Daily Recap: Thursday, March 05, 2026
33 episodes · If you only listen to one: Starts and runs Starion — Auto Off Topic (Episode 400 milestone + Starion project car first startup)
The shows explored car finance trends as loan terms stretch longer to offset record vehicle prices, while Ford added a fee for the Mach-E's front trunk. Hosts also covered the F.A.T. Ice Race in Montana with racing Corvettes and classic cars on frozen lakes, reviewed the 2025 Expedition King Ranch, and debated which hot hatch deserves the title of all-time best.
Headlines
Record Auto Loan Terms as Vehicle Prices Hit All-Time Highs
Just under 21% of new vehicle buyers financed for 84 months or longer in Q4, marking the third consecutive year of increases as average new vehicle prices hit a record of more than $50,300 in December.
Vehicle ownership expenses jumped 48% from 2019 to 2025, far outpacing inflation when factoring in insurance, maintenance, and fuel.
Pinewood.AI CEO on why Apax deal fell apart; buyers stretch loans to 7 years
"Just under 21% of new vehicle buyers financed for 84 months or more in the fourth quarter. That's up nearly 3% from the year before. It's the third straight year that number has climbed."
Extended loan terms are masking underlying affordability issues as buyers stretch payments to meet record vehicle costs.
Episode Spotlights
On the Bronco's performance at the F.A.T. ice race:
"The fastest car at ice race was the Bronco... in the four-wheel drive class... V8, he was just stomping on it and tossing it at a turn."
Ford Expedition King Ranch and the Mustang Frunk!
On the 2025 Ford Expedition's redesign and production location:
"I had the chance to drive the 2025 Ford Expedition... it's been redesigned in 2025, and it actually kicks off the fifth gen of the new Expeditions. So its final assembly location is in Kentucky, USA."
Best Hot Hatch? | The Car Podcast #77
On why French manufacturers dominate the hot hatch category:
"The reason why French cars make the best hot hatch is because they're light. A German hatchback, by definition, is heavier because it's stronger and more crash protection. No German car company could ever make a Citroen AX because they couldn't look themselves in the mirror."
Classic Auto Mall - #233 - Stewart Howden with Guests Russell Hayes and Keith Martin
On the Aston Martin wings' inspiration from Sammy Davis:
"The wings came from a guy called Sammy Davis, who was the sports editor of Auto Car at the time and a big, big Aston Martin supporter... he drew them based on the design of the scarab beetle and the kind of Egyptian fashion in the 1930s."
On Denmark's electric vehicle adoption rate — the headline figure is 80% of all new car sales, but among private buyers specifically the number was even higher:
"amongst private car buyers in Denmark last month 94.4 percent were pure Bev"
If You Only Listen To One
Starts and runs Starion
Covers Episode 400 milestone celebration, Starion project car restoration and first startup.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Corvette | 7 |
| Ford Mustang | 6 |
| Toyota Corolla | 6 |
| Porsche 911 | 6 |
| Dodge Charger | 5 |
| BMW M3 | 5 |
| Porsche 944 | 5 |
| Nissan Leaf | 4 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Formula One | 11 |
| turbo | 4 |
| EV | 3 |
| electric cars | 3 |
| BEV | 3 |
| horsepower | 3 |
33 episodes. 446 car mentions. 594 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.