Jill and Tom opened the show talking about the Toyota bZ4X small electric crossover, and some of the negative reviews it has received. The hosts agreed that the EV is better overall than its media coverage suggests, but had some specific complaints of their own. Jill and Tom discussed the new-product reveals seen at this year’s New York Auto Show, and agreed that the coming Kia EV9 three-row crossover is a potential game changer. In the second segment Jill and Tom welcomed Karl Brauer of IseeCar...
Apr 10, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 160
Jill is back in the studio this week. Jill and Tom open the show talking a little bit about Jill’s recent travels. Her time on the road included preview access to the all-new Mazda CX-90 crossover, and the all-new Hyundai Ioniq 6 midsize EV sedan. Jill’s overview of the Ioniq 6 included a discussion of the car’s design and aerodynamics. The hosts shared information regarding Ford’s auto-technician scholarship program, and talked a little about why Tom was up until 2:00 AM learning to use QuickBo...
Apr 03, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 159
Tom and guest host Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed opened the show with the news that Honda is addressing issues with the engine stop/start system on some of its models. The conversation turned to Jaguar, and the British luxury carmaker’s plan to trim its dealership count by offering dealers dualled with Land Rover stores additional allocations of hot-selling Land Rover models in exchange for relinquishing their Jaguar franchises. In the second segment, guest Carly Bly of Lexus talked about t...
Mar 27, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 158
Jill and Tom opened the show by talking about Jill’s strange hotel room. Jill is on the road to drive the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan. The conversation turned to the monthly supply of new cars in the pipeline, and a review of several vehicles which should be easy to find on dealer lots at the moment. The hosts also discussed the all-new Genesis G70 Electrified, an all-electric version of the Korean luxury maker’s compact crossover. A full review of the vehicle will be shared on an upcoming episode...
Mar 20, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 157
Jill and Tom open the show talking about Jill’s recent travels. Jill’s experience with the all-new GMC Hummer SUV is under embargo, but the hosts discussed her take on the redesigned Subaru Crosstrek and all-new, electric, Lexus RZ crossover. Jill and Tom also reviewed the over-the-top Cadillac Escalade-V. In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome Time Healey of The Truth About Cars (TTAC) to the show. Tim talked about the 2023 events and stories he was following most closely, and shared some d...
Mar 13, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Tom and guest host Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed (Jill is on assignment this week) opened the show by discussing the Sons of Speed’s new affiliation with a group of automotive journalists under the “We are Motor Driven” banner. Tom and Paul briefly discussed their favorite gasoline engines and then reviewed the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe, a plug-in-hybrid version of the midsize Grand Cherokee. In the second segment, Tom and Paul welcome Toyota’s Chad Moore to the program to discuss the complete...
Mar 07, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Jill and Tom opened the show by discussing a factual error in last week’s show. It was determined that the error was Tom’s. Jill shared a number of ice-driving tips, as reinforced for her by a visit to the Jaguar and Land Rover Ice Academy. Chicago radio host, film critic, and podcaster Nick Digilio joined Tom and Jill in-studio to talk about cars in movies. Nick shared his list of favorite/important car-inclusive films. Nick joined Jill for this week’s Quiz.
Feb 28, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Jill and Tom opened the show by recapping Jill’s trip to Sweden to attend the Jaguar and Land Rover Ice Academy. They also discussed the relative equity remaining in the Nissan Maxima model name, and Hyundai’s fix for the rash of Hyundai and Kia vehicle thefts plaguing product owners. In the second segment Jill and Tom are joined by green entrepreneur and Green Sense Radio host Robert Colangelo. The in-depth conversation covered the value of EV incentives, as well as the potential for a class of...
Feb 20, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 153
Jill and Tom open the show by discussing Jill’s plans to return to the Rebelle Rally for the 2023 running of the event. The conversation turned to a brief recap of the Chicago Auto Show, and a breakdown of Hyundai’s new Evolve+ electric-vehicle subscription service, which allows consumers to live with an EV for a few months before committing a purchase or lease. Jill and Tom are joined in the second segment by Tire Rack Tire Information & Testing Manager TJ Campbell. TJ updated everyone on t...
Feb 14, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 152
Jill and Tom open the show by discussing automotive market segments in which they see potential growth. The soon-to-be revealed Toyota Grand Highlander enters the discussion. Jill shares what she leaned about the coming 2024 Mazda CX-90, which will replace the CX-9 as the large, 3-row crossover in the Japanese maker’s lineup. Chicago radio legends Steve King and Johnnie Putman join Jill and Tom in-studio to talk about their new Saturday-evening radio show, and their recent car-shopping experienc...
Feb 06, 2023•52 min•Season 1Ep. 151
Jill and Tom opened an action-packed show by talking about cars they like, but would not recommend to someone else. Jill and Tom go on to discuss recently announced price cuts for the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E, and compare the recently revealed Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray to the newly available Corvette ZO6. Jennifer Morand of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association joins the show to talk about the coming 2023 Chicago Auto Show, and how the pandemic changed how we think about auto shows in gene...
Jan 30, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 150
Jill started the show talking about how no one would want to hear Tom talk about jazz. Jill talked about test driving the all-new 2023 Lexus RX, which she noted, is no longer available with a V6 engine. The conversation turned to the updated 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy, which both Jill and Tom agree is a legitimate luxury vehicle, despite the mainstream brand. Jill and Tom are joined in the second segment by the NRDC’s Britt Carmon, Senior Advocate for Vehicles and Fuels, Climate, and Clea...
Jan 24, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 149
After a three-month hiatus, Tom and Jill are back. Tom opened the show by surprising Jill with a question about minivans. Jill talked about participating in the 2022 Rebelle Rally, and brought us up to speed on the 2023 North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) winners. In the second segment Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast Solutions updated us on the state of the industry, supply-chain issues, and Tesla pricing. Sam also talked about his favorite harmonica act. Sam stuck around to battle Jill in this ...
Jan 16, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Host Tom Appel and co-host Jill Ciminillo begin the show by discussing the coming high-performance Toyota GR Corolla and new manual-transmission Supra. Jill shared details of an article she wrote regarding the cost of ownership of an electric pickup truck versus a gasoline-powered pickup. Guest Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast solutions joined the show to share his insights into the newly-announced California EV mandates, the Inflation Reduction Act extension of federal EV incentives, and coming Pors...
Sep 02, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 147
With co-host Jill Ciminillo out on assignment this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Damon Bell start the show by discussing their test-drive experiences in the revamped-for-2023 Genesis G90 luxury sedan and the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80. Joe Ligo, Producer/Director of "The Last Independent Automaker," a documentary series about American Motors Corporation, joins us to discuss his ambitious project and the history of AMC. Tom has a "3-cylinder, 4-cylinder, or 5-cylinder?" quiz for Damon, and D...
Aug 26, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 146
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by discussing Dodge's "Speedweek" barrage of new-product announcements, including the Charger Daytona SRT electric-vehicle concept and the 2023 Dodge Hornet compact SUV. Cars.com Editor-in-Chief Jenni Newman joins us to talk about Cars.com's 2022 American-Made Index, a ranking of the most American-made vehicles sold in the U.S. Tom has a quiz on Rivian for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Co...
Aug 19, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 145
With host Tom Appel out on vacation this week, co-hosts Damon Bell and Jill Ciminillo start the show by discussing Ford's just-unveiled Bronco Heritage Edition models and the recently announced NASCAR Chicago Street Race, which is scheduled for next summer. Collectible Automobile magazine Editor-in-Chief John Biel joins us to chat about the great features in the October 2022 issue, including histories of the 1977-1979 full-size Chevrolets and the pickup trucks of 1957. Damon has a quiz on boxy s...
Aug 11, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 144
With co-host Damon Bell out on vacation this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Jill Ciminillo start the show by discussing the federal government's extension of the electric-vehicle tax credit, as well as the pending discontinuation of the Nissan Maxima sedan. Paul Herrold, Chief Editor at Sons of Speed, joins us to talk about Hyundai's E-GMP electric-vehicle platform and the Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia EVs built upon it. Tom has a quiz for Jill and Paul, and Tom also runs down the latest articles ...
Aug 05, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing three recent test vehicles they've driven: the BMW M3 Competition, Kia Sportage Hybrid, and Infiniti QX60. Brendan Dougherty, Director of Modern Retail at the automotive retail technology company CDK Global, joins us to share some interesting insights about Generation Z car buyers. Tom has a quiz on Chevrolet for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Consumer Guide Daily Drive blog...
Jul 29, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing the recently unveiled 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV--an all-electric crossover SUV that will be offered in numerous versions, including a 557-hp SS model. Frank Peiler, Publisher of Collectible Automobile magazine and Publisher Emeritus of Consumer Guide Automotive, joins us to share some eye-opening stories from his days selling used cars in the 1960s, and talk about the founding of Collectible Automobile maga...
Jul 22, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 141
With co-host Jill Ciminillo out on assignment this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Damon Bell start the show by discussing Tom's unusual experience in a Mercedes-Benz EQS test vehicle, and Hyundai's recently unveiled Ioniq 6 pure-electric midsize sedan. TJ Campbell, Tire Information and Testing Manager at The Tire Rack, joins us to explain the unique characteristics of tires for electric vehicles. Tom has a "which is the better seller?" quiz for Damon, and Damon runs down the latest articles on...
Jul 15, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing the phaseout of federal EV tax credits for Toyota electrified vehicles, and Chevrolet's recently announced decision to drop the price on the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV and offer retroactive discounts to previous Bolt buyers. Tim Esterdahl, founder and publisher of Pickup Truck + SUV Talk, joins us to chat about the issues preventing pure-electric pickup trucks from broader adoption. Tom has a "which is heavier?"...
Jul 08, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing the results of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study for 2022 . Kevin Butt, Senior Director for Environmental Sustainability for Toyota North America, joins us to talk about Toyota's various environmental and conservation initiatives both inside and outside the company. Tom has a "Volvo V90 Cross Country vs Annie Lennox" quiz for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Consumer Guide Dail...
Jul 01, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 138
With co-host Jill Ciminillo out on assignment this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Damon Bell start the show by discussing Honda's recently announced joint venture with Sony to produce pure-electric vehicles and other mobility services. We also talk about the redesigned-for-2023 Honda HR-V, CR-V, and Pilot SUVs. Sam Fiorani, Vice President of Global Vehicle Forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, joins us to give his insight on how car shoppers can navigate the current new-vehicle inventory cri...
Jun 24, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 137
With co-host Damon Bell out on vacation this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Jill Ciminillo start the show by discussing Jill's preview test-drive experiences with the new-for-2023 Escalade V--Cadillac's 682-hp, high-performance full-size luxury SUV. Collectible Automobile magazine Editor-in-Chief John Biel joins us to chat about the great features in the August 2022 issue, including the 1980-1984 Lincoln and a Photo Feature on a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport convertible. Tom has a quiz for...
Jun 17, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing Toyota's redesigned-for-2023 Sequoia full-size SUV. Max Baumhefner, Senior Attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, joins us to talk about the NRDC's efforts to improve America's electric-vehicle infrastructure and get the country off foreign oil. Tom has a "fake trim levels" quiz for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Consumer Guide Daily Drive blog, including a test-dr...
Jun 10, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 135
With co-host Jill Ciminillo out on assignment this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Damon Bell start the show by discussing the vehicles they drove at the 2022 Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally, a journalist-only press event held annually at the Road America race course facility in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Michael Buff, Senior Manager, Product and Programs at Electrify America, joins us to talk about Electrify America's EV charging systems. Tom has a quiz on auto-factory location...
Jun 03, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing the redesigned-for-2023 Nissan Z sports car. Jonathan Levy, Chief Commercial Officer at EVgo, joins us to talk about EVgo's public fast-charging network for electric vehicles. Tom has a "disc brakes or drum brakes?" quiz for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Consumer Guide Daily Drive blog, including a test-drive review of the 2022 Chevrolet Equinox RS.
May 20, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing Jill's plans to participate in the Rebelle Rally, a women-only off-road navigational competition, later this year. We also discuss Volkswagen's recently announced plans to revive the International Scout SUV as a pure-electric off-road vehicle. Robert Duffer, Senior Editor with The Car Connection, joins us to chat about Toyota's rumored plans to introduce Lexus TX and Toyota Grand Highlander 3-row crossovers, a...
May 13, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 132
With co-host Jill Ciminillo out on assignment this week, host Tom Appel and co-host Damon Bell start the show by discussing the Jeep brand's push to add more Jeep-only showrooms, and the Toyota Supra gaining an available manual transmission for 2023. John Jraiche, Lincoln's Global Director for Luxury Vehicles, joins us to talk about the recently unveiled Lincoln Star Concept, and what it means for the brand's EV future. Tom has a quiz on car colors for Damon, and Damon runs down the latest artic...
May 06, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 131
