We Pick the Best Cars We Drove this Year - An AutoGuide Show Holiday Special
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Term
buyer protection
Buyer protection means if something goes wrong with the car you bought, the company can help fix it or give you money back up to a certain amount.
Car
Lamborghini Revuelto
The Revuelto is a fancy sports car from Lamborghini that uses both gasoline and electric power to go fast but also be more eco‑friendly.
Term
plug-in hybrid
A plug‑in hybrid car can run on gasoline, electricity, or both. You can charge it from a wall outlet to drive short distances without gas.
Term
V12
A V12 engine has twelve cylinders that make the car very powerful and smooth. It’s common in big, fast cars like Lamborghinis.
Car
Toyota Camry
Car
Lucid Air
Car
Kia EV4
The Kia EV4 is a small electric car that looks like an SUV. It’s cheaper than many other electric cars and has good features for everyday use.
Car
Kia EV6
The Kia EV6 is a bigger electric car that can charge quickly and has plenty of room inside.
Brand
Revoto
Revoto makes small, fast cars that are fun to drive. They focus on making the car feel very responsive and close to the road.
Company
eBay
eBay is a website where people can buy and sell cars online, and it now helps with all the steps needed to finish a purchase.
Brand
Mini
Mini makes small cars that are fun to drive and look cool, often with a distinctive design.
Car
Honda Civic
The Civic Hybrid is a version of the Honda Civic that runs on both gasoline and electricity, which helps it use less fuel.
Car
Hyundai Elantra
Term
all-wheel drive
AWD means the car can send power to both the front and back wheels at the same time, which helps it grip the road better in rain or snow.
Term
hybrid system
A hybrid car uses both a regular gasoline engine and an electric motor to help it use less fuel and produce fewer emissions.
Car
Dodge Charger
Car
Honda Prelude
The Honda Prelude is a small, sporty car made by Honda that many people liked for its fun driving and cool looks.
Car
Honda Passport
Car
Ford Bronco
Car
Jeep Wrangler
Car
Toyota 4Runner
Car
Ford Maverick
Car
Ford Lobo
Car
Hyundai Palisade
Car
Hyundai Genesis
Car
Ford Mustang
Car
Cadillac CT5
Car
Fiat 500
Car
Nissan Leaf
Term
launch control
Launch control helps a car get off the line as fast as possible by automatically managing the throttle and brakes.
Term
crossover
A crossover is like a car that has some SUV qualities, such as more room inside and higher ground clearance. It’s usually easier to drive than a full SUV but still gives you extra space.
Car
Hummer
The Hummer is a big, tough truck that can go off the road. It’s made by GMC and was popular in the 2000s.
Car
Lucid Gravity
Car
Bmw Ix3
Car
Bmw 5
Part
inline six
An inline six is a type of engine that has six cylinders lined up in one row. It’s smooth and powerful, which makes the car feel very steady.
Car
Lexus LC 500
Term
CarPlay
CarPlay lets you use your iPhone inside the car so you can see maps, listen to music, and get messages on the dashboard screen.
Term
Android Auto
Android Auto lets you use your Android phone inside the car to see maps, listen to music, and get messages on the dashboard screen.
Car
Mclaren Artura
Brand
Lamborghini
Lamborghini makes fancy, fast cars that are famous for their sharp looks and powerful engines.
Car
Mazda Miata
Car
Porsche 911
Car
Porsche 911 GT3
Car
Toyota Prius
Car
Dodge Ram
Car
Subaru Solterra
Car
Ford F-150 Denali
Denali is the fancy version of a Ford F‑150 truck, with better seats, more tech, and a stronger engine than the regular models.
Car
Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 is a small car with a front‑door design that’s good for everyday driving and has a nice interior.
Car
Lincoln Aviator
Car
Buick Enclave
Concept
facelift
It’s when a car gets a new look or some changes in the middle of its production run, like new headlights or bumpers.
Car
Toyota Rav4
Car
Porsche Cayenne
LIVE
Hello and welcome to the holiday special podcast on AutoGuide.
Today, Kyle, Greg, and I are going to talk about our highlights from the past year and
maybe a little later too, but first we'll have a word from our sponsor.
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All right, so we are going to kick things off talking about, I guess, the most memorable
or the best or maybe both cars or trucks or bands or whatever that we drove this year.
We've kind of narrowed it down to five categories.
So let's start with the most traditional vehicle, the car.
Let's, Kyle, what was your best car you drove this year?
Oh, man.
So, really, I should have prepared for this better.
The problem is, is that I kind of have two different answers, very, very different answers.
In terms of just, like, you know, full-on, incredible accomplishment, raises the bar
even though it was already stratus furically high.
I'm going to go with the Lamborghini Revuel, though.
It feels like a cop-out, but I mean, you know, the wild thing to me is that, yeah,
it's a plug-in hybrid version of a V12 Lambo supercar, and yet it still has all the theater
and drama, and it's a thousand and one horsepower, and yet it is so easy to drive, but not in
the sense that it feels like it's doing it for you.
It was incredible.
And so, that would be my answer, but that feels unfair and kind of useless to the vast
majority of anyone who's listening.
And so, I'm going to go with the most recent car I drove, actually, the Kia EV4.
The recency bias, maybe?
Right.
I thought about that, but I was sitting there going through and like, look, as Mike kind
of hinted, there's not a whole lot of cars this year, and I drove a lot of good ones,
like I will say.
The Camry is great.
The Camry is all the car most people need.
The Lucid Air remains one of my favorite luxury sedans because it is just so smooth
and so capable and feels like a sensitive occasion, but I think the EV4 is so impressive
because it's an affordable EV from a mainstream brand, and I know I bring this up as kind
of a sore spot because, Greg, it's not coming to the US, at least for the time being.
Yeah, I'm rather excited about the EV4.
I really like the EV6.
I like how the EV4 looks.
Maybe next time I'm up to a vertical scope tower there in Toronto, I can somehow get
behind the wheel one if they're on sale at that point.
Yeah.
Yeah, we don't have much to add because Kyle obviously was the only one who's driven it.
I have driven the Revoto, and yeah, it's pretty fantastic, I will say, but I'll save my thoughts
on sports cars for that category.
Yeah.
Oh, well, yeah, I guess I should have left that over there.
Sorry.
My bad.
But you're right.
I was looking back at all the cars I drove, and I drove the 540 and something else, and
then there was our compact car comparison back in the spring or late winter.
It's like, that was it.
That wasn't a performance car.
There's so few just cars, which takes me to Mike.
Oh, I was just going to say, you did drive every single Mini this year.
Yes, that's true.
That's a thought.
That's a thing to reflect upon.
I was thinking more of them.
Well, I drove like two countrymen, so they're SUVs, and I was thinking more of performance.
We were at the four doors of a car, but I just popped out and went back to our comparison
test and the Civic.
The Civic Hybrid is just so good.
Yeah.
And if one of you guys were going to take it, I would have then said the Elantra Hybrid,
which in our comparison was just barely second, where it's not as good as the Civic in many
ways, but it's also a little more affordable.
So that's just sort of, I think, where the sweet spot is, and anyone in that space that's
not looking at a Hybrid to compete directly or trying to do something different, like
say, Subaru with all-wheel drive or Mazda trying to be sporty, like you can't compete
right now.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I agree.
I think the Civic is one of the hardest cars to write about because we've said everything,
right?
Like it's so good at everything.
It is one of those cars that just dominates its segment.
And like you said, I mean, Subaru can do all-wheel drive and that's great, but now that Subaru
has a hybrid system, they should probably stick it in everything.
I'm sure there's limits to that.
And the Impreza probably isn't really high on the list, but yeah, like the Civic is unfairly
good.
Yeah.
I mean, yeah, the Hybrid needs to go in the outback, but I never really thought of the
Impreza, but the Crosstrek is the Impreza.
So it really shouldn't be hard to do.
Yeah.
Now that I think of it, that would actually really change that car's, I think, whole proposition.
40% better fuel economy, more smoother, quieter power.
But I mean, that's a segment that...
Yeah.
So, Greg, what did you pick?
I struggled with this a little bit.
I thought about the Civic Hybrid because it's just so all-around good.
So I ended up going with something that was kind of, that was new, but also new to me,
which was the Dodge Charger six-pack with the Hurricane.
I went with definitely looking at this through the enthusiast bent.
Is this absolutely the best all-around car, the best car for everybody?
Well, of course not.
That's where you get into the Civic Hybrid territory, but it was a lot of fun.
I drove...
I actually drove the EV and the Hurricane six, really liked them both.
I like the styling.
The interior kind, I think, is maybe a little bit of a weak spot because it's...
The best way I could put it is the patterns are almost like snake patterns.
It's very Dodge on the door inserts, but I liked it.
It was a lot of fun.
I think both the EV and the six-cylinder are very good power plants.
Even with the sort of the artificial noise, that's what it is.
I still think that sounds okay.
I think it looks pretty good.
I think it's the modern evolution of the Charger.
It's not super retro.
It's just clean.
It looks like a muscle car.
So I like it.
I mean, I think it was a lot of fun to drive.
Yeah, that's kind of...
This was a tough one, but that's where I landed.
I also thought about the Honda Prelude.
That was really cool, but you got to pick one, so that's how I went.
You're really leaning into my overpowered, large American sedan love.
I actually looked and I was like, okay, I didn't drive a CT5 this year.
Blackwing or regular, so that doesn't work.
And then I looked and I was like, oh, the six pack.
If I drove that, I wonder if that would have been it, but I haven't driven it, so I couldn't pick it.
That's why I'm really looking forward to hopefully in the new year.
So since you picked it, I've got high hopes for it.
And I didn't drive the Prelude either, so I'm looking forward to that as well.
They were neck and neck, very, very good.
You know what actually tipped it over for me was trying to think the Charger with two and four doors
and electric and ice is a little more broad as a broader mission than the Prelude.
So that's kind of what I guess put it over for me.
It's a good reason.
Yeah.
All right.
So we'll move on to another segment that's fairly big, kind of big, you know, trucks and SUVs.
The 90% of the market these days.
This is a tough one if you count them all together because you drive such a wide range
and I ended up with two from the same manufacturer and I'll leave that tease there for now.
Great.
Why don't we have you start this time?
All right.
So this is a tough one.
Again, I guess I should probably make that disclaimer for all of our categories, although
maybe for some of them it actually wasn't.
For me, it was forerunner or Honda Passport Trail Sport and I ended up going with the Honda.
I really liked the, I liked how the Honda looked because I think it just, it looks to me as much
like off-road capable as like most of the really capable off-roaders, you know, it really looked
the part, but it also was super comfortable to drive.
I put, let's see, probably 500 miles on one at least.
We went to, we went camping in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is pretty far north.
It's out there.
It's in the wilderness and it took all the gear, camping, fishing, golf clubs, all that
good stuff and we got there and it was super comfortable.
You know, the ride up I-75, it was everything I was looking for and, you know, the interior
is pretty nice.
I think that was, you know, it's very Honda quality.
The Trail Sport Trim does some nice things.
It has one of those like kind of hood vent scoop things, which is I'm sure not functional,
but it looks like it should be.
Big tires and the brief amount of off-roading I did do up there because you got to go down
some trails.
Like it's the UP, right?
Half of it isn't even paved.
So you got to go over dirt and a little bit of mud and it was certainly capable for that.
You could, you know, queue up the different drive modes.
To me, this is a vehicle I would recommend to everybody who's thinking, hey, I think
I want a Wrangler or a Bronco, but I'm mainly just going to drive around with it like in
Suburbia and not even go off and off-roading.
I would say get this.
This is like your daily driver that can do, you know, some off-road things.
So I really like that.
It's stuck with me and that's where I landed.
You know, I thought the 4Runner is right in there too.
You're seeing a theme here with me, I guess, but just to me, this is a more, a broader
sort of vehicle.
Kyle and I are actually doing what we did in comparison on those two vehicles.
So it's funny you brought them up.
I was, I was literally writing it up before we came to this podcast.
So fresh in mind.
And yeah, I know everything is about the Passport.
Like Robin won't get it to giving away our comparison until it's all done.
But yeah, I really like the 4Runner's old school styling with the TRD Pro.
How does the old fender flares look at used to in that sort of Coke bottle shape?
And yeah, and the pilot's so much improved to our past passport so much improved to.
Yeah, I totally understand your reasoning in both cases.
Greg makes a lot of sense.
Yeah, I did.
I guess we got to go for a win.
I did go with the Honda, but close second place podium finish there for the 4Runner.
So, so yeah, I mean, it's, it's tough because it's also like, you know, I drove the Maverick Lobo.
It's a truck.
I'm very tempted to throw that in there, but I guess that would be my third place.
Not that we're doing rankings, but I don't know what, what did you guys think?
Greg's, Greg's top 10.
Yeah.
Yeah, Kyle, what did you have there?
I mean, you've driven a lot of SUVs this year.
Yeah, I mean, since Greg mentioned it, the Maverick, not the Lobo, just overall the
rest of the lineup for me is possibly the winner.
I just had a Maverick XLT hybrid all wheel drive review go live as we're recording this.
And that really is the Goldilocks trim for me because I mean, you can get the 4K tow
package now on the hybrid.
So there's that out of the way.
Obviously you can get all wheel drive now.
The XLT has basically everything you need.
It does miss out on some towing assists that I think would be useful, especially because
I assume the Maverick has a pretty high conquest rate of people who have never
actually been in a truck before.
Because I mean, it's, it's so appealing, right?
It drives like a crossover.
It's not as affordable as it used to be, but it's still fairly affordable for what
you get.
I really like it.
I think it's overall the sort of truck that we need to maybe encourage people to
look at more because full-size trucks are ridiculous and they're tanks and they
have the visibility of tanks.
So that was, uh, that was close for me.
But overall, I think I'm giving it to the Hyundai Palisade.
But specifically, specifically here, I'm going the other direction from you,
Greg, because I think you and I have driven the XRT Pro.
That's right.
And I actually, I, I only drove that on the launch event very briefly and it was
on a trail, right?
To show that it can do off-roading.
But living with it in the city, it's actually kind of like, yeah.
Meanwhile, the, uh, calligraphy is just so smooth, so swanky.
It really does challenge vehicles like Buick or Volvo or Infinity or Acura in
terms of feeling like a special premium vehicle.
And then if you can get the hybrid, which is an incredibly good deal,
especially in Canada, it's barely more money than the regular V6.
You get better fuel economy and more power, a quieter ride.
I really do think that the Palisade is continuing Hyundai's push closer
and closer to these premium brands.
If you stuck a Genesis badge on it, people actually probably wouldn't
question it.
I agree with you totally.
The Palisade was also in my top five and I have a calligraphy hybrid in
my driveway right now saying I've been, it's, yeah, I mean, we should do
some driver's notes or more podcasts or something, but it's so good.
And I think I agree with you completely with the XRT, whereas I was kind
of like, this just, it was everything.
The passport, trail sport wasn't, it didn't look the part, even though
it was relatively capable.
They did do some very light, like mechanical stuff, I think to it.
Uh, whereas with the Honda, they don't really do much to it beyond dressing
it up, whereas, you know, the calligraphy, I mean, I've had people already
ask me, like, is that a Land Rover?
What is that thing?
You know, I went to pick up a pizza and the guy's like, your Cadillac is
ready for you, sir.
I'm like, that's not a Cadillac, you know, and also you're putting it
in the wrong car.
I parked this other spot, but it gets that much attention.
So yeah, I agree with you totally.
Yeah.
The, um, those big Korean SUVs have been pretty successful.
I remember when the Telluride first came up, people kept saying it looked
like a Land Rover and now with the Palisade, you're getting all sorts
of different comparisons.
Um, I can't disagree with you on the Maverick Kyle.
That was, it was neck and neck for my number one as well, but for me,
it's the opposite.
I don't really like the hybrid.
I want, I like the two liter.
I think it's the right combo of what I need.
Um, and this fuel's still decent.
The Lobo is amazing.
As Greg said, uh, the Lobo's fun.
Yeah.
And that's like what I'd love to have, but I could just go with like an XLT
turbo all wheel drive and be happy.
XL maybe is a little too stripped out, but, uh, yeah, it's, it's just
such a good all around for what I need.
It does everything.
It does a little bit of everything I want where, um, not many vehicles do
that, but we've gone on and on about how great that is.
And I think the three of us kind of consensus say it's definitely up there.
I'm with another Ford and this is not because it's practical or necessarily
all that great, just because it was so cool and so memorable.
And that's the Bronco Heritage Edition.
Specifically in the Robin's egg blue with the white roof.
It just, I've never had a car that got so many compliments for such
a cross section of people.
Like no one had, no one is even like, Oh, that's cool.
Everyone was like, that's amazing.
That thing looks so cool.
Like people who like off-roaders, people who don't even have a car,
people that are older, people that are younger.
Like everyone just, it's just one of those things that just brings a smile.
Sort of like a vehicle right now, the ID buzz, but even it, some people
are like, Oh, that's massive or oh, it's whatever.
But, but driving the Bronco Heritage drive so much better than a Wrangler.
I would say it drives not much worse than a forerunner.
It's they've done a good job driving a solid axle in the back.
And I don't know, it makes you feel like you should be just hitting the nearest
trail to go off-roading with that big wide hood.
And I mean, you need to have the Sasquatch, which the Heritage has with
those chunky tires, the fender flares.
So just every time you get out of it, you think you're some off-road
adventure, even if you're in one of the biggest cities in North America.
Yeah, I mean, I get that one a lot.
It's a pure hard overhead decision.
But I mean, that's why we all get cars.
Let's be honest.
I drove the the two-door one when we did our comparison last year
and it was the same sort of spec.
But the two-door in my mind has even cooler proportions.
And yeah, like you have people who would never even look at an SUV,
just being like, please tell me more.
I'm very curious about this vehicle.
It's insanely cool.
People love nostalgia.
And I think Ford has done a really good job without some of the different
Bronco editions, like the Strop one or Strop, however you say it.
The that Forest Service one, that was really cool a couple of years ago.
They do a good job at really kind of tugging at the heartstrings and making
you sort of yearn for the past.
Yeah, good modern takes.
I mean, they did that with the Mustang so many years ago and that kind of,
you know, gave it new life.
So yeah, they've definitely perfected that craft.
But like we said, that category is so big you could have seven subcategories
within SUV.
So that's why I was like, well, this is the best in that category.
And that's the best in this.
I just went with the one that I think about every once in a while fondly
and remember how cool it was to drive.
That's a good reason.
That's literally how I made delineation among my like, you know,
one versus two and three as well.
This one stayed with me.
So, you know, yeah, yeah, the way it should be.
All right.
Well, we'll move on.
We've got three categories still to go.
Primary categories that is.
So Kyle, sorry to, I'll go first this time, sorry to do this since you already
talked about it, but this is going to be the best EV we drove this year.
So we may know Kyle's answer.
Although now you can throw SUVs.
Maybe something was better than EV for me.
There was.
For me, I have two.
And again, I'm getting stuck in this terrible theme of performance
or coolness over practicality, but it's just what sticks with me.
So Kyle, you and I both drove the Mustang Mach E rally, which is just
so ball, especially green.
I mean, it's like the sort of like the Bronco heritage.
It's just, it looks cool.
It's got those fake OZ rally wheels.
It's fast.
It handles well.
It's a decent EV and it was going to be my pick, but I think just
eclipsing it is one of its main drug competitors and that's the Chevy
Blazer EV SS that thing.
I was really impressed.
I mean, it doesn't have car play.
So that almost keeps it in our first place alone, but we'll, we'll
ignore that fact for a moment, but it was just, it did aside from
that, it did everything else I'd want and it has ridiculous power.
And because it's more on-road focused, it drove a little nicer around
the city and has tons of space for family and good range.
And yeah, it was just, I, maybe it was one of those vehicles.
I had no idea what to expect.
So it impressed me.
So that's why I remember it so fondly, but I really did like that.
That's two domestics in a row for you.
Wow.
Four, really?
Cause I can't second place in them.
I know.
Huh.
Okay.
Okay.
Yeah.
I would honestly, I wouldn't have had that on my bingo cards for you, Mike.
I would have, I'm not sure.
I guess I don't know everything you've driven, but that wasn't
what I thought you would have, would have picked.
Uh, I've driven a good chunk of EVs.
I mean, ID buzz was this year and some other things, but that was just
sort of like the Maverick, uh, the Blazer EV SS gives me a little bit
everything, sort of like the CT5 black wing.
I always go on about, I get performance, I get family functionality.
I get space.
I get, yeah.
I mean, the downside, all of those are priced, but this is, you know,
I'm ignoring that right now.
There's a black wing in the fleet around here that I'm really, I waited too
long cause we have too much snow, but if they could maybe like deliver it
to my house, like right now, and I could give it back like Friday morning
when the next boat of snow is coming.
I would love to drive that car for like just 18 hours or 36 hours.
I digress.
It would only be two tanks.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Well, yeah, I'm, I'm with Greg.
I did not see that one coming.
I guess I was going to pick.
Did you have any?
It's probably an EV.
I forgot even drove.
Actually, no, I looked through everything I drove this year.
Here, I was thinking it was going to be the Fiat 500.
JoJo Armani edition specifically.
The 500 electric was memorable.
I drove that last summer.
I guess it was, I took it to like the city pool and people were
really like walking up to me.
They're like, what is that?
You tell them it's electric and it like blows their mind and they're
like, what?
This is, this is crazy.
And then they're like, you could get your family in that thing.
So it really, it definitely has some, it has a certain charm
as telling your cars do.
Oh yeah.
And I really liked it when I drove it last year, but I wouldn't
have picked it this year because the Armani is just too much money
for giving you really nothing, but the name and some interesting
wheel choices.
But I mean, a lot of the AVs, I really like like the Lyric, the
I4, more I'm forgetting.
I didn't drive it in this year.
So I had to go with what I drove.
All right, Greg.
Sorry, you're electric.
No worries.
This is going to be a cliche, but I, this is probably the one of
the most expensive EVs I drove this year.
That's the 2025 EQS 450 Formatic.
So that is the Mercedes.
You get 367 miles of range.
You pay for it because it was well into the six figures, but
I liked it.
I thought they really delivered with this thing.
I think I know Mercedes is kind of like basically said they're
going to move away from these kind of like bubble-shaped
electrics and make them more conventional looking.
Man, I say don't do that.
I really like how this thing looks.
It looks like it's from the future.
It got a lot of attention.
I think if I were to spend this much money on an electric,
like it's a crossover really, I would want people to be like,
what is that thing over there?
So the interior is was beautiful.
It was in some ways.
I like the electric interiors a little bit more than the gas
powered versions of the hybrids, which I have another Mercedes
coming up.
So I may be I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth here,
but yeah, it's a cliche to pick one that's so expensive,
but it was it was great.
I really liked it.
I thought it was it fulfilled his mission, which I think
some electric cars with their like lesser ranges don't necessarily
do.
Yeah.
And it's interesting.
I drove it back to back with the Mercedes S580.
So it's kind of like I could kind of like benchmark them like,
hey, do you like the electric?
Do you like the gas and you know, somewhat different segments
obviously, but I thought it, you know, I really liked it.
You know, hey, it's expensive, but nice things cost money.
Yeah, you get what you pay for.
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know why this has happened because it's completely
coincidental, but this is my third straight year of having an EV
over the holidays.
I have a leaf and last year had the buzz and the year before
that I had the EQE AMG SUV.
Okay.
And yeah, like it was fantastic vehicle.
I mean, way out of my price range, but the crazy launch control
on those AMG versions is fine and hilarious.
And yeah, it's a well put together vehicle.
And I think the SUVs, the bubbly translates a little more conventional.
It's not as like eye catching for better or worse as this it ends,
but yeah, no, that's a solid vehicle.
I'm curious to see what Mercedes says with the next gen.
The leaf was also on my list, but the caveat was I actually
haven't driven it yet.
It's arriving Monday and I just literally at the opposite end of
the spectrum and like the range is pretty impressive.
And it's, you know, they're pitching it as a crossover this year.
I mean, that definitely got my attention.
And I think had I driven it, I may have gone more like bargain
oriented, but you know, it was this or I actually drove the
Hummer last fall too.
And I was like, well, that could this is a lot of fun.
Maybe I'll pick this one, but the Mercedes just seemed a little
more electric tech forward.
Whereas the Hummer just was like hard to keep them like the same
lane even.
So yeah, yeah.
Same two lanes really.
Okay.
So, so this is a tough one for me, probably the hardest category
because I drove a lot of BV this year.
The leaf was on my list because I mean, for the same reason
the V4 is right is that it's affordable and for that alone,
it should qualify and then it's also just good to drive.
And I like the new look.
I think the crossover thing is definitely just the marketing
team winning over the actual usage of the car.
But yeah, the leaf is good.
Cadillacs EVs are really impressive outside of the escalate IQ.
I really like the optic because I feel like it's the entry luxury
EV that a lot of brands should be making an arc and then for
26, they're actually switching it to rear wheel drive, which
sounds really interesting.
The Vistick is a really great three row.
The Lucid Gravity was probably the most all around impressive
vehicle that I drove, but it comes with a price tag to match.
And so I'm landing on one that I drove fairly recently, but
it's a game changer and it's the BMW iX3.
The tech in that thing works really well.
I know we're always as journalists, we're a little apprehensive
when companies are telling us, oh, don't worry, we put more
screens in the thing, but it works in a way that feels very
natural and the actual EV powertrain is so smooth.
They have this, I think I've talked about it on the podcast
before, but it wasn't with you, Greg.
They have this smooth stop feature in the iX3 that sounds
like it would be pretty easy to implement it at any EV, right?
But it's something that I've never experienced before.
Like if you lift off, the car will slowly roll to a stop and
there is no jerk whatsoever when it comes to a stop.
Apparently this was a huge pain to program, but how BMW tested
it was blind folding people and then accelerating and then
trying to decelerate and asking people to guess when the car
had actually come to a complete stop and know what to guess
accurately because of how smooth this.
So I find that really fascinating.
The range is excellent.
It's 400 miles or 650 kilometers.
Fast charging is even quicker than any other thing on the market.
It looks kind of good.
I've warmed to BMW's new styling language, which is good because
it's going to be on dozens of vehicles over the next few years.
I really do think this is kind of skipping a generation and going
from what we knew of luxury SUV EVs and just kind of really
jumping forward and pricing wise.
We don't have exact numbers yet, but it's going to end up.
They told us the range is just at the top of where the X3 is.
So we're getting closer to price parity too, which I think is important.
Yeah, having been to the launch, that's something I really look
forward to driving, like learning all about it.
I'm really curious how you kind of alluded to it there, how
the braking works with them saying 90% of the braking will be
done with the gearing and not with physical brakes, which is crazy,
but also kind of cool.
So yeah, that's that in the charger and I guess the prelude.
Those are the three cars that really can't wait to drive next year.
All right.
So, did we get Greg's?
Yeah, for EQS, my six-figure Mercedes with beautiful interior.
Right, I was just going down memory lane of some of the other
EVs I drove, but it wasn't new this year, but I kind of touch
off of your blazer comment.
I really like the Equinox too.
It was kind of new for last year, so I didn't include it, but I
thought that was really strong and the pricing is pretty aggressive.
And now that the tax incentives have gone away here in the US,
it's less compelling of a value, but it's still a pretty good deal
and a pretty good crossover.
So, you know, I don't have any honorable mentions list, but there's
some things that like I drove that did stay with me, even if
they weren't maybe brand new.
Well, I think we'll take a quick break here on the AutoGuide
show, but you may be motors.
We have more categories to go.
We still have performance vehicle and we have luxury vehicle and
I'm going to have some surprise, maybe awards categories to spring
on the guys after that.
We'll be back in a couple minutes.
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Okay, we are back.
Let's move on to luxury.
We've all kind of already mentioned luxury vehicles.
So will there be a repeat or is this going to be something new?
Greg will start with you since you just talked about that sweet
electric luxury car.
Alright, well, I guess staying with luxury.
I really enjoyed the Mercedes E 53 hybrid this year.
I thought that was a nice blend of being well appointed but
also very sporty.
You know, I really like the powertrain.
It was gutsy, but you know, again, it's a hybrid.
I put a ton of miles on this thing.
I drove out to from like I live in the northern suburbs of
Detroit and I drove like to Ann Arbor, which is a good 5060
mile drive one way.
So and I did that two or three times the week I had this car.
So this wasn't just like, Hey, I got this fancy Mercedes.
I drove it Tuesday and love it.
It was like I lived with this thing for quite a while and I had
a lot of thoughts.
I was trying to actually go through my like iPhone notes app
when I was writing my storage to make it somewhat coherent
because I was really just like, you know, brain, you know,
vomiting all over the place as far as just so many impressions
about this thing.
And but yeah, I liked it.
I think this is sometimes when you look at luxury, it's easy
to pick like I just did the super expensive like electric
or something or pick something niche, but I think this is
really like all the performance car you need.
It's, you know, I love that it's, you know, traditional
e-segment sedan, which I've always had a fondness for
whether it's like the Mercedes E-Class or the BMW 5 series.
And this just really struck a chord with me.
Even the little things like the sound system was amazing.
I went to pick up some Chinese food and there was just this
long line out the door and I was like, okay, so I just sat
there and like turned up some Bruce Springsteen and just sat
there with a massage going and you know, it was very luxurious,
but also it's, you know, it's like passes for an AMG these days.
So it's pretty potent as well and it sounded good.
The steering was very dialed in.
It had that kind of AMG like steering wheel where it's a little
bit flat on the bottom.
Again, this was the opposite of the EQS interior, which was
very minimalistic.
This is like almost nautical in themes with like the vents,
the big vertical vents, the like the striping, the wood pretty
big backseat too, you know, took the whole family around, got
a car seat back there.
So I mean, to me, this is everything like as an enthusiast
I would want is somebody who likes to embrace new technology
with some form of electrification.
It's a hybrid and also is a family guy.
Hey, you know, I could put everybody in it.
So I really like that.
So I mean, 10 out of 10.
This was this was actually not a hard choice for me.
Well, yeah.
Well, since you were on Mercedes, I think I'll continue the theme
then and go with my pick, which is also in Mercedes, but and
it's also sedan.
This is a surprise price.
But it was actually last winter I had it and it is the A45 AMG.
It just is everything that speaks to me being I love those
four door like high performance, especially little like almost
rally cars.
And this is like a street version of that.
I mean, over 400 horsepower and a vehicle that size, like I said
that in the winter.
So there was snow everywhere.
And even though it's front wheel drive bias in the AMG plus sport
plus whatever modes, it'll set a lot of power to the rear still
and you can slide around and it's just it's nimble.
The steering is good.
You can feel how light it is.
It's the most affordable AMG.
It's small inside, but it's big enough for my family.
I just as well as I didn't want to give back and I really enjoy
and actually start pricing out thinking, hmm, how could I make this
work if I wanted to get one?
It was just yeah.
And even though it's a four cylinder, it still sounds really cool
when you get the valve exhaust open is and then the interior
still in Mercedes and the exterior maybe isn't the nicest.
But with the AMG and the quad tips is a little spoiler.
I think it helps take away some of that awkward rear slope
since they call it a coupe, even though it's a four door.
Yeah, it was very, very functional.
Yeah, that is a very niche pick and I love it.
Like going into a class in there.
That's like, let's see how much luxury we can get like the one of
the smallest segments.
So I like that Bravo.
Yeah, I would I would argue Mike like I remember how much you
enjoyed that because we got together to film very briefly
and I drove it for a little bit.
I would argue that that's actually probably the best CLA ever
in terms of looks because the first generation had kind of a
big nose that I wasn't a big fan of.
And now this current generation is still taking some getting
used to but but this one fantastic.
Yeah, this is sort of the extra lower bumper part of the front.
Like I said, what the treatment in the back, it makes it look
like a more of a baby CLS even though it doesn't exist anymore.
But that's sort of the vibe you get.
And yeah, I mean, I don't mind the CLA.
I've driven the 250 and even it was still nice and I've driven
the 35, which is probably the real sweet spot for price to
performance.
But this is just so over the top like Mercedes is going to
have credit of two liter four cylinders making over 400 horsepower.
Like no one's doing that in just a regular car.
If this was in a Subaru Mitsubishi people would be losing
their minds over this rally car that makes 400 plus horsepower
of a two liter.
But yeah, it's it was a lot of fun.
Yeah.
Well, keep the street going or you switching off Mercedes.
I think like three straight Mercedes at this point.
So I almost did pick a Mercedes not even not even kidding.
So I drove the CLE 450 convertible this fall and I love that car
because it is a proper four door convertible, which I think is
rarely enough for our four seat convertible, which I think is
rare these days.
I think a lot of convertibles that can have a backseat are
usually too tight and this was fine for adults.
It's the 450.
So it's not the AMG.
So it is the right level of sporeiness in my mind for an open
air Mercedes.
The inline six as Greg will attest because a version of it is
in the 53 is so insanely smooth when you want it to be.
It's it's one of the best engines out there.
Overall though, it was just a little too benign, which is why
I couldn't pick it.
Similarly, I was really close to picking the LC 500 because I
love that car.
I find any excuse to drive that thing any year because that is
one of the best production V8s and it is a pretty car and it's
kind of a great value in a weird sense for a six-figure car.
But the problem that I had with it was it was a coupe and the
convertible is the better LC and I will fight anyone who says
otherwise.
So in the end, let me just I'm talking about my also rants and
I have briefly had a brain fart here about what my actual
luxury pick was.
Hold on one second.
It was right there.
Please talk amongst yourself.
You're doing that.
Let me let me vamp for you here.
One thing I noticed is I have picked two cars with straight
six cylinder engines, which is that a sign of the times for
this year or what the hurricane six, which I really like.
You guys probably driven it in different things, but also the
inline six and the Mercedes AMG E 53.
It's just a rocket ship.
So I it's my favorite engine of the year.
If I were to give an award is the straight six.
Yeah, I think that's only picked turbos except for the EV.
Well, there's not a lot of non turbos left outside of this
is true cars and sports cars and I agree with you on the LC.
The convertible is the better one.
Yeah, it's that's the tough thing, right?
Like I just I don't understand with that V8 sounding so good.
Why do you want to have a coupe?
So my my pick is actually something that I mentioned
earlier.
That's why I forgot it's the Cadillac Optic.
Oh, yeah, that's my luxury because a year is that thing
was so impressive.
I know it's barely smaller than a Lyric.
So the idea that it's this small EV is kind of pushing it,
but I took that for a road trip with my wife and my sister
and my dog and it was such a satisfying vehicle to be in.
The interior is I said this in the review.
It really competes with Genesis for the sense of occasion
and I understand that, you know, there might be people who are
listening who aren't really familiar with modern Genesis
interiors, but they're amongst the most adventurous and most
colorful and that's how I feel with the optic to it's it had
the blue leather in or faux leather interior, but unless
you tell people it's fake, no one's going to know.
It's it's very convincing.
There's great quilting.
There's great attention to detail and I love the center console
with what looks like wood trim.
And then you look closely and see that it's the compacted
newspaper and you can see some of the type in the grain.
I love it.
It's it's such a great car and even with the lack of carplay
and Android Auto Cadillac wins it for me.
I tell you what, I drove the optic, the listic, vistic and
the Lyric and the only thing why I didn't frankly give them
more points was because it's a they all kind of blended
together for me.
I drove them like back to back to back in a group test and
trying to use the like the criteria of hey, what stayed
with you?
Maybe if I had like a longer week long loan with one of them
that may have stayed with me a bit, but I hear you.
I thought the interiors of all of them were outstanding and
I mean, call me crazy.
I think the exterior design is really cool too now.
Yeah, I think they've really gotten to a point where they're
they've made Cadillac something different than special again.
It's not this old man car.
It's not retro or worse yet unintentionally retro.
It's like legitimately a cool, you know, cool brand right
now.
Yeah, I think about, you know, I I don't come to Detroit as
often as I once did a few years ago, but whenever we we go
to Detroit, we tend to stay in and one of those like fairly
new redone hotels and I really like this.
Like it's not raw Americanism, but it's like a very confident
stylish version of like American interior design.
And I really think that's what Cadillac has captured with
the latest cars in a way that yeah, it's like nothing else
on the market.
I really like the book Cadillac Hotel by chance because
that they did.
They it's actually a hundred year old structure.
They gutted and rebuilt like as you would say right there.
It's interesting you say that to touch on exactly what you
said, I interviewed Mark Royce once and somebody asked him
saying, Hey, what should Cadillac and Chevy and GMB and he was
like, it shouldn't be retro.
This like syrupy 1950s Americana.
He's like, it should be the best because it is the best not
because it used to be.
And so it's like literally it's you paraphrased Mark Royce
from the New York auto show from about eight years ago.
But yeah, I think you exactly what they're going for is what
is starting to come through in the products.
Hmm.
So as we move on to our last category, it seems Kyle likes
EVs.
Greg likes big sedans and I like turbos and all wheel drive seems
to be a themes we got going here.
So our final one is best performance car.
And
how you kind of stole my thoughts earlier because for me,
I'm just going to go with the craziest thing I drove this year
and that's the I did drive the Lamborghini Rivalto, which
was the craziest, but also drove the Tamarario and that's
my tick because it makes only a hundred horsepower less and it
costs like half as much and his performance numbers are like
a fraction off of the point out the V12 easily sounds better.
It sounds amazing, but that V8 at 9 to 10,000 RPM sounds pretty
cool too.
And then when you hit the fuel cutoff or you do the shift
point, the turbo explodes is like it releases all of the
pressure.
It's yeah, it's and it's way more frantic, whereas you said
how the big Lambo is so livable and easy to drive like this
is too, but it wants to be driven hard.
Like it does not like being driven below 4 to 6,000 RPM.
It's the engine sounds like a tractor and it's just kind of
like, what are you doing?
Like drive me hard.
So yeah, yeah, that was that's it because I'm just going
with the ridiculous.
I mean, I I don't blame you.
That is the car that probably topped list of the vehicles
that I would very much like to try next year because yeah,
the Temerario, the stats are nuts.
Like why are we getting a brand new car in 2026 that can
rep to 10,000?
I'm not complaining.
I'm just like, how, how are we doing this?
Incredible.
So Greg, what is your sporty vehicle?
I have two.
This was tough, but I was in McLaren Artura.
I just drove it a few weeks ago, actually.
And it was the spider.
So that meant I got to put the top down when it was already
just about the snow.
I'll have a review on that going up.
Probably by the time this goes up, the review will be up.
So I'm trying to clear out my fall reviews here.
It's awesome.
I mean, like, what are you going to say?
Right?
I mean, best performance.
You pick a McLaren like, sure.
I was also lucky to drive a 750 s earlier this year, which
is like the Artura is more or less the entry level sort of
McLaren, so to speak.
And the 750 s is more powerful.
It's I think it's a little bit bigger, but I kind of like the
value you got for the Artura.
Like the way I put it is you don't absolutely have to win
the lottery or be like, you know, bequeath generational wealth
to get the Artura.
Like you can play your cards, right?
Maybe hit on a few stocks, get promoted.
It you this car is in the realm of possibility for a normal
human to buy.
Whereas the 750 s like, you know, unless your last name is,
you know, Rockefeller or something, it's a little art
of reach, I suppose.
But it means just brilliant car to drive it.
It completes the fact that all of my picks here have six
cylinders.
So that's kind of interesting.
Beautiful to I think McLaren styling his evolved in the
last probably dozen years.
Like at first they didn't even really know what they were
doing when they kind of relaunched the road car business.
Then it got really like almost like sea monster like and kind
of like the mid 20 teens and these last few McLaren's I've
driven have just been beautiful.
You know, they sound good.
They have like just real like, you know, they're gutsy cars
to drive, but they're also accessible too.
You know, the visibility is very good.
You can see out of them.
So you're not like crazy intimidated.
Like what if I break this car and have to remortgage my house
or something?
So to me, they have a confidence that I don't necessarily
get with Lambos and Ferraris, which that's a funny sentence.
But I just think McLaren's are laid out a little better and
like the sort of the angle of the eight pillars.
It's just a better kind of better user experience to use
that cliche.
So that's my pick McLaren or tour.
It's awesome.
I mean, of course, it's awesome.
So it's been a long time to the drove McLaren now you're
making me want to get behind the wheel of one again.
So that's the last one I drove was a 650 s.
That's how long ago we're going back.
Yeah.
And I quite liked that that car.
So yeah.
All right.
We're going super curious here.
Kyle, what about you?
Oh man, I hope Lamborghini is not listening.
Look, I I love the Repo Alto and like I said, I kicked off
this whole episode with that.
But there were two cars that just slightly clipped it for
me this year in terms of sports cars.
One of them was the vehicle that I was in immediately after
it, which is really funny.
It was the Miata.
It just you know what every year the Miata is now a decade
old and its current generation and it kind of feels like
it in some ways, right?
Like the interior is cramped.
There's not a lot of storage space for anything.
The infotainment system is Mazda's infotainment system.
But there's something so satisfying about getting into
a Miata and just knowing you can go pretty much anywhere
because it has decent ground clearance.
It's a little soft.
So it leans a little into corners, but that just telegraphs
what it's doing and where its limits are.
It's the ultimate palette cleanser of a modern vehicle.
No matter what you get into and then you drive a Miata, it
just resets everything.
Driving it at the tail end of summer is also the perfect time
for it and mine was the 35th anniversary special.
So it was that wine red with the tan leather and the tan roof
and the actual silver finish wheels, not the black ones.
So it looked fantastic.
I really like that car and I feel like you know, Miata sales
haven't been great lately.
So I'm just trying to remind people look, we're really lucky
that that thing exists.
But my winner is actually a Porsche.
Surprise, surprise.
The 911 Carrera T.
Good choice because you know what?
Like now I don't want to lean into Porsche's marketing of being
like, oh, it's the manual car and it's the only manual 911
you can get outside of a GT3.
But that's actually kind of the appeal is it's a GT3 for the
people who don't want to be on a wait list for years or have
bought multiple Porsches and are now waiting for their GT3.
It is a regular production model.
It is the base engine, which is what 388 horsepower, plenty
quick, that six feet is excellent and it flies under the radar
because it looks basically like a regular 911 unless people
clock the decals that you may or may not expect.
It's so sweet and its limits are still incredibly high because
it's a 911, but there are limits that you can actually sort
of approach on the road where you can't do that with a lot of
other 911s.
Like I drove the GTS, the T hybrid.
It is insane how quick a non-turbo 911 is.
But yeah, for me, it's the T.
The T was the one that we've, I think we've all said it on this
podcast.
The car that you don't want to hand back, that was the one
where I was like, you know, I really want to keep holding onto
this key.
So that's my pick.
Yeah, those cars like that, that engagement that Porsche offers
you is just, it's tough to replicate.
So yeah.
Yeah, I got to get behind the wheel of 911.
It's been a little while too.
Yeah.
I've always enjoyed them when I was, when I've tried them
before.
So I can't disagree with that pick.
I was actually surprised.
We've got a pretty wide cross section of vehicles, even though
we all maybe stuck to themes at times.
So before we wrap up the Auto Guy show, the special edition
for the holiday season brought to you by eBay Motors.
Three quick fire, not categories, but questions and just
okay, whatever you think quickly.
I'll say first each time because I already know them.
So I'll report myself a whiskey here.
So all right, let's start with, I would say we can all agree
last year, most improved or comeback player of the year car
was probably the Prius, what it went from to what it became.
Yeah.
So what would you consider this year's car to be?
I would say having driven, I'd say having driven it for me,
it was the Subaru Soltera and I didn't drive it, but I'm
assuming the Toyota BZ because those went from kind of
forgettable, uncompetitive EVs to right at the heart of the
segment in just one model year, like such a great change.
Is that yours, Kyle?
Did I steal yours?
I was going to say the BZ because I was planning on you
saying the GMC that you drove recently.
I didn't, that wasn't this year necessarily, but yeah, I know
I like I went to the first drive of the Soltera in Canada.
There's a big delay and it was last year.
So within less than a year, then I went to the refresh and
it was like a whole different car.
I didn't get mine the first one, but I got that if it's your
money, less power, less range, why are you going for it?
Now it has they both have more distinct styling.
I kind of like the Subaru styling is different for them.
And then the range and the power is right there in the segment
and it has the most ground clearance.
So it actually does have more capability than pretty much
all its competitors.
I agree with that.
I guess I'll go with a literal comeback player, which is the
V8, Hemi and the Ram.
I think there was, I don't totally buy into the fact that
they absolutely needed it, but I mean, if you look at what
Ford and Chevy are doing, though, this was an opportunity
for them to kind of reinforce the Ram and I drove it.
It's obviously it's a Hemi V8 and the Ram and it does give
a different character to the truck.
You know, I personally think I like the hurricane six a little
better, just totally sticking with that crazy theme.
I seem to have developed, but I mean, it is there for like
if you want to V8, there is no replacement for displacement.
So I think I got to go with that because it does change the
character of the truck.
Yeah, that's fair.
So, um, well, Kyle and I were on board with the same vehicle.
Different corporate siblings, but the same idea, but that's
because I drove the Solterra and you drove the VZ.
So yeah, Greg, you should have gone with the RZ.
Alexis, you know, I thought about it.
I actually did completely triple.
Alright, so next most under the radar vehicle you drove this
year, something that people forget exists or don't give
enough credit to I'll do two.
One is Kyle.
You just mentioned it, the terrain Denali.
I was very impressed with that, that specific trim.
Some of the stuff you get in it, you don't get in the regular
train and I, and that was a difference maker.
So I think you need to stick with Denali.
And the other one is something your Miata sort of wrapped it
up.
It's just the regular Mazda 3 sedan.
We, I had a manual hatchback earlier in the year and then
we had the sedan in our comparison and it's smaller.
And yeah, the hatch looks nicer, but the sedan surprisingly
spacious and it's easily still probably the most fun to drive,
especially with the turbo all wheel drive version.
Although you get to get a hatch for that, but even the 2.5
is still a great little car and I, for how old it's been on
the market, it's still one of the better ones.
Like they did such a good job with it.
I will go with the sort of I'll split, I'll split this a little
bit here at the Lincoln Aviator.
I drove a black label one thought it was awesome.
I don't think the Aviator gets near the amount of attention.
It should either in the luxury segment or even by Lincoln.
I think they should play it up more.
It's to me, it's a pitch perfect design inside and out and
I actually drove the Buick Enclave Sport to the again,
another UP trip for me and I think people totally forget
about the Enclave, you know, 10, 15 years ago, it was so like
the design was much different than what was going on in
the industry at the time and the Enclave stood out.
Then they didn't even really change it for a good five,
six, seven years because it was so much different in sales
were even going up, you know, the older it got.
So now I think it's a little bit of sort of the forgotten
sibling in the Buick lineup and maybe even the GM portfolio,
but I liked it.
It was a solid vehicle.
You know, very, very good vehicle.
Kind of a sleeper pick right now.
Yeah, I'm trying to think.
I guess we, Kyle, we drove before the last refresh of the Enclave
or last new model.
I'm trying to think.
Yeah, we drove the, we drove the facelift against the Toyota
Highlander, but yeah, we have driven the current version,
but that one even still, I was saying a lot of stuff here
saying Greg is like, it doesn't, I think get enough recognition
because there's a lot of people in the industry who want only
performance and this and that and that car is so numb and
isolating, but that's what you want in that vehicle.
Like it just goes down the highway for hours and you don't
feel anything.
It's quiet, the suspension just smooths everything out.
Yeah.
It's like, it's more like you're just experiencing the drive
as opposed to having to worry about it.
And supercruise now, like, yeah, win-win.
Supercruise was great.
It really does reduce driver fatigue when you're doing a long
road trip.
And what's nice about Buick is a lot of the things that you
could only get in a Cadillac a few years ago, Buick basically
has most of them right now.
So, yeah.
Hey, Kyle, what's your under the radar?
The Miata?
No.
The LC is the ultimate journalist car, right?
Can we all agree on that where it's like the average person
has no idea what it is, but every journalist you ask them,
they're like, the best car, it's a modern classic.
But no, mine's a bit of a cop out, but stay with me here.
Mine is the Camry.
Okay.
I know it's one of the best-selling, if not the best-selling
cars in the U.S., but I'm saying it because I don't think
people give it the credit it deserves, where it really is,
especially this new model.
It's basically a Prius with actual space in the back for
people.
It's incredibly easy and comfortable to drive.
It's kind of a good deal now because everyone goes to
crossover, so a RAV4 feels overpriced for what you're
getting, whereas a Camry, you get a lot of stuff for not a
lot of money.
The XLE has really nice trim on its interior.
You get incredible fuel mileage because of course you do.
I just think the Camry deserves a lot more credit, and I
think a lot of people who don't actually need a crossover
would be much better suited in it because it's a quieter,
more relaxed drive.
And I think it's as much as competitors will hate to hear
this.
I think it's the only midsize sedan that had a full blown
effort in its most recent redesign.
Everyone else is just kind of sort of riding out that are
we going to keep this model name alive?
It feels like whereas Toyota is still going all in on the
Camry in the shows.
Yeah, that's a good pick.
I gave it my, a lot of votes for Nectoy car of the year
last year.
It didn't win and I was actually surprised given exactly
what you just said, Mike, because I thought, Hey, this is
a really fully baked like all in effort in the segment.
And frankly, some of its competitors were not as thoroughly
redesigned.
So and I know you guys had that for other like awards too.
So I agree.
That's a great car.
I think we could also agree, although it's not unknown.
The Maverick is still underrated.
More people need to learn about that vehicle.
Yeah, it should be up there selling well.
But okay, final thing and then we'll let everyone get on
with their holidays.
The most ridiculous thing you drove this year and you can
interpret that however you want.
I could easily say the two Lamborghinis, but I am actually
going with I picked two and it turns out they have the same
engine.
So I drove a Range Rover Sport addition to with over 600
horsepower and high price tag in every luxury possible, which
is insane.
And then last week I drove the Land Rover Defender Octa with
an even more powerful, powerful version of that engine.
And they're both just the ridiculous in the weight and
the numbers you think, Oh, they're fast, but they're not
crazy fast.
But oh man, did they launch violently and the price tags
and exclusivity is just it's ridiculous in like the best way.
Well, I mean, I guess I'll go with McLaren 750s.
I mean, I guess I'm thinking ridiculous.
What is more power and what is more expensive that reaches
up there?
I briefly considered the Lucid gravity just because it's
very expensive and I kind of struggled to figure out how
that's going to fit in the segment, whereas like the air
to me like sort of fits better for what they're going for.
You know, I don't I may be driving the Ram 2500 in a few
days here.
So if that happens that I couldn't change my vote.
But I guess for now we'll go with that.
You know, ridiculous in a good way in the way that it's
supposed to be ridiculous, you know.
Yeah, I didn't mean to pick two McLarens, but hey, free to
do the lightning around here.
So it goes.
Yeah.
Let's see here.
I mean, yes, like Mike said, I could pick the Lamborghini.
It feels like a like an easy answer though.
I can also say the VinFest VF9 because in a different way
probably yeah, yeah, in a very different way, but I won't
because that seems a little mean.
So where I'm going to go is the cheese.
What's the full name of it?
The Mercedes Benz G580 with EQ technology.
The electric Glendavagon.
Yeah, it was my first G-Wagon experience and my review
should be out when people are hearing this.
It's the strange thing about that car or that SUV is, I mean,
it is a whole bunch of contradictions.
It's probably it's probably the best G-Wagon and I think
that doesn't matter at all.
No, I think that's the best pick out of all three of us
because we have a military rooted vehicle that's become a symbol
for luxury that's now also electric, but it doesn't do any
of them fantastic, but it's a weird mix.
And yeah, it's that's a pretty good one.
It's funny because I was thinking next year an easy front
runner and I haven't even driven it yet.
It's going to be that Cayenne because oh geez.
Yeah, yeah, a Cayenne EV with over a thousand horsepower.
It just sounds insane with the extending tail fins.
Yeah, yeah, that's nuts.
Nobody got his this year or anything.
No crazy Bentley's, but that's next year.
Yeah, next year.
I'll drive the 2026 F one car and I'll put that down.
There you go.
All right.
Well, that wraps up the show.
We've gone through a lot of our hits, mostly a couple of
misses from the last year.
We'll be back in the new year with new shows and new guests
and a whole lot more cars to review.
But until then, we'll see you later and have a good holiday.
So hello, everybody.
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About this episode
The AutoGuide Show's holiday special features hosts Kyle, Greg, and Mike discussing their favorite cars driven throughout the year across various categories. From the thrilling Lamborghini Revuelto to the practical Kia EV4, they share insights on standout vehicles, including hybrids like the Honda Civic and the Dodge Charger. The trio also highlights SUVs like the Honda Passport Trail Sport and the Ford Maverick, while diving into the world of luxury with picks like the Mercedes E 53 and the Cadillac Lyric. The episode wraps up with a fun segment on the most ridiculous cars they've driven, showcasing the blend of performance and luxury in today's automotive landscape.
all wheel drive
Android Auto
buyer protection
CarPlay
crossover
eBay
EV
facelift
hybrid system
inline six
BMW 5 Series
BMW iX3 (G08)
Buick Enclave
Cadillac CT5
Chevrolet Blazer EV
Dodge Charger
Dodge Ram
Fiat 500
Ford Bronco
Ford F-150
Ford Lobo
Ford Maverick
Ford Mustang
GMC Hummer EV
Honda Civic
Honda Passport
Honda Prelude
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Genesis
Hyundai Palisade
Jeep Wrangler
Kia EV4
Kia EV6
Land Rover Defender
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Lexus LC
Lincoln Navigator
Lucid Air
Lucid Gravity
Mazda 3 / Axela
Mazda MX-5 / Miata
McLaren Artura
Mercedes-Benz CLS
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz EQS
Nissan Leaf
Porsche 911
Porsche Cayenne
Subaru Solterra
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota Camry
Toyota Highlander
Toyota Prius
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Original notes
This week we have a holiday special. Mike, Greg, and Kyle chose their favorite vehicles they drove this year. We've broken it down into five categories, best car, best SUV, best performance vehicle, best electric vehicle, and best luxury vehicle.
There's also a few surprise categories at the end!
Enjoy your holidays and we'll see you in the new year.
The AutoGuide Show
By AutoGuide.com
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