2026 Consumer Guide Best Buys

Summary

Car Stuff Podcast – May 26, 2026

Episode: 2026 Consumer Guide Best Buys

Hosts: Tom Appel (B), Jill Ciminillo (C)
Main Theme:
Tom and Jill break down the 2026 Consumer Guide Best Buy awards, discussing their car picks across 13 classes and 32 vehicles, spanning everything from the decline of full-size sedans to the rise of value-packed crossovers, minivans, and the latest on Stellantis’ changing product roadmap. The episode offers deep industry insights, personal anecdotes, and practical advice for new car shoppers.

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Table of Contents

1. What Are the Best Buys?
2. Subcompact & Compact Crossovers
3. Premium Subcompact/Compact Crossovers
4. Midsize & Premium Midsize Crossovers
5. Large & Premium Large SUVs
6. Pickup Trucks (Midsize and Large)
7. Minivans
8. Small & Midsize Cars
9. Premium Large Car Farewell
10. Stellantis Product Lineup News
11. Notable Quotes

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What Are the Best Buys? [00:45–05:00]

• History: Consumer Guide Best Buys have existed since 1970, evolving with the industry.
• Methodology: Vehicles chosen based on “appropriateness for the class,” value, features, and practicality. (04:15)
• Changing Landscape: Traditional categories are blurring; for example, the “large car” class is nearly extinct in North America.
• Tom: “Categories are blurring these days, and there are some categories that no longer exist... there is no large car anymore in North America.” [02:07]

---

Subcompact & Compact Crossovers [05:00–16:45]

Subcompact Picks:

• Buick Envista & Chevrolet Trax:
  Great value, similar under the skin, built in South Korea. Prices have crept up due to tariffs but remain strong contenders. No AWD.

  • Tom: “They do everything you want them to do. They're not available with all wheel drive.” [06:33]
  • Jill: “When the Trax came out...I was completely blown away...I am a firm believer in the Chevy Trax.” [07:07]

• Nissan Kicks: “A lot of value for the money and you can now get it with AWD.” [08:15]

• Mazda CX-30: “Luxury take on the segment, great interior, sporty drive, but higher price and not amazing on fuel.” [08:15]

• Nissan Leaf: “Best for someone already familiar with EVs; not a beginner’s choice but practical and affordable.” [05:44]

  • Jill: “I think it's one of the only, if not the only, electric car that comes in under $30,000 without any kind of credits.” [05:54]

Compact Crossover Picks:

• Mazda CX-50:
  Slightly sleeker, more off-road focused than CX-5, has a great new hybrid, rugged looks, “lifestyle adventure” target. [12:00]
• Nissan Rogue: “Roomiest interior in the segment, three-cylinder engine, CVT can be off-putting to some, but strong value.” [13:41–14:21]
• Subaru Forester: Noted for visibility, hybrid options on the way, loved for driving intimacy and sightlines.
  • Jill: “Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 were my top picks because of visibility.” [16:15]

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Premium Subcompact/Compact Crossovers [09:12–17:02]

• Alfa Romeo Tonale:
  Shared with Dodge Hornet, standout style and driving dynamics, surprisingly affordable for a premium badge. “Serviceable at any Stellantis dealer.” [09:13]

  • Jill: “At the spring rally this year they put that on the racetrack and it was surprisingly delightful.” [09:54]

• BMW X1:
  Least expensive BMW SUV that truly “feels like a BMW” in quality, drive, and cabin. [10:10]

• Volvo EX30: Electric, 300-mile range, “stellar value” until tariffs made it hard to get. Still available in limited numbers. [10:36–11:18]

• Genesis GV70: Easily the value leader in premium compacts, “fun to drive, beautiful inside, much cheaper than Germans.” [17:02]

  • Jill: “For me personally, the GV70 is like a right-size city vehicle.” [17:41]

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Midsize & Premium Midsize Crossovers [18:26–27:50]

Mainstream Midsize:

• Mazda CX-70 (2-row) & CX-90 (3-row):
  “Driver-oriented, smooth inline-6, high standard equipment, premium feel. Plug-in hybrid version is not recommended.” [18:26–20:36]

Premium Midsize:

• Lexus RX:
  “Original luxury crossover, still benchmark for comfort & value vs. Germans. Diminished a bit by arrival of larger Lexus TX.”

  • Jill: “It’s luxurious and a little bit floaty and just comfortable. It’s great for the highway.” [23:33]

• Lincoln Nautilus:
  Supremely comfortable, tech-forward (full-dash screen), but suffering on price/availability due to China tariffs.

  • Jill: “It’s just functional and it makes sense and it looks really good...the tech is actually good.” [25:48]

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Large & Premium Large SUVs [27:15–33:29]

• Ford Expedition: “Surprisingly good handling for its size, strong EcoBoost V6, a bit pricey.” [27:16]
• Nissan Armada: “Priced lower than most, turbo V6, very nice interior, bold styling.” [28:43]
• General Motors Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban: In transition; about to be redesigned and getting new engines. [29:26]

Premium:

• Infiniti QX80: “Basically an Armada in a tuxedo; good design, superior tech and audio.” [29:56]
• Lexus LX: “Costs $108–117K, best for those who value ultimate Lexus quality.”
  • Tom: “You have to want this vehicle and appreciate exactly what it is.” [31:58]
• Lincoln Navigator: “Top-notch interior, adult-sized 3rd row, exemplary road comfort.” [32:29]
  • Jill: “If you have family and you're trying to put adults in the back, it is definitely great and comfortable.” [33:04]

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Pickup Trucks (Midsize and Large) [34:16–40:11]

Midsize:

• Nissan Frontier:
  “Simple lineup, affordable (only one under $35K), basic but capable. Last of the V6, non-turbo, non-complicated midsizers.”
  • Jill: “Whenever I go to configure a pickup truck...so many different ways you can figure it and option it out. The Frontier’s simplicity is nice!” [36:06]

Full-size:

• Ram 1500:
  “Ram brings back the Hemi after attempting a switch to inline-6 ‘Hurricane’ engines, responding to consumer demand.” [37:43]
  • Jill: “Ford and Ram are the only two pickup trucks that still have adjustable pedals.” [40:01]

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Minivans [41:01–48:40]

• Chrysler Pacifica:
  “Still the benchmark, refreshed for 2027, superb highway cruiser, price starting at $46K, unique Stow-n-Go folding seats.”

  • Jill: “Those Stow and Go seats I think are worth their weight in gold.” [44:04]
  • Tom: “I think there are people who see Stow and Go, fully appreciate it, and make use of it all the time. Others just fill those basins with crap and never use it.” [44:35]

• Kia Carnival:
  “Modern, stylish, hybrid available, better value ($40K+), best for tech and interior.”
  Jill prefers the Carnival for tech and modern features.

• Also-rans:
  Honda Odyssey (“no updates coming soon”), Toyota Sienna (all-hybrid, AWD, top resale), but both not as exciting as the main picks.

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Small & Midsize Cars [49:00–52:40]

• Small Cars:

  • Honda Civic: Perennial pick, “perfect small car” but price creeping up.
  • Kia K4: “New, smart hatch, under $25K, excellent value.”
  • Nissan Versa: Discontinued, recommend the Sentra as a replacement. [50:28]

• Midsize Cars:

  • Toyota Camry: “Still the only real player, standard hybrid now, roomy, great fuel mileage, $30–35K.”
  • Toyota Crown/Crown Signia: Avalon-sized, slightly higher for easier access, “great looking, very practical.”

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Premium Large Car Farewell [52:40–54:00]

• Lexus LS:
  Legendary flagship luxury sedan discontinued—“Taps” moment. [52:40]
  • Jill: “I feel like we need to play taps.” [52:50]
  • Noted the new Lexus ES as an indirect replacement.

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Stellantis Product Lineup News [54:00 to end]

• Chrysler:
  Pacifica continues. Three new crossovers coming: Airflow, Arrow, Arrow Cross—all targeting under $40K.

  • Tom: “Nice to see that [Airflow] name come back.” [56:36]

• Jeep:
  Doubling down on the Wrangler name; Wrangler (2-dr), Wrangler Unlimited (4-dr), Gladiator, and a new ‘Wrangler Scrambler’—likely a compact pickup revival. Recon (electric off-roader) coming, and new Cherokee out now.

• Ram/Dodge:

  • Ram will offer both the mid-size Dakota and Maverick-sized Rampage trucks.
  • Charger and Durango continue; Dodge may reintroduce a sporty “GLH” model and a new Viper-replacement sports car (likely less hardcore, targeting Z car).

• Ram Charger:
  Extended-range EV truck continuing development, with Promaster City returning for commercial use.

• Industry Commentary:
  Tom and Jill discuss how segment crowding (mid-size trucks, compact crossovers), technology shifts, and tariffs are driving product changes.

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Notable Quotes

• On Value:
  “When the average price of a new car, including pickup trucks, is like $50,000, affordability takes on a whole new meaning.” – Jill (05:00)

• On Category Evolution:
  “The cars my dad might have purchased...just the big sedan gone.” – Tom (02:56)

• On the Chevy Trax:
  “I was completely blown away. I had a friend who was buying a car and I was like, you need to go look at the Chevy Trax. And she drove it and bought it.” – Jill (07:07)

• On Mazda’s Rise:
  “Mazda did state a few years ago that their ultimate goal was to slip upscale slowly.” – Tom (20:04)

• On Minivans:
  “Minivans are available relatively affordably used...the bad news is every one of them is going to be white or silver.” – Tom (47:05)

• Stellantis News:
  “My worst fears that Chrysler and Dodge might soon disappear. Seem to be without merit.” – Tom (55:02)
  “I was wrong.” – Tom (55:09)

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Memorable Moments

• Visibility for Short Drivers:
  Jill creates a video highlighting Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 as best compact crossovers for short drivers, due to sightlines and easy ingress/egress. [16:15]
• Lincoln Nautilus Dashboard:
  Jill lauds the full-width digital display as unexpectedly functional and not distracting. [25:48]
• Stow-n-Go Seats Anecdote:
  Tom shares the agony of removing heavy minivan seats pre-Stow-n-Go. [45:28]

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Timestamps for Reference

• Best Buy Category Overview: [00:45–05:00]
• Subcompact/Compact Crossover Picks: [05:00–16:45]
• Premium Small SUVs: [09:12–17:02]
• Midsize & Premium Midsize Crossover Discussion: [18:26–27:50]
• Large SUVs: [27:15–33:29]
• Pickup Trucks: [34:16–40:11]
• Minivans: [41:01–48:40]
• Small/Midsize/Premium Car Picks: [49:00–54:00]
• Stellantis Product Roadmap: [54:00–end]

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Overall Tone

Conversational, enthusiastic, slightly irreverent (“I need a talk nap.” “I need a kale nap.”), with a mix of expert analysis and relatable personal stories. The hosts’ knowledge, candor, and friendly banter make a complex topic accessible for all listeners.

Transcript

[A]

Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you've come to the right place. Join Jill and Tom as they break down everything that's going on in the auto world. New car reviews, shopping tips, driving green electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast.

[B]

All right. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast, and I am Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive. Thank you so much for joining us today. When you have a chance, check us [e-mail] this is super topical because you can go there and check out our 2026 Best Buy picks, which Jill and I are about to address for the first time yet this year. Jill, how are you?

[C]

I am doing very well. How are you?

[B]

We're good. We're super late getting to this this year. I blame you entirely.

[C]

Of course you do. It's always my fault.

[B]

But the Best Buy episode is always our most popular episode by far. And just a little background first, that voice. Jill Simonello, contributing editor [e-mail] North American Car of the Year juror and freelancer. How are you?

[C]

For the second time, I'm doing really well.

[B]

All right, good. Yeah, yeah, Just work with me. Work with me on the flow there.

[C]

I'm working with you. I'm working with you. No, I'm good. You know, we are. We are here on Memorial Day. The sun is shining, and I actually slept really well last night, so I'm good.

[B]

The outdoors do beckon. It looks like a very nice day here in Chicago. I haven't been outside yet. I have one more day with a test car. So I think I do need to get out and just drive around a little bit. But the Consumer Guy Best Buys, a staple of what we do here at consumer guy since 1977. Zero 1970. The Dodge Dart was a best buy in 1970. Go ahead and worry about that if you like. Actually, Consumer Guide's been around since 1967, so it took us three years to figure out that we needed to do this, and we've done it ever since.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

All right. So the Best Buy picks. Every year we try to pick the best cars in a bunch of different categories. But as you know, categories are blurring these days, and there are some categories that no longer exist. The only category that existed in 1970 really was CAR. There were sizes, but basically, cars have all but disappeared, and there is no large car anymore in North America. There's nothing really that qualifies as a large car.

[C]

Well, I Mean, yeah, I mean like

[B]

BMW 7 series, I would call that premium large car. And we do have a pick in that category, but there is no Buick Lucerne. There is no Chrysler 300. There's nothing like that anymore.

[C]

Chevy Impala.

[B]

No Chevy Impala. The cars my dad might have purchased.

[C]

Yeah, no, my dad had. What was it? The, the Le Saber. So I don't know if that was quite full size. That was his company car of choice.

[B]

That was the benchmark large car. I mean, the Saber, if you were coming after 77, 1977, when General Motors downsized its big fleet of cars, it had B bodies and C bodies. C bodies were premium, B bodies were not. And the B body cars were the LeSabre, the Oldsmobile 88, the Chevrolet Caprice and Impala, and the Pontiac Bonneville and Catalina. And those were like benchmark cars. They were in rental fleets, families bought them. They were. That was an incredibly popular segment. Just the big sedan gone.

[C]

No more.

[B]

So for 2026, Consumer Guide picked 32 vehicles in 13 different classes. If you will indulge me, I'd like to go through those now.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Congrats to Nissan for coming up with six best buys this year. The, the company with the most, the brand with the most is usually Nissan, Hyundai, Kia or Toyota also, because they have a lot of vehicles.

[C]

Right, right. Before you get into the list, can you talk a little bit about what goes into selecting a best buy?

[B]

Yeah, it's a great question. And one of them is appropriateness for the class. And by that I mean there is a segment that we have identified where consumers are best served. Compact crossover, for example. And my daughter was just shopping for one, so I'm intimately familiar with this segment at the moment. But, but that is a great segment for starters, right. For first time car buyers, empty nesters, assuming that one of the partners isn't too large, these cars can be a little small, maybe a little bit cramped. But ultimately too, in that category, you want good fuel economy and you want affordability.

[C]

Right.

[B]

And those are the big things. And we'll see as we go through this particular class. Affordability is an interesting point.

[C]

When the average price of a new car, including pickup trucks is like $50,000, affordability takes on a whole new meaning.

[B]

It does also, but within the segment, even it matters. So let's go down these cars and we can talk about that a little bit. In the class, there's the Buick and Vista, a best Buy, the Chevrolet Tracks. Those two cars are very closely related. We'll talk about them in A minute. The Hyundai Kona, the Mazda CX30, the Nissan Kicks, and the Nissan Leaf. The Leaf we could talk about if we want to, but that's an electric vehicle, and its appeal is affordability and practicality. And one of the things that you talked about with the Leaf, which I thought was very interesting. It's really an electric car for people who have already owned an electric car.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

It doesn't have the huge range. You might be a little bit short on some features, but it's very practical, and it does address the needs of most consumers well.

[C]

And, I mean, for me, the most impressive thing was how affordable it is. I think it's one of the only, if not the only, electric car that comes in under $30,000 without any kind of credits or incentives or anything like that.

[B]

I think it's slipped over 30 this year, but still, it's right there. It's among the most affordable electric vehicles. There's also the Chevrolet Bolt with a B, but availability of that may be limited. So the. The Buick and Vista and the Chevy Trax are fundamentally the same car. They're built by General Motors in South Korea. And these cars were incredibly good deals.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

For a while they've been beaten up badly by, unfortunately, by tariffs, and they're imported from South Korea, and they've had to raise the price on these. So they're still really good deals. You could still do them under 30k, and they do everything you want them to do. They're not available with all wheel drive.

[C]

Right, right.

[B]

And a point I make is that there are parallel vehicles to these. The Invista is very closely related to something called the Encore gx. And the Trax is very closely related to a Chevy product called the Trailblazer.

[C]

Right, right.

[B]

If you want to spend a little bit more money and get all wheel drive, that's a great way to do that.

[C]

Yeah. Well, you know, and it's. It's funny because when the Trax came out, that literally was. And people asked me, like, what the best car I drove that year was, and I think it's been a couple years. And I was like, it was the Chevy Trax, and they were like, the Chevy tr. And I was like. Because it was so surprising, and I feel like it was at the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally, and it was the active trim, and it was like $24,000 at that time. And it had Apple carplay. It had really nice seating surfaces. It had all of the things that you could possibly want on it. And I just. It was I didn't expect much and then I got behind the wheel and I was completely blown away such that I had a friend who was buying a car and I was like, you need to go look at the Chevy Trax. And she drove it and bought it. So I am a firm believer in the Chevy Trax right now. I think that is one of my favorite subcompact cars or SUVs.

[B]

Two dings against that car. The engine can be buzzy and the interior is not as nice as it could be. Two little dings.

[C]

I thought the interior was fine, but

[B]

it's fine for the money. It's fine.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Also in that segment, the Mazda CX30 and the Nissan Kicks. The Kicks is a lot of value for the money and you can now get it with all wheel drive. So if you're in the snow belt, that matters. The CX30 is like the luxury take on this segment. Very nice interior, all sorts of powered even if you get the non turbocharged engine, but really refined and quick. Fuel economy is not great. Price is higher. But test drive one if you want this stuff. It's a good deal.

[C]

Well, and one of the things that I really love about the CX30 is how it drives. It is a driver's SUV.

[B]

It's a blast to drive.

[C]

You're going to, you're going to spend a little bit more but the materials are going to be more premium. The and the ride and handling is just going to be sportier. So it has all the things and then some.

[B]

Yep. So let's look at premium subcompact crossovers. I have a controversial pick. You are free. You are free to question this.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And that's the Alfa Romeo Tonale.

[C]

I don't not like it. How's that?

[B]

There you go. It is. People might remember the Dodge Hornet. Dodge sold it briefly. This was Alfa Romeo's take on that vehicle. So it is a common Stellantis architecture. It's not a true Alfa Romeo, but the interior is gorgeous. It's really quick, it's fun to drive and it's shockingly affordable for the segment. You can get something called an Alfa Romeo that is really rewarding to spend time with for comfortably under $50,000. Nice car. And if you're worried about service, you can get this service to virtually any Stellantis dealer. You don't have to find an Alfa Romeo dealer.

[C]

Well they actually at the, at the momma spring rally this year put that on the racetrack and it was surprisingly delightful.

[B]

Yeah, big wheels and tires. It also gets Better brakes than a lot of Stellantis products. So that's cool. Also on the list, the BMW X1. Here's the simple thing. It's the least expensive BMW and it feels like a BMW.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It is roomy, it's quick, it's fun to drive. Nice interior. Everything you might want from a BMW at the least possible price. Nice car. Also, it looks great and it's available in fun colors. And then I can't believe that this list is already obsolete. I had the Volvo EX30 on this

[C]

list, but you know what? The EX30 is still, still around for this model year.

[B]

Oh, I'm, I'm, I've lost all enthusiasm just because of what happened. For people who don't know what happened, this vehicle was going to be built in China and sold in the US and it was going to be a fully electric Volvo with close to 300 miles of range. All sorts of fun to drive. What a nice little car. Like 35k to start. And then the tariffs happened.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And everything fell apart for this car. So. But you know, if you can find one and they're still priced right, great car.

[C]

They are still producing them. You, I think you can still order them through the end of this month. And my friend's mom actually just bought one.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

So I know, I know they're out there. I know they're still available. I know they're still being sold. And you know, my friend's mom like, loves, loves the car.

[B]

So our next segment is compact crossover. This is a big deal because it is by far, if you exclude large pickups, the most popular consumer segment in the automotive industry. I've got three picks here. Hard to pick from this segment because you do have the Toyota RAV4 which is just coming into dealerships now, and the beloved Honda CR V. But my picks are, our picks are the CX50, the Mazda CX50, the Nissan Rogue, and the Subaru Forester.

[C]

Okay, I have questions.

[B]

Yes. Your hand is up.

[C]

I know my hand is up. I have questions.

[B]

Young lady in the front row.

[C]

Always sitting in the front row. So why CX50 and not CX5?

[B]

That's a good question. CX5 was in a state of flux and I had not driven the new version yet. Okay, so the CX5 is a staple at Mazda. Your question is very relevant because that is their best selling car by far and it's really a great crossover. The new one is also supposed to be great. The CX50 is a variant on that. A little bit longer a Little bit sleeker, a little bit more crossover looking. The price is similar. It's not like you're spending a lot more money to go CX50. So that. And now the CX50 is available as a hybrid.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's a re. It's a really good hybrid. Yeah.

[C]

I haven't driven the new CX5 yet either. I think I have it coming next month, so I'm definitely looking forward to getting behind the wheel. But I will say the CX50 is, is definitely my cup of tea. I love the design, I love the interior. I like that it's a little bit more rugged and you can do a little more off roady things in it. And it is like when, when I spoke to Mazda when this first came out and I was just like, okay, how, how are you going to be balancing these two vehicles that are competing directly with each other? And they essentially said that they didn't think that these two vehicles would compete with each other because one was meant for somebody who was a little bit more of a lifestyle adventure kind of person, whereas the other one is more of an urban city type vehicle. And I was like, oh, okay, you say that. So I don't, I don't know if they've completely, you know, been successful in differentiating the two, but that was kind of their philosophy at the beginning.

[B]

We will never know. No, we will never know. But it's a great point and they do that across their lineup. It's very strange. Nissan Rogue, popular vehicle in this segment. Got a lot going for it. The big things it is going for it are right in handling, are extraordinary. The interior is super nice. The cabin is quiet. Also it does the best job in the segment with interior space. It feels midsize, very roomy. On the downside, the three cylinder engine can be buzzy. It does use a CVT automatic transmission which older drivers get cranky about or

[C]

just enthusiast drivers get cranky about.

[B]

Yeah, older drivers like me, I wouldn't mind some stepped gears. I wouldn't mind the transmission feeling a little old school, but very effective. Very good fuel economy, very nice car. And then finally the Forester is. The Forester.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

If you are a Subaru fan, you will never be disappointed by a Subaru. This car has a certain amount of, of visceral feedback where you can feel it, you can hear it. You either like that or you don't. But Subarus reward drivers with, with a certain amount of driving intimacy. And yet they're roomy, they're practical, relatively fuel efficient, less so than some vehicles, largely because of the standard all wheel drive. Also all hybrid now making its way through the Forester lineup, though not yet in the Wilderness. Also, did you know this about the wilderness? For 2025, they sold the old Forester as the wilderness. And for 2026 they finally updated it to the new Forester. It was very confusing.

[C]

Yeah, you know, I think I did know that. And I feel like they had a recent like Subaru Forester wilderness drive program.

[B]

I think so.

[C]

I think Ed may have gone on that for us and. But yeah, so I, and I just drove the Wilderness. I came to keep bringing up the Midwest Automotive Media association rally, but it just happened last week, so it's on my brain. But I drove that off road last week and it is, it is a total pill to drive. It is so much fun.

[B]

Yeah. And, and you could feel it if you like, if you enjoy driving. This is a good vehicle. The other thing about it, and I just realized this, I just test drove the Wilderness, the new Wilderness. I had it here in my driveway. I. I think the Forester may have the most glass area of any compact crossover. It is so easy to see out of. Light gets in, you can see out of it. It's very open and area airy. Nice car.

[C]

Well, I did at the New York Auto Show, I did a video about best vehicles or, you know, the, the compact crossovers for short drivers. And Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4 were my top picks because of, you know, just the visibility out of all the windows.

[B]

Yep. New RAV4 out there now and it's, it's trickling into dealerships. There's a shortage of them. Hybrids are especially hard to get. So we'll see. I have not spent suffic efficient time in one yet.

[C]

Well, plundered hybrids are hard to get because all of the RAV Fours are now hybrid.

[B]

Yes. I'm sorry. Yes. Which is making them harder to get. Yeah. Premium compact crossover. This one is easy. The Genesis GV70.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And we've talked about this a little bit. Genesis is no longer a bargain, but they are still strong values. They've gotten the courage to start pricing their stuff more aggressively. And that's bad news for consumers, but it just means that the brand has grown stronger. But this is a delightful small crossover. We talked about the Mazda CX30. This is like a really big Mazda CX30. It is fun to drive, really beautiful interior. You've got a choice of two powertrains, both of which are seriously punchy and it does come in much less expensive than a similar BMW or Mercedes Benz product. And they're great looking.

[C]

Yeah, no, I, I have always loved the, the GV70 and anything from Genesis, let's be honest, is really well done vehicle. But for Me Personally, the GV70 is like a right size city vehicle because it's compact enough that it's easy to parallel park, but it's big enough that you can fit things in the cargo area and doesn't have a third row so you're not trying to squash in, you know, seven passengers. And I just, I really, I really enjoy the GV70.

[B]

You know what's interesting about that car too historically is that up until the time that that car was released, Genesis was just selling big sedans. It really, that was the car that kind of changed things at Genesis.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So, all right, mid size crossover, this is a big deal. This is the family cars. You can either pick a lot of vehicles in this class or try to be really, really simple. So we went simple, we went with the Mazda CX70 and the Mazda CX90, which are Mazda's mid size crossovers. One of them is two row. That's the 70. The other one is three row. These cars are really fun to drive. They are surprisingly driver oriented while still making all sorts of space for passengers and cargo. Inside, they get a little bit pricey. But one of the payoffs for going with these vehicles is this super smooth inline six cylinder engine that Mazda developed specifically for these vehicles. Like it a lot. Prices are a little high to start, but the standard equipment is very high. The interiors are very nice and they feel like European sport crossovers. They are really quite likable.

[C]

Yeah. And I, you know, I, I thoroughly have enjoyed. I, I'm a bit of a Mazda fan girl. Let's, let's let's just start there. And you know, one of the things that I've always appreciated about Mazda vehicles is just the fact that, you know, even though they don't use the Zoom Zoom, you know, advertising anymore, I really feel like they managed to bring the Zoom Zoom even into, you know, a midsize suv, a three row, you know, larger suv, it still has that sporty, fun to drive, nature. And again, you know, even though you don't have this in the like luxury class, I feel like there are luxury grade materials on the interior.

[B]

Yeah, it's very premium. And Mazda did state a few years ago that their ultimate goal was to slip upscale slowly.

[C]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So prices have increased, interiors have gotten nicer. I don't know how successful this has been for them ultimately. And I don't know that the Mazda CX7 and 690 sell that well, but they are fantastic vehicles to own. Also, there's a plug in cross plug in hybrid version of these vehicles. Stay away from it. It's.

[C]

Tell me how you really feel.

[B]

Oh, it's not good. It's, it's, it feels like a bad hybrid. It, you lose the six cylinder engine and you go down to a four cylinder engine. You have to remember to plug in, which, whatever. But it's not a simple hybrid, it's a plug in hybrid. So you're not just buying a hybrid, you're buying a certain amount of commitment. You're adding to the price and it doesn't make it a better vehicle to drive. So I'm going to say skip it.

[C]

Okay, got it.

[B]

All right, you know what, let's take a break and when we come back, we'll talk about premium mid size crossovers.

[C]

Awesome.

[B]

All right, we'll be right back.

[A]

Questions or comments? Drop us a line at [e-mail] that's car stuffsumerguide.com. Welcome back to the Car Stuff podcast.

[B]

And we're back. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast. I'm Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive. With me as always, Jill Simoniello. Jill, we are ripping through the 2026 Consumer Guide Best buy list.

[C]

We are.

[B]

Are you ready to keep going?

[C]

Now that I've had a kale break, I am ready to keep going.

[B]

Did you say a kale break or kale break?

[C]

Kale.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, good for you.

[C]

I'm just saying kale.

[B]

Someone left a box of peanut butter Ritz crackers by my desk. That's like kale.

[C]

Yeah, totally. Totally like kale.

[B]

Just like kale. All right. We got through premium mid size crossovers or we got two premium mid sized crossovers. This is an interesting segment. There's a vehicle on this list that's historic and it's still on the list and that is the Lexus rx. And the rx it is. It's the original luxury crossover. It was car based. What'd that come up for? Was it 1990? I think it was. Or 2000. Yeah. But it changed the way people thought about luxury vehicles and it's part of the reason that we don't sell that many sedans anymore. But the RX is still a fantastic vehicle in its segment, diminished a little bit by the addition of the TX to the Lexus lineup. The TX is a longer, more third row oriented electric, I'm sorry, premium crossover. But both of these vehicles do exactly what they're supposed to do, which is be extremely refined, extremely family friendly and perfect for a long road trip. And it's amazing how well Lexus does this. And it's amazing how well Lexus does this for less money than Mercedes or BMW or Audi. These are just refined, good looking, well finished vehicles. You can hate the grill. That's actually like a hobby some people have that. But, but ultimately nice vehicle. And, and if you are shopping in this segment, it's the one you want to look at. At least look at first.

[C]

Yeah, no, I mean you, you can't not look at the rx. It is definitely comfortable. I mean, for a while there they tried to squish a third row in there and I was like, yeah, I, I'm the size of a 10 year old, I can'. There's, there, there's no point in even trying. And so, you know, that's why they brought out the, the tx, which has a lot more space and room and all that. But the, the, I just, I, I just really appreciate the RX for its overall ride and handling. It's not sporty. Let's, let's be clear about that. It is definitely, you know, if you want sporty, you need to go to the BMW, Audi, Mercedes. This, this is definitely luxurious and a little bit floaty and just comfortable. It's great for the highway, it's great for long drives. You know, fits luggage for five in the back and passengers for five, which I would say as the youngest child, I always had to sit in that middle back seat. Please don't do that. Get, get the three row vehicle if you're going to have three kids. But I just, I don't know, I like it. So great for four people and very, very comfortable on the highway.

[B]

Yeah, and I've said this before, Lexus can slap F and F sport badges on these vehicles all they want. They're not sporty, you're right, but they are incredibly refined. Also on the list, the Lincoln Nautilus. We would see more of this vehicle were it not built in China. Yeah, and Lincoln's getting its butt kicked in every one of these because of tariffs and that's unfortunate because this might be the best Lincoln. Absolutely beautiful interior, nice to drive, available with a hybrid. I don't know why you wouldn't go with the hybrid in this particular case, but it does what Lincoln does so well lately with controls and with, with, with Digital readout. And it does that across the dash thing.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So impressive. And you would think that that's gimmicky, but it actually works super well. Just a fantastic car. Also not in any way sporty, but fantastic interior. Also the Revel sound system is incredible.

[C]

Yeah. And you know, I think Lincoln as a brand tends to get forgotten and I think it should, it should not be forgotten because it is, I, it's so I'm driving the Aviator right now and you know, took drove it to Indianapolis and back and was just again so impressed by the overall comfort and used the Blue Cruise, which is okay, but not as good as Super Cruise. But it doesn't have the same controls and tech that the Nautilus has. Because the Nautilus as you mentioned, has like the, you know, a pillar to a pillar screen that kind of spans the dash and you would think it's distracting or as you said, gimmicky. And it's not. It's just functional and it makes sense and it looks really good and I, I, I like the tech actually. You know, maybe I can send you the link. I did a tech check of the, the Nautilus specifically digging into that screen and how not distracting it is.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know if we can do justice to that screen without showing it, but people need to check that out. And if you're looking for a vehicle in this class, absolutely. Check out the Nautilus. And, and Ford's giving them away too. Lincoln is giving them away because the tariff is so ridiculously high.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Speaking of Lincoln, this takes us to large suv. All right. We're going to skip Lincoln for one segment, but we're going to get back to it.

[C]

Related.

[B]

Yep. And that is the Ford Expedition.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And we call this large suv, not large crossover because all the vehicles in this segment are traditional body on frame, ready to tow serious heavy duty vehicles that also are really passenger friendly. But the Expedition, one of many vehicles in the segment, all of which are very good, gets big points for relatively good fuel economy from the EcoBoost v6. And I'm always surprised by how good the handling is for a monstrous vehicle. I'm surprised by how buttoned down this feels just driving around corners on, on ramps, things like that. But, but roomy as it should be because it's huge but quiet. Well, really well put together, nicely refined interior a lot here to like. The Expedition is a little expensive. Everything in this segment is. Which kind of brings us to the Armada. Nissan updated the Armada a couple of years ago and you don't normally see this when a car breaks into a segment, especially a segment this profitable, which is why people try to get into this large SUV segment. But the Armada is actually priced considerably less expensive. It's priced below the, the Expedition by about five grand. So right there it's worth checking out. It also uses a turbocharged V6. The styling might be over the top for some people, but the interior is very, very, very nice.

[C]

Yeah, well, I would agree. And both of these SUVs are, are quite nice. I had the opportunity to drive the Expedition at the press preview first. And I had the, I was able to drive both the Max and the, you know, shorter wheelbase version. And it was really funny because we got in the Max first and as I was driving it, I didn't realize I was in the Max because it drove so well and it was, it drove so much smaller than the sheer size of that vehicle is. And then I had the regular Expedition at home and you know, living in the city, I always play that will it fit in my garage Game. And it, it fit, no problem. It was easy, easy to park in my garage.

[B]

Also in this segment, a lot of General Motors vehicles, including the Yukon and the, and the, the Tahoe and the Suburban. Those are nice vehicles too. They're going to be redesigned, they're getting new engines. So we'll talk about them when we have a better sense of what's going on with those vehicles in this segment. Yeah, but not to be overlooked, premium large SUV, we have the Infiniti QX80. We could just pretend this isn't an Armada wearing nicer clothes. But that's, that is exactly.

[C]

With nicer clothes.

[B]

That is exactly what it is. And it's, and it's a nice application of that. It's good looking, nice interior, and it comes in much less expensive than the Lincoln Navigator does.

[C]

Yeah. And you know what I like about the QX80 is the design. And you know, we had somebody on when, when I, because I was like, last year I had the opportunity to drive the refreshed Armada up in Detroit and did sat during the Klipsch audio presentation. And we actually had somebody on the podcast who came in to talk about, you know, tuning the Klipsch audio and they tune for both the Armada and then, you know, you have different tuning for the, the QX80. But you know, the audio system in this SUV is really good. The design is good, the materials are really well done. And you know, I, I like the tech so much better in this refreshed version you know, than that weird, you know, antiquated two screen system that they used.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. It was such a miss before. It's nice that they finally hit. Our other pick in this segment is the Lexus lx. This is a little bit of a. You sound disappointed.

[C]

No, I'm just, I. So I'm, I'm using the mobile version of the consumer guide website.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And I'm scrolling through and I was just like, okay. You know, and I will say I like, but I don't love the LX. I would say I like the QX80 better, but please continue.

[B]

Well, no, and there's reasons for that. I think that any other consumers would have to make their own decision in this particular case. But the LX is smaller and it is more expensive and these are things to consider. The lx, however, has that sense of quality that only Lexus seems to deliver. Everything just feels really well screwed together. It's really quiet, it handles really well. There's a lot here to like, including the fact that it's not quite as big as the other vehicles in the segment. It's just a little bit tidier. It is, however, very expensive.

[C]

Yeah. Doesn't it start at 100,000?

[B]

It starts at 108 and goes to 117. So it's very expensive. You have to want this vehicle and appreciate exactly what it is to buy it. But that said, the resale value of these are almost locked in. So you're not going to get burned, but you are out a lot of money up front. I like this vehicle a lot. A little tough to justify unless you appreciate exactly what it is.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And then finally the Lincoln Navigator, we talked about that one a little bit earlier. This is in fact a well dressed expedition and that's fine because it's really well dressed. This has the Revel audio system, beautiful interior. It's got that great 3.5 liter turbocharged V6 drivetrain that is smooth, powerful and shockingly efficient. Yeah, and by shockingly efficient, I mean a vehicle that weighs 6,000 pounds to 0 to 60 and under 7 seconds and still gets 17 miles to the gallon. Hard to fault any of that.

[C]

Yeah, well, and then Lincoln Navigator was always my test car of choice when my parents lived down in Florida and I would go home for Christmas and I would request a test vehicle so that we could all fit in the same car. So, you know, me and my sisters, none of us have kids, so it's just six adults getting in the car. And my brother in law and my husband would always Sit in the third row and fit fine. And my brother in law is 6ft tall. And so, you know, I always like that if you have, you know, family and you're trying to put adults in the back, it is definitely a great and comfortable vehicle. And with the power running boards, you know, my mom who you know has some mobility issues, was actually able to get into the car without problems because she could step up in.

[B]

I hate the power running boards but I'm like I'm 6:1 and they're always exactly in my way.

[C]

Yeah, being, being not 6:1, being much shorter than that. Those running boards are not in my way because they would be much more difficult to just, just hike myself up into the cabin without using something like that.

[B]

Gotcha. All right. Mid size pickup truck. This is currently what we used to call compact pickups. But if you take the Ford Maverick out of the picture, there really isn't a small pickup truck. But we picked the mid size pickup, the Nissan Frontier. And I'd love to get your take on this. A couple of reasons for it. One, it's incredibly affordable in the segment. It is the last mid size pickup you can do for under 35 grand. And there's a certain simplicity to the lineup too. Just a nice V6 made it to an automatic transmission. It's uncomplicated. There's no turbos, there's no alternate drivetrains. It's just a very simple, very well put together, fundamentally good small pickup truck.

[C]

And I would agree, I really like the Nissan Frontier. But I have to wonder why it was the only truck that you, that you think is worthy of this list.

[B]

This is an either or situation. If you were to pick something else and all the others are pretty good, I think you open the door to all of them. All of a sudden everything's a small turbocharged four cylinder engine. All of them have got extreme off road versions to offer and it gets very complicated. And I think that if you were shopping in this segment, you owe it to yourself to check out the other trucks. But I want you to check out this one first.

[C]

Okay. No, I, I hear what you're saying and, and I, I would say in terms of mid sized pickup trucks, the, the Nissan Frontier is certainly one you know, that, that gets overlooked. You know, I like the styling, I like the interior amenities. I think they did a pretty nice job there. And, and you're right. I, I believe that this is just a quad cab, single bed, like very. Oh wait, no, they do have a long wheelbase version of the Frontier.

[B]

They Ended that last year, I think.

[C]

But. But they do. It is a very simple configuration. Whereas, you know, with some of the other trucks, you've got, you know, a regular cab, long bed, you know, all of these different options in terms of how you can configure it. And, you know, whenever I go in to configure a pickup truck, I always get a little bit like my. I get a little bit dizzy because, yeah, they're crazy. There's so many different ways you can figure it and can. Can option it out. And so there is something to be said for the simplicity of the. The Nissan Frontier. I will say steering at lower speeds. So, like, if you're backing into a parking spot or maneuvering through tight spaces, the steering is a little bit hard. And from a petite driver's perspective, this is. This is not ideal. You know, for me personally, it's Ford Ranger every day, all day. But, you know, I think for most people, you're 100% right. This is. This is exactly the truck that they should look at.

[B]

I have a Ford Ranger coming in two weeks, and I'm looking forward to that. But would you say that the Ranger. I hate to use this phrase, but we use it all the time. Drives a little smaller than does the Frontier.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Okay, that's good to know.

[C]

And I have a better turning radius as well. And being, you know, in a. In a city environment, like, turning radius is all I need. The tight turning radius.

[B]

All right. We now have to deal with a personal bit of turmoil for me, and that's. Large pickup truck.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And I'm mad at Ram.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

I'm mad at Ram because they went back to the Hemi and what seemed like we were making. It seemed like we were making progress in terms of efficiency and technology, and that's all dead now.

[C]

It is not all dead. It is just as well as, you know. Or as well, I guess. You know, I thought that the hurricane engine on the Ram was amazing. I. Is. Is amazing. It's still there. And it's less expensive by what, 5000, 10,000?

[B]

Like 1800. I don't know. A lot of money. I thought it was 1800 bucks as an option.

[C]

Oh, I thought it was more than that. But it's less expensive than, you know, the Hemi engine, and it gets more horsepower. But, you know, I. I actually appreciate the fact that Ram gives people what they want and not to. Well, but. But they're making. They're making it available. And if you want a Hemi engine, go get that Hemi engine and Spend more money. You know, let's want something that has more power and better fuel efficiency. Go for the Hurricane.

[B]

Yeah, and we should talk about what we're talking about here, and that's that Ram dropped the Hemi engine entirely from the 1500 series half ton pickup trucks. And what with their Hurricane series of engines, which were efficient inline six cylinder engines that were very smooth, very powerful, and much more fuel efficient than the than the Hemis. And no one bought them. So answering to market demands, the Hemi engine is back. But we should talk about why this car, why this truck is a best Buy. And the Ram has a lot going for it, including shockingly nice interiors, really good ride and handling, partly because the Ram makes use of coil spring rear suspension, which most of the other trucks don't. But everything here is really fundamentally good. If you were to test drive one truck and just drive this one, I'd be okay with that. There's just a lot here to love. I would seriously recommend you try the six cylinder engines before four committing to the Hemi. Although the Hemi is probably going to get you your money back at resale value times. So whatever.

[C]

Maybe we don't know what the future is. You know what else this truck has that I really like?

[B]

What's that?

[C]

Adjustable pedals.

[B]

Oh, does it still.

[C]

Yes. Ford and Ram are the only two pickup trucks that still have adjustable pedals.

[B]

Interesting.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

All right, I tell you what, let's take a break and when we come back, we'll talk about minivans.

[C]

Awesome.

[A]

Questions or comments? Drop us a [e-mail] that's carstuffinsumerguide.com. Welcome back to the Car Stuff podcast.

[B]

And we're back. This is the Consumer Guide Car stuff podcast special 2026 Best Buy episode. Joe, we're ripping through the list.

[C]

We are. Apparently I need to add more commentary.

[B]

Yeah, well, you know what? The next segment, which is the last segment, actually invites a little bit of conversation because things have changed for 2026 and 2027, and that is minivans.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And. And there's been some discussion and a lot of this might be just people talking, but car makers are suggesting that the minivan is going to make a comeback, partially because minivans are priced somewhat less than crossovers and because they're so practical. And generally consumers at a period of financial distress tend to become more practical. So we'll see what happens with that. But there's two picks in this segment that Consumer Guide made. And I think well, I'll be interested to get your take one is kind of obvious and that's the Chrysler Pacifica.

[C]

Right.

[B]

This car has been around for a long time. It is being freshened, but not very for 20, 27 it's getting an all new front end. But what this vehicle does well is what it should do well. And it's an excellent highway car. Great use of space, really nice on the highway. It's quiet, upper trim levels are very well finished. It's just a nice vehicle. There is a small problem with it and that's that the price has climbed a lot over the years.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

The price of entry is now 46 grand which is a little bit high. And it's sort of for that reason that we have also picked the Kia Carnival.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And the Carnival, which I sometimes call the bachelor dad party pad. Partially because it's just great looking.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

It doesn't look like a minivan. It's a great looking car, but a lot here to like. And one of them is a base price under 40 grand and a hybrid version too, which is pretty exciting. Now the Pacifica was available as a hybrid. It is no longer.

[C]

Right.

[B]

There was, there was a plug in hybrid variant that's disappeared already for this year. So you've got the very well dressed Pacifica or the nicely finished and really good looking and hybrid available Kia Carnival.

[C]

Yeah. And you know, I mean the, the Pacific has to be a perennial favorite because you know, Chrysler helped pioneer or did pioneer the miniv segment.

[B]

Really good.

[C]

You know, one feature that nobody has been able to replicate yet is stow and go. Now if you opt for the top tier pinnacle trim, it does not have stow and go, but you'll still have storage underneath the floor. But the really cool thing about stow and go, and this is good for people who are buying a minivan to move people as well as cargo is you can take those middle row seats and dump. Well, not dump them but like fold them easily. Like I can do it. Me, my, my 95 pound 5 foot tall self can easily fold these chairs into the floor of the vehicle and get them back out again. You know, other minivans you would have to physically remove those seats if you want to use the van to haul cargo. And I just, I find that to be a uniquely awesome feature. And you know, if you're not going to stow the seats, you can just use it to store stuff so that people don't see what you have lying around in your minivan, whether it's a diaper bag or a computer bag. So people, people don't need to see your stuff. And. But you know, those Stone Go seats I think are worth their weight in gold. And I think that is one of the highest selling points for that vehicle.

[B]

I am, I am of two minds of Stow and Go.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

I think there are people who see Stow and Go fully appreciate what it is and make use of it all the time. And I think there are people that fill those basins in the floor with crap like pool toys and never ever you stow and Go again.

[C]

You've got the space for the pool toys, I guess.

[B]

But for people who don't know, Stone Go is a wonderful tool if you need the versatility where that involves passenger space and cargo space. Because the second row seats disappear completely into the floor. Yep. And the third row also. So what you have is just a giant, a giant load floor without having to lift anything heavy out of the vehicle. And having known people who owned Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth crossover. I'm sorry, minivans going way back. Those seats were heavy.

[C]

Yes, they're heavy.

[B]

I worked for a company where we sometimes had to move stuff around and we had a corporate minivan. It was Tom's. Tom was the big guy. Hey, Tom, could you get the seat out of here? And it's like, no, I, I don't want to do this. Yeah, it was, it was hard. It was heavy. It was hard to find a place to stick the stupid seat. So it's a wonderful function to have, but I think that some never make use of it and they're paying for something they may not need.

[C]

And like I said, go get a Kia Carnival.

[B]

Yep, get the Kia Carnival. Very nice car, very nice interior. But I like both very much. And the Carnival's still affordable. Now. The other vehicles in this segment are worth knowing about. Honda still sells the Odyssey. We just learned that Honda's not going to update the Odyssey much anytime soon as part of their, their program to, to focus on core vehicles because they spent a lot of money on electric vehicles that they recently chose not to try to sell anymore. And of course you've got the Toyota Sienna, which well worth knowing about for a bunch of reasons. All hybrid available, all wheel drive, lot there to like including good resale values. Not very excited inside, not very much fun to drive, but an excellent pick and kind of a no brainer if you're a Toyota fan.

[C]

Yes. Yeah. Which minivan would you buy? If you had to buy a minivan, which one would you buy?

[B]

I might go with the Kia I might go with the Kia. Here's the thing about that. Minivans, people should know this. We're talking about new cars. Minivans are available relatively affordably used.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Some of them get dumped into rental fleets and that helps bring the price down. So if you were looking for a minivan and you find them expensive new, consider a one or two or three year old minivan and see what you can find out there. The bad news is every one of them is going to be white or silver. The good news is they're probably going to be pretty affordable.

[C]

Yeah. No, and I would agree with you. I would probably also choose the Kia Carnival, but not the hybrid. I didn't, I didn't love the hybrid powertrain. Just me.

[B]

I actually did. Okay.

[C]

I didn't, I didn't love it. And to me it felt still a little bit clunky and. But I like the tech. I, I lean very heavily into tech. And the, the Kia Carnival has all the latest and greatest. It is the most modern of the minivans out there. So if you want all of the cool screens and apps and functionality like the, the Carnival is it. Now the, I mean all of the other minivans have things and they have screens and they have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and things like that. But for me, the way that the Carnival is set up is just the best.

[B]

Yeah. One more thing about the Pacifica too, and I want to give it its due for one particular thing. It is unrivaled on the highway there. There are a few vehicles that ride better, ride more quietly or just cover highway miles better than a Pacifica. It is the perfect long haul vehicle. And if you were given to taking the kids on long trips frequently over the summer, this could be your vehicle. The refinement on the highway is unrivaled. It's so good.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

All right. We got through the list and we have a couple of minutes left. And there's a story here. The list we didn't.

[C]

No. Do I need to remind you you didn't get to small cars.

[B]

Oh, thank you.

[C]

And mid sized cars. We haven't heard all my schedule is

[B]

completely thrown off now. All right, sorry, I wanted, I'd wanted to get to the Stalandis news story

[C]

through the rest of this.

[B]

We don't have to hustle. Okay, we don't have to hustle. But yeah, small cars, I've heard of those.

[C]

Like we are not done.

[B]

There's a very obvious choice obviously in the small car list that, that almost can never be forgotten. And that of course is the Honda Civic. It for decades has been a perfect small car. Still really is. The only problem with the Civic is the price has gotten a little bit high for what it is. But other than that, super likable. The Kia K4 new newly available as, as a cool hatch, nice car. Base price under 25 grand.

[C]

Mm.

[B]

So I like that vehicle for people a lot. I just drove that. I fit in it just fine. My fuel economy was good. It's nicely screwed together. People should know about this car. I mean people aren't talking about compact cars anymore and they should be. Especially in a period of time where people are trying to figure out how to save money on new car purchases. Well, consider a car don't have to go crossover. Finally one of our picks is gone already. The Nissan Versa.

[C]

And, and I was going to ask like why Versa not Sentra?

[B]

Simply because of limited access to the, to the Sentra at the time.

[C]

Got it. Okay.

[B]

I've, I've since driven the Sentra and I'm very high on that vehicle.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

It is roomy, it is affordable and it's a lot of car for under 30 grand or about 30 grand.

[C]

So versus gone. Consider the Sentra.

[B]

Consider the Sentra. Exactly. Mid sized car. Toyota has decided to make this decision really easy for people. The Camry is still available. It could still be had for around 30 grand though you're probably going to end up spending about 35 grand for it. But standard hybrid drivetrain, really roomy interior. Unbelievably good highway mileage. Nice on the highway. Refined everything you might want in a car except maybe a super nice interior. It's a good interior but it. This is a fantastic car. And then finally personal favorite. I actually want to buy one of these. That's the highest endorsement I can give it. The Toyota Crown and Crown Signia. These are more or less replacements for the Toyota Avalon and that they are somewhat larger and roomier than the Camry. But. And they have the slightly higher H point to the hip point making it easier for older people and seniors to get in and out of. No one ever tells you that a car is for old people. This kind of is but which is

[C]

why you want to buy it right?

[B]

Kinda. But actually great looking, very practical, fun to drive. And the Signia, the wagon version that is good looking.

[C]

Yeah I, I do like both of these cars but I did not love the interiors for the price.

[B]

No the. And Toyota has, has been in that position now for a few years where for the money you Might expect slightly nicer interior materials, but that said, the interiors are nicely screwed together. I mean, the vehicle feels high quality. Just maybe more padded surfaces, you know, but whatever. That's a Toyota.

[C]

And now you just have one category left. And then now I have Stellantis.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. And this one's sad. Are you prepared to be sad with me?

[C]

I. I am sad.

[B]

Premium large car, the Lexus ls.

[C]

I feel like we need to play taps.

[B]

We do, because that car is going away. Also, I think this car is already just gone. There were 250 heritage editions being built for 2026, and I think they're gone. So I don't know if we should have this conversation or not or just move on. I'm saying, do we just avert our

[C]

eyes and maybe maybe just. Yeah, look away? I will say I recently had the opportunity to drive the new Lexus es, and I can't tell you what I think just yet. The embargo doesn't lift until the 27th, but I will say that I can see them trying to fill some space, that the, you know, LS is departing and the ES is trying to capture some of that.

[B]

Yeah, I'm super interested in the new es. The ES used to sort of define Lexus in the same way that the Lexus RX crossover did. Just very refined, very roomy, very passenger focused. Not in any way sporty, but just this wonderful luxury conveyance. I used to call it the ultimate realtor's car. It'd just be the perfect thing to haul people around in. But the LS is gone. This was their big car. It used to compete with the Lexus. I'm sorry, the Mercedes s class, the BMW 7 Series. But as we've talked about recently on the podcast, that segment has disappeared. Yeah, it's gone. Lexus is abandoned in that segment. The legendary LS is disappearing. And I think it's gone. Gone. I don't think you can find any anymore. So goodbye, ls.

[C]

Shedding a tear?

[B]

Yeah. All right. Now we're done.

[C]

Now we're done.

[B]

That was 32 vehicles and 13 classes. We have about 10 minutes to talk about the very interesting news out of Stellantis. Have you checked this out?

[C]

I've heard bits and pieces. I was a bit out of pocket last week and over the weekend, but I was listening to automotive news and some of the things that they were having to say about it on their Daily Drive podcast.

[B]

It's interesting because it sort of codifies things a little bit. And my worst fears that Chrysler and Dodge might soon disappear. Seem to be without merit.

[C]

I'm like unfounded. Told you.

[B]

Unfounded. Yep, yep. I was wrong.

[C]

What? Wait, what? Can we, can you say that again?

[B]

I was wrong.

[C]

Thank you.

[B]

I'm married. I say that all the time now.

[C]

Can we teach my husband how to say that?

[B]

I can't.

[C]

So sorry.

[B]

So some interesting news here. If we go to Chrysler, the Pacifica sticks around. We talked about how that was already refreshed for 2027, but two new products coming, three new products coming from Chrysler that are promised. We don't know much about them. They seem to be crossovers. One called the Airflow, one called the Arrow, and one called the Arrow Cross. Go ahead.

[C]

I was gonna say the Airflow. We've seen a concept of that for many years. Whether or not it will be the same thing or not. Tbd.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know. The Airflow concept was weird. This looks very much like a. It's under. We're looking at drawings of these vehicles under wraps.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So all, all we know is the shape. But I think that Chrysler's bringing three crossovers to market. One of them will be midsize, two of them will be small. They're promising that the small ones will come in under 40 grand. That's exciting. So we'll see where these go. Airflow, of course, is a legendary name in the Chrysler lexicon. It goes way, way back to the 30s when they were selling these ridiculously beautiful, aerodynamic and just these design heavy cars that they could not give away. They were way, way ahead of their time, but legendary for their design. Very art deco, very cool. So it's nice to see that name come back.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Interesting stuff here at Jeep. Jeep seems to be doubling down on the Wrangler name.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And they, they've, on this chart they have the Wrangler, the two door vehicle that we've known and loved for decades. And they're calling the four door Unlimited again, which they got away from.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

So the Wrangler, the Wrangler Unlimited, which is just the Ford or Wrangler. The Wrangler Gladiator that we didn't call that Wrangler before, we just called it Gladiator. So a certain amount of. Yeah, yeah. A certain amount of reinforcement of that and then I don't know what this is going to be. The Wrangler Scrambler. And Scrambler was a pickup truck based on the Wrangler back in the 80s. It was really cool looking.

[C]

I wonder if it's going to be a compact pickup because it seems Ram is bringing out the Rampage, which is a compact truck. So.

[B]

Okay, that makes some sense. So you're thinking they'll call, they'll use the name Wrangler, but it'll actually be a subcompact or I'm not a subcompact, but a true compact pickup.

[C]

Yeah. Either that or I could see it hitting more of the Renegade size. So compact version of the Wrangler. But to me, because they're bringing back the Rampage, I think that the compact pickup truck makes more sense.

[B]

Yeah. The Rampage of course going to be the new small Dodge pickup.

[C]

Yeah. So they're bringing back the Dakota and the Rampage. Right?

[B]

Yeah. Dakota. We now know that the, the mid sized pickup is going to be called Dakota. Yep. And then Rampage, which I think everyone would have guessed. It's just a name that Dodge had lying around and it's branding portfolio. It's a great name and they use it in other countries. So that'll be a Maverick style sized pickup. These are great things for Ram. Ram needs more than just pickup trucks or just a full size pickup. So the other interesting thing here at George, the new Cherokee is out. They now have a. What's that? I'm sorry, Jeep.

[C]

I'm like Dodge Cherokee. What?

[B]

Yeah. So that that vehicle is out and about. I actually have a short review from our friend Ed Pietrowski already up on the website. And then looks like they're going ahead with the Recon.

[C]

Okay. Yep.

[B]

Which they're not calling Wrangler, just Recon, but it is an electric Wrangler style off road pickup or off road crossover.

[C]

Yeah. Built on the same platform as the Charger and the Wagoneer S. That may

[B]

not be long for this world.

[C]

The Wagoneer S?

[B]

No, the Recon. The Wagoneer S is going away.

[C]

The Wagoneer S has had some problems.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. That didn't sell well. It was expensive. They lowered the price and that's already gone. It doesn't show up here at all. But the Recon a little bit more off roady and it'll be interesting to see too in the aftermath of Tesla. Having done so poorly in selling the cyber truck as an off road vehicle, I'm very excited to see what Jeep can do with the Recon and I suspect it'll be a very good off roader. But we'll see.

[C]

Right.

[B]

You know we have Dodge, the Durango sticks around. That's their mid size crossover. The Charger sticks around, no surprise there. And then they have a vehicle called the glh which is. That's a heritage name. There was a once a product, the Dodge Omni glh. GLH at the time stood for goes like hell. And this looks like a sporty little crossover. We'll see what that is. Dodge did not have success selling the Hornet small crossover. So we'll see. And then it looks like Dodge is bringing back a sports car. People are talking about it as a Viper replacement. I suspect it'll be much less expensive.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

And, and much less committed than that. I think it'll be more in line with something like a Nissan Z car, for example.

[C]

Yeah, I could see that.

[B]

And then finally we get to Dodge. We talked about the Rampage. Dodge is gonna play Ram. Ram. Thank you. I'm sorry, the, the Maverick size vehicle, the Dakota, which they need badly.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Now that vehicle, that segment's getting a little crowded now.

[C]

Yeah, right.

[B]

There's a lot of trucks all of a sudden in the, in the, in the mid size pickup truck class.

[C]

Right.

[B]

And then finally they're still going with the Ram Charger, which is interesting. The, the extended range pickup truck.

[C]

We'll see.

[B]

Because there was of course the Ram Rev, the Ram electric vehicle. And at first there was gonna be like a 500 mile version and then that got killed and then it was going to be like a 350 mile version and then that got killed and all of a sudden there wasn't a Ram Rev anymore.

[C]

No. The Ram Rev became the Ram Charger, which an electric vehicle with extended range, you know, powertrain. E rev.

[B]

Yeah. And that's kind of the last electric thing here. That's that any bit of sort of innovation on their part in terms of alternative fuel. We'll see how that works for them. It's supposed to answer because it's an extended range electric vehicle, it answers questions about range. And one of the things that we learned from way back when, when the F150 Lightning was launched was that electric pickup trucks were having a hard time with range and towing. Does this answer that problem? Maybe, maybe, maybe. And then finally, I don't know how many people know about this or care, but the Promaster City is back. This is a small version of the Promaster. They used to sell a version of this vehicle in the US what was weird is that everyone sold these small vans for about a minute and then gave up on them. Chevy had the City Express, Ford had the Transit Connect. What am I forgetting here? Oh, Nissan had the NV200, I think it was, and now the Promaster City. But Dodge Ram is very serious about Getting back into commercial sales. I think they haven't done that well. Commercial fleet light duty truck sales are dominated in the US By Ford. And. And I think Ram sees this as a chance to get back into that segment and maybe make a little commercial money. So we'll see how that goes.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So we should probably talk about all this stuff with Sam Fiorani, someone like that, just to sort of get a handle on what all this means. But I'm. Of all the information here, of all the stuff we just talked about, I'm kind of interested in this reasserting of the Wrangler name. Yes, I think that's interesting. I think they think maybe they lost their way a little bit. I don't know. But I'm really interested to see what the Wrangler Scrambler is. And I think you're right. I think that could be a small truck.

[C]

Just a guess. I'm pulling back into my pickup truck plus SUV talk roots for that one.

[B]

Yeah, I hadn't thought of that because I couldn't figure out what that would be otherwise. But Scrambler is a good name for a small truck, so there you go. Yeah. And it's a heritage name and people remember it fondly, so it's exciting. Could be something fun. All right, guess what we did.

[C]

I think we over talked this week, but it was a good show.

[B]

I certainly over talked. I'm tired.

[C]

All right.

[B]

I need a talk nap.

[C]

Yes. I need a kale nap.

[B]

I need to sit down and watch some. Some gun smoke. But really, who doesn't?

[C]

This girl. This girl does not.

[B]

All right. Any. Anything else going on, Jill?

[C]

Nope. I. You know, I think we've got a lot of good stuff to talk about next week and to follow up on next week.

[B]

Sounds good. All right, big thanks to producer Margaret. Thank you, Jill. This has been the consumer Guide Cars to podcast. Let's talk more about cars again next week. Next week.

[A]

Remember to check us [e-mail] the car stuff podcast is produced by J Turn Media. To advertise on the show, please drop us a line at [e-mail].