Car Stuff Podcast

Jill and Tom are joined this week by long-time cohost Damon Bell, who is currently serving as Senior Research Editor at Cars.com. Jill and Tom opened the show arguing about the two-screen dashboard found in the current Infiniti QX50 compact crossover. Jill finds the systems dated, while Tom saw the value in having a single screen dedicated to navigation functions. Damon joined the conversation to...

Jill and Tom opened the episode talking a little about the Detroit Auto Show which opens this week. The hosts will have complete coverage of the event next week. Tom complained a little about the Infiniti QX50 premium compact crossover. Though Tom generally likes the vehicle, he is annoyed that its much-promote high-tech VC-Turbo engine has not imbued the crossover with either standout power, or i...

Jill and Tom are both in studio this week. Jill talked a little about why she’s been away from the show, including a quick summary of the vehicles she’s recently seen and her time preparing for this year’s Rebelle Rally.  Jill talked about her test drive of the 2024 GMC Denali 2500 Ultimate, a super-premium trim-level addition to the maker’s pickup-truck lineup. Tom talked briefly about the Fisker...

Brendan Appel sits in for Jill this week, and discussed a pair of articles he wrote regarding the survival of the manual transmission. Brendan argues that carmakers have hastened the demise of stick shift by limiting availability and underestimating demand. Brendan notes the surprising popularity of stick shift on a number of new sporty offerings.  In the second segment Brendan and Tom welcome Mon...

Tom and guest co-host Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed open the show discussing the recently revealed Mustang GTD, an extreme performance version of Ford’s popular pony car. Brendan lamented the fact that, despite rumors to the contrary, the GTD is not a mid-engine car. The hosts went on to discuss an article just posted to the Consumer Guide Daily Drive Blog in which Tom attempts to correct com...

This week Tim Esterdahl of Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk subs for Tom who is still under the weather. Jill and Tim open the show by discussing the demise of the Titan, Nissan’s ill-fated and slow-selling large pickup truck. The conversation extended to the likelihood of Toyota bringing a small pickup truck to the U.S. to compete with Ford’s popular Maverick. Jill shared her thoughts on the radically...

Jill and guest cohost Nicole Wakelin, host of the Road Reflected podcast, opened the show talking about “sad snacks,” with Nicole arguing that most healthy and/or gluten-free treats aren’t worth the effort. Jill shared the news that industry colleague, and one-time Road America public-relations manager, Enrique Ramirez lost his battle with cancer. Enrique worked tirelessly to raise money for cance...

Sitting in again for Jill is Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed. Jill returns next week. Paul and Tom began the show correcting mistakes made last week. Both hosts were guilty of misstatements which have been begrudgingly corrected. Tom followed up on last week’s podcast, which included an interview with Don Drucker of Chicago’s famous Superdawg Drive-In. Having learned that the establishment’s tam...

This week Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill. In the first segment, Paul shared the details of his recent trip to Italy which included a visit to the Maserati factory, and a test drive of the brand’s exotic MC20 sports car. Paul and Tom also discussed recent cuts to the price of Ford’s electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck.  In the second segment Paul and Tom welcomed Don Drucker,...

Jill and Tom opened this week’s show quickly covering a number of topics, including Jill’s take on Toyota hybrid refinement, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) potentially inadequate use of crash-test dummies, and Tom’s recent encounter with would-be carjackers. Jill also shared her take on the freshened-for-2024 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport midsize crossovers. ...

Jill and Tom opened the program by discussing the show’s recognition by Feedspot as one of the must-listen-to podcasts of 2023. Tom went on to discuss how impressed he was with the 2023 Lexus RX450e, the brand’s first all-electric vehicle. Jill shared similar enthusiasm for the 2023 Honda Accord, especially in hybrid trim. The duo also spent a little time discussing industry supplier BorgWarner’s...

Jill and Tom opened the show discussing an extremely sexist Mercury ad from 1967 which Tom has featured on the Consumer Guide Daily Drive blog. Jill shared her impressions of the updated-for-2024 Jeep Wrangler, which benefits from revised styling and new tech features. Jill is a big fan of the plug-in-hybrid 4Xe Wrangler variants. Tom went on to discuss the 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint audio system...

The show opened with Tom to complaining to Jill about a woman at the donut shop individually selecting each of the 18 donuts in her order, consulting the clerk on each, and occasionally rejecting choices after they had been boxed. Pressed for time, Tom left the shop and got cannoli from a nearby European deli instead.  The team would go on to discuss the all-new Mazda CX-90 midsize crossover, and...

Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed joined Tom this week, filling in for the traveling Jill Ciminillo. Paul and Tom covered a number of topics in the first segment, including the demise of the ultra-smooth Lexus V6, and Paul’s experience with the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan. Paul came away very impressed with the Ioniq, and took note of the vehicle’s smooth power delivery. Paul and Tom also discu...

Jill and Tom opened a topic-packed episode by discussing a listener’s request for more donut content. Jill later obliged with a quick take on an iced strawberry ring from a local donut shop Tom refused to name. (Long story.) Jill went on to recap the news from a Lexus event at which the all-new GX midsize SUV and TX 3-row midsize crossover were introduced. Tom shared a quick note regarding the upd...

Jill and Tom opened the show discussing home remedies their parents and grand parents believed in. The hosts agreed that saltines and 7-Up were understood to cure almost anything. Tom noted that his dad was a firm believer in the curative power of Jägermeister. (Jill is under the weather, hence the remedy chat.)  The discussion finally turned automotive, and Jill shared her thoughts on the heavily...

The crew looks ahead to the women-only 2023 Rebelle Rally. Jill answers Tom's questions regarding the event, including logistics, challenges, and not showering for eight days. Jill will be participating in the event for the second time. Kudos to Hyundai for again providing Team Brute Squad (#TeamBruteSquad) with a specially upfitted Santa Cruz for the event.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compa...

Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the recent Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) Spring Rally, and a couple of the vehicles Jill drove at the event held annually at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Jill was most impressed by the redesigned 2024 Chevrolet Trax, which after a one-year hiatus has returned redesigned to anchor the Chevrolet lineup. Jill also spent time with the L...

After Tom finished complaining about his experience at Burger King earlier in the day, the hosts discussed the recently announced driving range of the coming Chevrolet Silverado EV. Jill noted that the full range—an impressive 450 miles—comes at a price. Jill and Tom went on to discuss the redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma, which Jill recent spent time examining, though not driving. Drive opportunitie...

Tom and guest host Brendan Appel of the Sons of Speed (Jill is traveling this week) opened the show discussing the off-road ready Ford Bronco Raptor. The hosts agreed that Raptor is pricey, and a little too wide to drive in urban environments, but found much to like about the truck. Tom and Brendan also discussed the coming 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor, the first American-market Raptor version of the m...

Jill and Tom opened the show talking about Jill’s recent time in Sweden driving the updated 2024 Volvo C40 and XC40 small electric sedan and crossover. Changes include significant improvements in range. Later In the first segment the hosts also discussed Tesla’s recent price cuts, and why the EV maker might be willing to settle for lower sticker prices in exchange for greater sales volume. In the...

Tom and guest host Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed (Jill is traveling this week) opened the show discussing the surprising rebranding happening at Jaguar Land Rover. Tom and Paul agree that the planned updates, which include spinning Discovery off as a separate brand, foretell the demise of Jaguar in the U.S. Paul shared news regarding a personal car purchase. Paul recently took delivery of a BM...

Jill and Tom opened the show calling back to last week’s episode during which guest James Bell of Kia instructed Jill to make use of the “GT” button in her test Kia EV6 GT. Jill did as instructed; listen in for her impressions. The hosts discussed the coming 2024 Lincoln Nautilus, and it’s move to Chinese manufacture.  The conversation moved to the official list of vehicles that qualify this year...

Jill and Tom opened the show wildly off topic, discussing Japanese Kit Kats and the bag of Sacher-torte-flavor ‘Kats Tom brought to the studio. Listen to the podcast for Jill’s review. The duo went on to discuss the BMW 840i Gran Coupe Jill recently spent time evaluating. Jill and Tom also discussed the all-new Envista small crossover, which will be replacing the Encore in Buick’s lineup.  James B...

Jill and Tom opened the show talking about the Toyota bZ4X small electric crossover, and some of the negative reviews it has received. The hosts agreed that the EV is better overall than its media coverage suggests, but had some specific complaints of their own. Jill and Tom discussed the new-product reveals seen at this year’s New York Auto Show, and agreed that the coming Kia EV9 three-row cross...