Special Guest Joe Ligo Talks His Upcoming AMC Documentary, Plus New Navigator & 2025 Easter Jeep Safari
In Podcast #352, John Davis and the MotorWeek crew are joined by alumni Joe Ligo, who has recently made a six-part documentary series about the story behind American Motors Corporation called The Last Independent Automaker. Then Greg dives into some recent drive time with the revamped and elegant Lincoln Navigator while Jessica lives the Jeep life out in Moab, Utah at the latest iteration of the Easter Jeep Safari. Not only was there trail driving but she got time in 7 different Jeep concept models. Plus the Lightning Round address Volkswagen’s plans to finally offer traditional hybrid powertrains in a few upcoming models and a viewer has a question about the future of the NACS plug with rising Tesla tensions.
The Last Independent Automaker premieres on PBS stations nationwide on May 1st. Check your local listings for airdates and times. Or watch full episodes on the PBS app.
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What’s New from the 2025 New York Auto Show, and First Drives in the Ford Maverick & Bronco Sport
In Podcast #351, John Davis and the MotorWeek crew cover all of the news from the 125th edition of the New York International Auto Show! There was tons of news from Subaru including the unveiling of the all-new 7th-gen Outback, along with a big showing from the Korean’s with an all-new Palisade that includes a hybrid version, and more! We’ll finish off with Jessica’s recent time driving the new AWD version of the Ford Maverick hybrid and Bronco Sport equipped with a Sasquatch package. Plus, our Lightning Round discusses if buying a car now is a good idea considering upcoming tariffs and a viewer wonders if there are any vehicles that we have reviewed over the years that we wish we could change our opinions on.
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Cadillac Escalade IQ & OPTIQ First Drives, Honda Civic Si Road Test, & the all-new Acura ADX
In Podcast #350, Jessica Ray steps in as host for a vacationing John Davis. Her and the MotorWeek crew have a small constellation of vehicles to talk about, starting with two new entries into Cadillac’s all-electric IQ portfolio: the OPTIQ, yes, spelled with an ‘IQ’ at the end, and the Escalade IQ. Then we’ll shift over to the Honda Civic Si, a name known and loved by many enthusiasts, and one that recently benefited from a model-line refresh. We’ll wrap up with an all-new ride from their sister company Acura, the 2025 ADX, which makes their utility lineup bigger…by going smaller. But before that we’ll focus our energy into a Lighting Round about lightning-fast EV charging tech and answer a double-header viewer question about using up all that recouped charge.
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BMW M5 Performance Testing, a Recap of the Nissan Frontier, & RAM Heavy Duty First Drive up the Davis Dam Grade
In Podcast #349, John Davis and the MotorWeek crew dive into a bunch of “performance” cars…well they all perform in their own ways. Brian is fresh off a trip to the West where he tackled the Davis Dam Grade in the refreshed RAM Heavy Duty. Then Jessica reminds us of how simple trucks can (and should?) be with the latest Nissan Frontier. And Greg heads to the track in the all-new BMW M5 and yeah, it is truly a beast. Plus, our Lightning Round has us buzzing about what new cars we might consider if they were $20,000 cheaper and a viewer has a question about the speed during our slalom testing.
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Track Testing a Pair of McLarens, the Subaru WRX tS, & Toyota GR Corolla, Plus a First Drive in the Jeep Wagoneer S
In Podcast #348, John Davis and the MotorWeek crew have no less than FIVE cars to discuss. Jessica starts us off with a First Drive in Jeep’s first global BEV, the Wagoneer S. Then Alex dives into our recent track time of two rally-inspired compacts, the Subaru WRX tS & Toyota GR Corolla. And Greg recounts our experience high performance testing the newest McLarens, the 750S and hybrid Artura. Plus, our Lightning Round addresses a Mercedes designer claiming that “screens aren’t luxury” and a viewer has a question about one of our old naming conventions.
We thought a podcast would be the perfect vehicle for taking viewers behind-the-scenes of MotorWeek. We produce 52 episodes of MotorWeek a year, but we don't always have time to tell you everything. The podcast is a unique opportunity for viewers to hear our personal impressions of the vehicles we road test, discover the stories behind the stories MotorWeek is covering and learn more about where the auto industry is headed as it focuses squarely on fuel economy.
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