Car Stuff Podcast

Tom opens the show with news regarding Stellantis' joint venture with China's Leapmotor. Stellantis currently distributes Chinese Leapmotor-built electric vehicles in Europe, and may be looking to build Leapmotor models in its idle Brampton, Ontario factory. Listen in for more details.

Jill gives a quick rundown of the new-product reveals seen at this week's New York Auto Show. A number of noteworthy introductions are covered, incl...

The hosts open the show noting that the power-seat recall affecting the Hyundai Palisade has expanded to include the mechanically similar Kia Telluride. Listen in for details.

As predicted in a previous episode, Tom shares news of the dissolution of the Afeela electric-vehicle brand. Afeela was a Honda/Sony joint venture nearing production of a premium midsize sedan built in the U.S.

Tom also discussed the potential impact of E15 f...

Jill opens this week's show with a correction. Listen in for her begrudging mea culpa. The hosts go on to discuss briefly Tom's time in the Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD. Toms's review of the car is live now on ConsumerGuide.com.

Tom shares a few details of the coming redesigned Lexus ES midsize sedan. New for 2026 is an EV variant of the popular model, while other examples of the ES will be hybrid only. Listen in for details.

Still...

Jill and Tom open the show again sharing word of electric-vehicle cancellations. This time EVs from Honda and Volvo are being dropped.

Tom discusses a new Texas DMV law which makes it difficult for undocumented shoppers to register a new or used vehicle. Though the regulations are relatively new, some area dealers are reporting small but measurable downturns in sales.

Tom notes having recently reviewed the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Lim...

Jill and Tom open the show discussing the sudden resignation of Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell. Tom thinks Feuell's departure prefaces the end of the Chrysler brand. Jill is not so sure. Listen in for details.

The hosts go on to share news of two car models that will disappear after the 2026 model year. One is no surprise, the other a little bit sad.

Still in the first segment, Jill and Tom review the 2026 Mazda CX-70 midsize crossover....

Jill is back in the co-host seat this week, having spent some time in Canada intentionally driving Volvo vehicles in snow and on ice.

Tom opens the show with a mea culpa. Listen in to see what he got wrong last week.

The hosts discuss a number of news items, including some reported delays in the delivery of Tesla's newly discounted Cybertruck, Lamborghini backing away from electric vehicles, and the proposed Jay Leno Law. Listen in...

Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. Brendan and Tom open the show talking about the changing character of car engines, and how small turbocharged examples lack the character—especially exhaust note—of older, larger engines.

Tom shares news regarding deep price cuts on the Tesla Cybertruck. Per Elon Musk, the new, cheaper Tesla pickup may not be available for long, so interested shoppers may want to act qu...

No donuts today as Jill isn't feeling well (listen to her voice) and Tom says he's on a diet. The hosts open the show by discussing big Toyota news: The Highlander is going EV only for 2027. Listen in for Jill and Tom's take on this announcement. Also discussed is Jeep's new lower-cost V8 Wrangler model.

Next, Tom shares a brief take on the very-affordable Chevrolet Trax in topline Activ trim. Should entry-level shoppers take a loo...

Jim Obrill of the Chicago Auto Show drops by for a quick update on the show. The show includes a number of surprise displays including the $400,000 Cadillac Celestiq electric sedan.

Tom owns up to an error in last week's show, listen in to find out what he got wrong.

Jill and Tom continue to share several news items, including the return of the rugged Nissan Xterra SUV.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the all-new 2026 Suba...

Jill and Tom sift through an enormous amount of news this week, including the announced deaths of four car models, including two from Tesla. Other news items covered include a name for Ford’s new electric small truck, BMW’s new electric-car architecture, and the unexpected comeback of the minivan.

Still in the first segment, Jill reviews the 2026 Mitsubishi Outlander small crossover. Listen in for her take.

In the second segment th...

Jill and Tom open the show acknowledging a few foreign cities in which there are Car Stuff Podcast listeners. Listen in for the list.

Stories this week include news that Mercedes-Benz is dropping its Drive Pilot semi-autonomous driving system in the U.S., and Buick is moving production of the U.S.-market Envision small crossover out of China. Tom also shares the results of his very unscientific “Most American” car poll. Did the Cor...

Jill and Tom open a topic-packed show acknowledging the winners of the 2026 North American Car of the Year voting. Listen in for complete list.

Moving on, Tom noted that General Motors CEO Mary Barra said publicly something he had long feared regarding plug-in hybrids. Barra suggests the news will impact future product development.

Subsequent to last week’s Zeekr conversation, Tom shared some interesting news regarding the prices o...

Jill is back in the co-host seat this week for a topic-packed episode. Tom opens the show asking if $61,000 seems like a lot for a Hyundai—any Hyundai. The hosts discuss the Korean maker’s luxury/value equation, and note that Tom’s test car, a 2026 Palisade Calligraphy Hybrid is, without question, a luxury vehicle. Listen in for more of the conversation.

Tom goes on to share his frustration with Stellantis for killing all of Jeep’s...

For the first show of 2026, Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill who is traveling. Paul and Tom address a number of topics to open the show, including annoying helper AI bots on dealership websites, the death of the Karma Revero (once known as the Fisker Karma), and the return of the Hemi engine to the Ram 1500 lineup.

Still in the first segment, Tom reviews the 2026 Nissan Kicks. Tom is impressed by just how much equ...

Jill and Tom open the last show of 2025 by discussing how Christmas gift expectation change with age. Tom, for example, noted how happy he was to receive a Brita water filter.

The hosts went on to process the biggest auto-related stories of 2025, including tariffs, tax credits, Ford recalls, and the return of the Hemi V8 engine.

In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Sam Fiorani, AutoForecast Solutions Vice President of Global...

Jill and Tom open the show addressing two high-profile electric vehicle cancellations announced this past week. First the hosts discuss the end of production for the Ford F-150 Lighting, which came as something of a surprise to both Jill and Tom. 

Also covered is news that Volkswagen will not be importing a 2026 edition of the spunky ID. Buzz electric minivan. Will the ID. Buzz be back for 2027? Jill and Tom speculate. 

Still in the ...

Jill and Tom open this week’s show acknowledging that Vietnamese EV startup VinFast is likely to cease U.S. operations in the very near future. The hosts also note that another EV startup, Bollinger Motors, has called it quits. 

Tom discusses his time in the Jeep Wrangler, this example powered by the available 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, instead of the popular 3.6-liter V6. Tom prefers the smaller engine. Listen in to hear why. 

T...

Jill and Tom open the show by discussing the recently rolled-back federal fuel-economy standards, and the implication for carmakers in the near term. 

Tom then shares—to his great amusement--the long, complicated, and multinational route by which the Polestar 4 crossover arrives in the United States. Hint: Five countries are involved. The hosts also discuss massive Polestar discounts currently being offered on 2025 models. 

Tom then ...

Jill and Tom open the show acknowledging a listener’s concerns regarding recent donut selections by Tom. This involves an apology to Producer Randy. (See the Car Stuff Podcast Facebook page for pictures of recent donut selections.)

Tom discusses some issues he had driving the excellent 2026 Nissan Leaf EV crossover. Tom’s issues include getting snowed in, and understanding the available charging options. 

Still in the first segment, ...