Tesla Model Y and Cadillac CT5 | Autoblog Podcast 573

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

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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 Korzeniewski. JK, what's up?

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: You know, 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 CD5. 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 going to 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 like 11:00 Eastern as all Tesla reveals do. That meant out 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-- slightly curvy, coupey, crossover guise. What do you guys think?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: So for me, I actually-- I actually kind of feel like it's kind of 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. Because one of my big complaints of the Model 3 is that it looks like a hatchback from all angles, but it's not. 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 I mean, that's great in my book. It's like you're actually taking advantage of the hatchback shape.

GREG MIGLIORE: Makes sense. I think 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 sort of 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 points seem pretty reasonable. The ranges look solid. But what did you think, Jeremy?

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Well, I mean, 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 greater-- excuse me, much less utility, 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 kind of 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 going to want the Y. So it's going to translate into more sales.

I don't know if there's any truth to that or not. I do think it's realistically going to 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 sort of 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 sort of coupe styling, which it's more functional than the 3, but it's still not as functional as, you know, perhaps, a more traditionally silhouetted crossover. So there's that.

You can get rear-wheel drive. You can get all-wheel drive. It's-- you know, I think they ticked all the boxes here as far as what they had to do. And obviously, you know, 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 I mean, the Model 3 isn't a huge car to begin with. And basically, the Model Y is kind of an inflated Model 3. And I mean, I assumed that this third row seat would be, like, 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-- I don't know who would fit back there other than, like, very small children. I mean, you're not going to have a whole lot of headroom because the glass is sloping down at that point. And you're not going to have a lot of leg room because-- I mean, you've got to 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 you know, as someone who does have a small child, I can see where you might want to, like, consider-- you know, you want to make every use of every ounce-- cubic foot of space in a car that you can. That being said, I can't imagine putting the car seat back there is going to be all that easy. And you know, 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 Engadget got a ride in this car. So you know, you can check out their story. Definitely check out John Snyder's sort of analysis of this from last week as well to kind of gather your own opinions. But until I see this thing in person, it is a little hard to get a sense of, like, the dimensions where everything, like, fits, like, where you'd put your Nalgene to go back to John. So I'm still trying to figure out exactly. I mean, 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. I'm looking at-- so there's a picture of a blue one in profile if anyone is following along while they're online. You can see the driver. He's got a couple inches of headroom. If you run that-- 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 going to 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 going to go.

I mean, of course, in any of these relatively small crossovers that offer three rows, you expect to have no leg room. Your knees are going to kind of end up in your chest. But I'm really kind of curious how much headroom, leg room, knee room, hip room-- pretty much all of the above-- I'm kind of, like, envisioning the tiny little back parcel shelf that they sometimes call seats in two plus two cars.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah.

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: And I'm betting that's probably what we're going to 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 sort of fits with their nomenclature-- their naming scheme. You know, we knew they were going to call it this. To me, this just is what it is. It's a Tesla. It's going to look cool, especially if you're like, you know, a techie, if you're an EV guy. You're going to 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, you know, 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 S3XY, which obviously, internet slang, is SEXY.

That's kind of dumb, but, you know, not, I guess, not that big of a deal. If I were interested in it, would it keep me from buying one? Absolutely not. Do I think it's funny? No, not really, but, you know, whatever.

GREG MIGLIORE: What do you think this does with the Model X? I mean, they're obviously a little bit different segments, but to me that car got old-- that crossover got old fast. I don't think it looks particularly good. I see it on the road, it's just, like, bloated kind of, like, 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, like, that type of crossover. So to me, the Model X is sort of like, meh-- you know, it's yesterday's sort of news at this point.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: I mean, I think the Model X still has-- it's still got a secure place in the lineup. It's by far the most practical version of like any Tesla available.

GREG MIGLIORE: Yep.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: 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. Like, it's got the gullwing doors and it's got the--

GREG MIGLIORE: Those do nothing for me, by the way, but--

JOEL STOCKSDALE: I mean, like, 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 doors.

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 kind of tacitly admitted that. Because how-- it's a crossover. And people who buy crossovers have to put stuff in the back. I mean, 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 gullwing door is not practical.

You know, especially, like-- you know, imagine you're at Costco, how are you going to open those things? You know, you have to, what, park in the back 40 and then let your doors open up, I mean, to get the dog food in? I mean, I don't know. To me, it's-- not to rag on that car too much because it is like-- to Joel's point, if you're in that-- you need to be in that segment for that, like, practical application. Sure, that's one way to go. But to me, that car got old fast. That crossover got-- it aged quickly, in my opinion.

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah. I kind of wish there was more traditional crossover or, like, 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, you know, 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 kind of like a really expensive fashion statement.

GREG MIGLIORE: Cool. All right, so that's the Model Y. Be sure to check out our full coverage. This happened at the tail end of last week. Tesla, to me, is just-- it's enduring. Its ongoing-- can always talk about it. So check out our full coverage. John Snyder did a great job. We had some good posts surrounding, like, the reveal and the analysis, so check all those out.

But let's 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 sort of 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 going to replace the ATS, but maybe not quite-- more on that in a second. Turbo four-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 kind of cleaned up the front end and use that familial styling that you're seeing on, like, 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 fast-back sort of roofline in the back-- looks pretty good. To me, I think it's a good looking car. It's coming later this year. It's certainly critical. So yeah, I think-- you know, it's definitely going to be, you know, 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 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 CTE-- CTS. Change the name on that, yeah. And I mean, I'm excited about that because that platform is fantastic. It handles so well. It rides so well.

And I mean, granted, it's been around for a little bit, but it still is a class leader in handling and ride control. Like, it's a really nice-- 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, like, class leading, but-- I mean, it should be a good car to drive.

GREG MIGLIORE: The first time I drove the ATS-- 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, like, totally new, new bones for the car was, you know, 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.

GREG MIGLIORE: ATS V.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: And I loved that thing.

GREG MIGLIORE: I really liked the ATS.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: I had that thing just for night, and I went through a quarter tank of gas. I was just driving it, like, all evening long. It was so much fun.

GREG MIGLIORE: Yeah, it's-- that car was a rocket. So that's actually kind of an interesting sort of kind of footnote to this too is we had thought that they were going to basically go from, like, three cars to maybe only one car, and it would be the CT5-- CT6 too big, not what they're going to do anymore. GM, to be fair, never actually said what they were going to 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-- you know, 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, you know, we were talking about off microphone here that seemed to indicate that, well, wait a minute-- the CT4 is a thing. And automotive news is reporting just this week that we're going to see that car within, I think, the next eight months as well.

So yeah, suddenly Cadillac's, like, 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 going to live. But yeah, so I think-- I think Cadillac's strategy is actually the right one.

They have good sedans. They are fun to drive. They look good. They have good chassis 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, because 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, like, fighting trim.

They're going to have what looks to be three very strong offerings. And you know, we'll see what happens next.

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah. The one problem is that they're slicing that sedan buyer pie up pretty small, especially because, like, spy shots indicate that the CT4 and CT5 look-- you know, they're going to 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 sedans-- like, everyone's pulling out of sedans, here comes Cadillac with two brand new ones to go along with the CT6, which, you know, 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, like, game plan and how to, like, really make a mark on the industry and to actually change the game. I'm not sure that sedans are really going to get them there. I think just the fact that they're making good cars is-- I mean, that's crucial, clearly. If they had, like, really cool looking cars in every single segment that were terrible to drive, that would stink. 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 mean, 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, because 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, you know, it's going to be a really good car that very few people are actually going to experience. But hey, I mean, I hope I'm wrong about that.

GREG MIGLIORE: So the counterpoint to that is-- and I don't fully necessarily believe this, so I'm sort of 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 Kersten and his-- he's done at least one or maybe two drives of it.

The CLA is going to 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 the segment with all these brands they want to consider themselves on equal footing with. So to kind of split it here and to talk out of both sides of my mouth-- commercially, this isn't really what they need. Like, an A-class or a CT4 is not going to right the ship as far as sales.

From an image standpoint and just from a brand portfolio standpoint, it does make sense, because 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 are you-- why does Mercedes have two cars in this segment? So I mean, that's a lot of overanalyzing.

But I guess for me, I'm really psyched they're doing the car, because I think CT4-- I actually think it's a better name than ATS too-- just kind of rolls off the tongue better, it sounds elegant. It sounds, essentially, like a re-skinned ATS too, because it's the same platform, alpha. And-- we think it's going to be, anyway.

And rear-wheel drive-- I mean, we'll just see. I mean, Cadillac to me is such a lightning rod. They're such an attention getter. Whenever they do a car, it's like, we're quick to either say it's awesome and then say, well, it's not going to be commercially viable. Like, to me, they're like-- they're a brand that really generates a lot of discussion right now, simply because they're Cadillac. I mean, there's that.

So you know, 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 and performance versions-- in between performance and luxury versions. And they sell so many of those.

And I mean, 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, I mean, their cars are great. They don't sell, though. And for SUVs, I mean, there's the Escalade. There's always going to 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-- well, the new XT6 and the XT4 and the XT5 that are all kind of blah. They're, like, front-drive based, kind of rebadged crossovers from other brands. They don't-- they aren't necessarily as stylish or as dynamic. And I worry about that, because it's like, 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 going to be rear-drive based. It's going to have--

GREG MIGLIORE: Mustang pieces, as everybody likes to say in, the suspension.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah. I mean, I think Lincoln's gameplan is stronger than Cadillac's right now. Because I'm sure Cadillac's cars are going to be great, but they've always been great, but they haven't sold.

GREG MIGLIORE: That's an excellent point. I mean, when you really think about it, there was no real problems with the ATS or the CTS. We thought they were sort of, like, you know, 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 going to get these cars back out there. And then they're sort of 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, like, great, but they have not been, like, winning in these other critical crossover segments. So until they do that, I think that's going to be a tricky proposition. Obviously, GM is really invested in them, so they're going to 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-- I mean, obviously, they have a lot of time and a lot of money. But at some point, you've got to start winning. You know, it's like a football team. You know, how long is the rebuilding program going to take? So--

JOEL STOCKSDALE: And if I can add just one last thing about it. Something else that I'm really kind of 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 kind of made something percolate up. I think, actually, the reason they are sort of killing but not killing their cars is they still have these factories open. Like, the CT4 and CT5 five I believe are going to be built in Lansing. So they basically have said, we're not closing those plants. So for now, they're going to 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 it's probably worth noting is even though it's surprising that they're still sort of 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. You know, it's-- you know, the CT4 is probably going to be pretty close to an ATS. The CT5 is essentially a CTS.

It's just like a new, I would say-- 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, like, changed 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: I think the EV strategy-- that, I think, is a smart move, especially if they can kind of become the second word in electrics after Tesla. I mean, regardless of your opinion of Tesla, they still are, like, 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 going to do a test with the Ranger and a few other midsize comparisons-- more on that to come. We're going to 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 to this that'll go along with this point. But podcast-- podcast listeners may get an early glimpse at that. So the amount of hype and buildup that goes along with the Ranger is amazing. 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 it being back, is, like, super important to people.

And 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, like, a bright orange-- like, a metallic orange color, so definitely you're going to 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. Like, oh, it's the new Ford Ranger, blah blah blah. Next time I park it, like, 15 minutes later-- 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, 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. You know, and if I like it, that's going to 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 mid-sized pickup truck. We're not talking about a sports car or a supercar or the new electric wonder mobile.

We're talking about a mainstream mid-sized 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 how sort of this just, like, well-rounded approach-- like, it's not as, like, you know, over the top as the Gladiator, which is, you know, more and more starting to look like a different thing. You know, 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, you know, truck kind of look-- that very much, like, mid-sized 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's right up there. And then, honestly, the Taco-- I love the Toyota Tacoma. That's a truck that a lot of people like metrically, it doesn't drive that great. It's-- yeah, I know. But I really like that truck.

So to me, the Ranger could be the overall winner in that segment. And you know, once we test them all out, I think it's really tough, because if you get past just, like, I don't know, 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.

So-- 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. Because I really like Ford's ecoboost engines. They're really-- 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 it should have a lot of performance potential there. I mean, 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 Hennessey does with a Ranger. I mean--

JOEL STOCKSDALE: And besides that, at least looking at it, I like the size. It seems a little smaller than, like, Tacoma and Colorado and Gladiator. Like, in that segment, really the only truck that's, like, genuinely small anymore is the Nissan Frontier, and it's mostly because--

GREG MIGLIORE: It's just old.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Exactly.

GREG MIGLIORE: They redesigned it before the midsize trucks came back-- or they designed it.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: And 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. You know, we're hearing rumors that Ford might do another small pickup as part of their sort of, you know, replace car strategy, if you will. So we'll see. I'm really excited about the Ranger.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, so, Jeremy, what did you think of-- what did you think of the power train on the Ranger?

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: So oddly, it was very kind of gruff and a little unrefined till it warmed up. But that's a 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, like, we're going to 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, you know, that-- that's small for a truck, you know, especially something-- you know, a four-door, 4x4-- like, if you stop and think about it, it's amazing how much power they're making out of that engine.

And it drives like-- you know, it feels like a traditional truck. It's like kind of burly, feels torquey right off idle. So yeah, I think it's-- I think it's spot on and it's the right decision for them to go with that.

GREG MIGLIORE: Cool. Yeah, that's going to 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 kind of whip through them 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. It's-- the materials are right. The design, the shapes-- it's got that cliched cockpit sort of feel. It does, like, the way the door pieces kind of angle in. Ours was-- I believe it had some, like, black leather and some, like, white or gray leather too, I think.

Yeah, inside, it's great. Seat's bolster you pretty well. I got a car seat in it, in case you're wondering. I really enjoy driving it. It's-- you know, outside, it looks so good. I mean, just all the curves and, like, sort of the very subtle angles. I was up pretty early on Saturday morning driving around town, was tweeting out some pictures of it.

It just-- to me, this is the style leader and probably the-- you know, the ride-- the drive character leader right now in the segment. Then I-- you know, I just really enjoyed the car. You know, I don't want to gush over it, but I was surprised. Only thing I-- not surprised, but the only thing I didn't like was the infotainment is 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 and twist, I don't know. To me, you're still pushing and twisting too much just to simply change the radio station. So I mean, again, I knew I was going to 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. Like, 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, like, the driver's seat is a little bit on the tight side with the, like, center console and things. It's just all a little bit-- kind of pinches you in. This definitely feels a lot more roomy.

I love the instrument panel and how, like, the air vents kind of blend into it and how the controls are kind of canted toward you. It does feel driver centric.

GREG MIGLIORE: Definitely.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: And, like, the leather everywhere was really nice. This was, like-- this was a top trim Mazda 3. But--

GREG MIGLIORE: You remember what the price was by chance?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: I was just going to 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.

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. I-- you might be getting-- 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 was, since it's got a torsion beam rear suspension now instead of an independent multilink, I was curious to see if that was going to make it worse. But it feels as good, maybe better. Like, it never-- it feels very solid going over bumps. It doesn't feel like the back end wants to kick you 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, like, an Audi A3 or maybe even a Mercedes A-class, maybe stop by Mazda first, because you might save, like, $10 or $15,000, because, like, 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 their base trim. And the chassis, it's 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. I mean, 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 segment. I would probably at this point have to drive them back to back though.

I mean, the Civic is-- you're talking about overall excellence in so many different areas. That car's really good looking. It comes with hatchback variant. I mean, to me, I think the Civic would probably still win slightly in a head to head comparo. But go 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 kind of tight. And some people might be put off by the Mazda 3's ride.

It's very smooth, and it feels extremely composed. Like, 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. Because, like, BMW and Audi have kind of 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 just doing, like, radio channel-- like, just getting from, like, one to two was just so frustrating for me. You know, 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, you know, many times over its current generation. This one was bright red. It had the chrome exhaust tips. I mean, manual transmission-- yeah. It was great. I just-- I took it home last night and just-- literally, you forget how much fun a GTI is.

You know, 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, you know, enthusiast credibility, if you will, for the money-- the shifter, the transmission-- excuse me, the manual transmission, the chassis-- it's just-- it's a lot of fun.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah. 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 feel-- like, I feel like Volkswagen underrates its turbo engines. Like, it feels a lot stronger than it is. Because I think it's rated at, what, like, 230-ish horsepower.

GREG MIGLIORE: Right in there, yeah.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, but it feels stronger than that. Like, the GTI really pulls. And it's fun-- it's fun to drive. It handles so well. I actually-- 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, like, the GTI feels a little bit more tossable and, like, natural. The Golf R, it kind of-- 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.

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah, every--

GREG MIGLIORE: Any GTI thoughts, JK?

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah, I mean, every time I get into a GTI, I walk away with the same thought-- like, this is just a really, really good car. Anyone is going to 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, on "Spend My Money." But, Jeremy, you pulled together a list of-- you're 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're cruising eBay from this list or your own searches, where would you go?

JEREMY KORZENIEWSKI: Yeah. So this is kind of a funny one. We're all just-- you know, we have our online communication platforms. We're talking with each other all day. And anytime you get stuck on eBay or Bring a Trailer or Craigslist or something, you know, it just kind of 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 the 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 Screaming Eagle or Golden Eagle. You know, you Alex found a diesel Nissan Safari or a Nissan Patrol.

Like, those are the kind of cool things that you're like, huh, $15,000, huh? That's kind of 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. And it's 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, you know, let's keep looking. So yeah, it's just a really fun little experiment. And I think readers kind of got a kick out of it-- something we'll probably continue doing every-- from time to time. We'll change the criteria each time-- it's not going to 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-- yeah, 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 you know, I'm sticking to my guns here. I'm not going to change. I'm going to stay with the $15,000 Rolls Royce.

And for all the people who are going to say, like, oh, that's going to be a maintenance nightmare-- there's going to be some maintenance. You know, but I just want you to know-- those 6 and 3/4-liter V8 engines that Rolls Royce and Bentley use, those things are bulletproof. They are highly reliable, very strong, under-stressed engines.

It uses a GM turbo-400 3-speed automatic transmission, which they put those in, like, every General Motors product from the early 1970s up through, like, you know, I don't know-- like, the 1990s or something. It's all the basic-- 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: Yeah. And I suppose if you did get fed up with that Rolls Royce engine that's got a turbo-400 in it, 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. It's-- I think it may be my favorite generation of Corvette for, like, looks and performance. And it would be-- it would be really fun.

And I've actually-- I have never owned a V8 vehicle. And I think that would be a great place to start-- and especially because Corvettes actually get good gas mileage, which is a really weird thing. I mean, you can get, like, high-20s in a C5 Corvette without much trouble. They're geared high, and they rev low on the highway.

So yeah, I think-- 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, like, low speed in a parking lot, but, like, 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, like, almost completely flat. They're fun little cars.

GREG MIGLIORE: That sounds-- 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. I just-- that's what I would do. I guess if I was thinking somewhat practically, the Boxster is really the car that-- you know, you could drive that. You could enjoy it. You could drive it forever-- not forever, but you know, get some fun miles out of that, use it somewhat practically as a commuter car, but also, you know, 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 Moneys" at podcast@Autoblog.com. If you enjoy the podcast, 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.

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