969: Rename Everything, Pug Dog On Wheels, The Ten-Month Tune
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Term
merger
A merger is when two companies join together to become one, usually to be stronger in business.
Car
Nissan La
The Nissan Leaf is a car that runs only on electricity, so it doesn't need gas. It's popular because it's affordable and helps people drive in a more environmentally friendly way.
Brand
Tesla
Tesla is a car company that makes electric cars, which means they run on batteries instead of gasoline.
Brand
GM
GM is a big car company in the U.S. that makes many different brands of cars, including electric ones.
Car
Ford Expedition
The F-150 is a popular pickup truck made by Ford that many people use for work and everyday driving.
Car
Ford F150
Car
Ford Explorer
Term
E-REV
E-REV is a type of car that can run on electricity but also has a gasoline engine to help it go farther when the battery runs out.
Car
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a car that can run on electricity and gas, which helps it go further without needing to charge all the time. It's important because it shows how cars can be more efficient and environmentally friendly.
Car
Toyota Corollas
Car
Honda Prelude
The Honda Prelude is a two-door car that was popular for its sporty design and good performance.
Car
1986 Subaru wagon
The 1986 Subaru wagon is a family-friendly car that can handle rough weather and is good for carrying stuff.
Car
Audi V8
The 1990 Audi V8 Quattro is a fancy car that has a strong engine and can drive well in all kinds of weather.
Car
Audi Quattro
Car
Audi 90
The Audi 90 is a small luxury car that is known for being well-made and having good handling.
Car
Dodge Neon
The Dodge Neon ACR is a sportier version of a small car that people liked for its fun driving experience.
Car
Porsche Cayman
Car
Porsche 911S
Car
BMW 325E
The BMW 3 Series is a small luxury car that is fun to drive and has a lot of nice features. It's well-liked because it combines comfort with sporty performance.
Car
Volvo S60 T6
The Volvo S60 T6 is a luxury car from Volvo that is known for being safe and comfortable. The T6 version has a powerful engine.
Car
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a tough vehicle made for off-roading. It's known for being able to handle rough terrain.
Car
Jaguar Ftype
The Jaguar F-Type is a stylish sports car that is fast and fun to drive. It comes in both a hardtop and a convertible version.
Car
Ford F350
The Ford F-350 is a big truck that can carry heavy loads and tow trailers. It's popular among people who need a strong vehicle for work or outdoor activities.
Term
Turbocharger
A turbocharger helps an engine get more power by using the exhaust gases to push in extra air. This makes the car more powerful without needing a bigger engine.
Term
Supercharger
A supercharger helps an engine produce more power by pushing in extra air, which lets it burn more fuel. This can make the car faster.
Term
Volvo seats
Volvo seats are designed to be very comfortable, especially for long drives. They have good support for your back and can be adjusted in many ways.
Term
all-wheel drive
All-wheel drive means that all four wheels of the car get power from the engine, which helps the car grip the road better, especially in bad weather like rain or snow.
Term
chain controls
Chain controls are rules that say you have to put chains on your tires when driving in snowy or icy conditions to help your car grip the road better.
Term
engine placement
Engine placement is where the car's engine is located. If it's in front of the front wheels, it can change how the car drives and feels on the road.
Concept
European delivery
European delivery lets you go to Europe to pick up your new car directly from the manufacturer. It can be a fun way to travel and enjoy your new vehicle before bringing it home.
Car
Volvo EX90
The Volvo EX90 is a new electric SUV that is designed to be safe and good for the environment. It's important because it shows how car companies are moving towards electric cars.
Car
Porsche Panameras
The Porsche Panamera is a fancy car that looks like a sports car but has four doors, making it more practical for everyday use.
Car
Porsche Macan
The Porsche Macan is a smaller luxury SUV from Porsche. It’s known for being fun to drive while still being practical for everyday use.
Car
Bmw X5
The BMW X5 is a fancy SUV that looks good and drives well. It's known for being comfortable and having lots of features, which makes it a favorite for people who want a nice car to drive.
Car
Cadillac Blackwing
The Cadillac Blackwing is a performance version of Cadillac cars that are designed to be faster and more exciting to drive.
Car
Bentley Continental GTC
The Bentley Continental GTC is a fancy convertible car that looks really nice and drives very fast. It's a status symbol for people who want the best in luxury and performance.
Car
Bentley Arnage R
The Bentley Arnage R is a very luxurious car that is big and comfortable. It's special because it's made with high-quality materials and is designed for people who want the best.
Car
Ford Flex
The Ford Flex is a roomy SUV that has a unique shape. It's great for families because it has a lot of space for people and their stuff.
Car
Audi RS6 Avant
The Audi RS6 Avant is a fast station wagon that can carry a lot of stuff. It's special because it combines the speed of a sports car with the space of a family car.
Car
BMW M5
The BMW M5 is a super-fast version of a regular BMW sedan. It's designed for people who want a luxurious car that can also go really fast and handle well on the road.
Car
Volvo V60 Polestar
The Volvo V60 Polestar is a sporty version of a family wagon that is fun to drive. It has a powerful engine and is good for people who want a mix of space and performance.
Car
Suzuki X90
The Suzuki X-90 is a small SUV that looks different from most cars. It's known for being able to go off-road and is a bit rare, making it interesting for car lovers.
Car
Mercedes-Benz Cclass
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a small luxury car that is comfortable and has lots of nice features. It's popular because it looks good and drives well, making it a favorite for people who want a nice car.
Car
Lexus Rc
The Lexus RC F is a stylish sports car that is fast and fun to drive. It's known for being luxurious while also having a powerful engine.
Car
Genesis G90
The Genesis G90 is a big luxury car that is very comfortable and has lots of high-tech features. It's a good choice for people who want a fancy car without spending too much money.
Car
Lexus Sc400
The Lexus SC 400 is a fancy two-door car that is comfortable and powerful. It's popular because it looks good and drives smoothly, making it a nice choice for luxury car fans.
Car
Suzuki Jimny
The Suzuki Jimny is a small SUV that is great for off-roading and adventures. It's simple and tough, making it a good choice for people who like to explore outdoors.
Car
Ford Fiesta ST
Car
Mazda 2
The Mazda 2 is a small car that is easy to drive and saves on gas. It's a good choice for people who want something affordable and fun to drive around town.
Car
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a classic American sports car that looks cool and goes really fast. It's popular because it's fun to drive and has been around for a long time, making it a part of car culture.
Car
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a car that uses both gas and electricity to drive, which helps it save on fuel. It's known for being very good on gas and is often chosen by people who want to be more environmentally friendly.
Car
Mclaren F1
The McLaren F1 is a super-fast sports car that is very rare and expensive. It's famous for being one of the best cars ever built, with a really powerful engine and a unique look.
Car
Porsche Cayenne
The Porsche Cayenne is a fancy SUV that drives like a sports car. It's known for being powerful and comfortable, making it a great choice for people who want a nice car that can also handle well.
Car
Toyota Corolla Cross
The Toyota Corolla Cross is a small SUV that is easy to drive and has a lot of space. It's popular because it combines the comfort of a car with the usefulness of an SUV.
Car
Porsche Boxster
The Porsche Boxster is a small, fun sports car that you can drive with the top down. It's known for being enjoyable to drive and is a good choice for people who love cars that feel sporty.
Car
Lotus Amira
The Lotus Emira is a new sports car that is designed to be light and fun to drive. It's exciting for people who love cars that feel fast and responsive.
LIVE
Love them or hate them, everyone has an opinion on cars. But we believe we're all one great car away from a car enthusiast. So we're here to help you find a car you love, and let it take us to everything else in life. I'm Todd. I'm Paul, and this is the everyday driver car debate. We're back Happy Friday. Thanks again for joining us here on the podcast. We are starting. It's almost a marriage discussion of what we're starting with. You know, mergers are like marriages. You know, you get close.
Sometimes the little potential marriage isn't going to work. Apparently Nissan doesn't like Honda's offer. Nissan might be dead, everyone. It might be dead because Nissan's not real happy. Now that's probably, I'm going to go ahead and put it out there. It's probably because Honda has all the leverage. Nissan has nothing to offer really. So Honda said, here's what you're going to take. And Nissan said, we don't like it. So Nissan is apparently out looking for other suitors. I think so. I mean, it was a $58 billion merger on the verge of collapse because the board
members from Nissan just didn't like it. And from what I've been seeing, Nissan is worth about a fifth of what Honda is. If you strip it away from the Renault partnership. So they don't really have a leg to stand on. They don't really have bargaining power here. They're not coming in as a merger of equals, which is why I think they're not liking Honda's offer because it's not really a merger. It's more of a takeover. It is. And if that is the case, you'd think Honda could kill the Nissan brand. Right. Yeah. Well, we've got Acura and Honda. Why do we need
infinity in Nissan? Well, just wipe it out. So if they walk away, Nissan will need some other company. Yes, we have to invest new merger names. And you have made a list. You, my friend who makes
lists have made a new list of potential merger names of Nissan and others. And I'm going to challenge you to pronounce some of these because I am astounded by some of them. Some of them I get, but some of them, I'm just like, I don't even know where to start on that.
Nissan and Tesla. Nissan La. Nissan was not bad. Yes. Or Nessessla. Nessessla is better. Nessessla is out. Yeah, exactly. Nessessla is really a favorite of mine.
The next one is really hard. Nissan and Stellantis, everyone. Stellantis, Santis. No,
Stellantis, Stellantis, Santis. That's the best I can do. Stellantis, Stan. No, that'd be a country. That is a country.
That you failed at that. Stellantis, Santis. Stellantis, Santis. Stellantis, Santis is the best we've got, everybody. Please don't send us logos for these at the same time. Please send us logos for these.
Yeah, this is one of my favorites. And I have to just take this one to Nissan and Volkswagen becomes Nissan wagon. Yes, I'm going to buy the new Nissan wagon. Is that the new Nissan wagon?
Yes, it is. Uh-huh. Is it a wagon? Yeah. There's a subsidiary that we don't get here in North America. Say it. Say it. Yes. But you always pronounce it seat. I pronounce it seat for fun. It's just great to see the word seat on the back of a car. Yes. Nessete. Nessete. Oh, look, it's the new deceit. I don't know why this is funny. I don't know why we're doing it this much either. Ferraris. Ferrarison is a good one. Ferrarison. Geneson. Geneson. Hyundai. Nissan.
Oh, Nissan. Oh, Nissan.
Hyundai and Nissan. That's we're trying that in finison. That one's pretty obvious. But my favorite is this one. I didn't expect you to go here. Lucid and Nissan becomes Lucidison.
Lucidison. I think Lucidison. I don't know what here's the thing. I don't know what they sell, but there needs to be a company called Lucidison.
It's probably one of those drugs that you see where the commercial is two minutes long and 15 seconds of it is telling you what it does and the remaining minute and a half plus tells you all the things you need to be worried about.
If you have searing eye pain or burns when you pee, please consult your doctor and stop taking. Exactly right. Stop taking Lucidison if all of the following happens.
Here's the disson is right for you. Wow. Rivianison. Rivianison could work. It sounds like a riviar. It sounds like what's crazy. Rivianison.
I actually think in that merger, that might be a merger of equals. Rivianison.
Granted, they're already part of Nissan wagon. But neat bolts. It does. But Rivianison only has a couple of products and is about to have a third.
Nissan has a big lineup of history, but they don't have anything that's selling well now. So that actually might be a merger of equals right there.
I got the Rivianison. Rivianison. Staying with the Italians. Mazaratison. Kind of works, but my favorite is Astonison. It's sort of like you're astonished that this actually happened, but it has the heritage of Aston Martin.
It's Lauren Stroll's doing. He might do it. He's enough of a crazy billionaire. It's shocking. Astonishing. It might work. Astonison.
Astonison. I can't believe you bought that Astonishing car.
We're having more fun with this than anyone that is actually involved will ever have. I promise you, anyone involved in this potential merger is having the most stressful time of their life. And we are over here just having fun with names.
We have no idea what's going to happen with all of this. Is this entire merger dead? We're not sure, but we're enjoying, we're enjoying branding and we'd love you to send us logos. Those of you that send us logos so far have been phenomenal.
So if you just find yourself with the free time and artistic ability, build some of these logos for fun. There is some.
Nessessla. Nessessla. That's a coffee additive moving on. So there's a sugar substitute. Probably yes.
Take. Have Nessessla. Nessessla's great. The new Diet Coke with Nessessla. Nessessla.
I'm telling you, it's perfect. No calories. No calories. It's safe. It's probably safe now until a year from now when they decide that Nessessla is giving people cancer we've never discovered before.
Why is this funny? I don't know why it is either. I would have go to a bit of news that is actually supposedly a product rumor news that is interesting and wouldn't surprise me.
Ford is talking about, because as we all know, Ford and GM and many other companies have leaned wholeheartedly into making EVs and the market has said, I don't really care. So they are all retreating in different ways. They're all retreating.
Ford is saying, for their next generation of heavy-duty trucks, so Explorer, F-150, of course, the expedition, et cetera. They want to make E-REV.
It's E-REV. You know that's what they're going to call it. They're going to think they didn't spend too much time really thinking about like Lucidyson.
It's not, it's not Lucidyson. It's not that good. It isn't. But the concept here is very much like, and it's not revolutionary. It's fascinating.
Very much like what Scout is saying they're going to do under their Nissan wagon, what they're going to do, which is essentially have a generator in the car that is a gasoline burning generator and a smaller capacity battery.
So you can do all of your local errands with only 50 to 100 miles worth of range. And then if you need to go further, the electric generator kicks on and creates electricity by burning gasoline and you can keep driving and you can keep filling up at stations.
This is the new hybrid thinking. Now the new volt weight.
Well, yes, we did this. Yes, a decade ago.
GM who jumped in and GM, look, GM was the first of the electric car and they were the first of this concept.
Yeah. And then they walk away from, this is, GM has a history of this. I don't understand why. They walk away from it and everybody else tries it.
Too good of an idea. I don't know. Let's not do that. That might be cutting edge.
Now, the difference is that the volt technically, like when the weather was just right and you were doing the exact miles per hour that you needed to do, the gasoline motor did actually assist driving the wheels in these concepts.
It's like a locomotive. The locomotives have a generator on board that doesn't power the wheels, big train locomotives and those generators create electricity to drive the wheels.
That's what we're talking about here. Is Ford going to do this? It sounds like it. I think it's interesting to watch how the technology is changing as people aren't interested in all electrics.
And let's be honest, brands are looking at their version of what is the new electric hybrid uses less battery material, e-rev, everyone.
Only a Ford leans into like train naming locomotive naming conventions for all their new trucks, like the wheels like a freight train.
Yes.
Kansas City Southern, like, wait, we've renamed the entire truck lineup.
Toyota has the 1894 edition. Yes.
Ford's had the King Ranch forever.
If we're going to start renaming everything, let's go nuts. Let's get it out there. Let's have a fresh new naming convention.
I mean, like, we've spent this entire 10 minutes of podcast just renaming. So let's continue.
Volksis Stan. Volksis.
See, that is a country.
I like Nissan wagon very much, though. Yes.
Nissan, you've got some deciding to do.
Yeah, they do.
Your board members who have decided to walk away after you were taken aback by Honda's new proposal.
You're going to have to do some thinking and one company. Well, company will take you.
Nissan, this is, it's not like who wants to partner with you.
What company's going to be, you know what? I guess we'll, we'll brush the scraps into the dustbin here and take that on.
Thanks for the factories and a little bit of your tech.
This is the kid going to college who's outraged that his grades are terrible.
And he didn't do any after school activities, but Harvard doesn't want him.
Seriously, that's what it is.
And he's going to have to settle for the state school.
That's the step that Nissan's on.
State school.
There are plenty of good state schools, but I'm saying in this case, amen for Harvard.
Go into state.
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Dan in Nevada needs a mobile office.
Okay.
Dan, thank you for writing.
He has been listening for a while.
And he's hoping to join a hooked on driving event soon in Northern California.
Yes, we highly recommend that.
We've got some great ones on the calendar.
Yeah, we do.
hooked on driving.com for the Northern California schedule.
Yeah, you're there.
If you look for a region near you, Dan attached a spreadsheet that captures most of his car history.
So I had to summarize your history.
It was lengthy.
It was lengthy.
Even the summary was lengthy.
Yes.
That was condensed.
Yes, for sure.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
This summary from Dan includes Toyota's, like a lot of Corolla's, a Honda Prelude, a 1986 Subaru wagon,
a 1990 Audi V8 Quattro, which Dan called a nightmare of a car.
Probably really cool when it ran and when it ran.
That Audi 90s Audi experience.
I had a, totally a lot of Audi 90 and it was questionable.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He said BMW's, Volkswagen's, lots of dodges, including two dodgy neon ACRs.
That's cool.
Three Porsche's, including two 911's and an own nine Cayman base PDK and four Miatas.
The current fleet includes the 2019 Volvo S60 T6, 1985 BMW 325e manual.
03 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and Automatic.
He's got a Jaguar F-Type from 2014.
It's the Automatic and a Long Bed 1999 Ford F350 Kansas City Southern.
I like this group.
I do want to say which of those is your track car, by the way.
I guess the closest is the Jaguar F-Type Roadster.
I guess that's the closest one.
This is got the BMW set up.
Who knows?
The 1985 BMW.
That is one of those cars.
I'd love to hear the history on that.
My suspicion is that's a car that's been with you since you started driving.
And it will never, ever go.
Yeah, true.
Yeah, I get that.
That's which is cool.
Dan's job requires him to travel weekly to Oakland, Sacramento, Napa, Fresno, that area.
From Reno by the way.
From Reno, the area near Reno and he says his commutes are two and a half to four hours.
Yep.
He's got this wide history of cars and he said normally that history skews towards sporty cars.
And in the past he would have put up with poor highway manners in exchange for performance.
However, you get older, you have less tolerance for this shake around.
And all of his commutes are two and a half to four hours.
Yeah.
That's a lot.
So he sold the Cayman when he took his job two and a half years ago, bought that 2019 Volvo S60T6 inscription.
Slightly shocked.
That's the short name from Volvo.
That is the short name.
He actually condensed that really well.
But it's a good highway car.
He's been extremely satisfied with the Volvo like the seats.
Yeah, top of your list, seats are the best.
Yep.
The Bowers and Wilkins audio is incredible, he said.
It's pretty capable in the twisties and it's great looking.
It's unassuming and has a great interior.
Yeah, these are all you've just given the list there.
Sometimes even more reasons to think that we have this to why we like Volvo's for a lot of people.
Yep.
The problems include the cabin.
He said it's not quite luxury car quiet.
Bluetooth calls frequently echo and Volvo can't fix it, but it's also a known issue.
That's interesting.
There is good power from the Supercharger and Turbocharger, but somewhat of a rough power train.
Transmission is okay, it's better than the Polestar, not as good as the Jag.
And so he puts about 30,000 miles a year on a car.
So he needs this mobile office concept.
Sure.
And he does say his back is not what it once was, some seats are really tough, but he loves the Volvo seats.
Okay.
So he's open to new or lightly used.
And he has a list of needs here.
He needs all-wheel drive to cross the Sierra chain controls.
You've ever been in California because they are probably driving the same car you drove to the beach yesterday.
The concept of winter tires is rare in the Sierra Nevada.
It's just not a thing that people do.
So when there are snowstorms, the highway patrol pulls off and they actually have chain controls with their car.
Everybody to pull over and they want to see your quality of tires.
So what are your drive wheels? Do you have chains on?
He's talking about that for the Sierra chain controls.
So he likes to have the most capable inclement weather car, which is why he wants all-wheel drive.
Hopefully you're putting on good tires for that.
I see where you're going.
Dan wants high comfort.
This is priority now over something sporty.
And he thinks that he might like the massaging seats.
I think you will like the massaging seats.
He caveats this one like sadly.
I think I'm going to like that.
There's nothing to be embarrassed about.
Nope.
He would prefer a well engineered brand.
He likes sedans and wagons more than SUVs, but we'll consider everything.
Maybe don't go get that new Nissan wagon.
The Nissan wagon.
The Nissan wagon.
We're not sure about the engineering fault.
We don't know about that.
That's quite a mixed bag.
Let's be honest.
Look at coin there.
He dislikes outies that have the entire engine in front of the front axle.
That is a thing that's happened in the reality.
And he wants a great sound system.
Okay.
He likes big range, but MPG usually doesn't really care about it, but he wants a long range.
Like a big gas tank.
Yep, I get it.
And it's normally just him in the car, but a backseat is useful.
And he also mentions he and his wife would like European delivery if they get something new.
He says many have discontinued it.
Volvo continues it actually.
Volvo has expanded his manner of fact.
He says he thinks Mercedes and Audi still do, I believe they still do as well.
And his budget is flexible right now.
Those are the wrong words.
Those are the wrong words to tell Paul for sure.
Yes, do not do that.
He says it's 60 or so, but probably flex up to around 100 grand.
Flexible is where that's going to land, my friend, just so you know, because he's listening to this podcast.
So he says he's got this job.
And he visits multiple retail locations with their employees.
Well, he's not overly concerned with appearance.
He has enjoyed the non-pretentious arrival in a gray Volvo sedan.
Not to say he wouldn't pull up in a Porsche, but he's just...
He's aware of it.
He's given that into consideration the stealth mode and unobtrusive,
which is why Volvo's work in so many situations.
They're so great.
So he's got all these ideas.
Yep.
The 60 pole star, S60 recharge, the EX90.
That EX90 could be interesting.
He does have Panamera's on the list.
911s, Kayans and Macons.
He writes big Mercedes or big Audi or a Cadillac black wing or a BMW X5.
And the last car on the list, they're brand, I should say.
Is Bentley.
Just scroll back up here when he's talking about visiting multiple retail locations with employees.
And he's not overly concerned with appearance when they watch you roll in in a Bentley.
I did actually search Bentley's, by the way.
Damn.
I found that you could get a 2016 continental GTC V8 for $93,000 with only 26,000 miles.
And if you really want to rock an Arnage R from 2005,
I found with 12,000 miles for only 45 grand.
You would have gotten a deal, and you would know it, and we all would know it.
But every perception, all the people watching you roll into the parking lot,
they wouldn't know it.
All they would see is the flying bee.
Like, oh, here comes Bentley boy.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I would love it if you got the Bentley.
Moving on to your Audi idea, I understand what you're saying.
But when you said, maybe I'd flex a little bit and I want something with power,
maybe wagon, great seats, all I can think of is the RS6 Avant,
and how much I would love you to roll heavy in an RS6 Avant.
I think you would love it.
So, so real quickly here, he said he'd like to be spend 60 grand.
He might go to 100.
You've taken those two numbers and added them together and presented him with the RS6.
Was that not okay?
I'm just, I'm just acknowledging the reality of what just happened.
Yep.
I thought we were adding all the numbers.
You added all the numbers up.
Good job.
Excellent.
You know, if we're going to stay there, how about an M5 touring or a Porsche Panamera GTS
Sport to Rizmo?
Yeah.
However, Dan, I have arrived at the weirdest of wild cards.
Okay.
They're not for everyone.
Most people will think you have bad taste.
Excellent choices.
I like this.
Where have you gone?
But when you tell them what you bought it for, everyone?
BMW XM's are now under $100,000 across the board.
Go shop for the BMW XM.
I can't tell if it's a wagon.
I don't know if it's a sports car.
It's built by BMW.
It's a true M vehicle.
Yeah.
The way it drives belies its looks and its size.
It is super fast.
It's surprisingly agile.
Doesn't get over the ugly.
And it has an awfully nice like disco lounge back seat, which is not your thing.
Fantastic.
It is.
I see where you're going.
And considering the X5, you might as well look at the XM, which is just weird.
It's weird.
It's weird.
But Dan, I found a 2023 XM with 14,000 miles for $85,921.
These things were 150.
The one we drove was 150 loaded.
Yes.
Every bit of it.
Double.
Three years later, it's half the price.
Now, you would say, Paul, if I bought that, what happens a year or two from now?
Steve Decline would probably continue.
The whistle that you hear when you buy it is continuing.
Log after you buy it.
That is whistling toward the earth.
Just saying.
So then, what I thought, they're so ugly, they might not be ugly.
You think they might bounce?
You think we might turn around on them?
Maybe so.
Is it like the pug dog so ugly?
It became cute again.
Yes.
They're pugs.
It's like, what an ugly dog.
That is a cute dog.
Like, they're so ugly.
They're not ugly anymore.
They can't breathe.
They stumble around.
What if, Dan, you put some off-roading wheels on it?
I mean, this is not going to be good for highway use.
It's not going to be good for use, but I like where you're going.
Who has safariized an XM?
Has anyone up to this point done the safari over landing thing with an XM?
Because that is the sweet spot.
BMW can't sell these things.
They're sitting on dealer lots.
So I wonder if you go in and find one with low miles, Dan?
Definitely drive it.
Look under the hood.
I mean, this thing has power.
It's comfortable.
It's fast.
You will like the driving experience for what you're describing your needs are.
I think you'd really like it.
It's just like this thing.
It's amazing.
It's not a sports car.
You know, the handling, you feel the weight.
Yeah, for sure.
That's not why you're buying it here.
You're not trying to get on track with it.
You're not trying to do sports car, canyon carving kinds of things.
So for what you're looking for, just big highway, mile eating kind of thing.
What if you went to a dealer and said, you know what?
I'll take that off your hands.
But we're going to have to arrive at a price.
I mean, you've offered this XM for sale.
85 grand.
What if I gave you 75?
And you got it even more to steal.
And you're doing a dealer a favor because you're getting rid of the pug for them.
You're helping them.
You know, nobody else is coming in to buy that, right?
Here's another off you for it and I will get it off your lot.
That's too bad.
Then you're just going to pile the miles on this thing.
Yeah.
Have it.
Service, keep it.
Well, I mean, ostensibly, it's well engineered, well built, lots of power.
It's an M vehicle.
So it's designed to go fast and do the sporty thing.
But it's also very comfortable on road.
That's suspension.
The one we had had the steel springs, the M suspension.
But you can get the DAPS suspension.
But what if you got one of these for like 70?
Does that change the game?
And then you're rolling in and this thing.
People will be like, it's just a black SUV or a blue one or whatever.
So maybe employees would think like, wow, you've got really bad taste.
Or wow.
But you know what?
It's a conversation piece.
Think of it like a coffee table.
Like, no, no, wait, wait, don't walk away.
Let me tell you how cool this thing is.
And let me take you for a ride or whatever.
And then later on you want to buy it for me.
I did not expect you to go there.
I never ever thought you'd be in a situation where you were trying to sell somebody an XM.
But I do see the logic.
I'm trying to sell you despite the ugly.
Yes, you are.
You're selling the pug dog on wheels.
I'm going to run through your list real quick here, Dan.
I'm going to say yes and no on a few of these.
The Volvo V60 Polestar, great.
I think you'd love that.
The recharge in the X90, you're interesting.
But I just don't think they're different enough from what you already have.
As I was reading your email, I thought Porsche Panamera is the answer.
It is.
Really, really think that you could find a Panamera that a couple of years old in your budget.
If you want to stretch your budget, which Paul's like adding your budget up.
So if you're supposed to add the numbers together.
You could do European delivery of one of those, I believe.
I believe Porsche would do that for you.
But Panamera, you could find the exact spec
with the massage seats.
I'm pretty sure that comes with massage seats if I'm not mistaken.
If you get the right trim, massage seats, all wheel drive, performance,
all of the stuff that you want.
Yes, it has a Porsche badge.
How much is an issue.
But you have brought up Bentley.
So if you brought up Bentley, I'm going to feel okay that the Porsche badge is all right.
Okay? Panamera by far my favorite on the list.
You included.
Yes, Cyan or McCahn would work, but you're not a big SUV fan.
So let's walk away from those.
Big Mercedes, big Audi.
I'm going to return to one of those in a minute.
You brought up the Cadillac Blackwing.
And I love that for you, except that's not all wheel drive my friend.
The V is all wheel drive.
The Blackwing is rear wheel drive.
Right.
So you have to decide if you really want the Blackwing or not, or do you really prefer all wheel drive.
I'm going to say it's probably out for that reason.
Look, I like the X5.
It's a great alternative to the McCahn, but apparently I mean the Cyan,
but apparently if you're looking at the X5, you need to buy the XM,
which leads you into Paul's brand.
It's a weird idea.
I like the XM and I do like the Panamera.
That is the right choice.
Yep.
But I just thought XMs are kind of getting stupid cheap because BMW, anyway,
you all know what happened.
All the reasons.
Yes.
Wow, is this thing fast?
And people look at you because they're horrified, but then you'll leave them at the light and you won't care.
I have three options for you, Dan, that are not on your list.
Instead of the big Mercedes, what about the small Mercedes?
The C-Class in 43 or 63 AMG.
I have done a swath between about 60,000 and about 90,000 depending upon how you spank it.
You can get them all wheel drive.
They have a craze little engine under the hood.
Great, great seats.
I think you can get massage.
Don't quote me on that, but I know you can get amazing seats with that car.
That's an option that you could get new in the Mercedes lineup.
A car I've almost never recommended, but might be right for you.
All wheel drive, good seats, reliability, don't adjust run, little bit of sporty nature.
Normally the problem with this car is it's not sporty enough, but for you it might be perfect.
The Lexus RC F all wheel drive.
Huh.
Yeah, we've never recommended that, really.
Because the problem is it fits in a weird category of a bunch of cars.
And at that point, I know you could cross shop it with an all wheel drive 911,
but I feel like the all wheel drive 911, this is weird.
Like the all wheel drive 911 sends the wrong message in a way that the Lexus coupe does not.
The LC500 would, but the RC feels a little chill to me.
And you'd be really comfortable and happy road tripping.
I think so now.
Unfortunately, the older versions have the bad UI, so figure out your right generation.
But I think that might work for you, but I will tell you my favorite across the board, my favorite for you.
100 grand, you could buy anyone you want.
Genesis G90, brand new.
Oh, that's really good.
All wheel drive, amazing interior, luxury appointments.
Oh, I like that.
If you ever take your wife or anyone anywhere, look, when we had the press car, I've joked about this before it could happen.
We had the press car.
My wife and I went to dinner, 20 minutes away from our house.
Right.
Oh, my God.
Playing with all the stuff the entire way down.
When we finished dinner, this was date night.
We finished dinner.
She wanted to ride in the back.
She rode in the back.
She put the passenger seat all the way forward and did all the leg extension and all the kind of thing.
We were almost home and she said, I need you to go somewhere else.
And I just kept driving for like another 20 minutes.
So my wife, who I'm now chauffeuring, could just sit in the back and enjoy the G90.
But I say that because I thoroughly enjoyed driving it, not because it's sporty.
I enjoyed driving it because it felt like a modern version of what the faten was trying to do.
It's not a fun to drive car.
But it is a very, very nice place to be for time.
Yeah.
And you could get a loaded one to your spec for 100 grand.
Loaded.
I mean, it's fun because of all the luxury.
That's why it's fun.
It's not a fun car driving it.
He's using it.
That's on miles.
Oh, I like this so much.
So I think G90 might be the answer.
And you are the buyer for it.
Oh, that's fantastic.
Plus, then you can show off the door closed feature.
I will say I super don't want to like the door closed feature because I don't want to be the guy that has to sit into a car.
It hits a button so the door closed.
Except the problem that I did discover as lengthy as I am when you sit all the way in the seat and you open the driver's door all the way.
It is genuinely hard to reach.
So that's why the button's there.
If only there were a button to close my door.
That's the reason the button's there.
That's good.
But there you go.
That also solves this problem, the perception problem rolling up because people see it's Genesis.
It's Genesis.
It's Genesis.
People are going to be like, this is a really nice car.
There's no question they're going to feel like, but like that, but they didn't think you bought a big Mercedes or a big Porsche or a Bentley.
You bought a Genesis.
All right, Dan.
Send the photo of the Genesis that you decide upon.
The G90, which G90 you're getting.
Send the photo.
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Cole is in Melbourne, Australia.
He's a longtime listener. Cole, thank you for writing.
He is hoping for some advice.
We're hoping for advice too.
We're always looking for advice, but we give out a lot.
Anyway, yeah.
He's 35. He's in Melbourne.
He's got a short 20-minute commute in moderate traffic and has zero responsibilities.
We'd so far, this email just wins.
Cole, I just live in Melbourne, Australia.
You also said you live an hour from gorgeous tight twisty driving roads in the rainforest with low speed limits
and you've owned a series of fun cars.
But I mean, look, the thing that stands out is moderate traffic, zero responsibilities.
I mean, you just won.
You just score.
Life accomplished.
Well done.
It's got a consequence-free life.
You can do whatever.
The fun, enthusiast cars that he own, that he's own include an NANNB MX-5, ATJ Wrangler, Lexus SC-400.
That had the engine.
No, that had the V8.
That wasn't the inline 60.
400 was the V8, wasn't it?
07, Civic Type R, 2010 Ford Focus XR5 Turbo, 2021 Fiesta ST, and a 2021 Suzuki Jimny.
You had a Jimny?
I want to drive a Jimny.
Everybody has this extra little love for the Jimny and I am just completely confused at that name.
Did they try to write Jimmy with two M's and somebody hit the wrong key?
Did they misspell it?
Nobody did that.
Did they see the right number of arcs?
How do we end up with Jimny?
Anyway, it's a separate thing.
Cole recently sold his MX-5 RF in Soul Red, which was the favorite car he's ever owned.
He sold it so he could put aside the money he was spending on car payments into savings
and figured he would drive something cheap for a year while saving what he could.
Excellent endeavor.
I like it.
Well, this has led him to buy a 2011 Mazda 2 manual.
Okay.
In a delightful shade of tree frog green.
I can picture this car perfectly.
$6,000 Australian.
This is an excellent purchase.
That was a car that actually had a pretty decent chassis.
It was sold here under a different name.
I can totally picture the color.
The problem is tree frog green.
It's fine.
It's fuel efficient.
It's safe.
It's cute, reliable.
But he's finding, I love this, that he really, really misses that moment where you lock
your car door, walk away, and then glance back over your shoulder one more time before you go in the building
because that's my car.
He had it with the MX-5 RF.
He loved that.
He had it every time he drove the MX-5, he always looked back.
He always encouraged you to buy a car that makes you look back.
He had it.
He sold it.
He now has the Mazda 2, and it's fine.
You're being far too responsible.
Cool.
You're adulting.
Don't look now.
He said it's been a long two months of this one year plaid.
He is two months in, everybody.
Two months.
He knows this is the definition of a first world problem, but he's asking us.
Does he go down the path of delayed gratification and hold out for another 10?
He's two months in, that's it, and he wants to wait a full year, so another 10 months before treating himself
to a new, exciting sports car.
Or does he just accept that he is a hopeless car romantic and go buy a sports car and to hack with saving money?
Okay.
First off, Cole, I'm going to just reset the meter here real quick.
You wrote this podcast.
Okay.
The entire purpose of our podcast here at the car debate, and you're not new, but I just want to refresh everybody real quick.
We want you to spend your money on a car you're going to like being in.
Yeah.
So you've written us and gone, I sold the car I liked to be financially responsible.
To get into a car I don't like, what should I do?
Based on what I've told you, you know where this is going.
Now I do want to acknowledge you are being very good, very financial, very thoughtful.
You're being financial.
And we are not the podcast to back that up, but I do want to just go ahead and acknowledge
Yes, you said one of your options is to just be an adult.
Save money and in 10 months when you're savings goals are met.
Treat yourself to something like the brand new Indie 3 MX 5, a brand new GR86, or maybe even a Mustang.
So just wait it out, deal with the two months of this car.
Actually get that savings in order.
I'm going to go ahead and say it, Cole, because I'm going to spin off wildly elsewhere.
You know that's the right decision.
Like that is the correct decision.
Like you are an adult.
You can have restraint.
Look at my savings account.
Now I have a fun car.
I agree with all of that.
And now I'm going to tell you all the reasons to not do it.
I like where your head's at.
Cole, I like your passion.
I think it's fantastic.
You're saying, you know, do I sell the Mazda 2 by a cheap manual MX 5 again because he loves them.
Does he sell the Mazda 2 and just get some new sports car equation like a GT86, the BRZ?
What does he do?
Just stop saving money.
Just buy.
Just got it.
Get it.
And you're going to be shocked, Cole, because I so desperately want you to have a great car.
I'm going to tell you to pause, save your money, gut it up for 10 more months, buddy.
And the reason I'm telling you that is because of the store.
We told a few episodes ago from our friend Greg.
We talked about his minivan.
Yes.
And what I thought is you could do to the Mazda 2, what he did to his minivan to enjoy it.
Put really amazing tires on that Mazda 2.
I do like this.
I hadn't thought about this.
That's a good idea.
Greg set the record straight.
He said they were actually Michelin AS3s.
He added airbags to the rear and there were heavy duty shocks from the sport model.
He also added his buddy in California, add negative camber to the front.
And no coilovers, no summer tires.
But it grew into this like fish story, kind of like.
It just got better and better.
The minivan, it was dropped.
Coilovers, negative camber, Hoosiers.
And no.
I see where you're going.
I see where you're going.
So what if you took that approach?
What if you considered your Mazda 2 like Greg's minivan?
Well, I've got this thing in my life.
And it's not designed to be a sports car.
It doesn't drive like one thing.
But what can I do to live with it in the meantime?
What thing?
What could transform it?
Could it be as simple as tires?
On a Mazda 2, what are they?
15 inch wheels?
Maybe 15s?
Maybe 14s.
The tires are not going to cost you very much.
True, but it still might be.
I think if he spends this money, he extends this process by a month or two.
Because for a month or two, he would spend that money buying the tires.
I just want to tell you where you're going.
What can you do to the Mazda 2 to make you really like it?
Can you get some old racing seat and you rip the driver's seat out
and you've got super bolstered seat and negative camber?
But I do hear you.
If he wins, here's the thing.
To make you enjoy the two.
Here's the thing I do like about this.
I think the cheapest way through is this of your idea is tires and a track alignment.
Go to some race shop.
Yes!
And have them get you an alignment that is too aggressive for the car in its normal specs.
But it makes it super dirty.
That could be interesting.
And now it becomes just a stupid laugh.
Not a laugh because the car is amazing.
Don't spend a ton of money.
But you could get an aggressive alignment and some really aggressive tires.
And suddenly the car would show you how fun it could be.
I mean, let's be honest.
We had fun in a Prius with better tires.
Yeah.
I do where you're going.
Exactly.
I do like this a lot.
Something as simple as pads.
New pads.
Yeah.
You could get new power stop pads for the Monster 2.
Better stopping power.
A little bit of negative camber.
A track alignment.
And some different tires.
Uh huh.
You'd kind of want to like suddenly.
I kind of like the two.
And you could at least live with it for 10 months.
Do the 10 month tune.
Oh.
I like it.
It's good stuff.
And then you can live with the car because I so desperately want you to have a GRID 6
or the new ND3, the new ND3 MX5 is really superb.
It is excellent.
I would steer you towards those over the Mustang personally.
I would say get any camber boxer from any year before the Mustang.
But that's just me.
But I want you to have an amazing sports car.
And also have the time to be able to choose what you really want.
That starts now.
Surprisingly, you and I are aligned on a lot of really.
Believe it or not.
In spite of the fact that we don't really give this kind of advice,
we are aligned.
Here's my concern for your call.
I want you to ask some questions of the situation.
You've said it's fine.
So I'm going to take you to your word.
It's fine.
It's not hateful.
It's fine.
You don't abhor it.
You don't dread your drive.
It's just fine.
And I want to submit to you that fine can be tolerated for the greater good
of having something better down the line.
It can.
I don't really like that.
I want your everyday driver to be a car you love.
And it isn't right now.
And it used to be.
And that's what I hate for this about this for you.
Is it used to be a car you loved?
And now you don't.
But here's my larger concern.
You sell the Mazda 2 and you buy something else right now.
It's not going to be the car you're actually looking forward to.
It'll be better.
But you're going to buy yourself an NC Miata.
Now my question is, I don't like the NC.
The third gen I like it a lot.
Yeah.
Are you going to like that as much as the ND you sold?
No.
If you aren't, then you're always going to do comparison.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I got rid of the Mazda 2.
This is better than the Mazda 2.
But it's not as good as the ND 3 I had.
And I really wait.
Uh oh.
So that's the my concern about you buying something else in the interim is I'm concerned
about you getting something that isn't as good as the thing you could wait for and get.
But now I'm going to ask you some more personal questions.
And that is, are you hating the Mazda?
Let me put it another way.
Are you dreading driving it?
Or is there anything in your life you're not doing because the Mazda is in it?
I used to go drive for fun, but I just don't like the Mazda at all, so I don't anymore.
That's good.
I used to date more, but I don't want to pick anybody up in the Mazda.
You know, I used to drive to the coast just for fun, but if I do that now I have to drive the Mazda.
That's a really good point.
There's no way for me to answer that question.
Yeah.
If it's fine, then you're going to keep doing all the things in your life that you like.
If you don't like it enough that it is hindering you, then you do need to get out of it.
But I agree with Paul's assessment and that is if you have your eye on something that you could get in ten months or so, then I like this tires idea.
This is fun.
Tires on the Mazda too to make it ridiculous.
This is what we did at the Prius.
Yes.
This shouldn't be this fun and all it was tires.
I do that.
Wait the ten months, which is probably twelve months now because you spent money on tires.
But wait the ten twelve months by the car.
You're actually looking forward to having that you're actually lusting after because that will be satisfying.
Unless you hate it and it hinders your life and then time to go.
All right, Cole.
Thank you for writing.
You've got some decision making to do.
If you need encouragement.
If you need a shove.
If you need to be pushed off the cliff.
If you need permission to be told yes, get the car.
Or you know what?
No.
And we put the paws on it like we're doing for Cole here.
Write to us every day, driverTV at gmail.com.
Topic Tuesday's car conclusions and car debates.
Hey, what's up, y'all?
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Lots of great questions.
Thank you guys.
We ask for questions on Facebook and Instagram.
You guys always show up.
We really appreciate it.
We love all of the things that are kind of your musings.
I want to remind you, this is podcast 969.
We do a live podcast, a live stream podcast that is questions only from you at the 25 intervals.
So 975 is coming up in a couple weeks.
So look out for that one that will come out soon.
And we will do a live podcast.
I love your questions then.
But we do still take them on all of these.
We appreciate it.
Starting with Ralph here.
He says he sees so many cool old classic cars around a day.
Well preserved, well restored.
And most of them seem like they run well.
Restore them well.
It drives in.
It doesn't seem to ever promise not leaking anything.
It runs.
That makes him wonder about today's cars.
25, 50 years in the future.
Will they still run?
Will these older cars that now, because you can get in and you can fix an old car?
His question, and it goes on, but his question is essentially this.
Today's cars are so electronic dependent.
So computer dependent in 25, 50 years,
where the technology exists to fix them, restore them, and make them run.
This is my concern with first generation EVs.
I think they're all going to be in the scrap heap.
I don't think you're ever going to see them except for parked in a museum.
Because they're going to be so technologically out of date that nobody cares.
But I'm going to bring up something you've probably heard about before.
But I continue to think it's fascinating.
The McLaren F1.
We've all heard this story.
The McLaren F1.
Its brain was designed around a specific Toshiba laptop from the 90s.
And for a while, and I've been-
It might have been also gold-plated.
And I believe they've solved it now.
But for a while, the techs, and again, there weren't very many of these cars.
It wasn't like a mass produced.
But for the techs to fly around the country with an ancient laptop.
Because that was the only way to talk to the car.
How many of you have actually seen a floppy disk in an office in the last decade?
How many of you but three?
Yeah, but then here's the other part of it.
Raise your hand if you have a floppy disk in the back of your closet somewhere with something on it.
You had no way to read it, but you still have the disk.
My hand's in the air.
Seriously, you have all this technology.
All of these different pieces of media can't even read it.
I think this is going to be an issue.
I think technology is going to move past the way these cars want to talk to the world.
Now, I'm sure there'll be universal translator stuff that we'll go on.
But I think it'll be much harder than let's grab a screwdriver and fix the timing.
On Instagram, Nick Annen is attending his first ever auto show this weekend, the DC Auto Show.
Any advice to make the most of it?
Yes, I do.
It's like how I treat buffets.
Okay.
Walk into a buffet.
Don't get in line and pick up a plate.
And get in line with just with everybody else.
No, no.
You are surveying everything first.
You are walking the line and you are seeing what the tasty food is.
What is there that you like?
What do you not like?
Where's the bacon?
Where's the bacon?
Where's the bacon?
Bacon next to the chocolate chip cookies.
Bacon next to something chocolate.
Done.
Exactly.
Buffet solved.
High level overview first, my friend.
You're just surveying.
By the way, I take issue with the silverware at the beginning of the buffet line.
There is no point.
It should be plates only.
And the silverware should be at the end with the napkins.
I actually do agree with that.
It should either be on the table where you're going to sit down or at the end.
Because there's no reason for you to jangle the silverware.
Yes.
45 executions with the plate.
And then you can juggle the plate, juggling the serving dishes.
You can't put.
You have to stick the silverware in your pocket and then you feel dumb.
No.
So you are just doing the high level overview.
You're seeing, okay, so it's teriyaki.
Okay, so that's vegan then.
Okay, so then we've got salad and we've got hummus.
You know, just get broad overview.
Then you can get back in line.
And you can be surgical, my friend.
You know exactly what you're going for.
I mean, you'll be tapping your toe, waiting for the person in front of you.
Like, are you done?
Like, do you need to eat that much?
Please, please get out of the car.
Are you sure you want that Chloric intake right now?
I don't think so.
It is about faith.
So yes, but anyway, you know, let's keep moving.
Move it right along.
You can probably skip people.
They'll be like, do you want to go around me?
Yes, I do.
He didn't ask about a car show, but I do see the theory.
Yes.
So maybe just a quick breeze through.
Maybe even go to the back of the hall first because it takes a while for the crowd to get there.
Show up early.
Show up when the doors open so you can go straight to the back.
I mean, usually find the mini booth back there because it's cheaper real estate in the convention hall.
Anyway, so go to the back, start, you know, work your way forward.
And just high level overview.
Make some mental notes.
Write things down.
Like, you know what?
I want to see that car in that car.
If there's nobody around something right now, well, you're it.
Go, go get in that car.
Ideally, not try to start it.
Don't try to hotwire anything while you're in the show.
You notice that the gear shift has been removed.
And you think it could come out of the car has already been removed because you can take them.
But work your way out.
And then, you know, I've got a good list of things in my mind.
I know what I can avoid.
I want to avoid Nissan wagon.
I don't want to go to Lucidistan's.
Lucidistan?
That's a country.
Lucidistan.
Lucidistan?
Well, maybe you do.
Maybe you want to go over to Riviana's on.
Riviana's on.
And see their new product lineup.
But then you've got the surgical.
You know exactly what you want to see.
And you can spend quality time because you don't have all day.
So you want to go see the good stuff.
You want to get through both holes, all the holes quickly.
Like LA Auto Show has a ton of holes.
Just broad strokes to start with then surgical.
And then with the really special stuff that you know you want to spend time with.
The Riviana's on.
There will be a line at the car everybody wants to get in.
The line won't get shorter as the day goes on.
Just get in the line.
Just get in the line.
If there's something everybody wants to sit in, you just sit in and suffer.
Let's do it.
Daniel N is writing in with multiple questions.
But he starts here.
He says he's picking up a fun car soon.
In case it needs new tires, what do we recommend from Reddish Dine?
He's curious specifically about stuff that would perform well on the street in dry and in the wet.
Something that could run in any environment where you see weather.
Daniel, you haven't been specific about your weather.
Are we talking snow?
Are we talking regular snow?
Because if so, then you're shopping for a little bit different thing.
And I do want you to look for that triple peak snowflake on the side.
Something that is in all weather tired.
Now that is only if you are regularly going to get it in snow.
Like there will be times of year when your airy gets snow and it will happen.
Then you want to do that.
And that actually is the quad track pros.
I have my wife's cayenne and they're awesome.
If you aren't dealing with snow, they have lots of other ones.
I'm going to say the hyper track is a really good one.
That's an all season with good wet weather performance.
You probably don't want to go with the all track pros that we have on our actual performance cars.
I think those are probably wrong for you.
So maybe the hyper track.
But you can look on tire rack.
They've got really good reviews on there.
And you can sort it out based on the kind of car that you have.
Or write us back when you know what kind of car you have.
That's question one.
You've also said what's the most important tip for learning to drive manual transmission?
We did a video years ago.
We taught two teenage drivers to drive manual.
Paul and I had slightly different approaches.
I highly recommend you look that up and watch it because we kind of approached it differently.
But I'm going to say you need to in general, Paul and I have a lot of mechanical sympathy.
That's the day you don't care.
Because you're not going to break the car.
The day you stop.
Seriously, you're not going to break the car.
Okay, go some parking lot and just fail.
Just be prepared to fail.
You're going to stall it a lot.
It doesn't matter.
Just embrace that failure if you will.
That'll help.
And I think that will get you a long way.
Oh, on Instagram Matt Garrett 82 asks if designers have contests for the most uninspiring car.
Because if so, this car we're talking about the Corolla cross that just recently posted on social media.
But he says you got to go look at 60s Italian cars to, you know, sorbet for your eyes.
No designers do have sketch battles.
They have sketch contests under all kinds of influences of various things we'll say.
But it's up to the designer to make something compelling to meet a design brief.
And ugly is never on any designer's mind.
We ended up there.
We started good and we wadded with the XM.
I'm not sure what happened.
I was over here and I made a plug.
I don't know why.
Maybe I need to eat those words and I need to take that back.
I'm sure there were sketches of the XM people were like, that's cool.
They got it built with yikes.
That's how that sketch turned out.
Because when you put the sketch into a real package onto reality, that's when things go awry.
We started well.
We had the best of it.
Look at my cool sketch.
I just would like to apologize to the room right now.
I mean, designers never start with ugly.
Like ugly.
I got a sketch ugly.
Like no.
Designers want to draw cool stuff and you're right.
I bet the XM sketches looked sweet.
I'm sure they were super cool.
But they're killer.
Yeah.
They look good in a sketch.
This is the problem that I think every product planner and every CEO at every car company is running into right now
because of their desire to plop a new design on every platform.
They've got a set amount of platforms.
Let's put all of our models on the same platform.
Volkswagen.
Clearing my throat.
Nissan Vaggot.
Exactly.
That would be a perfect marriage.
But if you want to do cool things, Jim Farley from Ford is worried about the future.
He's worried about the future of big trucks.
He's worried about the future of his entire product portfolio.
Yes.
It's good business to do what is currently done.
It is.
That's how you make money.
But I feel like every car manufacturer needs at least one car that is just that car.
I'm seeing it with the new EV Cayenne.
We're seeing spy shots of the new Cayenne is going to be electrified.
And I can already tell the wheelbase on that one is too long,
which means they're plopping it on some other existing platform
and trying to shoehorn the proportions.
The Cayenne is so great because it's not the biggest SUV in the world.
True.
It kind of was like the sportiest hunker down.
That's why they're so great.
Yes.
And now I see evidence of the new Cayenne EV being plopped onto a platform.
Ooh, the extended wheelbase.
That ruined the proportions.
I'm seeing that in the spy photos for the Cayenne too.
Every car manufacturer needs one.
Ideally, the fun car to only exist as that car.
The end.
The MX-5 platform to my knowledge is not really shared with much else.
It's that.
That's what it does.
That's why it's successful.
Cayenne and Boxster.
So let's stop the platform sharing for at least one car.
The rest of it, the trucks, the SUVs, the big stuff, the EVs.
I get it.
You can make money.
It's a business.
Sure.
Fine.
Manufacturing efficiency.
Fine.
But make one.
And that way, designers can take their sketch, the non-ugly sketch, and transform it into the
non-ugly car.
I love it.
I love it.
That's good stuff.
Marvin 47 has something related here as we're talking about enthusiast cars in a world
that doesn't want to make enthusiast cars anymore.
He said, with manuals becoming an enthusiast focused product, do we think manufacturers will
make cars with hydraulic steering?
So if you're going to make a car with a manual, can it also have hydraulic steering?
He said, he notices that Lotus was worried about this with the Amira.
Yes, they were.
What about the Miata or the GR86, and while we're at it, can we get cable throttles too?
Your cable throttle's gone.
I'm just letting you know.
Cable throttle's gone.
Chip is sailed.
That's not coming back.
Yep.
We're all into various kinds of injection now, and the electronic throttles work well with
that.
Plus, here's the other thing about it.
So cruise control is really prefers having that electronic throttle.
Drive by wire.
That is all very big.
So that's not going anywhere.
I actually don't think, unfortunately, that hydraulic steering is coming back.
I think the miles per gallon benefit is like one or two MPG, but at this point, manufacturers
are counting all of them.
That's why it went away.
The other reason it went away, the other reason I'm worried about it coming back kind
of relates to cable throttles, and that is lane keep assist.
That's where electronic power steering helps you, because it's all controlled by a computer
anyway.
The computer's already assisting the steering, so lane keep assist is really easy.
It's now code with electronic power steering.
So as we have requirements for cars to have lane keep assist and driver assist, that means
that they are required to have lane keep assist.
Stop by features, everyone.
If we had featureless cars, we could do them with mechanical elements.
Well, if we weren't worried about the car trying to be safe for us, instead of us being
safe behind the wheel.
That's a different thing.
So I think this is a ship that's sailed, but I would love to see more hydraulic steering,
but this comes back to what you're saying, Paul, and that is dedicated platforms.
Let's let the manufacturer, let's hope they can each do a dedicated platform, at least,
that is just worried about people who like to drive a fun car versus the 15th car we got
off the loose citizen platform.
I just, that's not going to work.
The fun car isn't making you money anyway because it's a low volume sports car.
You might as well make it its own platform.
Make it a thing.
Let it lose money.
Let it.
Related to this, Amic Farlin says he thinks this is a topic Tuesday, but I'm going to try
to do it fast.
Good.
He said if money weren't an issue, would we automatically go for the highest horsepower
version of a car, or would we prefer one with less powerful options, and he's giving
an extreme example, 06 versus ZR1?
Now, here's the thing I'm going to say to you.
I know that I am probably going to have my journalist card revoked or my enthusiast
card revoked for saying this, but I'm going to stand by it because I said it before.
Horse power is not the point for me at all.
And I will also say this, we have driven crazy powerful things.
We drive them for the purpose of telling all of you about it, which means invariably
Hellcats, crazy electrics, lucids with 4,000 horsepower, Lusanda, anyway, all of them,
okay?
Lusanda, but that's if Honda needed it loose.
Lusanda.
Lusanda.
Lusanda.
I'm trying to invent a country and loose, anyway, the point is I find that after a couple
of punches of the throttle of something crazy, where I just, okay, the world's aligned and
there's nobody on the freeway with me and I can't see anybody for a while, I'm just going
to punch it real quick to see, okay?
I never get as fast as the car can go because there's not space.
And I'm using full throttle for a second or two or maybe three if I'm a really push on
the limits on, am I going to get caught, okay?
I've been find that unsatisfying.
I want to be able to put my foot all the way to the floor in this gear and the next one.
And if I can't do that, you gave me too much.
This is why I like a lot of the light, small low power cars that I like and why typically
above 400 or so horsepower, you've lost that ability now.
Now you're being ginger with the, we just, it's got so much got to be, I can't, I can't
meet it out right now.
I want to be like, okay, the engine has power and I would like all of it please, repeatedly
and often.
So I'm going to typically pick the car where I can use more of the power, more of the
time.
True.
Although they're at that point when the foot is flat to the floor, you are kind of looking
at your watch and maybe depends on the car and like, is this really, that's it?
You could be the other side of the equation, I know we've all done the math.
We need 250 to 600.
We've all done the math.
It's all about weight to power.
No, it is.
It is.
I definitely agree with you.
But, you know, right there, I want, you know, some power.
I agree.
Look, the car should be underpowered.
I'm not denying that a car can be underpowered absolutely can be.
The first generation 86 underpowered, the second generation, just barely enough.
Okay.
The first head 250.
The first version of the Indie Miata, the fourth gen Miata, not enough when they revise
the engine, just barely enough.
Right.
I know that it happens, but I think we, by and large, look at the electric SUVs or random
things that we're talking about, the XM you keep bringing up because it's a pug dog.
The reality is, most things now have more power than they need, not just enough.
Yeah.
Guys, thank you so much for your questions.
We really appreciate it.
Write to us everyday drivertvadgmail.com and look for an event near you at hookdowndriving.com
and another reminder for the 2025 everyday driver pilgrimage in Europe.
We're getting signups.
People are registering.
It's going to be so much fun.
EverydayDriver.com slash adventures and you can find all the details there.
And then over on hookdowndriving, there's a larger European adventure just after July
4th, hookdowndriving.com for three tracks in Europe, two of one circuits and the ring.
Just teasing you.
Yep.
They're going to be so much fun.
Looking forward to next time.
As always, thanks everyone.
Cheers.
About this episode
A lively discussion kicks off with the potential merger between Nissan and Honda, exploring the implications and humorous name combinations for a new brand. The hosts debate Nissan's precarious position and Honda's leverage, leading to a creative segment on potential merger names like 'Nessessla' and 'Nissan wagon.' The conversation shifts to Ford's new E-REV strategy for heavy-duty trucks, blending electric and gasoline power. Listener questions cover topics from car recommendations to driving advice, with a focus on balancing practicality and passion in car ownership.
all wheel drive
chain controls
engine placement
E-REV
European delivery
GM
merger
supercharger
Tesla
turbocharger
Audi 90
Audi Quattro
Audi RS6 Avant
Audi V8
Bentley Arnage
Bentley Continental
BMW 3 Series
BMW M5
BMW X5
Chevrolet Volt
Dodge Neon
Ford Expedition
Ford Explorer
Ford F-150
Ford F-350
Ford Fiesta
Ford Flex
Ford Mustang
Genesis G90
Honda Civic
Honda Prelude
Jaguar F-Type
Jeep Wrangler
Lexus RC
Lexus SC
Lotus Emira
Mazda 2
McLaren F1
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Nissan Leaf
Porsche 911
Porsche Boxster
Porsche Cayenne
Porsche Cayman
Porsche Macan
Porsche Panamera
Suzuki Jimny
Suzuki X-90
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Prius
Volvo EX90
Volvo S60
Volvo V60
Original notes
If car company mergers are the future, let’s go crazy and rename every single one. The guys discuss the lost love between Nissan and Honda. They debate mobile offices for Dan in Nevada, and discuss options for Cole in Melbourne, AUS, who is trying (and failing) to enjoy a basic daily. Social media questions ask the most important tip for learning to drive manual, how do you make the most of an auto show, and do designers hold contests for the most uninspiring car?
Please rate + review us on iTunes, and subscribe to our two YouTube channels. Write us with your Car Debates, Car Conclusions, and Topic Tuesdays at [email protected] or everydaydriver.com. Don’t forget to share the podcast with your car enthusiast friends!
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