Compact Crossover Comparo, Scout Deep Dive, Discontinued Car Quiz

Summary

Car Stuff Podcast – June 8, 2026

Episode: Compact Crossover Comparo, Scout Deep Dive, Discontinued Car Quiz

Hosts: Tom Appel & Jill Simonello (Consumer Guide Automotive)
Guests: Ed Piotrowski (Automotive Journalist), Ryan Decker (Scout Motors Vice President of Strategy and Branding)

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Episode Overview

This week’s episode dives deep into three key areas of the automotive world:

• A hands-on comparison of the hottest compact crossovers (with insight from Ed Piotrowski’s recent test drives)
• An extensive interview with Ryan Decker from the newly revived Scout brand, exploring the company’s EV strategy and brand philosophy
• A fun, informative quiz on which iconic vehicles are still in production (or recently discontinued)

The tone throughout is lively, enthusiastic, and geared toward car lovers and auto industry followers alike.

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Compact Crossover Comparo – [10:24]

Guest: Ed Piotrowski

Main Theme:
A real-world comparo of four mainstream compact SUVs—Jeep Cherokee, Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan—based on Ed’s recent testing at the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally.

Key Insights & Discussion

• Why This Matters:
  “This is when people talk about shopping for a new car, this is primarily where they're shopping these days.” – Tom Appel [11:14]

• The Models:

  • 2026 Jeep Cherokee: Return after a three-year absence; now features a more Grand Cherokee-like look and is hybrid-only. Pricey, with the Laredo trim at $40,500+ and the Limited trim offering better value for $43,500.
  • 2026 Mazda CX-5: Redesigned with more rear-seat/cargo space and improved infotainment. Continues to embody the “fun to drive” Mazda spirit. Ed notes, “Just looking at the vehicle without knowing that it was redesigned, you wouldn't know.”
  • 2026 Toyota RAV4: Now entirely hybrid (no pure gasoline models). The Limited AWD hybrid crests $46,800, and the plug-in GR Sport soars above $51,000—with 324 hp and impressive speed.
  • 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan: Mid-pack for driving engagement, but features an updated powertrain.

• Industry Context:

  • High price tags for hybrids reflect industry shift.
  • “The price increase makes sense” – Jill Simonello, on hybrid pricing [16:29]
  • Cherokee and RAV4 both now hybrid-only, marking a major powertrain transition for this segment.

• Big Picture:

  • “While you have these redesigns, maybe a little harsh to say that they're not necessarily pushing the segment forward, but when the segment's already been pushed so far forward with such good products, it's like cell phones. I mean, you know, how much more can you possibly innovate?” – Ed Piotrowski [12:47]

Standout Quotes

• "Three out of four have been redesigned, although one kind of doesn't look like it, but we'll get there." – Ed Piotrowski [11:25]
• “RAV4...the most popular vehicle sold in the US, that's redesigned and now hybrid only.” – Tom Appel [12:12]

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Scout Deep Dive – [20:30]

Guest: Ryan Decker (Scout Motors)

Main Theme:
Scout, the iconic off-road brand, is revived under Volkswagen Group as a stand-alone startup. Ryan Decker shares the vision, product rollout, and strategy—highlighting how Scout aims to carve a nostalgic, American niche in electrified off-road vehicles.

Key Insights & Discussion

Scout Brand Rebirth

• What’s New?
  • “The intent is to reimagine the Scout brand, but it's also to build an all new version of Scout products, all new factory… and an all new company to make that all happen.” – Ryan Decker [21:49]
  • Founded 2022; all-new, with modern design, a distinctly American ethos, and a startup culture inside VW Group.

Brand Philosophy

• Reviving Optimism & Togetherness:
  • “Scout stood for optimism, it stood for togetherness, it stood for family adventures.” – Ryan Decker [23:45]
  • Scout will focus on capability AND on enabling connections—contrasting with the “conquering” image of rivals.

Product Strategy

• Powertrain Shift:

  • Transitioned from all-electric to lead with extended-range electric vehicle (eRev) for practicality and market demand (“Range anxiety is real. Charging anxiety is real.” – Ryan Decker [26:12])
  • eRev provides ∼150 all-electric miles and 500+ combined range; full BEVs will follow.

• Vehicle Configuration:

  • Scout launches with two: a midsize rugged SUV and a full-size pickup, both body-on-frame, solid rear axle, off-road priorities, and pricing “below $60,000.”
  • “It has to be an absolute no joke, no compromise off roader.” – Ryan Decker [29:11]

• Design & Production:

  • Show-car design is “80–90% production reality” [32:18]. Hallmarks like bench seats, split tailgates, and a ‘frunk’ (front trunk) will carry over.

• Direct-to-Consumer Sales Model:

  • Scout will own retail points, skipping the franchise dealer network for transparency, trust, and control over customer experience. Rollout will be regional/national as demand builds.

Industry Comparison

• Competitive Set:
  • Set sights on Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Land Cruiser et al.
  • Differentiator? A “best-in-class” in range, performance, and a friendlier, more family-centric brand experience.

Memorable Moments

• Nostalgia & Community:
  • “It's a special thing to be reimagining a brand that has so much love in the market... Scout was a special thing and we want to make it a special thing again.” – Ryan Decker [37:50]

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Discontinued Car Quiz – [43:03]

Host: Tom Appel
Contestant: Jill Simonello

Theme:
Is this model still being built in 2026? (And a bonus steak sauce question!)

Quiz Models Discussed (with answers)

• Kia Soul – Discontinued after 2025
• Nissan Versa – Discontinued
• Acura RDX – Discontinued for 2026/2027, returning in 2028 as hybrid-only
• Ford Escape – Discontinued; replaced fully by Bronco Sport on the same platform
• BMW X4 – Discontinued (reasons include low sales)

Notable Discussion

• Rear seat room is less critical for compact crossover buyers than one might think.
• Plug for how “Bronco Sport will pick up a lot of Escape’s lost sales” [48:22]
• The bonus question about Lea & Perrins revealed “lemon zest” is NOT an ingredient.

Memorable Moments

• “Guess what time it is? It is quiz time.” [43:01]
• “You remember there was the Scion xb, the Nissan Cube...it outlived all those vehicles.” – Tom Appel, on the Kia Soul legacy [43:59]

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Rapid Fire Highlights & Industry Notes

• Mild vs Full Hybrid Tech:
  Mild hybrids add minor efficiency gains (mostly on German luxury brands), but not substantially like full hybrids (Toyota, Honda, etc).
  “Mild hybrid...gives you a little bit of electronic boost like in acceleration. And that is where that fuel economy gain comes in.” – Jill Simonello [08:07]

• Ford Ranger Preview: New Ranger offers 2.3L turbo-four and (for $2,300 extra) 2.7L turbo V6—a legitimate performance option [09:17] “Worth it if you're a bit of a hot rodder or demon.” – Tom Appel

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Review Snippet: Subaru Outback Wilderness – [53:17]

Brief Take:
A rugged, tactile, adventure-ready crossover with a comfortable highway ride and notable off-road ability, albeit with extra road noise from the beefy tires.

Quote:
“If I had to kind of sum this up in a nutshell, I would say this is one of those really great everyday drivers that's comfortable, but you're going to have to deal with a little extra road noise because of the tires. But then it doubles as a really great adventure lifestyle vehicle.” – Jill Simonello [55:24]

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Notable Quotables

• “While you have these redesigns, maybe a little harsh to say that they're not necessarily pushing the segment forward, but when the segment's already been pushed so far forward with such good products, it's like cell phones.”
  – Ed Piotrowski [12:47]

• “We want to anchor really on what Scout stood for, which was you're doing those things so you can connect with the people and the places around you.”
  – Ryan Decker [24:20]

• “None of our competitors go as far as we will go with this powertrain. We will be by far best in class in terms of our performance characteristics.”
  – Ryan Decker [31:23]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [10:24] – Compact crossover comparison with Ed Piotrowski
• [20:30] – Scout Motors interview with Ryan Decker
• [43:03] – Discontinued car quiz
• [53:17] – Outback Wilderness review snippet

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Final Thoughts

The podcast is both an in-depth source of current industry trends (crossovers, electrification, direct-to-consumer models) and a celebration of car community culture, past and present. The Scout Motors segment is particularly rich for those interested in how legacy brands are being reinvented for the electric age.

For more:
Visit Consumer Guide Automotive (consumerguide.com) for reviews, Best Buy picks, and more auto insights.

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Contact: [e-mail]
Hosts on Social:

• Jill Simonello: “car da jour” on all platforms
• Tom Appel: “Car Guy Tom” on X and BlueSky

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Transcript

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Join Jill and Tom as they break down everything that's going on in the auto world.

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This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast.

[Tom Appel]

All right. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast. I'm Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive. Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us this week. When you have a chance, when you have a moment, check us out@consumer guide.com While you're there, check out our 2026 Best Buy picks, all my latest car reviews, and lots of other fun stuff. Also, you can listen to the podcast right there on our homepage, though you really, really, really should just subscribe and leave us a review, especially on Apple. On the phone online with us is Jill Simonello. She is contributing editor here at Consumer Guide, North American Car of the Year juror and prolific freelancer. Jill, how are you?

[Jill Simonello]

Mostly? Okay. I'm currently embroiled in a battle with pigeons on my balcony.

[Tom Appel]

Weird.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes. I'm cruising, by the way.

[Tom Appel]

You have a balcony?

[Jill Simonello]

I do. I have a balcony off of our apartment. And yeah, the pigeons have decided they would like to roost underneath my grill.

[Tom Appel]

What floor are you on?

[Jill Simonello]

Second floor.

[Tom Appel]

I wanted to hear like 38th.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, no, it's only a four story building.

[Tom Appel]

Like you think Chicago and you think balcony and you think like, yeah, mile high. Really, really, really cool. High up there.

[Jill Simonello]

But no, no, no, I'm not that cool.

[Tom Appel]

Later in the show, we're going to talk to Ryan Decker of Scout Motors. I'm looking forward to that conversation. Do you realize, Jill, that during the time that you and I have been writing about cars, there have only been a handful of brand new brands.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Which is interesting. And some have come and went, like Saturn departed, I think, just before we got into this. And then a bunch of brands at General motors departed in 2010. Pontiac and Saab and Hummer and not Oldsmobile. Oh, I said Pontiac. But a bunch of brands disappeared there. But new brands were pretty much down to Tesla, Scout and Genesis.

[Jill Simonello]

Rivian.

[Tom Appel]

Rivian. That's good. And I guess I don't know if I'm counting Rivian as having made it yet.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay. They're launching a new vehicle this year. And I'm trying to get somebody from Rivian on the show so maybe we can have them talk to us about what their future plans are and whether or not they think they've made it.

[Tom Appel]

I would like to do that, actually. I'm super interested in Rivian for a couple of reasons, but one of the reasons is the fact that they seem to burn through cash like they're doing everything right. They have their own technology. The reviews of the vehicles are good. They make their own batteries. There's a lot there. The design is good. They're supposed to be great off road. There's a lot there to love. But they lose money on every single vehicle they build and lots of money.

[Jill Simonello]

And I think the new R2 is going to be a game changer for

[Tom Appel]

them if they make money on it.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, well, and I think that they will, and I think that's why it's going to be a game changer.

[Tom Appel]

This is a small, smaller crossover and it should be good for them.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

Also, it looks great.

[Jill Simonello]

It really does. I've only seen it at auto shows so far. I think they're doing their press preview. Either they did it last week or they're doing it this week. So we should start to see some reviews coming out about it.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, I got a couple of things here I want to talk to you. We got. We have a very short intro segment today because later on we'll be talking to Ed Pietrowski. Ed did some writing for us at the. I'm sorry, at the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally. He reviewed four compact vehicles that I think people want to hear about. So we'll talk to Ed in just a moment. I've got two things.

[Producer/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

One of them I keep forgetting to get back to, and this is my bad. We talked a little bit last week about mild hybrids versus full hybrids. And one of the things about this that I think I didn't make clear and might really confuse people who don't know when you're talking about a hybrid vehicle, a CR V, a RAV4, something like that, a Camry. Those are full hybrid vehicles. There is no option for a mild hybrid. It's not available on the same vehicle. So, I mean, that's a really important distinction. Where we're seeing mild hybrids really is in premium vehicles, mostly German Audis, BMW, some Mercedes and Volvos. And it's because those cars are expensive enough that they can hide the cost of a mild hybrid system in the base price of the vehicle and then pick up a little bit of fuel economy gain. So they typically don't brand these things. You don't hear a car called mild hybrid. So it's just an interesting thing. It's added to some vehicles. It does improve the stop start engine, stop start performance. It does bring somewhat better fuel economy, but not nearly the fuel economy game you get from a full hybrid. The system on a C class Mercedes is far less efficient than the system on a Toyota Camry, for example.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. A mild hybrid also will, in addition to the stop start of the engine, it gives you a little bit of electronic boost like in acceleration. And that is where that fuel economy gain comes in.

[Tom Appel]

You know, funny story about that one. Way back when, a decade, 12 years ago, when Ram was bringing out the new generation of the Ram 1500 pickup, one of the things that they did was bring out the etorque mild hybrid system. And the interesting thing about etorque was that they had a bunch of specs and numbers lined up for what that did to, to, to compound or add to the torque at launch. And then they just took away all those numbers. Like it didn't add anything. They didn't put it in their specs, their specs they didn't want to list. It's just so weird. Like they had this big presentation and they completely backed off of it. But the system worked. It didn't provide what I would call good fuel economy, but it did help a little. It was also available on the V6 engine of the V6 engine versions of the Ram as well. But anyway, you know what I got coming in my driveway tomorrow?

[Jill Simonello]

What do you got coming?

[Tom Appel]

Ford Ranger. I haven't driven a Ranger in a very long time, so I'm excited. And one of the things that I forgot you probably knew this is that the Ranger comes with a 2.3 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine and EcoBoost engine that is actually a variation of the base engine in the Ford Mustang. But you can now just order as a standalone option the 2.7 liter V6 turbocharged engine. Just a standalone option. And that's really cool. A little expensive. It's 2,300 bucks. 2,300 bucks. But worth it if you're a bit of a hot rodder or a demon.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. Or if you just drive more aggressively or live in a city and, you know, need a little bit more get up and go.

[Tom Appel]

Yep. So that's pretty cool. All right. On the phone with us is Ed Piotrowski, longtime friend of the show. Ed was recently given a fun assignment. He went to The Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally and was tasked with bringing us back a story. We did not tell him what story to bring back, but he brought us back a good one. Ed, how are you doing?

[Ed Piotrowski]

I'm doing well. How are you all?

[Tom Appel]

I speak for everyone when I say we're doing okay. Okay. Now, you hit the spring rally and you hit on, I think, the core of the market here. You drove four different vehicles, all of which matter, I think, to an enormous swath of American car shoppers. Tell us about them.

[Ed Piotrowski]

Okay. Well, at the Midwest Automotive Media Association Spring Rally up at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, several of manufacturers brought their latest and greatest. And fortunately, we had a nice lineup of compact SUVs to go over with examples from Jeep, Mazda, Toyota and Volkswagen. So probably hitting a market where all these vehicles combined should account for a million, if not more sales.

[Tom Appel]

So it's, as you said, it's a huge segment. Yeah, yeah. I mean, this is when people talk about shopping for a new car, this is primarily where they're shopping these days.

[Ed Piotrowski]

Yep. Yes. And most of these vehicles are either completely redesigned or have seen a significant update. You know, be it powertrain features, you know, what have you. Actually, three out of the four have been redesigned, although one kind of doesn't look like it, but we'll get there.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. This interesting lineup of cars here. So we've got the Volkswagen Tiguan, a vehicle that kind of right in the middle of that segment, I think disappoints some people who are Volkswagen fans because it is not dynamically interesting. And historically, Volkswagens have been fun to drive. That's not really what's happening here. But the RAV4, the single most popular vehicle sold in the US that's redesigned and now hybrid only. And Jeep is finally back in the segment.

[Ed Piotrowski]

Yes. With the redesigned 2026 Cherokee that comes back after a three year absence, has a more kind of Grand Cherokee esque look to it versus the original one that came out once. It was like 2014. That had a, let's say, very polarizing appearance at that time.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah.

[Ed Piotrowski]

But now, I mean, it's,

[Producer/Interviewer]

I have

[Ed Piotrowski]

to say, the same for all of these vehicles. It's like, you know, everyone is good in its own way, but at the same time, I mean, while you have these redesigns, maybe a little harsh to say that they're not necessarily pushing the segment forward, but when the segment's already been pushed so far forward with such good products, it's like cell phones. I mean, you know, how much more can you possibly innovate you know, you

[Tom Appel]

raise a great point. I think in the case of the Mazda CX5, there's the CX50 now and that's sort of a premium, upscale, more crossovery version of the same vehicle and really the same class. They're not even priced that differently, the CX5 and the CX50. But the CX5 has sort of stood pat in terms of moving upmarket, which Mazda keeps claiming it wants to do. They got rid of the turbocharged engine and they didn't really go up Lex with this. But this is their bread and butter high volume car, is it not?

[Ed Piotrowski]

Yeah, and it's, it really. I mean, I didn't even. Just looking at the vehicle without knowing that it was redesigned, you wouldn't know that it was redesigned. I mean, you'd have to put it next to a previous generation model to really notice it. And you could really see it in that case with the extra length and wheelbase it's got because the back seat and cargo area have significantly better, better space, which that was, that was what kind of impressed me about that is that they really kind of fixed the shortcomings. And also with the infotainment system, I know when I've previously driven vehicles like the CX5 and the CX30, when I was considering purchasing one, I couldn't figure out how to set radio presets using the old infotainment system, whereas with this one, but you know, in less than a minute I had it figured out. So that was, that was great to see. But also, I mean, it really didn't, it really didn't lose that kind of fun to drive character that Mazda pitches the CX5 as, you know, kind of a sportier alternative to, you know, your, your CRVs and your Cherokees.

[Tom Appel]

Sure, yeah, yeah. So, so quick question about the Jeep and the RAV4. Those vehicles are now both hybrid only, which is interesting. And it just talks about where we're moving as an industry. Do they still say price competitive in your opinion?

[Ed Piotrowski]

That's actually, that's an interesting question because the vehicle they, that Jeep brought, the Cherokee they had there was the Laredo, which would kind of probably be your bread and butter trim level.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah.

[Ed Piotrowski]

And that one, they had it listed at a little over $40,500. And for that price, I think the level of equipment to me was a touch disappointing. I think actually bumping up another two grand to the Limited gets you more stuff and actually to me that makes it a little bit of a stronger value. So I think around 435 for the Cherokee Limited, to me, is more compelling. But with the RAV4, that one gets very pricey. They had the all wheel drive Limited, which was the. A standard hybrid, so no plug in. And that one was over $46,800. And I mean, you know, fully equipped but very expensive. But then they also brought the sport version, which is the GR Sport, which is a plug in, gets up to 324 horsepower, which is crazy. And when you put that thing in sport mode, it is very, very fast. And it, you know, is pretty fun to drive, all things considered. But that one was.

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, go ahead.

[Ed Piotrowski]

That one was over $51,000.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. One of the things I think you have to keep in mind with the new Jeep Cherokee is the fact that it is now hybrid only. And, you know, I think that accounts for some of the price increase. And I haven't done, and maybe you have done the price comparison between the RAV4 specifically to the Cherokee. And I, I think that when you add in the hybrid powertrain, I think the price increase makes sense. And I, I had the Laredo for a longer test, and, you know, I, you know, it's hard to say Cherokee, $40,000. That's a little bit much to swallow. But I think that with the hybrid powertrain, I think I, I just think it makes more sense.

[Ed Piotrowski]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I'm not saying that's a. It's a terrible value at all. I mean, I, But I'm saying I think that the Limited specifically is a better value than the Laredo, just because I think you are getting $43,000 worth of content on that model.

[Tom Appel]

And the. I forgot the name. The Cherokee is also all wheel drive standard, correct?

[Ed Piotrowski]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Okay, so that's some dollar value there, too. That's about two grand of retail value. Interesting. Ed, we're out of time for this segment, but just real quick, what four vehicles do you cover?

[Ed Piotrowski]

Oh, it was the redesigned 2026 Jeep Cherokee, the redesigned 2026 Mazda CX5, the redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4, and the updated powertrain that Volkswagen put in the 2026 Tiguan.

[Tom Appel]

Very cool. Ed, thank you so much for contributing that story to consumerguide.com and we'll have to talk again soon.

[Ed Piotrowski]

Sure. Thanks for having me.

[Tom Appel]

All right, that was Ed Piotrowski. We're gonna talk to Ryan Decker. Scout, stick around.

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Questions or comments, Drop us a [e-mail] that's carstuffconsumerguide.com.

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[Jill Simonello]

Mom, can you tell me a story?

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Sure. Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car.

[Jill Simonello]

Was she brave?

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She was tired mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.

[Jill Simonello]

Did you have to fight a dragon? Nope.

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She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually.

[Jill Simonello]

Was it scary?

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Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Jill Simonello]

Did the car have a sunroof?

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It did, actually.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay, good story.

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Car buying. You'll want to tell stories about. Buy your car today on delivery fees may apply.

[Podcast Intro Announcers]

Welcome back to the Car Stuff Podcast.

[Tom Appel]

All right, we're back. This is the consumer guide Car Stuff Podcast. I'm Tyler Pell. She is Jill Simonello. Jill, how you doing today?

[Jill Simonello]

I'm doing all right. How are you?

[Tom Appel]

I am good. I'm excited to have the conversation we're about to have and I have a story to tell you. Are you ready?

[Jill Simonello]

I am so ready for your story.

[Tom Appel]

I had a friend back in high school, grade school and high school. His dad owned an International Harvester dealership. True story. Do you know what he drove? Do you know what the family had two of in the driveway?

[Jill Simonello]

I was like, not an International Harvester.

[Tom Appel]

They were Scouts.

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, okay. He did have a Scout.

[Tom Appel]

They had Scouts. They had a pair of Scouts. What they did not have, and this is really, really off in the weeds, was the Nissan diesel version of the Scout that no one remembers.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

But that was available last couple of years of Scout. But Scout is back in a very interesting and special way. On the phone with us right now is Ryan Decker. He is the vice president of strategy and branding at Scout, an all new brand, one of the very few all new brands, I think, in our careers. Ryan, welcome to the show.

[Ryan Decker]

Very glad to be here, Tom. Thanks for having me.

[Tom Appel]

This is exciting. So tell us a little bit about Scout. Why, why Scout exists, what you guys are trying to do with it and, and ultimately what it means to parent company Volkswagen.

[Ryan Decker]

It's a. I think your previous comment is actually a good setup, Tom, because yes, we're an all new brand, but we're, we're definitely way, way more than that. So the intent is to reimagine the Scout brand, but it's also to build an all new version of Scout products, all new factory to make Scouts and an all new company to make that all happen. And that's what Scout Motors is. When founded in 2022, it was to reimagine Scout and to do it the right way as a new automotive entrant that's designed to compete in what are the largest segments in the automotive market and to reach the customers that we know are buying vehicles in these segments. And so for us, that meant, yeah, take the best parts of Scout from the brand side, but also honor really what a Scout, a Scout from the vehicle side. And so for us, that's what directly informed a lot of the decisions we made in those early days. To go body on frame, to go solid Rexel, the very tactile interior, optional features like mechanical lockers, you know, really that sort of go anywhere, as they called it, eight day a week Spirit. And then once we made those decisions, then it was okay, how the heck do you do you build these things? So that led us down the road of going all new factory approach. And so then it's all new brand, all new Products, all new factory. You might as well just make it an all new company to unlock the maximum amount of sort of American startup spirit. And that's what we did.

[Tom Appel]

So talk a little bit about the Scout brand and its positioning. What is Scout? Who is the competitive set for that? And then ultimately too, the mission has changed a little bit. Right. You guys were going to be pure electric. You've adapted a little bit. You're talking eRev now, extended range electric vehicles, but still electric vehicles, basically. What, what is the Scout brand going to be when we see it? Pretty darn soon.

[Ryan Decker]

I'll start with that one first and then I'll come back to the, the powertrain question. But we do take all kinds of inspiration from what Scout was. I already mentioned a lot of the product characteristics and attributes, but we take a similar amount of inspiration on, on sort of the brand side of, of Scout. And really it's what Scout stood for. Yeah, I would argue one of the first, call it proper SUV's that was capable enough to do all of the off roading that you'd expect, but still comfortable enough for a family and you know, really with that versatility. Scout stood for optimism, it stood for togetherness, it stood for family adventures. It really was a sort of joyful brand that I would say inspired and meant a whole lot to tons and tons of families. It sounds like. Tom, of course, you have a great story. Your. And when we look at sort of the brand positioning of a lot of competitive SUVs in this category today, it's, I would, I would argue that they're not overly optimistic and joyful and focused on togetherness anymore. They're, they're sort of focused on dominating things and you know, going out and blasting over or conquering anything. And don't get me wrong, Scout's going to be able to do all of those things. But we want to anchor really on what Scout stood for, which was you're doing those things so you can connect with the people and the places around you. And so that's sort of our, our unique way in, of, of how we want to position Scout is capable enough for anything, but never losing sight of what an SUV stood for, which was making memories. So fast forward a couple decades from now, hopefully people are talking about and, and speaking fondly of their memories and connections they made in Scout vehicles. So that's where we see the opportunity on the brand side, which by the way, we think is exactly right for American. We think America people are actually looking for brands and products that bring people together Again, and not just brands and products that are intended to go dominate things. And so we think sort of culturally and from a trend perspective, that sort of position is exactly right. And then to your second question on the eRev. Yeah. When the idea started, obviously a very different sort of environment that we were operating in in terms of political regulatory environment, but also customer environment. And so, you know, paying attention to what we were hearing at the customer level, some of the anxieties, of course, were real. Range anxiety is real. Charging anxiety is real.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Decker]

On the other hand, you know, for a company that's going to be in the market till 2040 at least, of course we were not naive to some of the sort of EV regulatory requirements that were out there. Several states were Talking about going 100% evolution, greenhouse gas, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So the initial decision was made to go all electric, but then there was the strategic pivot to preserve the electrified powertrain, but to give it the security of having the built in gas power generator on board. And our perception is that's exactly what the market wanted. They wanted sort of the EV performance benefits. Whether those benefits be things like a front trunk, whether they be things like really impressive performance and zero to 60 and torque, whether it be cost of ownership advantages, of course, in a current elevated fuel price environment. Yeah. We still think efficiency matters to vehicle buyers and truck buyers, but they want to see a combined range of over 500 miles. And they want the security to know that they don't have to stop the charge along the side of a highway. You know, they want to be able to make that trip without ever having to pull off onto the side of the road. They want to know they can get back from that, that big off roading trip they want to go on. And that's what the range extender unlocked. And of course that's where we're seeing now the vast majority of our demand because customers want this type of powertrain that makes sense.

[Tom Appel]

I really want to talk about the products, but I've got a real quick question for you about the history of Scout and Scout's history in a way, especially going back to the 50s and maybe even the 40s mirrors that of Jeep a little bit and that these were very serious off road commercial vehicles. Are you guys trying to bring forward also Scout print ads from the 60s are so good, no doubt. Yeah, they are so good. And my question is, are you guys trying to bring forward any of that serious sort of gritty professional energy to the new products or is that just a little bit of history that only I'm happy about.

[Ryan Decker]

No, I wouldn't say it's only history. That is something we're actively discussing is we do believe our vehicles certainly have the capability to go after that sort of segment and opportunity. We also recognize to do that you need to deliver more than just a vehicle. You really need to deliver an ecosystem of products and services. So all I can say on that front, Tom, is ongoing. In terms of your second comment on regarding some of the original advertising work that they did. Yeah, we agree. We think it was pretty iconic and very strong and frankly it was one of those. Some of that work was just absolutely timeless. When you see it today, it's still, still capable of turning heads. And so we'll continue to take inspiration from that and try and try and emulate it. No doubt.

[Tom Appel]

I'm glad. Because someone killed it. They were knocking it out of the park back then. So tell us about the product.

[Ryan Decker]

So two products, one platform that gets of course a little bit longer in the wheelbase to deliver two products really going after the core of the segments that we know are most popular in America, which is what we would call a mid size rugged SUV and then a true full size pickup truck. Both products. That platform is body on frame, which we determined to be the right platform approach to really deliver upon the durability and the robustness that customers in these segments are expecting in order to be perceived as a series product. Detailed characteristics like solid rear axles, again, durability, robustness, legit off road characteristics with the range extender powertrain as the lead case now where you still have up to 150 miles of all electric range and over 500 miles of combined range. When you're leveraging the generator, when you look at the overall product intent again, I used that line that Scout used way back when, that eight day a week truck. For us that meant it has to be an absolute no joke, no compromise off roader. So when it comes to delivering upon things like ground clearances and approach angles and departure angles, we want to be, you know, we want to be up there competing with the incumbent leaders in the category where we think we have an absolute killer. Differentiation is on. Coming from the sort of combination of a few things. We will be basically best in class when it comes to combined range. None of our competitors go as far as we will go with this powertrain. We will be by far best in class in terms of our performance characteristics, things like zero to 60 and torque. We'll be very competitive of our off road characteristics and all of which in just an. Absolutely. We're a little biased, but really killer, killer design. We do recognize that the number one reason people purchase vehicles in these categories is because of how they look and how fun they are and the capability they have. So we wanted to make sure they look the part too. And our chief design officer Chris Benjamin did a great job at that. Final point. Joe, one final point I was just gonna say was just the pricing. So I'm sure sometimes there's a tendency to say, okay, too good to be true. How much are these things gonna cost? But the commitment we've made that the numbers we published and we're holding the line on is starting pricing without any inc. Is below $60,000. That is 100% still our plan and our commitment.

[Jill Simonello]

No, that's, that's really cool. I mean I was going to follow up on your, your design comment because we've seen some very well filled out prototypes circulating. We had one at the Midwest Automotive Media association spring rally last year and we got to not climb around in it, but look in it because it's still a little bit delicate. But I'm just wondering how close to pre production, are the production models going to be like, are there going to be any big design changes that we're going to see or is it just going to be like small little tweaks that happen?

[Ryan Decker]

Look, it was always our intent when we unveiled our show car properties that they were probably 80 to 90% reality, 10 to 20% little fun on top. But Jill, to your question, the production vehicles will be very similar, very similar proportions, very similar overall styling and details, some of the features that we know people love, bench seats, split tailgates, of course, front trunk execution. All of that is very much going to be carried over into production intent. No doubt.

[Jill Simonello]

Very cool. And so to be clear, also you said that the primary strategy moving forward is for the powertang is erev, but will there also be electric only versions available?

[Ryan Decker]

Absolutely. So eRev first e Rev is the priority. But the whole powertrain or the whole platform was designed to accommodate a large battery to accommodate a Bev product. And that logic also applies to the manufacturing approach. Our factory can now easily install the erev, of course, but it can also has the adaptability to build Bev versions of scout vehicles as well. No problem.

[Tom Appel]

But you guys are making a little bit of news here in that you want to go with a direct to consumer distribution system. You don't want to go with a franchise dealership arrangement. Why is it that you guys want to do that and what does that mean to the consumer?

[Ryan Decker]

Well, we want to do it because as we've observed now all new entrants, we're seeing one them having success going direct to consumer. But regardless of our competitors success, what we're seeing is just the ability to deliver upon a customer experience that we think is right for Scout customers. As I mentioned, all new factory, all new products, all new powertrain, all new brand, all new everything. We also wanted to make sure that we built a sales model that matched that spirit of really delivering first principles. And the first principles that we want to deliver on the sales process, is the process fast, is the process transparent, is the process trustworthy? And the way we felt we could deliver upon those first principles is to simply own the experience ourselves. Which is shouldn't be a surprise. We've seen this from sort of every single retail category out there. Yeah, really owning the customer relationship is the way to deliver the best possible experience. And that's what we want to do.

[Tom Appel]

So if you go with the, well, you are going with the direct to consumer approach, does that mean then that Scout will own dealerships? And if that's the case, will there be like a regional rollout of the brand or will you guys be ready to be national on job one?

[Ryan Decker]

Yeah, we will own, we will invest in and own our own brick and mortar facilities where we will be able to deliver and of course service cars and you know, quote unquote, kick the tire and do test drives. So 100% we will invest in our own facilities. And then in terms of rollout, look, that's one of the other benefits of going direct to consumer is we will throttle up or throttle down. You know, our company, our factory, our brand and our physical footprint based on the demand that we're seeing in the market. But it is our intent, Tom, to fill this factory up as fast as we can. And that means we want of course be able to deliver and sell as many cars that we need to fill that factory. And so working backwards from there, we of course have a plan of how many retail facilities we think we're going to need to service that demand. But it doesn't go all at once. It will scale up with time as we get the whole thing rocking.

[Tom Appel]

So you guys have two products to launch with. Obviously you can tell us now about your next few products in great detail.

[Ryan Decker]

Well, to that point, we, you know, the first two that we're launching with, we, we definitely believe are the right segments that we need to build a company around. So we're focused on those two because the opportunity is huge. But of course, every now and again we are permitted to dream big. But more to come on some of those dreams at a later date.

[Tom Appel]

Is it wrong to make comparisons between Ford and Jeep at this point? Serious off road capability? It seems like there's a place in your lineup eventually for something like a Wrangler or a Bronco. Who is your competitive set and how would you be different maybe from Jeep and the Bronco series?

[Ryan Decker]

Yeah, I mentioned.

[Tom Appel]

Right.

[Ryan Decker]

So for us, it's mid sized SUV's. When we look around now, we see Broncos participating in this, we see Land Cruisers, we see several mainstream SUVs that also have an off road orientation, that are doing very good volume, that are at delivering very good pricing, power low incentives, inventories turning fast. So we are definitely taking inspiration from again, off road, rugged midsize SUVs. And then on the trucks, you know, we're not a tweener truck. We're a full size pickup truck with a proper truck bed. So yeah, we, we want to go after really the core of also the truck segment. Now again, on both of those segments that I mentioned, you have to deliver really on the customer requirements. We're not naive. These are competitive segments and that first requirement is the price point. We are not going to be a product that only transacts at 80 or 90. We are going to hit that entry price point below 60. So that's requirement number one. But then also when you look at our overall sort of value proposition, our performance characteristics, our overall range, our off road characteristics, we believe we're very competitive for what we're offering at the price point we are and we have a lot of confidence that we can go into these segments and win.

[Tom Appel]

Well, this is very cool and it's very exciting to be here to welcome a new brand. Ryan, is there anything we forgot to ask?

[Ryan Decker]

You know, you didn't forget to ask, but I always love to shout out the Scout community and the scout stories that we love to hear, Tom, including yours. And it is a special thing to be reimagining a brand that has so much love in the market. And as you all know, there's the real Scout OGs out there who are looking for the Restomas and who have kept sort of the factory grade parts alive. But then there's this much bigger chunk of people who simply have a scout story and we always love to hear them and we want to do right by all of those groups because Scout was a special thing and we want to make it a special thing again.

[Tom Appel]

Well, I'm glad to hear that. Ryan, thank you so much for your time today.

[Ryan Decker]

Thank you both Tom and Jill. I appreciate spending time with you.

[Tom Appel]

Appreciate your time. That was Ryan Decker with Scott. We're going to take a break and when we come back, Quiz time. Quiz time.

[Podcast Intro Announcers]

Questions or comments?

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Drop us a [e-mail] that's carstuffsumerguide.com

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[Tom Appel]

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[Tom Appel]

acting sky high sales stacking champion at checkouts.

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[Jill Simonello]

Mom, can you tell me a story?

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[Jill Simonello]

Was she brave?

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She was tired mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found a great car at a great price. No secret treasure map required.

[Jill Simonello]

Did you have to fight a dragon?

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[Jill Simonello]

Was it scary?

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[Jill Simonello]

Did the car have a sunroof?

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[Jill Simonello]

Okay, good story.

[Commercial Announcer]

Car buying. You'll want to tell stories about Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.

[Podcast Intro Announcers]

Welcome back to the Car Stuff podcast.

[Tom Appel]

And we're back. This is the consumer guide Car Stuff Podcast. I'm Tom Appel. She is Jill Simonello. Jill. Hello, Jill. I feel like we haven't talked about your social media in several hours.

[Jill Simonello]

No, we've been too busy talking about the pigeons that are attacking my balcony. No. Yeah, you can find me on all the things. I'll keep it short and sweet. Jill Simonello. And I use the hashtag car da jour. And on YouTube and TikTok, I post a new video every day about the vehicles that I'm driving.

[Tom Appel]

I am car guy Tom on Twitter X and BlueSky and I had a spectacular car spotter weekend. So for people who don't know, I test drive the cars that I'm working with generally on Saturdays. I'd like to put 50 to 100 miles on a car every Saturday. And I drive around. And while I'm doing that, I look for weird, strange, unusual cars, take pictures of them. Sometimes they're just old cars from the 80s or 70s. But this week I crushed it.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

Crushed it. So you want to check out Carspotter on X.

[Jill Simonello]

All right. I saw last week what I saw a right hand drive JDM Nissan Skyline gtr.

[Tom Appel]

That's a crazy thing to see. And I don't know how many people know what that is, but that's like Japan's Mustang.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. It was really cool and was on the Edens heading south.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. Jdm. Tell us what that means.

[Jill Simonello]

Japanese domestic market. So it was never on sale in the United States and I believe it's only just recently that they've been allowed to bring these vehicles over and make them insurable to drive on streets.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. So the rule about gray marketing a car in from Japan is that it has to be 25 years old. And we've hit a golden age of cars in Japan that people love. So all of a sudden you're going to start seeing these cars in the US and they're cool and they're little and they're strange and the styling is really kind of controversial and perky. So, yeah, JDM vehicles are going to start showing up on the roads around you now.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. And you'll probably notice them by being right hand drive.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, that's the big giveaway.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

All right, guess what time it is.

[Jill Simonello]

It is quiz time.

[Tom Appel]

It is quiz time. I've got a good quiz here for you today. It's very functional, it's very business oriented. Are you ready?

[Jill Simonello]

Okay. Are you going to ask me about like numbers and sales numbers and things like that?

[Tom Appel]

Nope.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

Nope. The quiz title this week is is it still being Built?

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[Tom Appel]

A lot of action in this particular segment right now. And that segment is vehicles on the bubble. Are you ready?

[Jill Simonello]

I am. Now or never. I'm as ready as I can be.

[Tom Appel]

I'm going to give you a particular model. You have to tell me if it is still being produced for sale in the United States. Okay, ready? Number one, the Kia Soul. No, it is not. The beloved Soul was available between 2010 and 2025. The last one was built late last year and it's really the survivor of the boxy vehicle set.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

You remember there was the Scion xb, the Nissan Cube, and if you want to count it, the Chevy hhr.

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Tom Appel]

And it outlived all those vehicles. All right, you're on the board. You've got one point.

[Jill Simonello]

Woo hoo. Okay. It's only getting harder from here, I suspect.

[Tom Appel]

All right, the Nissan Versa, is it still being built?

[Jill Simonello]

Ooh. So once upon a time they had a hatchback and a sedan version of it. They got rid of the hatchback and then were still selling the sedan. But is it still on sale?

[Tom Appel]

The first hatchbacks were pretty practical vehicles. I think the Versa was always likable.

[Jill Simonello]

It was, it was a very affordable vehicle and you know, like you said, just very practical. I'm going to say yes.

[Tom Appel]

No, Ned, Versa production ended in December of 2025. There is no 2026 model. And that's part of the problem is it was built in Mexico and it was a tariff thing.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

So we lost a very affordable, accessible new vehicle, unfortunately because of the tariffs.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. All right, I liked that car.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, I liked it a lot too. And you got a bunch of tech and a bunch of design for the money. Yeah, it was one of the last, I think that was the last sub $20,000 vehicle sold in the U.S. yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

Because it was available with a manual transmission, I think.

[Tom Appel]

A five speed manual too.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. And I think not on the five speed manual, but on the ones with an automatic transmission it had standard automatic reverse braking, which was kind of surprising for the price point.

[Tom Appel]

Yep. Had good stuff. All right, you're one in one. The Acura rdx, is it still being built?

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, what's throwing me is there was a little bit of a

[Tom Appel]

say, kerfuffle

[Jill Simonello]

situation where they were talking about bringing out a new version and then they were putting it on hold. But then I didn't think it was on hold.

[Tom Appel]

And that's not a kerfuffle to you.

[Jill Simonello]

That's a situation kerfuffle. Oh, I'm, I'm Gonna say yes?

[Tom Appel]

No.

[Jill Simonello]

Ah. Cause it's a very popular vehicle.

[Tom Appel]

It was Acura's most popular vehicle. And this whole thing seems like a gigantic mistake. And Volkswagen used to do stuff like this where they'd have two vehicles that were the same with the same model year, but they were different designs or they'd skip two years. And it was all very weird. That was a Volkswagen thing, not an Acura thing. Honda. Honda, Acura's parent company, typically has its stuff together. So this is very weird, but the RDX is going away for two model years. No, 2026. No. 2027, back for 2028 is a hybrid only model. So that's. That's weird. And it's not going to do their sales any good at all.

[Jill Simonello]

No, no.

[Tom Appel]

All right. You're kind of in a bad way here. You've got.

[Jill Simonello]

I know, I know.

[Tom Appel]

All right.

[Jill Simonello]

Like I said, it was only going to get harder.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, but it got harder. Is it still being built, the Ford Escape? No, it's not. You were decisive in your answer. Production ended December of 2025. This was a question of manufacturing flexibility. And this kills me. They were still selling 140,000 of these a year.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

I don't fully understand what happened here.

[Jill Simonello]

Well, it's built on the same platform as the Bronco Sport.

[Tom Appel]

It is. And they will sell more Bronco Sports because of this.

[Jill Simonello]

Right.

[Tom Appel]

And I have. I don't want to go too far off into the weeds on this, but I have a question for you. And just sort of a general observation, it seems that compact crossovers are not sold generally on rear seat space. It's a sense I get because the. The Bronco Sport has really. Has a really tight rear seat area.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

And the Escape is roomier.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

So that's not the issue here. But the Bronco Sport, it looks off roady. It's called Bronco. It's got a lot going for it and it will pick up a lot of these sales.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

But it is weird. I think it's weird. All right, well, you got that one. So you've got two points.

[Jill Simonello]

Two and two. Yep.

[Tom Appel]

All right. You're in a better way now. You need to get one of the next two. There are five questions total, plus the bonus question. Bonus question. Always related to the topic of the day. Do I have a bonus question? I do. Good. The BMW X4.

[Jill Simonello]

There's a car I haven't thought about in, like, ever.

[Tom Appel]

I have to see one to think about one.

[Jill Simonello]

Well, I feel like the X4 is, like, it's kind of like just a smaller version of the X6. It's like that egg shaped thing.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, it is. And for people who don't know, there's the X3 and the X5. That is BMW's compact and mid size crossover. Both are very popular. They're also both very good. The X4 and the X6 are fast backy coupe versions of those vehicles that are wholly unnecessary, but they make so much extra money selling them, usually five grand more than the base vehicle that they sell them anyway. But the X4 has not been selling well. About 5900 units last year versus 1200. I'm sorry, 12,000 for the X6. So the X6 sticks around. But the X4, is it, is it there?

[Jill Simonello]

Is it not there? I'm going to say no because I think you, you know, you're kind of giving me a hint here. I'll say no.

[Tom Appel]

I think I blew it. Yeah. The X4. Like everything we've talked about, the X4 was discontinued late in November.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Last year. So the X4 is gone. Probably mildly collectible, Kind of good looking, kind of a weird car. So you've got three. You've already won.

[Jill Simonello]

All right.

[Tom Appel]

All right. Are you ready for the bonus question?

[Jill Simonello]

Always. Always ready for the bonus question, Especially if it's about the Hallmark channel.

[Tom Appel]

It's not about the Hallmark Channel. It's about steak sauce. We don't talk enough about steak sauce on the show.

[Jill Simonello]

Well, you don't eat steaks.

[Tom Appel]

That's probably part of the problem. So you're familiar with A1?

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Do you know how far back A1 goes?

[Jill Simonello]

No, but I'm going to say a really long way.

[Tom Appel]

A really long way. 1862.

[Jill Simonello]

Wow.

[Tom Appel]

1862. Before Marshall Dillon was the marshal of the Dodge area in Kansas. That's how far back?

[Jill Simonello]

That's the middle of the Civil War.

[Tom Appel]

Yes, it is. Yep. So that's a one. Do you know how far back Lee and Perrins goes?

[Jill Simonello]

No, but I really like Liam Perrins.

[Tom Appel]

Do you?

[Jill Simonello]

Sure. Sauce.

[Tom Appel]

1837.

[Ryan Decker]

Wow.

[Tom Appel]

It goes way back. I need you to. Lee and Perrin's savory sweet taste is famous. People seem to love it. Although it's a little bit controversial. I need you to tell me which of the following is not a Lee and Perrin's ingredient.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

Are you ready? Molasses, anchovies, tamarind or lemon zest.

[Jill Simonello]

Well, I know anchovies are in there and I'm trying to figure out if molasses. Because like I would say it's either the molasses or. What was the second to last one?

[Tom Appel]

Tamarind.

[Jill Simonello]

I would say it's either the tamarind or the molasses. That is not in there. Because the. The lemon zest with the zing makes sense to me, but, you know, it doesn't really taste that sweet to me, which is why I have a problem with the molasses idea. But then again, my dad would put nutmeg in his pulled pork, so what do I know?

[Tom Appel]

Everyone puts nutmeg in everything. If you watch. If you watch cooking shows. A lot of nutmeg.

[Jill Simonello]

A lot of nutmeg. Nutmeg in my meatballs.

[Tom Appel]

Wait, wait now, so if you know about nutmeg, do you know about mace?

[Jill Simonello]

Ish.

[Tom Appel]

Mace is the shell around a nutmeg that is also ground up that tastes surprisingly different from nutmeg. And I think if you're just like kind of a cooking person who wants to seem like you know what you're doing. You just mentioned mace a lot.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, I'm. I make no such claims that I know what I'm doing. All right, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go with molasses.

[Tom Appel]

No, the lemon zest is the thing. Yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

All right, so now I'm gonna have to go get out my Leah Perrin's bottle because I have Worcestershire sauce in my refrigerator. Look at the ingredients.

[Tom Appel]

We were going to review the Subaru Outback Wilderness today.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

But we don't really have time. Would you like to give us a brief overview when we get to it next week?

[Jill Simonello]

Sure. So I got it last week. I drove it over the weekend, went to Indianapolis and back. And I want to address a couple of things that people had mentioned to me in TikTok or some questions that people had asked me on TikTok. And one was about the infotainment system. People assume that now that Toyota and Subaru have an overall collaboration, that all of the Toyota infotainment systems are going into Subaru vehicles. And that's not true. This is actually a Subaru designed infotainment system that uses Android automotive but not Google built in. And it's a really good system. Horizontal screen, very different than the previous vertical screen, and you have physical H VAC controls. The other thing that I noticed on my drive is, you know, I didn't. I thought that the vehicle was really, really quiet and had a good interior quietness. And I was like, listening to my podcast all the way down, and then when I pulled off the highway on the exit, the podcast was so Loud. And I was like, oh, I had to turn this up really high to overcompensate for the tire noise. So, you know, the wilderness is an off roady version of the Outback. And so it's going to have beefier tires on it. So you do get a little bit more interior road noise. I like this car, though, for its overall comfort. The seats are amazing. The overall comfort on the highway for a long drive is really good. But the amazing thing about it is that then you can take it to an off road place and you can do some really capable, competent off roading. I mean, yeah, you're not going to go to Moab and, you know, do like the Rubicon Trail or anything like that, but it is really good on a moderately skilled course. And I drove it off road at the Midwest Automotive Media association was super impressed with it. So if I had to kind of sum this up in a nutshell, I would say this is one of those really great everyday drivers that's comfortable, but you're going to have to deal with a little extra road noise because of the tires. But then it doubles as a really great adventure lifestyle vehicle that you can load your bike in your camping gear, you know, things to do adventure, you know, things, and then, you know, take it on a trail, take it to a trailhead, take it off roading and have a little bit more of an adventure, you know. So I, I think it's got this really great dual personality, but you just have to contend with a little extra road noise.

[Tom Appel]

I, I gotten the impression from photographs, and I don't think I've seen one in the flesh yet, that the new Outback is much bigger than the old Outback. But I did some checking today and it's not. The wheelbase is the same, the overall length is about the same. You pick up a little bit of cargo space, and that's largely because it looks more like a crossover now than a wagon, but it actually is not different dimensionally than the old vehicle. So that's good. Now, obviously there's the controversy there that I will continue to bring up endlessly. It no longer looks like a station wagon.

[Jill Simonello]

It doesn't. I mean, it doesn't, it doesn't. And, but, you know, I mean, everything has to evolve, everything has to change. And I don't know, I think it looks really good. I, I'm getting a lot of feedback from people who either love it or hate it. I don't think there's anything in the middle.

[Tom Appel]

Oh, oh, oh, before we forget, producer Margaret wanted Me to point something out. I keep saying people are on the phone. I keep saying they're on the line. I'm on the phone. And I'm on the phone because something's wonky with my computer that is killing me. It's absolutely killing me. It's going to drive me into therapy, but whatever.

[Jill Simonello]

You mean, you're not already in therapy?

[Tom Appel]

Not for this.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay, so something else to talk about with your therapist then.

[Tom Appel]

I'm going to see a separate therapist. Just for the podcast.

[Jill Simonello]

Just. Just for the podcast and the microphone issues.

[Tom Appel]

Oh. Last week I was also remiss. I had mentioned that Sonny Rollins had passed away and I'd mentioned the photograph. A great day in. In Harlem. And I forgot to mention something important. If you care and you want to check out Sonny Rollins, there's an album called A Night at the Village Vanguard from 1957 spectacular. I spent the weekend listening to it. It's very, very good. So if you're wondering about Sonny Rollins, you can listen to that entire album on YouTube before you decide you want to download it. So there you have that.

[Jill Simonello]

So YouTube. It's good for not just car reviews.

[Tom Appel]

I do a lot of music listening on YouTube, actually. I also watch a lot of Jacques Pepin.

[Jill Simonello]

I love Jacques Pepin.

[Tom Appel]

He's awesome, right? That dude. He's awesome.

[Jill Simonello]

He is. Although I have to say, one of the last episodes I saw kind of turned me off a little bit. He cut a live lobster in half.

[Tom Appel]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Those old school guys, they're not nice to the lobsters.

[Jill Simonello]

No. But I'm sure whatever he made was amazing.

[Tom Appel]

So there you have it. All right. Guess what we did.

[Jill Simonello]

We had another great show.

[Tom Appel]

We did. Yeah. It was really good to talk about Scout Motors. I'd like to have more conversations about that as they move forward because what's going to be interesting to see is when they move to just selling the electric vehicles. And I'm getting a sense that the early production is going to be all erev, all extended range electric vehicle. And then what they do with subsequent models. Because right now they've got a full size truck and a largest midsize crossover. Which is the Rivian game plan. Sort of. Rivian has a more compact truck, but still very similar game plans. So we'll see. There's goes also there's still the controversy of them not working through the dealer network.

[Jill Simonello]

Right.

[Tom Appel]

So they have legal battles ahead of them. There's. But if they believe the customer is better served this way, you know, it'll be fun to Watch how that plays out.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. And I'll be, I'll be curious to see the, how the national rollout goes. And you know, I think Ryan made a really good point with the flexibility of their production plan. You know, if a whole bunch of people in Chicago, Illinois want one, then they, you know, can very easily build a network here. But you know, if that shifts or if there's also, you know, need and desire in California or Tennessee or Michigan, you know, it just gives them the flexibility to expand and grow quickly.

[Tom Appel]

Yes. And the other thing is that they're very well financially backed by, well, Volkswagen. So they, they can build their own distribution network. Yes, it's. So that will happen more quickly. It's actually the question I asked about. I know we're running out of time about a national rollout maybe being regional and that they might not want to put all the dealers in right away, but it sounds like they're going to set those up.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

So there you have it. All right. Thank you very much, Jill.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, no, thanks. Good to be here.

[Tom Appel]

All right. Thanks to Ed Piotrowski, thank you to Ryan Decker of Scout, and thanks to producer Margaret. Well, let's talk more about cars again next week. Next week.

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[Producer/Interviewer]

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[Ed Piotrowski]

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[Tom Appel]

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