Auto Buyers Guide Podcast

This week we diagnose Toyota's identity crisis — after the CEO admitted the lineup is "out of control," we go model by model through what should stay, what should die (Crown, Land Cruiser, Supra, GR86, the plug-in hybrid), and where Toyota needs more options in the middle of its SUV range. Plus, first impressions from spending real time with the new Slate electric truck, including configurator surprises and who it might actually make sense for.

 

Toyota lineup, Toyota CEO comments, Land Cruiser, 4Runner, Crown Signia, Lexus, GR86, Supra, Prius, Corolla, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid, Slate electric truck, Slate truck review, hybrid explainer, Atkinson cycle, regenerative braking, hybrid transmission, hybrid reliability, hybrid battery replacement cost, used car vs new car, car buying advice

#Toyota #HybridCars #SlateTruck #CarNews #AutoBuyersGuide #CarBuyingAdvice #ElectricTruck #ToyotaHybrid #CarPodcast #4Runner #LandCruiser

 

0:00 Intro: the laryngitis edition
0:20 Shameless plugs: the new novel and Kiva microlending
7:23 Slate electric truck: first impressions
17:34 Diagnosing what's wrong with Toyota's lineup
29:12 What we'd cut from Toyota's lineup
34:38 Listener Q&A: best hybrid SUV pick
46:33 How hybrids actually save fuel (Atkinson cycle)
55:19 Hybrid transmission changes explained
59:34 Hybrid reliability and battery replacement costs
1:04:22 Why your current car is the cheapest car you own

Spare tire or no spare tire? After limping the last 50 miles of a 1,000-mile road trip home on a donut, the crew digs into whether the spare still matters in 2026 — the Consumer Reports data behind what new cars actually carry, why Honda and Subaru hybrids bury the spare-tire well under a battery and waste the space entirely, what a replacement donut really costs, and the safety reasons you should almost always mount the spare on the rear axle. Along the way: a listener voicemail making the case for aftermarket modern-spare kits, the truth about whether AAA brings you a tire (spoiler — they don't), the right and wrong way to use fix-a-flat, and how often you should really be checking your spare's pressure. Then it's on to the 2027 Chevy Silverado refresh — the surviving 2.7L turbo now bolted to the 10-speed, the new 5.7L and 6.6L V8s replacing the old 5.3 and 6.2, a detour through the wild history of the segment's diesels (Cadillac, Fiat, and Land Rover all make an appearance), the new triple-screen interior, and why a GM sport truck could give the Ram Rumble Bee a real run for its money.

 

0:00 Intro: spare tires and what's ahead
0:22 Limping home on the donut after a 1,000-mile trip
1:50 Glad I skipped the Blazer EV (no spare)
3:00 Voicemail: John from Philly on modern-spare kits
5:44 Spare tires, regions, and brand culture
8:18 The AAA myth: do they bring you a tire?
9:14 The data: Consumer Reports spare-tire stats
14:27 Spare categories and donut limitations
16:47 The five-tire rotation philosophy
20:10 Honda & Subaru hybrids: batteries in dumb places
24:43 What a replacement spare actually costs
26:31 Is fix-a-flat an okay compromise?
28:31 Checking spare pressure & air compressors
31:20 Where do you even put the full-size spare?
34:55 Front vs. rear: mounting the spare safely
38:14 Upgrading: modern-spare universal kits
41:55 The 2027 Chevy Silverado refresh
44:01 Engines: 2.7L turbo, new V8s, and the 10-speed
48:19 Diesel history: Cadillac, Fiat & Land Rover
50:24 Power estimates for the 5.7L & 6.6L V8s
53:33 New triple screens & smartphone integration
55:12 Sport truck speculation vs. the Rumble Bee
59:11 Torque-split 4WD and why it matters
1:02:24 Wrap-up

This week on Auto Buyer's Guide, the crew goes unscripted and ends up covering more ground than most planned episodes ever do. It starts with a Camry in the driveway and spirals into a genuinely compelling argument for why Toyota's all-hybrid midsize sedan is one of the shrewdest value plays on the market right now — outselling the entire Mercedes lineup in North America and costing buyers roughly $100 a month less than a RAV4 when you run the real numbers. From there the conversation widens into the broader sedan and hybrid sales resurgence, the questionable economics of the Prius versus Camry, why manufacturers keep killing promising vehicles too early, and a tour through what Honda used to get right with packaging that it no longer does.

The back half of the episode gets into some of the thornier issues shaking up the industry: Dodge's $12,000 price hike on the Charger EV and the deeper identity crisis behind it, a candid review of the new Honda Prelude hybrid, the vanishing breed of affordable fun cars for everyday buyers, and a long-form discussion on what a Honda-Nissan merger might actually look like — including which brands (Acura, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Infiniti) probably shouldn't survive it. Tesla's luxury market positioning, Hyundai and Kia's dramatic move upmarket, and a listener question on vehicle sizing graphics round out a wide-ranging, opinion-heavy hour that sounds nothing like it wasn't planned.

 

00:00:00 - Intro: No Plans, No Filter Edition
00:00:33 - Camry Hybrid Deep Dive: Sales, MPG & the RAV4 Cost Math
00:10:30 - Sedans & Hybrids Are Making a Comeback
00:13:48 - When Manufacturers Kill Good Products Too Soon
00:34:48 - Dodge Charger EV: $12K Price Hike & the CAFE Connection
00:40:06 - What Dodge Should Have Done with the Charger
00:48:41 - Honda Prelude Review: Fun, But Is It Enough?
00:51:27 - Honda's Lost Packaging Magic & the Death of the Fit
01:00:28 - Affordable Fun Cars Are Disappearing
01:06:08 - Honda-Nissan Merger: Kill Acura? Brand Rationalization Debate

Alex and Jared open with a revelation that stops most car shoppers cold: the new Jeep Cherokee hybrid isn't running some Stellantis-developed powertrain — it's essentially Toyota technology, sourced through Blue Nexus, the joint venture Toyota quietly controls via its majority stakes in Aisin and Denso. From there the conversation expands into the Cherokee's real-world performance (38 mpg, a 7.5-second 0-60, and a Motor Trend early-prototype controversy), how it actually sizes up against the RAV4 despite looking smaller inside, and whether a Jeep Cherokee that's really an on-road mall crawler can still legitimately wear the Jeep badge. The guys also dig into the deeper history of how Jeep went from a tiny niche brand to over a million global sales, the brand's increasingly crowded lineup, and where a rumored two-door Wrangler-based pickup might fit into all of it.

The second half of the episode tackles one of the trickiest questions in automotive journalism: how should reviewers talk about car prices when Jeep and GM routinely sell at 10–15% below MSRP while Toyota holds at or above sticker? Alex breaks down how MSRP-to-MSRP comparisons can mislead shoppers, how resale value data is distorted by markups and dealer add-ons (and why Wrangler's "strong resale" is partly a statistical illusion), and how Toyota's own trucks are now hitting 10% off MSRP as competition heats up. The episode closes with a frank look at the Lexus lineup — including the ES's evolution from budget Camry rebadge to Lexus flagship sedan — and a quick update on what Volvo's SPA3 platform and the EX60 might mean for the forthcoming Polestar 3 refresh.

 

0:00   Intro: The Cherokee, MSRPs & What's on the Docket
0:43   Jeep's Toyota Secret: Blue Nexus, Aisin & How the Cherokee Hybrid Really Works
4:20   Cherokee Real-World Results & the Motor Trend Prototype Controversy
7:00   Cherokee vs RAV4: Size, Cargo & the "Don't Believe Your Lying Eyes" Problem
10:00  How Legroom & Cargo Numbers Are (Mis)Measured — The C1100 Standard Explained
19:00  Can a Jeep Cherokee Be a Real Jeep? + Jeep Brand History
25:00  Jeep's Overcrowded Lineup, Global Growth & the Wrangler Pickup Rumor
34:00  Are MSRPs Meaningless? Pricing, Discounts & Resale Value Reality
44:00  Toyota Trucks at 10% Off & the Tundra Engine Recall
52:00  What Average Car Shoppers Actually Want (vs What Enthusiasts Think They Want)
1:03:23 Lexus Lineup: ES as Flagship, Lexus's Core Strategy & the IS We Miss
1:11:00 Volvo EX60, SPA3 Platform & What It Means for Polestar 3

The auto world is heating up as Ram throws down the gauntlet with not one but three versions of the all-new Rumble Bee sport truck — and the hosts dig deep into what makes it tick: wider tracks, spool rear differentials, SRT-sourced all-wheel drive, and engine choices ranging from the 5.7 Hemi all the way to the Hellcat. But the conversation doesn't stop there. From Volvo's screaming-fast EX60 EV charging speeds and Toyota's alarming twin-turbo V6 recall, to GM quietly dominating the budget car market with Korean-built compacts, this episode covers the full spectrum of what's moving in the industry right now.

 

Stellantis steals the spotlight in a major investor-day reveal: 60 new vehicles globally, with 11 headed to North America — including a revived Chrysler Airflow, a Dodge GLH to replace the Hornet, a new Durango with SRT versions, a Wrangler Scrambler pickup, and the Ram Rampage compact truck. The team also takes a hard look at the new Jeep Cherokee Hybrid, which secretly runs a Toyota-Denso transaxle under its hood, and debates the future of mild hybrids, inline-six performance, and whether Chrysler's rumored French-platform products can actually win over American buyers. It's a packed, opinion-heavy episode for anyone who loves trucks, EVs, and the business of cars.

 

#RamRumbleBee #SportTruck #Stellantis #JeepCherokee #CherokeeHybrid #VolvoEX60 #ElectricVehicle #EVCharging #ToyotaRecall #TwinTurboV6 #DodgeGLH #ChryslerAirflow #WranglerScrambler #RamRampage #GMTrax #AutoNews #CarPodcast #TruckNews #AutoBuyersGuide #NewCars2025 #HybridCars #eTorque #SRT #Hellcat #carreview

 

00:00:00 - Intro: The Return of the Sport Truck

00:01:28 - Ram Rumble Bee Deep Dive: Specs, Suspension & Engines 0

0:06:40 - Rumble Bee vs Durango SRT & Future Wish List

00:12:21 - Stellantis & JLR US Manufacturing + Volvo Factory Talk

00:17:18 - Volvo EX60 EV: Charging Speeds, Range & Options

00:36:43 - GM's Affordable Car Dominance: Trax, Trailblazer & Envista

00:44:27 - Toyota 3.4L Twin-Turbo V6 Recall: 270,000 Trucks at Risk

00:47:58 - Jeep Cherokee Hybrid: Toyota Transaxle & Real-World Impressions

00:52:21 - Stellantis Investor Day: 60 New Vehicles & North America's 11

01:11:31 - Ram eTorque, Hybrid Futures & Chrysler's French Platform Dilemma