Daily Recap: Thursday, April 2, 2026
37 episodes · If you only listen to one: Moron Nation Unfiltered: OSS 1, Bickering Blower guys, and People who FAFO!, Moron Nation Unfiltered
Four shows zeroed in on the same affordability crunch: average monthly car payments have hit $773, with loan terms stretching past 70 months. Hyundai's planning to build 80% of its U.S. vehicles domestically by 2030 with a $26 billion investment, while other shows covered zipper merge behavior, the Toyota Hilux BEV launching in Australia, and classic car events including Radwood at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Corvette, Mustang, and Dodge Charger led the most-discussed list.
Record Car Payments Hit $773 Monthly as Loan Terms Stretch Past 70 Months
The automotive finance market is hitting unsustainable levels in Q1 2026, with the average amount financed for new vehicles reaching a record $43,899 and average loan term lengths extending to 70.3 months.
Average monthly payments have climbed to $773, with 20% of financed vehicles now carrying payments of $1,000 or more.
"The average amount of finance for new vehicles climbed to a record high of $43,899 in Q1, 2026."
This trend mirrors broader affordability challenges, as voluntary surrenders and repos increased 15% in February and tax filings were down 50% year-over-year.
#425 - Tax Season 2026 Recap: What Dealers Saw and What Comes Next
"Turn-ins and repos in February across my dealers was up 15% compared to last year. Voluntary surrenders out of dealers I get to see has spiked like I've never seen in February."
Headlines
Hyundai's Aggressive U.S. Expansion: $26 Billion Investment and 80% Domestic Production by 2030
Hyundai is making a major commitment to U.S. manufacturing with a $26 billion investment through 2028, with Genesis (Hyundai's luxury brand) expanding to 22 total new vehicles and model variants by 2030.
The automaker's goal is to domestically build 80 percent of the vehicles it sells in the US by 2030.
"Genesis will have 22 total new vehicles and model variants by 2030. Hyundai CEO Jose Munoz said yesterday at the New York International Auto Show. The expansion is part of Hyundai's $26 billion investment into the US by 2028."
This expansion comes as Hyundai Group reported increased sales in Q1 2026, making it one of the few automakers to show growth during the period.
Episode Spotlights
AI Self-Driving Cars Dealing With Roadway Zipper Merging
On mixing human drivers with autonomous vehicles on roads:
"The 500-pound gorilla is the fact that we're still going to have human drivers on our roadways for quite a while to come, despite the emerging advent of true self-driving cars."
DWA! Morning Motors/The Best C&C on the West Side of Santa Cruz - DWA! Podcast Ep. #929
On Morning Motors' reputation among Santa Cruz car shows:
"I'd say it's the best cars and coffee on the west side of Santa Cruz. Oh, for sure, dude, or at least top two, right?"
Toyota Hilux BEV Launch as EV Adoption continues to rise in Australia
On Toyota's timeline for launching the Hilux BEV:
"I first covered the Hilux Bev as they call it about three years ago... To be honest, it's here quicker than I thought it was going to get here, given what Toyota has been like over the last couple of years."
264: 10 Years of Fuel Cell Ownership
On Toyota's fuel cell vehicle lease and purchase incentives:
"They weren't offering a three-year lease, they said we'll do a purchase on six years. And you get not $5,000 of fuel credit, but $15,000 of fuel credit."
On Hyundai's new off-road concept vehicle targeting Jeep:
"They showed this vehicle called Boulder. Now they're going after Jeep and Bronco and it's kind of cool looking. It's on 37s."
If You Only Listen To One
Moron Nation Unfiltered: OSS 1, Bickering Blower guys, and People who FAFO!
A raw, unfiltered look at the first-ever Atlas race event, from the chaos of blower car breakdowns to the reality of running a grassroots motorsport weekend on a shoestring budget.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Chevrolet Corvette | 7 |
| Ford Mustang | 7 |
| Dodge Charger | 7 |
| Toyota Grand Highlander | 6 |
| Ford Bronco | 6 |
| Genesis | 5 |
| Toyota RAV4 | 4 |
| Chrysler Pacifica | 4 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| EV | 6 |
| Formula One | 4 |
| clutch | 3 |
| New York International Auto Show | 3 |
| horsepower | 3 |
| NASCAR | 3 |
37 episodes. 461 car mentions. 795 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.