Daily Recap: Saturday, February 21, 2026

13 episodes

Toyota rolled out details on two new electric models coming for 2026: the bZ Woodland SUV with off-road features and the returning C-HR crossover. Shop talk centered on common trouble spots like hard brake pedals on older Suburbans, disappearing coolant in Ford Escapes, and evaporative emissions codes on a 2010 Toyota, plus the recurring question of when repair costs justify replacing a vehicle entirely.

Episode Spotlights

Testing All-New EVs: 2026 Toyota C-HR, 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland — America on the Road
On redefining what counts as an affordable electric vehicle:

"I'm kind of stuck in this old pricing mindset. I think that I need to reframe what I think is an affordable vehicle, because the things that I think are no longer possible... So $45,000, it's better than $60,000. I'll say that."

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - February 21, 2026 - Hour 2 - Hard Brakes, Vanishing Coolant, and Buying a First Truck — Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
On Ford Escape coolant porosity defects requiring block replacement:

"Bulletin 21-22, uh, 21-2269 if I remember right, talks about it, low coolant, white exhaust smoke. They had a bunch of them with porosity in the block. The block was porous and Ford wants the block replaced."

Ron Ananian, The Car Doctor - February 21, 2026 - Hour 1 - When Is Enough, Enough? Knowing When to Walk Away from a Repair — Ron Ananian The Car Doctor
On deciding when rust damage makes a car unrepairable:

"And I said, I'd replace the car. I, you know, I think you're barking up the wrong tree. It's tired in a lot of places. The rust is eventually gonna take the back of the car to which the front is attached."

#2615: 'Relaxed Fit' Comes for Cars — The Best of Car Talk
On the Mercury Tracer's notoriously short engine lifespan:

"This was touted as the car whose engine would last either 10,000 miles or 500,000 miles. Yeah. Most of them lasted 10."

Smart Driving Cars episode 407- New Automated Driving Regs — Smart Driving Cars Podcast
On designing personal rapid transit infrastructure for autonomous vehicles:

"In 1975, my class and I, you know, designed a statewide PRT system for New Jersey, 10,000 stations, 10,000 miles of guideway."

If You Only Listen To One

Testing All-New EVs: 2026 Toyota C-HR, 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland — America on the Road

Covers 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland electric SUV with off-road capability, 2026 Toyota C-HR electric crossover return.

By the Numbers

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13 episodes. 129 car mentions. 232 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.