Unnamed Automotive Podcast

Is the 2019 BMW M850i so good that it makes Benjamin take the most controversial stance in the history of the podcast? Is this luxury coupe really as good as he says it is, or does Sami have to hit him with a hard reality check? Once that's out of the way, it's time to talk about what went right, and what went wrong, with the 2019 Cadillac XT4 SUV, before sliding into a lightning round where Sami...

Is the electric version of the 2020 Kia Seoul that Benjamin drove last month just as good as the gas model? Sami continues with tales from Korea, telling us all about his drive in the all-new Soul EV. Meanwhile, Benjamin spills the beans on the 2019 Nissan Kicks, which isn't really an SUV - and is all the better for it.

Does Hyundai's return to fashion-forward design have what it takes to push the all-new 2020 Hyundai Sonata back into mid-size family car contention? After a detour to the DMZ, Sami drives through the streets of Seoul, Korea, to find out. Benjamin heads to the Mediterranean to put the 2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque SUV through its paces up treacherous foggy mountains and down perilous off-road...

If it looks like an SRT but packs a V6, is it still a good buy? Benjamin and Sam argue about the merits of the 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited X before veering off into Mercedes-Benz G-Class territory, which Sami opines is simple too expensive to ever take off-road. Finally, Benjamin drops the stunning revelation that he's purchased a 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer and made it the official UAP project...

The 2019 BMW X7 is the first full-size 3-row SUV from the German brand. Benjamin drives it from Florida to Louisiana to see if it has what it takes to compete with Land Rover et al. Meanwhile, Sami spends time with the 2019 Mazda 3 AWD, the first all-wheel drive challenger to the Subaru Impreza in the compact segment in a very long time.

When is a crossover not a crossover? When it's the 2019 BMW X2 M35i, a hot hatch contender disguised as an SUV. Benjamin and Sami each spent a week with BMW's quickest compact and have dissenting opinions on how it compares to its less-mighty xDrive28i predecessor. Things get weirder with a lightning round focused on the Geneva auto show's supercar crop, of which Benjamin becomes obssessed with ho...

Which would you rather have when fighting the supernatural: the total anonymity of a rental-counter Taurus, or the off-road cool of a convertible Blazer? We get to the bottom of the mystery on this Star Car Faceoff bonus episode.

Is the 2019 BMW X5 capable of elevating itself to the top tier of luxury SUVs? After a week behind the wheel of the twin-turbo V8 model, both Benjamin and Sami have a definite opinion on the X5's place in the performance truck pantheon. Switching gears, the two also delve into Benjamin's sub-zero session in the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace EV, a ferociously quick battery-powered crossover forced to face win...

Sami's supercar streak continues with a drive of the 2020 McLaren 720S Spider, which now holds the podcast record for 'fastest thing Sami has ever been inside of.' Benjamin races too, this time on ice in a rear-wheel drive Lexus IS 300 at the Lexus Sport Cup studded tire challenge - but he had to drive the 2019 Acura RDX SUV to get there. Which was worse: being sideways all day or getting used to...

Sami, our resident supercar expert, takes the time to explain the ins-and-outs of McLaren's nomeclature to Benjamin after driving the 2019 McLaren 600LT on a race track. Benjamin returns the favor by waxing poetic about the enduring appeal of Kia's most popular box, the 2020 Soul. Also: every version of the 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, all at once!

Benjamin and Sami have their most heated debate to date when discussing Sami's time behind the wheel of the 2019 Rolls-Royce Cullinan - an SUV Benjamin views as an abomination for the distinguished automaker, despite Sami's passionate defense for its place in the world. Even more brand weirdness ensues with Sami comparing his drive in the 2019 BMW Z4 with the Toyota Supra, its platform twin. Stick...

How much can one sub-zero blizzard change things? In the case of the 2019 Honda Pilot SUV, it completely flipped Benjamin's perception of the people mover from 'blah' to 'awe.' Sami, however, has a harder time deciding whether the 2019 Dodge Charger SXT AWD V6 has a place in the full-size sedan world, regardless of what the weather's like outside. Also, sloths.

The 2019 Mazda 3 is here - but parts of it are missing in action. Benjamin drives Mazda's redesigned compact car and muses on what the absence of Skyactiv X (and the cost of going AWD) mean for the brand. Sami contributes with his time behind the wheel of the 2019 Kia Stinger GT, this time with a turbo 4 in place of the big-dog twin-turbo six. The pair also get off on a weird tangent about how to...

What was the coolest Star Car van of all time? Sami makes a passionate case for the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine, while Benjamin holds out that the TMNT Party Wagon covers all the bases. But there's a potential dark horse lurking in the background: can the A-Team van slide in an steal victory?

BMW seriously ups the ante with the M2 Competition, a more powerful version of last year's already excellent performance coupe. Sami opines that it's the best M car he's driven, while Benjamin counters with his experience behind the wheel of the 2019 BMW X4 M40i, which isn't an M car at all. Finally, the two hit the Detroit Auto Show in lightning round form, which means Supra, GT500, and more get...

Does putting nipples on a Batmobile disqualify it from being taken seriously? Is the Lotus Esprit submarine really that cool? Does Sami have unusually strong positive memories associated with Batman Forever? The answer to these questions, and more, in this introductory episode to our new bonus series that pits one (or more) star cars against the other in a battle to the death.

Is the 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe a pretty face or a middling contender in the SUV sweepstakes? Benjamin and Sami can't agree - but they have fun trying to convince each other to see the light. One thing's for certain: Sami can't wrap his mind around the under-baked 2019 Ford Edge ST 'performance' SUV that he also drove last week. Benjamin cleanses the palate with a short, but sweet time behind the whe...

It's Freaky Friday on this week's podcast as the pair swap SUVS they each drove last month. Sami interviews the SRT braintrust about the Ram SRT10 pickup and the 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, and Benjamin goes on a journey of self-discovery in the 2019 Subaru Ascent, which has no fewer than 19 cupholders. Or is that 18? The only way to know for sure is to listen to our final episode of the y...

It's been close to a decade since you could buy a Ranger in a Ford showroom, but for 2019 the once-compact, now-mid-size pickup is back. Benjamin drives the 2019 Ford Ranger on-road and off-road to figure out where it fits in a suddenly-crowded small truck market. Sami, on the other hand, plunges deep into the Nissan brand and brings back tales of the mid-size Murano SUV and the near-luxury Maxima...

The 2020 BMW 3 Series is a complete redesign of a car that had fallen behind its sport sedan rivals in terms of fun. Sami heads to Portugal's Algarve circuit - one of his favorite tracks in the world - to see whether the 3 Series got its groove back. Meanwhile, Benjamin braves the desert sun and sand of the UAE to test out the 2019 Audi e-tron, the first all-electric SUV from the German brand. Is...

Hey, it's the holidays. Usually that means buying stuff for people you care about, or maybe don't, but we wanted to let you know that it's ok to turn away from consumerism and resist the pressure to use material goods to show someone you love them. That being said, we've also got a pair of in-depth reviews on gearhead gifts in our holiday guide, including a look at Forza Horizon 4 and an in-depth...

Do you want an SUV that pop, drops, and locks its way out of sticky, muddy, or snowy situations? Mercedes-Benz thinks you do - and they also think you want mad corner leaaaaan, just like a race bike - with the 2020 GLE-Class. Sami has the full scoop on what it's like to drive this upcoming crossover. Benjamin, on the other hand, tries to stifle his disbelief at the GLE-Class and its air suspension...

What's it like to be whisked off to exotic Morocco and given the keys to Nissan's entire global fleet of off-roaders? Guest Chad Kirchner shares his story of scorpions, Titans, Terras, and Patrols bashing through the dunes, and also discusses the differences between the Nissan Navarra and the Frontier pickup that is sold in North America. Benjamin, Sami, and Chad also discuss the 2018 Ford F-150 D...

What's it like to drive a dead car on Mexico's Day of the Dead, in Puebla City, Mexico? Benjamin tells the sad tale of the end-of-the-line for the Volkswagen Beetle, which marks 2019 as its final year of production. He also tours the plant where the Beetle is built and gets to go on a check-out ride right off of the line with VW test engineers. Sami laments the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV as being...

Can you drive the 707 horsepower Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk at near-freezing temperatures on rain-slicked roads and not fall prey to its supercharged, world-killing drivetrain? Benjamin discovers that the answer is yes after a week behind the wheel in chilly Montreal. The pair also get deep with the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N, a hot hatch that's poised to shake up the established order, before Sam...