In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. In this week's news, we discuss the Jaguar F-Type commemorative 75 model, the reveal of the 2023 BMW M2, as well as the Rivian recall and its repercussions. We talk about the cars we've been driving, including the Ford Mustang Ice White Edition, BMW i4, Mercedes-AMG SL 63 and Lexus RX 500h F-Sport.
Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.
Transcript[MUSIC PLAYING]
GREG MIGLIORE: Welcome back to the "Autoblog Podcast." I'm Greg Migliore. We have a great show for you this week. We're heading right through the middle of October, the middle of fall. We're going to talk about some sports cars in the new segment, to lead things off. F-TYPE? Well, some, maybe, not great news there. But we're getting an interesting model, perhaps, on its way out, riding off into the sunset. There's a new BMW M2. If you haven't seen it, well, you need to see it. You got to look at these pictures. Then, we'll break down kind of what it means.
And, of course, Rivian had a rough week. We'll try to figure out what that means. We've been driving some hot metal. A lot of interesting things here. The Mustang GT Ice White Edition. BMW i4, one of the more interesting BMW sedans I have driven in quite some time. Can't wait to get into that. Mercedes-AMG SL 63 and the Lexus RX 500h F-Sport. We'll close things out with that. So let's bring in Road Test Editor Zach Palmer. How are you?
ZAC PALMER: I am doing well. And I'm excited for this podcast, I think it has a little two-door theme in it, actually. It's a lot of coupes that we're about to talk about here. So, yeah, that's right up my alley, I think. I'm doing swell. How about you?
GREG MIGLIORE: Ah, doing pretty good. Doing pretty well. Yeah, you know, I tried a new fall beer last weekend. The Sam Adams Jack-O Pumpkin. Or something. Jack-o-lantern thing. It was good. You know, I've been moving away from the pumpkin beers in recent years. They're just a little too spicy, a little too boozy. It's not really what I want to drink, but I tried one. Someone just, like, handed it to me. It was at kind of, I guess, like a fall party sort of thing, down the street. I was like, this is good. I can drink more of this.
ZAC PALMER: You know, it's really hit or miss with all of the pumpkin stuff I find. Sometimes, you get, like, that perfectly blended, just enough pumpkin, but not too much. And then, sometimes, you drink one and you just feel like you're eating a pumpkin pie. And it's just-- it's too heavy. It's too much it's not right. You just got to find that middle ground of, you know, just the right amount of pumpkin.
GREG MIGLIORE: Jack-O Pumpkin Ale is what it's called--
ZAC PALMER: Jack-O Pumpkin.
GREG MIGLIORE: --specifically. I didn't realize that. I thought it was like Jack-o-lantern or something, like a word. But yeah, it's pretty good. Give it a good try. You might like it. Let's put it that way.
ZAC PALMER: I believe it. Might have to stock some up in the fridge here, soon.
GREG MIGLIORE: All right. It's easy drinking. Let's put it that way. Good to sip while you're waiting to pass out candy or something. But yeah, F-TYPE. This is sort of the final run for it. Jaguar is going to send it off in style. They didn't really get into, like, what's next. But it does not sound like they're going to do anything in the immediate future. So how do you break this down?
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. Man, I mean, this is sort of it for the F-TYPE, it sounds. Like, Jaguar has basically said, you know, we have the 75 model. It's going to be the last and final model out there, which is a pretty big deal since, I don't know, the F-TYPE has been Jaguar's signature model for a long while now. And it's honestly been their most fun car to drive, too. So, for enthusiasts everywhere, obviously, this is a bit of sad news for us.
I know that my favorite thing about the F-TYPE has always been that five-liter supercharged V8 engine that they have in there, with the R and the SVR. There's been no SVR since they redesigned it here, over the past couple of years, which has just definitely made me sad. But at least the R still has that absolutely nutty exhaust out there. As for the future of what the F-TYPE holds-- I know that we were talking about this a little on Slack yesterday, so might as well just bring that into the podcast. But it's probably going to go electric, right?
You know, it makes a lot of sense for Jaguar to bring an electric coupe and convertible and this, really, beautiful, beautiful body shape into the electric world. And, you know, obviously, you don't have the crazy exhaust, the wild, supercharged V8 that is going to, basically, wake the dead everywhere. You start it up, drive it, everything. But, you know, I really think that that's got to be the next step for the F-TYPE. What do you think?
GREG MIGLIORE: So I think it has to go electric. And it should go electric soon. We talked about this recently on the podcast, where Maserati is offering a GranTurismo in electric form. I mean, if Maserati can do it, Jaguar could do it. So they need to move quickly because I think there's an opportunity at this end of the market, where enthusiasts want things that go fast. I think a coupe is actually a very good application because it's smaller. In some ways, you can keep it-- like, it's simpler, you know?
You can work on the weight distribution. You know what you're going for. You're going for something sporty. I mean, Tesla-- like, Elon did it right, right out of the gate with the Roadster back-- Jesus, what was that? 12, 14 years ago? I mean, granted, that it was a Lotus. But that's the move, is take, like, a very attractive platform and body design and just make it electric. You can do it. Dodge actually tried to do that. People forget about-- jeez, maybe 10 years ago, they also tried to use a Lotus and make it electric.
So I think that's exactly what Jaguar should look at doing, you know? Because, to me, they are a sports car company. They have to make a sports car, in my opinion.
ZAC PALMER: I completely agree. And if there's one thing we need more of in the electric vehicle spaces, you know, we need electric sports cars. We got all of the electric crossovers that one might want in the luxury, non-luxury space. We got the hypercars, the supercars-- stuff like Rimac. You got the Battista from Pininfarina. But there's nothing for, like, $75,000 to $100,000. There's no, like, really high-class, super fun to drive but still, you know, within the realm of a semi-well-off person being able to afford electric sports car.
It's definitely coming. We know that Porsche has said that the 718 is going to go electric, you know? We're going to have an electric Boxster and Cayman, eventually. But that hasn't happened yet. That's not on the market yet. And I think that Jaguar definitely has an opportunity to compete there because they make beautiful cars. And when everything is electric, I think that design matters just that much more. And I really think that an electric F-TYPE is going to fit the bill for a lot of people. It's going to be awesome.
GREG MIGLIORE: Shifting gears to something that is not electric-- the BMW M2. Holy cow. I think this looks awesome. Speaking of Slack conversations, the team was a little divided on this. Let's put it that way. I like this. I see, like, almost a 1980s vibe. Where do you land, just on the looks?
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. I mean, so when I'm looking at it in photos, here, I'm not really a fan. And, honestly, maybe some of that comes from just knowing how much I liked the previous M2. I thought it was just, like, such a beautiful and perfect little coupe design. And this one is just, like, all squares, straight edges, very few design flourishes. It's just-- [SIGHS] it is not really appealing to my sense of the brain that wants this M2 to be this, like, elegant, sporty car that is very simplistic and, you know, just a back-to-basics version of a BMW sports coupe.
At the same time, there are some things that I really like about it. Those box fenders are, like, the coolest thing. That's a normal thing that you get with M cars is you get wider fenders because, obviously, they widen the track. Get your big wheels, big tires, and all that. And, normally, you get some fender bulges. But these are on, like, another level of a fender bulge. And it just looks so mean and so gnarly. You know, there's, obviously, a lot here that is carryover from the M3 and M4. That's going to be really good. I bet the car is going to drive really, really well, just because there is so much of that from M3, M4 that I already know I really like to drive. Those are fantastic cars.
But, yeah, I'm going to stay reserved on the styling for now, wait till I see it in person. But initial impressions-- I'm not a fan. I like the previous one better. And I even like other BMW designs better. Like, I like the M3 and M4 grille. I like the way that those things look. I like an X7. Even, like, the BMW XM. But this is just a little stunted, a little awkward for me. But I am curious to hear your opinion on this thing, since you like it. And I've seen a lot of social discourse online, so far, about people actually liking the design, too.
So this one doesn't seem as hated as, say, like the M3 or M4 when it was revealed. So far, at least.
GREG MIGLIORE: Yeah. That's fair, too. I think people-- like, sometimes, I think they have a different idea of what the M2 could actually mean. And just because it is smaller in the lineup, maybe, they're willing to accept a greater level of risk-taking, if you will. I mean, I just-- I love the squared-off fenders, the flairs. Like, even what you see in, like, the M4, for example. It's not quite as extreme. And part of that, I think, is the proportions, just because the M2 is a smaller car. But you just don't see this anymore. To me, this is like-- it's almost retro, and, like, I totally love this. I think it looks great.
Yeah, it sounds like it's going to be a rocket ship of a car-- let's put it that way-- with the inline-six. What did they say? It had 453 horsepower? Wow. That's going to be a lot in this thing. Let's put it that way.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. It's the same inline-sixes as they have in the M3 and M4. Just has 20 less horsepower-- the M3 and M4 have 473 horsepower-- and it has the same 406 pound-feet of torque as the M3 and M4. This is a smaller, slightly lighter car. If you're looking to buy an M4, you might want to direct your attention to the M2, honestly. Because it's probably going to be a better performing car. And, probably, a more fun car to drive.
And another huge thing is-- they kept the manual transmission. BMW has been-- obviously, over the past 5 to 10 years, they have removed the manual transmissions from some cars. But they have really, really done well in all of the full M cars, like the M3, M4 and the M2. They've kept the manual, and that means you can go get this luxury sports car with a manual transmission. Can't say that for Mercedes. You can't say that for Audi. Can't say that for a lot of luxury brands. If you want a manual transmission, a lot of times, you've got to drop down into a non-luxury car. But here it is.
Obviously, this is just the M2. This is not the M2 Competition. If we follow the same path, I fully expect an M2 Competition to come, eventually. But I'm not really wanting for one right now. I mean, this is, like, an absolute crapton of power. And you can get the manual or the automatic with this. And how about that interior, too? Looks like you can get the crazy M3, M4 seats with, like, the weird center-insert, the full carbon-fiber backing. There's not really much you're missing out on here versus, say, an M4 besides, maybe, a couple more inches of length. [CHUCKLES]
So, yeah. No, I'm definitely digging this car a lot, you know, mechanically and how it's probably going to perform. Just got to wait to see it in person, I think, to see if it's something that I want to look at in my driveway every day.
GREG MIGLIORE: Tell you what. The grille is actually smaller. For everybody who complains about--
ZAC PALMER: It is.
GREG MIGLIORE: --BMW grilles, it's a more traditional grille. Then, you get, like, that lower air kind of vent situation, which, obviously, they need to do. But compared to the M4, it's a little bit more of a traditional BMW setup. So, you know, hey, it's something to consider.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. If you don't like the big grille, here's a smaller grille for you.
GREG MIGLIORE: There you go.
ZAC PALMER: This will feel like the rest of the car.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's true. That's true. All right. So it's been a rough week for Rivian. They had a big recall. They had to recall, basically, every vehicle they've ever made. And the stock went through the floor, not surprisingly. And it's tricky. When you look at Rivian-- they've been around for a little while. They're, in some ways, maybe, a very close Tesla competitor, in terms of being not just the obvious parallels, like an electric car maker startup, et cetera, et cetera. But they're also, like, an independent carmaker, you know? And their CEO is kind of out there a little bit.
So there's some obvious, like-- there are some similarities to Tesla. Not, however, with the stock market-- let's put it that way-- because I don't think I've ever seen Tesla stock do this. So it's been, I think, a rough week, to put it mildly. Let's put it that way. Recoverable? Easily. We haven't really seen the stock price jump back to where it was. But that's the way it goes. By the time this podcast drops, who knows where it will be? But they lost $2 billion in a single day, as Reuters reports.
So that's a bad day at the office. Let's put it that way.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. It's rough. I mean, there's been a lot of hoopla about this recall. And, frankly, it's a fairly normal recall. I almost feel like this is getting a little overblown in that, like, the massive stock price hit. I've seen several viral tweets go on about this Rivian recall, just because it's an EV and here they are, competing with Tesla. So you get the whole Tesla bros and all of the Tesla folks into this. And they're recalling about 13,000 vehicles, which is all of their vehicles, over something that they can fix really, really quickly and easily.
You know, it's just, frankly, a very, very normal recall. Is it worth the absolute massive hit that their stock has taken? I don't think that it's on the scale of that. And I think a lot of it is, honestly, being overblown. Because look at any new car today. There are a lot of examples out there that have been, like, full recall. I mean, it's not just like a new manufacturer thing from Rivian, that they have to figure things out.
You look at, like, a Ford Explorer or Ford Bronco-- and not to, like, pick on Ford or anything, but they had a lot of issues, ramping up the new Explorer and the new Aviator out of their Chicago plant. And there were a lot of manufacturing things that ended up needing recalls. And that's from a car company that has done this for, you know, a century. So I don't think it's the end of the world for Rivian. It's a little, small bump in the road. And it looks like they are taking care of it the way that they should be taking care of it.
You know, they haven't argued with NHTSA or anything. They haven't done anything that would, really, cause the ire of a lot of people. It's just a small bump that, I feel like, they'll recover from just fine. And the stock is probably a bit of an overreaction, in my mind. So that's my take on it.
GREG MIGLIORE: It's interesting when you look at their stock over, like, a month or so snapshot, you know? Yes, it did drop down to, like, $31.48 on Monday, when the markets open, you know? It was almost $37 on Thursday-- like, right before all this sort of went down. But, on October 3, it was only above 32 bucks. And on September 14, it was 40 bucks. Now, I haven't been watching their stock that closely. But they didn't have any prior enormous recalls. So it sort of seems like-- you know, I would agree with you that it seems like it's a little bit of an overreaction.
But also, in some ways, that's what the stock market is, right? You know.
ZAC PALMER: True. [CHUCKLES]
GREG MIGLIORE: There's always, like, hot takes and analysts coming in. And, you know, I think one of the bigger sort of takeaways is-- it looked like analysts and other stock market observers have, mainly, been stressed, if you will, about that their production outlook has dropped. So that's where you've seen the stock take a beating. And it's fairly in line with what we've seen with Tesla Only, with Tesla, they say, hey, we're going to make fewer cars. And their stock goes up. With Rivian, they're like, yeah, we may not hit our targets this year. And boom, they get hit. So we'll see.
You know, I drove the R1T last year, and it was a very solid vehicle. It looks good. I'm seeing a number of them on the roads. I'm excited. I think I'm going to get to drive the R1S, perhaps, next week. So I'm very excited to get into that and kind of feel how Rivian's technology is in, like, SUV form. I think there's a market for their products, you know? It's a cool-looking truck and SUV, you know? And it's also kind of understated. It reminds me almost of, like, Volvo or somebody did a truck. This is the way to do it. It's very understated. Kind of cool. Kind of techie.
So there is a market, there, for them. We'll see.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. There's definitely a market. Just like you said, you've seen a lot of them out there. I see, just, a ton of Rivians out there, these days. Obviously, we live very near where Rivian lives, in Plymouth, Michigan.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's right.
ZAC PALMER: But, you know, that's some of the Michigan effect. But still, they're out there a lot. I was, recently, out in California here, too. And there are a ton of Rivian's out there, especially Silicon Valley, San Francisco area. It's quickly becoming, like, the new Tesla Model X. Or if you want a utility vehicle, boom, go get yourself a Rivian R1T, assuming you're in line and can actually get one. Because they know that they're still very much ramping up production. But, yeah, I'm excited to hear what you think about the R1S. That is a super exciting opportunity.
GREG MIGLIORE: Only thing I didn't like about the R1T is there was a couple of, like, steering-wheel-mounted controls that were, like, harder to do than they should have been and unnecessary. Like, you could actually pick up on it after, like, a little bit of time behind the wheel. But, to me, it was just like, OK, guys. Let's not get cute here. The rest of the truck is very good. Like, you don't need to do this.
Yeah, me too. I can't wait to drive it. So stay tuned, future podcast. Going to, probably, write something on that. But, yeah, it should be good. You spent some time with the outgoing Mustang, the GT-- the Ice White Edition. I believe you took it to the reveal of the new Mustang, so that's quite the chapter in your memoirs. How is this thing?
ZAC PALMER: That, I did. So this is pretty cool, to come full circle on the Mustang here, obviously, like you said. So Ford gave us this loan for the GT so that we could have it to drive to the new Mustang reveal and, also, to drive in this little Mustang rally called the Mustang Stampede from Ford headquarters to downtown Detroit for the actual reveal of the Mustang.
So very cool setting to drive it in-- in and amongst hundreds of other Mustangs. That, in and of itself, was, honestly, just surreal and really cool to see. But, you know, this is also a little reminder of just how much fun Ford's Mustang-- you know, seven years on-- still is. So this was the Ice White Edition, and it was the GT. So that means that it has the five-liter V8, which is the way that you want to go. However, mine did have the 10-speed automatic transmission. And this was the first time that I've actually driven the Mustang with a 10-speed. I've only ever driven it with a manual or the pre-refreshed six-speed automatic.
With the 10-speed, which is also transitioning over to the new car, with some modifications to it-- Ford says it's supposed to be better. I'm actually glad that it's going to be a little better because I was not entirely chuffed with it in the old car. It's just a little slow to react. Using the paddles is definitely on the slower side versus a lot of automatic transmission these days. But just leave it in automatic mode. And it's very smart. Does its thing. Obviously, that roar of the Coyote V8s has not gotten old since 2015 to now.
And I also mentioned that I've sort of come full circle on this car because, back in 2015, I was actually test-driving Fords for ROUSH. And I got to drive a lot of this Mustang, back when it was in prototype testing. So, you know, to see where the car was then and, now, where the car has finalized after 7-plus years in production, it's just a really, really cool moment. And a lot of my thoughts stay the same, in that, wow. Ford, obviously, was very much on to something when they went IRS.
That's probably been said a million times over. But it bears repeating that it really has transformed the Mustang into-- you know, a muscle car into a sports car. And that lineage is being passed on to the next generation Mustang, which will probably just handle and drive all that better. And this was a little bit of a reminder that there's a reason why Ford is upgrading the interior of the new Mustang, as well, just because this one is definitely starting to age. The Ice White does add some interesting and odd appearance bits, in that you have some cool, white stitching throughout and some white on the dash, in addition to the whole exterior being painted white, along with the wheels.
It's just a little something extra that, if you've seen a lot of S550 Mustangs, this is something that you haven't seen yet. And, yeah, if you want a Mustang right at the end of this generation, definitely-- GT Ice White Edition is a cool way to stand out amongst the crowd, just because there's so many Mustangs and so many configurations out there that this little special edition is a really neat way to be different. And I certainly was different in that Mustang Stampede. I was the only Ice White Edition.
GREG MIGLIORE: Very cool. Very cool.
ZAC PALMER: Little Mustang GT.
GREG MIGLIORE: There was a lot of, like-- I mean, I'm almost surprised because it seemed like every possible Mustang was there. When I was walking over from the auto show to the Mustang reveal, many of those stampeding Mustangs were still parked out on Jefferson Avenue. And it was pretty cool to see. So, yeah. It--
ZAC PALMER: My car was there, actually
GREG MIGLIORE: --made a statement. I must've walked right by it. I guess I didn't notice it.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah, yeah. No, Ford let me park right out there, on Jefferson Avenue. That was the coolest thing-- just everybody rolling into Detroit with the Mustangs. You could hear, throughout the city, that there were hundreds of Mustangs coming in, just echoing off of the buildings. It was a really, really cool thing that Ford organized, there.
GREG MIGLIORE: I heard they shut down some of the freeways, which-- when you consider that, also, some of the freeways were shut down because the president was in town, it was, really, a tough day to get anywhere in Metro Detroit. So I'm glad I got to Cobo at, like, 7:00 AM and, then, didn't leave until 10:00, so-- in night.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. That was a plus. We rolled through right at rush hour. Had all the freeways shut down at 5:00 PM, when everybody was about to leave work. So apologies to anybody who was stuck in that while we were out, gallivanting in our Mustangs.
GREG MIGLIORE: There you go. There you go. All right. Well, we'll go over into electric here. We'll dip into that for a minute. I have been driving the BMW i4. I've been very excited to experience this. It's my first time behind the wheel. This is the eDrive40, if you will. So that means you get 335 horsepower. You're in 17 foot-pounds of torque and range up to 301 miles. 0 to 60, if you're curious, is 5.5 seconds. It's basically a Gran Coupe, if you will.
So it's good size, like 4 Series sedan. But I've been, really, enjoying driving it. I think part of me assumed it would, maybe, not handle all that well. But it's been good, you know? I feel like, in some ways, the batteries help. The weight is strategic. Steering has been solid. You know, I don't know. I guess I'm starting to like how BMWs look because I also like how this one looks. After criticizing them for a while, I've been tough to say-- find one that I, really, don't like in the last couple of years. I've been the guy who's like, no, no, no, the grilles are OK.
So all that aside, though, I think this is a good, very sort of moderate approach, you know? If you're a BMW loyalist and you want to drive an electric car, well, hey. Here you go. It's 46-- 4665, reading the spec sheet, as far as curb weight. So it's a little heavy, but somewhat par for the course, given the level of equipment and, just, the size of sedans these days. And I've been enjoying it, you know? I really like all that torque in a BMW sedan like that, you know?
It's the first time I think I've experienced BMW's true, like foray here, into electric vehicles. And I like it. I can enjoy driving it the rest of the week.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah so I drove the i4 M50 along with-- I know several other of us on staff drove that M50 about two months ago. And that thing ruled, you know? Just like you said, it's like a 4 Series Gran Coupe There's, really, no other way to describe it because that's exactly what it is. Take a 4 Series Gran Coupe, take the engine out, put a big battery pack under the floor and electric Motors. And that's the way it drives, too.
That was, honestly, like, one of the most refreshing things about it, is that, A, it looks like a normal car, drives like a normal car. The interior looks just like a normal BMW 4 Series. There's nothing, like, funky or extra weird going on there. It's just a BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe-- a four-door with a hatchback that drives really well. And it also happens to be electric. And that was really nice, you know? Because, obviously, BMW has been a bit funky with their EVs in the past.
We had the i3, which was absolutely wild. and the iX is, definitely another very funky one. But, you know, if you just want a normal car that's an EV that is super nice, very luxurious, really quick, and also, fun to drive, The i4 is, honestly, right at the top of my list. It is. And it really doesn't give up a whole lot, in terms of, like, electric charging technology. You have good range. There's not a lot of downsides to this thing. And just like you, I also like the way it looks.
The grille is very proportional to the body as a whole. So, yeah, big fan of the i4.
GREG MIGLIORE: I think if you're just looking for an electric sedan that you can probably get-- and mine came in at about $68,000, going over the window sticker here. It's out there. It's attainable. It's available, you know? It's kind of weird to say this. Maybe it's not, necessarily, the sexy option because, like, people like the Rivians, the Teslas of the world. This is just a plain old BMW sedan, but it also drives very well. So, yeah, it's definitely a good time. And I also imagine that SL AMG 63 is a good time.
Almost, we were going to do a swap for that. Ended up not working out, for a couple of reasons. But how was your weekend in that hot rod of a muscle coupe?
ZAC PALMER: Oh, man. I was super excited for this one. As soon as I saw it show up, I know we were-- we were, actually, all gathered together there. So we all got to watch it roll in, as one, to see the brownish matte with the red top roll in. And, yeah, just seeing the thing in person for the first time-- this is the first time that I had actually seen an SL-- it's a real stunner. I mean, for a long time, I've really considered the Lexus LC 500 to be, like, the best-looking, hands down, like, personal coupe or convertible that you can buy. The SL gives it a run for its money.
This thing is just, like, pure elegance, pure beauty in every sense of the word. And it even has things for the AMG enthusiast. You got the little Panamericana grille up front, the awesome quad exhaust from AMG in the back. So, you know, it's not all understated elegance. There's also some real aggression and sportiness into that design. So over the weekend and over the long week, I spent a lot of time looking at this thing and just admiring it. Driving it was a ton of fun, too.
So I drove this thing. And I had some sort of perspective from the AMG GT in my mind, too, because we had one of those about three months ago. So I recently-ish hopped out of that, and then, hopped into the new AMG SL which is a totally new platform, totally new interior. Everything is new about it. But, for all intents and purposes, this SL is halfway replacing an AMG GT convertible that we will eventually get in the future, based off the same platform. The specs off the top are really awesome.
This one was the SL 63. So the four liter twin-turbo V8. 577 horsepower. That's a lot of horsepower. 0 to 60 in 3.5. And I actually notice that Mercedes has a new little launch control gimmick-- maybe gimmick, maybe half-safety; but, certainly, a lot of fun-- in that they tighten the seat belts really, really tight across your chest when you actually activate launch control. And you are glued to the seat the whole time that you're doing that and as you break.
It's a lot of fun. And it's certainly a fun party trick if you have somebody in the car. You're like, oh my God, what is this? Yeah. Don't worry. Don't worry. It's supposed to do this. But, no, you just-- hopping in the car and normal driving around is one of the most pleasant things ever because one thing that the AMG GT didn't have that this thing does have is a very compliant and comfortable ride.
They've done a lot to really improve that and give this thing such a dual personality in that it is so, so comfortable to drive around everywhere. But then, you can crank it up into the full Sport Plus. And the body is, like, stiff as a board. It has active anti-roll bars, which stiffen up and loosen, which is what gives you that amazing, super comfy ride when you want it and, also, super stiff ride when you want that. And then, all of the crazy tech stuff-- you know, this has every single thing, pretty much, that you get on the new S-Class which, yes, it should. It's the SL.
This one happened to cost $205,000. Just kind of wild when you think about it. I know that was one thing I was a little alarmed by. When I saw the pricing released for the SL, I was like, wow. This thing is just as expensive or more expensive than a 911 Turbo. So you've got some really stiff competition there. But, you know, at the end of the day, I really came away thinking that this is not-- if you're in the market for a 911 Turbo, you may not be super into this car, and that this is definitely less serious.
It can drive very, very well when you want it to. But it's definitely not as focused or as hardcore as, like, a 911 Turbo is. So it's definitely more of a grand touring and just super, super great everyday convertible versus the 911. So really, really-- I mean, God, I cannot say enough good things about this car. And it's definitely for somebody out there. Hopefully, a lot of somebodies because I want to see more of them on the road. Because, like, going back to the start, beautiful, beautiful car.
GREG MIGLIORE: Yeah, yeah. Someday, perhaps this will go electric. I think it would be. It's a good-sized car. I think there's plenty of room to get some batteries hooked up in there and make something that's fun to drive. And I've always really liked the SL. There are certain cars that just kind of resonate with you, you know? You get to sample them over time. And, you know, if I were in the market for something like this, I would probably go 911. But perhaps-- and I think a lot of people would. But I would strongly look at an SL.
I love the grand touring layout. I like the design over the years. I like the history of the car. I drove a 1962, I think, SL. It was bright red, convertible.
ZAC PALMER: Gorgeous.
GREG MIGLIORE: I drove that. Yeah, it was amazing. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done in this job. Like, I get why some people are like, sign me up for this, you know? Like, Porsche is great, but I'm going Benz. I mean, I imagine-- did you wake up the neighbors with that engine? Must have made some noise.
ZAC PALMER: You know, it's a noisy engine. But it's also really quiet. So you can put it in the fully-closed valved exhaust mode, and it's actually really discreet.
GREG MIGLIORE: Got it. OK.
ZAC PALMER: So you can be a good neighbor. You can also be a bad neighbor when you put the exhaust into, as AMG calls it, the powerful mode. Then, it's quite loud. And the exhaust is very crackly, pop, bang, pop when you do have it in the full-on aggressive modes. It's quite the rowdy thing. And with the top-down, of course-- which, thankfully, I was able to do-- it's even louder. So you got to love that.
And I should also note that it's semi-utilitarian. Went to pick up some pumpkins and some mums. Did some fall--
GREG MIGLIORE: As one does.
ZAC PALMER: --shopping in it. Yes. The mums fit in the back seat. This thing has back seats-- two of them. They're very small, but you can fit, probably, a small child in there. I know that you tested your car seat in there--
GREG MIGLIORE: I did.
ZAC PALMER: --earlier this week.
GREG MIGLIORE: It fit.
ZAC PALMER: And it worked.
GREG MIGLIORE: It worked.
ZAC PALMER: It fit. So forget about buying that GLE or GLS, everybody. The car seat fits in the SL. Go by the SL.
GREG MIGLIORE: There you go.
ZAC PALMER: That's the end conclusion here, I think.
GREG MIGLIORE: We're giving you the dispensation. You can get the irresponsible midlife crisis car. You can do it. It's out there. Have some fun. The car seat will fit.
ZAC PALMER: Exactly. We verified it.
GREG MIGLIORE: Indeed, indeed. I'm impressed. How are the mums holding up? I was watering mine this morning, and it seems like they may not make it through October, which is rough.
ZAC PALMER: [SIGHS] They're good right now. They were in, like, partial bloom when we bought them, in hopes that, maybe, in a week or so, they'll be in full bloom. They're happy right now. I know that the mums, we got last year, too. Those lasted until there was snow on the ground in, like, January. So I'm hoping that these are just as sturdy. We just got them from a nice, little greenhouse about, like 20, 30 miles north of here. So crossing my fingers.
They're really great. I've got one orange and one purple, so it should look good on the porch.
GREG MIGLIORE: My bright yellow ones looked spectacular for, like, a week in September. And now, it's like-- it's 7:45 this morning. I'm staying on my porch, watering them like, these guys are done. Like, what is this? Come on. You know, mums are not cheap. Let me put it that way. So I was--
ZAC PALMER: No, they're not.
GREG MIGLIORE: --a little bit annoyed. I was able to get them in the back of an EV6, though, so that was kind of cool.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah, those suckers are, like-- I mean, it just depends what you buy. But they could be as much as $15 each. So you kind of hope that they last the whole season, right?
GREG MIGLIORE: We're going to try to water them, maybe, twice a day, going forward, see if we can get them back where they need to be-- propped up by Halloween. And then, after that, you know, it's gravy, we'll say.
ZAC PALMER: Let them go. Let them go. The snow is coming anyways, right?
GREG MIGLIORE: That's true. That's true. We'll close things out here with the Lexus RX 500h. This is the high-powered hybrid version of the RX. I tested what's actually a prototype. I didn't realize that until I had driven it for a little bit. But I didn't really notice any major differences. So everything-- the fit and finish-- seemed about up to par. It was an F-Sport, which was cool. It had the color, which everybody noticed, called copper crust.
It's sort of like-- jeez, how could I-- it's like a rosé. Think of, like, a sparkling wine. That's how it looks like, in the glass. Maybe, with the sun hitting it a little bit. Really attractive color. I highly suggest you go for it. There's some pretty cool paint colors out there that you can get, you know? There used to be-- like, crazy paint was an option, or it was hard to get. But just tick the box and go with this. So yeah, that was cool.
It's 1366 total horsepower, if you will. It had four-wheel or all-wheel steering, I guess? Let me phrase this here-- dynamic rear steering is what they call it, which I did not expect because it's not that big of a crossover. It just didn't seem like it was very necessary. And I had experienced that in the Mercedes EQS-- the AMG-- a week ago. And that thing's a barge. It's great with the rear wheels can kind of help you out when you're maneuvering through the neighborhood or whatnot. But this thing, I was, like, pulling out of my driveway, making 90-degree, straight turns.
I was like, wow, this thing handles really well. And I looked it up, and I'm like, oh, OK. Yeah. Hey, this is cool. And I think it's, actually, a feature that is very usable. It can help a lot of drivers. So this is, I'd say, one of the first times I've tested it. It was, basically, a more mainstream application. It doesn't get much more mainstream luxury than the Lexus RX. Granted, this one's a more expensive one with a lot of things going on. So I like that.
Other than that, it's the hybrid model, of course. You know, Lexus looks are basically love it or hate it. I think most people like them because they sell a ton of them. And, you know, it's-- we put a lot of stuff in it, you know. Car seat, dog, everybody was in there, you know? Very, I would say, drivable. Let's put it that way. It's the right crossover for a lot of people because, again, they sell a ton of them, you know?
It had the unfortunate distinction of following the Hummer in my personal fleet, so people just weren't as excited to drive it. Whatever. That's the way the world works. But very, very solid entry in the segment. In some ways, I think Lexus has done a good job of using design to separate themselves from, like, Mercedes and BMW, Audi, et cetera. And not just the Germans, but, like, Cadillac and other entries out there-- Volvo. Where Lexus and Toyota used to be pretty generic, I think, now, the Lexus vehicles are, often, very much the style-makers of their segments. They're a little more polarizing.
So after the Hummer left the driveway, the Lexus was, you know, the vehicle for the weekend. And it got a lot of attention in its own right, too. So it's pretty fun to drive. The hybrid, I think, in some ways, is the powertrain to get because it's a little spunkier. You can get up to 36 miles per gallon combined, so that's a respectable figure for all that power. So, yeah I mean, it was a good weekend in the car. Let's put it that way.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. This new RX has really appealed to me from the start. Like, when they revealed it, it looked super low to the ground. It looks very sporty. It doesn't look like the RX that I'm used to-- that I've been used to-- for so long at this point, which is-- Lexus sort of, really, has this smallish luxury SUV segment going with that car. And it's just been one of the boring, solid, safe choices amongst luxury SUVs for a long time.
But now, honestly, the RX is one of the more exciting options. You have so many powertrain options, including this one, which-- it sort of looks very similar to, like, the Toyota RAV4 Prime's powertrain. Plug-in hybrid, a ton of range. And it sounds like, with the F-Sport, it's also meant to be pretty fun to drive. That dynamic rear steer sounds like it could really improve the handling. And, yeah, it just doesn't sound like that very staid, conservative RX of yesteryear, especially when you talk about that paint-- it looks sort of like a rosé.
That is not what I expect to see out of a Lexus RX, honestly. That's more Lexus LC, Lexus IS-- some of the more sportier models from Lexus. But here you are. And you can get it with the RX. I think, you know, all of these things that they're doing for the car are going to really advance its appeal, and that the typical RX buyers are-- well, they're still going to buy an RX. But you could really appeal to somebody that, you know, maybe, they're looking at something like the Acura RDX or an Infinity QX50 or just something that was a little sportier beforehand.
Now, they look over at this Lexus and they're like, Wow. Whoa. This is a plug-in hybrid with over 350 horsepower, all-wheel drive, dynamic rear steer, all the F-Sport styling. There's a lot to be said for that. And I feel like it could totally sway some people over there, especially people who are looking at plug-in hybrids. Because I know that Toyota makes some of the best plug-in hybrid powertrains out there, at this point.
So I, too, am very excited to, eventually, get some wheel time in this new RX.
GREG MIGLIORE: It gets 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds, which I think is kind of bonkers.
ZAC PALMER: Not bad.
GREG MIGLIORE: You know. I mean, for an SUV that's a crossover SUV, there's room to put stuff in there. I was a little surprised, how quick it could be. I think it's, also, a situation, too, where-- a little bit like with the i4, it's like they're trying to sort of get their existing consumers moving over to electrified options, you know? The i4 is, obviously, all electric. This Lexus is a hybrid setup. You know, it's interesting.
I think we're seeing companies as they're trying to sort of get down through this change, if you will, this evolution. And we'll see. It was a fun car to drive. And I think it's-- again, we were able to get a ton of stuff in there. Yeah. And, again, get that color. I think, copper crust. Check it out. It's definitely attractive. Let's put it that way. Well, that's about it for this week.
I had already mentioned that I've had Jack-O Pumpkin beer. What are you drinking this week?
ZAC PALMER: Yeah. So I've actually been mixing up some mixed drinks, as of late. I bought some apple cider while I was out picking up those mums, actually--
GREG MIGLIORE: There you go.
ZAC PALMER: --from a local cider mill. So I've been doing some interesting mixtures with-- I did sort of a hot toddy, but with apple cider, which was fun. Good on, like, a nice, cold evening. And then, I've done some other things, which-- sort of like a Moscow mule, but with cider tossed in there, too. So I've just been, like, experimenting, going online, searching up, like, "cider mixed drinks" out there and, I don't know, just really embracing the fall and October spirit, as of late.
And I do have some other pumpkin beers in my fridge, as well. But I've sort of set those aside, for the time being. And I'm focusing on trying out what I can do with cider, with my mixology.
GREG MIGLIORE: That sounds pretty good. I am actually a big fan of ciders in the fall. I mentioned on the podcast last week, so I apologize for being redundant. But they go down smooth, you know? You get that kind of apple, that tart taste. It feels right on a crisp October, November evening. And, honestly, I think they're good year-round. One of our former editors here used to always drink them in the spring, which-- like, the snow is melting around you. Crack a cider. That sounds pretty good.
And, of course, in the winter, you know? A cozy cider.
ZAC PALMER: Oh, yeah. I mean, I love cider. I don't know if you've tried mead yet, but--
GREG MIGLIORE: I have. It's pretty good.
ZAC PALMER: --mead is-- yeah. Oh, man. That is another awesome fall drink. There's one really good meadery near here-- B. Nektar Meadery. They actually do a trivia night that I go to every so often. They make some really awesome, cool stuff. They do still mead. They do carbonated. And it's just a real wild flavor trip that you can go on through there. They're in Ferndale, actually. If you all are around Michigan, good stuff. I highly recommend it, especially in the fall.
GREG MIGLIORE: All right. If we're meeting your meads-- see what I did there?
ZAC PALMER: [CHUCKLES]
GREG MIGLIORE: I know, I know, I know. You should probably edit that out there, Eric. I digress. That's all the time we have this week, thankfully, on the Autoblog podcast. Before my terrible puns continue, five stars on Apple Podcasts. Send us your "Spend my Moneys." That's Podcast@Autoblog.com. Be safe out there, and we'll see you next week.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The Tesla Model 3 Performance has been revealed, and we discuss Tesla's first-quarter results. Mercedes unveiled its G 580 with EQ Technology. A VW factory voted to join the UAW. The Ford Mustang celebrated …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. The two kick things off with a loaded review section, starting with the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq Sport 3 then moving along to the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy. After that, they dig into …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd, who joins us fresh from the floor at the 2024 New York Auto Show. They start with an overview of the show and this year's big debuts, then pivot to other news for talk …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. In the news, BMW revealed the Neue Klasse X EV, Jeep Wrangler drops the V8, Ford Mustang gets a 810-horsepower supercharger kit and Shell leans into EV charging. We look back on the life …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They start off discussing a couple of vehicles they've both driven — the 2024 Ford Maverick Tremor and the 2024 Volvo C40 Recharge 2WD. From there, they pivot to Byron's first drive of the …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale. They lead off with the 2024 Dodge Charger reveal, followed by various EV startup news including the reported death of the Apple Car; rumors of a tie-up between Fisker and Nissan; and when we'll finally …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick and News Editor Joel Stocksdale. Joel shares his experience checking out the Tesla Cybertruck in Chicago. James leads a discussion concerning GM's track record with the Ultium EV roll-out and the company's history with …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They start out talking about Scout's new facility in South Carolina and what Volkswagen Group wants to do with its new truck and SUV brand. From there, they briefly revisit the General Motors F1 …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Electric, John Beltz Snyder. This week, they've been driving the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, Kia Seltos and Autoblog's long-term WRX (which has a CD player). They discuss the Chrysler Halcyon concept and what it means for a possible …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick. We kick off the week by reviewing cars we've been driving, including the new Lexus GX, Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound, Jaguar F-Pace, Hyundai Kona and our long-term Subaru WRX. Next, we break down …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Electric, John Beltz Snyder. In the news, F1 snubs Michael Andretti, Jeep shows off the electric Wagoneer S, Mazda reveals the updated 2024 Miata, Mary Barra talks about future plug-in hybrids, and Rivian is set to …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale, and they cover a wide range of topics. They discuss refreshed models from GM and VW including the new Blackwing Cadillacs, the Chevy Equinox, and the GTI. They also talk about the upcoming Jeep …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They kick things off with a roundup of the week's news, and of course the first photos of a pre-production electric Dodge Charger Daytona are the first topic. After that, the pair chat …
