EVs, Trucks, Muscle Cars & 2025 Bad Takes - With Guest Host From CarBuzz

Welcome back to Auto Buyer’s Guide! In this jam-packed episode, Travis returns from travel and we’re joined by Jared from CarBuzz to break down the biggest car stories, hottest debates, and most questionable opinions in the auto world.

• Rumors around the next-generation Chevy Silverado

• The rising cost of new cars

• The controversial electric Dodge Charger

• Extended-range EVs and hybrids

• Changing regulations in the U.S. and Europe

• Kia’s expanding (and possibly confusing) lineup

• And a series of deliberately absurd debate games

At a deeper level, however, the show revolves around one central tension: Most loud opinions about cars come from people who don’t buy new cars—while the industry is built almost entirely around people who do.

That tension explains nearly every disagreement discussed in the episode.

The first substantive topic is the Chevy Silverado, specifically a new patent filing that hints at the next generation of GM’s full-size truck. The hosts note that it’s unusual for this information to surface via the patent office rather than the usual leak channels, which lends credibility to the rumors.

• Expected to remain evolutionary, not revolutionary

• Likely to share much of its structure with the outgoing model

• Rumored new V8 engine family with larger displacements (5.7L and possibly 6.6L)

• Continued reliance on pushrod architecture, which GM engineers favor for cylinder deactivation

There’s a recognition that while enthusiasts may crave radical redesigns, GM’s success with the Silverado comes from refinement, not reinvention. The 5.3-liter V8, while not universally beloved, is efficient, durable, and deeply embedded in GM’s manufacturing ecosystem.

A recurring theme emerges here: Car companies don’t abandon proven hardware unless they’re forced to.

One of the most animated segments is the “What Have You Had It With?” discussion, where frustration spills over about how cars are compared online.

The core complaint is simple: People constantly compare cars that are not meant to compete.

Examples include:

• Comparing a Dodge Charger EV to a Tesla Model 3

• Dismissing large sedans or SUVs because a smaller car is “better in every way”

• Ignoring fundamental differences in size, purpose, and use case

The hosts argue that this kind of commentary is intellectually lazy. A Model 3 may be quicker, cheaper, and more efficient—but it does not:

• Seat adults comfortably in the back

• Offer the same interior volume

• Deliver the same highway presence or ride character

This leads directly into the electric Dodge Charger, which becomes a lightning rod (pun intended) for this kind of flawed comparison.

The electric Dodge Charger is described as simultaneously ridiculous and perfectly on-brand.

• Enormous (over 207 inches long)

• Extremely heavy (approaching three tons)

• Fitted with absurdly wide, expensive performance tires

• Shockingly capable on a skidpad and figure-eight test

• Able to drift, do donuts, and behave like a traditional muscle car

• A Tesla Model 3 competitor

• A minimalist efficiency exercise

• An enthusiast “purist” vehicle

The hosts emphasize that Dodge didn’t try to make a sensible EV. Instead, they asked: “What would Dodge do if it were electric?”

The answer was:

• Make it huge

• Make it loud (via synthesized sound)

• Make it fast

• Make it impractical

• Make it unmistakably Dodge

In that sense, the Charger EV is compared favorably to the original Hellcat—a car that was never logical, but deeply aligned with its brand identity.

This discussion leads naturally into one of the most important points of the episode: Car companies do not design cars for the used market.

New car buyers tend to be:

• Over 50 years old

• Homeowners

• Higher income

• Less interested in manuals, convertibles, or “raw” driving experiences

• More interested in comfort, tech, AWD, and convenience

This explains:

• Why interiors are dominated by giant screens

• Why manuals continue to disappear

• Why enthusiast complaints rarely influence product planning

The hosts openly acknowledge their own aging preferences, noting that desires change over time—even when that realization is uncomfortable.

The Ford Maverick is used as an example of what happens when a manufacturer cautiously tests the market and is surprised by demand.

Key takeaways:

• Ford and Hyundai (with the Santa Cruz) dipped their toes into the compact truck segment

• Ford’s hybrid Maverick, initially seen as niche, exploded in popularity

• Demand caught even Ford off guard

• Other manufacturers quickly realized they had misread the market

The irony is that the Maverick succeeds precisely because it is not a “sports truck”. It’s practical, efficient, and affordable—qualities that resonate with real buyers, not just online commenters.

Extended-range EVs (EREVs) and plug-in hybrids generate mixed reactions.

On paper:

• They offer electric driving with gasoline backup

• They reduce range anxiety

• They can make sense for towing or long-distance use

In practice:

• Many owners don’t plug them in

• Fuel economy suffers if treated like regular hybrids

• Marketing terms blur the line between EVs and PHEVs

A key concern is charging access. The hosts note that many newer EV buyers live in:

• Apartments

• Condos

• HOA-restricted housing

Without home charging, the EV ownership experience deteriorates quickly. The fear is that EREVs will become gas cars in practice, undermining their intended purpose.

One of the most sobering discussions centers on cost.

Facts discussed:

• The average new car price in the U.S. exceeds $50,000

• The average new car loan is closer to $42,000

• The average used car loan sits around $27,000

This leads to a hypothetical exercise:

• What would each host buy new for $42,000?

• What would they buy used for $27,000?

Answers range from:

• Plug-in hybrid compact SUVs (practical, family-friendly)

• To absurd, entertaining choices like a six-door Cadillac Fleetwood limo

The point isn’t the specific vehicles—it’s the acknowledgment that price ceilings shape real decisions far more than internet arguments do.

The conversation returns to the Dodge Charger, this time focusing on the Sixpack version with a turbocharged inline-six engine.

While objectively impressive:

• 550 horsepower

• Modern engineering

• BMW-like refinement

It presents a branding problem.

Dodge built its reputation on:

• V8 noise

• Excess

• Aggression

• Anti-European bravado

Now, Dodge is selling:

• An EV muscle car

• An inline-six that echoes BMW engineering

The hosts question whether Dodge’s traditional audience—already alienated by a three-year gap in Charger availability—will return at all.

Brand loyalty, once broken, is hard to rebuild.

A lighter but revealing topic is Arizona’s proposed daytime speed limit removal on certain highways.

Key observations:

• Studies suggest average speeds don’t increase much when limits are removed

• Most drivers settle around 77–78 mph regardless

• Nighttime limits would remain for safety

The hosts joke that this works in Germany largely because of driver discipline, not just road design—a quality they are skeptical exists universally in the U.S.

Kia’s expanding lineup sparks debate:

• K4 hatchback

• Seltos hybrid

• Niro

• Overlapping segments

Questions arise:

• Is Kia spreading itself too thin?

• Why does Kia lack a true performance “N” equivalent?

• Why does brand positioning feel inconsistent?

Despite this, hatchbacks are defended as viable in the U.S., citing:

• Civic Hatchback success

• Corolla Hatchback sales

• Subaru Impreza ditching the sedan entirely

One of the most forward-looking discussions involves Europe’s new M1e vehicle category.

Highlights:

• EVs under certain size limits earn extra regulatory credits

• Designed to encourage smaller, lighter vehicles

• A response to concerns that cars are becoming too large

The hosts speculate that:

• This could nudge manufacturers toward downsizing designs

• Pricing pressure might ease in this segment

• It may create genuinely affordable EVs over time

This contrasts sharply with the U.S., where size and weight are often rewarded rather than penalized.

Canada emerges as a surprise winner:

• Access to smaller, cheaper Kia EVs

• Broader EV lineup overall

• Vehicles the U.S. won’t get due to tariffs, regulations, and market priorities

The frustration is clear: The U.S. often misses out on sensible EVs in favor of larger, more expensive ones.

The discussion turns technical again with EV truck platforms.

Key insight:

• GM’s dedicated EV truck platforms (Silverado EV, Sierra EV) are less flexible

• Ford and Ram can adapt gas platforms into hybrids or EREVs more easily

• Retrofitting engines into EV-only architectures is extremely difficult

This has financial implications:

• Flexibility matters when regulations and demand shift

• Dedicated EV platforms are riskier bets

Extended-range trucks are framed not as mass-market solutions, but as:

• Premium products

• Compliance tools

• Niche vehicles for wealthy buyers and commercial users

They may:

• Help manufacturers hedge against regulatory shifts

• Provide benefits like extended regenerative braking while towing

• Enable powerful onboard generators for job sites and utilities

But they are unlikely to solve affordability concerns anytime soon.

A crucial reminder closes the serious discussion:

• Car development cycles last 5–7 years

• Political administrations last 4 years

• Manufacturers cannot pivot instantly

Rolling back regulations doesn’t magically resurrect old engines or cheap cars. Tooling, compliance, and global markets prevent that fantasy.

The episode ends with “Defend the Indefensible” and “Would You Rather” games, forcing participants to argue:

• CVTs as the best transmission ever

• Piano black as the ultimate interior trim

• The Fiat Multipla as sexy

• And finally, that the Mazda Miata is not a sports car

The absurdity is intentional. It reinforces the show’s larger point: Arguments are easy. Nuance is hard.