America on the Road

Soon your car will be able to see better than you can. That is the message from Rick Tewell, COO of a company called AEye. His company develops LiDar technology, using lasers to enable your car to see things you can’t see. Many believe such technology is the key to developing cars that drive themselves. In this episode Host Jack Nerad sits down with Tewell for an in-depth talk on the advanced technology his company offers that will get us closer to autonomous cars.

In the road test segment, co-host Chris Teague brings his special 6-foot-tall brand of vehicle testing to the 2021 Ford Ranger STX midsize pickup. Is the Ranger up to the tasks he will put it through during pickle season in Maine? The only place to find out is America on the Road.

Also in the road test segment, Jack Nerad puts the full-size GMC Yukon SUV through its paces. It’s all-new for 2021. Did General Motors get the remake right? Or did they fumble the ball on the goal line? Nerad will have the answers.

In the news, Tesla Motors has changed a key element in overall business plan, and we’ll tell you all about it.

The 2021 GMC Yukon Denali is a great American family hauler.

 

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 was anointed to lead the global brand’s charge into the brave new world of electric vehicles. As a compact SUV, it is right in the midst of the world’s largest vehicle segment. And with 250 miles of driving on a charge, it takes range anxiety out of day-to-day driving. In this episode Host Jack Nerad puts the VW ID.4 through a grueling series of tests the will either prove its worth…or prove it wanting. What makes the ID.4 feel so much different than other compacts SUVs? Jack Nerad will let you know.

In the true spirit of internationalism, Co-Host Chris Teague takes a look at the China-built 2021 Buick Envision, yet another compact SUV. Almost invisibly, Buick has transformed itself from a brand that offered big, comfortable sedans to a brand that concentrates almost exclusively on crossovers. Has it been successful in making the transition? Chris Teague will let us know.

They say there’s no business like show business. So what did the pandemic do to the auto industry’s massive trade exposition, the SEMA Show? Host Jack Nerad will get to the bottom that as he interviews Tom Gattuso, vice president of events for the Specialty Equipment Market Association. The epidemic had some very surprising effects on many SEMA companies that sell auto parts and accessory items.

A recent J.D. Power study on brand loyalty leads off the news segment. According to the world-renowned research firm, the COVID-19 had a profound effect on what vehicles American consumers bought and which ones they didn’t. We’ll have that analysis for you.

The 2021 Buick Envision is a truly international vehicle with a surprising background.

If electric vehicles are going become mainstream in the United States, home-charging must also move into the mainstream. Without being able to recharge their vehicles at home, consumers will find that EVs might simply offer a day-to-day experience that is too complicated and too time-consuming. In this episode of America on the Road host Jack Nerad has the chance to discuss this issue with a man who knows all about it. Brent Gruber is Senior Director of Global Automotive for J.D. Power. We talk with him about a just-released J.D. Power study on electric vehicle infrastructure and home-charging. Are carmakers and dealers doing enough to educate consumers on the ins-and-outs of owning an electric car? We’ll give you the answer.

How did the Toyota Sequoia Nightshade fare in the forests of Maine? Co-host Chris Teague tells all.

In the road test segment of America on the Road co-host Chris Teague takes a long, hard look at the 2021 Toyota Sequoia full-size SUV. Based in Maine, Teague put the big sport-ute through a series of family-oriented tasks, and he shares how it did.

Is the 2021 GMC Acadia too big, too small, or just right?

Also in the road test segment, host Jack Nerad reviews the 2021 GMC Acadia. The Acadia isn’t the best-known SUV on the market and it is certainly not the biggest, but it might be one of the best-looking. Does it act as good as it look? And what families will find the Acadia most appealing? Nerad lets us know.

What do you do if you buy a car that turns out to be a lemon? Teague and Nerad discuss your options in the listener question portion of the program.

The all-new 2022 Infiniti QX60 has just been revealed and we have details.

In the news, we discuss some exciting new models that have just been revealed and are headed our way — the 2022 Infiniti QX60 and the 2023 Kia Sportage.

Ford Bronco. It’s one of the biggest automotive stories of the decade, and we’ll have the full review of the exciting off-road vehicle in this edition of America on the Road. Host Jack Nerad recently had the opportunity to drive the all-new Bronco both on the road and off-road at the Ford Bronco Off-Roadeo outside Austin, Texas, and he’ll deliver a complete report. Can the new Bronco match the Jeep Wrangler when it comes to rock-crawling and creek crossing? He’ll have the answer.

The Mazda CX-5 is more fun than ever with its new turbocharged engine.

In the other portion of the road test segment, co-host Chris Teague will offer his assessment of the 2021 Mazda CX-5. With new turbocharged horsepower, the compact sport-ute promises to be better than ever. But did Mazda put too many ingredients in the soup?

In the news segment, we talk about a troubling unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic — more traffic deaths. Fatalities on the road were up substantially in 2020 despite the fact that miles driven by U.S. motorists were way, way down. What happened? Jack Nerad and Chris Teague will give you their opinions.

The all-new, heavily anticipated 2021 Ford Bronco is here and we’ve driven it. In fact not only did we drive it extensively on- and off-road, but we also had the chance to discuss the exciting vehicle at length with Ford Consumer Marketing Manager Mark Grueber, who is responsible for the launch. In our exclusive interview with him conducted at the initial Bronco press drive, he tells how the Bronco program got underway and describes the great lengths Ford is going to assure a successful introduction of what is not just a new vehicle, but also a new sub-brand. And he’ll reveal where he feels arch-rival Jeep is vulnerable.

A lake outside Austin, Texas, was the rest stop on Nerad's on-road drive of a 2021 Ford Bronco 2-Door in Outer Banks trim.

The off-road theme continues in the road test segment of America on the Road. Co-host Chris Teague spent a week using the 2021 GMC 1500 Sierra AT4, including enlisting it to haul paving stones for his new patio. Is the Sierra’s trick tailgate all it is cracked up to be? Teague tells us in this episode.

202! GMC Sierra AT4 is Chris Teague's road test vehicle of the week as he preps his backyard for a new patio.

Also in this episode, host Jack Nerad does a thorough road test of the 2021 Toyota Tacoma. Not only is the Tacoma the leader in the midsize pickup truck segment, but it also has a very robust off-road reputation. Nerad will tell us if the Tacoma’s competitors, like the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, are catching up.

The Toyota Tacoma has a new Trail Edition trim for 2021.

In the news segment, Nerad and Teague discuss the threat of cyberattacks that could replace the microchip shortage as the industry’s biggest problem. And then there’s the strange case of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn. We offer the latest details.

The week our special guest on America on the Road is Vishnu Jayamohan, Nissan product planner responsible for the all-new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder. Host Jack Nerad tested the vehicle recently in the wilds of Montana, and he had the chance to interview Jayamohan in depth about the new SUV that can transport up to eight passengers, tow 6,000 pounds, and perform some off-road duties.

In the road test segment co-host Chris Teague will take a long look at the 2021 Mazda CX-30. Is it an SUV or a hot hatchback? Chris Teague will answer that question.

Also in the road test segment, Jack Nerad will review an under-sung member of the most popular segment in the American market, the 2021 Ford Escape compact utility.

The 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L is an all-new 7-passenger version of the storied SUV that has helped the Jeep brand achieve its unprecedented success. For our interview about the vehicle, host Jack Nerad traveled to Detroit for an early drive of the vehicle. There he spoke with vehicle line engineering head Tom Seel. In the dialogue, Seel reveals the innovative design and engineering that went into creating the all-new three-row Grand Cherokee L while retaining its Jeep-specific off-road abilities.

Host Jack Nerad just test-drove the 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L in Michigan and discussed the drive with vehicle line engineer Tom Seel.

The momentum continues to build for electric vehicles with General Motors expanding its multi-billion-dollar investment in EV and autonomous vehicle technology. But as guest co-host Geno Effler, who is J.D. Power director of corporate communications, noted, a high percentage of American consumers are still skeptical about the prospect of buying an EV for themselves. One of the biggest obstacles, Effler says, is electric vehicle pricing. Most often EVs command large premiums over similar-sized conventional vehicles with the same capabilities.

The hills above the Malibu, California, coast were the perfect place to test drive the all-new 2022 Volkswagen Taos small SUV.

In the road test segment, host Jack Nerad details the intricacies of the 2022 Volkswagen Taos, the European brand’s all-new subcompact crossover SUV. Though by some measures the Taos is small, it is big in the amount of technology it brings to the party. One example: properly equipped and in the right circumstances it can drive itself…as long as its driver continues to pay close attention to the process. J.D. Power’s Effler will give his perspective on the subcompact SUV market and insight into the continued escalation in new-vehicle prices that shows no sign of abating.

Do you have a car in your driveway that you don’t use much? You might want to think about selling it because, as we note in the news segment, the used-car market is so hot that a little-used car might give you a financial windfall.

Will new electric vehicles like Lucid Motors, Rivian, Canoo, and Lordstown Motors be able to find a market and be successful? Host Jack Nerad and guest host Geno Effler discuss that as well during their wide-ranging dialogue on the future of the industry also in the news.

The all-new 2022 Ford Maverick pickup truck is just one of several all-new vehicles we’ll discuss with you this week. We also have road tests of the all-new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder and the 2022 Acura MDX. If you care about crossover vehicles, and so many people do these days, we have the show for you this week.

In our interview segment, host Jack Nerad takes a deep dive into the all-new Ford Maverick with Todd Eckert, Ford marketing manager for trucks. Eckert describes how Ford crafted the small pickup truck from an existing platform while giving the vehicle a style and a personality all its own. With a base hybrid powertrain and a suggested list price under $20,000, the Maverick is expected to take the young, urban market by storm. Eckert will reveal how Ford was able to take months out of the vehicle’s development time while building in added features buyers are sure to like.

Before its official unveiling host Jack Nerad got a special sneak peek at the 2022 Ford Maverick where he shot this photo.

In the road test segment co-host Chris Teague packed his family into the new 2022 Acura MDX and wouldn’t let them out until they told him what they liked about it. Well, that wasn’t exactly his method but testing three-row vehicles with a real live family is a very good process. And Teague has some unexpected things to say about the vehicle.

Co-host Chris Teague put the all-new 2022 Acura MDX through his own special brand of vehicle testing.

Meanwhile host Jack Nerad had the chance to drive and rigorously test the highly anticipated 2022 Nissan Pathfinder in the wild country outside Missoula, Montana. With extensive opportunities to challenge the vehicle both on and off the road, Nerad learned the intricacies of the Pathfinder and discovered the secret ingredients that Nissan executives hope will restore the vehicle to the top echelon of midsize SUVs.

What are the best car deals this month? That’s one of the top stories in our news segment. And we also take a look at the revised 2022 Buick Enclave. General Motors has added new luxury to the vehicle, and we’ll give our opinion of the changes.

How do you like your SUV?  Big and bold like the 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV? Or a little more manageable like the all-new 2022 Hyundai Tucson? We have road tests of both for you this week in the latest episode of American the Road.

Co-host Chris Teague gave the brand-new Cadillac Escalade a thorough road test, aided by the stalwart work of his entire family. In their living laboratory that we call the state of Maine, he was able to put the huge and useful SUV through a series of tests that defy description.

Bigger than big, the Cadillac Escalade got a thorough road test in the rigorous landscape of late-Spring Maine.

At the other end of the continent, host Jack Nerad got an early drive in a variety of 2022 Hyundai Tucson models, including both normally aspirated and hybrid versions. The scene was the Sonoran desert surrounding Tucson, Arizona. (Figures, right?) And Nerad learned many new lessons about the larger, more accommodating SUV that has become Hyundai’s biggest-selling vehicle.

The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is roomier and better-looking than before, which should add to its popularity.

This week’s interview takes an inside look at how we buy our cars and how car-purchase can be improved in the future. Our guest is Alexi Venneri, co-founder and CEO of social media management firm Digital Air Strike. Her company has just purchased the consumer-facing car-buying site BestRide.com, and she’ll give us her insight on how consumers can best leverage all the information they can obtain online.

In the news, we take a long look at how Jaguar has re-positioned one of our favorite cars, the 2022 Jaguar F-Type, for future success. And we’ll look at an Experian study that reveals who is buying cars and who isn’t.

Hyundai wants to change the world with the 2022 IONIQ5 battery-electric SUV, and we were invited to view the vehicle’s North American debut as Hyundai prepares to put the vehicle on sale this summer. Host Jack Nerad participated in the post-introduction press conference, and in this episode of AOTR he discusses what he learned. One thing Hyundai wants to do with the IONIQ5 is to answer the major consumer objections to buying a battery-electric, and the biggest one is range anxiety. The IOINIQ5 has state-of-the-art fast-charging capability and up to 300 miles of range in American-spec form, which should answer some of the issues. And Hyundai has a fascinating try-it-before-you-buy-it program that could take the worry out of making the plunge into EVs.

2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4xe can take on mud and muck with electric power.

In the road test segment, co-host Chris Teague discovered how the all-new Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid fared when taking on the mud and muck of Maine in May. He put it to family transport duty as well. And host Jack Nerad relates his experiences in driving the vehicle on a rock-crawling expedition outside Austin, Texas, a little earlier this year. Is the Wrangler 4xe a vehicle that can tempt the Teague family to leave their Subaru?

With 475 horsepower the Durango SRT 392 proved to be a great vehicle to pick up to-go fried chicken...and to do everything else.

In his road test, Jack Nerad found the simple pleasures of horsepower as he drove the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT 392. While most midsize SUVs are known much more for their people-hauling abilities than their fun-to-drive nature, the SRT 392 offers both. In many ways, it is a tall musclecar. But it also has three rows of seats and can tow and haul a remarkable amount of stuff. Nerad might never give it back.

Check out our review of the Jeep Wrangler