Jill and Tom opened this week’s show by bidding farewell to the Chevrolet Malibu. The long-running midsize model, available only as a sedan in recent years, is being discontinued by General Motors to make production space for an all-new Chevrolet Bolt EV. The hosts also expressed their confusion regarding Tesla’s recent dismissal of the company’s charging-network staff. Tom commented on a rumor that Tesla may be positioning the charging division for a possible spinoff. Still in the first segment...
May 13, 2024•56 min•Ep. 220
Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. The hosts opened the show talking about the Genesis G70 small sedan which Paul is currently evaluating. He is generally pleased with the vehicle, which is popularly considered an alternative to the BMW 3-Series. The hosts went on to discuss new—and needed—federal guidelines for Emergency Automatic Braking systems, which all vehicles will be required to be equipped with for the 2029 model year. There is currently a confusing array of s...
May 06, 2024•54 min•Ep. 219
In this special crossover episode of the Car Stuff Podcast, Tom rides along with Robert Colangelo of the Green Sense Show to experience Tesla's much-discussed and controversially marketed Full Self Driving (FSD) hands-free driving system. Robert and Tom drive through occasionally heavy traffic on the ground streets near Chicago's Midway Airport. Listen in for Robert's and Tom's impressions of the system which Tesla owners can subscribe to for $99 a month....
May 02, 2024•18 min•Ep. 218
Jill and Tom are in studio together this week. The hosts opened the show discussing a couple of polls Tom conducted on “X.” One poll asked folks to pick their favorite album for a long evening drive, while the other tested respondent’s willingness to pay for extra EV range. Still in the first segment, Jill shared her impressions of the very-affordable Nissan Versa small sedan. In the second segment Jill and Tom are joined by John Vincent, Senior Editor for Vehicle Testing with U.S. News and Worl...
Apr 30, 2024•54 min•Ep. 217
Jill is back in studio this week. The hosts opened the show discussing hands-free driving systems, with Tom sharing impressions of both the Lincoln Blue Cruise 1.2 system found in the Nautilus he is evaluating this week, and the Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) system as found in the Model Y small crossover. Tom also briefly reviewed the Tesla Model Y, which he was generally very impressed with. That said, Tom was surprised by how small the Model Y is—listen in for his complete summary. In the seco...
Apr 22, 2024•57 min•Ep. 216
Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. The hosts covered a number of topics in the first segment, including the news that General Motors will be moving out of the Renaissance Center—which it has occupied since 1996—for a new building in Downtown Detroit. Brendan and Tom also discussed the origin of Alfa Romeo’s Verde Montreal color, which turns out to be an homage to an historic brand offering. Still in the first segment, Tom lamented the challenge of dealing with “inheri...
Apr 15, 2024•55 min•Ep. 215
Jill and Tom talked briefly about the eclipse that was taking place during the recording of this week’s episode. The conversation turned to the news that Tesla will not be producing the long-promised Model 2, a small electric vehicle with a base price of around $25,000. In other news, the hosts discussed the sudden decline in large pickup-truck sales, a thing which Jill believes is temporary, and not a harbinger of economic weakness. Jill shared her impressions of the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Qua...
Apr 09, 2024•54 min•Ep. 214
Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the Fisker Ocean fire sale designed to raise quick capital for the fledgling EV carmaker. Fisker has cut the price on most Ocean models by as much as 40 percent, in a desperate bid to raise cash. Listen in for more details. Tom let Jill know that—despite not having driven stick in more than a year—he has not stalled his test 2024 Ford Mustang GT, unless you count a single backing-up incident. Tom also shares his thoughts on Ford’s latest pony car. Still in...
Apr 01, 2024•55 min•Ep. 213
Jill and Tom opened a topic-packed show by acknowledging carmaker Fisker’s grim fiscal situation. The once-promising EV start-up has broken off collaboration talks with Nissan, and seems doomed to enter bankruptcy. The hosts then chatted briefly about Cupra, a spin-off of Volkswagen’s Spanish brand Seat. Talk is that the Cupra brand will come to the U.S. before the end of the decade with a duo of small crossovers and a small sports car. The vehicles will likely be produced by VW in the U.S. Stil...
Mar 25, 2024•56 min•Ep. 212
Jill and Tom opened the episode by acknowledging that EV-startup Fisker is in dire financial straits, having recent halted production. In related EV news, the hosts discussed the announcement that Honda and Nissan are seeking avenues of cooperation to develop electric-vehicle technology, including platforms and software, but not final retail products. Tom quickly shared his thoughts on a pair of vehicles he recent evaluated, including the 2024 Land Rover Defender, and Volkswagen Taos. Jill share...
Mar 18, 2024•55 min•Ep. 211
Tom and guest host Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed covered a number of topics this week. First, the hosts addressed the surprise Rivian reveal of not one, but two, small crossovers last week, both of which are scheduled to be built at the maker’s existing Illinois facility. Both will be much more affordable than Rivian’s current offerings. Also, the Chevrolet Blazer EV is back in production, this after a stop-sale was ordered by the brand as a result of software issues. Listen for details rega...
Mar 11, 2024•55 min•Ep. 210
In a topic-packed first segment, Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the potential alliance between Nissan and EV startup Fisker. The Hookup would allow Nissan to build and retail a version of the struggling EV startup’s coming Alaska midsize pickup. The hosts went on to discuss Ford’s successful alliance with Tesla. The Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover and F-150 Lightning pickup can now be charged at any of Tesla’s famously reliable Supercharger stations—an adapter, available from Ford, is req...
Mar 04, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 209
Tom opened the show by surprising Jill with a bonus recording-day treat: Funyuns. After determining that there is, in fact, very little actual onion in Funyuns, Tom and Jill turned their attention to automotive matters. Tom read through a list of listener-submitted favorite model names, including picks from regular contributors, among them Damon Bell, Sam Fiorani, and Brendan Appel. Jill then shared her impressions of the updated-for-2025 Ram 1500 pickup truck. Jill was generally impressed by th...
Feb 26, 2024•54 min•Ep. 208
Jill and Tom are both in-studio today. Tom opened the podcast by thanking the producers of the Chicago Auto Show for their special efforts to make the event accessible to Tom and his bum knee. Tom shared his thoughts on the show, including several vehicles on display, among them the Tesla Cyber Truck, the Cadillac Escalade IQ, and the GMC Hummer. Jill and Tom also discussed recently announced pricing for a pair of coming EVs, the Chevrolet Equinox EV, and the Fiat 500E. The hosts then turned the...
Feb 20, 2024•54 min•Ep. 207
Packed episode today. Jill and Tom began with a brief Chicago Auto Show recap, news regarding Ionna—the multi-carmaker charging network created in response to the failure of public-charging companies including Electrify America—and Electrify America’s new indoor charging facility in San Francisco. Jill also reviewed the 2024 Lexus GX 550, the replacement for one of Tom’s favorite vehicles, the long-running Lexus GX 460. In the second segment the hosts welcomed to the show Sam Fiorani of AutoFore...
Feb 12, 2024•51 min•Ep. 206
No guest this week as Jill and Tom run down the complete list of 2024 Consumer Guide Best Buy picks. The list includes 41 vehicles in 17 different categories. If you're thinking about buying a new car in the near future, this week's show is a must-listen-to episode. You can check out the entire 2024 Consumer Guide Best Buy list by clicking here .
Feb 05, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 205
Jill and Tom opened the show talking about the all-new Lexus GX 550 luxury midsize SUV arriving in showrooms later this year. Also in the first segment the hosts welcome Jennifer Morand of the Chicago Auto Show. Jennifer gave an update on the Chicago Show, which opens February 10th. Tom wrapped up the segment sharing his Tesla predictions for 2024. In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome John Vincent of U.S. News and World Report. John walked the hosts through the outlet’s “2024 Best Cars for...
Jan 29, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 204
Jill and Tom opened the show by welcoming new listeners. The last few episodes of the Car Stuff Podcast have been very popular. Tom expressed his disappointment that Jill had selected such a boring donut for today’s episode. The hosts had stopped by Morkes Chocolate in Palatine, IL, together for donuts prior to the show. Tom discussed briefly his early but favorable impressions of the Chevrolet Trailblazer RS he is currently evaluating. Jill and Tom then reviewed Cadillac’s first EV, the Cadilla...
Jan 22, 2024•58 min•Season 1Ep. 203
Jill is in studio this week. Jill opened the show sharing some sad news. Her father died over the holiday break. You can read Jill’s tribute to her dad by clicking on the link in this week’s podcast update post on the Car Stuff Podcast Facebook Page. Tom, who is driving a Cummins-diesel-powered Ram pickup this week, noted that he had forgotten about how diesel engines require some glow-plug warm-up time before starting in cold weather. Note that as the show was recorded, it was -12 degrees outsi...
Jan 15, 2024•55 min•Ep. 202
Guest host Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed and Tom opened the show talking about a couple of new “The Lap” videos now posted on WeAreMotorDriven.com. The hosts then chatted briefly about the 2024 North American Car of the Year winners, which were revealed last week. Tom shared his concerns regarding misleading commercials being run by online used-car marketer DriveTime. Tom is specifically concerned about the company’s assertion that users are able to negotiate the price of the vehicle they p...
Jan 08, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 201
Jill and Tom opened the show by discussing the North American Car of the Year finalists, including the last-minute substitution of the Hyundai Kona for the Volvo EX30 in the Utility category. Listen in to find out why the switch. The hosts went on to list their favorite test vehicles of 2023, and their least favorite. There are a few surprises on the lists. In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome Colorado State University master’s degree student Harper Appel to the show. Harper regularly make...
Jan 01, 2024•48 min•Ep. 200
Jill and Tom opened this holiday episode of the podcast by discussing how the residents of Skokie, Illinois, mount huge light-up menorahs on the roofs of their cars in celebration of Hanukkah. Tom vowed to do the same next season. The hosts went on to discuss a massive Honda/Acura recall, and the echoes of the giant Takata airbag recall which still haunts the industry. Jill shared her thoughts about the massive—and massively expensive—Ford F-350 King Ranch pickup truck she recently evaluated. Th...
Dec 24, 2023•51 min•Ep. 199
Tom opened the show with a correction, this regarding the history and current ownership of European car brand Vauxhall covered last week. The hosts went on to discuss a completely unscientific poll Tom conducted on Twitter regarding electric pickup trucks. Twitter users were asked to pick their favorite EV pickup from this list: Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Rivian R1T. Listen in for the surprising results. Jill shared her thoughts on the 2024 Subaru Impreza RS, which b...
Dec 18, 2023•54 min•Ep. 198
Jill and Tom are both in studio today for another topic-packed show. Tom opened the episode acknowledging the installation of the first EV charging station under the provisions of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Act, signed into law in 2021. The first unit went live at a Flying J gas station in Ohio earlier this week. Jill and Tom went on to discuss Jill’s evaluation of a Starbucks Coffee/Volvo joint effort. This past week Jill drove electric Volvo vehicles from Denver, Color...
Dec 12, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Sons of Speed Publisher Paul Herrold sits in for Jill this week. Paul and Tom opened the show talking about the discontinued Fiat 500X and related Jeep Renegade small crossovers. Tom asked Paul if he thought Jeep’s recent sales decline came—at least in part—as a result of the brand’s small, too-conventional crossovers, such as the Renegade, Compass, and Cherokee. Paul talked about four new Sons of Speed videos available for viewing at WeAreMotorDrive.com. The videos feature lap time at Road Amer...
Dec 05, 2023•54 min•Ep. 196
Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the best things they ate Thanksgiving Day. After a shoutout to a regular listener who would like the Car Stuff Podcast back on broadcast radio, the hosts turned their attention to Jill’s holiday-week experience attempting to travel to and from Chicago and Indianapolis in an electric vehicle. While the car performed well, Jill lamented the lack of charging opportunities along that route, and was frustrated by the long wait to charge at the single level-3 pu...
Nov 27, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Jill and Tom crammed a lot into this episode of the Car Stuff Podcast. Tom noted that he’s eating better because his grad-school daughter is home this week. Jill and Tom also discussed Jill’s lack of interest in corn-based Thanksgiving dishes. Jill ran down this year’s North American Car of the Year finalists in the Car, Truck, and Utility categories. The hosts also answered a listener question about compact crossovers. In the second segment Jill and Tom welcome Colin Weatherwax of Cars for Kids...
Nov 20, 2023•55 min•Ep. 194
Jill and Tom opened the show examining Jill’s irrational dislike of filled donuts—even jelly filled. Tom stayed off topic for a moment, noting that Google was placing surprisingly racy ads on the Consumer Guide website, including one ad for something called, “Naughty Wedding Photos.” The hosts got serious and talked about a casual poll Tom conducted on Twitter/X to determine drivers’ favorite automotive tech features. The list is very interesting. The conversation moved on to Volvo’s new electri...
Nov 14, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Hosts Jill and Tom opened the show discussing an error on last week’s quiz. As it turns out, poutine is available at McDonald’s locations in Canada. Tom subsequently promoted his regular appearances on the Steve and Johnnie Show heard Saturday evenings on WGN Radio in Chicago. Tom is especially excited that he has been asked to select the bumper music played during his visits. The Conversation turned to Vietnamese EV startup VinFast, which is moving away from a direct-to-customer marketing netwo...
Nov 06, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 192
ill returns to the studio for a topic-packed episode. In the first segment Jill recounts for Tom the highpoints of her recent participation in the Rebelle Rally. Tom is impressed that Jill sustained no serious injuries. Jill also gave an update on the North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) voting process. NACTOY finalists should be announced during the Los Angeles Auto Show. Jill also spent some time with the all-new Chevrolet Silverado EV. Jill came away generally impressed, and noted that the...
Oct 30, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 191
