00:08
Hello and welcome to the holiday special podcast on AutoGuide.
00:13
Today, Kyle, Greg, and I are going to talk about our highlights from the past year and
00:16
maybe a little later too, but first we'll have a word from our sponsor.
00:22
eBay has reinvented car buying.
00:24
From click to curb, everything is covered.
00:27
With their new Secure Purchase, eBay isn't just where you find your car, it's where
00:32
you buy it, start to finish, title, financing, registration, delivery, it's all built in.
00:38
And eligible vehicle purchases are backed by up to $100,000 in protection.
00:44
This is what modern car buying looks like.
00:46
Get your next ride on eBay.
00:49
eBay, things people love.
00:51
Secure Purchase is powered by Carmel Dealer Services LLC and eBay subsidiary.
00:59
All right, so we are going to kick things off talking about, I guess, the most memorable
01:04
or the best or maybe both cars or trucks or bands or whatever that we drove this year.
01:09
We've kind of narrowed it down to five categories.
01:12
So let's start with the most traditional vehicle, the car.
01:17
Let's, Kyle, what was your best car you drove this year?
01:24
So, really, I should have prepared for this better.
01:27
The problem is, is that I kind of have two different answers, very, very different answers.
01:35
In terms of just, like, you know, full-on, incredible accomplishment, raises the bar
01:42
even though it was already stratus furically high.
01:45
I'm going to go with the Lamborghini Revuel, though.
01:49
It feels like a cop-out, but I mean, you know, the wild thing to me is that, yeah,
01:55
it's a plug-in hybrid version of a V12 Lambo supercar, and yet it still has all the theater
02:02
and drama, and it's a thousand and one horsepower, and yet it is so easy to drive, but not in
02:07
the sense that it feels like it's doing it for you.
02:12
And so, that would be my answer, but that feels unfair and kind of useless to the vast
02:18
majority of anyone who's listening.
02:20
And so, I'm going to go with the most recent car I drove, actually, the Kia EV4.
02:29
The recency bias, maybe?
02:32
I thought about that, but I was sitting there going through and like, look, as Mike kind
02:36
of hinted, there's not a whole lot of cars this year, and I drove a lot of good ones,
02:44
The Camry is great.
02:46
The Camry is all the car most people need.
02:48
The Lucid Air remains one of my favorite luxury sedans because it is just so smooth
02:54
and so capable and feels like a sensitive occasion, but I think the EV4 is so impressive
02:58
because it's an affordable EV from a mainstream brand, and I know I bring this up as kind
03:04
of a sore spot because, Greg, it's not coming to the US, at least for the time being.
03:09
Yeah, I'm rather excited about the EV4.
03:12
I really like the EV6.
03:13
I like how the EV4 looks.
03:16
Maybe next time I'm up to a vertical scope tower there in Toronto, I can somehow get
03:23
behind the wheel one if they're on sale at that point.
03:27
Yeah, we don't have much to add because Kyle obviously was the only one who's driven it.
03:31
I have driven the Revoto, and yeah, it's pretty fantastic, I will say, but I'll save my thoughts
03:39
on sports cars for that category.
03:41
Oh, well, yeah, I guess I should have left that over there.
03:49
I was looking back at all the cars I drove, and I drove the 540 and something else, and
03:55
then there was our compact car comparison back in the spring or late winter.
03:58
It's like, that was it.
04:00
That wasn't a performance car.
04:02
There's so few just cars, which takes me to Mike.
04:06
Oh, I was just going to say, you did drive every single Mini this year.
04:13
That's a thing to reflect upon.
04:15
I was thinking more of them.
04:16
Well, I drove like two countrymen, so they're SUVs, and I was thinking more of performance.
04:21
We were at the four doors of a car, but I just popped out and went back to our comparison
04:27
test and the Civic.
04:28
The Civic Hybrid is just so good.
04:31
And if one of you guys were going to take it, I would have then said the Elantra Hybrid,
04:34
which in our comparison was just barely second, where it's not as good as the Civic in many
04:38
ways, but it's also a little more affordable.
04:41
So that's just sort of, I think, where the sweet spot is, and anyone in that space that's
04:45
not looking at a Hybrid to compete directly or trying to do something different, like
04:50
say, Subaru with all-wheel drive or Mazda trying to be sporty, like you can't compete
05:00
I think the Civic is one of the hardest cars to write about because we've said everything,
05:05
Like it's so good at everything.
05:07
It is one of those cars that just dominates its segment.
05:11
And like you said, I mean, Subaru can do all-wheel drive and that's great, but now that Subaru
05:16
has a hybrid system, they should probably stick it in everything.
05:19
I'm sure there's limits to that.
05:21
And the Impreza probably isn't really high on the list, but yeah, like the Civic is unfairly
05:30
I mean, yeah, the Hybrid needs to go in the outback, but I never really thought of the
05:33
Impreza, but the Crosstrek is the Impreza.
05:35
So it really shouldn't be hard to do.
05:38
Now that I think of it, that would actually really change that car's, I think, whole proposition.
05:43
40% better fuel economy, more smoother, quieter power.
05:47
But I mean, that's a segment that...
05:51
So, Greg, what did you pick?
05:53
I struggled with this a little bit.
05:55
I thought about the Civic Hybrid because it's just so all-around good.
05:58
So I ended up going with something that was kind of, that was new, but also new to me,
06:04
which was the Dodge Charger six-pack with the Hurricane.
06:08
I went with definitely looking at this through the enthusiast bent.
06:13
Is this absolutely the best all-around car, the best car for everybody?
06:17
Well, of course not.
06:18
That's where you get into the Civic Hybrid territory, but it was a lot of fun.
06:23
I actually drove the EV and the Hurricane six, really liked them both.
06:28
I like the styling.
06:30
The interior kind, I think, is maybe a little bit of a weak spot because it's...
06:35
The best way I could put it is the patterns are almost like snake patterns.
06:40
It's very Dodge on the door inserts, but I liked it.
06:44
It was a lot of fun.
06:45
I think both the EV and the six-cylinder are very good power plants.
06:51
Even with the sort of the artificial noise, that's what it is.
06:55
I still think that sounds okay.
06:58
I think it looks pretty good.
06:59
I think it's the modern evolution of the Charger.
07:03
It's not super retro.
07:06
It looks like a muscle car.
07:09
I mean, I think it was a lot of fun to drive.
07:11
Yeah, that's kind of...
07:13
This was a tough one, but that's where I landed.
07:16
I also thought about the Honda Prelude.
07:18
That was really cool, but you got to pick one, so that's how I went.
07:24
You're really leaning into my overpowered, large American sedan love.
07:30
I actually looked and I was like, okay, I didn't drive a CT5 this year.
07:33
Blackwing or regular, so that doesn't work.
07:34
And then I looked and I was like, oh, the six pack.
07:36
If I drove that, I wonder if that would have been it, but I haven't driven it, so I couldn't pick it.
07:40
That's why I'm really looking forward to hopefully in the new year.
07:42
So since you picked it, I've got high hopes for it.
07:45
And I didn't drive the Prelude either, so I'm looking forward to that as well.
07:48
They were neck and neck, very, very good.
07:50
You know what actually tipped it over for me was trying to think the Charger with two and four doors
07:56
and electric and ice is a little more broad as a broader mission than the Prelude.
08:04
So that's kind of what I guess put it over for me.
08:07
It's a good reason.
08:10
So we'll move on to another segment that's fairly big, kind of big, you know, trucks and SUVs.
08:19
The 90% of the market these days.
08:22
This is a tough one if you count them all together because you drive such a wide range
08:27
and I ended up with two from the same manufacturer and I'll leave that tease there for now.
08:32
Why don't we have you start this time?
08:34
So this is a tough one.
08:35
Again, I guess I should probably make that disclaimer for all of our categories, although
08:38
maybe for some of them it actually wasn't.
08:40
For me, it was forerunner or Honda Passport Trail Sport and I ended up going with the Honda.
08:46
I really liked the, I liked how the Honda looked because I think it just, it looks to me as much
08:53
like off-road capable as like most of the really capable off-roaders, you know, it really looked
08:59
the part, but it also was super comfortable to drive.
09:02
I put, let's see, probably 500 miles on one at least.
09:07
We went to, we went camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is pretty far north.
09:14
It's in the wilderness and it took all the gear, camping, fishing, golf clubs, all that
09:18
good stuff and we got there and it was super comfortable.
09:22
You know, the ride up I-75, it was everything I was looking for and, you know, the interior
09:29
I think that was, you know, it's very Honda quality.
09:31
The Trail Sport Trim does some nice things.
09:35
It has one of those like kind of hood vent scoop things, which is I'm sure not functional,
09:39
but it looks like it should be.
09:42
Big tires and the brief amount of off-roading I did do up there because you got to go down
09:49
Like it's the UP, right?
09:50
Half of it isn't even paved.
09:51
So you got to go over dirt and a little bit of mud and it was certainly capable for that.
09:56
You could, you know, queue up the different drive modes.
10:00
To me, this is a vehicle I would recommend to everybody who's thinking, hey, I think
10:04
I want a Wrangler or a Bronco, but I'm mainly just going to drive around with it like in
10:09
Suburbia and not even go off and off-roading.
10:12
I would say get this.
10:13
This is like your daily driver that can do, you know, some off-road things.
10:18
So I really like that.
10:19
It's stuck with me and that's where I landed.
10:22
You know, I thought the 4Runner is right in there too.
10:24
You're seeing a theme here with me, I guess, but just to me, this is a more, a broader
10:33
Kyle and I are actually doing what we did in comparison on those two vehicles.
10:37
So it's funny you brought them up.
10:38
I was, I was literally writing it up before we came to this podcast.
10:44
And yeah, I know everything is about the Passport.
10:46
Like Robin won't get it to giving away our comparison until it's all done.
10:49
But yeah, I really like the 4Runner's old school styling with the TRD Pro.
10:54
How does the old fender flares look at used to in that sort of Coke bottle shape?
10:58
And yeah, and the pilot's so much improved to our past passport so much improved to.
11:05
Yeah, I totally understand your reasoning in both cases.
11:09
Greg makes a lot of sense.
11:11
I guess we got to go for a win.
11:13
I did go with the Honda, but close second place podium finish there for the 4Runner.
11:18
So, so yeah, I mean, it's, it's tough because it's also like, you know, I drove the Maverick Lobo.
11:26
I'm very tempted to throw that in there, but I guess that would be my third place.
11:30
Not that we're doing rankings, but I don't know what, what did you guys think?
11:33
Greg's, Greg's top 10.
11:36
Yeah, Kyle, what did you have there?
11:38
I mean, you've driven a lot of SUVs this year.
11:41
Yeah, I mean, since Greg mentioned it, the Maverick, not the Lobo, just overall the
11:48
rest of the lineup for me is possibly the winner.
11:54
I just had a Maverick XLT hybrid all wheel drive review go live as we're recording this.
12:01
And that really is the Goldilocks trim for me because I mean, you can get the 4K tow
12:05
package now on the hybrid.
12:07
So there's that out of the way.
12:09
Obviously you can get all wheel drive now.
12:11
The XLT has basically everything you need.
12:13
It does miss out on some towing assists that I think would be useful, especially because
12:17
I assume the Maverick has a pretty high conquest rate of people who have never
12:22
actually been in a truck before.
12:24
Because I mean, it's, it's so appealing, right?
12:26
It drives like a crossover.
12:28
It's not as affordable as it used to be, but it's still fairly affordable for what
12:35
I think it's overall the sort of truck that we need to maybe encourage people to
12:41
look at more because full-size trucks are ridiculous and they're tanks and they
12:45
have the visibility of tanks.
12:48
So that was, uh, that was close for me.
12:51
But overall, I think I'm giving it to the Hyundai Palisade.
12:57
But specifically, specifically here, I'm going the other direction from you,
13:01
Greg, because I think you and I have driven the XRT Pro.
13:06
And I actually, I, I only drove that on the launch event very briefly and it was
13:11
To show that it can do off-roading.
13:13
But living with it in the city, it's actually kind of like, yeah.
13:18
Meanwhile, the, uh, calligraphy is just so smooth, so swanky.
13:24
It really does challenge vehicles like Buick or Volvo or Infinity or Acura in
13:29
terms of feeling like a special premium vehicle.
13:32
And then if you can get the hybrid, which is an incredibly good deal,
13:35
especially in Canada, it's barely more money than the regular V6.
13:39
You get better fuel economy and more power, a quieter ride.
13:43
I really do think that the Palisade is continuing Hyundai's push closer
13:47
and closer to these premium brands.
13:48
If you stuck a Genesis badge on it, people actually probably wouldn't
13:53
I agree with you totally.
13:55
The Palisade was also in my top five and I have a calligraphy hybrid in
14:01
my driveway right now saying I've been, it's, yeah, I mean, we should do
14:05
some driver's notes or more podcasts or something, but it's so good.
14:10
And I think I agree with you completely with the XRT, whereas I was kind
14:14
of like, this just, it was everything.
14:16
The passport, trail sport wasn't, it didn't look the part, even though
14:20
it was relatively capable.
14:21
They did do some very light, like mechanical stuff, I think to it.
14:25
Uh, whereas with the Honda, they don't really do much to it beyond dressing
14:29
it up, whereas, you know, the calligraphy, I mean, I've had people already
14:33
ask me, like, is that a Land Rover?
14:35
What is that thing?
14:36
You know, I went to pick up a pizza and the guy's like, your Cadillac is
14:39
ready for you, sir.
14:40
I'm like, that's not a Cadillac, you know, and also you're putting it
14:45
I parked this other spot, but it gets that much attention.
14:49
So yeah, I agree with you totally.
14:52
The, um, those big Korean SUVs have been pretty successful.
14:56
I remember when the Telluride first came up, people kept saying it looked
14:58
like a Land Rover and now with the Palisade, you're getting all sorts
15:01
of different comparisons.
15:03
Um, I can't disagree with you on the Maverick Kyle.
15:07
That was, it was neck and neck for my number one as well, but for me,
15:13
I don't really like the hybrid.
15:14
I want, I like the two liter.
15:15
I think it's the right combo of what I need.
15:18
Um, and this fuel's still decent.
15:20
The Lobo is amazing.
15:21
As Greg said, uh, the Lobo's fun.
15:25
And that's like what I'd love to have, but I could just go with like an XLT
15:28
turbo all wheel drive and be happy.
15:30
XL maybe is a little too stripped out, but, uh, yeah, it's, it's just
15:35
such a good all around for what I need.
15:36
It does everything.
15:37
It does a little bit of everything I want where, um, not many vehicles do
15:41
that, but we've gone on and on about how great that is.
15:43
And I think the three of us kind of consensus say it's definitely up there.
15:47
I'm with another Ford and this is not because it's practical or necessarily
15:53
all that great, just because it was so cool and so memorable.
15:57
And that's the Bronco Heritage Edition.
16:00
Specifically in the Robin's egg blue with the white roof.
16:02
It just, I've never had a car that got so many compliments for such
16:06
a cross section of people.
16:09
Like no one had, no one is even like, Oh, that's cool.
16:11
Everyone was like, that's amazing.
16:13
That thing looks so cool.
16:14
Like people who like off-roaders, people who don't even have a car,
16:18
people that are older, people that are younger.
16:20
Like everyone just, it's just one of those things that just brings a smile.
16:23
Sort of like a vehicle right now, the ID buzz, but even it, some people
16:26
are like, Oh, that's massive or oh, it's whatever.
16:29
But, but driving the Bronco Heritage drive so much better than a Wrangler.
16:35
I would say it drives not much worse than a forerunner.
16:38
It's they've done a good job driving a solid axle in the back.
16:41
And I don't know, it makes you feel like you should be just hitting the nearest
16:46
trail to go off-roading with that big wide hood.
16:48
And I mean, you need to have the Sasquatch, which the Heritage has with
16:51
those chunky tires, the fender flares.
16:53
So just every time you get out of it, you think you're some off-road
16:57
adventure, even if you're in one of the biggest cities in North America.
17:01
Yeah, I mean, I get that one a lot.
17:04
It's a pure hard overhead decision.
17:07
But I mean, that's why we all get cars.
17:11
I drove the the two-door one when we did our comparison last year
17:15
and it was the same sort of spec.
17:16
But the two-door in my mind has even cooler proportions.
17:19
And yeah, like you have people who would never even look at an SUV,
17:22
just being like, please tell me more.
17:24
I'm very curious about this vehicle.
17:26
It's insanely cool.
17:28
People love nostalgia.
17:30
And I think Ford has done a really good job without some of the different
17:33
Bronco editions, like the Strop one or Strop, however you say it.
17:37
The that Forest Service one, that was really cool a couple of years ago.
17:42
They do a good job at really kind of tugging at the heartstrings and making
17:46
you sort of yearn for the past.
17:50
Yeah, good modern takes.
17:51
I mean, they did that with the Mustang so many years ago and that kind of,
17:55
you know, gave it new life.
17:57
So yeah, they've definitely perfected that craft.
18:01
But like we said, that category is so big you could have seven subcategories
18:06
So that's why I was like, well, this is the best in that category.
18:09
And that's the best in this.
18:10
I just went with the one that I think about every once in a while fondly
18:14
and remember how cool it was to drive.
18:16
That's a good reason.
18:17
That's literally how I made delineation among my like, you know,
18:20
one versus two and three as well.
18:22
This one stayed with me.
18:23
So, you know, yeah, yeah, the way it should be.
18:28
Well, we'll move on.
18:29
We've got three categories still to go.
18:32
Primary categories that is.
18:34
So Kyle, sorry to, I'll go first this time, sorry to do this since you already
18:38
talked about it, but this is going to be the best EV we drove this year.
18:43
So we may know Kyle's answer.
18:45
Although now you can throw SUVs.
18:46
Maybe something was better than EV for me.
18:50
For me, I have two.
18:52
And again, I'm getting stuck in this terrible theme of performance
18:56
or coolness over practicality, but it's just what sticks with me.
19:01
So Kyle, you and I both drove the Mustang Mach E rally, which is just
19:05
so ball, especially green.
19:08
I mean, it's like the sort of like the Bronco heritage.
19:11
It's just, it looks cool.
19:12
It's got those fake OZ rally wheels.
19:17
It's a decent EV and it was going to be my pick, but I think just
19:22
eclipsing it is one of its main drug competitors and that's the Chevy
19:26
Blazer EV SS that thing.
19:28
I was really impressed.
19:29
I mean, it doesn't have car play.
19:30
So that almost keeps it in our first place alone, but we'll, we'll
19:34
ignore that fact for a moment, but it was just, it did aside from
19:38
that, it did everything else I'd want and it has ridiculous power.
19:42
And because it's more on-road focused, it drove a little nicer around
19:45
the city and has tons of space for family and good range.
19:50
And yeah, it was just, I, maybe it was one of those vehicles.
19:54
I had no idea what to expect.
19:56
So it impressed me.
19:57
So that's why I remember it so fondly, but I really did like that.
20:02
That's two domestics in a row for you.
20:06
Cause I can't second place in them.
20:13
I would honestly, I wouldn't have had that on my bingo cards for you, Mike.
20:16
I would have, I'm not sure.
20:17
I guess I don't know everything you've driven, but that wasn't
20:19
what I thought you would have, would have picked.
20:22
Uh, I've driven a good chunk of EVs.
20:25
I mean, ID buzz was this year and some other things, but that was just
20:29
sort of like the Maverick, uh, the Blazer EV SS gives me a little bit
20:33
everything, sort of like the CT5 black wing.
20:36
I always go on about, I get performance, I get family functionality.
20:41
I mean, the downside, all of those are priced, but this is, you know,
20:45
I'm ignoring that right now.
20:47
There's a black wing in the fleet around here that I'm really, I waited too
20:51
long cause we have too much snow, but if they could maybe like deliver it
20:54
to my house, like right now, and I could give it back like Friday morning
20:58
when the next boat of snow is coming.
21:00
I would love to drive that car for like just 18 hours or 36 hours.
21:07
It would only be two tanks.
21:14
Well, yeah, I'm, I'm with Greg.
21:16
I did not see that one coming.
21:18
I guess I was going to pick.
21:21
It's probably an EV.
21:22
I forgot even drove.
21:23
Actually, no, I looked through everything I drove this year.
21:26
Here, I was thinking it was going to be the Fiat 500.
21:29
JoJo Armani edition specifically.
21:32
The 500 electric was memorable.
21:34
I drove that last summer.
21:36
I guess it was, I took it to like the city pool and people were
21:39
really like walking up to me.
21:41
They're like, what is that?
21:42
You tell them it's electric and it like blows their mind and they're
21:46
This is, this is crazy.
21:47
And then they're like, you could get your family in that thing.
21:49
So it really, it definitely has some, it has a certain charm
21:53
as telling your cars do.
21:56
And I really liked it when I drove it last year, but I wouldn't
21:59
have picked it this year because the Armani is just too much money
22:01
for giving you really nothing, but the name and some interesting
22:06
But I mean, a lot of the AVs, I really like like the Lyric, the
22:10
I4, more I'm forgetting.
22:13
I didn't drive it in this year.
22:14
So I had to go with what I drove.
22:18
Sorry, you're electric.
22:21
This is going to be a cliche, but I, this is probably the one of
22:24
the most expensive EVs I drove this year.
22:27
That's the 2025 EQS 450 Formatic.
22:30
So that is the Mercedes.
22:32
You get 367 miles of range.
22:35
You pay for it because it was well into the six figures, but
22:41
I thought they really delivered with this thing.
22:43
I think I know Mercedes is kind of like basically said they're
22:47
going to move away from these kind of like bubble-shaped
22:49
electrics and make them more conventional looking.
22:52
Man, I say don't do that.
22:54
I really like how this thing looks.
22:55
It looks like it's from the future.
22:57
It got a lot of attention.
22:59
I think if I were to spend this much money on an electric,
23:01
like it's a crossover really, I would want people to be like,
23:05
what is that thing over there?
23:07
So the interior is was beautiful.
23:10
It was in some ways.
23:11
I like the electric interiors a little bit more than the gas
23:15
powered versions of the hybrids, which I have another Mercedes
23:18
So I may be I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth here,
23:22
but yeah, it's a cliche to pick one that's so expensive,
23:25
but it was it was great.
23:27
I thought it was it fulfilled his mission, which I think
23:31
some electric cars with their like lesser ranges don't necessarily
23:38
And it's interesting.
23:38
I drove it back to back with the Mercedes S580.
23:44
So it's kind of like I could kind of like benchmark them like,
23:48
hey, do you like the electric?
23:49
Do you like the gas and you know, somewhat different segments
23:52
obviously, but I thought it, you know, I really liked it.
23:56
You know, hey, it's expensive, but nice things cost money.
24:00
Yeah, you get what you pay for.
24:02
Yeah, I don't know why this has happened because it's completely
24:06
coincidental, but this is my third straight year of having an EV
24:09
I have a leaf and last year had the buzz and the year before
24:11
that I had the EQE AMG SUV.
24:16
And yeah, like it was fantastic vehicle.
24:18
I mean, way out of my price range, but the crazy launch control
24:22
on those AMG versions is fine and hilarious.
24:25
And yeah, it's a well put together vehicle.
24:27
And I think the SUVs, the bubbly translates a little more conventional.
24:33
It's not as like eye catching for better or worse as this it ends,
24:38
but yeah, no, that's a solid vehicle.
24:40
I'm curious to see what Mercedes says with the next gen.
24:43
The leaf was also on my list, but the caveat was I actually
24:46
haven't driven it yet.
24:47
It's arriving Monday and I just literally at the opposite end of
24:52
the spectrum and like the range is pretty impressive.
24:55
And it's, you know, they're pitching it as a crossover this year.
24:58
I mean, that definitely got my attention.
25:01
And I think had I driven it, I may have gone more like bargain
25:05
oriented, but you know, it was this or I actually drove the
25:08
Hummer last fall too.
25:11
And I was like, well, that could this is a lot of fun.
25:13
Maybe I'll pick this one, but the Mercedes just seemed a little
25:16
more electric tech forward.
25:19
Whereas the Hummer just was like hard to keep them like the same
25:26
Same two lanes really.
25:31
So, so this is a tough one for me, probably the hardest category
25:34
because I drove a lot of BV this year.
25:37
The leaf was on my list because I mean, for the same reason
25:41
the V4 is right is that it's affordable and for that alone,
25:45
it should qualify and then it's also just good to drive.
25:49
And I like the new look.
25:51
I think the crossover thing is definitely just the marketing
25:53
team winning over the actual usage of the car.
25:59
But yeah, the leaf is good.
26:02
Cadillacs EVs are really impressive outside of the escalate IQ.
26:07
I really like the optic because I feel like it's the entry luxury
26:11
EV that a lot of brands should be making an arc and then for
26:14
26, they're actually switching it to rear wheel drive, which
26:16
sounds really interesting.
26:19
The Vistick is a really great three row.
26:22
The Lucid Gravity was probably the most all around impressive
26:27
vehicle that I drove, but it comes with a price tag to match.
26:33
And so I'm landing on one that I drove fairly recently, but
26:37
it's a game changer and it's the BMW iX3.
26:41
The tech in that thing works really well.
26:45
I know we're always as journalists, we're a little apprehensive
26:49
when companies are telling us, oh, don't worry, we put more
26:52
screens in the thing, but it works in a way that feels very
26:56
natural and the actual EV powertrain is so smooth.
27:03
They have this, I think I've talked about it on the podcast
27:06
before, but it wasn't with you, Greg.
27:09
They have this smooth stop feature in the iX3 that sounds
27:15
like it would be pretty easy to implement it at any EV, right?
27:17
But it's something that I've never experienced before.
27:22
Like if you lift off, the car will slowly roll to a stop and
27:25
there is no jerk whatsoever when it comes to a stop.
27:28
Apparently this was a huge pain to program, but how BMW tested
27:34
it was blind folding people and then accelerating and then
27:38
trying to decelerate and asking people to guess when the car
27:41
had actually come to a complete stop and know what to guess
27:43
accurately because of how smooth this.
27:44
So I find that really fascinating.
27:47
The range is excellent.
27:48
It's 400 miles or 650 kilometers.
27:52
Fast charging is even quicker than any other thing on the market.
27:55
It looks kind of good.
27:57
I've warmed to BMW's new styling language, which is good because
28:00
it's going to be on dozens of vehicles over the next few years.
28:03
I really do think this is kind of skipping a generation and going
28:08
from what we knew of luxury SUV EVs and just kind of really
28:14
jumping forward and pricing wise.
28:17
We don't have exact numbers yet, but it's going to end up.
28:20
They told us the range is just at the top of where the X3 is.
28:23
So we're getting closer to price parity too, which I think is important.
28:28
Yeah, having been to the launch, that's something I really look
28:31
forward to driving, like learning all about it.
28:33
I'm really curious how you kind of alluded to it there, how
28:36
the braking works with them saying 90% of the braking will be
28:39
done with the gearing and not with physical brakes, which is crazy,
28:43
but also kind of cool.
28:44
So yeah, that's that in the charger and I guess the prelude.
28:49
Those are the three cars that really can't wait to drive next year.
28:57
So, did we get Greg's?
29:01
Yeah, for EQS, my six-figure Mercedes with beautiful interior.
29:09
Right, I was just going down memory lane of some of the other
29:12
EVs I drove, but it wasn't new this year, but I kind of touch
29:17
off of your blazer comment.
29:19
I really like the Equinox too.
29:20
It was kind of new for last year, so I didn't include it, but I
29:24
thought that was really strong and the pricing is pretty aggressive.
29:28
And now that the tax incentives have gone away here in the US,
29:31
it's less compelling of a value, but it's still a pretty good deal
29:36
and a pretty good crossover.
29:37
So, you know, I don't have any honorable mentions list, but there's
29:42
some things that like I drove that did stay with me, even if
29:45
they weren't maybe brand new.
29:49
Well, I think we'll take a quick break here on the AutoGuide
29:52
show, but you may be motors.
29:53
We have more categories to go.
29:55
We still have performance vehicle and we have luxury vehicle and
29:59
I'm going to have some surprise, maybe awards categories to spring
30:02
on the guys after that.
30:04
We'll be back in a couple minutes.
30:11
eBay has reinvented vehicle buying from click to curb.
30:15
Everything's covered.
30:16
It's all thanks to their new secure purchase.
30:19
Ever try to buy a car and end up in a parking lot with a stranger
30:22
on some blind trust or spend half the day at a dealership talking
30:26
to pushy salespeople and signing paperwork or maybe worst of all
30:30
wait hours at the DMV just to transfer the title.
30:33
That era is over for years.
30:36
eBay has been the go to for gear heads collectors and DIYers
30:40
because whatever you're into from classics to SUVs and trucks
30:44
to imports, eBay's got it.
30:46
And now with secure purchase, eBay isn't just where you find
30:50
It's where you can buy it start to finish sellers and titles
30:54
are verified paperwork is handled by experts and payments are
30:58
traceable and digital.
30:59
So you know exactly who you're dealing with and exactly what
31:03
you're getting plus you can finance ensure and register your
31:06
vehicle all in one place.
31:08
No more hours at the dealership.
31:10
No more trips to the DMV get your vehicle plates and paperwork
31:14
shipped to your door ready to drive and it's all part of one
31:18
seamless process designed to feel as easy as buying anything
31:22
else online and eligible vehicles purchased on eBay are backed
31:26
by up to $100,000 and purchase protection thinking about selling
31:31
your ride secure purchase makes that simple too because you
31:34
know your buyer and their funds are verified.
31:37
If you still owe on your car, the financing payoff is fully
31:40
integrated so you're not chasing paperwork or waiting on
31:44
checks to clear and with secure purchase you get paid fast and
31:48
you're not going to be stuck chasing no shows or answering
31:51
the fifth still available messages.
31:55
This is what modern car buying looks like skip the DMV skip
31:58
the sketchy meetups buy it on eBay eBay things people love
32:03
secure purchase is powered by Carmel dealer services LLC
32:06
and eBay subsidiary.
32:12
Let's move on to luxury.
32:14
We've all kind of already mentioned luxury vehicles.
32:15
So will there be a repeat or is this going to be something new?
32:19
Greg will start with you since you just talked about that sweet
32:22
electric luxury car.
32:24
Alright, well, I guess staying with luxury.
32:26
I really enjoyed the Mercedes E 53 hybrid this year.
32:29
I thought that was a nice blend of being well appointed but
32:36
You know, I really like the powertrain.
32:38
It was gutsy, but you know, again, it's a hybrid.
32:41
I put a ton of miles on this thing.
32:43
I drove out to from like I live in the northern suburbs of
32:47
Detroit and I drove like to Ann Arbor, which is a good 5060
32:51
mile drive one way.
32:53
So and I did that two or three times the week I had this car.
32:57
So this wasn't just like, Hey, I got this fancy Mercedes.
33:00
I drove it Tuesday and love it.
33:02
It was like I lived with this thing for quite a while and I had
33:08
I was trying to actually go through my like iPhone notes app
33:12
when I was writing my storage to make it somewhat coherent
33:15
because I was really just like, you know, brain, you know,
33:19
vomiting all over the place as far as just so many impressions
33:23
And but yeah, I liked it.
33:25
I think this is sometimes when you look at luxury, it's easy
33:29
to pick like I just did the super expensive like electric
33:32
or something or pick something niche, but I think this is
33:36
really like all the performance car you need.
33:40
It's, you know, I love that it's, you know, traditional
33:42
e-segment sedan, which I've always had a fondness for
33:46
whether it's like the Mercedes E-Class or the BMW 5 series.
33:50
And this just really struck a chord with me.
33:52
Even the little things like the sound system was amazing.
33:55
I went to pick up some Chinese food and there was just this
34:00
long line out the door and I was like, okay, so I just sat
34:03
there and like turned up some Bruce Springsteen and just sat
34:06
there with a massage going and you know, it was very luxurious,
34:11
but also it's, you know, it's like passes for an AMG these days.
34:14
So it's pretty potent as well and it sounded good.
34:18
The steering was very dialed in.
34:20
It had that kind of AMG like steering wheel where it's a little
34:23
bit flat on the bottom.
34:25
Again, this was the opposite of the EQS interior, which was
34:30
This is like almost nautical in themes with like the vents,
34:34
the big vertical vents, the like the striping, the wood pretty
34:40
big backseat too, you know, took the whole family around, got
34:43
a car seat back there.
34:45
So I mean, to me, this is everything like as an enthusiast
34:47
I would want is somebody who likes to embrace new technology
34:51
with some form of electrification.
34:53
It's a hybrid and also is a family guy.
34:56
Hey, you know, I could put everybody in it.
34:58
So I really like that.
34:59
So I mean, 10 out of 10.
35:01
This was this was actually not a hard choice for me.
35:07
Well, since you were on Mercedes, I think I'll continue the theme
35:10
then and go with my pick, which is also in Mercedes, but and
35:14
This is a surprise price.
35:16
But it was actually last winter I had it and it is the A45 AMG.
35:23
It just is everything that speaks to me being I love those
35:27
four door like high performance, especially little like almost
35:32
And this is like a street version of that.
35:34
I mean, over 400 horsepower and a vehicle that size, like I said
35:38
that in the winter.
35:39
So there was snow everywhere.
35:40
And even though it's front wheel drive bias in the AMG plus sport
35:45
plus whatever modes, it'll set a lot of power to the rear still
35:48
and you can slide around and it's just it's nimble.
35:51
The steering is good.
35:52
You can feel how light it is.
35:53
It's the most affordable AMG.
35:56
It's small inside, but it's big enough for my family.
36:00
I just as well as I didn't want to give back and I really enjoy
36:03
and actually start pricing out thinking, hmm, how could I make this
36:05
work if I wanted to get one?
36:09
And even though it's a four cylinder, it still sounds really cool
36:12
when you get the valve exhaust open is and then the interior
36:15
still in Mercedes and the exterior maybe isn't the nicest.
36:19
But with the AMG and the quad tips is a little spoiler.
36:22
I think it helps take away some of that awkward rear slope
36:25
since they call it a coupe, even though it's a four door.
36:29
Yeah, it was very, very functional.
36:33
Yeah, that is a very niche pick and I love it.
36:37
Like going into a class in there.
36:38
That's like, let's see how much luxury we can get like the one of
36:42
the smallest segments.
36:43
So I like that Bravo.
36:45
Yeah, I would I would argue Mike like I remember how much you
36:49
enjoyed that because we got together to film very briefly
36:51
and I drove it for a little bit.
36:53
I would argue that that's actually probably the best CLA ever
36:57
in terms of looks because the first generation had kind of a
37:00
big nose that I wasn't a big fan of.
37:02
And now this current generation is still taking some getting
37:05
used to but but this one fantastic.
37:10
Yeah, this is sort of the extra lower bumper part of the front.
37:13
Like I said, what the treatment in the back, it makes it look
37:16
like a more of a baby CLS even though it doesn't exist anymore.
37:20
But that's sort of the vibe you get.
37:21
And yeah, I mean, I don't mind the CLA.
37:23
I've driven the 250 and even it was still nice and I've driven
37:25
the 35, which is probably the real sweet spot for price to
37:29
But this is just so over the top like Mercedes is going to
37:32
have credit of two liter four cylinders making over 400 horsepower.
37:36
Like no one's doing that in just a regular car.
37:39
If this was in a Subaru Mitsubishi people would be losing
37:42
their minds over this rally car that makes 400 plus horsepower
37:46
But yeah, it's it was a lot of fun.
37:53
Well, keep the street going or you switching off Mercedes.
37:56
I think like three straight Mercedes at this point.
37:59
So I almost did pick a Mercedes not even not even kidding.
38:04
So I drove the CLE 450 convertible this fall and I love that car
38:15
because it is a proper four door convertible, which I think is
38:19
rarely enough for our four seat convertible, which I think is
38:22
I think a lot of convertibles that can have a backseat are
38:25
usually too tight and this was fine for adults.
38:29
So it's not the AMG.
38:30
So it is the right level of sporeiness in my mind for an open
38:35
The inline six as Greg will attest because a version of it is
38:39
in the 53 is so insanely smooth when you want it to be.
38:42
It's it's one of the best engines out there.
38:46
Overall though, it was just a little too benign, which is why
38:50
I couldn't pick it.
38:54
Similarly, I was really close to picking the LC 500 because I
39:00
I find any excuse to drive that thing any year because that is
39:04
one of the best production V8s and it is a pretty car and it's
39:08
kind of a great value in a weird sense for a six-figure car.
39:11
But the problem that I had with it was it was a coupe and the
39:14
convertible is the better LC and I will fight anyone who says
39:22
So in the end, let me just I'm talking about my also rants and
39:28
I have briefly had a brain fart here about what my actual
39:35
Hold on one second.
39:36
It was right there.
39:40
Please talk amongst yourself.
39:44
Let me let me vamp for you here.
39:45
One thing I noticed is I have picked two cars with straight
39:48
six cylinder engines, which is that a sign of the times for
39:51
this year or what the hurricane six, which I really like.
39:54
You guys probably driven it in different things, but also the
39:58
inline six and the Mercedes AMG E 53.
40:02
It's just a rocket ship.
40:03
So I it's my favorite engine of the year.
40:06
If I were to give an award is the straight six.
40:08
Yeah, I think that's only picked turbos except for the EV.
40:13
Well, there's not a lot of non turbos left outside of this
40:15
is true cars and sports cars and I agree with you on the LC.
40:20
The convertible is the better one.
40:22
Yeah, it's that's the tough thing, right?
40:24
Like I just I don't understand with that V8 sounding so good.
40:28
Why do you want to have a coupe?
40:30
So my my pick is actually something that I mentioned
40:35
That's why I forgot it's the Cadillac Optic.
40:39
Oh, yeah, that's my luxury because a year is that thing
40:44
I know it's barely smaller than a Lyric.
40:46
So the idea that it's this small EV is kind of pushing it,
40:50
but I took that for a road trip with my wife and my sister
40:55
and my dog and it was such a satisfying vehicle to be in.
41:02
The interior is I said this in the review.
41:05
It really competes with Genesis for the sense of occasion
41:10
and I understand that, you know, there might be people who are
41:13
listening who aren't really familiar with modern Genesis
41:15
interiors, but they're amongst the most adventurous and most
41:18
colorful and that's how I feel with the optic to it's it had
41:22
the blue leather in or faux leather interior, but unless
41:26
you tell people it's fake, no one's going to know.
41:28
It's it's very convincing.
41:29
There's great quilting.
41:31
There's great attention to detail and I love the center console
41:34
with what looks like wood trim.
41:36
And then you look closely and see that it's the compacted
41:38
newspaper and you can see some of the type in the grain.
41:45
It's it's such a great car and even with the lack of carplay
41:49
and Android Auto Cadillac wins it for me.
41:53
I tell you what, I drove the optic, the listic, vistic and
41:57
the Lyric and the only thing why I didn't frankly give them
42:01
more points was because it's a they all kind of blended
42:05
I drove them like back to back to back in a group test and
42:08
trying to use the like the criteria of hey, what stayed
42:11
Maybe if I had like a longer week long loan with one of them
42:15
that may have stayed with me a bit, but I hear you.
42:19
I thought the interiors of all of them were outstanding and
42:21
I mean, call me crazy.
42:23
I think the exterior design is really cool too now.
42:25
Yeah, I think they've really gotten to a point where they're
42:28
they've made Cadillac something different than special again.
42:31
It's not this old man car.
42:33
It's not retro or worse yet unintentionally retro.
42:37
It's like legitimately a cool, you know, cool brand right
42:41
Yeah, I think about, you know, I I don't come to Detroit as
42:44
often as I once did a few years ago, but whenever we we go
42:48
to Detroit, we tend to stay in and one of those like fairly
42:52
new redone hotels and I really like this.
42:55
Like it's not raw Americanism, but it's like a very confident
43:01
stylish version of like American interior design.
43:04
And I really think that's what Cadillac has captured with
43:06
the latest cars in a way that yeah, it's like nothing else
43:10
I really like the book Cadillac Hotel by chance because
43:15
They it's actually a hundred year old structure.
43:17
They gutted and rebuilt like as you would say right there.
43:20
It's interesting you say that to touch on exactly what you
43:23
said, I interviewed Mark Royce once and somebody asked him
43:27
saying, Hey, what should Cadillac and Chevy and GMB and he was
43:32
like, it shouldn't be retro.
43:33
This like syrupy 1950s Americana.
43:36
He's like, it should be the best because it is the best not
43:39
because it used to be.
43:41
And so it's like literally it's you paraphrased Mark Royce
43:44
from the New York auto show from about eight years ago.
43:47
But yeah, I think you exactly what they're going for is what
43:51
is starting to come through in the products.
43:55
So as we move on to our last category, it seems Kyle likes
43:59
Greg likes big sedans and I like turbos and all wheel drive seems
44:03
to be a themes we got going here.
44:05
So our final one is best performance car.
44:11
how you kind of stole my thoughts earlier because for me,
44:15
I'm just going to go with the craziest thing I drove this year
44:18
and that's the I did drive the Lamborghini Rivalto, which
44:21
was the craziest, but also drove the Tamarario and that's
44:24
my tick because it makes only a hundred horsepower less and it
44:28
costs like half as much and his performance numbers are like
44:30
a fraction off of the point out the V12 easily sounds better.
44:35
It sounds amazing, but that V8 at 9 to 10,000 RPM sounds pretty
44:41
And then when you hit the fuel cutoff or you do the shift
44:44
point, the turbo explodes is like it releases all of the
44:49
It's yeah, it's and it's way more frantic, whereas you said
44:54
how the big Lambo is so livable and easy to drive like this
45:00
is too, but it wants to be driven hard.
45:03
Like it does not like being driven below 4 to 6,000 RPM.
45:05
It's the engine sounds like a tractor and it's just kind of
45:08
like, what are you doing?
45:09
Like drive me hard.
45:10
So yeah, yeah, that was that's it because I'm just going
45:13
with the ridiculous.
45:15
I mean, I I don't blame you.
45:18
That is the car that probably topped list of the vehicles
45:20
that I would very much like to try next year because yeah,
45:23
the Temerario, the stats are nuts.
45:25
Like why are we getting a brand new car in 2026 that can
45:29
I'm not complaining.
45:30
I'm just like, how, how are we doing this?
45:36
So Greg, what is your sporty vehicle?
45:39
This was tough, but I was in McLaren Artura.
45:42
I just drove it a few weeks ago, actually.
45:46
And it was the spider.
45:48
So that meant I got to put the top down when it was already
45:52
just about the snow.
45:54
I'll have a review on that going up.
45:56
Probably by the time this goes up, the review will be up.
45:59
So I'm trying to clear out my fall reviews here.
46:03
I mean, like, what are you going to say?
46:05
I mean, best performance.
46:06
You pick a McLaren like, sure.
46:08
I was also lucky to drive a 750 s earlier this year, which
46:13
is like the Artura is more or less the entry level sort of
46:17
McLaren, so to speak.
46:18
And the 750 s is more powerful.
46:21
It's I think it's a little bit bigger, but I kind of like the
46:23
value you got for the Artura.
46:25
Like the way I put it is you don't absolutely have to win
46:29
the lottery or be like, you know, bequeath generational wealth
46:35
Like you can play your cards, right?
46:37
Maybe hit on a few stocks, get promoted.
46:40
It you this car is in the realm of possibility for a normal
46:44
Whereas the 750 s like, you know, unless your last name is,
46:49
you know, Rockefeller or something, it's a little art
46:52
of reach, I suppose.
46:54
But it means just brilliant car to drive it.
46:56
It completes the fact that all of my picks here have six
46:59
So that's kind of interesting.
47:02
Beautiful to I think McLaren styling his evolved in the
47:06
last probably dozen years.
47:08
Like at first they didn't even really know what they were
47:10
doing when they kind of relaunched the road car business.
47:13
Then it got really like almost like sea monster like and kind
47:17
of like the mid 20 teens and these last few McLaren's I've
47:21
driven have just been beautiful.
47:22
You know, they sound good.
47:24
They have like just real like, you know, they're gutsy cars
47:29
to drive, but they're also accessible too.
47:31
You know, the visibility is very good.
47:33
You can see out of them.
47:34
So you're not like crazy intimidated.
47:37
Like what if I break this car and have to remortgage my house
47:41
So to me, they have a confidence that I don't necessarily
47:43
get with Lambos and Ferraris, which that's a funny sentence.
47:47
But I just think McLaren's are laid out a little better and
47:51
like the sort of the angle of the eight pillars.
47:54
It's just a better kind of better user experience to use
47:58
So that's my pick McLaren or tour.
48:02
I mean, of course, it's awesome.
48:05
So it's been a long time to the drove McLaren now you're
48:08
making me want to get behind the wheel of one again.
48:10
So that's the last one I drove was a 650 s.
48:13
That's how long ago we're going back.
48:14
And I quite liked that that car.
48:20
We're going super curious here.
48:21
Kyle, what about you?
48:22
Oh man, I hope Lamborghini is not listening.
48:26
Look, I I love the Repo Alto and like I said, I kicked off
48:29
this whole episode with that.
48:33
But there were two cars that just slightly clipped it for
48:36
me this year in terms of sports cars.
48:41
One of them was the vehicle that I was in immediately after
48:44
it, which is really funny.
48:47
It just you know what every year the Miata is now a decade
48:50
old and its current generation and it kind of feels like
48:53
it in some ways, right?
48:54
Like the interior is cramped.
48:55
There's not a lot of storage space for anything.
48:58
The infotainment system is Mazda's infotainment system.
49:01
But there's something so satisfying about getting into
49:04
a Miata and just knowing you can go pretty much anywhere
49:06
because it has decent ground clearance.
49:09
It's a little soft.
49:10
So it leans a little into corners, but that just telegraphs
49:13
what it's doing and where its limits are.
49:16
It's the ultimate palette cleanser of a modern vehicle.
49:18
No matter what you get into and then you drive a Miata, it
49:21
just resets everything.
49:23
Driving it at the tail end of summer is also the perfect time
49:26
for it and mine was the 35th anniversary special.
49:31
So it was that wine red with the tan leather and the tan roof
49:35
and the actual silver finish wheels, not the black ones.
49:41
So it looked fantastic.
49:42
I really like that car and I feel like you know, Miata sales
49:46
haven't been great lately.
49:47
So I'm just trying to remind people look, we're really lucky
49:50
that that thing exists.
49:53
But my winner is actually a Porsche.
49:57
Surprise, surprise.
50:02
Good choice because you know what?
50:05
Like now I don't want to lean into Porsche's marketing of being
50:09
like, oh, it's the manual car and it's the only manual 911
50:12
you can get outside of a GT3.
50:14
But that's actually kind of the appeal is it's a GT3 for the
50:17
people who don't want to be on a wait list for years or have
50:20
bought multiple Porsches and are now waiting for their GT3.
50:22
It is a regular production model.
50:24
It is the base engine, which is what 388 horsepower, plenty
50:30
quick, that six feet is excellent and it flies under the radar
50:34
because it looks basically like a regular 911 unless people
50:37
clock the decals that you may or may not expect.
50:41
It's so sweet and its limits are still incredibly high because
50:45
it's a 911, but there are limits that you can actually sort
50:47
of approach on the road where you can't do that with a lot of
50:51
Like I drove the GTS, the T hybrid.
50:54
It is insane how quick a non-turbo 911 is.
51:00
But yeah, for me, it's the T.
51:01
The T was the one that we've, I think we've all said it on this
51:05
The car that you don't want to hand back, that was the one
51:08
where I was like, you know, I really want to keep holding onto
51:13
Yeah, those cars like that, that engagement that Porsche offers
51:16
you is just, it's tough to replicate.
51:20
Yeah, I got to get behind the wheel of 911.
51:22
It's been a little while too.
51:23
I've always enjoyed them when I was, when I've tried them
51:27
So I can't disagree with that pick.
51:30
I was actually surprised.
51:32
We've got a pretty wide cross section of vehicles, even though
51:34
we all maybe stuck to themes at times.
51:36
So before we wrap up the Auto Guy show, the special edition
51:40
for the holiday season brought to you by eBay Motors.
51:43
Three quick fire, not categories, but questions and just
51:47
okay, whatever you think quickly.
51:49
I'll say first each time because I already know them.
51:52
So I'll report myself a whiskey here.
51:55
So all right, let's start with, I would say we can all agree
51:59
last year, most improved or comeback player of the year car
52:03
was probably the Prius, what it went from to what it became.
52:09
So what would you consider this year's car to be?
52:12
I would say having driven, I'd say having driven it for me,
52:16
it was the Subaru Soltera and I didn't drive it, but I'm
52:19
assuming the Toyota BZ because those went from kind of
52:22
forgettable, uncompetitive EVs to right at the heart of the
52:24
segment in just one model year, like such a great change.
52:29
Is that yours, Kyle?
52:30
I was going to say the BZ because I was planning on you
52:33
saying the GMC that you drove recently.
52:36
I didn't, that wasn't this year necessarily, but yeah, I know
52:39
I like I went to the first drive of the Soltera in Canada.
52:42
There's a big delay and it was last year.
52:44
So within less than a year, then I went to the refresh and
52:47
it was like a whole different car.
52:47
I didn't get mine the first one, but I got that if it's your
52:51
money, less power, less range, why are you going for it?
52:54
Now it has they both have more distinct styling.
52:57
I kind of like the Subaru styling is different for them.
52:59
And then the range and the power is right there in the segment
53:01
and it has the most ground clearance.
53:04
So it actually does have more capability than pretty much
53:06
all its competitors.
53:09
I guess I'll go with a literal comeback player, which is the
53:12
V8, Hemi and the Ram.
53:13
I think there was, I don't totally buy into the fact that
53:17
they absolutely needed it, but I mean, if you look at what
53:20
Ford and Chevy are doing, though, this was an opportunity
53:23
for them to kind of reinforce the Ram and I drove it.
53:27
It's obviously it's a Hemi V8 and the Ram and it does give
53:30
a different character to the truck.
53:32
You know, I personally think I like the hurricane six a little
53:35
better, just totally sticking with that crazy theme.
53:37
I seem to have developed, but I mean, it is there for like
53:42
if you want to V8, there is no replacement for displacement.
53:45
So I think I got to go with that because it does change the
53:47
character of the truck.
53:52
So, um, well, Kyle and I were on board with the same vehicle.
53:56
Different corporate siblings, but the same idea, but that's
53:58
because I drove the Solterra and you drove the VZ.
54:00
So yeah, Greg, you should have gone with the RZ.
54:02
Alexis, you know, I thought about it.
54:04
I actually did completely triple.
54:07
Alright, so next most under the radar vehicle you drove this
54:11
year, something that people forget exists or don't give
54:15
enough credit to I'll do two.
54:18
You just mentioned it, the terrain Denali.
54:20
I was very impressed with that, that specific trim.
54:24
Some of the stuff you get in it, you don't get in the regular
54:26
train and I, and that was a difference maker.
54:27
So I think you need to stick with Denali.
54:30
And the other one is something your Miata sort of wrapped it
54:33
It's just the regular Mazda 3 sedan.
54:36
We, I had a manual hatchback earlier in the year and then
54:40
we had the sedan in our comparison and it's smaller.
54:42
And yeah, the hatch looks nicer, but the sedan surprisingly
54:45
spacious and it's easily still probably the most fun to drive,
54:48
especially with the turbo all wheel drive version.
54:52
Although you get to get a hatch for that, but even the 2.5
54:55
is still a great little car and I, for how old it's been on
54:59
the market, it's still one of the better ones.
55:01
Like they did such a good job with it.
55:04
I will go with the sort of I'll split, I'll split this a little
55:08
bit here at the Lincoln Aviator.
55:09
I drove a black label one thought it was awesome.
55:12
I don't think the Aviator gets near the amount of attention.
55:15
It should either in the luxury segment or even by Lincoln.
55:18
I think they should play it up more.
55:19
It's to me, it's a pitch perfect design inside and out and
55:23
I actually drove the Buick Enclave Sport to the again,
55:27
another UP trip for me and I think people totally forget
55:31
about the Enclave, you know, 10, 15 years ago, it was so like
55:35
the design was much different than what was going on in
55:38
the industry at the time and the Enclave stood out.
55:41
Then they didn't even really change it for a good five,
55:43
six, seven years because it was so much different in sales
55:46
were even going up, you know, the older it got.
55:50
So now I think it's a little bit of sort of the forgotten
55:52
sibling in the Buick lineup and maybe even the GM portfolio,
55:58
It was a solid vehicle.
56:00
You know, very, very good vehicle.
56:02
Kind of a sleeper pick right now.
56:05
Yeah, I'm trying to think.
56:06
I guess we, Kyle, we drove before the last refresh of the Enclave
56:11
I'm trying to think.
56:12
Yeah, we drove the, we drove the facelift against the Toyota
56:15
Highlander, but yeah, we have driven the current version,
56:20
but that one even still, I was saying a lot of stuff here
56:23
saying Greg is like, it doesn't, I think get enough recognition
56:26
because there's a lot of people in the industry who want only
56:28
performance and this and that and that car is so numb and
56:32
isolating, but that's what you want in that vehicle.
56:34
Like it just goes down the highway for hours and you don't
56:40
It's quiet, the suspension just smooths everything out.
56:43
It's like, it's more like you're just experiencing the drive
56:46
as opposed to having to worry about it.
56:49
And supercruise now, like, yeah, win-win.
56:51
Supercruise was great.
56:52
It really does reduce driver fatigue when you're doing a long
56:56
And what's nice about Buick is a lot of the things that you
56:59
could only get in a Cadillac a few years ago, Buick basically
57:02
has most of them right now.
57:06
Hey, Kyle, what's your under the radar?
57:13
The LC is the ultimate journalist car, right?
57:16
Can we all agree on that where it's like the average person
57:18
has no idea what it is, but every journalist you ask them,
57:21
they're like, the best car, it's a modern classic.
57:24
But no, mine's a bit of a cop out, but stay with me here.
57:31
I know it's one of the best-selling, if not the best-selling
57:35
cars in the U.S., but I'm saying it because I don't think
57:39
people give it the credit it deserves, where it really is,
57:42
especially this new model.
57:44
It's basically a Prius with actual space in the back for
57:47
It's incredibly easy and comfortable to drive.
57:50
It's kind of a good deal now because everyone goes to
57:52
crossover, so a RAV4 feels overpriced for what you're
57:55
getting, whereas a Camry, you get a lot of stuff for not a
58:00
The XLE has really nice trim on its interior.
58:04
You get incredible fuel mileage because of course you do.
58:07
I just think the Camry deserves a lot more credit, and I
58:10
think a lot of people who don't actually need a crossover
58:12
would be much better suited in it because it's a quieter,
58:15
more relaxed drive.
58:18
And I think it's as much as competitors will hate to hear
58:22
I think it's the only midsize sedan that had a full blown
58:26
effort in its most recent redesign.
58:29
Everyone else is just kind of sort of riding out that are
58:32
we going to keep this model name alive?
58:34
It feels like whereas Toyota is still going all in on the
58:37
Camry in the shows.
58:37
Yeah, that's a good pick.
58:39
I gave it my, a lot of votes for Nectoy car of the year
58:43
It didn't win and I was actually surprised given exactly
58:46
what you just said, Mike, because I thought, Hey, this is
58:48
a really fully baked like all in effort in the segment.
58:53
And frankly, some of its competitors were not as thoroughly
58:57
So and I know you guys had that for other like awards too.
59:01
That's a great car.
59:03
I think we could also agree, although it's not unknown.
59:07
The Maverick is still underrated.
59:09
More people need to learn about that vehicle.
59:11
Yeah, it should be up there selling well.
59:12
But okay, final thing and then we'll let everyone get on
59:15
with their holidays.
59:17
The most ridiculous thing you drove this year and you can
59:19
interpret that however you want.
59:21
I could easily say the two Lamborghinis, but I am actually
59:24
going with I picked two and it turns out they have the same
59:28
So I drove a Range Rover Sport addition to with over 600
59:35
horsepower and high price tag in every luxury possible, which
59:39
And then last week I drove the Land Rover Defender Octa with
59:42
an even more powerful, powerful version of that engine.
59:45
And they're both just the ridiculous in the weight and
59:50
the numbers you think, Oh, they're fast, but they're not
59:53
But oh man, did they launch violently and the price tags
59:57
and exclusivity is just it's ridiculous in like the best way.
00:05
Well, I mean, I guess I'll go with McLaren 750s.
00:08
I mean, I guess I'm thinking ridiculous.
00:09
What is more power and what is more expensive that reaches
00:13
I briefly considered the Lucid gravity just because it's
00:17
very expensive and I kind of struggled to figure out how
00:20
that's going to fit in the segment, whereas like the air
00:24
to me like sort of fits better for what they're going for.
00:28
You know, I don't I may be driving the Ram 2500 in a few
00:32
So if that happens that I couldn't change my vote.
00:35
But I guess for now we'll go with that.
00:37
You know, ridiculous in a good way in the way that it's
00:39
supposed to be ridiculous, you know.
00:42
Yeah, I didn't mean to pick two McLarens, but hey, free to
00:44
do the lightning around here.
00:50
I mean, yes, like Mike said, I could pick the Lamborghini.
00:53
It feels like a like an easy answer though.
00:56
I can also say the VinFest VF9 because in a different way
01:02
probably yeah, yeah, in a very different way, but I won't
01:05
because that seems a little mean.
01:06
So where I'm going to go is the cheese.
01:09
What's the full name of it?
01:10
The Mercedes Benz G580 with EQ technology.
01:15
The electric Glendavagon.
01:17
Yeah, it was my first G-Wagon experience and my review
01:23
should be out when people are hearing this.
01:26
It's the strange thing about that car or that SUV is, I mean,
01:31
it is a whole bunch of contradictions.
01:34
It's probably it's probably the best G-Wagon and I think
01:39
that doesn't matter at all.
01:42
No, I think that's the best pick out of all three of us
01:45
because we have a military rooted vehicle that's become a symbol
01:50
for luxury that's now also electric, but it doesn't do any
01:55
of them fantastic, but it's a weird mix.
01:58
And yeah, it's that's a pretty good one.
02:01
It's funny because I was thinking next year an easy front
02:04
runner and I haven't even driven it yet.
02:05
It's going to be that Cayenne because oh geez.
02:08
Yeah, yeah, a Cayenne EV with over a thousand horsepower.
02:10
It just sounds insane with the extending tail fins.
02:14
Yeah, yeah, that's nuts.
02:18
Nobody got his this year or anything.
02:20
No crazy Bentley's, but that's next year.
02:29
I'll drive the 2026 F one car and I'll put that down.
02:34
Well, that wraps up the show.
02:35
We've gone through a lot of our hits, mostly a couple of
02:40
misses from the last year.
02:41
We'll be back in the new year with new shows and new guests
02:44
and a whole lot more cars to review.
02:47
But until then, we'll see you later and have a good holiday.
02:50
So hello, everybody.
02:53
eBay has reinvented car buying from click to curb.
02:56
Everything is covered.
02:58
Ever try to buy your car online and end up in a parking lot
03:01
with a stranger on blind trust that era is over now with secure
03:06
purchase eBay isn't just where you find your car.
03:09
It's where you buy it.
03:10
Start to finish title financing registration delivery.
03:16
This is the modern way to buy your next ride on eBay.
03:21
eBay things people love secure purchase is powered by Carmel
03:25
dealer services LLC and eBay subsidiary.