Joining Alan today is Karl Brauer, an Automotive Industry Analyst, Forbes Autos Contributor, North American Car and Truck of the Year juror, board member, and Executive Analyst for ISeeCars.com. The good news is that the strike is over, and workers will now receive a 25% pay raise, lots of incentives, reduced time for tier advancements, and access to working in the battery plants. However, Toyota sales are not going well, as EV cars are taking longer to sell. Elon Musk started dropping prices, forcing other players to lower theirs. This strategy of “pulling sales forward” is like taking three months of organic purchasing and crunching them all in two weeks by lowering the price, but it can result in not having anything to sell for the next two months. Significant cuts in the production of new plants to produce batteries and cars have also been made.

The latest study from iSeeCars is about “Retained Value,” which essentially means what a car is worth five years later. The average car retains around 61.2% of its value, which is excellent for consumers. To see the complete list of top 25 cars that retain their value, (see link below). The top 10 cars that hold their value the most are Porsche 911, Porsche 718, Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Wrangler & Unlimited, Honda Civic, Subaru BRZ, Chevrolet Camaro, Toyota CHR, Subaru Crosstrek, and Toyota Corolla Sedan. On the other hand, the top 10 cars that didn’t hold their value so well are all luxury cars, namely Maserati Quattroporte, BMW 7 series, Maserati Ghibli, BMW 5 Series Sedan Hybrid, Cadillac Escalade ESV, BMW X5, Infiniti QX80, Maserati Levante, Jaguar XF, and Audi A7.

Alan talks about his GT 500 Mustang that he purchased and inquires about the 2024 Mustang. It turns out that it’s not all new, as they’ve only tweaked the suspension while using the same platform. Karl drove the six-cylinder convertible Mustang, which had a nice drive with 315 horsepower. He enjoyed driving it as it was nicely equipped.

Coming up next is George Kennedy III, the co-founder of Cartender.com and Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association. He is a contributor to U.S. News & World Report, CarGurus, Forbes Wheels, and also writes for The Drive. In a recent segment, George and Alan discussed the 2024 Audi RS E-Tron-GT, a sharp-looking, sharp-handling performance electric car that is hotter than hot.

The standard GT is priced around $105K, and the cost is naturally higher based on performance. Alan mentioned that with the Dodge Demon 170, which has 1020 horsepower and good fuel economy, the internal combustion engine has reached its limit. George was impressed by the presence of the Audi car, which is a blast to drive. It is a top-of-the-line car with 637 horsepower, 4-wheel steering, and can go from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds.

George also drove the 2024 Honda Civic Type R, which he found fantastic. It is more focused, with a turbocharged inline-four engine that produces 315 horsepower and a 6-speed manual transmission. It is a refined yet punchy daily driver, and a reliable vehicle that comes with a factory-backed warranty.

Lauren Fix, Editor-in-Chief for Car Coach Reports, discusses a concerning issue about the amount of data that cars are collecting about their drivers. According to her, car manufacturers such as Nissan and Kia have been collecting personal information, including sexual activity, politics, race, and religion, and selling it to third parties. Even when you plug your phone into your car, they collect data from it. Mozilla Foundation is one of the organizations responsible for this. Lauren also sheds light on the 2026 kill switch mandate, where cars will scan drivers’ eyes or as you push the start button detect if they have consumed alcohol or any other substance,