Cars on Call

Toyota is leaning into tough off-road trucks at the exact moment US car buyers are hungry for that. Ford is also doing this (to a lesser extent) but it’s a smart strategy. Where's GM?Trauma surgeon safety combined with a rant about 3rd party vendor Comma.ai who can install software that can take over your car. Yikes! A prominent auto industry observer has recommended that some/any high-end man...

Cars on Call Trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran has opinions about new cars connected to cars from the past, think new Volkswagen microbus 1960s edition versus Volkswagen iD Buzz. But our conversation won't be a boring rehashing of that ho-hum discussion. Instead, we get into cool renewed cars, and, of course, disaster re-dos. Nissan 400Z? Yes, well done. Toyota Supra? No, Toyota messed up. And F...

Kimi Antonelli looks to be a generational talent. Maybe.....Ford is bringing back sedans, namely Mustang sedans. Is it a good idea? We think so. Trauma surgeon safety: As ADAS transitions to self-driving, our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran thinks that highway deaths will start to decline,We love old American cars and reminisce about a bunch of old crazy/awesome/weird vehicles that are gone but no...

Car repos are way up. The average cost of a new car in 2026 is $50k, and that plus high gas prices are the main reasons for that. We discuss repos, The deets:Repos are up 20% from 2025. 60% of new car buyers take out a loan, and 24% of buyers have a loan term of 7yrs or more. Ave monthly payment is $777 for a new vehicle. But - lenders don’t actually want to repo cars: Toyota credit loses $13,602...

Volkswagen took the good looking iDBuzz off the US market prematurely. Thankfully, they're bringing it back. We're happy! Trauma surgeon safety: our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran says, "Don't take the doors off your Jeep Wrangler/Ford Bronco!" There's a reason. Steve-0 discusses the (kinda hard to understand) Personal Luxury Coupe craze of the late 1970s/early 1980s. Wa...

The three of us recently, like all of us during the past six months, bought old but new-to-us cool cars and we discuss. Jeff Bank was the most recent, purchasing a manual Porsche 997.2 cabriolet on Cars and Bids, while Steve-0 traded his E92 M3 for a manual 997.2 coupe, and our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran took delivery of his bespoke ERA Shelby Cobra replica. Steve-0 then rants that Porsche ha...

t’s summertime: that means time for drop top cars, which means convertibles. We each name our five favorite all time convertibles and discussTrauma surgeon safety topic: how new technology enables safer towing of trailersCar spotting: Steve-0 spotted a 1987 Ferrari 288 GTO in a Ferrari showroom in California. It can be yours for just $8.9 millionOur trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran tells a colorful...

Steve-0 tested the new Range Rover recently and talks about it. Spoiler alert: it's great. Trauma surgeon safety: our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran says that the USA has a lot that we can do to prevent pedestrian deaths. Europe does it better. The Ford F 150 Raptor R is unbelievably profitable. So are Cadillac Escalade Vs. How about some respect for these great vehicles from their makers! We...

Our trauma surgeon ordered an ERA Shelby Cobra replica 4.5yrs ago, and it finally arrived. While not complete, it looks terrific in a very special (and personal) blue color with Air Force fighter pilot leather jacket brown interior. We're excited! Steve-0 has a rant about the Ferrari Luce, the iconic Italian automaker's upcoming four door BEV. He hates it of course, but unlike most observe...

Ford will no longer sell Shelby Mustangs. No more GT350 or 500 because Shelby charges $800 per car. Good idea or bad idea? We think good idea. New 2026 Subaru Outback. Seriously ugly!! We discuss. Trauma surgeon safety: self-driving software is getting better, and Ai is helping. Our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran gets into it. John Deere tried to prevent independent shops from repairing their pr...

Our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran says that having motorcycle police escort funeral processions is a bad idea. No cops should lose their lives doing this, but sadly some do every year. We need to stop this. GM and Ford have abandoned sedans, and yet Honda sells many Accords every year, and Toyota sells many Camrys. We want the GM Cavalier and Ford Fusion to return. Do you? Dr Moran spots a cool...

Sonic automotive's Andy Choi returns to talk about selling cars at Steven's Creek BMW.He is joined by his HS friend Karl Schutz, CoC host's Steve-0's son, who discusses how he became a car guy and tech sales. Usual hosts trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran and car collector/consultant Adams Hudson are away. #carsoncallpodcast #automobile #autotrends #traumasurgeonsafety ‪@sonicautomoti...

Neither trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran nor car collector/consultant Adams Hudson were available this week, so we have a special guest. Life-long car enthusiast Andy Choi works in sales at Sonic Automotive's Stevens Creek BMW store, but before that he worked at the Car and Driver Magazine (he had non-automotive jobs in between).Andy and Steve-0 discuss life at the dealership as well as their e...

Mercedes profits are down mostly due to BEVs so they’re going to pivot to more affordable cars and decrease their focus on AMG and Maybach (ie - except them to ditch “The best or nothing”) Is this smart? We discuss then each name our 3 all-time favorite Mercedes modelsOur trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran talks about how the US measures roadway safety in terms of deaths/miles driven, while the rest...

Trauma Surgeon Stephan takes his Bullitt Mustang to Magic City Octane Car Show. Lots of cool cars but the vanity plates are the topic of this show. Steve-0 goes on a rant about all the new SUVs are no longer authentic to their origin and are all poseurs. Lots of graphics! Watch on YouTube! #magiccityoctane #vanityplates #carsoncallpodcast #lovefrom #ferrariluce #traumasurgeonsafety #hondacrx #rest...

The upcoming Ferrari Luce battery electric vehicle (BEV) will feature an interior designed by iPhone designer Jony Ive's company, LoveFrom. Their "new" idea is more buttons and knobs, which we like. And to be fair we think LoveFrom is pointing the way toward the car's future cabin design. Steve-0 spotted a 1985 Honda CRX. Honda wowed the automotive world in 1984 with the introduc...

Chris Harris had an idea we explore: what car would you drive as your daily driver if it were invisible and you didn’t have to worry about judgment? What about a “weekend car”? We list 5 of each. Steve-0 spots a 1990 Geo Metro. Believe it or not he drove one for a year in the mid-1990s to save money. A 3-cylinder shitbox with 55Hp, the Metro was a true deathmobile. But it was surprisingly well bui...

Sports cars comprise around 1% of new car sales these days, sadly. We discuss, and Steve-0 and our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran pick our five favorite sports cars of all time. Trauma surgeon safety segment: For many years, Dr Moran has been advocating for better crash dummies ("They should have 20 different size and gender dummies lined up, and the tester can pick any one and put it into a...

ur trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran, frequent guest and BMW expert Jeff Bank, and I livestream the sale of Steve-0's 16mi 2013 E92 BMW M3 6-sp. The last 30min of this auction were pretty crazy. I hoped for $60k-65k and got $78k. I'm very happy, but the new owner is getting a drivers' spec E92 M3 in excellent condition (low miles, one owner, all service done at dealer, rod bearings repla...

The VW GTI turns 50 this year. That’s a big deal and we discuss and list our 3 favorite GTI generationsOur trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran discusses the safety problems that software-heavy new cars have and how those problems can be addressed Car spotting: Stephan spotted a 2002 Dale Earnhardt Sr signature Chevy Monte Carlo. We hate it and think Dale Sr would have too, had he been alive. They say...

Our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran is shopping for a plug-in hybrid PHEV for his wifeSteve-0 decides to sell his 2013 E92 BMW M3, which he bought new and took delivery of in Munich. Lots of memories, but it's time. Trauma surgeon safety topic: the famous Vince Zampella Ferrari 296 crash. Dr Moran breaks it down and discusses why it happened and why it was fatal for Zampella and his passenger....

Friend of show Patrick S picks his best/worst cars to take to your high school reunionGood move, bad move: Audi/Porsche should make a G-wagen competitor! Trauma surgeon safety: Dr Moran discusses NHTSA's decision to use female crash dummies. And how he's been advocating for that for more than 20 years. Steve-0 and Stephan each nominate 5 recent cars that belong in the Hall of Fame. #carson...

New segment, good vs bad automotive ideas. Good: Lexus ditching spindle grille. Bad: Ford dumping BEV F-150.Adams spots a classic 280SL "Pagoda" Mercedes sports car. Our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran says put in more roundabouts because they save lives. The three of us each list three vehicles we'd take to our 30th High School reunion. Steve-0 rants about how he's no longer exc...

Porsche's profits are down about 95%. Troubles in China and over investment in electric vehicles are the main reasons, and we discuss. Our trauma surgeon Dr Stephan Moran gets into Mercedes' efforts to prevent their passengers from dying in their vehicles, and he talks about how he would help other manufacturers achieve that laudable goal. Steve-0 loves on the OG Lexus LS400, which complet...

Jeff Bank joins Steve-0 today! They discuss Q3 2025 auto sales: BMW takes the lead in luxury, and Toyota, especially Toyota trucks, are killing it. Jeff's family was involved in two crashes recently, neither their fault, so he gets into how to keep your family safe on our hectic roadways. Steve-0 spotted a 2026 Audi Q5. It was underwhelming. Finally, Jeff attended a Boise PCA mtg, and saw some...