Wrenched. Then Driven.

Modern cars are smoother, quieter, safer, and easier to drive than ever before. But in the process, many of them also feel less mechanical than the vehicles that came before them.

From EV throttle tuning to brake-by-wire systems, regenerative braking, adaptive suspensions, lane-centering assists, and software-shaped driving behavior, modern vehicles increasingly filter the driving experience before it reaches the driver.

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Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

Modern traffic feels different than it did twenty or thirty years ago, but not necessarily because people changed.

Today's vehicles accelerate more quickly, respond more immediately, and make performance accessible in ways that were once reserved for sports cars and exotics. EVs are certainly part of that story, but they're not the whole story. Modern family sedans, SUVs, pickups, hybrids, and EVs have all become remarkably quick.

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Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

Manual transmissions used to have practical advantages. They could be cheaper, more efficient, and give the driver more control than the automatics of their time.

That changed.

Modern automatics are faster, easier to integrate with driver-assistance systems, and increasingly better suited to the way modern cars manage their powertrains. EVs take the argument even further by often eliminating the need for a traditional multi-speed transmission altogether.

So why do some of us still want a manual?

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Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

Your navigation app says you'll save four minutes, but now everyone has ended up taking the same exit. 

Every driver has experienced it. Traffic slows, your navigation suddenly says, "Save 4 minutes. Exit now." You follow the reroute... only to find the exit ramp packed with the same traffic you were trying to avoid.
So what happened?

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

Tesla didn't invent the touchscreen, over-the-air updates, driver assistance, or the electric car. But Tesla changed what buyers expected from all of them—and forced every automaker to respond.

From the giant screen in a Ram 1500 to the way a Porsche Macan Electric drives and charges, Tesla's influence now shows up in cars that aren't Teslas at all.

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

I thought buying an electric car meant I had answered the question for good. More than a decade later, there is a gasoline car sitting in my garage again.

But I didn't go back because electric cars failed me. I still like EVs. What changed was the way I think about the choice itself.

I look at why I returned to a gasoline car, what I learned from owning EVs, and why the better question may not be whether electric or gasoline is best—but better for what, and for whom?

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

EVs keep getting more range. 300 miles became 350. Then 400. And eventually, 500-mile EVs may become commonplace.

But how much range is actually enough?

More range clearly matters for towing, cold weather, road trips, and places where charging is still sparse. But as batteries get larger, something else changes: most drivers will rarely use all of that available range.

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

A lot of people end up buying chargers they don’t need, oversizing circuits, or paying for upgrades that don’t make their car charge any faster. 

This is a practical, real-world guide to fast, safe, and cost-effective home EV charging — without unnecessary upgrades.

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

Pickup trucks are some of the most popular vehicles in America, even though many of us rarely use all of the capability we're buying.

So why haven't electric trucks been a bigger success?

The answer may have less to do with horsepower, torque or even range than with why people buy trucks in the first place.

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com

What actually happens when an EV dies?

Running completely out of charge is one possibility. But an EV can also have hundreds of miles of range remaining and still refuse to move. Sometimes the problem is a small 12-volt battery. Other failures can leave the car unable to drive while still having enough stored energy to keep the cabin comfortable for hours.

And that raises a bigger question: does a dead EV really leave you any more helpless than a modern gas car?

Send us Fan Mail

Wrenched. Then Driven. is the companion podcast to Wrench & Reason on YouTube.

Enjoyed the show? Follow Wrenched. Then Driven. so you don’t miss the next episode.

And if you know someone else who enjoys thinking about cars the way we do, send them a link and bring them along.

Want more? Wrench & Reason is our YouTube channel, with videos about cars, driving, technology, and what modern car ownership is actually like.

Watch on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@WrenchReasonCarsExplained

Or find everything at:
https://www.wrenchandreason.com