Car Stuff Podcast

It's a special episode this week: the "sneak peek" announcement of our annual Consumer Guide Best Buy awards. Jill Ciminillo has the week off, as Tom and Damon run down the entire list of 2022 Best Buy award winners in each of our 20 vehicle categories. We discuss the winners in each category, from subcompact cars to premium large SUVs--and everything in between.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz...

Host Tom Appel and co-host Jill Ciminillo start the show by discussing Hyundai’s new-for-2022 "N" performance versions of the Elantra compact sedan and Kona subcompact crossover SUV. Jill also shares her test-drive impressions of the hydrogen/fuel-cell Toyota Mirai sedan. Jake Fisher, Senior Director of Auto Testing at Consumer Reports, joins us to talk about Consumer Reports' latest new-vehicle r...

Host Tom Appel and co-host Damon Bell start the show by discussing a few of the new vehicles revealed in conjunction with the L.A. Auto Show this week, including the 2023 Mazda CX-50 and Toyota bZ4X. (Co-host Jill Ciminillo is out on assignment this week.) Brendan Appel, Director of Operations at Sons of Speed, joins us for a roundtable styling-critique session on a handful of current vehicles. To...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing their test-drive experiences with Mazda's first pure-electric vehicle--the new-for-2022 MX-30. Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder joins us to talk about Cars.com's "Guide for the EV Curious"--an excellent primer on electric vehicles. Tom has a tricky quiz for Damon and Jill on the debut model years of se...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing  the trends on display at the 2021 SEMA Show, the premiere trade show for the automotive aftermarket industry. Lefty Tsironis, Senior Director of Strategy and Business Development for the Los Angeles Auto Show, joins us to talk about the upcoming 2021 edition of the show. Tom has a quiz for Damon and Jill on...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing  the recently unveiled 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness. Patrick Olsen, Executive Editor at Carfax, joins us to talk about ways consumers can avoid buying a flood-damaged vehicle. Tom has a quiz for Damon and Jill on 18-wheeler trucks, and Damon runs down the latest article...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing  their favorite new vehicles from a recent automotive-media test-drive event--particularly the new-for-2022 Ford Maverick compact pickup and Genesis GV70 premium compact SUV. Collectible Automobile magazine Editor-in-Chief John Biel joins us to chat about the great features in the December 2021 issue, including...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by discussing the redesigned-for-2022 Lexus NX compact luxury SUV. Robby DeGraff, Industry Analyst with AutoPacific, joins us to talk about promising EV startups, in light of the fact that the Lucid Air luxury sedan and Rivian R1T full-size pickup have recently reached production. Tom has a quiz on China's automotive marke...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by discussing the latest wave of off-road-focused SUVs and sub-brands such as Ford's Timberline, Honda's Trailsport, and Subaru's Wilderness. John McElroy, host and editorial director of the Autoline family of automotive-industry newscasts, joins us to talk about his prediction/prescription for the forthcoming "sunset" of...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by discussing the recently unveiled 2022 Toyota Tundra full-size pickup and 2022 Ford Expedition large SUV. James Bell, Head of Corporate Communications for Kia America, joins us to talk about Kia's forthcoming EV6 electric vehicle. Tom has a true-or-false quiz for Damon and Jill on the Toyota Highlander and actor Tony Ran...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by discussing the new vehicles they've driven so far this year that impressed them the most. Scott Case, co-founder and CEO of Recurrent--a company that compiles and provides data on used electric vehicles and their battery health-- joins us to talk about Recurrent's services and give his perspective on the growing EV mark...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by discussing the new-for-2022 Toyota Corolla Cross subcompact SUV, and the redesigned 2022 Infiniti QX60 midsize SUV. Sam Fiorani, Vice President of Global Vehicle Forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, joins us to give his insight on Ford's current spate of production setbacks, including the Ford Bronco's hardtop produc...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing the recently expanded recall of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV due to a risk of fire. Next, Jamie Page Deaton, Executive Editor of the Autos team at U.S. News and World Report, joins us to talk about the U.S. News Best Cars for Teens awards. Tom has a tricky "left or right side of the road?" quiz for Damon and Ji...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing Jaguar's plans to drop all of its internal-combustion vehicles and become a pure-electric brand by 2025. Next, Sergeant Thomas Mason of the Chicago Police Department joins us to talk about the rise in carjacking thefts, and what you can do to keep yourself safe.  Tom has a quiz on the middle names of auto-indust...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing Damon's recent drive of the new Hyundai Tucson Hybrid in the Lake Tahoe area, and then we share our "Dead Pool" picks--vehicles we think are soon to be discontinued. Brian Latouf, Chief Safety Officer at Hyundai Motor North America, joins us to talk about current automotive safety topics and fill us in on Hy...

Host Tom Appel and co-host Jill Ciminillo start off the show by discussing several of vehicles Tom drove this week at a local media event; Tom was especially impressed by the 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz and 2022 Volkswagen Taos. Tom and Jill also discuss some of their favorite new-car features, such as blind-spot alert systems and rearward-sliding sun visors. John Biel, Editor-in-Chief of Collectible...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing the recently announced cancellation of the 2021 New York International Auto Show. We also talk about the impending discontinuation of the Acura NSX and Toyota Avalon. Jeanette McGee, Director of External Communications for the American Automobile Association (AAA), joins us to talk about gas prices, fuel-eco...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing GM's lawsuit against Ford over the BlueCruise name for Ford's hands-free highway-driving feature. We also talk about the significant spike in year-over-year used-car transaction prices. Kelsey Mays, Assistant Managing Editor at Cars.com, joins us to talk about Cars.com's 2021 American-Made Index, a ranking o...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start off the show by discussing  the impending discontinuation of the Volkswagen Passat midsize sedan, as well as VW's other product initiatives. Brian Bell, Marketing Manager for the Ford F-150, joins us to talk about the revolutionary new F-150 Lightning pure-electric pickup truck . Tom has a "which vehicle sold better?" quiz for Damon a...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show with a discussion of the Stellantis "EV Day" future electric-vehicle announcements. Next, we share our impressions of the 2021 special summer edition of the Chicago Auto Show, and the vehicles on display there. Tom has a quiz on the Chicago Auto Show for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Consumer...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show with a discussion of the current crop of minivans--and Damon's and Jill's minivan summer road trips. Paul Herrold, Chief Editor at Sons of Speed, joins us to talk about the SOS crew's "car guys' take" video reviews of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, and whether they think it's a "real" Mustang. Tom has a quiz on the Acura ILX f...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell kick off the show by talking about the current and recently discontinued vehicles they think are underrated. Sam Fiorani, Vice President of Global Vehicle Forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, joins us to discuss the current crop of electric-vehicle startup companies and their prospects for success, as well as the ongoing microchip shorta...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing the recently unveiled 2022 Infiniti QX60 three-row SUV. Brandon Girmus, Jeep Senior Brand Manager, joins us to talk about the new-for-2021 Wrangler 4xe--Jeep's first-ever plug-in-hybrid vehicle. Tom has a quiz on branded premium audio systems for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Con...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing Jeep's new Grand Cherokee L three-row SUV. Harry Moser, Founder of the Reshoring Initiative, joins us to talk about his non-profit organization's efforts to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. Tom has another quiz for Damon and Jill, and Damon runs down the latest articles on the Consumer Guide D...

Host Tom Appel and co-hosts Jill Ciminillo and Damon Bell start the show by discussing their test-drive impressions of Volkswagen's first mainstream electric vehicle: the ID.4 compact crossover SUV. Larry Nutson, Executive Producer and Chicago Bureau Chief at The Auto Channel, joins us to give his impressions of the ID.4, and to talk about Ford's recently unveiled 2022 Maverick compact pickup truc...