Best In Class

The Toyota Yaris was basic transportation for millions of people, and that it about it. Or is it? Are there any redeeming features to this cheap-as-chips vehicle? And why are we talking about it right after Diablo? What the hell? We'll try to answer that this week.

If you had a car poster on your wall in the 90's, the odds are you had an extra large one of the Lamborghini Diablo. If you didn't have any posters, you certainly "drove" a Diablo in Need for Speed or Cruisin' USA. It was a car of the moment in the Clinton years. But what about today? Could it be used around town without falling apart after 30 years? Steve and Adam are on the case today.

The Morgan Motor Car company started in 1909, and hasn't changed so much as a light bulb since then. Their cars are still handmade, quite weird, and built out of wood. They are truly a automotive basketcase. But hey, it's Steve's birthday so we'll cover them anyway...

Ferrari has come out with their first 4-door, AND their first SUV. Although they won't call it an SUV. And two of doors open backward. And the order books are already full. But beyond all those quibbles, it's big news! Adam and Steve have poured over all the official information, unofficial leaks, and pure rumor to give you our first episode on a car that we haven't even seen yet. What could go wr...

For one fine moment, you could walk into a Chrysler dealership and pick between a PT Cruiser, a Dodge Magnum, and a Chrysler Crossfire. During this halcyon day of the Pentastar brand, Germany was calling the shots in the form of now-owners Daimler-Benz. The Crossfire was the first product of this German-American marriage, and boy was it a doozy.

Adam is back from his Vacation, and Steve is obviously upset. A perfect time to cover the original American supercar, the arguable cause of the Great Depression, and the most expensive pre-war car ever to be sold. Of course we can only be referring to Duesenberg! Which of these 1920's monsters is the Best in Class, and is Steve's Ferrari really slower than one?

Guest host Erika Canfijn sits in for Adam (as he takes a well-deserved vacation) and joins Steve to discuss the other Camry, the not-quite-Accord, the fabulous Nissan Sentra. If you haven't owned one, you've ridden in one. But is it any good? And which is the best? All that and more on this week's Best in Class.

If you haven't heard of Devin, you're not the only one. This extremely rare manufacturer of cars - some say kit cars - only survived a few years and didn't make a lot of headlines. But in those scant years, they racked up enough wins on the race track to create a legend and pique the interest of our guest today. Reed will take us through what a Devin is, what makes it special, and why his is Best...

Is the Chrysler PT Cruiser peak 2000's automotive design, or one of the worst automotive designs? Can't it be both? It's our 75th episode and to celebrate we are delving into this boomer favorite wagon to see if there's any version worth getting. Spoiler alert - there is not.

1969 brought the venerable Nissan Skyline GT-R to life, but it took another 30 years and a video game to catapult the car nicknamed Godzilla from local Japanese acclaim to worldwide recognition and desire. So which of the 5 generations is the best GT-R? And how ridiculous will Steve look getting out of one? That's this week on Best in Class.

The Chevrolet Nova started life as a simple trim level, but graduated to it's own car before turning into a badge engineered Japanese-American hybrid. With that kind of tortured past, was it ever any good? And is the Nova just an also-ran to the Camaro and Mustang? And did Steve's Ferrari ever get fixed? All this and more on today's episode.

The Porsche Cayman is only for those that can't afford a 911. But that said, which one is the best one if that is all you can buy? We roped in current owner Derek to walk us through the OTHER poor man's Porsche to tell us why we should consider the Cayman, and whether or not he can get Adam to admit that it is kind of good.

Utes (or utility vehicles) are almost a meme of Australian car culture. They survived there - and only there - from the 1950's up to a few years ago, while the US only got the El Camino and the Ranchero car-trucks. So what made the Aussie's love their Utes so much? And how do we get one here in America? All that and more on this week's Best in Class.

The BMW M2 has been described as the most basic BMW M car available today. It has also been described as the most fun. Coincidence? We think not. And joining Steve and Adam in that opinion today is the brand new owner of a BMW M2 Competition, Charlie! He's going to tell our hosts why they are oh-so-wrong to pick anything else over an M2.

The classic British roadster exemplified in the MGB is one of the best selling classics of all time. It lasted 18 years, 3 generations, and more than 500,000 sold. And to find the best one, we actually tracked down an owner! Jenn is going to walk us through her 1979 example and tell Adam and Steve why they picked the wrong cars as Best in Class.

The Plymouth - and later Chrysler - Prowler arrived at a very unique point in history when Titanic ruled the box office, you were secretly listening to NSYNC, and Y2K was a real concern. But the world didn't end and the Prowler lived on for five glorious years. But which one is best, and how good would Steve's hair look blowing in the wind as he drove one around? All that and more on this week's B...

The Suzuki Jimny has conquered mountains, trails, and streams around the world over it's four generations, but can it conquer the hearts of Steve and Adam? And which generation was the best for the little offroading brat? All that and more on today's Best in Class.

The Dodge Ram has always played third fiddle to Ford and Chevy. Even in it's best years, it only manages to sell half as many trucks as the leaders. But is the Dodge Ram secretly the Saab of the truck world, destined to be bought by those to want something just a little more rebellious? And where they ever any good? Today Steve and Adam get to the bottom of the Ram.

The Hummer came out at a very distinct time in American history - when bigger was better, gas was cheap, and global warming was something only Europeans cared about. It managed to live through a recession, 3 generations, and is now coming back as an EV. But are any of them any good? And can Adam get Steve to trade his Ferrari for a classic Hummer? That's this week on Best in Class.

The Porsche Panamera finally brought the dream of a four door Porsche to reality, and helped save the brand from financial oblivion. It was (and is) also blisteringly fast. But is it just a modern-day 928, destined to fall out of favor and be a forgotten Porsche? All this and more on today's Best in Class.

If Lamborghini was founded as the anti-Ferrari, then the Miura was the car that first took the fight to Enzo in a serious way. This was Lambo's first big hit, and what it hit it was. The Miura turned into the template for just about every supercar that has ever followed, and even coined the term. But which Miura is best? And can Adam talk Steve into trading in his whole collection for one?

The Lotus Elise has spent it's entire life being a featherweight superhero, often out-punching much more expensive competition. But can it out-punch Adam's aversion to British cars? And is Steve really considering trading in the Fiat for one? All that this week, along with guest host Auggie as we explore this pint-sized roadster.

The Alfa Romeo Spider was made famous by Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate, but did you know that Dustin's uncle is the reason the car was used at all? If facts like that aren't enough to entice you, we also have a special guest host this week with current Spider owner Carter! So listen up as Steve, Adam, and Carter argue over when the Alfa Spider was at the top of it's game.

The Mitsubishi Eclipse/Eagle Talon/Plymouth Laser was a triumvirate of mid-level sports cars that was aimed at filling a fuel-efficient hole in Chrysler's model range. It lasted 4 generations, and has now morphed into an SUV. But were any of them any good, and either way which one was the best one? That's this week on Best in Class with Adam and Steve.

The Lincoln Town Car became synonymous with chauffeured trips from the airport and prom nights everywhere. Not bad for the mid-range Lincoln, but is it actually any good? And which model over it's 30-year run was the best. As always, that's what Steve and Adam are here to argue over on this week's Best in Class.