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Jeep's Cherokee was always a "Crossover", RAM's V8 is back, Kia's Sportage is less ugly than before

Jeep's Cherokee was always a "Crossover", RAM's V8 is back, Kia's Sportage is less ugly than before

Auto Buyers Guide Podcast Sep 02, 2025 57 min
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About this episode

Ram's V8 is back, and the hosts discuss its implications alongside the new Jeep Cherokee and Kia Sportage. They dive into the return of the Hemi, the hybrid capabilities of the Cherokee, and the aesthetic changes in the Sportage. The episode also covers the EV tax credit expiration and how to secure it before the deadline. With debates on towing capacities, engine choices, and the future of small trucks, this episode is packed with insights for anyone interested in the evolving automotive landscape.

Topics: ram v8 return jeep cherokee kia sportage ev tax credit towing capacities hybrid vehicles small trucks car buying advice
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Tesla Model Y
Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Tesla Model Y

"...8 return. We're going to be talking about the new Model Y performance, what we're driving this week, and, o..."
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Toyota Tacoma
Noah Wulf (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Toyota Tacoma

"...the last couple of weeks. Right now I'm driving a Tacoma trail hunter here at home and I do feel like I'm ..."
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Jeep Grand Cherokee
Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Jeep Grand Cherokee

"...e only vehicle you own, your Durango? We have the Grand Cherokee and the Durango. Well, the Grand Cherokee is."
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Ford F150
UltraTech66 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford F150

"And in those situations, when we have done those same towing tests with an F-150 hybrid, for instance, or the Silverado 2.7 liter turbo,"
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Chevrolet Silverado
LukaCali (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Silverado

"... tests with an F-150 hybrid, for instance, or the Silverado 2.7 liter turbo, just on highway 17, when you get..."
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Dodge Ram
Mr.choppers (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Dodge Ram

"...ne quick comment on that one before we forget. So Ram did say that they expect initially about 40% of s..."
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Kia Sportage
Vauxford (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Kia Sportage

"... was looking at two hybrids. I was looking at the Sportage Hybrid and then a quick look at that Jeep Cheroke..."
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Kia Sorento
Benespit (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Kia Sorento

"with the lineup. It looks a lot like a Sorento in a corner, that's for sure."
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Aztek Pontiac Aztec
Bull-Doser (Public domain)
Car

Aztek Pontiac Aztec

"...ems that solve themselves. Yeah, kind of like the Pontiac Aztec and the vibe and lots of other things."
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Jeep Wrangler
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Jeep Wrangler

"...you can now have a 2G household where one is your Wrangler, your four-door and one is your Cherokee."
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Ford Bronco
Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Bronco

"... better compared to the other things of its time, Bronco, et cetera. It was the rational, practical,"
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Toyota RAV4
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota RAV4

"... what's the best-selling thing in America? It's a RAV4 and for 2026, it is all hybrid. 2025, it was huge..."
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Honda Crv
EurovisionNim (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Honda Crv

"...huge hybrid percentage, but for 2026, all hybrid, CRV, about half hybrid. So that's the world that Cher..."
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Chrysler Pacifica
Bull-Doser (Public domain)
Car

Chrysler Pacifica

"...ctually is what we're driving this week here, the Pacifica plug-in hybrid. So it is basically the same desig..."
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Chevrolet Volt
IFCAR (Public domain)
Car

Chevrolet Volt

".... So it is basically the same design as the Chevy Volt and Chevy Malibu, the Ford hybrids,"
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Chevrolet Malibu
Kevauto (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Malibu

"...cally the same design as the Chevy Volt and Chevy Malibu, the Ford hybrids, the small hybrids like Maveric..."
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Ford Escape
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Escape

"...Ford hybrids, the small hybrids like Maverick and Escape, as well as Toyota's RAV4 and the Prius,"
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Ford Maverick
dave_7 from Lethbridge, Canada (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Car

Ford Maverick

"... Malibu, the Ford hybrids, the small hybrids like Maverick and Escape, as well as Toyota's RAV4 and the Priu..."
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Toyota Prius
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota Prius

"...rick and Escape, as well as Toyota's RAV4 and the Prius, basically the same general design theory of oper..."
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Jeep Compass
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Jeep Compass

"...nges. Let's hope that they stick, especially with Compass because once upon a time they had a really cheap ..."
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Jeep Renegade
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Jeep Renegade

"...hey had a really cheap Compass and a pretty cheap Renegade and those days are just not here anymore."
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Jeep Wagoneer
HJUdall (CC0)
Car

Jeep Wagoneer

"is kind of unusual. It's the Wagoneer S, the EV. Okay, I didn't know that."
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Dodge Charger
Ermell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Dodge Charger

"... semi-related to STLA large longitudinal which is Charger and that whole big car platform they've got going..."
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Toyota Camry
S5A-0043 (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Toyota Camry

"...re's been some argument like, well, what is a new Camry? Can we say it's all new when it uses"
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Volvo XC90
Vauxford (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Volvo XC90

"...a high and a mid load path. S90 got the low path, XC90 got the higher path but the structures are very c..."
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Volvo S90
Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Volvo S90

"that had a high and a mid load path. S90 got the low path, XC90 got the higher path but th..."
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Honda Civic
MercurySable99 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Honda Civic

"... continue on sale in the US until this generation Civic goes away. Honda has not commented yet on US or J..."
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Honda Prelude
Riley from Christchurch, New Zealand (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Honda Prelude

"...sh or an opportunity for something like the Honda Prelude to come in and slide in there"
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Toyota Corolla
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota Corolla

"...l thing to do since we do have an all-wheel drive Corolla, we have an all-wheel drive Mazda 3, of course,"
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Mazda 3
Riley from Christchurch, New Zealand (CC BY 2.0)
Car

Mazda 3

"...l-wheel drive Corolla, we have an all-wheel drive Mazda 3, of course, and then we have the all-wheel drive ..."
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Toyota GR Corolla
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Toyota GR Corolla

"...e, but you have the WRX, you have things like the GR Corolla, you have Golf Rs, all of these all-wheel drive"
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Audi Rs3
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Audi Rs3

"...h basically the Audi five-cylinder turbo from the RS3, just wholesale jammed under the hood of the Golf..."
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Ford Explorer
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Explorer

"... end up being about Maverick-sized. So about Ford Explorer, Dodge Durango, dimensions on the outside."
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Ford Ranger
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Ford Ranger

"It's gonna be more of a solid competitor to Ranger, Tacoma, et cetera. Seems like that is a no-brain..."
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Dodge Dakota
MercurySable99 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Dodge Dakota

"I say Dodge 1500 and that's my bad. Dodge Dakota works, Ram Dakota? Yeah, I don't know."
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Toyota Corolla Cross
Elise240SX (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Toyota Corolla Cross

"...V4 or even like, you know, the Corolla truck, the Corolla Cross, something like, you know, in that realm, which i..."
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Delorean DMC-12
Grenex at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Car

Delorean DMC-12

"... I think so, you know, the futuristic retro coupe DeLorean, probably too close to a Cybertruck for my liking..."
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Tesla Cybertruck
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Tesla Cybertruck

"...tic retro coupe DeLorean, probably too close to a Cybertruck for my liking at this point, but that's Cybertruc..."
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Tesla Model 3
Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)
Car

Tesla Model 3

"Yeah, so very similar to what we saw on the Model 3 performance changes, which is what it was always ..."
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Mitsubishi Outlander
TTTNIS (CC0)
Car

Mitsubishi Outlander

"...tion sort of would be, this is sort of Mitsubishi Outlander 3-row kind of thing. If you're gonna buy a Model ..."
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Kia EV9
Matti Blume (CC BY-SA)
Car

Kia EV9

"... just buy something with a real third row like an EV9 or an Ionic 9 or I know, you know, the Cadillac V..."
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Tesla Model X
Alexander Migl (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Tesla Model X

"...p. No, can't be cheap, but it has to undercut the Model X for sure. Does it?"
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Tesla Model Xs
Granada (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Tesla Model Xs

"and has a third row that's not really very competitive and Model X's issue in that space is that it was the only three-row for a while,"
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Rivian R1S
Richard Truesdell (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Rivian R1S

"...s not great, great. And compared to an Onyc 9 EV9 R1S, like it's a lot smaller."
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Volvo EX90
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Volvo EX90

"...get the Kia or the Hyundai. Or from the drive and EX90, you know those lines. EX90's third row is not hu..."
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Volkswagen Id Buzz
Alexander-93 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Volkswagen Id Buzz

"...zed, but cheaper third rows. And don't forget the ID Buzz. Yeah, ID Buzz has a ginormous third row."
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Chevrolet Blazer
ArildV (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Car

Chevrolet Blazer

"...you place the order for your whatever, your Chevy Blazer. And you put, I don't know,"
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Cadillac Escalade
Baron Maddock (CC BY 4.0)
Car

Cadillac Escalade

"Right, and some of those trucks in the Cadillac Escalade IQ, those are gonna be close. I think there are a..."
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