The hosts open the show by discussing Tom's new refrigerator, and his inability to keep Subaru's suite of new electric vehicles straight. Jill agrees to help him remember the names of the Subaru EVs.

Jill and Tom go on to cover a number of news items, including the discontinuation of the Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover, Chinese vehicles being built in Austria, and Kia's plan to build a midsize EV in American by the 2030 model year.

In related news, a listener from New Zealand checks in to let the hosts know that he owns a Chinese-built Leapmotor EV (discussed last episode) and is very happy with it.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the all-new Jeep Cherokee.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Alex Knizek, Director of Auto Test Development at Consumer Reports, to the Car Stuff Podcast. Alex describes the process by which Consumer Reports evaluates new vehicles, and walks the hosts through the outfit's 2026 Top Picks list.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom's "Dead Brand" quiz. Listen in to hear how she scored.

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Tom opens the show with news regarding Stellantis' joint venture with China's Leapmotor. Stellantis currently distributes Chinese Leapmotor-built electric vehicles in Europe, and may be looking to build Leapmotor models in its idle Brampton, Ontario factory. Listen in for more details.

Jill gives a quick rundown of the new-product reveals seen at this week's New York Auto Show. A number of noteworthy introductions are covered, including models and concepts from Chrysler, Hyundai, Kia, and Subaru.

Still in the first segment Jill reviews the redesigned Toyota RAV4, which is now offered exclusively with a hybrid powertrain. With gas prices rising, will the RAV4 Hybrid be in especially high demand?

In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome James Bell, Kia Head of Corporate Communications, to the show. James discusses the new Kia products seen at the New York Auto Show, as well as the redesigned Telluride midsize crossover. James also shares some insights regarding Kia's sales success in the U.S.

In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom's "Muscle Car Engine" quiz. Jill also discusses in-depth the Hyundai Boulder off-road concept vehicle seen at the New York Show. Tom has some doubts about the show car's viability as a production model.

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The hosts open the show noting that the power-seat recall affecting the Hyundai Palisade has expanded to include the mechanically similar Kia Telluride. Listen in for details.

As predicted in a previous episode, Tom shares news of the dissolution of the Afeela electric-vehicle brand. Afeela was a Honda/Sony joint venture nearing production of a premium midsize sedan built in the U.S.

Tom also discussed the potential impact of E15 fuel, which has been federally approved for national distribution. E15 gasoline has 5 percent more ethanol content than E10, the latter of which is common in most states. The blended fuel may help lower gasoline pump prices, but has its downsides.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the Mercedes-Benz GLE450 midsize crossover. Listen in for her review.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Matthew Valbuena to the show. Mathew is Mazda Project Manager of In-Vehicle Technology, and shares with the hosts a number of connectivity features found on the all-new 2026 CX-5 small crossover.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom's "CVT or Automatic" quiz, featuring a bonus question about radishes.

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Jill opens this week's show with a correction. Listen in for her begrudging mea culpa. The hosts go on to discuss briefly Tom's time in the Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD. Toms's review of the car is live now on ConsumerGuide.com.

Tom shares a few details of the coming redesigned Lexus ES midsize sedan. New for 2026 is an EV variant of the popular model, while other examples of the ES will be hybrid only. Listen in for details.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the Toyota Crown Signia. Both hosts are fans of the wagon-like midsize car, but agree that it may be slightly over promoted as a luxury vehicle.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Jamie Butters of the Butters Bureau LLC to the show. Jamie shares his take on how the Iran conflict will impact U.S. auto sales. Jamie also talks about Toyota's counterintuitive move deeper into EV sales at a time the rest of the industry is recoiling. Listen in for details.

In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom's "It's a Fact!" quiz, after which Tom shares some interesting Porsche sales statistics.

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Jill and Tom open the show again sharing word of electric-vehicle cancellations. This time EVs from Honda and Volvo are being dropped.

Tom discusses a new Texas DMV law which makes it difficult for undocumented shoppers to register a new or used vehicle. Though the regulations are relatively new, some area dealers are reporting small but measurable downturns in sales.

Tom notes having recently reviewed the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Limited, which was priced at $40,000. Tom made the point that in an era of $50,000-60,000 midsize crossovers, a midsize sedan--especially in hybrid trim--might make a lot of sense.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the subcompact Audi Q3 crossover. The price-leading Audi has been redesigned for 2026, and features updated connectivity features, more power, and tweaked styling. Listen in for Jill's complete review.

In the second segment, the hosts welcome Sean Tucker of Autotrader to the show. Sean talked about the volatility in the new- and used-car marketplace, but suggested that, despite economic uncertainty, this may be a good time to make a vehicle purchase. Listen in for details.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom's "100,000" quiz. Jill also shared news of an important Hyundai recall involving faulty 2nd-row seat sensors in the Palisade midsize crossover which my fail to detect the presence of a person in the path of seat travel. One death has been attributed to this defect.

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Jill and Tom open the show discussing the sudden resignation of Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell. Tom thinks Feuell's departure prefaces the end of the Chrysler brand. Jill is not so sure. Listen in for details.

The hosts go on to share news of two car models that will disappear after the 2026 model year. One is no surprise, the other a little bit sad.

Still in the first segment, Jill and Tom review the 2026 Mazda CX-70 midsize crossover. The hosts have driven a lot of similar-size crossovers recently, listen in to hear how this big Mazda compares.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome veteran auto writer Gary Witzenburg to the the podcast. Garry's new book Legends in Motion is a collection of the author's favorite reviews and stories written over the past four decades of his career. From the book, Gary shares details of the Cadillac Allanté Air Bridge, and the legendary Cannonball Rally.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom's "Just a Gosh Darn Minute" quiz.

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Jill is back in the co-host seat this week, having spent some time in Canada intentionally driving Volvo vehicles in snow and on ice.

Tom opens the show with a mea culpa. Listen in to see what he got wrong last week.

The hosts discuss a number of news items, including some reported delays in the delivery of Tesla's newly discounted Cybertruck, Lamborghini backing away from electric vehicles, and the proposed Jay Leno Law. Listen in for the whole story.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews Toyota's new bZ Woodland, an electric vehicle with an off-road vibe.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom are joined by Ken Chester, host of the Tech Mobility Podcast. Ken share his take on the the next stages of automotive computerization, and what, exactly, is meant by "software-defined vehicle." It's a good conversation.

In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom's "Model Year 2020" quiz. Listen in and try to beat Jill's score.

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Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. Brendan and Tom open the show talking about the changing character of car engines, and how small turbocharged examples lack the character—especially exhaust note—of older, larger engines.

Tom shares news regarding deep price cuts on the Tesla Cybertruck. Per Elon Musk, the new, cheaper Tesla pickup may not be available for long, so interested shoppers may want to act quickly. Brendan and Tom discuss what the price adjustment might mean for the resale value of existing examples of the controversially designed pickup truck.

Still in the first segment, Tom reviews the 3-row Lexus TX luxury crossover. Listen in for his take.

In the second segment Brendan and Tom welcome Zack Pradel of Shooting Cars to the show. Zack is just back from Japan where he drove a number of the country’s “kei” micro cars. As it has been suggested that kei cars could be the answer to rising new-car sticker prices in the U.S., Zack’s take on these tiny vehicles is especially interesting.

In the last segment Zack joins Brendan for this week's quiz. The show wraps up with a quick look at the current Polestar model lineup.

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No donuts today as Jill isn't feeling well (listen to her voice) and Tom says he's on a diet. The hosts open the show by discussing big Toyota news: The Highlander is going EV only for 2027. Listen in for Jill and Tom's take on this announcement. Also discussed is Jeep's new lower-cost V8 Wrangler model.

Next, Tom shares a brief take on the very-affordable Chevrolet Trax in topline Activ trim. Should entry-level shoppers take a look at Chevy's least-expensive model? Listen in.

Still in the first segment, the hosts co-review the sporty Alfa Romeo Stelvio Intensa small crossover. Jill and Tom agree that there is a lot here to like here, though the very-engaging Italian model is not without its compromises.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom are joined by Evan Frank, Seat Engineering Manager for Nissan. Evan explains why denim especially is so tough on car and truck seats, and how Infiniti has been using a jeans-clad robot to test vehicle seats for long-term wear resistance. It's a great conversation.

In the final segment, Jill is subjected to Tom's "Even More Spelling" quiz, plus, the duo discusses Cadillac's surprising commitment to electric vehicles, and a North American Car of the Year/Society of Automotive Engineers-sponsored scholarship program. Listen in for details.

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Jim Obrill of the Chicago Auto Show drops by for a quick update on the show. The show includes a number of surprise displays including the $400,000 Cadillac Celestiq electric sedan.

Tom owns up to an error in last week's show, listen in to find out what he got wrong.

Jill and Tom continue to share several news items, including the return of the rugged Nissan Xterra SUV.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the all-new 2026 Subaru Outback. Tom laments the passing of the Outback’s traditional station-wagon design; however, Jill's take is overwhelmingly positive. Listen for details.

In the second segment, the hosts are joined by Mark LaNeve, Partner at Franchise Equity Partners. Mark walks Jill and Tom through the auto-dealership acquisition process, and explains how dealer principals fund growth, and new sales point purchases.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Was it a Pickup” quiz, and Tom talks about his daughter’s recent new-car purchase.

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