In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. They catch up on the Tesla Model Y, as well as the Cadillac CT5 and the brand's new naming structure. Afterward they talk about our driving the 2019 Mazda3, 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI and 2019 Ford Ranger. Finally, the three editors take a lap around eBay looking for the best ways to spend $15,000 on a car.
Transcript[MUSIC PLAYING]
GREG MIGLIORE: Hello, and welcome to another episode of "The Autoblog Podcast." I'm Greg Migliore. Joining me today in the studio is Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. How's it going, Joel?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Good, good.
GREG MIGLIORE: Good, good. And on the phones from the West Coast, Consumer Editor Jeremy Korezeniewski. JK, what's up?
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: I'm doing really good. It is sunny and 75 degrees here in Seattle today. Unseasonably warm. So I'm feeling really good. Thanks for asking.
GREG MIGLIORE: Cool, cool.
So on today's show, we're going to talk about the news out of Tesla. We've got another new vehicle, so that's good stuff, and another new vehicle out of Cadillac, the Cadillac CT5. This is coming up for the New York Auto Show. Then we'll talk about what we've been driving. Joel and I have been in the Mazda 3 and the Volkswagen GTI. Jeremy has been in the Ford Ranger. So some pretty big-deal vehicles. We know you like all three of those vehicles, so we'll talk about that. Then, of course, we're gonna spend some money in a slightly different way, so stick around for that.
So let's just jump right in. Tesla-- big reveal last week. I believe it came at some point around 11 o'clock Eastern, as all Tesla reveals do. That man, our senior editor for all things green, John Snyder, had to burn the midnight oil, but it did give us the Model Y electric crossover. It looks a lot like a Model 3-- a slightly curvy, coupy crossover. Guys? What do you guys think?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: So for me, I actually feel like it's a Model 3, but better in some ways.
GREG MIGLIORE: OK. Model 3 2.0 with some hot sauce on it, maybe?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah. The big thing for me is the hatchback on it, 'cause one of my big complaints with the Model 3 is that it looks like a hatchback from all angles, but it's not, and it's because it's got this panoramic glass in the rear window, which is cool in the Model X, when it's the windshield, and you get this big open-air feeling. But as a rear window, it's not much other than, maybe, a bragging point. And because of that, it has to have an actual trunk lid, which is complicated-looking and also means that it's really hard to get big, bulky items in. You don't have that issue with the Model Y, so that's great, in my book. It's like you're actually taking advantage of the hatchback shape.
GREG MIGLIORE: Makes sense. I've been seeing a lot of Model 3s on the road around here lately. Car's really growing on me. When I go through the Tesla portfolio, I think I still land on the Model S just because I like the proportions. To me, that car has a little more presence-- some gravitas, if you will, on the road. But I'm liking what I'm seeing about the Model Y so far. The price point seemed pretty reasonable. The ranges look solid. But what did you think, Jeremy?
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Well, put simply, the Model Y is the Model 3 that Tesla should've built all along, in my view. They're so, so similar. If you want to save a couple thousand dollars, maybe, sure. The Model 3 is the cheapest way to get into a Tesla. But you're really signing up for much less utility, a much less practical vehicle. I just don't see why anyone would choose the Model 3 over the Model Y.
The cynic in me wants to say they did it in this staggered launch on purpose to capitalize on as many sales of the sedan body shape that they could, knowing that a lot of people who bought Model 3s and have owned them for a year, year and a half, are really gonna want the Y, so it's gonna translate into more sales. I don't know if there's any truth to that or not. I do think it's, realistically, gonna happen. All I know is that if I walked into a Tesla showroom and was presented with the Model 3 and the Model Y, for a few thousand dollars' difference, there is no way I would drive away in a 3. I would definitely go Y.
GREG MIGLIORE: I think you're seeing Tesla take advantage of the small-to-midsize crossover craze. This really fits right in that sweet spot, if you will. So I think, obviously, the sales are very likely going to be there, simply because the segment is just so red-hot. They did go with the hatch coupe styling. It's more functional than the 3, but it's still not as functional as, perhaps, a more traditionally silhouetted crossover, so there's that. You can get rear-wheel drive. You can get all-wheel drive.
I think they ticked all the boxes here, as far as what they had to do. And obviously, like I said, this should be a successful product for them. Yeah?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I think they ticked one box too many, though, on it. One of the big features that they were talking about during the reveal is that you can get a third-row seat in the Model Y, and you can have up to seven passengers. And the Model 3 isn't a huge car to begin with, and basically, the Model Y is an inflated Model 3. And I assumed that this third-row seat would be a rear-facing one, like in the Model S, that you could get. But it's forward-facing.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's very odd.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, and I don't know who would fit back there other than very small children. You're not gonna have a whole lot of headroom, because the glass is sloping down at that point. And you're not gonna have a lot of leg room, 'cause you've gotta fit those feet between another row of seats right in front of you.
GREG MIGLIORE: I think it's a little questionable that they would do that in a car with such a tight footprint. But as someone who does have a small child, I can see where you might want to consider-- you want to make every use of every ounce, cubic foot of space in the car that you can. That being said, I can't imagine putting the car seat back there is gonna be all that easy. And in this day and age, kids are supposed to be in car seats, basically, until they can drive, it seems like. So I don't know about that.
I guess our sister site at Gadget got a ride in this car. So you can check out their story. Definitely check out John Snyder's analysis on this from last week as well to gather your own opinions. But until I see this thing in person, it is a little hard to get a sense of the dimensions, where everything fits, where you would put your Nalgene, to go back to John. So I'm still trying to figure out, exactly. I guess I've seen the Model 3, and that is a pretty good guidance, but still.
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah. I'm looking at the Model 3 in profile in our image gallery. It's a pretty drastically sloping rear hatch. There's a picture of a blue one in profile, if anyone's following along while they're-- while they're online. You can see the driver has got a couple inches of headroom. If you run his head straight back to the back seat-- and a lot of times, the back seat's a couple inches higher off the ground than the front seats are. That's gonna be right at the limit of headroom for the back-seat passengers. We're talking about a third row directly past there, and I'm not sure where anyone's head is gonna go.
Of course, in any of these relatively small crossovers that offer three rows, you expect to have no leg room. Your knees are gonna end up in your chest. But I'm really curious how much headroom, leg room, knee room, hip room-- pretty much all of the above. I'm envisioning the tiny little back partial shelf that they sometimes call seats in two-plus-two cars, and I'm betting that's probably what we're gonna see out of the third row in the Model Y.
GREG MIGLIORE: Cool. How do you guys feel about the Model Y name? I don't love it, but it fits with their nomenclature, their naming scheme. We knew they were gonna call it this. To me, this just is what it is. It's a Tesla. It's gonna look cool. Especially if you're a techie, if you're an EV guy, you're gonna like it. I don't know. The name itself-- I don't know. Shoulder shrug.
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Well, clearly, we know that Elon Musk thinks it's really funny that the car company that he's helming has a model range that basically spells out the word "sexy." The Model 3 was supposed to be the Model E. There was a trademark infringement, and they weren't allowed to call it the E, so they flipped the E around and called it a 3. So now we have S, 3, X, Y, which obviously, internet slang, is "sexy." That's dumb, but not that big of a deal. I were interested in it, would it keep me from buying one? Absolutely not. Do I think it's funny? No, not really, but whatever.
GREG MIGLIORE: What do you think this does with the Model X? They're obviously a little bit different segments, but to me, that crossover got old fast. I don't think it looks particularly good. I see it on the road. It's this bloated, balloon, whale of a car. When I look at the Tesla portfolio, that's literally the last one I would pick unless I truly was like, I want a Tesla, and I need that type of crossover. So to me, the Model X is like, meh. It's yesterday's news at this point.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I think the Model X still has a secure place in the lineup. It's by far the most practical version of any Tesla available. It's also a lot more expensive than the Model Y, and I think it probably still appeals to the kind of person that wants something with a lot of gizmos and techno wizardry. It's got the gull-wing doors, and it's got the--
GREG MIGLIORE: Those do nothing for me, by the way.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: They're neat to see, and I'll admit, I'm impressed that they did go through with it, but they're not really useful.
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah, I'm really happy that the Model Y does not have falcon.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah. And I think I even remember Elon Musk saying something about-- like, they made a mistake with going through with that.
GREG MIGLIORE: He did, basically. He tacitly admitted that, because it's a crossover, and people who buy crossovers have to put stuff in the back. In this day and age, everybody buys crossovers, but at least the theory, the function for them is, you're putting kids back there. You're putting your stuff back there. And a gull-wing door is not practical. Especially, imagine you're at Costco. How are you gonna open those things? You have to what? Park in the back 40 and then let your doors open up to get the dog food in? I don't know.
Not to rag on that car too much, because it is-- to Joel's point, if you need to be in that segment for that practical application, sure, that's one way to go. But to me, that car got old fast. That crossover aged quickly, in my opinion.
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah. I wished it was a more traditional crossover. Not crossover. More traditional SUV. And it could be crossover-based. It's based on a car, obviously. That's no issue. But if it had a more traditional non-sloping rear end, if it didn't have the falcon doors, it had a little bit more practicality and utility built into it, I think it would make a lot of sense. But as it is, it's just a really expensive fashion statement.
GREG MIGLIORE: Cool. All right, so that's a Model Y. Be sure to check out our full coverage. This happened at the tail end of last week. Tesla, to me, is enduring. It's ongoing. Can always talk about it. So check out our full coverage. John Snyder did a great job. We had some good posts surrounding the reveal and the analyses, so check all those out.
I'd like to shift gears, now, to the Cadillac CT5. This is a sedan. This replaces the CTS in the Cadillac lineup. We've basically been hearing about this. This is very much expected. Cadillac usually has a pretty good showing at the New York Auto Show. It's important for them as they try to increase their following on the coasts, specifically the East Coast. So it looks pretty good to me. We've seen these pictures. I am excited to see what this looks like in person, on the street.
Again, this basically replaces the CTS. We thought this was gonna replace the ATS, but maybe not quite. More on that in a second. Turbo 4-cylinder, V6-- those are pretty familiar engines that GM and, specifically, Cadillac has. I think it looks good. It's got some of that Escala styling. They cleaned up the front end and used that familial styling that you're seeing on-- the XT4, I think, is a very prominent example, but it's also on the CT6 as well. Cleaned that up.
I really like the fastback roofline in the back. Looks pretty good. To me, I just think it's a good-looking car. It's coming later this year. It's certainly critical. So yeah, I think it's definitely gonna be a sedan that, I think, anchors their lineup, too. It's that right-sized vehicle. It's right in there. It's not huge. It's not small. But initial impressions are good. I think this could be one of the more significant reveals out of the New York Show. Certainly a big deal for Cadillac.
Joel, you wrote the first-look story. What else? What are we missing here?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Well, one of the things that I'm personally excited about is that it's based on the alpha platform that underpins the Chevy Camaro, the Cadillac ATS, and the Cadillac CTS, since they haven't changed the name on that yet. And I'm excited about that, because that platform is fantastic. It handles so well. It rides so well. And granted, it's been around for a little bit, but it still is a class leader in handling and ride control. It's a really nice platform.
And the engines that are in it-- the twin-turbo V6 is really nice. The Turbo 4-- it's solid. It's maybe not class-leading, but it should be a good car to drive.
GREG MIGLIORE: The first time I drove the ATS platform alpha in the new Camaro, I immediately noticed how much better the new Camaro drove than the previous generation. And I should clarify. This was 2015. So the most recent generation of Camaro-- once it got that platform, it was like, whoa. This is totally new. New bones for the car. Was that much more precise, that much more athletic. It's certainly good in the ATS.
I believe we had an ATS in the fleet. I want to say last fall. Not sure if you got into that one. I think was a coupe, actually.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, we had an ATS-V, and I loved that thing.
GREG MIGLIORE: I really like the ATS.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I had that thing just for a night, and I went through a quarter-tank of gas. I was just driving it all evening long. It was so much fun.
GREG MIGLIORE: Yeah, that car was a rocket. And that's actually an interesting footnote to this, too. We had thought that they were going to basically go from three cars to maybe only one car, and it would be the CT5. CT6-- too big. Not what they're gonna do anymore. GM, to be fair, never actually said what they were gonna do with it, though, so there was that. And then we were like, well, we know the ATS is going away, just because it's a small sedan. It's a luxury sedan. It's probably a luxury, if you will, that Cadillac doesn't need to afford at this point.
Then we started seeing some spy shots that we were talking about off-microphone here that seemed to indicate that, well, wait a minute. The CT4 is a thing. "The Automotive News" is reporting just this week that we're gonna see that car within, I think, the next eight months as well. So yeah, suddenly, Cadillac's really doing its part to keep sedans alive when, just a few months ago, it seemed like there might be only one or, at most, two left in the lineup. I'm not counting the XTS, which-- who knows how long that thing's gonna live?
But yeah, so I think Cadillac strategy is actually the right one. They have good sedans. They are fun to drive. They look good. They have good chasses and good engines. They're not quite there yet with the interiors, but I think the CT5 could really-- I don't know if it'll be a game changer for them, 'cause I don't think it'll be demonstrably better than some of the cars, like the CTS, which was a good car, were in the past. But right now, very quietly, I think they've refined their lineup, truly, into fighting trim. They're gonna have what looks to be three very strong offerings, and we'll see what happens next.
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: The one problem is that they're slicing that sedan-buyer pie up pretty small, especially because spy shots indicate that the CT4 and CT5 are gonna look very similar-- slightly smaller for the 4 than the 5, obviously. We'll see if that hurts them.
You mentioned this, Greg. At a time when everyone's pulling out of sedans, here comes Cadillac with two brand-new ones to go along with the 6, which-- there was rumors that that might even be ending just right after it got started. Turns out, that's not happening. It's just really interesting. We've talked before about Cadillac's game plan and how to really make a mark in the industry and to actually change the game. I'm not sure that sedans are really gonna get 'em there. I think just the fact that they're make good cars-- that's crucial, clearly. If they had really cool-looking cars in every single segment that were terrible to drive, that wouldn't stick. It would be terrible.
That's not the case. They have really good cars in segments that are less popular right now. So yeah, I still maintain that I think what Cadillac really needs is a lineup of Escalades in multiple different sizes. I'm happy that they're introducing new sedans, 'cause they're obviously really good cars to drive. They're luxurious, and it shows that an American luxury brand can create a vehicle that competes with German luxury brands. And I think that's really important. I think it's great.
I don't see this righting Cadillac's sales ship. I feel like it's gonna be a really good car that very few people are actually gonna experience. But hey, I hope I'm wrong about that.
GREG MIGLIORE: So the counterpoint to that is-- and I don't fully, necessarily even believe this, so I'm putting this argument out there. But if you look at Mercedes, with the A-class, which is all-new and, by all accounts, a pretty good car, according to Senior Editor Alex Kierstein-- he's done at least one or maybe two drives of it. The CLA is gonna be new. We've got the 2 Series. And of course, the A3 is a dynamite car, too. So to me, it makes sense that they're fighting, they're playing in this segment with all these brands they want to consider themselves on equal footing with. So to split it here and to talk out of both sides of my mouth, commercially, this isn't really what they need. An A-Class, a CT4 is not gonna right the ship, as far as sales.
From an image standpoint, just from a brand portfolio standpoint, it does make sense, 'cause the Germans are doing it, and they're doing it very well. I guess, to really analyze this, people are saying, well, what are you guys doing? Why does Mercedes have two cars in this segment? So that's a lot of overanalyzing, but I guess, for me, I'm really psyched they're doing the car, 'cause I think CT4-- I actually think it's a better name than ATS, too. Just rolls off the tongue better. It sounds elegant. It sounds, essentially, like a reskinned ATS, too, 'cause it's the same platform-- alpha. Or we think it's gonna be, anyway. And rear-wheel drive. We'll just see.
Cadillac, to me, is such a lightning rod. They're such a attention-getter. Whenever they do a car, we're quick to either say it's awesome, and then say, well, it's not gonna be commercially viable. To me, they're a brand that really generates a lot of discussion right now, simply because they're Cadillac. There's that. I don't know. Any final thoughts there, Joel, on this?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: So back to your point about Mercedes. They do have a lot of cars, but Mercedes also has a whole lot of SUVs, and they keep bringing out extra versions of SUVs-- coupe versions, performance versions, and "in between performance and luxury" versions, and they sell so many of those. And I think they can also get away with having a lot of different car brands, because if their cars stop selling as well, they've got their SUVs to help subsidize that, and their SUVs are really, really good, whereas Cadillac, on the other hand-- their cars are great. They don't sell, though. And for SUVs, there's the Escalade. There's always gonna be that, probably. And that's a unique vehicle that has a unique presence and image that will help it always sell.
But Cadillac keeps giving us these other crossovers, like the new XT6 and the XT4 and the XT5 five that are all "blah." They're front-drive-based rebadged crossovers from other brands. They aren't necessarily as stylish or as dynamic, and I worry about that, 'cause that's the field that you really have to be in right now, that you have to be competitive in. I think Lincoln knows that very well. The new Navigator has a spectacular interior. It looks great. And the Aviator-- it's gonna be rear-drive-based. It's gonna have an interior just as nice.
GREG MIGLIORE: Mustang pieces, as everybody likes to say, in the suspension.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah. I think Lincoln's game plan is stronger than Cadillac's right now, because I'm sure Cadillac's cars are gonna be great, but they've always been great, but they haven't sold.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's an excellent point. When you really think about it, there was no real problems with the ATS or the CTS. We thought they were reshuffling the deck. Get rid of these cars. Focus on SUVs. Maybe cars come back at a later point. Now it sounds like they're like, well, we're gonna get these cars back out there, and then they're just filling the buckets with these, like you said, XT4, XT5, XT6, which have not been blowing the doors off people.
That's the other thing. The Escalade is still great, but they have not been winning in these other critical crossover segments. So until they do that, I think that's gonna be a tricky proposition. Obviously, GM is really invested in them, so they're gonna get some time. Even if these crossovers, like this first generation of crossovers, does not necessarily win, the second gen might. So I don't know. Obviously, they have a lot of time and a lot of money, but at some point, you've gotta start winning. It's like a football team. How long is the rebuilding program gonna take?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: And if I could add just one last thing about it. Something else that I'm really confused about is why Cadillac isn't taking advantage of its really great car platforms to create crossovers. I know that it's probably cheaper to rework existing crossover platforms from other brands, but if you really want to be a luxury brand that stands out, you should have something a little bit more interesting and exciting. And Cadillac actually used to do that. If I remember correctly, the original Cadillac SRX was based on the CTS platform, and I don't know why they don't do something like that now.
GREG MIGLIORE: That would make sense. That would definitely be a tweener kind of vehicle, and that's an excellent point. That made something percolate up. I think, actually, the reason they are killing then not killing their cars is, they still have these factories open. The CT4 and CT5, I believe, are gonna be built in Lansing. So they basically have said, we're not closing those plants. So for now, they're gonna keep building those cars on these platforms. So it's almost like they're trying, maybe, not to make a mistake.
And the other thing that I think is probably worth noting is, even though it's surprising that they're still playing in some of these sedan segments, these cars are already developed. Even if they're renaming them and changing the styling, my guess is, these are not all that different. The CT4 is probably gonna be pretty close to an ATS. The CT5 is essentially a CTS. It's just a new-- it's more than a model-year refresh, but something short of a new generation. Let's put it that way. So it's almost like, maybe, when Lincoln was not killing the town car, it just kept going, and then they'd change the styling, but we all knew it was still the town car.
I don't know. I'm very optimistic about these cars, but to Jeremy's point, we'll see how the business stuff plays out. One new model every six months until 2021, and of course, they've got an EV strategy that they're working on, too. So there's a lot we don't know.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: The EV strategy-- that, I think, is a smart move, especially if they can become the second word in electrics after Tesla. Regardless of your opinion of Tesla, they still are the name in high-end electric cars.
GREG MIGLIORE: Absolutely. Absolutely.
So let's move on to what we've been driving. We'll kick things off with the Ford Ranger, which Jeremy has been driving. I've been starting to see a few of those on the roads around here. I am really excited about this vehicle. We're actually gonna do a test with the Ranger and a few other midsize comparisons. More on that to come. We're gonna do that in early May, so watch that. But Jeremy, what did you think of the Ranger?
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah, so I'm working on a write-up that'll go along with this point, but podcast listeners may get an early glimpse of that. So the amount of hype and buildup that goes along with the Ranger is amazing to me. I know that everyone has been looking forward to this vehicle. There's a lot of people who grew up on Rangers, I think, and so the name just being back is super important to people. Anyone who follows Autoblog realizes that we drive a lot of really, really cool cars. I got more attention in the week that I drove the Ranger than anything else I've driven in recent memory.
The very first time I took the car out-- and granted, it was a bright orange, a metallic orange color, so definitely, you're gonna notice it. First time I parked it on the street, someone stops me and says, man, I don't know what that is, but that is a nice-looking truck. I'm like, oh, it's the new Ford Ranger, blah blah blah. Next time I park it, like 15 minutes later-- I moved to a different store in a parking lot-- someone stops me and says, hey, is that that new Ford Ranger? Yeah, it's the new Ranger. I tell him a little bit about it, and he's like, man, I love that thing. I've been waiting for that. I can't wait to take one for a test drive, and if I like it, that's gonna be my next car.
Didn't stop all week. Every time I parked, every time I got out of that car, attention from everyone. It was a little bit surprising, because we're talking about a midsize pickup truck. We're not talking about a sports car or a supercar or the new electric wondermobile. We're talking about a mainstream, midsize pickup truck, and I think that's really great news for Ford.
GREG MIGLIORE: I'm liking the Ranger more and more. What I think is surprising me is this well-rounded approach. It's not as over-the-top as the Gladiator, which is more and more starting to look like a different thing. It's a truck Wrangler, essentially. It's just, I've seen them on the streets around here, metro Detroit. They look good. They're subtle. They just have that right truck look, that very much midsize truck look, which I think is good.
I'm excited about it. I think right now I would put it-- I really like almost everything in that class, to be honest. I really do. I like the Colorado a lot. I still think the Gladiator is my favorite without having driven it yet. Ranger is right up there. And then, honestly, the Taco. I love the Toyota Tacoma. That's a truck that a lot of people-- metrically, it doesn't drive that great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. But I really like that truck. So to me, the Ranger could be the overall winner in that segment once we test 'em all out. I think it's really tough, 'cause if you get past the guts and glory of the Gladiator, the Ranger looks to do a lot of things well, and I think a lot of people are really-- not everybody wants a Jeep. A lot of people do, but not everybody does. You might say, well, I don't want a Jeep. What's next? And that's where the Ranger comes in.
How are you feeling there, Joel?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, so I'm excited about Ranger, also. A couple of things that really have me interested in it-- first off is the Turbo 4 engine, 'cause I really like Ford's EcoBoost engines. They're smooth. They've got lots of power. They spool up fast. And I like that this engine is closely related to the one that's in the Mustang. So should have a lot of performance potential there. Hennessey Performance, down in Texas-- they've already got a plan for a engine tune and stuff for it.
GREG MIGLIORE: I cannot wait to see what Hennessy does with a Ranger.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: And besides that, at least looking at it, I like the size. It seems a little smaller than Tacoma and Colorado and Gladiator. In that segment, really, the only truck that's genuinely small anymore is the Nissan Frontier, and it's mostly because--
GREG MIGLIORE: It's just old.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Exactly. It hasn't changed since they came out.
GREG MIGLIORE: They redesigned it before the midsize trucks came back. Or they designed it.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I don't know if that necessarily pans out, if you actually measure it. But just looking at it, it looks like a smaller, more compact pickup truck.
GREG MIGLIORE: I think that's a good thing. We're hearing rumors that Ford might do another small pickup as part of their replace-car strategy, if you will, so we'll see. I'm really excited about the Ranger.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: So Jeremy, what did you think of the powertrain in the Ranger?
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: So, oddly, it was very rough and a little unrefined 'til it warmed up. But that's three minutes, and you're up to operating temperature, and then it's great. I never thought it was hurting for power. I never thought we were gonna have an issue towing, or anything else like that, with it. The automatic transmission, also-- no complaints. Everything seemed good there.
The odd thing about it is, at no point did I ever think, we're dealing with 2.3 liters of displacement, which-- that's small for a truck, especially a four-door 4x4. If you stop and think about it, it's amazing how much power they're making out of that engine. And feels like a traditional truck. It's burly. It feels torquey right off idle. So yeah, I think it's spot-on. It was the right decision for them to go with that.
GREG MIGLIORE: Cool. Yeah, that's gonna be something I'm really cognizant of, aware of, if you will, when I get behind the wheel of it. I think, Joel, you make a really solid point there.
So, moving on, couple more cars. We'll just whip through 'em here to close things out. Mazda 3. We have that through the fleet. That is a very enjoyable car, very handsome car. I spent the weekend in it. I accidentally ended up taking it for the weekend. I was only supposed to take it for one night, but circumstances conspired, and I think it's probably the best-handling car in the segment. The interior in this one is so good. The materials are right. It's the design, the shapes. It's got that cliched, cockpit feel. It does. Like, the way the door pieces angle in. Ours was-- I believe it had some black leather and some white or gray leather, too, I think.
Inside, it's great. Seats bolster you pretty well. I got a car seat in it, in case you're wondering. I really enjoy driving it. Outside, it looks so good-- just all the curves, and then the very subtle angles. I was up pretty early on Saturday morning, driving around town. I was tweeting out some pictures of it. To me, this is the style leader and probably the drive-character leader right now in this segment.
I just really enjoyed the car. I don't want to gush over it, but I was surprised. Not surprised, but the only thing I didn't like was the infotainment. It's something that I still find is a bit challenging to use. I don't know. That whole wheel thing where you have to push down a couple of times, then twist-- I don't know. To me, you're still pushing and twisting too much just to simply change the radio station. So again, I knew I was gonna like the car, but it's actually been a while since I've driven one, so I guess I was surprised how much I like it.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, I also love this thing. It's a really, really, really good car. It looks excellent from the outside. The interior is amazing. It's definitely roomier than the old one. My parents have a previous-generation Mazda 3, and the driver's seat is a little bit on the tight side with the center console things. It just all, a little bit, pinches you, and this definitely feels a lot more roomy.
I love the instrument panel, how the air vents blend into it, and how the controls are canted toward you. It does feel driver-centric. The leather everywhere was really nice. This was a top-trim Mazda 3.
GREG MIGLIORE: Do you remember what the price was, by chance?
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I was just gonna get to that. So it's right about like $28,000, $29,000.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's what I thought. To me, that felt like a really good value.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, 'cause this really feels like a luxury car interior.
GREG MIGLIORE: Absolutely, yeah.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: And all the buttons feel really nice. All the knobs have a nice weight to them. It's a great, great place to be. Honestly, I-- well, let me talk about the way it drives, too. it handles fantastic. It has lots of grip. You can drive it hard into corners, and it just holds on. The steering has a nice weight to it. It's got a little bit of feedback.
The engine is peppy enough. I still want a turbo engine. So if anyone from Mazda is listening, please, please put the Mazda 6 turbo engine in there and pair it with a manual. You might get a deposit from a certain someone on this podcast. But yeah, it's peppy. It handles amazing.
Something that I was paying attention to-- since it's got a torsion beam for suspension now, instead of independent multilink, I was curious to see if that was gonna make it worse, but feels as good, maybe better. It feels very solid going over bumps. It doesn't feel like the back end wants to kick out at all. So torsion beam is a non-issue. Yeah, it's great.
And I would genuinely say that if you were looking at, say, an Audi A3 or maybe even a Mercedes A-Class, maybe stop by Mazda first, 'cause you might save $10,000 or $15,000, 'cause I feel like this is genuinely just about a luxury car alternative.
GREG MIGLIORE: That was my thought, too. I think the interior of this one, as equipped, was nicer than many of the cars you just named. Certainly in their base trim. And the chassis is so dialed-in. The brakes are great. The steering is really solid. I think it's even better than the last gen. I drove that last gen on a track multiple times. That was a fun drivers car, too, but I feel like they keep advancing. It's really, I think, putting some heat on the Civic now, which is, I guess, the best in segment. I would probably, at this point, have to drive them back-to-back, though.
The Civic is just-- you're talking about overall excellence in so many different areas. The car's really good-looking. It comes with a hatchback variant. To me, I think the Civic would probably still win slightly in a head-to-head comparo, but look out for Mazda.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah. I think my only two real complaints are-- the backseat in the Mazda 3 is still pretty tight. That's been an issue with the Mazda 3 for a long time now. Competition, especially the Honda Civic, have huge back seats that are super comfy. Mazda 3 is still tight. And some people might be put off by the Mazda 3's ride. It's very smooth, and it feels extremely composed. It does feel European. But it's also very much on the firm side. And if that bothers you, you should probably look elsewhere. But those are basically my only two complaints. I actually liked the infotainment system.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's interesting.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I thought Mazda's old system was decent. I think this is much more responsive and faster. And I think it's a lot better than any German infotainment system, 'cause BMW and Audi have similar infotainment systems, but with way more menus that you have to dig through.
GREG MIGLIORE: That's true. I think my point of frustration with the infotainment was simply doing radio channels. Just getting from one to two was just so frustrating for me. UX experience is what it is.
But let's move on real quickly to the Volkswagen GTI. We just had one in the fleet here in Detroit, but I know both of you guys have driven it many times over its current generation. This one was bright red. It had the chrome exhaust tips, manual transmission. Yeah, it was great. I took it home last night. And just literally, you forget how much fun a GTI is. Whenever you drive one, it's just like, oh, yeah, this is why we're always recommending this car to people who want a lot of enthusiast credibility, if you will, for the money. The shifter, the manual transmission, the chassis. It's a lot of fun.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, and one of the things that I really like about that car is, the engine is so strong. It's the most powerful that it has been in the last few generations, but it still feels-- I feel like Volkswagen underrates its turbo engines. It feels a lot stronger than it is, 'cause I think it's rated at what? 230-ish horsepower?
GREG MIGLIORE: Right in there, yeah.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, but it feels stronger than that. The GTI really pulls. And it's fun to drive. It handles so well. And I've talked with Reese about this, too. He and I agree that we would probably take a GTI over a Golf R, just because the GTI feels a little bit more tossable and natural. The Golf R-- you point it in a direction, and it goes. It doesn't really demand a lot of work from the driver. And driver involvement is important in having fun in a car.
GREG MIGLIORE: Any GTI thoughts, JK?
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah. Every time I get into a GTI, I walk away with the same thought-- this is just a really, really good car. Anyone is gonna hop into it and have fun behind the wheel. It's attractively priced. It's got good space inside. It's practical. It's fun. There's really nothing about the GTI that's not to like.
GREG MIGLIORE: Well said. Let's spend some money. And generally, we would recommend a GTI, it seems like, in "Spend My Money," but Jeremy, you pulled together-- you were cruising eBay-- a list of some of the best cars you would spend or would most like to spend your money on for 15K. If you guys had $15,000, you were cruising eBay, from this list or your own searches, where would you go?
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah, so this is a funny one. We have our online communication platforms. We're talking with each other all day. And anytime you get stuck on eBay or BringATrailer or Craigslist or something, it just turns into this-- what can I find that's really cool? I'm not in the market right now. I'm not actually buying. I'm not spending my real money. But if I had money burning a hole in my pocket, what would I want?
So the fun thing about doing that is that you're not actually spending your money. You're just playing a game as a thought experiment, and that's how you end up with choices like a 1976 Rolls-Royce or a Jeep CJ Screamin' Eagle or Golden Eagle. Alex found a diesel Nissan Safari or a Nissan Patrol. Those are the cool things that-- you're like, huh, $15,000. That's neat. That's fun.
And then some of our other editors took it more realistically. Someone found a Porsche Boxster. I think Zach came up with the Porsche Boxster. Funny, because every single person who played that game ran across the Porsche Boxster in the $15,000 range and thought, OK, that's what I'd actually buy, but for the purpose of having fun with it, let's keep looking.
So yeah, it was just a really fun little experiment, and I think readers got a kick out of it. It's something we'll probably continue doing from time to time. We'll change the criteria each time. It's not gonna be $15,000. We might say 5,000. We might say 30,000. Maybe we'll put a category on it. But it's just a fun thought experiment.
GREG MIGLIORE: Cool. So give me which one from this list you would go with, JK.
JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Well, you know what? I picked that Rolls-Royce. Would I actually buy it? I don't know. $15,000 is quite a bit. But I think it's super awesome that you can get a really nice-looking, super classy Rolls-Royce sedan that runs and drives, so I'm sticking to my guns here. I'm not gonna change. I'm gonna stay with the $15,000 Rolls-Royce. And for all the people who are gonna say, oh, that's gonna be a maintenance nightmare-- there's gonna be some maintenance. But I just want you to know, those 6-and-3/4-liter V8 engines that Rolls-Royce and Bentley used-- those things are both highly reliable, very strong, understressed engines.
It uses a GM Turbo 400 three-speed automatic transmission. They put those in every General Motors product from the early 1970s up through-- I don't know-- the 1990s or something. It's basically the same transmission. That's super easy, super reliable. Anybody can work on that. The suspension would be a problem. The brakes are really expensive. Stuff like that. But still, 15 grand-- I can afford to put a little bit aside for future maintenance, and I'm driving a freaking Rolls-Royce every single day of my life for $15,000. That's awesome.
GREG MIGLIORE: I like that mantra. Go ahead, Joel.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I suppose if you did get fed up with that Rolls-Royce engine, it's got a Turbo 400 in it. You can bolt up a small block to that, no problem.
GREG MIGLIORE: There you go. There you go.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: As for me, I think what I would go with is-- and I saw a lot of these when I was searching around-- I think I'd go with the C5 Chevy Corvette. I think it may be my favorite generation of Corvette for looks and performance, and it would be really fun. Actually, I have never owned a V8 vehicle, and I think that would be a great place to start, especially because Corvettes actually get good gas mileage, which is a really weird thing. You can get high 20s in a C5 Corvette without much trouble. They're geared high, and they rev low on the highway. So yeah, I think that's the way I would go.
Either that or completely other end of the spectrum. I saw a couple of classic MINI Coopers that caught my eye, and those things are a blast. I've only ever driven one low-speed in a parking lot, but if you get a good one, it's cliche, but it genuinely feels like a go-kart. The steering is really tight and heavy and direct, and it's really quick. It handles almost completely flat. They're fun little cars.
GREG MIGLIORE: Those are excellent choices. I like all of those. For me, it would be the '78 Jeep, the CJ5 Golden Eagle all day. Love that era of Jeep. That's what I would do. I guess if I was thinking somewhat practically, the Boxster is really the car that-- you could drive that. You could enjoy it. You could drive it forever. Not forever, but get some fun miles out of that, use it somewhat practically as a commuter car, but also, it's your toy car. But that's how I would go.
Check out this eBay auction. Find, if you will, on our site. Really nice piece of work by Jeremy, compiling this. And that's all the time we have this week. Thanks for listening. Be sure to send us your Spend My Monies at podcast@autoblog.com. If you enjoy the podcast--
[MUSIC PLAYING]
--and we hope you do, please give us a five-star rating on Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks, guys, for being with me this week. Thanks for listening. Be safe out there. We'll see you next week.
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor John Beltz Snyder. John's been driving the new Chevy Traverse and the BMW X5 M Competition, and Greg gives his first impressions from behind the wheel of the new Fiat 500e. They discuss Tesla's abandonment of …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramanian for a look at the business side of recent automotive news. They cover the demise of the Chevy Malibu (again), BMW's aversion to building a pickup, Tesla's Supercharger situation (and the company's broader headcount …
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Byron Hurd for a gasoline-powered installment. They lead off by diving into the Tesla layoff news from this week before leaving electrification behind for a bit to talk about not one, but two production V12 unveilings. …
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 …
