It’s a newer Ford SUV that has been made sportier with better handling and looks. It’s like the regular Explorer but with a few extra upgrades for fun driving.
The Prelude is a small, fast-looking car that Honda made for many years. A new 2026 version would be a fresh, updated model with modern features but still look like the classic sporty car.
Term
$60 per day rental program
This is a deal where you can rent a Tesla for $60 every day, so people can try it out without buying one.
ProPilot Assist is a safety feature that helps you keep your car in its lane and at a safe distance from the vehicle in front, making driving easier and safer.
A three‑wheel vehicle is a car that has only three wheels instead of the usual four. They’re usually smaller and can be fun to drive, but they don’t always follow the same rules as regular cars.
With a manual gearbox you move the gear stick to change gears and use a clutch pedal to stop the engine from moving while shifting. It gives you more control over how the car accelerates.
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 Neerad.
With me is co-host Chris Teague, and Chris, can you believe we're in the middle of November?
I mean, where did this year go?
I can't believe it, Jack.
We got almost an inch of snow last night, so we're going to have a white Thanksgiving.
It looks like, well, it'll probably melt before then, but yeah.
Yeah, maybe you'll get some more snow before Thanksgiving.
Who knows, you know, the way things are going.
Plenty of car news to talk about this week.
I'm really curious about your reaction to all this Tesla news.
Tesla is facing some potentially really rough going here.
It has introduced an intriguing new wrinkle to deal with that.
At the same time, some of its key vehicle development executives are exiting the company.
So there's a lot of drama there coming up.
We'll talk about that.
The lengthy government shutdown has had some unexpected effects, and one of them hits
right at the middle of the car business.
We'll tell you all about that in a few minutes.
They're affecting a lot of people, even people who aren't buying new cars.
We have three very interesting and very important vehicle introductions to tell you about and
the run up to the Los Angeles Auto Show, which comes at the end of the month.
We'll talk about that.
We'll have a new Nissan, a new Kia, and a new Jeep to talk about when we come back.
So, Christy, have a favorite from among those three?
Well, Tesla is always fun, but I love talking about new cars.
So I'm going to stick with that one.
Yeah, well, there's a lot of new cars to talk about and some cool stuff.
America on the Road is brought to you by drivingtoday.com,
emlancy.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.
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I've said that a million times.
I almost screwed that up, Chris, but there you go.
As you long time listen to the show now, Chris lives at one end of the country.
I live at the other.
Each week we get together to talk about cars, the car industry, and how you can save some
money on your car.
What is your test car this week, Chris?
I spent the week driving the 2026 Ford Explorer ST.
It's the sporty version.
I can't wait to tell you all about it.
And I was the envy of one Chris Teague, I think, in the 2025 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium.
We have a really cool special guest this week.
Jonathan, you is the expert on the 2026 Honda Prelude.
So we'll have that coming up for you.
So much coming up here on America on the Road.
We're glad you're with us.
Stay with us.
And we'll be right back with you after this.
Stay with us.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Chris Teague.
This is Jackie right back with you.
We're so glad you're with us.
I'm so glad to talk with Chris.
We don't get to talk often enough.
He's taking a new job and man, he's busy, busy, busy, but that's great.
A lot of news to talk about this week.
This Tesla news is fascinating to me.
Tesla is rolling out a new $60 per day rental program in California.
And it's trying to revive electric vehicle demand.
Of course, electric vehicle demand as we detailed has gone much slower
since the federal tax credits have gone away.
I think they're trying to do what they can to crank up interest in the Model 3 and Model Y.
You can rent these for $60 a day, which doesn't seem all that cheap to me.
But I guess I'm an old guy who hasn't rented a car in a while.
And they're hoping to convert these renters into buyers.
They give them unlimited mileage, supercharger access, and up to $250 on the rental fee can go
toward a future purchase.
What should you take on this, Chris?
Well, I mean, the pricing isn't all that outrageous for rental cars.
I mean, you pay about $40 a day for a car that you then have to pay for fuel to fill up later.
I think Tesla has some risks here, though, right?
Depending on how many of these vehicles they end up renting out,
they could end up tanking their used vehicle values if they have a whole slate of these
coming off of these rentals later on.
I mean, there's just so many moving parts to this that I just think there are a lot of risks for them involved.
Yeah, I think this is a bigger story than maybe people are looking at.
And I don't think the rental thing is necessarily the biggest part of it.
But I think it's a key indicator here.
I mean, two of their key executives, Immanuel Lemakia and Sinhat Aswasti,
have decided to leave the company.
And these are important guys because Lemakia led the Model Y program,
which is their best-selling vehicle, I think the best-selling electric vehicle,
probably of all time, but certainly the best-selling contemporary electric vehicle.
And Aswasti was developing the Cybertruck and then took over the Model 3.
So that's that important stuff.
What this indicates to me, Chris, and I'm curious as to your take on this.
Tesla seems to be transitioning away from the car business,
which I think is a really big deal.
I think they're looking toward AI development.
They're looking toward robotics, robotaxi and stuff.
I don't think they necessarily, or Elon Musk's vision going forward,
is that Tesla Motors be a car company, be a heads-up competitor to the other car companies.
What should you take on that?
I agree. I think smart people are looking at this and saying,
electric vehicles are a very tough market to be in alone.
And Tesla has all these other resources and the technology available.
This is something people have been talking about for years.
It is interesting kind of seeing them taking steps towards moving down that road finally.
So it'll be interesting to see what 2030 Tesla looks like compared to today, I would say.
Yeah. I mean, Elon Musk has been prescient before,
and maybe he's prescient now about what's going on in the marketplace.
And we might be seeing a shift from this all-electric future that so many people talk about.
Let's talk about what happened with the government shutdown,
and certainly it has caused a lot of headaches for a lot of people,
especially people who are flying, who have been trying to go across the country that way.
But it has also spurred car rentals.
I think cancellations of airline reservations,
cancellations of airline flights have triggered a lot of this.
A lot of people are renting a car because they literally could not get there from here
with a plane flight, with the cancellation.
It's just another example of the trickle-down effect or domino effect of things like a government
shutdown. 10% cut in flights at 40 major airports has been predicted for this week,
and it's probably going to linger.
We're seeing the end of the government shutdown this weekend,
but at the same time, I think the effects are going to linger,
and it's just kind of another kick in the pants to the economy and to a lot of things, right?
Yeah, it's going to take some time for the past, what, 45 days or whatever to kind of
mellow back out into equilibrium.
I'd be interested to see the figures around rental cars.
One-way rental cars, like how many cars were rented because a flight was canceled
and then got left in another location.
Like, that sort of stuff is really interesting to me,
but I flew about a month ago and there weren't any disruptions then,
but I had colleagues who flew earlier late last week and said that it was just a mess,
so I can't imagine what it's like now.
Yeah, and I think sometimes it's a mess,
and sometimes it isn't even without a government shutdown, right?
So I kind of wonder, what was the government shutdown,
and how much did that contribute to all these cancellations,
and how much did weather and mechanicals and crews not showing up?
I mean, like you, I travel a lot by airline, and all kinds of stuff happens,
and sometimes it's really good, and most of the time it's a bit of a challenge, so.
Well, here's a thing that I think might meet a challenge for Nissan.
Nissan has been, of course, challenged to move forward here recently.
It's had some tough times, but I think the 2026 Sentra is probably a big step in the
right direction. They are putting that out there.
I've actually driven this vehicle, but I can't tell you how it drove yet,
or they'll come and do bad things to me.
I think they'll hit me over the knuckles with a ruler or something like that,
but I can tell you that I think that this is a real good step in the right direction for them
in a very important segment, or the compact car segment.
It has upscale features, it has dual 12.3-inch digital displays,
and a round-view monitor with moving object detection, which is really, really cool.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, so that's a good thing.
Should have been standard for a long time, and they have those wonderful zero-gravity
seats, even in this pretty low-priced car, as they say, about $22,000, $23,000.
What should you take on the Sentra?
I'm very happy to see the new Sentra in the format that it is.
I think it's always been Nissan's value-forward car, and they've really leaned into it with the newer
models, even the last generation and this generation.
The styling is great, it looks like it has a lot of great tech inside.
I love the seats, we've talked about them a bunch of times on the show,
so it looks like a good all-around car to me.
Yeah, I think you can get a top-end vehicle for $28,000 or so,
so just filled with stuff, including the ProPilot assist and all that kind of stuff,
so pretty cool stuff.
Let's talk about the Kia Telluride, too.
That has been a home-run product.
That really was a landmark product for them, not just the so-so SUV,
but something that really changed the way people perceived the brand.
It was a big, big hit.
Now they've changed the styling somewhat.
You've seen the new styling, I imagine.
It's longer, taller, and it has a longer wheelbase,
which I think is good for interior space and getting in and out of.
What's your big take on this one?
They kiss right against the edge of the premium vehicle segment with the Telluride.
I think they've done a really good job.
The MSRP, I think, fully loaded.
You get into it for like $55,000,
which is more than what it used to be, but it's still pretty reasonable.
I saw these Camouflage SUVs running around the Kia factory a few weeks ago in Georgia,
and now seeing it without the Camouflage, it is a remarkable redesign for the car.
I can't wait to drive it.
I'm a little iffy on the grille design, but I think it looks great overall.
Yeah, I'm really eager to talk to the designer of this.
I'm going to do an interview with him at the Los Angeles Auto Show coming up,
but I think it's a good-looking vehicle, and so we'll see how that goes.
There's another important vehicle to talk about too, and it is the 2026 Jeep Compass.
You would think that Jeep would be a better competitor in that particular segment,
right, the compact SUV.
Certainly they have the brand for it, and now they have a new one with some cool stuff,
including cool colors, including the military-inspired 41 Green,
which I kind of favor.
That's kind of cool, I think.
And what's your take on this?
I think it's really important for Jeep to do well with this vehicle, isn't it?
It is.
It's kind of an oddball in the segment, right?
It competes against the RAV4 and the CR-V, and then you have the Compass,
which is kind of an off-road-type SUV.
I think a lot of people expected Jeep to discontinue the Compass.
I think that was one of the risky things that people were thinking about,
but I'm glad to see it around.
I actually like the Compass.
It just depends on where the price lands.
I think it's going to be the big question here.
Yeah, and I think value is what they're really oriented about now.
I think their current management saw the previous management
as overpricing a lot of Jeeps.
And I think this is the biggest segment in the country in the United States,
this compact SUV segment.
And Jeep has the brand, and we're also seeing a lot of off-roady type compact SUVs.
So I think this has the potential to do really well,
whether it does or not is a different story.
But with an entry-level one at about $32,000,
again, that's not particularly inexpensive in this class.
But it is a Jeep, and you can get it in 41 green.
It's probably more compelling than some of the offerings from Ford and others,
but it's a different, like I said, it's an oddball.
Yeah, well, there you go.
Remind us of the vehicle you'll be testing this week.
I tested the 2026 Ford Explorer ST.
Yeah, very cool.
I look forward to talking about that.
And I was at the wheel of the 2025 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium
with the manual transmission, and we'll talk about that vehicle.
So stay with us, and we'll be right back right here on America on the Road.
Welcome back, everybody, to America on the Road
with Chris T. Jack Neerad with you for Road Test Time.
And what a varied group of road test vehicles,
but I think very high-performance road test vehicles we have for you this week.
Pretty cool stuff.
You were driving, I think, my favorite version of the Ford Explorer.
And of course, it's an important vehicle for Ford Motor Company,
right in one of the biggest segments out there.
Tell us about it.
Yeah, this is the 2026 Explorer.
It's Ford's mid-size SUV.
I tested the ST version, which is the sportier.
It's actually the range-topping version in the current lineup.
But ST and Ford Land means speed and power.
So this vehicle starts at around $55,000, and mine was around $62,000 after options.
But if you go lower in the lineup, you can get into the Explorer for under $40,000.
And you still get quite a few of the desirable features here.
Jack, when's the last time you drove an Explorer and have you driven the ST recently?
Fairly recently, I think.
I've always liked the ST because I like the performance.
It's kind of a stealthy performance vehicle, but it's really fun to drive.
And it's kind of surprising how fun it is to drive that three-wheel vehicle.
It is.
It's a little bit of a sleeper because it doesn't look extremely different
from the more sedate versions of the Explorer.
But under the hood, you've got a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 400 horsepower and 415 pound
feet of torque.
You get standard all-wheel drive and a 10-speed automatic transmission.
I didn't measure with a 0 to 60 time in this vehicle, Jack,
but I would have to imagine the seat of pants feel being a little bit shy of six seconds,
which is pretty stout for a 3-wheel SUV, as you said.
It comes with sport-tuned suspension, which is a little bit rough on some of our roads around
here, especially now that we've had the plows going for a couple of weeks now.
But the trade-off there is that you get surprisingly agile handling out of this
three-wheel vehicle.
Jack, what did you think of the ride quality and maybe the interior sound level of all this,
you know, while you're going?
I think they do a good job.
I mean, I'm not one of those.
I think you like the engine sounds more than I do, Chris, you know.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
I kind of like silent speed.
And I think that's what I remember about the ST.
I don't think there's this big burble or anything like that.
When I was driving the Durango, Dodge Durango, quite a different kind of take than the ST from Ford.
Yeah, you're right.
It does fly under the radar.
There are millions of modifications that people have done to make these things much louder and
rowdy or sounding, but from the factory, they're pretty tame.
You also get a rear sway bar, sport tires, and 20-inch wheels.
I think 21-inch wheels, excuse me, with the package that my vehicle came with.
Inside, synthetic leather upholstery with Miko suede, which is a synthetic suede inserts.
Heated and ventilated front seats.
Jack, the front seats of this vehicle are exceptionally comfortable.
I think one of the things I love about Ford vehicles is that they nail the American size
rear end in the front seats of their vehicles.
And the ergonomics are good, too.
You get buttons for most of the things here.
You have buttons for the heated and ventilated seats, although a lot of it is still integrated with
the Sync 4 infotainment system.
You also get second row heated seats, and we've talked about this a lot,
but it comes with captain's chairs, which I really enjoy.
It allows you to walk between the back seats to get into the cargo area,
and also gives you some space between kids if you have younger children the second row.
Technology-wise, you get a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 13.2-inch touchscreen.
As I mentioned before, it runs Ford Sync 4 infotainment, which is excellent,
but there are quite a few physical controls wrapped into the touchscreen now, so
you have to get used to controlling climate temperature and some other things
in the touchscreen, which is a little confusing.
Jack, what do you think about that?
Well, you should just cover it one more time for the heck of it.
Well, I think they do a fairly good...
I think the infotainment system works quite well, and what got my interest, too,
is this three-row, six-passenger kind of configuration,
and I wanted to throw in my two cents on that, too, because I always find this kind of amusing
that you get a three-row vehicle and it has one more seat than a sedan,
or it has one more seat than a compact SUV.
In some ways, I like the idea that you can have three in the center row,
and that makes some sense to me as another seating position, but like you say, it puts somebody,
you know, elbow to elbow with somebody else sometimes.
Yeah, I think the Explorer suffers from what a lot of three-row SUVs suffer from,
which is the third-row is kind of like a vestigial attachment to the vehicle, like it's there,
it's a selling point, but it's not exactly useful.
But you do get wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, you get a B&O sound system in this vehicle,
and mine came with the optional Blue Cruise upgrade, which is a hands-free driving system,
and it comes with a trial, so you can test it out.
My vehicle also had a trailer tow package, and Copilot 360 Assist 2.0 is standard,
so you get blind spot monitoring, Ford Collision Alerts, automatic emergency braking,
and all the rest.
Jack, I think if I were buying this vehicle, I'd probably go for a lower-priced version.
I think, you know, 60K for anything right now is a little bit steep, but the ST, man,
it's definitely the most fun to drive.
It certainly is, and I love that motor, I love what they do with that,
and I also love the fact that you get this ability to test Blue Cruise.
You know, I think it's a 90-day trial or something like that, maybe it's even longer,
and I think once you start trying it, I think that's a good marketing from Ford to put people in
Blue Cruise and see how well it works, because it really works quite well for the right things,
and but you can trust it for doing that, and I think a lot of people are going to sign up and
think, hey, this is something I want.
More revenue for Ford.
Yeah, and I think if I remember correctly, I think you can sign up and then sign out and then sign
up, so if you're taking a long cross-country trip, maybe you can just sign up for a month and
use it for the month and then say, well, I'm just commuting the rest of the time.
I don't need that so much.
And as you say, it actually works, so there you go, it works well.
Well, I'm going to be talking about the 2025 Toyota GR Supra, which is a really cool sports
coupe. I love it a lot, and also I warn you, a lot of stuff I'm going to say will sound very
un-Toyota-like, because this vehicle under the skin is not necessarily a Toyota,
and I'll tell a funny story.
I think it's a funny story really quick.
I was in a parking lot.
I was actually at the parking lot at the Milwaukee Baseball Stadium in the Dodge
Durango that I just mentioned a little earlier, and the guy next to me was parked in, had a
Toyota Supra, and he was kind of lording the fact that he had the Supra and all this stuff,
and I said, yeah, I really like this, and I like the fact that BMW is so heavily involved in this,
and he said, oh, this is a Toyota vehicle that has kind of nothing built by Toyota,
and this and that, and I'm like, well, no, not really. It's built in Graz, Austria,
and essentially it's a BMW kind of through and through, except for a name plate, and
well, I'm curious as to your take on that before I go any farther.
Oh, it's definitely a BMW, the steering wheel, the infotainment screen, the gear shift,
the sound inside the car, all of its BMW, and that's fine because it exists,
and that's what I'm happy about. Yeah. Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with a two-seat
rear-wheel drive sports coupe from BMW. With an available manual transmission.
Exactly, and available at a Toyota price. It's not necessarily super cheap,
but it's the same $60,000 as that Ford Explorer ST that you talked about.
I think this is a very, very cool vehicle overall, and it's just like what it brings to the party.
Again, this is a good, I think, partnership between BMW. There's Z4 is kind of the
opposite number of this vehicle. It's the convertible version, I guess you could say,
but the three-liter inline six, of course, is a BMW engine. Turbocharged produces 382 horsepower,
368 pound-feet of torque, shooting that power to the rear wheels where it should go.
Six-speed manual transmission, if you want it, with rev matching that can be turned off,
if you want to do that, although why you would do that, I'm not quite certain, because I love
the fact that it'll help you with that. It's a little slower than the automatic, interestingly
enough. A zero to 60 comes in 4.2 seconds versus 3.9 seconds, but I don't know about you, Chris.
I really like the involvement of the manual. I just kind of like the overall feel of this thing.
This is a really fun to drive vehicle. Yeah, I got spoiled by the short throw shifter in my GR
Corolla. The GR Supra is a little bit longer throw, but man, the engagement that it brings to that car
is top notch. Right. Suspension is very cool. A multi-link rear suspension. It has McPherson's
struts up front, but a multi-link rear, again, designed by BMW. Who does better suspensions,
I think, than BMW? An adaptive variable suspension is standard. It adjusts the damping,
depending on the condition, so I like that. Nice electric steering rack was recalibrated fairly
recently. Sport rear differential. It has sport modes. I mean, all around, this is a cool car.
The inside is very BMW. Leather trims for its seats. It has heating and power adjustments.
The cabin layout is very reminiscent of BMW, which, again, isn't a bad thing. Not that Toyota does
a bad interior these days, but I really like the fact that there's a lot of BMW here.
And then maybe in terms of infotainment system, you could complain a bit about the fact that it
uses essentially a version of BMW's iDrive versus the Toyota system. We've come to like
quite a bit, but I don't think it's bad. What should take on infotainment in this vehicle?
Yeah, I actually like Toyota's new system better, but there's nothing wrong with the
version of iDrive that they're using in this car. And it works with all the BMW hardware,
so I guess that's part of the package. Right. The interesting thing is wireless
Apple CarPlay is standard, but you can't get Android Auto, because BMW doesn't
feature that. So I guess if you're an Android person, maybe you're out of luck there. But
it's got a lot of good safety stuff. I think overall, this is just quite a good vehicle at
around $60,000. I mean, a lot of people will go $60,000 two-seater, but essentially you're getting
a premium sports coupe for $60,000 or so. I think that's quite a good thing.
And it legitimately feels quicker than the on-paper horsepower and torque specs let-on,
so this vehicle is rowdy. I mean, it's far quicker than you would think from 385 horsepower.
Yeah, which 385 horsepower is, of course, nothing to sneeze at anyway. At least it was in my book,
back in my day, I guess. Well, when we come back, we will have a great guest. Jonathan,
you is the product specialist on the 2026 Honda Prelude, product expert on that,
leader of that program. So stay with us. We'll be talking with him. I had a chance to talk with
him at the North American Car of the Year testing that we did a couple of weeks ago. So we sat down
and had a good discussion about what is one of the most exciting vehicles to come to market,
a blast from the past. So stay with us from that, and we'll be right back right here on 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 finely 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. Welcome back to America on the Road, Jack and Redd. With you, we're in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, getting the opportunity to drive a lot of terrific cars and one of my
favorites today was the Honda Prelude, back after so many years. And Jonathan, you as product
planner on that vehicle from Honda. Thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it. No problem.
Thank you for having me. Quick story. When I started in this business, probably before you were born,
the project car we had was a Honda Prelude. It was about an 83 or something like that. And, you
know, we did a little bit to it, you know, maybe altered the suspension a bit. And it was a car
I drove all the time when I was a sports car graphic magazine. So I have a very soft spot in
my heart for Honda Prelude number one. But tell us about the new car. Yeah. So for the sixth generation
Prelude, it's now 25 years removed since the last generation, the last generation with the 2001
Honda Prelude. This is the modern iteration of the Honda Prelude. The hallmarks of Prelude are
still there with the sixth generation, even though now it's a hybrid. So innovation technology,
it being fun to drive and also razor sharp handling, those are the hallmarks of the Honda
Prelude. So with the sixth generation, not any different. Now we have a hybrid powertrain,
the award-winning tube motor hyperelectric system. And then also, as you know, the all new Honda S
Plus shift that debuts on this vehicle, plus the Civic Type R suspension and Rambo brakes as well.
So innovation technology. Yeah, all the right pieces, all the right pieces. What prompted Honda
to bring the car back at this time after so many years? So I think it's a combination of the current
climate in terms of, you know, hybrids. So hybrids are, you see a lot of hybrids in the marketplace,
and Honda is one of the leading OEMs with Honda, with hybrids. We're selling close to 50% in terms
of our hybrids. CRV, I'm also the founder for the Honda CRV. So CRV, you know, you get the
cord hybrid, you have the Civic hybrid, you have a cord Civic, and now Prelude all being in the same
showroom like it did before in the years past. But they're all hybrid as well. So bringing that back
with now the hybrid with its 200 horsepower, 232 foot pound of torque, instantaneous torque
from the hybrid powertrain, make it a very fun experience and putting that into a two-door
crew. 100%. I mean, one of the things we talk about on the show all the time these days is how
fun to drive hybrids are and how hybrids really the electric power right at the right time really
contributes to that fun to drive. Talk about that a little bit. Yeah, so the fun to drive aspect is
something that it's in any of our Honda hybrids. So Honda CRV, a cord Civic hybrid. So putting
that into a two-door coupe just made perfect sense, especially with our portfolio going more hybrid
than ever. So then combining that with Honda S plus shift gives it a very fun engaging experience.
You wouldn't even know that there's a transmission in there because there isn't because there's a
direct drive unit. The electric motors drive their wheels directly. But the Honda S plus shift
makes it feel like it's a close thing to describe it as like a dual clutch transmission because
you can use the paddle shifters and gear changes. And there's eight simulated gears in the car
where as regular hybrid operation is used as regenerative braking. But now it has the paddle
shift. Describe to me in more detail and to our listeners in more detail how the power train
works because it's different than the typical hybrid system, right? The power train is the same
as let's say the Civic Hybrid. So it's the same power train, the same horsepower and the torque.
Operation wise it's still the same as well. It's the S plus shift that gives it that part of the
drive train. So S plus shift basically creates sound in the cabin to simulate a let's say a
dual clutch transmission, the engine sound when you gear shift and your blips. So there's engine
pulsation when there's a gear shift or gear change. So you feel it in the car even though
there's no transmission in the car. And then there's the downshifts in the noise. So with no
transmission in the car, is all the drive electric? Yes, primarily it is electric. The
two liter Atkinson four cylinder engine, all it is is a generator. It generates power for the
battery. So it keeps the battery charged, which then in turn drives the electric motors that
drives the wheels. So primarily electric operation in the vehicle. Yeah. Ferdinand Porsche did that
about 1901. Do you, are you aware of that car? I remember the, that was one of the, 901 SC?
I think something, well something like that. I mean, I literally mean about 1901 because gear
changes were a big problem then. Getting the power down was a difficult task. So that was a good
engineering feat then and maybe just as good now. This is a good looking car with a lot of interior
space. Tell us about that. Yeah. So when you think of a sports coupe, the appeal, the exterior
styling is what attracts you first. It has to have an emotional pull. So I think we accomplished that
with the very low slung roofline, very wide stance, has a fighter like or what do you call it, glider
like appearance on the vehicle. So I think it's going to be a head turner. And then once you
already go past the exterior, you go inside the car. It's a very, with the two tone interior,
it's a very stunning premium interior as well. Yeah. Good looking car with a lot of interior
space and a lot of cargo space potentially. Six generation prelude, first time introducing a
lift back. So all the previous generations have been coupes. So the reason why we did that was
because we wanted this car to be an everyday grand touring coupe, just like the preludes of the
past. So having a lot of space in the vehicle, lends itself to that. You can drive the car every
day, go get groceries, go on a long trip. You can fit two to three sets of golf clubs probably in
the rear. You can put full size luggage as well. So if you want to, I'm from LA, you can go from LA
to Vegas in that car. And it's a very comfortable drive in the vehicle. So the space just lends
itself to the versatility of the vehicle as well. Yeah. Yeah. Is it belted in the back for two or
for three? It's a two plus two. So you can put two small little humans in the back. But primarily,
I think the customer probably, if they do have anyone in the back, would probably be a child
seat in the back. Got it. Okay. Or two adults for very short periods of time. Yeah, or that's
good. We're going to the restaurant, coming back and we'll see you then. What is the most exciting
part of the vehicle to you? What gets you kind of riled up about? I think it's the combination of
those, the three main hallmarks of the vehicle. It's the hybrid powertrain, the S plus shift,
and the Civic Type R suspension geometry, and the Brembo brakes. Hybrid powertrain for the
instantaneous torque and feel, the fuel efficiency. The car gets 44 miles to the gallon compared to
Civic Hybrid, 48 miles to the gallon combined. And then you have the Honda S plus shift, giving it
that, you know, you can switch it on the fly in terms of what you want. So the car has different
personalities. If you want to be a comfortable Grand Touring car, you can do that. You can have it
as a fun back road carver. You can do the same thing as well. I should know this, but can you set
it up so it doesn't shift so you don't get the feeling of a shift? So if you put the vehicle
into comfort mode, it changes the behavior of the S plus shift system. So when you're an S,
when you're S plus comfort, you could override it and like gear change as well. But if you just
leave it alone, automatic operation, it will have a very linear smooth operation in comfort mode.
So essentially, it would feel like an electric vehicle, right? Yeah, you have all the torque,
but also feel that smooth linear feeling just like an EV car. Yeah, talk about torque and why
that's important. I mean, we do talk about it on the show, but I'm not sure people see a horsepower
figure. They kind of get that, I guess, but I'm sure that they're not up to speed on what torque
does for them. Why not do that? So I think when you think of torque, the torque is most important
when you're at a standing still or zero. So the torque is very necessary to propel you from zero.
So having a lot of torque, and especially in the case here, we have instantaneous torque because
you have electric motors, makes it feel... They get max torque at zero RPM, right? So yeah,
so you're getting the maximum torque. So it's going to feel very quick off the line. So very kin to
like, let's say like EV cars where you have very quick off the line speed.
How soon is it available now or is it about to be available? What's the availability?
It'll be available before the end of the year. Okay. Walk me kind of through the product lineup of
you know, trim level and those kinds of things. Yeah, so the the pillar doesn't have any any
trims. What it does have is a color roof option with black door side mirror caps. Okay. So that
color option is only available on the winter frost pearl, which is the white variant you see
outside. So that is available for that color. But other than that, there is no really...
On a spec car, huh? It's a I mean, it's a fully loaded vehicle. It's equivalent to or almost
equivalent to the Civic Hybrid top trim. So it has, let's say, Bose speakers. It's eight speakers
instead of 12 because it's a coupe. It also has a Keeter front seats. It has Google built-in on a
nine inch display as you know, full digital TFT, wireless capability, charger, wireless carplay,
Android Auto, parking sensors, front and rear. So it's a fully loaded car. Yeah. So we want to
make sure that it has all the amenities out of the creature comforts of the vehicle because it is
a comfortable vehicle. We also don't want to sacrifice on those features compared to, let's say,
you know, a pure performance score where you're sacrificing some of the creature comforts. Well,
as a grand tour, it's got grand in it, right? Yeah. This sounds like a grand amount of equipment.
Yes. It seems quite appropriate for that. MSRP, has it been priced? It's around $42,000,
but once we get closer to the on sale, the price of the final price. And the on sale date is...
We haven't said it yet, but it'll be before the... Before the end of the year. Yeah,
before the end of 2025. Can you believe we're getting closer? I know. It's really... And when
you're working on and planning for vehicles, the time just flies by. Yeah. What's it like to come and
talk about a vehicle that you probably worked on a while ago and like how long ago was it and how
long and tell me about progressing to the next... I think there's... As a product plan, you never
stop working on it because you're always working on the next iteration or you're working on like
just updates on the vehicle in terms of like just market trends and whatnot. I have to say,
it's one of the most rewarding things to see a product come to life. Yeah. I've had many positions
in my 15-year career at Honda, advertising where you see a commercial shoot come to life,
but having a hand in a product where individual spends a lot of time choosing a vehicle,
it's a very personal decision and seeing people drive it, meaning that they selected a car you
worked on, is a very rewarding experience. Yeah. And I think you're going to get a lot of that
rewarding experience. It's interesting to me coming to market now with a two-door vehicle.
Another quick story, I pulled up and I was picking up my daughter and a friend of hers,
I think it did after a church group or something like that, and I was in a two-door,
I can't even remember what vehicle it was, and my daughter got into the passenger side up front.
The girl, her friend, couldn't figure out how to get into the car. She literally never seen a
two-door vehicle and didn't realize that you could get in through the front door into the back
seat. It was kind of really interesting to me, but I think it's kind of cool that in some ways
you're kind of going against the grain here with this vehicle and coming out with a two-door coupe,
I think is terrific. So I think you think of traditional two-door coupes. There's plenty
of coupes in the market that are the traditional type, lack of, let's say, trunk space, not a lot
of creature comforts, right, the very traditional scent. The Honda Prelude in this iteration
kind of throws that on its head. So you have a two-door coupe and that's probably where the
similarities end. You have all the versatility, functionality, the fuel efficiency, but still
fun to drive. So we think that it's going to be more accessible than ever for a vehicle like this
and bringing more people and new people as well. Yeah, I absolutely think that's going to happen.
It's very cool. Glad I got a chance to drive it. Look forward to driving it more.
I might have asked you this already, but is there a particular feature about it, a particular,
let's say, an interior feature that you're most proud of? Most proud seats. So those seats are
bespoke to the vehicle. It's a very stylish design and they're actually asymmetrical in terms of
bolstering from the driver's side to the passenger's side. So am I. The reason why we did that was
because we focused on creature comfort, especially for the passenger as well, not just the driver.
So the passenger doesn't need all that bolstering. So they want to feel comfortable in the vehicle.
And then we also made some cutouts on the door. So getting in and out is easier. So
that's why the seats are, to me, are very important because they're comfortable,
but also supportive on the, especially on the driver's side. And then the passenger side,
attention was paid to that individual to ensure that they're also having a very comfortable
experience as well. Yeah, very good. My wife is going to like that. She always complains that the
front passenger gets the short end of so many things. Yeah, so that's very, very cool. Well,
Johnson, you, thanks so much for talking with us about the new Honda Prailer 2026. It's coming out
before the end of the year. Well, thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Thanks.
And stay with us, everybody. We'll be right back right here on American on the Road.
Welcome back to American on the Road with co-host Kristy. This is Jack Newred with you.
It is listener question time. We appreciate your listener questions, your questions and comments.
Send them along to editor at drivingtoday.com. That's editor at drivingtoday.com. And here's
a question. This came from Anton in Bend, Oregon. And I think it's a pretty good question. And I'm
really curious to ask you about it, Chris, because you have an electric vehicle. This
is what he says. I'm thinking of buying an electric vehicle, but I'm a little concerned.
What's the real world range of EVs compared to EPA estimates? Are those estimates real,
or should I expect much less? What's been your experience with that? And does it matter?
I think it does matter, but not as much as a lot of people probably think it does.
Yes, the range estimates are just that estimates. They are in an ideal situation in the ideal
temperature under ideal driving scenarios. This is what you would achieve. We routinely get somewhere
between 10 to 15% less range than what the EPA says. And that goes down even further in the
winter. Right now, we run the heated seats, the heat, everything else warming the vehicle up.
That reduces it further. I would say if you have a home charger and you're just driving for your
daily commute, these things don't really matter all that much. But if you're taking road trips
and things, that's when these numbers start to make a little bit more of an impact on your daily drive.
Yeah, when I was talking to the Polestar people a couple of weeks back during the Polestar 4
introduction, they emphasized the fact of real world range. That kind of wraps up our show for
this week. My new crime novel, Only One Thing Stays the Same, is available in both ebook and
paperback form at Amazon. So look for that. 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
tell us all about the podcast that we do, Chris. That's right, Jack. A quick Google search for
the America on the Road podcast will bring us to you on all the major platforms, Apple, Spotify,
all the rest. Like us, leave us a review, download the show. That way you can take us with you
wherever you go and helps us out. We really appreciate your help. If you want to pass along
our show to others, we would really appreciate that. We have YouTube and Rumble channels. Check
those out and subscribe. Like our content there. We're doing a lot of short videos recently. So
check those out on our YouTube channel. I think kind of interesting stuff that seems to resonate
with folks. Our thanks to Mercury Insurance for sponsoring the show and to our Sports
Byline Network stations for carrying it. Thanks to Chris for co-hosting so wonderfully well.
And most of all, thanks to you for listening. We know you've got a lot of choices. So the fact
that you're listening to America on the Road honors us a lot. Thanks so much for doing that.
And join us again next time for another edition of America on the Road.
I received a letter from a 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 Arnie Redd. Thanks for looking for them today.
About this episode
A thrilling road test of the 2025 Toyota GR Supra and the 2026 Ford Explorer ST highlights their performance and features. The hosts discuss Tesla's new rental program aimed at boosting EV demand amid executive departures, and the impact of a government shutdown on the automotive industry. They also introduce exciting upcoming models from Nissan, Kia, and Jeep, while a special guest shares insights on the 2026 Honda Prelude, emphasizing its hybrid powertrain and modern design. The episode blends news, reviews, and expert opinions, making it a rich listen for automotive enthusiasts.
This week on America on the Road, co-hosts Jack Nerad and Chris Teague take on the latest headlines, including Tesla’s new rental-car gamble, auto industry shake-ups, and major new vehicle debuts ahead of the LA Auto Show. In our road test segment, Jack gets behind the wheel of a true enthusiast’s dream car, the 2025 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium, while Chris tests the potent yet family-ready 2025 Ford Explorer ST. In our exclusive interview, we welcome Jonathan Yu, Product Expert for the all-new 2026 Honda Prelude, who shares insights on the return of one of Honda’s most iconic nameplates.
🏎️ Jack Nerad Test-Drives the 2025 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 Premium MT
Jack takes the rear-wheel-drive sports car for a spin in its purest form with a 6-speed manual transmission. Powered by a potent 3.0-liter turbo inline-six, the Supra blends BMW precision with Toyota tuning to deliver a focused and rewarding driving experience. Jack breaks down the updates, the real-world ride feel, and why this car is more than just a rebadged Z4. For one thing, it has a solid roof.
🚙 Chris Teague Test-Drives the 2025 Ford Explorer ST
Chris reviews the updated Ford Explorer ST, powered by a 400-horsepower 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. From its sharp handling to its tech-packed interior featuring Ford’s latest infotainment system, this SUV brings serious performance to the three-row segment. Chris dives into its on-road personality, cargo-toting prowess, and whether the ST is worth the upgrade for power-hungry families.
🎙️ Special Guest Interview: Jonathan Yu – 2026 Honda Prelude
Jack sits down with Honda’s Jonathan Yu to talk about the highly anticipated return of the Honda Prelude, a vehicle that was lost for a generation. The conversation covers the inspiration behind the new model, its hybrid powertrain, performance ambitions, and how it fits into Honda’s electrification strategy without losing its sporty edge.
📰 This Week’s Headlines
• Tesla Rolls Out Daily Rental Program Amid Executive Exodus
Tesla is now offering $60-per-day rentals in California to boost EV interest, even as two top executives responsible for the Cybertruck and Model Y leave the company. As Jack and Chris point out, this is a symptom of a bigger issue.
• FAA Staffing Crisis Turns Travelers to Car Rentals
The just-ended government shutdowns and air traffic controller shortages pushed travelers toward road trips, spiking one-way car rentals by 30%.
• 2026 Nissan Sentra Debuts with Bold Tech and Looks
From dual 12.3-inch displays to Zero Gravity seats and a luxe new SL trim, Nissan is giving the Sentra a serious glow-up as it tries to pull itself up.
• 2027 Kia Telluride Redesign Adds Luxury and Ruggedness
Longer, taller, and more tech-forward, the second-gen Telluride gets a vertical light signature, trail-ready X-Pro trim, and a reimagined interior.
• 2026 Jeep Compass Simplifies Lineup, Adds Value
Jeep’s smallest SUV streamlines to three trims, adds standard features, and debuts fresh paint options like ‘41 Green and Joose.
📩 Listener Question of the Week:
Anton from Bend, OR asks: “What’s the real-world range of EVs compared to EPA estimates?” Jack and Chris unpack the differences between EPA ratings and actual driving conditions and what buyers should realistically expect.
📚 Jack’s Newest Book
Jack’s crime novel Only One Thing Stays the Same is available now in paperback and eBook. You’ll find purchase links in the show notes.
🎧 Where to Listen:
Catch America on the Road on one of the Sports Byline Radio Network stations each week and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Rumble. Don’t forget to follow us for new-car reviews, guest interviews, and auto industry insights every week.
🎙️ 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.
