The Best Cars for 2026 with Mike Quincy of Consumer Reports
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Company
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is a group that tests cars and other products to help people know which ones are good. They buy the cars themselves so they can be fair and honest.
Car
Chevrolet Va
The Chevrolet Nova is an old small car from the 1960s and 70s that could have a strong engine inside. It was popular for being simple and fast. Car fans still talk about it because it’s a classic muscle car.
Concept
hybrid
A hybrid car uses both a gas engine and an electric motor to save fuel and pollute less. It can use one or both to help the car go farther on less gas.
Car
Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid
The Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid is a bigger SUV that uses both gas and electric power to save fuel and be better for the environment.
Car
Honda Civic Hybrid
The Honda Civic Hybrid is a version of the Civic that uses both gas and electric power to save fuel and be better for the environment.
Concept
EV
An EV is a car that runs only on electricity from batteries, so it doesn't use gas and doesn't pollute the air when you drive it.
Term
front-engine V8 rear-wheel drive manual transmission
This means the car's big eight-cylinder engine is in the front, it drives the back wheels, and you change gears yourself using a stick shift.
Car
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is a famous sporty car from America that often has a powerful V8 engine and is fun to drive with a stick shift.
Car
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a well-known car that many people drive. It can have either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and it often uses a hybrid engine to save gas.
Term
all-wheel drive
All-wheel drive means the car sends power to all four wheels instead of just two. This helps the car move better on slippery roads like snow or rain but doesn't help it stop or turn better.
Term
front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive means the car's engine powers only the front wheels. This is common and helps the car use less gas and handle well in rain or snow.
Car
Honda Civic
The Honda Civic is a small car that many people buy first because it is reliable and easy to drive. It also uses less gas, which saves money.
Car
Honda Civic SI
The Civic SI is a version of the Civic that is made to be sportier and more fun to drive, with a stronger engine and better handling.
Term
fuel economy
Fuel economy tells you how many miles a car can go using one gallon of gas. Cars with good fuel economy save you money because they use less gas.
Term
steering and handling
Steering and handling mean how easy and fun it is to control the car when you drive it. A car with good handling feels smooth and responsive.
Term
braking systems
Braking systems are the parts of the car that help you stop safely when you press the brake pedal.
Term
standard safety features
Standard safety features are the safety parts that come with the car without extra cost, like airbags and systems that help you avoid crashes.
Car
Subaru Crosstrek
The Subaru Crosstrek is a small SUV that can drive on rough roads and in bad weather because it has all-wheel drive.
Car
Subaru Forester
The Subaru Forester is a small SUV that is good for families and can drive well in snow or rain because it has all-wheel drive.
Car
Toyota Grand Highlander
The Toyota Grand Highlander is a bigger version of a popular family SUV that can fit more people and stuff. It’s reliable and good for big families. Some people wonder if it’s too big, but it’s useful if you need extra space.
Car
Lexus Nx
The Lexus NX is a small fancy SUV that’s comfortable and easy to drive. It has lots of safety features and is known for lasting a long time. People choose it if they want a luxury car that’s not too big.
Car
BMW X5
The BMW X5 is a fancy SUV that is comfortable to drive and has lots of nice features. People like it because it feels sporty but also works well for families or carrying stuff. It's often talked about because it's a well-made and popular car in its class.
Car
Ford Maverick
The Ford Maverick is a small truck that's easy to drive and doesn't use a lot of gas. It's good for people who want a truck but don't need something very big. It’s popular because it’s affordable and practical.
Car
Ford F150
The Ford F-150 is a big, strong truck that many people use for work and everyday driving. It’s very popular because it can do a lot of different jobs and comes in many styles. People often talk about it because it’s one of the most popular trucks around.
Car
Tesla Model
The Tesla Model Y is an electric car that looks like a small SUV and can drive a long way without needing gas. It has lots of cool technology inside and is good for families. At first, some people had problems with it, but it’s gotten better.
Car
Tesla Model 3
The Tesla Model 3 is a small electric car that doesn’t need gas and is cheaper than other Teslas. It’s fast and has lots of tech features. When it first came out, some people had problems, but it’s gotten better now.
Concept
vehicle safety beyond crash test
Safety isn't just about crashes. How a car handles, stops, and how easy it is to use controls also keep you safe by helping you avoid accidents.
Car
Mazda Cx50
The Mazda CX-50 is a small SUV that’s a bit bigger and tougher than the CX-30. It’s fun to drive and well made. People like it because it’s reliable and looks good.
Car
Mazda Cx30
The Mazda CX-30 is a small SUV that looks good and is fun to drive. It’s bigger than some small cars but still easy to park. Many people like it because it’s reliable and safe.
Car
Mazda Cx70
The Mazda CX-70 is a bigger SUV that is nicer inside and can use both gas and electricity to save fuel. It’s made for people who want a fancy and powerful car. It’s one of Mazda’s newer models.
Car
Mazda Cx90
The Mazda CX-90 is a big SUV that can fit lots of people and has new technology to help save gas. It’s good for families who want a nice and roomy car. It’s one of Mazda’s newest SUVs.
Car
Mazda MX-5 / Miata
The Mazda Miata is a small, sporty car that’s fun to drive and doesn’t cost too much. It’s known for being easy to handle and making driving exciting. Many people love it because it’s simple but really enjoyable.
Term
aftermarket accessories
Aftermarket accessories are extra parts you can add to your car to make it faster, louder, or look cooler, and they are made by companies other than the car maker.
Car
Mazda 3
The Mazda RX-3 is an old sporty car from the 1970s with a special kind of engine called a rotary engine. It’s popular with car fans because it’s different and fun to drive. People still talk about it because it’s a cool classic car.
Car
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a big truck that can carry heavy loads and is comfortable inside. The 2017 version drives nicely but some owners have had problems with the brakes and other parts. It’s a popular truck for work and everyday use.
Term
cable-operated parking brake
This type of parking brake works by pulling a cable that makes the back brakes hold tight so the truck doesn't roll.
Part
caliper
A caliper is a part that pushes the brake pads onto the round discs to help stop the truck. Some parking brakes use a small caliper to hold the truck in place.
Part
rotors
Rotors are round metal discs that your brake pads squeeze to help stop your truck when you press the brake pedal.
Part
brake pads
Brake pads are the parts that push on the rotors to help your truck stop. They wear down and need to be changed sometimes.
Part
brake rotor
The brake rotor is a round metal disc that helps stop the car when the brakes press on it. Sometimes, the inside part of the rotor works like a drum for the parking brake.
Term
push button parking brake
Instead of pulling a lever to set the parking brake, some cars have a button you push. This button uses a small motor to make the brakes hold the car in place.
Car
Ram pickup
Ram pickup trucks are big trucks that can drive on all four wheels. They sometimes use special brakes called drum brakes at the back to help stop the truck.
Car
Honda Hrv
The Honda HR-V is a small SUV that’s easy to park and doesn’t use much gas. The newest models have fresh looks and new features. It’s good for people who want a small car that can carry more stuff.
Car
Chevrolet Suburban
The Chevy Suburban is a very big SUV that can carry lots of people and stuff. It’s good for big families or when you need to pull heavy things. People talk about it because it’s one of the biggest SUVs you can get.
Car
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevy Volt is a car that can run on electricity but also has a gas engine for longer trips. It’s good for saving gas and driving quietly. It was one of the first cars like this that many people could buy.
Car
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a small car that’s easy to drive and doesn’t break down much. It uses little gas and is good for everyday trips. Many people like it because it’s simple and reliable.
LIVE
WATD presents John Paul, The Car Doctor, All Things Automotive.
Have questions?
Call or text 781-837-4900.
Now, here's John Paul, The Car Doctor.
And good Sunday morning everyone and welcome to another edition of the Car Doctor program
on 959WATD.
My name is John Paul, The Car Doctor here to help you with your car problems.
Maybe you're thinking about how you got through the snowstorms we had, maybe your power is
back on.
I know our little house got the power finally back on on Thursday, which was good.
Fortunately, we have an old, old-timey heater, so the heat stayed on inside the house
where neighbors could go to live if they wanted to.
But anyway, so weather is here, you hate to say it, but maybe you're thinking about buying
a new car and what a great place to go, of course, is to go to Consumer Reports.
And with us on the phone is Mike Quincy.
He is an auto writer and tester at Consumer Reports.
Mike, good morning and welcome back to the Car Doctor program.
Good morning, John.
Thanks for having me on.
You've been at Consumer Reports has been around since 1936.
You've been there almost as long, almost 25 years, right?
Yeah, actually, we're celebrating our 90th anniversary and I'm old, but I'm not that
old.
But yeah, I started with Consumer Reports in 1993, took a little sabbatical during
the dot-com craziness of 2000 and then came back in 2001 at Consumer Reports Test
Track in Connecticut.
And I've been there ever since.
So yeah, this May will be 25 years at the track.
And you know, a long time.
And let's talk a little bit about, you know, what you and Consumer Reports does differently
than everybody else does.
You guys don't take loaner cars from manufacturers, you buy all of your cars, right?
Correct.
Yeah, all the vehicles in our road test ratings are purchased by Consumer Reports.
We don't take advertising, we're not beholden to any companies.
So we really do work hard to maintain our independence.
We occasionally will borrow a car from a manufacturer just to kind of test it out.
But we never actually do, you know, empirical testing on a borrowed car.
We're kind of looking to see where it might fit into a test program and just to get
some experience with it.
But yeah, we do buy all of the cars that we test anonymously.
And you have a phenomenal test facility in Connecticut.
It's like 350 acres or something, right?
The way that I remember that, that's a really good small block Chevrolet VA.
Good point.
I was going with a slightly bigger small block, yeah.
Yeah, no, the 327 works for me.
Yeah, so it's actually the site of the old Connecticut Dragway.
Consumer Reports bought this property in the mid-80s and we've turned it into a world
class testing facility with handling circuits, straightaways, special lanes devoted to
breaking tests, a new ADAS loop opened a couple of years ago so we can figure out all the
autonomous driving systems that are being offered.
And it really is a pretty cool place to work.
I remind it of myself when I'm typing away at my computer and I look over my shoulder
and there's the track.
So it's a very cool spot.
Yeah, it really sounds like I've only been there once and that was ages ago
but I need to make a point to try to come back and visit because especially to see the
ADAS test track where does this stuff work or doesn't it?
It's always one of the questions.
But Consumer Reports recently came out with top, the 10 top picks in new cars, trucks
and SUVs and this time, and I guess it shouldn't be a surprise, but this time
every single one of them was some sort of a hybrid, right?
Or are you?
Yeah, actually for the first time every top pick is available either as a hybrid,
is a hybrid or available as one or an electric vehicle.
So that's really good for the consumer.
I mean, hybrids are not kind of the dorky pre-issues that came out in like 2000.
They're much, much better.
They're so well integrated.
They improve the performance in every measure.
They're usually quicker.
They're quieter.
They ride better.
And of course, there's a big boost in fuel economy compared to a non-hybrid version
and almost in every instance, we're testing a regular version as well as a hybrid.
You could think Honda Civic versus Honda Civic Hybrid, Hyundai Santa Fe versus Santa
Fe Hybrid.
The hybrid versions are almost always better.
Yeah, and it's interesting to, and I keep saying this and maybe someday I'll stop
saying it, but this really is the golden age of the automobile.
People can go out and buy an EV, a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, a straight electric car,
or a straight gasoline car.
So I don't know that there's ever been more choice for consumers than there has
been in the last couple of years.
I cannot agree more wholeheartedly.
And I'll add to that mix.
You can still get a front-engine V8 rear-wheel drive manual transmission
Mustang, which makes my heart feel really good.
But no, you're right.
I mean, you and I grew up at a time when we were told, oh, the 50s were awesome
and the 60s, the muscle cars, and blah, blah, blah.
Today's cars are so much better than they were in the past.
Yeah, they really are.
And in fact, I just answered a reader or listener question this morning.
And they were looking at the Toyota Camry.
And the Toyota Camry throws one more little wrench in there.
They say, well, you can get an all-wheel drive Camry or a front-wheel drive Camry.
But it's a hybrid no matter what.
And they're like, well, what's the advantages?
What's disadvantages?
And I'm like, well, if you live somewhere where it's wet, slippery, or snowy,
all-wheel drive, take the couple miles per gallon cut and fuel economy.
And I think there was a $1,500 difference in price.
I'm almost surprised, like Subaru did years ago.
Toyota just doesn't make everything, every Camry all-wheel drive at this point.
Yeah, correct, because not everyone needs all-wheel drive.
People think that all-wheel drive will make you drive faster in snow.
And I'm actually looking over my shoulder.
We're getting a little snow here in Connecticut right now.
All-wheel drive helps you to get going.
It doesn't help you stop any faster.
It doesn't help you corner any faster.
The thing is, whatever you drive in the winter in New England,
you see a car that's off the road.
Undoubtedly, it's got all-wheel drive, or it's an SUV, or something like that.
People think they're indestructible if they have all-wheel drive.
And truthfully, the front-wheel drive Camry
will be the perfect car for many, many people.
And it just so happens to be a Consumer Reports top pick.
So there you go.
There's your segue.
Yeah, well, let's go through the pick.
So let's start with the, and I almost
want to say the lowly Honda Civic.
But the Civic has been a lot of people's first new car.
Dependable as can be.
And it's a top pick for Consumer Reports.
And it was my first new car in 1987, believe it or not.
I bought a little Civic SI, and I thought
it was the coolest car ever.
The new Civic, though, blows the doors off of my old one.
44 miles per gallon overall in Consumer Reports
testing for the hybrid model.
We have a podcast called Talking Cars.
And we did a year-end edition where everyone on the staff
got to talk about their favorite cars of that test year.
And the Civic kept coming up.
I love the Civic because it's not a boring economy car.
It has really engaging steering and handling.
The braking systems are great.
The standard safety features are incredible.
And again, that fuel economy is just possible to beat.
Yeah, it really is.
And then Subaru had two up on this.
They had the Crosstrek and the Forester, both great vehicles.
And it's kind of amazing how the Forester has kind of grown up
over the years, too.
It absolutely has.
And the best news, if you're a Forester fan,
is that there's now a hybrid model, which
returned 34 miles per gallon overall in Consumer Reports
testing.
The Forester and the Crosstrek,
and as we mentioned, the Camry and the Civic,
are examples of how you can get an excellent car.
All these models are Consumer Reports top pick.
And you put it in context of the average price of new cars
are $50,000.
All of these are base priced, like $40,000 or lower.
So that's really good news.
I love the Forester mainly because the visibility
is incredible.
It's easy to get in and out of if you're dealing with aging
parents that need a car.
The Forester is almost always our go-to model
because the visibility is great, because access is easy,
because controls are easy.
But even if you're not a senior, it's still a great car.
Yeah, it really is.
And I think historically, Subaru's
had a couple of bumps in the roads.
But every year, they seem to be getting better and more
reliable and just becomes like you said,
it's an easy car to recommend for a variety of different people,
whether it's somebody going to college for the first time
and they want something reliable that's not going to break down
or like you pointed out, a car that gives you good visibility,
easy to get in and out of, and really good fuel economy.
Let's go down to the Toyota Grand Highlander, which
I've always been a fan of the Highlander.
When the Grand Highlander came out, I'm like, ah,
did they really need to make the Highlander a little bit bigger?
But once I drove it, I was like, they
thought this one through a little bit.
Yeah, and I keep coming back to this
because I think it's always relevant is the fuel economy.
So the Grand Highlander is a three-row SUV,
35 miles per gallon overall on consumer reports test,
which is pretty impressive for a three-row vehicle.
You're getting the usual Toyota excellent reliability.
The ride is good.
The controls are super easy.
It is a prototypical family vehicle.
A lot of families need extra room for car pooling
and kid stuff and all that, not garbage.
But my kids aren't young anymore,
so I'm kind of blowing it off.
But for families with young kids,
this car makes a lot of sense.
It really does.
And in the luxury category, and again,
the average price of the new vehicles today
are right around $50,000.
At what point do you think the American public's
just going to say, cars are too expensive?
No, I think they're already saying it
because of the demand for used cars.
Yeah, yeah.
I think that's your answer right there.
But listen, the Lexus NX is one of those vehicles where,
let's say you've been working hard your whole life
and you want to treat yourself for something
a little bit more luxurious.
And the NX has a beautiful interior,
as most Lexus models do.
38 miles per gallon overall and consumer reports testing
for the hybrid model, which is outstanding.
A great cruising range.
The NX is a vehicle that I would definitely
concede treating myself if I ever go off
to that retirement way of thinking,
which might happen one of these days.
But not the BMW X5?
Well, the X5 is also a very, very nice choice.
However, it is priced between $68,000 and $76,000.
And I need to remind you and all of your listeners
that I work for a non-profit organization.
So my retirement account isn't quite that chunky.
But if yours is, definitely treat yourself to the X5.
We tested the last model, we tested with a plug-in
hybrid version, it gives you 39 miles of all electric range
and then it just reverts to a regular hybrid model.
The X5 is very luxurious, it's comfortable, it's quiet,
it's super fast, it handles like you'd expect
with BMW it handle, which is really precise,
very satisfying to drive, a very, very nice car.
And one of my favorite vehicles is on your list,
the Ford Maverick pickup truck.
Although I did cringe a little bit
at the Maverick name when it first came out,
I've sort of adapted to it now.
But it's a great little truck.
Yeah, you and I remember the original Ford Maverick,
which was kind of a junky little coop
in sedan back in the 70s.
I think they like left the factory already rusted,
but by go, the Maverick is one of those rare vehicles.
It's a small pickup truck.
People go on and on about huge pickup trucks
and they're the largest selling type of vehicle
in the United States, but not everybody needs
a hulking 1,500 series truck.
So check out the Maverick, 37 miles per gallon overall
from the hybrid model and consumer reports testing.
It has super simple controls.
This is a model that's really easy to live with
as long as you don't need that haul
like a really heavy trailer.
Right, I remember when they first came out
and it was the hybrid only front wheel drive version
and you could buy it for like 20 grand
and I put my name on a list and they're like,
yeah, good luck.
You're right, this was a super popular, hard to get model.
Yeah, yeah, and you're right.
For somebody who's not hauling heavy stuff around,
but they need the versatility of a truck
and for how many years of people like you and I
have been saying, harken back to the original
small Toyota pickups or the small Nissan pickups
and how seemingly practical they were
and now when you do see one that's 30 years old,
you're like, what a great little truck that was
and you look at the Maverick and go,
here's a great little truck that also
you can stick four people in it if you need to.
Yeah, I just got back from visiting my brother
in Santa Barbara, California
and those little rear wheel drive,
regular cab pickup trucks are all over the place
because they didn't rust out there
but yeah, I do have fond memories
of small pickup trucks.
The most of the world has small pickup trucks
so I'm glad that Ford is sticking with the Maverick
and not making this thing ultra huge.
Yeah, exactly.
Speaking of ultra huge though, the F-150.
Yeah, this is actually one of the biggest stories
of Consumer Reports top picks is that the F-150
after its last redesign had real reliability issues
especially the hybrid model
but Ford looked at their warranty data
and looked at their problems and they made it better.
Ford improved the reliability of the F-150 good enough
so that it is a Consumer Reports top pick.
Again, the hybrid model is the crown jewel
of the F-150 line, about 20 miles per gallon overall
in Consumer Reports testing
which is outstanding for a full-size pickup truck
and get this a 600 mile cruising range.
I'm a road trip junkie so this vehicle totally speaks to me.
I'm really glad that Ford has improved the reliability
of the F-150 because it has made this truck
for the first time in years.
A full-size pickup truck is reliable enough
to be on our top picks list so hats off to Ford.
Yeah, and something that wasn't reliable
when it first came out was like the Tesla Model 3
and then the Model Y but the Model Y is on the list
and I really like the Model Y a lot.
Just like Ford, Tesla looked at their reliability issues
and made improvements and that's what Consumer Reports
like to see when manufacturers are actually looking
at their problems instead of ignoring them
or trying to shoot the messenger,
they're going back to the drawing board
and say, okay, how can we fix this?
How can we make it better?
And Tesla has absolutely done that with the Model Y.
It is among the most reliable EVs out there.
331 mile cruising range,
assuming you're not driving it in the winter
but listen, if you're gonna go electric,
check out the Model Y
because it really did well in Consumer Reports testing.
Yeah, it really did.
And it's not just reliability and price and fuel economy,
it's also about safety ratings
and although not on your list,
Mazda is doing extraordinarily well
with their safety ratings, aren't they?
Exactly, I mean, when you think about
how much safety you can afford,
that's always been Consumer Reports message.
Is that you wanna get the most safety features,
especially if you have a young inexperienced driver
in your house and we have a new Consumer Reports safety verdict
which looks at vehicle safety beyond just crash test.
I mean, handling, braking, simple controls
that don't distract you are also a big part of safety.
And when you combine all of those things,
Mazda has really come out to be one of the safest manufacturers
on Consumer Reports safety verdict
when you think about something small,
the Mazda CX-30, a little bit bigger, the Mazda CX-50,
these are vehicles that did well in Consumer Reports
testing, they're reliable and they're full of safety features.
And do you think it's because in kind of relative terms,
Mazda is a small company
that makes small incremental improvements?
Yeah, absolutely, because they can't revamp their product line
top to bottom every year.
I will say, in full disclosure,
they have done some updated models like the CX-70, CX-90,
and they started dipping their toe into plug-in hybrids.
And those are the issues that Mazda now has to deal with
as those two models did not do well
in Consumer Reports reliability ratings.
But knowing Mazda, they're not just gonna sit back
and let a lousy design kind of just fester,
they're gonna fix it, they're gonna find out what's wrong.
I have a lot of faith in Mazda,
I think they make a number of really good products.
And you're right, they are smaller, they're leaner,
they can pivot and make changes pretty quickly.
And they have a lot of impressive vehicles.
We can't talk about Mazda without not mentioning the Miata,
which is one of my favorite sport cars of all time.
Dependable, handles great.
It has the ability to add on aftermarket accessories
if you want more power, more sound, or whatever.
You're right, been around since time began,
I think people that don't know any better
probably think of the Miata as, I think of like an MGB.
It's like the original sports car.
Yeah, and that's the vision that Mazda had
because coming out of the 70s and 80s
when the sports cars mostly came from the UK
and they were miserable or Italy
and they rusted and they weren't reliable.
Mazda was like, what if we took that premise
and just made them a lot more reliable?
And that was the birth of the Miata.
I think it was 1989 or 90 when they first debuted.
And I've honestly, I've driven every generation of Miatas
and they've never failed to put a smile on my face.
Yeah, absolutely, it's always a fun car to drive.
You know, if people want to find out more information
about the safety verdict rating system
or the top 10s, consumerreports.org, right?
Consumerreports.org, we're at.org about it.com
and believe it or not, we still produce magazines.
So if you ever shuffle by a newsstand,
check out the March, April issue of Consumer Reports
that has a bright red Mazda 3 on a cover.
And so if you like to hold information
like in paper form, then that's available.
But definitely check out our website.
We work really hard to keep it updated
and keep it lively, keep it interesting.
And honestly, nobody tests cars like Consumer Reports does.
And it's, I remember years and years ago
when I met the folks from Consumer Reports
and people called people in your job
kind of white-coated toaster testers.
Which you guys embraced at the time.
I remember seeing a bunch of toasters
sitting on the start of a road test track.
But you have a lot of depth in your life too.
You were ahead of the curve.
In fact, ahead of Taylor Swift,
you're a bread baker, right?
Yeah, well, during COVID,
I definitely got into baking bread cookies and whatnot.
It was a way to kind of stay amused
with being domestically confined.
And a number of people on Facebook got into it.
We created this thing called, we called it breadwars.
It was just a tongue-in-cheek look
at who can outdo each other with their baking prowess.
So did Taylor Swift ever share her sourdough recipe or?
Not at this point.
I don't think she has my number,
but that's okay.
And also for people that have been out shoveling snow
where their power just came back on,
can you recommend a good evening cocktail?
Well, sure, I would love to.
I think a good evening cocktail in the winter
probably is one based on bourbon.
I'm a big fan of this drink called the Boulevardier,
which combines Campari, sweet vermouth and bourbon
and kind of chill it and then put it over ice
and it will warm your soul
and probably solve any problem that you're dealing with.
There you go.
And I'm not a big Campari person,
but maybe mixed together, it does blend nicely.
Oh yeah, I would never drink Campari straight.
It's very bitter Italian aperitif,
but you combine it with these other things
and the drink is just magical.
Well, it sounds great.
So for those of you that are still shoveling out
and cleaning up your driveways and sidewalks and steps,
there's a good hint for you later in the evening
to relax a little bit and let your muscles unwind
and maybe your mind at the same time.
That's right, you burn your calories shoveling the snow
and then you reward yourself with a really nice drink.
There you go.
Mike, always a pleasure talking to you, always informative.
Stay safe out there and we'll talk to you again soon, I hope.
Thanks so much for having me on.
All right, thanks, Mike.
Take care.
Mike Quincy, auto tester for Consumer Reports,
been there for almost 25 years now.
Very knowledgeable guy, nice guy to talk to
and also a big charity guy.
He's a bike ride, it's a pan mass challenge.
I donated, I don't have a lot of money
to donate for those kind of things.
I donate a little money to him, just a good guy
and always fun to talk to and you know, how can you go wrong?
We need to take a break, pay some bills.
My name's John Paul, this is a car doctor program
if you wanna give us a call about your car,
your car problems, whatever's on your mind,
give us a call at 781-837-4900,
781-837-4900, phone lines are open,
Jesse's just waiting to talk to you.
We'll be right back after these messages.
Even car geeks and do-it-yourselfers rely on Triple-A
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Triple-A offers 24-7 roadside assistance
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or even a rental.
Combine that with great rates of insurance,
hotel, gas and buying savings
and discounts on 8,700 brands
and you're covered on and off the road.
Get a special membership offer today
at aaa.com slash join, that's aaa.com slash join.
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Now, back to the car doctor.
And our phone number, 7-8-1-837-4900, 7-8-1-837-4900.
We have a couple of lines open if you want to join us
but right now let's talk to Wayne from Weymouth.
Wayne, good morning.
Good morning, how are you?
Good.
Good to do it.
I have a 2017 Dodge Ram pickup, quad cab, four wheel drive.
The part brake, if I apply the part brake
which I constantly use, it does not hold.
Is it the old school cable type
or is there a mini caliper in the rear?
I had the brakes down front and rear.
The front was a complete overhaul.
It was a rotors pads and discs
and the back was just rotors and pads.
And I thought maybe we'd be working by now
but I bought a used three years old with low miles.
I love the truck but I like to use the part brake
and it will not hold.
Is it cable style on that?
Well, there are always cable style
one way or another I guess
because what happens is there's different types
of parking brakes.
Some actually do use the caliper
and just squeezes the pads together.
Others and yours, your parking brake is
got little brake shoes under the brake rotor.
Oh, okay.
So they may be just out of adjustment
or maybe they're all glazed up or something like that
but yours, yeah, even all of these newer cars
that have push button parking brakes, really all that is
is an electric motor that winds a cable.
It has something to do with federal motor vehicle
safety standards and how parking brakes work.
Excuse me.
But it is, but yeah, on your particular vehicle
on a four wheel drive Ram pickup, yeah,
it's just the inside of the brake rotor
is like a brake drum.
And then under that is a set of brake shoes
and the cables just go to the brake shoes
and it does have an adjustment on it.
So it could very well be that when you have the brakes
done, the rear emergency brake shoes
just not doing what they're supposed to do anymore.
Okay, that's what it must be.
That kept things like the calipers
with the slide pins and all that,
but I don't think that's exactly good.
Yeah.
So that's okay.
So that could be an adjustment like you said
or they could be.
Yeah, it could be.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, is it possible the cable was stretched
or the tension isn't right or something?
That's possible, but it's,
but it is possible to adjust it.
So I'd go back to whoever did your brakes
and just say, look, the parking brake's not holding.
Can you look at make sure the parking brake,
and the parking brake shoes literally last forever
because unless you've driven with the parking brake on
and you forgot, they don't get any real wear.
But they can get, you know,
if somebody who doesn't use the parking brake
a whole heck of a lot,
they can get rusted builds up in there
and you go to use it and just not gonna hold tight.
So, yeah, I would just,
I would go back to whoever didn't ask them
and they may just snug up the cable a little bit
and call it a day.
Well, that's great because that's a concern of mine
because I like using park brakes.
I think it's, that's what they're there for.
You should use them, you know.
Well, you know, and your,
you actually called it the right term.
It, you know, a lot of people call it an emergency brake.
It doesn't, it wasn't really ever designed
to work well in a case of emergency.
It's really designed to hold the car in park
when you're stopped.
So whether you're, you know, whether you're, you know,
backing, you know, backing up a trailer
and you wanna lock the truck in place, you know,
and you know, the lawyers will tell you
that anytime you put a vehicle in park,
you should put the parking brake on
because it could be that time
the park doesn't hold the way it should
and that's what the brakes are for.
So, yep.
Yep, I didn't realize that I bought the truck
with low miles and I always used it
but I thought it was doing the truck
until one day I left and I heard the little beep
and noise and I saw the light on the dash
and I said, oh my God, the brakes.
But it would probably be too late to go back
with the dealership.
No, yeah, I just have, I just have,
take a look, make sure everything's okay.
If the shoes are glazed up, maybe they'll just,
maybe they'll just clean them up a little bit.
If not, maybe they're just gonna tighten up the cable
and call it a day.
Okay, well, terrific.
Well, thanks for your information.
All right, take care.
All right, thank you.
All right, yeah, bye-bye.
Bye now, bye.
781-837-4900, 781-837-4900 is our number
if you wanna get through and give us a call.
Let's talk to Ann Marie and Marshfield.
Ann Marie?
Hello, car doctor, I have a question.
So, I have a 24 Honda HRV.
Okay.
So, when I bought the car,
I went on the expressway to Gloucester
and coming home at night, there was a construction
and there was like two sets of markings on the road.
Well, unbeknownst to me, this car was aggressive.
It wanted to go on the old line on the expressway.
And it was a miracle I made it home that night.
So, long story short, I had that part of this car
disengaged, so supposedly it doesn't do it anymore.
And I Googled it and I told the dealership all about it.
And I think there was some recall,
but I don't know if it had anything to do with that.
So, since then, it has affected me so badly
that I don't trust this car, but I have to,
I can't sell it now and get rid of it because of that.
So, I don't trust the car.
Have you heard anything about this?
And I-
I mean, other than your vehicle has something
called lane keeping assist,
I think is probably what Honda calls it.
And that's, and the idea is it looks at the lane line
and it tries to keep you in the lane
because it's got electric power steering
and it can actually make the steering wheel turn
a little bit one or else force you,
you wanna go in the lane and it's looking
at the other thing.
I haven't heard of any,
I haven't heard of any kind of defect with it.
What I would personally, what I would do,
because I find it annoying when I drive a car
with lane keeping assistance or lane keeping warning,
I usually just reach over and find the button to shut it off.
It is off, but it left me PTSD about it
because I don't trust it, I don't know-
Yeah, once you have it turned off,
it should be off until you restart the car
and turn it back on, yeah, yeah.
So, it shouldn't be a problem.
It shouldn't be a problem as long as you shut it off.
I think that also might have something called
a traffic jam assist or something,
which doesn't do that much, but it does,
it works with the lane keeping assistance,
but yeah, if it's, I would just,
personally, I would just shut it off.
I would just hit the button and shut it off
whenever you get in the car.
I don't find it as bad.
Somebody I worked with had a brand new,
might have been a Chevy Suburban,
and he was absolutely convinced
there was something wrong with the steering.
And he's like, I'll go to change lanes
and I'll go to do this
and it just forces me the other way.
And I went out for a ride with him
and I said, well, yeah, because in this case,
he was actually trying to change lanes,
but he was a typical Massachusetts driver
that I'll pick on Massachusetts drivers,
didn't use their turn signal.
And he's like, I can't look, the steering wheel's stuck.
I can't change lanes.
I'm like, well, put the steering wheel, put the blinker on.
And he goes, oh yeah, now it changed the lane.
And it did the same thing.
It was forcing him in.
It was forcing him into a lane he didn't want to be in.
But yeah, I would just shut it off.
And I think you'll be fine.
I think you'll be fine.
All right, okay, take care, Henry.
Bye-bye.
Our phone number 781-837-4900,
it sounded like Anne-Marie was calling from her car
at the same time, so.
Some of the other, somebody just wrote to me and said,
I'm looking for into a new electric vehicle
possibly to replace my 2016 Chevrolet Bolt,
which I enjoyed owning since new.
I like the Bolt, although I like the Volt.
I like the Volt was the gasoline version
that it was sort of weird.
It was a gasoline generator
that basically charged the battery
that ran the electric motor.
I thought it was kind of an interesting idea.
They did away with it.
I like the design of it.
I'm sort of a, I have a soft spot in my heart
for hatchbacks and I like the idea it was a hatchback
and it gets crazy gas mileage
and would run on electricity up to 60 miles an hour
for, I don't know, 50 miles or something.
Then the gasoline engine would kick in.
I just liked it.
Anyway, in 2016, when he bought his Chevrolet Volt,
he got a Bosch PowerMax level two charging station
installed in his garage.
It's a 220 volt unit with 16 amps of power output.
Would I be able to use the same charging unit
on a brand new electric vehicle now 10 years later?
Yes.
Although 16 amp output is a little on the low side
these days, but it will work.
The other thing, depending on what kind of car you buy,
you may have to get an adapter to go from the plug
that you have, the level two charging plug you have
that is compatible with your Chevrolet Volt.
And if you go to that North American charging standard
that is basically the Tesla style,
you might have to get an adapter
that go between the two.
I think depending on how big the battery is
in the new vehicle you're looking at,
you may just find that six or eight hours
of overnight charging might not be quite enough
to recharge the vehicle when it's fully discharged.
You may have to go a little bit longer
than just that plug it in at night
when you get up in the morning is fully charged.
But chances are it's gonna be okay.
So I haven't looked up the specifications
of the Bosch PowerMax thing,
but I would assume 16 amps of power output
should be fine.
Way better than C at 110 volts.
You're probably only getting about two,
maybe three amps of power output.
So you're charging up way faster than a regular plug-in,
you know, 110 volt outlet that you're, you know,
running normal appliances on.
Let's see, somebody else,
somebody said to me,
they have a 2008 Toyota Corolla
and there's no power for whatever reason,
sounds like the battery's dead.
They're trying to shift into neutral
so they can move the vehicle
just a little bit out of the way, I guess.
And they said there's a black button near the shifter,
I still can't shift to neutral.
In 2008, and this is where I had to look in,
my first go-to, you know,
I have all data, I use Mitchell,
I use motor a little bit, not as much
because I'm more familiar with the other two,
although I will admit it,
kind of like motor better than Mitchell sometimes.
But my Icon T10 scan tool
came with a motor subscription for two years.
And, but anyway, where do I go first?
Owners manual.
When I don't know something
that should be relatively simple,
like what do you do to shift this into neutral?
Well, look in the owners manual.
And the owners manual is pretty much,
I mean, in this particular case,
when I looked it up about 45 minutes ago,
looked it up, that's not a button, that's a cover.
So it looks like a button, but it's not a cover.
So you take a little flat blade screwdriver
and you pry that off,
then under there, there's a button.
And then you take the key or your finger or something
and stick it down in that little hole
and then you can release the shifter
and put it neutral so you can roll the vehicle.
So whenever I'm in doubt, I go to the owners manual.
And that can be the case with a variety of different things,
whether it's maintenance, fuse location sometimes,
the owners manual sometimes will do a better job
of telling you what the fuse number is
than some of these other systems that have diagrams
and all this other stuff.
So owners manual first, a good place to go.
And if we were supposed to, a couple of weeks ago,
we were supposed to talk to a company that had
repaired data that would be available
for a variety of reasons.
And it could be that, you know,
similar to, I guess, something like all data,
but a little bit more affordable
and I don't know what happened to them.
They were supposed to call in back a while ago
and never heard from them,
don't know what happened to them, so I don't know.
But I also stumbled across a company
that had some car related information
where you could find repair manuals and that sort of thing.
And it's not perfect, but in a lot of cases,
it's fairly inexpensive and it's actually free.
It's not inexpensive.
So we'll come up with that.
While I'm talking here, being silly,
I just said, well, I can find this right away.
Well, I guess I can't find it right away.
But it is, I have used it for, it's only up till 2013,
but it goes into a lot of older vehicles,
which is kind of nice, where you can find some of it.
And it is called Charm.
So it's HTTPS colon, backslash, backslash,
which sometimes you, depending on your computer system,
you still have to use the HTTPS thing.
But it's called Charm, C-H-A-R-M dot L-I.
And it has service manuals.
And for instance, if I wanted to look up
something on a older GMC,
say like a 2000 GMC, something or other,
pick up or something,
I wanted some information about the 5.3 liter engine.
It has repair and diagnosis information in there,
starting and charging stuff, diagrams, specifications.
And it's called, and it really,
I don't know who put it together.
It doesn't seem to, it doesn't,
my antivirus program doesn't seem to kick it out
as any kind of problems.
It has testing for trouble codes,
diagnostic trouble code descriptions.
I just happened to be looking up this,
2015 under GMC pickup truck.
It has body codes, all the various descriptions,
what different things mean,
anything from a code that has something to do
with a wheel sensor that dropped out,
all kinds of different stuff in there.
So for free, it's Charm dot L-I.
And if you're kind of a do-it-yourselfer,
you might want to look at that.
I was gonna give away, last week, if you remember,
we talked to our friend from Wax Oil,
about Ken Lemoine, which he started a podcast,
by the way, he said he was gonna,
but he started a podcast behind the garage door,
I think it's called.
But he is also the executive director
of the Bay State Motor Festival,
which is gonna be taking place on Father's Day.
And he was generous enough to offer up
a kind of DIY kit of Wax Oil.
I was gonna give it away today,
but I think I'm gonna wait till next week.
I just think it might be better to wait till next week.
And we'll kind of go from there
and we'll see about giving it away.
If you're somebody who is doing a restoration of an old car
and you've cleaned up the frame
and maybe you've taken a wire brush to it,
or not a rotisserie restoration, or maybe you did,
and you wanna try to preserve what's there.
The Wax Oil product got two different parts.
It's the one that does cracks and crevices,
so it's sort of a misty sort of stuff
that doesn't clog up drain holes.
And then the rubber, I shouldn't use the term rubberized,
but the other undercoating,
the thicker undercoating that locks in,
it dissipates any moisture,
and then locks in the body to keep rust from happening.
I have used it, my daily driver car
had an issue with the rear suspension
that was supposed to get rusty or something.
And I sprayed, I had,
I didn't, my wife's fault's why I was going with Wax Oil
to try it when I got some.
And then I had about a can left, I think.
I probably didn't put it heavy enough on the other car.
And I just did all the rear suspension components
just because, and when I got the notice in the mail
about some vehicles, if you live in the Northeast,
could suffer from some rust,
I crawled under there and looked at it,
and it still looked the same way it did
when I got it and sprayed it.
So I'm a believer in Wax Oil.
I think it does a good job.
And it's sort of one and done, you do it once
and that's all you have to do.
Maybe you wanna look at it a few years later
and touch it up if you think you need to,
but I think it does a good job.
Our phone number, 7818374900,
7818374900, why don't we take another break,
pay some bills, my name's John Paul,
this is the Car Doctor Program.
Phone lines are open if you would like to join us
at 7818374900, we'll be right back.
Even car geeks and do-it-yourselfers
rely on AAA to give them extra peace of mind on the road.
AAA offers 24-7 roadside assistance,
whether you're in your own vehicle,
a friend's car, or even a rental.
Combine that with great rates on insurance,
hotel, gas and buying savings,
and discounts on 8,700 brands,
and you're covered on and off the road.
Get a special membership offer today
at aaa.com slash join.
That's aaa.com slash join.
Hello, Chris Bethany of Bethany Builders here.
You want us to build your new deck project?
Sophia Bethany, let's go.
From design to job completion,
Bethany Builders has got you covered.
The Salt Shores number one dad-daughter duo
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Bethany Builders is fully licensed,
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Call us today for your free estimate.
Hey there, folks, it's Quinn Kelly,
reminding you to tune in Sunday night at five
for the South Shore's first voice in sports talk radio,
the Sports Exchange.
Unmatched coverage of local high school action,
as well as a relatable voice
on all things Boston Pro Sports.
We've got you covered live at five every Sunday night.
Have a question for our host, Ms. Last Week Show,
or just want to share a great sports story
you can find us on Twitter at SE on WATD.
But remember, mark your calendar, folks,
and we'll see you Sunday night at five
for the Sports Exchange on 959-WATD.
Honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award
from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
He's John Paul, the car doctor on 959-WATD.
And welcome back to the car doctor program on 959-WATD,
your South Shore radio station,
where you can listen to anywhere in the world.
Just tell your smart speaker you want to listen to WATD
and magically it just happens.
And we were actually off the air for a couple days
and the stream held together
so people could listen on the stream
rather than on the radio
because there was transmitter problems.
But by Larry and team,
I guess got the transmitter up and running
just the way it should be, so there we go.
Let's talk to John in Norwood.
John?
Hi, John, how are you?
Good, how are you?
Good.
My girlfriend's 2013 Civic.
That maintenance minder that's in her car,
it's showing a coolant message.
You know what that car does?
It monitor the coolant for miles or time or degradation.
What is that?
No, not degradation.
It's making a degradation assumption
based on time and mileage.
And it also, and I don't,
not even going to pretend to know
how Honda does it on that year car.
But what happens sometimes, it looks at temperature,
it looks at how often you start the car,
how long the car runs for.
But if you're getting a coolant,
if you're getting whatever it is,
number three that pops up,
this is service to cooling system,
it probably just means it's time for a flush and a refill.
Okay, and that,
unless it's been done
and then no one ever reset the maintenance minder.
I guess that's my question.
The maintenance minder is the thing so primitive
that it seems like it's given one point this week
it was given like four different messages,
air, which I replace,
tells you how much oil life has left.
It had a coolant and also when it was real cold,
the tire pressure system.
When you reset that,
it doesn't let you reset individual items in that list.
It's like all or nothing.
No, it's all or nothing because what happens is,
if it was just the oil reminder and you hit reset,
it would reset the oil reminder.
If the maintenance reminder came up for coolant
and you hit the reset, it actually resets that.
So it doesn't, it's not like you went in
and there was a menu and you go,
okay, I want to reset the brake fluid, the coolant,
but not the transmission fluid because I didn't do that.
It's not smart enough to know how to do that.
It just resets based on the reminder that pops up.
That's the way the folks from Honda explained it to me.
So.
So it's got four things basically,
even if I'm just trying to get rid of the coolant,
I'm going to reset the oil to 100%
even though I haven't done an oil change.
Yeah, yeah, it, well, unless it's going to,
if it has an oil change reminder coming up right now.
No, no, no, it should, it should hold,
if you hit the reset button,
it should remember the last time you reset that for the oil.
It should, whether it really does or not, I don't know.
Yeah, but that's the way it's supposed to work
that when you go in and, when you go in and do it,
it's supposed to, it resets,
it resets the reminder that comes up
but doesn't reset all of them.
Now, if it was an oil, now if it came up,
time for an oil change, time for coolant flush
and you hit the reset button, it would do both.
But if you just, now in theory at least,
if you hit the reset button now,
it's going to clear the coolant one off
and still when you went to go back
and looked at percent of, you know, oil life left,
that still should hold in place.
I think, I say with some skepticism.
But that's the way, that's the way,
because I asked the same question
and I went to one of the Honda guys and said,
hey, in this particular vehicle,
when you reset that, does it reset everything?
And they told me, no, that wasn't the case.
It does it this way.
And so I said, okay, I'll believe you then.
So I did.
So, you know, is it-
And what does the oil drive off of it?
Is it monitoring oil quality
or is it just monitoring?
No, the only vehicle I've ever seen
that monitored oil quality was Mercedes.
And they weren't really,
and I don't want to say they were really
monitoring oil quality.
What they were really doing,
they had a sensor in the oil pan
that would look at moisture content.
So it kind of was,
but it wasn't like it really did that much.
So, but yeah, when you go in and reset things,
you know, it should just, you know,
I think on yours,
now I would, you said yours was 2013?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Agreed.
10 year old.
Yeah, and it probably came up
maintenance symbol B, maybe.
Well, it actually says coolant.
Yeah.
But I think it does put a letter next to them, like.
Yeah.
That was more just counting them down, you know.
Yeah, yeah, cause, yeah.
I mean, it was, I mean, it was,
you know, it, there was a time
where the vehicle manufacturers would go in
and they'd do this, they'd look at the maintenance minder
and then they'd come back and they'd go,
well, you know, if you don't believe the maintenance minder,
we'll come in and do a, we'll do a chart
that give you kind of the same idea.
And when they used to do that,
coolant was supposed to be replaced at 120,000 miles.
Now,
you know, if you drove an average of, you know,
10,000 miles a year or 12,000 miles a year,
you know, 10, 15 years old somewhere in that range.
So it's probably just coming up with time, time and miles.
You know, and looking at, looking at both it,
you know, it says, you know,
what I'm looking at at this comparison.
And it's kind of funny, Honda did away
with the comparison part after a while,
but it came up, you know, right, right at,
when I looked it up, right at 120,000 miles is when,
if you didn't go by the maintenance minder,
that's when they wanted you to change the coolant.
So, you know, and again, if you kind of did the,
well, you know, 12,000 miles a year,
you know, 10, 12 years somewhere in there,
it's time to change it.
You know, if it was changed five years ago,
fantastic, but if it wasn't,
it's probably time to at least check the coolant level,
make sure it's full, check the conditions,
see what it looks like.
And probably not bad time at this juncture in life
to, you know, at least do a drain and refill.
Yeah, I mean, I've done that in the past
and I've used the Honda coolant.
Yep.
I think they really,
quite a lot of times.
Yeah, Honda is really fussy about a lot of stuff.
Honda transmission fluid mandatory.
Coolant, pretty mandatory.
They're a little bit more flexible on the coolant,
but it's still, it's still not a terrible idea to use it.
And it doesn't, you know, you know, it's interesting.
And that's why the reserve tank is like
down a big, long neck at the bottom.
You really can't even see it.
I think we're getting under the car because.
Right, right.
Yeah, and the, yeah.
And, you know, the coolant reservoir there takes,
I don't know, I think it takes
a little bit more than a quart.
So there's quite a bit that goes in there.
So, but, you know, and I think if you just do,
if you just do a drain and refill,
probably a gallon and a half is probably all you're gonna
use.
So, and that's, you know, pre-mixed, you know,
pre-mixed or, you know, or get the full strength
and mix it half and half, you'll be good to go.
All right.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
Well, that music created by Jesse means it's time
for us to go.
So until next week, make sure you're where you see
belt drive safely.
Be good to your car.
And if you do see an emergency vehicle
by the side of the road, slow down or move over.
It saves lives.
Talk to y'all next week.
Bye-bye.
About this episode
Mike Quincy of Consumer Reports joins John Paul to discuss the best cars for 2026, highlighting the dominance of hybrids and electrified vehicles among top picks. They explore Consumer Reports' rigorous, independent testing process at their Connecticut facility, emphasizing real-world performance, safety, and fuel economy. Notable vehicles include the Honda Civic Hybrid, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Toyota Grand Highlander, Lexus NX, BMW X5 plug-in hybrid, and the Ford Maverick pickup. The conversation also touches on the evolving automotive landscape, affordability concerns, and the variety of choices available to modern car buyers.
aftermarket accessories
all wheel drive
brake pads
brake rotor
braking systems
cable-operated parking brake
caliper
Consumer Reports
EV
front-engine V8 rear-wheel drive manual transmission
BMW X5
Chevrolet Nova
Chevrolet Suburban
Chevrolet Volt
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Ford Maverick
Ford Mustang
Honda Civic
Honda HR-V
Hyundai Santa Fe
Lexus NX
Mazda CX-30
Mazda CX-50
Mazda CX-70
Mazda CX-90
Mazda MX-5 / Miata
Mazda RX-3
Subaru Crosstrek
Subaru Forester
Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model Y
Toyota Camry
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Grand Highlander
Original notes
Consumer Reports revealed its annual 10 Top Picks in new cars, trucks, and SUVs for 2026. For the first time, every Top Pick is either a hybrid, available as one, or an electric vehicle. Mike Quincy is a 25-year employee with CR but also a renaissance man. So, we talked about bread baking and his favorite bourbon cocktail after a day of shoveling snow.
The Car Doctor Podcast
John Paul
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55:44