BMW X3, Future of Hands Free Driving, Jeep's New Engine
Jill and Tom open the show accepting the challenge of a listener. Tom was tasked to purchase more exciting donuts than the usual collection of double chocolates and powdered cinnamons. Listen in for this week’s expanded options list. Tom shares some interesting Jeep news. The updated 2026 Grand Cherokee will be optionally powered by Stellantis’ new Hurricane 4-cylinder engine. Though based on the existing 6-cylinder Hurricane engine, the new powerplant employs a “turbulent-jet injection” system featuring both port and direct fuel injection. Listen in to learn what that means. Still in the first segment, Tom talks a little about car sale in Russia, and Jill reviews the 2025 BMW X3. In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Telemetry Vice President of Market Research Sam Abuelsamid to the show. Sam shares insights from the company’s newly published Global Assisted and Automated Driving Forecast report. How ready is the industry for hands-free driving? Listen in. In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Dateline 1990” quiz. Finally, Jill shares the newly-released North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) finalists list. Winners will be selected in January.
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2027 Kia Telluride, All-New Polestar 4, Plotting the Future of Infiniti
Tom opens the show by recapping briefly his time in the Lucid Air Touring electric luxury sedan. Tom is impressed by the Lucid, but does have one (big) complaint. The hosts go on to discuss rumors that Tesla will be ADDING the Apple CarPlay feature to some or all of its models in the near future. A huge new Honda recall will affect the owners of certain late-model Civics. Listen in for details. Jill and Tom chat briefly about Ford making Blue Advantage certified preowned vehicles available on Amazon. Still in the first segment, Jill shares her impressions of the 2027 Kia Telluride midsize crossover, a clay model of which she recently checked out. In the second segment, the hosts welcome Tiago Castro, Vice President of Infiniti of the Americas, to the podcast. Tiago walks Tom and Jill through the luxury carmaker's plans for the near- and midterm, focusing on new-product opportunities. In the last segment, Jill is subjected to Tom’s “Was it a Nissan?” quiz, and Jill reviews the all-new Polestar 4 crossover coupe.
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Celebrating 300 Episodes! Biggest News Stories of the Past 6 Years, Best $30,000 New Vehicles
To celebrate the 300th episode of the Car Stuff Podcast, Jill and Tom are joined by Jennifer Newman and Damon Bell of Cars.com. Jennifer was the podcast’s first guest, and Damon was co-host for the first three years of the show. Jennifer and Damon share the Cars.com picks for the best vehicles under $30,000. That conversation dovetailed nicely with Jennifer’s research into new-vehicle affordability. In the second segment, everyone looks back over the past six years to discuss the biggest automotive news stories and strangest events that transpired during the Car Stuff Podcast run. In the last segment Jennifer, Damon, and Jill are subjected to Tom’s “Who Said It?” quiz, featuring quotes from Henry Ford and Elon Musk. Plus, enjoy a special holiday-themed bonus question.
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56:48
New Ram SUV, Subaru BRZ Review, Audi's High-Tech Headlights
Jill and Tom open the show discussing Tom’s take on the future of Apple CarPlay. You can read Tom’s recent blog post on the topic here. The hosts also discuss Ram’s new SUV, which is due sometime as a 2028 model. Expect the truck to be mechanically similar to the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Next topic is a trio of boundary-pushing Lexus concept cars seen last week at the Japan Mobility Show. The six-wheel minivan is Tom’s favorite. Still is the first segment, Jill reviews the 2025 Subaru BRZ tS small coupe. Good news, the rear-drive sportster can still be had with a manual transmission. In the second segment, the hosts welcome Jerry Perez of The Drive to the show. Jerry shared details of his time in the updated Audi Q3 featuring the maker’s Micro LED Digital Matrix Headlights. Jerry also recalls his time in one of Europe’s smallest—and most charming—electric vehicles, the Fiat Topolino. In the last segment, Jill is subject to Tom’s “More Spellin’” quiz, featuring a Hallmark Christmas move bonus question.
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Killing CarPlay, Driving the McLaren GT, Fuel Cells for Big Trucks
Paul Herrold of the Sons of Speed sits in for Jill this week. Jill will be back for next week’s show. Paul and Tom open the show by discussing consumer-battery maker Duracell’s foray into electric-vehicle charging. Duracell branded car chargers are showing up now in the U.K., and are expected to arrive in the U.S. in the not-to-distant future. The hosts go on to discuss two big General Motors announcements. First, GM will be launching full level-3 semi-autonomous drive systems for the 2028 model year, beginning with the electric Cadillac Escalade IQ. An advancement of the maker’s Super Cruise technology, the new system will permit drivers to look away from the road while engaged. Listen in for further details. GM also plans to drop Apple CarPlay from all its vehicles beginning in 2028. Jill is going to be angry. Still in the first segment, Paul talks about driving the high-performance McLaren GT on the race track. Paul also talks a little about the McLaren lineup and how the sports-car maker’s U.S. offerings differ. In the second segment, Paul and Tom welcome Bart Sowa of GTI Energy to the show. Bart talks about fuel-cell technology, and how hydrogen-power is viable option for large over-the-road trucks. Bart also shares his thoughts on the future of hydrogen as a transportation fuel in the U.S. In the last segment, Bart joined Paul for this week’s quiz. Can you guess the best-selling car in Alabama? Listen in to hear the “Best Sellers by State” quiz.
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