America on the Road Dec 27, 2025

2025 Subaru Impreza RS: Who Says Affordable Can’t be Fun?

Annotations will appear as you listen

0:00

44:13

Car

Toyota Highlander

The Toyota Highlander is a family-friendly SUV that has lots of room for passengers and cargo. It's great for road trips and everyday use.

Car

autonomous vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are cars that can drive themselves without needing a person to control them. They use technology like cameras and sensors to see and understand their surroundings.

Car

Hyundai Elantra N TCR

The Hyundai Elantra N TCR is a special version of the Elantra made for racing. It's built to be fast and handle well on the track, which is why it's used in racing competitions.

Term

Gran Turismo 7

Gran Turismo 7 is a racing video game where players can drive different cars and compete in races. It's known for its realistic graphics and driving experience.

Car

Toyota 4Runner

The Toyota 4Runner Limited is a type of SUV that can handle rough terrains and is designed for outdoor adventures. The 2026 version has a new hybrid engine that helps save fuel.

Car

Subaru Impreza

The Subaru Impreza RS is a sportier version of the regular Impreza car. It has features that make it fun to drive and is great for handling different weather conditions.

Car

Toyota And Toyota

The Toyota Land Cruiser is a big, tough SUV that can handle rough roads and off-road adventures. People like it because it's built to last a long time.

Car

Volkswagen Id Buzz

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a new electric van that looks like the old VW buses but is made with new technology. It's part of Volkswagen's plan to make more electric cars.

Term

electric vehicle

An electric vehicle is a type of car that runs on electricity instead of gas. They are better for the environment because they produce no exhaust fumes.

Car

Volkswagen Type 2

The Volkswagen Type 2 is an old model of van that many people loved in the past. It's famous for its unique shape and was often used for road trips and camping.

Car

Volkswagen Jetta

The Volkswagen Jetta is a small car that's easy to drive and often chosen by college students because it's affordable and reliable.

Term

wheelbase

Wheelbase is the distance between the front and back wheels of a car. It helps determine how stable the car is when driving.

Car

Ford Lightning

The Ford Lightning is a fast version of the regular Ford F-150 truck. It has a powerful engine that makes it quicker and more fun to drive than a typical truck.

Car

Ford F150 Lighting

The Ford F-150 Lightning is a special electric truck from Ford. It's designed to be powerful and useful like regular trucks but runs on electricity instead of gasoline.

Term

price

Price is how much money you need to buy a car. It can change based on different features or options you choose.

Brand

Stellantis

Stellantis is a big car company that makes many different brands of vehicles. It was created when two companies, Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group, combined their businesses.

Concept

simulator

A simulator is a machine or software that helps people practice driving cars. It tries to make the experience feel like real driving, so racers can improve their skills without being on a real track.

Car

Hyundai i20 N

The Hyundai i20 N is a sportier version of the regular i20 car. It has a stronger engine and better handling, making it more fun to drive.

Term

horsepower

Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. The more horsepower an engine has, the faster and stronger it can make a vehicle go.

Term

torque

Torque measures how strong an engine is at turning things, like the wheels of a car. Higher torque means better acceleration and the ability to pull heavier loads.

Term

eight-speed automatic transmission

An eight-speed automatic transmission is a system that helps the car change gears automatically. It makes driving smoother and can save fuel.

Term

hybrid

A hybrid car uses both a gas engine and an electric motor to run. This can help save gas and reduce pollution, but it also means there are more parts that could potentially break down.

Car

Land Rover Defender

The Land Rover Defender is a very tough vehicle made for off-roading. It's designed to drive over rough ground and is popular among people who like adventures.

Term

fuel economy

Fuel economy tells you how far a car can go on a certain amount of fuel. It's usually shown as miles per gallon, meaning how many miles you can drive with one gallon of gas.

Term

Android Auto

Android Auto is a way to connect your Android phone to your car's screen, letting you use apps for navigation and music while driving.

Term

Apple CarPlay

Apple CarPlay lets you use your iPhone in the car by connecting it to the car's screen. You can use apps for navigation and music without having to look at your phone.

Term

infotainment system

The infotainment system is the car's computer that controls music, navigation, and other features. It usually has a touchscreen for easy use.

Term

Toyota Safety Sense

Toyota Safety Sense is a package of safety features that help keep you safe while driving. It includes things like alerts for when you're too close to another car and helps you stay in your lane.

Term

blind spot monitoring

Blind spot monitoring is a system that helps you see cars that are in areas you can't easily check while driving. It warns you if there's a car in your blind spot when you try to change lanes.

Car

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is a small car that's very popular because it's easy to drive and doesn't cost much to keep running. Many people choose it because it's dependable and gets good gas mileage.

Car

Nissan Sentra

The Nissan Sentra is a small car that's comfortable to drive and has useful features. It's similar to the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Car

Honda Civic Type-R

The Honda Civic Type-R is a sportier version of the regular Civic, made to be faster and more fun to drive. It's popular among people who like performance cars.

Car

Porsche 917

The Porsche 917 is a super-fast race car that won many big races. It's famous for being really well-made and looking cool.

Car

Ferrari 512

The Ferrari 512 M is a fast race car from the 1970s that was built to compete in big races. It's famous for being very powerful and competing against other legendary cars.

Car

General Motors Ev1

The General Motors EV1 was an early electric car made in the 1990s. It was important because it helped start the idea of electric cars we see today.

Car

Datsun 510

The Datsun 510 is a small, affordable car from the late 60s and early 70s that many people loved for how well it drove. It's still popular today among car fans.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

The Chevrolet Camaro is a sporty car that looks cool and goes fast. It's been around for a long time and is known for racing and fun driving.

Car

Chevrolet Corvettes

The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people love. Some special versions are made for racing and have a unique look.

Car

Ford GT

The Ford GT is a really fast and fancy car that Ford made for racing. It's known for its cool looks and high speed.

Car

Delorean DMC-12

The DeLorean DMC-12 is a special car that has doors that open up like wings. It's famous because it was in a popular movie about time travel.

LIVE

This is America on the Road, named best radio show by the International Automotive Media Conference,

and now in its 33rd year on the air.

Thanks for being with us as we bring you the latest automotive information from around

the world.

I'm Jack Nehrad.

With me is co-host Chris Teague.

Chris, I know you're an accomplished chef.

I always love talking about food with you.

Tell us about Christmas dinner.

We got pretty lazy this year, Jack.

Fondue, which takes a little bit of work, but most of the work is done with raw vegetables

and salamis, so I'm taking the easy way out.

I like a fondue.

Plenty of automotive news to talk about this week.

Toyota has announced plans to export the US-built Camry, Highlander and Tundra to Japan starting

next year.

Volkswagen, as we talked about last week, is halting US sales of the quirky ID

Buzz Electric Minivan, cooling demand there, expired tax credits, of course.

Ford has halted the production, or will halt the production of its F-150 Lightning pickup

truck going to a hybrid or range-extended version of that.

Elon Musk has having a good payday, $139 billion Tesla pay package is back reinstated

after a Delaware Supreme Court ruling that boosts his wealth to something like $749 billion.

Waymo has resumed driverless robo-taxi service in San Francisco after a power outage exposed

infrastructure vulnerabilities to autonomous vehicles.

All you gamers out there, Hyundai's championship-winning Elantra NTCR race car is set to join Gran Turismo

7 next month, and this marks the brand's end brand's 10th anniversary in virtual racing.

Hey, are you a gamer?

Do you play racing games?

I have been known to play some Gran Turismo 7 in the past, haven't in quite a while

though, but it's a fantastic racing game.

Yeah, I bet it's cool.

I'm a little old for that, I guess, but I should get into that, I think.

Merigun the Road is brought to you by drivingtoday.com, the publisher of my latest book, Only

One Thing Stays the Same, and Mercury Insurance.

If you're looking to save some money, you should switch to Mercury for your auto and

home insurance.

California saved an average of $670 with Mercury, so imagine how much you could save.

You get a quote today at drivingtoday.com slash auto insurance.

That's drivingtoday.com slash auto hyphen insurance.

What is your test vehicle this week, Chris?

I spent the week driving the 2026 Toyota 4Runner Limited with the new hybrid powertrain, and

I can't wait to tell you all about it.

My test vehicle is the Subaru Impreza RS, so stay with us for that, and we'll be right

back right here on America on the Road.

Welcome back, everybody, to America on the Road with Chris T. Jacky Redback with you.

We're so glad you're with us on this post-Christmas show, and we're coming

up on a new year, Chris.

It's crazy.

A lot of automotive news.

This is one I'm really kind of want your opinion on.

Toyota has announced it's going to sell some US-built models in Japan.

Those are going to start right after the first of the year.

They're going to sell the Camry sedan, the Highlander SUV, and the Tundra full-size

pickup truck in the Japanese market.

One's produced in Kentucky.

There's an Indiana vehicle, and another one I think the Tundra is built in Texas.

So that's kind of cool.

This certainly is the result of some trade negotiations.

What did you take on this?

Well, two things.

First, I think it'll be really interesting to see a Toyota Tundra try to make its way

through Tokyo at any point during the day.

But second, I think Toyota, interestingly, has been one of the automakers that's

more willing to play ball with President Trump.

You saw the CEO coming out with his Make America Great again hat on, and they've

been really willing to jump in and negotiate.

So I guess good for them, and they're kind of taking the steps they need to

to stay in business, so that's the way I see it.

Yeah, I think the U.S. market is so important to Toyota, and Toyota is smart

about the U.S. market.

Certainly, they have been a major part of U.S.

manufacturing for years and decades, and multiple plants here, so that's cool.

And I think it's neat that they're taking some of this high quality

stuff built by U.S. workers and sending it to Japan.

Like you say, I'm curious to see how a full-sized pickup truck

is going to operate in Japan, but maybe.

And I think maybe this is more of a gesture than anything else, but I think

it's a good gesture, and I'm in favor of it.

It's pretty cool stuff.

This is one that maybe this, pushing the pause button on the ID buzz sales,

Volkswagen doing that in the United States, kind of took me by surprise

a little bit just because Volkswagen has been so adamant and such

a big booster of the ID buzz, and it has gotten immense amounts of great

press for them.

It just hasn't gotten immense amounts of sales for them yet.

What's your take on all this?

The Volkswagen van has always been a niche product, and that kind of

comes with some cost limitations of what you can actually charge

and get away with selling it.

And I think their problem is that it landed both in the niche

corner of the market and with a high price tag.

So, you know, $70,000 for a Volkswagen van or any van is a big ask.

So I think that's been their problem.

I like the ID buzz.

I agree with most of the press that's out there.

I just think that they couldn't find a market for it.

Yeah, I think the prices are what it's all about here.

Price and the fact that it's an electric vehicle.

I think this would be cool as the former owner of a type two that the

Volkswagen micro bus kind of variant that I drove in college.

And I think you're kind of forced to drive a Volkswagen sometime

in college or around there, I guess.

I had a Jenna, so yes.

Yeah, there you go.

See, but, you know, I love the thing.

I love the looks of the ID buzz.

I'd love to see some kind of gas or hybrid version of this come to market.

I think it would do very, very well.

The styling is right there.

One thing that's interesting, though, is how long the wheel base

of that vehicle is.

It's probably got the turning circle of a super tank or something like that

because the front wheels are in front of you rather than being behind you

like they were when I was going to college in my type two.

I was well out in front of the front wheels, which is an interesting

place for the driver to be, maybe not the safest place.

I like driving cabover trucks.

Yeah, yeah, interesting stuff.

And then we have the Ford with the lighting.

Again, here's another vehicle that Ford put all kinds of juice

behind, all kinds of its own juice behind in more ways than one, I guess.

I'm not trying to create a pun there and use juice in the electrical sense.

But, you know, certainly they have pushed the F-150 lighting

and it is a cool vehicle.

But again, price and the fact that it has to be recharged and that takes a

while kind of have conspired against it, right?

Yeah, I kind of see this from two angles.

So the first is the price, right?

Ford promised what?

$40,000 for the truck when it was announced and we never reached that price.

It's only gone up from there.

And then the other thing is I think maybe they're looking at some of the writing

on the wall, as you said, it needs to be plugged in and charged.

Other automakers, Stellantis is going to a range extended electric model

for its next ram truck.

So I think maybe Ford is looking at that and seeing that's the way forward

and they're not they're not going to make any headway with price

on the F-150 lighting as it stands now.

So maybe now is the time to pull the Band-Aid off.

Yeah, interesting.

I don't know that the range extended vehicles are going to do so well

in the full size pickup truck market either because I think a lot of people,

especially those buyers, just want something conventional and something

that tried and true and something that they understand.

So I don't know that they're going to pay a premium for a range

extended vehicle, but I could be wrong.

I've been wrong once or twice before, Chris.

You certainly remember that.

Let's talk about Elon Musk and his compensation.

This compensation ruling goes back to 2018,

where I think a stockholder, Tesla stockholder,

filed suit or certainly protested the kind of compensation

that Elon Musk was going to get.

And this went through just kind of a long court battle.

The most recent of which round is the Delaware Supreme Court

reinstating this compensation, which is immense.

I meant to say the least $139 billion in stock options.

I mean, one of the things you have to say about Elon is he

he puts his money where his mouth is.

I mean, he worked without a salary for years and years and years,

the better part of the decade, I think, based on just having the

the stock price go up and Tesla's overall net worth go up.

What do you think about all this?

Yeah, I think it's impossible to argue that his presence

at the automaker has been a positive thing for them,

at least until very recently.

Probably I don't think they would have achieved the things that they did

without some of the leadership that he brought to them.

So sure, you know, the money that he's being offered is

maybe warranted. I don't I don't know.

But I think it's also impossible to argue that anybody needs

one hundred and whatever, thirty nine billion dollars or whatever.

And I think there's been another pay package proposed since then

that would make him a trillionaire or something crazy like that.

So, you know, the shareholders have a say and they should be able

to block or push it forward if they want.

And I guess it's up to them.

Yeah, that's why they're the shareholders.

They've got the votes and let them let them rule on that.

I am not a Tesla stockholder, so I don't really have any say.

No, I don't think it's wise of us to own any kind of automotive

stocks because we review vehicles.

Let's talk about Waymo.

Waymo went dark here just because there was a power outage

in San Francisco.

All the Waymo robotaxies, I guess, pulled to the side of the road

and quit operating while while there was the power outage.

They they couldn't deal with the fact that traffic signals

weren't working in a normal fashion, that kind of thing.

I think that just kind of points out that we're not a hundred percent

there with autonomous vehicles, right?

I mean, humans could figure that out.

But these autonomous vehicles could not.

Yeah, it shows how delicate some of these situations are.

Right. They mentioned that they've programmed these vehicles

to stop at traffic lights and treat them as four-way stops

if there's no power, but they're stopping for too long

and they're congesting other traffic.

So even their design failsafe is causing problems.

So you all this illustrates to me, like you said, how far away we are

from from fully autonomous vehicles that we can trust.

Yeah, it just seems way off still.

And well, there you go.

I'm curious as to more on this Hyundai

their debut of this Elantra in Gran Turismo seven.

Now, apparently they have had a vehicle similar to this Elantra

and TCR in racing for a fairly long time.

I think you can actually buy one and race it yourself

if you have enough money, which is kind of cool to do.

But then you have all this virtual racing in Gran Turismo.

And I'm starting to think and having been in some of these simulators

and there are some really incredible simulators, I think,

beyond what Gran Turismo does, where F1 drivers

super duper race drivers are all training and simulators all the time.

At what point, Chris, do you think racing in the simulator

Trump's racing on the track?

Yeah, I don't know.

But I will say that racing in a simulator absolutely

and directly translates to skill on a track in a real car.

But the thing that's cool about Gran Turismo for me

is that it's accessible to everyday people.

You don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a rig.

You can play it with a controller.

You don't need a steering wheel.

And a lot of the physics and the components that you play with

in the game are legitimately accurate to the real car,

you know, the springs and things.

And Hyundai's I-20N and all the things that you could do there,

I would love to be able to play it.

I sold my PlayStation last year

because it sat around and collecting dust.

So maybe it's time for another one.

There you go.

Tell us what your road test vehicle is this week, Chris.

I have the 2026 Toyota 4Runner Limited.

And I will be driving the Subaru Impreza RS.

So stay with us and we'll be right back right here

on America on the road.

I received a letter from the reader this week,

and I thought I'd share it with you.

Here's what he wrote.

I just got around to reading Dance in the Dark

and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it.

I'm a compulsive reader and this one was right up my alley.

An unlikely hero.

A lot of twists and turns, some adult content

and humor that rose naturally from the action.

Keep on writing and I'll keep on reading.

Of course, that's just the kind of

letter any author would love to get.

I hope that others get the same enjoyment

from reading Dance in the Dark and my newest crime novel,

Only One Thing Stays the Same.

Both are available exclusively at Amazon.com.

That's Dance in the Dark and Only One Thing Stays the Same,

both written by me, Jack Arneerat.

Thanks for looking for them today.

Welcome back to America on the Road.

I'm Jack Arneerat and I'll see you in the next video.

Welcome back to America on the Road with Chris D. J.

With you for road test time.

We've got some fun vehicles here.

You know, one of the prime off-road vehicles.

I have a fairly new iteration of that.

You were driving Chris and I think the forerunner has always been,

the Toyota forerunner has always been

one of my favorite off-road vehicles.

Tell us about the new one.

I agree. It's always been one of my favorites as well,

but the previous version was getting a little bit long in the tooth

and it wasn't quite as enjoyable to drive as it should be.

But this is the second year of the new iteration of the forerunner,

the 2026 model.

It starts at around $42,000.

My limited hybrid model with a few options came in at around $65,000.

But you can spend 70 plus depending on the trim on some of these.

Jack, what do you think of the new forerunner

and some of the prices that we're seeing for these guys?

Well, it's the prices that are blowing us away.

Every time we do the show, we talk about how high prices are.

Although the vehicle I'm going to be talking about

has a pretty darn good price, so that's interesting.

But in this case, I think the reputation has allowed Toyota

to kind of price it up a bit.

Yeah, and I'm sure people are buying them

because they aren't sitting on lots around me for very long.

But in any case, you can get into this vehicle.

The standard powertrain is a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder,

excuse me, 278 horsepower, 317 pound-feet of torque.

My iForce Hybrid Max test vehicle

has the same engine with the turbocharger,

but it has an electric motor for a combined 326 horsepower

and 465 pound-feet of torque,

which is a very healthy number for any vehicle,

even a large body-on-frame SUV.

Four-wheel drive comes with the limited trim

and all models have an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Jack, I want to get your opinion on this,

but my opinion is that the new hybrids are way more responsive,

way quicker off the line,

and they're way more refined at lower speeds

than the previous version. What do you think?

I absolutely agree with that.

100% agree with that.

At the same time, I worry, especially in an off-road vehicle,

about the complication of a hybrid, right?

I mean, it strikes me as there's one more thing

to potentially go wrong.

I mean, we've seen Toyota hybrid systems

be essentially bulletproof.

We haven't heard anything negative about them,

but it just strikes me as, you know,

one more complication out there

that maybe you don't necessarily need in the field.

I agree. You know, some of the benefits

that come with the hybrid come, as you mentioned,

with quite a few trade-offs, or potential trade-offs

in this case, because it's so new.

We don't really know just yet.

But the ride on the road is, again,

it's more controlled. It's much smoother

than the previous version. I will say,

and this is true of any four-runner,

but especially the ones that have the larger,

there's more body movement around corners and things.

So if you're buying one of these vehicles,

I just bought a Land Rover Defender.

You've got to go a little bit slower around the corners

because you do feel the body movement.

But the good news here is that the fuel economy

isn't terrible. I was averaging 22 to 23 miles per gallon

on the highway with the hybrid,

which with the limited trim has all season tires.

But even with that,

that's pretty good for an SUV of this size.

The four-runner comes standard

with two rows of seating. You can get three rows,

but the third row is very, very tiny

and not really acceptable for anybody,

but tiny children and even on,

only on shorter trips even then.

Cloth is the standard upholstery in this vehicle,

but my limited test vehicle came with leather.

It also had heated and ventilated front seats.

And the front cabin area of this vehicle

has become more ergonomic

and much more comfortable than it was before.

The old four-runner had big chunky buttons

and a lot of physical controls,

which this vehicle retains,

but it also puts a lot of them into the infotainment screen,

which we'll talk about in a minute.

The comfort and the ergonomics of this vehicle,

and I think the new cabin design looks great, Jack.

What do you think?

I think they've done a great job on this all the way around.

I think the interior is terrific.

Certainly needed the change

and it's got all the changes for the better.

There's nothing I can really complain about.

I agree.

In addition to the heated and ventilated front seats,

you get heated rear seats with the limited trim

as well as a heated steering wheel.

The back seats have a good amount of space,

so if you don't need the third row,

with two children,

a family of four and a dog,

with absolutely no problem whatsoever.

The standard touchscreen here is an 8-inch unit.

You get a 7-inch digital gauge cluster.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard,

which I think is nice.

My limited test trim came with an upgraded 14-inch touchscreen

and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

Jack Toyota's infotainment system,

we've talked about this until we're both blue in the face,

but it is much better than it used to be.

It's much more responsive

and easier to learn and deal with.

There are physical controls for the climate system

and some of the audio controls, which are great,

but the controls that are in the system

are easy to use and find,

which I think is a very, very nice thing to have,

so you're not distracted when you're driving down the road.

And the digital gauge cluster is nice, the larger one,

but I will say, and we've talked about this too,

Toyota tends to jam a thousand data points

into the gauge cluster,

so there's so much information in front of you

that it can be kind of hard to figure it all out,

but the resolution is nice

and it's easy to see.

And finally, this vehicle comes well-equipped

with a full suite of safety equipment.

You get Toyota Safety Sense as standard.

My limited trim added front and rear cameras,

as well as blind spot monitoring

rear cross-traffic alerts, and a whole lot more.

Jack, I think if I were going for this vehicle,

I would pick a lower trim,

still get some of the options,

maybe a sunroof and synthetical other seats

and pay 50 to 55,

I think is a comfortable number for this vehicle,

but there's a huge range of trims

and I think they all serve a purpose.

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's a terrific vehicle.

I think it's a home run for Toyota.

It always has been,

but certainly this generation,

I think they are knocking it out of the park with this one.

Totally agree.

Let's talk about this vehicle that I was driving,

the Subaru Impreza RS.

This is a vehicle, Chris,

that's frankly surprised me.

It surprised me how much I liked it,

because I wasn't necessarily thinking

this was going to thrill me so much,

and maybe thrill isn't the right word,

but it didn't impress me in a lot of ways.

One of the things that impressed me

was the value of this vehicle.

I mean, we are complaining

about the fact that there are so few

affordable vehicles out there,

and this is incredibly affordable, I think.

I mean,

maybe I'm just getting jaded

by looking at a compact hatchback

like this at under $30,000

and going, oh, that's one heck of a value.

I mean, it wasn't so long ago

when these were under $20,000,

but that's

how things have changed

and what inflation has done to us.

This is the sixth generation Impreza.

This is a vehicle that

essentially competes with the

Civic and Corolla,

those type of vehicles, the Sentra.

It's a hatchback-only body style

this time around.

As an auto journalist,

I officially endorse hatchbacks.

I think they're very, very useful.

This comes in,

the Impreza comes in the range of

fairly short range of vehicles.

There's the base, the sport, and the RS,

which is the top model.

The RS might imply

sportiness, and I think implied

sportiness is what this is all about.

There is some sportiness to it.

It handles pretty nicely, but I wouldn't

say it's, you know, the equivalent

of a Civic Type R

or a Civic SI

or something like that.

From a giant level here,

way up in the sky, what do you think about the Impreza?

I agree on the value.

The Impreza hatchback is a surprisingly

utilitarian vehicle.

It's much bigger inside than it looks.

And standard all-wheel drive, it's got a different attitude

than the Civic and the Corolla, so

I'm a fan of the Impreza.

Yeah, talking about price,

I've got it right in front of me,

so I might as well talk about it.

The MSRP is $28,385.

Options added another 2,000

to this, so as tested total

is $30,000. I'm doing math here

and going, hmm, there's

a destination charge in here as well

of $1,170.

And so we're

pushing 30 grand, we're over 30 grand

with this. It's

this particular, the RS is powered

by the 2.5 liter flat four

boxer engine, produces

182 horsepower, 178

pound feet of torque.

It's a reasonable amount of horsepower, but certainly

there are others in the segment now that have

more horsepower than this, but reasonably

fun to drive.

I was kind of surprised how

I hate to use the word

sprightly because it sounds a little, I don't

know what, but it

just seems to have

more power than I expected.

8-speed manual mode in its

CVT, not a big fan

of the CVT, but I guess you can

fo manual shifts

with this thing.

It was more engaging than I expected, Chris.

I was surprised by that.

I agree, it feels more nimble than you would expect

and the CVT doesn't completely

ruin the experience like a lot of people would expect

and the simulated shifts

do add some engagement there, but

yeah, it's definitely more fun than expected.

Right. 26 miles

per gallon in the city, 33 miles per gallon

on the highway, 29 miles per gallon

combined.

I guess it's pretty good, but there are certainly vehicles

especially those equipped with hybrids

that do much higher

fuel economy than that.

I think

overall, certainly

Subaru hangs its hat on

all-wheel drive. I like all-wheel drive

although it's not necessarily something

I 100% need in Southern California.

But

all around handling felt good.

This was a fun to drive vehicle.

I really, it was engaging to me.

I liked the vehicle a lot. I wasn't expecting

that so much, so

like the fact that the

suspension was kind of tuned for a sport

but also pretty comfortable.

I think a nice combination there

and of course the symmetrical

all-wheel drive is great in

low traction situations

and just you feel kind of connected

even in cornering. I think it helps

with cornering too.

I think this is a good everyday driver

that you can have a blast with.

You're not going to blow

the real sport compact

vehicles away with this vehicle,

I think it's a fun to drive vehicle

overall and they've done a nice job

in the cabin. I think what you take

on the interiors of the most recent

Subaru is I think they're doing a fairly

nice job with them. They do a nice job.

I think Subaru, like many automakers

you can tell the price point of the vehicle

by the quality of the cabin, but the

Impresa does a good job even at its price

point. I think it feels a little bit more premium

at least in the higher trim level

but I like Subaru interiors. They're very functional

and very comfortable. Yeah.

This one had black cloth

seating with red stitching, red bolsters

because it is the RS after all

so it's a sporty leather wrapped

steering wheel that makes the vehicle much faster.

11.6 inch

Starlink touchscreen that worked

pretty well and maybe not quite as

responsive as some others but

I think overall worked well

and certainly there's

plenty of space in this vehicle

something like 20.8

cubic feet of space and

good safety equipment. Of course the

Subaru iSight stuff

all equipment there.

I think this is one of those vehicles

that you can say

okay this is an affordable vehicle

with a lot of

things to recommend it. Yeah

and add Subaru's recent reputation for

reliability and quality. They've been topping

the charts in a lot of ways so I think

it's a good deal all the way around. Yeah.

I think people should look at that. Certainly

looking at the forerunner if you're going off-road

a wise thing to do and

when we come back we're going to have

a great guest

and his name is Gary Wittenberg a veteran

auto journalist so stay with us for that and we'll be right

back.

11.6 inch

Starlink touchscreen

I'd like to tell you about

the most exciting and authentic racing

novel I've ever read. It's

called Closing Speed written by

award-winning author Ted West

in 1970 the Indy 500

pole speed was 170 miles an hour

but at Le Mans Vic Elford's

Porsche 917 raged

down the mulsins straight at

248 miles per hour

the racing pit of the Porsche 917

versus the Ferrari 512

the fastest road racing ever

and Rodentrack sent a promising

new rider 27 year old Ted West

to cover it. He traveled from

Brands Hatch to Monza, the Targa

Florio, Spa, the Nürburgring

and Le Mans. You got to know the races

personally and the women who love them.

The racing was blindingly

fast. Driving horrifically

fragile cars at those speeds took

unheard of courage. That was around

every corner and the drama

intensely real every moment. Closing

speed is the most realistic intimate

racing novel ever written. It's a look

into the very heart of the sport

an incomparable racing read.

It's available now at Amazon. That's

Closing Speed by Ted West.

Look for it.

Welcome back everybody

to America.

We have a terrific guest

for you. A guy I've known

for decades. Not just years but

decades. He's a terrific guy.

He's an esteemed auto rider.

Gary Whitsenberg has been president

of the North American Car of the Year

Jerry where I work with him. I was his vice president.

Number one, Gary, thanks for being with us.

We do appreciate it. Good to be here.

Why don't you give us a little bit of a

highlight reel of your career.

You've been an esteemed one and I think a lot

of people would envy your career.

Well, yes and no. I think

that's a good one. Give me a few minutes

and I'll try not to take too long. You're

looking at a guy who has

been an automotive writer

slash journalist for many many years

but I started, I was good in math

and science. Luckily I

paid attention in English class and I

started as an engineer. Went to

Duke University, got an engineering

degree, mechanical. I was also a

graduate student so I wanted to work as

an engineer in the auto industry

which I did for about eight years

counting three hours away in the Navy

during that Vietnam war

we had going on.

And then in

1973 I left

General Motors after eight years

and took a job. It was a bit of a risk

because who knew

whether I could actually write for a living.

I had written guest editorials and things

at my letters published here and there

I got a job as engineering editor for

what was then competition press

which was in Reno, Nevada

it was later bought

out by Crane and became auto

week. I moved out to Reno, Nevada

I lasted there about three

months before a guy named Leon Mandel

fired my butt and

that's a long story I'll say for another day

but I got myself in some trouble

and it was minor out of

naivete but he made it major

and he stabbed me in the back to protect his

own I think and I was out the door

sold cars for a while in Reno did some

freelance writing including

for competition press because David

would still take my stuff even though I was gone

as an employee.

And again long story short but

a guy named Dave Smith who was editor

of wards auto world at the time

a trade magazine in Detroit

he found me in Reno made me an offer

I couldn't refuse I ended up coming back

to Detroit as an associate editor

for wards automotive reports

which was a weekly automotive newsletter

but the part of the deal was

I freelance for Dave on the magazine

that worked out well after about a year and a half

I left went out on my own took

another big risk and became full-time freelance

got into

small car magazines and then eventually

wrote and track and bigger car magazines

and one interesting

sidebar during this period

if you remember named Bill Mitchell

he was the very controversial color

colorful head of GM styling

for a couple of decades

he needed an undercover speech

writer and I filled that role

for a couple of years his last two years

before he retired and working with Bill

was a was a hoot it paid

fairly well I just couldn't talk

about it because he told the PR guys he was

writing his own stuff

I wrote speeches for him and I

wrote nasty letters to magazines when they

criticized work and so on

so that was fun

eventually worked my way up into

the position where

well motor trend where I worked for you

off as a as a contributor

freelancer yeah I love that

that was terrific moved out to the west coast

got into a lot of major magazines I was

the car guy principal car guy for playboy

for a while

following in the esteemed footsteps

of the great Ken W. Purdy

who may have been the greatest auto writer of all time

and present company

accepted of course of course

no I don't even begin to

myself to Ken

you wrote for playboy and car and driver

and just all kinds of good books

and he was amazingly talented

and a sad story because he took his own life

at the age of 59 later on

but again I'm getting off the subject

but I built up the freelance business

to where I was writing for

not only automotive magazines

but non-automotive airline

in-flight magazines, pop mechanics

I was Detroit editor for them for quite a while

moved to California

as my wife was transferred out there

that's when I was working for you

took another big career change while I was out there

four years later and went to work

as a PR guy for Buick division

of General Motors

I opened a western PR office

my wife had been transferred out there

to open a western PR office for Pontiac division

so Buick decided they needed one

they hired me before I changed careers

again and went back to the engineering side

and I was test and development manager

for the electric vehicle program

through the decade of the 90s

and that resulted in the EV1

and some other interesting stuff

I took an early retirement way back in 2002

and went back to re-establish

the writing business that I've been doing it ever since

well I think Gary

that you and I lived through

and were able to participate in

what I consider the golden age of automotive

writing I just think it was

a terrific time to be a car writer

I think a much better time than it is right now

although we're still doing that

you know we had great times

I mean it was really interesting

and it was a very small fraternity

everybody seemed to know everybody

now when we go on an event

there's 50 people, 100 people

and it's hard to know all these folks

but when we were traveling a lot of times

it would be half a dozen of us

or at most 10 or something like that

and we go all around the world

at other people's expense

which we loved I certainly did

and you had a lot of that too

we were talking about what we used to call

long lead press previews

where we would be driving in July

or August cars that didn't come out

until September or October

that was long lead time because that's

how long it took to put a print magazine

out in those days I guess

so you drive the cars and three months later

of the stories in the magazine

and that was a fairly small fraternity

a lot of us were drivers, some of us were racers

I can remember specifically a lot of those

ended up being informal races

through the driver out the fastest

who can get to the lunch break, who can get to the hotel

and most of us were fairly good at it

and even though we were driving aggressively

we were safe

so we didn't kill anybody ourselves

or anybody else during those times

but it was good fun times

sometimes we got to actually test cars on the racetrack

which was right up my alley

because I was also doing as much racing as I could

back in those days and really loved that

and tell us a little bit about that

the kind of racing you did

well I started right out of school when I was a young engineer

with a Triumph TR-4A

SCCA

then I was off in the 80 for three years

came back, had to sit out a year

but then I went back to it with an old

an old beat up used

Datsun 510 that I very slowly

with no budget essentially

turned into somewhat of a race car

that was way back 71-72 era

and I ran some of those pro races

the old you know the Trans-Am 2.5

series races that preceded

the Mustang Camaro

Parnelli Jones

Mark Donahue Trans-Am

had some a lot of fun with that

I did three years of

open wheel formula for it after that

scared myself enough to get back into

cars with roll cages and

fenders

and had a Datsun 510

which I co-owned with

my then girlfriend now wife

she wanted to go racing

went into racing with that

I got to be as I changed careers

and went from engineer to auto

rider I

had the great privilege of being able to drive

other people's cars not having to work

all night and tow all night and

I just show up and put on a suit

and helmet and drive somebody

else's car and that worked out really

well because I could then write a story

about it so that was the PR value

of you know I was reasonably good at it

and I could also sell the story

Tell us about some of the vehicles you drove

because you drove some pretty cool race cars

I think in that era

Well the fastest ones there was a

guy named Rick Hay who did a lot of

paint and body work for John Greenwood

back in the 70s if anybody remembers

the the wide body

Batmobile Greenwood Corvettes

and Rick built himself one of those

on a much lower budget

and I talked him into letting me co-drive

a couple times in IMSA GT races

first in mid Ohio

and then it rode Atlanta

and that was a real hoot

that car was really fast

and it handled pretty well

there was a yellow car that looked like

a Greenwood car but the downside was

he couldn't afford the really good brakes

so we had basically stock brakes on the car

so you'd go flying

by Peter Greger, Hurley Haywood

or somebody in their Porsche on the straight

away and then you'd have to break a

block and a half before the next turn

and they'd go flying by you because they

could go so much deeper into the turns

and it was a lot of fun with that

I got to do Nurburgring

1979 I did the 24 hours of Nurburgring

co-driving with

of all people a guy named Jim Downing

who was a multiple champion

in IMSA various classes

mostly Mazdas

who also by the way co-invented

the Hans device that everybody uses now

and my other co-driver

at Nurburgring was Lynn St. James

very early in her career before she did

IMSA GT with the Ford

before she did Indy and we actually

won our class at Nurburgring which was pretty cool

more than cool, yeah

I got to do a bunch of 24 hours showroom stock races

and I was with a team of Freddie Baker's

team with Porsches and we won that

Nelson Ledges 24 hours

twice in almost a third time but that's

another story. Do you have any

particularly reminiscences of being on

a car event or one of these

long leads that we

so enjoyed that was particularly

memorable to you that you

want to tell us about? Easily

the most memorable event

was the John DeLorean trip

in Northern Ireland

and I was one of

I think about a dozen journalists invited to that

and the only freelancer and I ended up writing

stories for like four different magazines

Playboy and Pop Mechanics

and Wards and even

Wheels Magazine in Australia

they heard I was going so they called

and asked me to do a story for them

that was the all-time

press trip because John DeLorean

flew us over on the Concorde

first and only time

I'd been on that, stayed in what they told us

was the best hotel in London the first night

then we took a small plane

over to Northern Ireland to Belfast

I remember specifically

there was a lot of trouble going on in Northern Ireland

at the time with with terrorism

and

when we checked into our hotel in Belfast

there was it was surrounded by fencing

and barbed wire and guys with big guns

and we drove those DeLoreans all over the countryside

for several days

and a beautiful Northern

Ireland countryside the downside

was the car wasn't very good unfortunately

it was a cool looking

car with a stainless steel body

you'll remember that was always shiny

but it had a kind of a weak V6 engine

in the back

it had a lot of quality issues

they built a brand new plant as you'll remember

and they trained brand new people

or tried to to put the thing together

and if you remember

a guy I mentioned Mike Nepper earlier

he had been an editor of Auto Week

and then in Motor Trend

before you were there

he was DeLoreans PR guy

and notoriously after we got back

from that trip everybody wanted to get

a press car back in the States

because we got time on the roads

in Northern Ireland but it wasn't

quite the same as putting instruments on a car

like you would for a major magazine

and to my knowledge

Mike never lent out a press car

to anyone and I think

the reason was because the cars were so bad

they knew they'd get terrible reviews

so you may recall that one of your competitors

at the time car and driver did a feature

story on the DeLorean they borrowed

an owner's car and did a full range

of testing on it and then about three

or four months later they did a follow up story

and the lead photo was

a beautiful stainless steel DeLorean body

sitting on a trash heap

and everything else was falling off the car

so the staple was yeah the body

will last forever but not the car

I mean there wasn't much

holding back some of the time

through the years I think there's a

a lot lighter touch

I think a lot less critical touch

when they're talking and when we're reviewing cars

or when people are reviewing cars

not necessarily us probably not us

but kind of a different ethic

now what do you think? Well

those of us who wrote about the DeLorean getting back to that

I think we were fairly

inclined from the first drives in Ireland

because they were among the first

cars built and they just weren't

fully developed and DeLorean said oh

we won't be shipping them to dealers in the states

until we get all the quality glitches out of them

which I guess they never did

but you know

as you can recall

you might be a little kind and not

be brutally honest

about a car that's pretty bad

when it's one of the very first ones built

and they're still learning how to build it

the guy in charge says don't worry

we'll take care of all of that stuff and you tend to believe him

because he's John DeLorean, right?

Well I'm not sure that I would tend to believe John DeLorean

but maybe that's me

well so many stories

Gary and I

I wish we had a ton of time more

to talk about them but

we're kind of out of time in this segment

thanks so much for being with us we really do appreciate it

Gary Witsenberg

Thank you Jack my pleasure

I hope things are going well we'll see you down

another time take care

Sounds good and stay with us everybody

we'll be right back right here

on America on the Road

Welcome back to America on the Road

with co-host Chris Teague

this is Jack Neerad with you

and it is listener question time

we love to answer your questions

based on our long experience

in providing car advice

we'd love to hear your questions

if you're at drivingtoday.com

that's editor at drivingtoday.com

I think this is a good question from Randall

he lives in Fresno, California

Fresno, California

are modern cars more expensive

to maintain than older ones

that's what he asks

Hmm

without the data in front of me

I'm going to say

they're probably, Jack actually I have no idea

about this now that I'm thinking about it

I will say that modern cars last a lot longer

but modern car parts

and modern technologies are more expensive to fix

so I don't actually have a solid answer

on this do you? Yeah well I think the latter

probably trumps the former right

and if you can do any kind of

do-it-yourself kind of stuff

an older car is easier to do it

and probably the parts you're going to use

will be less expensive

you know kind of analog stuff

although even today's older cars

are not analog so much

there's tons of digital

being 20 year old cars

so there is that

I think if you go way way back

the cars are certainly less expensive

to maintain

if they are older

Yeah exactly and those parts are expensive

it really depends on the car

it depends on your level of ability

to fix or not fix

to send them to the dealer

or the independent shop

that essentially wraps up our show for this week

we want to wish each of you a very

happy new year

happy new year too. My new crime novel only

when things stay the same is available in e-book

and paperback form at Amazon

it's going through a post Christmas

sale so it's stupidly cheap right now

if you like our show please pass it

on listen on this radio station each week

let your friends know where you hear America on the Road

and of course America on the Road is available

as a podcast right Chris?

That's right quick Google search for the America on the Road

podcast will bring us to you on all the major platforms

Apple, Spotify, all the others

like us, download us, leave us a review

all of those things help us out

and you can take us with you wherever you go

we'd love to be with you we'd also love

to have you come and visit our YouTube channel

we have a lot of videos there

including some shorts so check those out

our thanks to Mercury Insurance

for sponsoring the show into our sports

byline network stations for caring

and most of all thanks to you for listening

we do appreciate it

join us again next time

for another edition of America

on the Road

Hi I'm Jack Arnie Redd

and I'd like to tell you about

my newest crime novel

only one thing stays the same

in a style reminiscent of James M.

Kane and Jim Thompson

two of my writing idols

the book chronicles of blue collar workers

up and down love affairs with two modern

Southern California women who continue

to surprise, shock, and ultimately

confound him

as the story unfolds an unemployed aeronautics

worker named Bill McCurdy becomes disillusioned

with his wife and slips into an

illicit affair with a teenager

from down the street

before long he begins to think of doing

the unthinkable but despite his desperate

attempts to make things work

almost nothing goes as planned

his misguided quest for simple love

doesn't turn out to be simple at all

and before the roller coaster ride

stops he learns quite personally and very finally

that only one thing

stays the same

only one thing stays the same

is available in Kindle e-book

and paperback form exclusively

at amazon.com

I'd appreciate it if you'd look for it

today

About this episode

The episode dives into the 2025 Subaru Impreza RS, highlighting its affordability and fun driving experience. Hosts Jack Neerad and Chris Teague discuss the vehicle's value in a market where affordable options are dwindling. They also touch on Subaru's reputation for reliability and all-wheel drive capabilities. The conversation includes comparisons with competitors like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, emphasizing the Impreza's practicality and engaging handling. Additionally, the episode features automotive news, including updates on Toyota's exports and Volkswagen's ID Buzz sales halt.

Android Auto Apple CarPlay autonomous vehicles blind spot monitoring eight-speed automatic transmission EV fuel economy Gran Turismo 7 horsepower hybrid

Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Corvette Datsun 510 Delorean DMC-12 Ferrari 512 M Ford F-150 Lightning Ford GT Ford Mustang General Motors Ev1 Honda Civic Hyundai Elantra Hyundai i20 Land Rover Defender Nissan Sentra Porsche 917 Subaru Impreza Toyota 4Runner Toyota Camry Toyota Corolla Toyota Highlander Toyota Land Cruiser Toyota Tundra Volkswagen ID. Buzz Volkswagen Jetta Volkswagen Type 2

Original notes

This week on America on the Road, co-host Chris Teague joins host Jack Nerad for a deep dive into the latest automotive news, two insightful road tests, and a special interview with veteran journalist Gary Witzenburg. Chris reviews the premium 2026 Toyota 4Runner Limited, highlighting its refined on-road manners and off-road prowess, while Jack takes the wheel of the sporty 2025 Subaru Impreza RS hatchback, praising its engaging drive and all-weather capability. Jack also chats with Gary Witzenburg, former North American Car of the Year Jury president and Motor Trend alum, about his upcoming book of automotive reminiscences.

🚙 Jack Nerad Test-Drives the 2025 Subaru Impreza RS

Jack drives the top-trim Impreza RS hatchback, equipped with a 2.5-liter Boxer engine, standard Symmetrical AWD, sport-tuned handling, and modern tech. The appealing compact hatchback offers surprisingly fun-to-drive dynamics, practicality, and value in its hotly competitive. Its features include 18-inch alloy wheels, RS-specific sport seats with red stitching, a Harman Kardon premium audio option, and advanced EyeSight safety systems with automatic emergency steering.

🚗 Chris Teague Test-Drives the 2026 Toyota 4Runner Limited

Chris explores the upscale Limited trim of Toyota’s redesigned midsize SUV, featuring available hybrid power, adaptive suspension, luxury appointments like leather seats and a massive touchscreen, and Toyota’s comprehensive safety tech. The new-gen 4Runner delivers a winning balance of comfort and ruggedness for everyday and adventurous use. It also includes premium touches such as available power-extending running boards, a power moonroof, and a digital rearview mirror for enhanced convenience and visibility.

🎙️ Special Guest Interview

Jack speaks with acclaimed automotive journalist Gary Witzenburg about his career highlights, time at Motor Trend, leadership in the North American Car of the Year awards, and his forthcoming book sharing behind-the-scenes stories from decades in the industry.

📰 This Week’s Headlines • Toyota to Export U.S.-Built Camry, Highlander, Tundra to Japan

Toyota plans to sell American-made models in its home market starting 2026, including the Kentucky-built Camry, Indiana Highlander, and Texas Tundra—a strategic move to address trade tensions and offer Japanese buyers larger, capable vehicles.

• Volkswagen Halts ID.Buzz U.S. Sales; Ford Ends F-150 Lightning Production

VW pauses U.S. deliveries of the retro electric minivan amid high inventory and lost tax credits, shifting to fleets and autonomy, while Ford ceases Lightning production, favoring hybrid-like extended-range EVs in a cooling market.

• Delaware Court Reinstates Elon Musk’s $139 Billion Tesla Pay Package

The state supreme court overturns a prior ruling, restoring Musk’s massive 2018 compensation and boosting his wealth dramatically after shareholder approvals.

• Waymo Resumes Driverless Service After San Francisco Power Outage

Waymo robotaxis briefly paused operations during a widespread blackout that caused traffic disruptions, highlighting infrastructure challenges in autonomous deployment.

• Hyundai Elantra N TCR Joins Gran Turismo 7

Hyundai’s championship-winning race car debuts virtually in the game next month, celebrating the N brand’s 10th anniversary with enhanced in-game content.

📩 Listener Question of the Week

Randall from Fresno, California, asks: “Are modern cars more expensive to maintain than older ones?”
Jack and Chris discuss evolving maintenance costs, reliability trends, and factors influencing ownership expenses today.

📚 Books

Jack’s crime novel Only One Thing Stays the Same is out now in ebook and paperback—perfect for post-holiday reading at a special low price.

🎧 Where to Listen

Catch America on the Road on this station every week, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Rumble. You’ll also find road test videos, interviews, and shorts on our YouTube channel.

Special thanks to Mercury Insurance for sponsoring the show and to our Sports Byline Network affiliates nationwide.

🎙️ Hosts

Jack Nerad — Award-winning auto journalist and author of Only One Thing Stays the Same
Chris Teague — Longtime auto critic and journalist

📢 Presented by

• DrivingToday.com
• EMLandsea.com
• Mercury Insurance – Switch today and save. Californians save an average of $670.

📺 Watch & Subscribe

Find America on the Road on YouTube and Rumble. Subscribe for road test videos, shorts, and extended reviews.

📨 Email: [email protected]

Check Out Matt DeLorenzo’s Book:

Pick up a copy of co-host Matt DeLorenzo’s terrific new book Mercedes-AMG: Race-Bred Performance

Special Price for Jack’s Newest Crime Novel:

Jack is now offering his newest crime novel, Only One Thing Stays the Same, at a 67%-off price of just $4.99. Click here to buy from Amazon at this special limited-time price.