bear. In an era when so many cars are “international,” the Maserati Gran Turismo wears its Italian heritage on its sleeve.

And speaking of Italian heritage, our guest co-host Matt DeLorenzo is also our special guest this week. He is the author of the just-published book How To Buy An Affordable Electric Car: A Tightwad's Guide to EV Ownership. Certainly, the heat has been growing under the EV movement lately, but is there more smoke than fire? DeLorenzo and host Jack Nerad will sort out the situation in the interview segment. Our guest isn’t just a renowned auto expert, but he has also walked the walk by buying his own affordable electric car. And he will detail what the future for battery-electric vehicles will hold.

All that and a look at auto sales coming up in this episode of “America on the Road.”

Ford has just announced details of the Tremor package for its popular Ford Maverick pickup truck, and it promises to be an interesting new entry in the ever-growing list of new off-roaders. (We're out on the road this week, so this is a repeat of one of our most popular shows of the year.) The new Tremor equipment is available on XLT and Lariat series trucks. It includes a 1-inch lift for greater ground clearance, exclusive Trail Control off-road “cruise control,” unique off-road-oriented front and rear suspension, advanced all-wheel drive with four-wheel-drive lock, and a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine. Of course, there are appearance items as well — blacked-out Ford logos, headlamps and taillamps, “Tremor Orange “tow hooks, an updated fender vent, and a new grille. We'll also talk about two other Ford trucks, the Ford F-150 Raptor and the Ford F-150 Lightning.

In this episode, we’ll talk more about the Ford Maverick Tremor and also discuss the new BMW i4 eDrive35, the latest addition to the BMW i4 lineup. With a starting price of $51,400, the new i4 eDrive35 is driven by the same Gen5 eDrive powertrain technology found in the BMW iX and the other i4 models. The single “electrically-excited” synchronous motor sends 281 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels, resulting in an estimated 0-60 mph time of just 5.8 seconds.

Our special guest this week is Cayley Hill. She is manager of the EV Ecosystem at General Motors, and she will tell us about a fascinating new service General Motors is offering called EV Live. If you have questions about EVs that's a place to get answers.

In the road test segment, Co-Host Chris Teague and Host Jack Nerad will look at two very exciting variants of the bestselling vehicle in America, the 2022 Ford F-150 full-size pickup. Chris Teague will give us his report on his weeklong experience driving the 2022 Ford F-150 Raptor. And Jack Nerad will offer his impressions after driving the battery-electric 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning for a week. He calls it the first EV that didn't prompt constant worry about range restraints.

Both vehicles are among the most exciting on the market. Ford has made the Lightning the object of an unprecedented launch as it moves to head off other battery-electric entries that could challenge its longtime status as king of the full-size pickup truck hill. And when it comes to corporate profits, that hill is actually much more like a mountain.