Car Stuff Podcast

Jill is out this week driving electric Chevys. In her place are both Sons of Speed, Paul Herrold and Brendan Appel. The conversation opened with Tom noting Jill’s dismay regarding Chevy’s decision to drop Apple CarPlay connectivity from coming EV products. Brendan echoed Jill's sentiment, noting that the move would likely alienate a certain number of consumers.


Paul shared his take on the recent NHRA Nationals event at Route 66 Raceway in Elwood, Illinois. He described the sound--and the palpable engine pounding--that defines an NHRA event. Paul recommends making use of the free earplugs.

Paul and Brendan discussed a new review video available on TikTok. The guys recently posted a quick overview of the Genesis G70 small sedan. Brendan applauded the car’s excellent steering feel, among other virtues.

Tom shared his impressions of the Volvo S90 Recharge plug-in hybrid sedan he recently reviewed. Tom’s impressions are mostly favorable, but the car is far from perfect. Still, it looks great.

In the second segment the crew welcome Kirk Bell of Motor Authority to the show. Kirk shared his insights regarding the state of the super-car market, and what it is that defines a vehicle as a super car. Kirk also discussed his take on the electrification of high-performance vehicles.

It the third segment Paul and Brendan are subjected to Tom’s “Still Stick?” quiz. The crew went on to discuss recent EV sales numbers, noting that though Tesla sales are in steep decline, the pioneering electric-car maker still dominates the North American market. That said, Ford’s recent EV sales improvement should be recognized.

Note: Links to all of these reviews and articles can be found on the Car Stuff Podcast Facebook page, and at Consumerguide.com.

Jill and Tom opened this week’s show by bidding farewell to the Chevrolet Malibu. The long-running midsize model, available only as a sedan in recent years, is being discontinued by General Motors to make production space for an all-new Chevrolet Bolt EV.

The hosts also expressed their confusion regarding Tesla’s recent dismissal of the company’s charging-network staff. Tom commented on a rumor that Tesla may be positioning the charging division for a possible spinoff.

Still in the first segment, Jill shares her impressions of the updated Subaru Forester, which features freshened styling, upgraded cabin appointments, and improved connectivity. The 2025 Forester goes on sale soon.

In the second segment the hosts welcome Christian Appel of Nikola to the program. The Global Head of Product and Programs at Nikola, Christian talked about the company’s new hydrogen fueling stations, its current fuel-cell and electric trucks, and future plans for the zero-emissions vehicle manufacturer.

In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Is it a Pontiac?” quiz, and the hosts chatted briefly about the ongoing Nissan-product fire sale, which includes massive incentives on popular models.

Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. The hosts opened the show talking about the Genesis G70 small sedan which Paul is currently evaluating. He is generally pleased with the vehicle, which is popularly considered an alternative to the BMW 3-Series.

The hosts went on to discuss new—and needed—federal guidelines for Emergency Automatic Braking systems, which all vehicles will be required to be equipped with for the 2029 model year. There is currently a confusing array of systems offered, with varying degrees of functionality.

Still in the first segment Tom had Paul guess which small crossovers were voted most popular in a recent series of Twitter/X polls. Listen in to hear how Paul did.

In the second segment Paul and Tom welcome Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast Solutions back to the show. After talking about the recent uptick in hybrid sales, Sam explained the significance of a recent deal forged between Stellantis and Chinese EV start-up Leapmotors. Sam also explained why carmakers and trade wonks are so concerned about Chinese auto-related manufacturing in Mexico, and the potential impact of cars such as the $10,000 BYD Seagull on the U.S EV market.

In the last segment Paul is subjected to Tom’s “Fake Trim Level” quiz, after which the hosts discussed the new Chevrolet Blazer EV PPV police vehicle.

In this special crossover episode of the Car Stuff Podcast, Tom rides along with Robert Colangelo of the Green Sense Show to experience Tesla's much-discussed and controversially marketed Full Self Driving (FSD) hands-free driving system.

Robert and Tom drive through occasionally heavy traffic on the ground streets near Chicago's Midway Airport. Listen in for Robert's and Tom's impressions of the system which Tesla owners can subscribe to for $99 a month.

Jill and Tom are in studio together this week. The hosts opened the show discussing a couple of polls Tom conducted on “X.” One poll asked folks to pick their favorite album for a long evening drive, while the other tested respondent’s willingness to pay for extra EV range. Still in the first segment, Jill shared her impressions of the very-affordable Nissan Versa small sedan.

In the second segment Jill and Tom are joined by John Vincent, Senior Editor for Vehicle Testing with U.S. News and World Report. John discussed the organization’s Best EV and Hybrid list, and Best Family Car list. John also shared his driving impressions of the Fisker Ocean crossover EV.

In the third segment Jill and Tom reacquaint themselves with the Lexus NX lineup, which is comprised of a confusing array of alphanumeric trim levels, which neither host could completely remember. Jill was then subjected to Tom’s “Regular or Premium Gas” quiz. The hosts wrapped up the show discussing the demise of the Mini Cooper Clubman small wagon.

Jill is back in studio this week. The hosts opened the show discussing hands-free driving systems, with Tom sharing impressions of both the Lincoln Blue Cruise 1.2 system found in the Nautilus he is evaluating this week, and the Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) system as found in the Model Y small crossover.

Tom also briefly reviewed the Tesla Model Y, which he was generally very impressed with. That said, Tom was surprised by how small the Model Y is—listen in for his complete summary.

In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome Jamie Butters, Executive Editor of Automotive News, to the show. Jamie explained why the staff of Automotive News no longer considers Tesla a luxury brand. Jamie also shared his thoughts on the recent Tesla sales slowdown, and the UAW vote at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga factory.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom’s “EV Sales” quiz. Jill also discussed an unusual meal she enjoyed at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. The hosts covered a number of topics in the first segment, including the news that General Motors will be moving out of the Renaissance Center—which it has occupied since 1996—for a new building in Downtown Detroit. Brendan and Tom also discussed the origin of Alfa Romeo’s Verde Montreal color, which turns out to be an homage to an historic brand offering.

Still in the first segment, Tom lamented the challenge of dealing with “inherited music,” a song which starts from the middle when the car is started. Brendan will restart a song if it is worthy, while Tom, as it turns out, always advances to the next song.

Brendan went on to share his impressions of the new-for-2024 Toyota Tacoma, noting that even lower trim-level versions of Toyota’s midsize pickup perform well in off-road driving. Brendan discussed the finer points of the redesign, including the move to a coil-spring rear suspension, and small turbocharged engines.

In the second segment Brendan and Tom talk to the folks at Goodyear about electric-vehicle tires. Joining the crew are David Zanig, Goodyear’s Senior Director of Tire Technology, and Brad Heim, Vice President for Product Development. Listen in to learn why EV tires are different from those found on conventional vehicles.

In the last segment Brendan is subjected to Tom’s “Which Sold Better” quiz. Brendan wrapped up the show discussing dash-cam use, and the terrible driving he witnessed on a recent road trip.

Jill and Tom talked briefly about the eclipse that was taking place during the recording of this week’s episode. The conversation turned to the news that Tesla will not be producing the long-promised Model 2, a small electric vehicle with a base price of around $25,000. In other news, the hosts discussed the sudden decline in large pickup-truck sales, a thing which Jill believes is temporary, and not a harbinger of economic weakness.

Jill shared her impressions of the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, a vehicle which the hosts agree is best suited for performance-loving extroverts. Jill noted that the Stelvio is very fast, and that the Verde Montreal (green) color of her test car is not for the faint of heart.

In the second segment Tom and Jill welcome Greg Clark, Vice President of Ineos Automotive of the Americas to the show. Greg talked about the Ineos Grenadier, an off-road SUV, which is now on sale in the States. The Grenadier was designed to be an homage to the original Land Rover Defender, and is built for severe rock-crawling activity.

Greg talked about the process by which Ineos was able to bring a vehicle to market in less than three years. Greg also discussed the Ineos Quartermaster, a Grenadier-based pickup truck arriving in Ineos dealerships later this year.

In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Mitsubishi or Golf Club” quiz. Jill’s quiz winning streak may be in jeopardy. After the Quiz Tom talked about the 2024 GMC Sierra AT4X he is currently driving. Tom is generally impressed, and had a few things to say about the diesel engine his truck is equipped with.

Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the Fisker Ocean fire sale designed to raise quick capital for the fledgling EV carmaker. Fisker has cut the price on most Ocean models by as much as 40 percent, in a desperate bid to raise cash. Listen in for more details. Tom let Jill know that—despite not having driven stick in more than a year—he has not stalled his test 2024 Ford Mustang GT, unless you count a single backing-up incident. Tom also shares his thoughts on Ford’s latest pony car.

Still in the first segment, the hosts recapped the news from the New York Auto Show. Highlights including news from Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Nissan.

In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome Andew Collins of The Drive to the show. Andrew provides a primer on the automotive-recall process, and talked about the ongoing Takata airbag recall, including updates on that situation.

In the third segment, Tom is—for the first time ever—subjected to Jill’s April Fools Day-themed fake automotive-feature Quiz. Did Tom pass? Listen in. Jill wrapped up the show with a brief review of the Kia EV9 3-row electric crossover.

Jill and Tom opened a topic-packed show by acknowledging carmaker Fisker’s grim fiscal situation. The once-promising EV start-up has broken off collaboration talks with Nissan, and seems doomed to enter bankruptcy. The hosts then chatted briefly about Cupra, a spin-off of Volkswagen’s Spanish brand Seat. Talk is that the Cupra brand will come to the U.S. before the end of the decade with a duo of small crossovers and a small sports car. The vehicles will likely be produced by VW in the U.S.

Still in the first segment, Jill shared quick reviews of the redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe, and the updated Ford Ranger.


In the second segment Jill and Tom are joined by pet expert and radio host Steve Dale (SteveDale.TV) to talk about traveling with cats and dogs. Steve shared plenty of information about taking your pet on a plane, or bringing it along for extended car rides. Steve also shared a few tips on how to get the most from airport lounge buffets.


In the last segment Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Is it Real” fake-model quiz, after which Tom talked about his new review of the 2024 Subaru Outback Touring XT. Oh, and the quiz bonus question includes Uhura.