Stick-Shift Ferrari, Lexus IS Review, Renegotiating the USMCA

Summary

Car Stuff Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Hosts: Tom Appel, Jill Ciminillo
Date: July 7, 2026
Episode Title: Stick-Shift Ferrari, Lexus IS Review, Renegotiating the USMCA
Guest: Sam Fiorani (Vice President, Global Forecasting – Auto Forecast Solutions)

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Brief Overview

This episode covers a wide swath of automotive industry topics with Tom and Jill’s trademark wit, as well as expert guest insight from Sam Fiorani. Key focuses include: the changing landscape of vehicle pricing driven by hybrids, the “manual” Ferrari that isn’t really manual, a review of the 2026 Lexus IS350 F Sport, recent developments at Polestar, and major discussions about the future of North American automotive production and trade as the USMCA (the successor to NAFTA) faces renegotiation.

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Episode Highlights

Banter & Automotive Nostalgia (01:24–05:51)

• Tom and Jill kick things off with humorous banter about regional weather preferences, St. Louis living, and old-school auto additives like “Motor Honey.”
• Minor sidebar about driveway logistics during snowy winters and the use of all-wheel drive in the Midwest.
• Notable quote:
  • Tom: “But what the hell was Motor Honey? Young punks with messed up cars bought the Motor Honey. But why did they do it? ...Long story short, it didn’t fix anything, but it was this ultra thick oil additive.”

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Industry Updates & News Roundup (06:16–14:35)

• Subaru Outback’s success:

  • Tom admits he was wrong about the all-new Outback’s market potential; it's selling well and there's growing consumer interest, especially seen through online engagement.
  • Jill: “My Outback videos are some of my best performing videos right now. So the interest level is definitely there.” (06:53)

• Chrysler Airflow preview:

  • Upcoming compact crossover, based on the Fiat Grizzly, to be built in Illinois (mid-2027).

• Ferrari's "Manual” Transmission Return (08:46–10:14):

  • Ferrari is “bringing back” a gated shifter in the new 12Cilindri, but it’s a simulated manual with a fake clutch and shifter; the actual transmission is an 8-speed automatic.
  • Tom: “But all of it is fake. There’s no direct connection with the transmission through the clutch pedal or the shifter… You can only get through the first six gears through the gated shifter, then you have to just move to an automatic mode.”
  • Jill: “I have questions.” (09:44)

• Hybrid Pricing & Market Trends (10:57–12:22):

  • Discussion about hybrid vehicles driving new car average transaction prices up (over $52,000).
  • Jill notes Lexus’s unusual pricing, where an electric powertrain was less expensive than the hybrid version.

• Polestar Incentives & Brand Stability (12:35–14:35):

  • Huge rebates as Polestar exits U.S. market (up to $25,000 on Polestar 4).
  • Tom: “You will be able to get them serviced at Volvo dealers.”
  • Discussion of what owners do when EV brands disappear (reference to Fisker).

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Review: 2026 Lexus IS350 F Sport (15:02–22:53)

• Driving Experience:

  • Jill spent a week with the Lexus IS350 AWD F Sport (Ultrasonic Mica Blue).
  • Praises: peppy 3.5L V6 (311 hp), maneuverability, pleasing size for city driving, well-bolstered seats with comfort for smaller drivers.
  • Jill: “It is one of those vehicles that is perennially a favorite of mine because it’s peppy, it’s maneuverable, it’s small, it has a really nice engine.”
  • Tom highlights exceptional build: “It feels like it’s carved out of a solid ingot of steel. Lexus does such a nice job putting this car together.”

• Model & Pricing Details:

  • Simplified lineup: Just six-cylinder options, AWD available, F Sport largely appearance-oriented.
  • Base price: ~$48,000; as tested: $51,844.
  • Against rivals (BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class), IS is smaller, sportier-feeling, still rear-drive-based.

• Interior Space Debate:

  • Jill insists back seat accommodates average adults.
  • Tom pushes back, citing tight rear space for larger passengers.
  • Quote:
    • Jill: “There’s actually plenty of room in the back seat for adult-sized passengers.” (22:23)
    • Tom: “I’m gonna push back on the passenger space. I don’t think you can get average size males back there.” (22:53)

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Expert Interview: Sam Fiorani (Auto Forecast Solutions) (25:39–45:24)

Hybrid Pricing Impact & Trim Levels (28:29–30:08)

• Both consumer and manufacturer effects on rising vehicle prices:
  • Sam: “A lot of the push north on prices is the fact that we don’t have any entry-level models. Part of that is removing the gas powered versions… Now… they can build $50,000, $60,000, $70,000 F-150s and Silverados.”

Polestar’s Exit & Global Dynamics (31:32–34:45)

• Summary: U.S. policy pressure (Chinese software bans), Polestar’s “most Chinese” identity, odd difference in treatment compared to Volvo despite shared tech.
• Sam: “Polestar is the most Chinese vehicle sold in the United States. So it didn’t get the exception that Volvo got… Because they don’t have their name on the building, I’m sure that’s a big reason why.”

The USMCA Debate & Industry Uncertainty (36:05–43:07)

• Instability in renegotiating the USMCA, which binds U.S., Canada, Mexico auto production:
  • Sam: “The instability of the current situation with USMCA doesn’t help these manufacturers make investments… We need stability. We need a locked in free trade agreement across all three countries.”
• GM shifting Silverado production out of Canada, Stellantis being vague about Canada, threat of Canadian jobs due to wage parity versus Mexico’s lower cost.
• Expectation: Chinese automakers will route vehicles through Mexico or Canada to gain market access.
• Jill: “Automakers plan four, five, six years in advance. And if you’re going to go year to year on this agreement like that, that really wrecks your long-term planning.” (42:32)

Bonus: Boyertown Museum News (43:20–45:05)

• Sam announces new gallery opening (focused on trucks and Pennsylvania vehicles).

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Fun & Quizzes (45:48–58:00+)

• Car parts quiz (50:20–54:22):
  • Includes explanations about glow plugs, throttle body injectors, and why “half-shaft” matters.
  • Lighthearted as always, with digressions about failed fast food franchises for the bonus round.

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Upcoming Car Reviews (58:01–63:36)

• Jill just swapped into the new Mazda CX-5:

  • Teases un-Mazda-like design, interface challenges, and missing turbo engine.
  • Long-term impressions pending, but look for a full review next week.

• Tom mentions continued high loyalty among Subaru and Toyota owners, even as anecdotal reports of reliability issues emerge—Subaru’s design quirks are often seen as lovable character traits.

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Notable Quotes

• Tom (on the new Ferrari “manual”):
  • “There will be a clutch pedal, but all of it is fake. There’s no direct connection with the transmission through the clutch pedal or the shifter.” (09:10)
• Sam Fiorani (on hybrid pricing and entry models):
  • “A lot of that is manufacturers pushing hybrids. It's not so much the consumers wanting to buy them, it's that they don't have the choice. …a lot of the push north on prices is the fact that we don't have any entry level models.” (29:12)
• Sam (on USMCA instability):
  • “The instability of the current situation with USMCA doesn’t help these manufacturers make investments, doesn’t help them work across borders because they don’t know what’s going to happen in six months or a year or two years.” (36:05)
• Jill (on Lexus IS):
  • “I fell in love with the car then [IS-F manual], and that love has carried through to this current model year. …The only thing that would make it the perfect vehicle in my book is if it had a manual transmission.” (16:03)
• Tom (on Subaru Forester):
  • “It’s funny how much that feels like a Subaru and things that that vehicle does, you would consider flaws in other vehicles. …That’s part of the character.” (61:07)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Motor Honey nostalgia / intro: 01:24–02:53
• Subaru Outback discussion: 06:19–07:22
• Ferrari’s “manual” shifter explained: 08:46–10:14
• Hybrid vehicles and price increases: 10:57–12:22
• Polestar's exit from U.S. market: 12:35–14:35
• Lexus IS350 F Sport in-depth review: 15:02–22:53
• Guest intro, Sam Fiorani: 25:39
• Hybrid pricing effect, no entry models: 28:29–30:08
• Polestar & Chinese vehicle politics: 31:32–34:45
• USMCA, Canadian/Mexican production: 36:05–43:07
• Boyertown Museum update: 43:20–45:05
• Car parts quiz: 50:20–54:22
• Mazda CX-5 preview: 58:01–60:41
• Subaru/Toyota owner loyalty & reliability: 61:07–62:32

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Tone & Language

• Conversational, playful, informed, slightly self-deprecating.
• Expert but approachable — always bringing in real-world anecdotes and connecting industry trends to everyday shopping and car culture.

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Conclusion

This episode delivers a broad yet thoroughly detailed snapshot of the current car market, with spirited conversation, practical insights for buyers, and industry analysis from one of the most respected auto market forecasters. It’s well worth a listen — or consult this summary for the key takeaways and insider context.

Transcript

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[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

with friends, you've come to the right place.

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

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

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

New car reviews, shopping tips, driving green

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests.

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast.

[Tom Appel]

All right. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast. I am Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive. Thank you, thank you for joining us this week. When you have a moment, do me a favor, do me a solid. Check us [e-mail] all sorts of fun stuff there, including our 2026 Best Buy picks, my expose on where ashtrays disappeared to, and I had to write about this just because. And if you're not old like me, you don't know about it. But what the hell was Motor Honey? Young punks with messed up cars bought the Motor Honey. But why did they do it? And did it help them? Jill, do you know what Motor Honey is?

[Jill Simonello]

I do not. Yeah, like I got nothing.

[Tom Appel]

Long story short, it didn't fix anything, but it was this ultra thick oil additive. And if you were screwing around with your dad's car and while you were screwing around with it, the valve started to tick or it sounded like something was wrong with the lifters, maybe you could put enough of this stuff into the crankcase to kind of kill that sound. It was just this thick oil additive. It Brought nothing to the table. It did slow down leaks. They still sell this stuff. It's useless. But motor, honey.

[Jill Simonello]

Got it. You'll learn something new every day.

[Tom Appel]

You do. Stan Milam, my old friend up in Janesville, Wisconsin, emailed me about motor hunting.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

So he's of that. He's of that age. All right, that voice is Jill Simonello. She is contributing editor [e-mail] a North American Car of the Year juror and a prolific freelancer. How are you, Jill?

[Jill Simonello]

I'm doing very well. How are you doing?

[Tom Appel]

I'm doing good. We got through the heat wave. Yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

You know, I kind of like the heat wave. I want to go back to that.

[Tom Appel]

I don't like the heat wave. I don't like that. Yeah, I'm definitely a winter guy.

[Jill Simonello]

I'm not. I've actually been having my space heater on in my office today with the air conditioning set to 74 degrees, so.

[Tom Appel]

Well, this is a little weird. You've never lived anywhere warm, have you?

[Jill Simonello]

I mean, yes. Adjacent. My parents lived in Florida for about 25 years. And so that was, you know, after. After I went to college, they moved down there, and I. I visited there a lot.

[Tom Appel]

Because you spent most of your time Indiana, Ohio. Right. Didn't you spend time in Ohio?

[Jill Simonello]

No, my parents are originally from Ohio, but Indiana, Michigan, and then Missouri, which is actually very humid and warm in the summer.

[Tom Appel]

Oh, Missouri is awful. I don't know why anyone. I don't know why anyone would live in St. Louis.

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, I loved St. Louis. As you can see, I have a St. Louis Cardinals hat right here on the.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. Culturally, I think St. Louis brings a lot to the table, temperature wise. Weather wise, that's unpleasant.

[Jill Simonello]

But, you know, the winners are really not bad.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. Getting way to the west. We know an auto journalist down there, and he's one of those people where I don't think he's south enough, but he hates All Wheel Drive. So it's just an interesting point that. Not that far south of us. 5 hours south of us. 4 hours south of us.

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, it's not even that south. It's more like west.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

Southwest.

[Tom Appel]

But you're getting to warmer weather and less snow. And they. They don't think much of all Wheel Drive.

[Jill Simonello]

But you know what? I will say, when we lived in St. Louis, we lived on a hill. So if anybody out there listening right now is from St. Louis, we lived on Clayton Road in Baldwin, Missouri area. And so one side of the road goes up and then one side of the Road goes down and we were on the upside. And, and in the winter you would have to park your car at the bottom of the driveway or you could not get down your driveway without sliding sideways into traffic.

[Tom Appel]

Oh, well, good to know.

[Jill Simonello]

All wheel drive would have been very helpful. And I think we were in front wheel drive only vehicles at that point.

[Tom Appel]

Later in the show, our good friend Sam later in the show, our good friend Sam Fiorani of Auto Forecast Solutions drops by. We haven't talked to Sam in a while. Now. We did co host a show with you recently.

[Jill Simonello]

He did.

[Tom Appel]

But it's nice to have him on as a guest again.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes. And he's got things. He's got things to discuss with us.

[Tom Appel]

Yes. I didn't even need to ask. I got a list of stuff that he wants to talk about. So we're all set there. So that's after the first break. Let's talk about things I was wrong about.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

Not a mea culpo.

[Jill Simonello]

A new standing segment maybe.

[Tom Appel]

But it seems like the Outback, the all new redesigned Subaru Outback, which I complain no longer looks like a wagon.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

It doesn't seem to matter. It's selling well.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

So we don't know. I don't think we can say how well it's selling yet because they're ramping up. But apparently it's looking good for the new Outback. And excitingly, in my driveway right now, all new Outback.

[Jill Simonello]

Awesome.

[Tom Appel]

Just arrived.

[Jill Simonello]

I will say on my YouTube channel and my TikTok, my Outback videos are some of my best performing videos right now. So the interest level is definitely there. People are definitely curious and they're searching for it. So I mean, if that in some small way reflects the upcoming sales. Yeah. And you know, I mean my YouTube channel is. Is small. So I mean it is these. Those videos are doing noticeably better.

[Tom Appel]

Okay, I've got to fix this later on. I can't hold my notes in front of me because the wire from the mic is in the way.

[Jill Simonello]

You need notes?

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, I do. This is going to throw me off. I'm off my game now because of this weird wire thing. Okay. Pictures this week of the Chrysler Airflow. Did you see those?

[Jill Simonello]

I did not. I did not see those.

[Tom Appel]

So Chrysler, which has been trundling along with just one model now for several years, will be getting a compact crossover called the Airflow that will be built up here in Illinois at the Belvedere assembly plant. But it's an interesting looking vehicle and a lot's going to Happen here. This is based on something called the Fiat Grizzly, for sale in Western Europe. So there you have it later. Now that comes mid-2027. So that's coming soon.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, ish.

[Tom Appel]

We should be hearing more about that. Small, small cars coming from Chrysler. The Arrow and Arrow Cross, we know less about them.

[Jill Simonello]

Right.

[Tom Appel]

But they're, they're wee little buggers. So there's some news there. I got a thing here that I think you're going to think you're excited about and then not be excited about.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay, Me specifically or.

[Tom Appel]

Yes, you specifically.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay. Okay.

[Tom Appel]

Okay. Yeah. So Ferrari hasn't built a manual transmission car in a long time.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

They're bringing one back sort of in the Luce. Not the Luce, although this is just as silly. They have a model called the 12 cylindri, which means 12 cylinder.

[Progressive Ad Voice]

Right.

[Tom Appel]

And they're going to bring back their beautiful gated shifter which is for a six speed manual. But the car is actually an eight speed automatic. It's going to keep the eight speed automatic. There will be a clutch pedal, but all of it is fake. There's no direct connection with the transmission through the clutch pedal or the shifter. So the extent to which it's going to feel like a real transmission, I don't know. You can only get through the first six gears through the gated shifter. Then you have to just move to an automatic mode. I don't know, it seems weird to me.

[Jill Simonello]

I have questions.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, it's very.

[Jill Simonello]

I'm gonna leave it there. I have questions.

[Tom Appel]

I mean it sounds. Otherwise it sounds like a ferrari. You want 819 horsepower from a V12 engine, 675,000 bucks. That's right up there with the Luce. Actually it's more than a Luce, so

[Jill Simonello]

I thought the luche was 695, maybe not.

[Tom Appel]

Something like that.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. So I'm sure this car will show up in our driveway any day now. And we can.

[Jill Simonello]

Any day anybody can report back on.

[Tom Appel]

So. Have you ever had a test Ferrari?

[Jill Simonello]

No. And I'll be honest with you, I don't know that I would want one in Chicago. That would just scare the crap out of me, frankly.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. I've never had a test Ferrari, I've never had a test Lamborghini. But I've had the Aston Martins, the Bentleys, the Rolls Royces, which is interesting.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, I've had Bentley's Rolls Royce. It's been, it's been a hot minute and I've had an Aston Martin. But you know, I tell you, like I just. Anything super Duper expensive. Makes me a little bit nervous in

[Tom Appel]

the city, as it should.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

What was I going to talk about here? I have ignored a fact.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

And maybe, and maybe this was obvious and maybe everyone sort of latched onto this before I did, but something hit me like a ton of bricks last night.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

And I had to get up and actually write this down and think about it. But we've been talking about price increases, and the average transaction price on a new card is now over $52,000. A dramatic increase from just a year ago and a dramatic increase from just six months ago. We've also been talking about the dramatic increase in interest and ultimately purchases of hybrid vehicles is. What did you, did you think about this? That obviously goes hand in hand. Hybrid vehicles cost 25 to 3,500 more on average than their non hybrid counterparts. Plus hybrids typically aren't available on lower trim levels. So you just have to go ahead.

[Jill Simonello]

I was like, I would like to ask Sam about that because as we discussed when we were reviewing the, the, the Lexus ES, the, you know, typically electric vehicles will cost $10,000 more or so than the, you know, the gasoline counterpart. And as we saw with the es, the electric powertrain was actually less than the hybrid powertrain. So I'm, I'm curious if that is an actual correlation.

[Tom Appel]

All right, ask Sam. Yeah, don't, don't take my word for it.

[Progressive Ad Voice]

I'm just curious.

[Jill Simonello]

I don't know, maybe. I mean, it is actually a good extrapolation of the data.

[Tom Appel]

It's just a crazy thing that crossed my mind. But hybrid sales are up like 20% in like a year, so that should be more money. But anyway, that's that little story. Polestar, we know Polestar is going away. We're going to talk to Sam about that a little bit. As I didn't quite accurately predict, there are mammoth mammoth rebates and incentives on these cars right now. So kind of think about it. If you want to go electric because they're such darn good cars, there's an $18,000 clean vehicle discount on the Polestar 3. And they didn't name the discount on the Polestar 4, but it's currently $25,000.

[Jill Simonello]

Whoa.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. Yeah. These dealers are going to get out from under this pretty quick at those prices.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. And they really are darn good cars.

[Tom Appel]

They're so nice. And here's the deal. You will be able to get them serviced at Volvo dealers. So I don't know if a lot of people know this, but a manufacturer is required to service, make a vehicle. Basically make available service and parts for a vehicle for a decade after the last date of sale. Now, if the company goes completely belly up, that's a problem. But obviously Geely parent company Geely has a huge presence here in the US through Volvo, right?

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

So, yeah, that's no problem.

[Jill Simonello]

We ask Fisker owners what you do when a company goes completely belly up.

[Tom Appel]

I would love to talk to a Fisker owner and this consortium of people that are hanging out and handling the software for Fisker because somehow, some way they're keeping these things on the road. It's such a great story. Well, it's a great story that comes from a tragic story.

[Jill Simonello]

Right. So if there is anybody out there who's listening to us who owns a Fisker, they should reach out to us.

[Tom Appel]

That would be great. Yeah. Actually reach out to Jill. Oh, she scheduled. She schedules people come at.

[Jill Simonello]

What was your email address again?

[Tom Appel]

Oh, actually people should just reach out to [e-mail]. yes, and I will get that email where it's going. You recently drove, or maybe you're still driving, Lexus's smallest and most affordable vehicle.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Although really I don't think it's appealed to people who buy it is that it's most affordable. But. But that it's really what's left of the sporty Lexuses. And it's a car I've always liked and I've always been frustrated by the fact that I don't fit in it very well. Tiny, tiny door openings. But tell us what you drove.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, so I just turned it in this morning, but I had for the past week I was driving the Lexus IS350 all wheel drive F sport. And it was in that beautiful. What is it, like mica blue or ultrasonic mica blue? It was like that beautiful bright blue color. And it just. It is one of those vehicles that is perennially a favorite of mine because it's peppy, it's maneuverable, it's small, it has a really nice engine. And I think it was like 3.5 liter V6,311 horsepower and it is just

[Tom Appel]

the right amount of. I had forgotten that that engine still lives there. Yeah, one of my favorite engines.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, it is just so good and so smooth. And I mean, obviously I live in Chicago and I'm in the state Illinois, so there aren't a lot of really good winding, curvy roads. But like accelerations onto the highway, passing maneuvers, so much fun in this car and then it has the duality of being able to maneuver incredibly well in tight city spaces. Backing into my garage and you know, doing those really tight three point turns that you have to do in city alleys and things like that. And so I, I don't know. And I, I am not tom sized. I'm about 5ft tall and weigh about a hundred pounds. And so for me it just fits me perfectly. The sport bolster seats. A lot of times when I'm driving a car that has those really sporty bolstered seats, I have a hard time getting like over the bolsters to get into the car. But did not have that problem in, in this vehicle. And so I, I don't know, I just, I remember many moons ago when they had the ISF with a manual transmission and like I fell in love with the car then and that love has carried through to this current model year. And I mean the only thing that would make it the perfect vehicle in my book is if it had a manual transmission. But I understand that's not in the cards. But I just, I love this car.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, there were so many versions of this car before and it was just freshened for 20, 26. And part of that freshening the lineup was simplified a lot. There is just really a six cylinder and a six cylinder all wheel drive and then different levels of sportiness, but none of them are especially sporty. And there's some crazy top trim level that I couldn't find a lot of information about. The special appearance package. It's the 350F Sport. F Sport special appearance package. Very expensive. I don't know what the deal is with that, but 311 horsepower, 0 to 16 under 6 seconds, 8 speed automatic with rear wheel drive or 6 speed automatic with the all wheel drive. The interesting thing here is that I don't know how much your test car was, but most of these trim levels come in under 50 grand. Making this car kind of a bargain against what is really, what's the competition anymore? The BMW 3 series? Yeah, yeah, I guess the Mercedes C Class. Yeah, that's a roomier, bigger, more expensive and generally less sporty vehicle. But it is rear drive. It is, it is what it is.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. And I mean so this, this vehicle was the F sport trim and it did have some. So like the base price was about $48,000, but it did have a few thousand dollars in options including the panoramic around view monitor, premium paint, the power moonroof. And so the as tested price was $51,844.

[Tom Appel]

I did some checking here. And after years of sales Decline Beginning in 2021, sales have just leveled off and they're always about 20,000 units. So it kind of seems like if, if Lexus is okay with that sales volume, this vehicle may stick around for a long time. Now we'll see if they've trimmed away. You can't get a V8 version anymore. You can't get a manual transmission. There was a four cylinder turbo. That kind of hit a different price point. We'll see what the lack of that stuff does to consumer interest and ultimately sales volume. But once I've squeezed into an is, I'm always glad I bothered to do so. Really well. Screwed together vehicle. It rides and handles very well. It feels like it's carved out of a solid ingot of steel. Lexus does such a nice job of putting this car together and kind of a shame that there isn't more of it. But you remember the GS?

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

That was a mid sized version basically of this car. And I think it was the same architecture. That car they couldn't give away. And that's a shame because the appeal was similar also. That was kind of a pioneering hybrid effort, if you remember that. There was a hybrid V6 version of that vehicle. But that went away and the ES kind of took over. Well, it took over in midsize and now it took, it's completely taken over.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Appel]

By the way, your, your review of the ES is now [e-mail] awesome.

[Jill Simonello]

So, yeah, we talked about it a couple of weeks ago on the show. So if you want to see the written word, visit the website.

[Tom Appel]

So ultimately, what version did you drive?

[Jill Simonello]

You said it was the 350 all wheel drive F sport.

[Tom Appel]

Okay. Is that the way you think you'd go?

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, I do. I mean I know that the F Sport is more of an appearance package than anything else, but it just looks really nice. And like I said, that ultrasonic blue mica paint, which premium, I want to say it was like $595 also really

[Tom Appel]

pops if you want to be mad about something. And this is true across the the Lexus lineup is the use of F Sport. Because there's below the F Sport is the F Sport design. Yeah, it's like less sporty but looks sporty and it actually costs a little bit less. Like do we need that? Do we actually need that in the lineup? Did the vehicle you drove feel too sporty?

[Jill Simonello]

No, no. And, and I, I mean I really think this is more of a design package than an actual like suspension thing. And you know, looking at the monroney, it says, you know, f sport Design, exterior styling, 19F inch F Sport alloy wheels. So you know, and it does not make any mention of, I mean it does have dual exhaust but it doesn't make any mention of like special chassis, different driving dynamics.

[Tom Appel]

So yeah, yep, it is what's left of kind of a cool car in a segment that is quickly shrinking. But yeah, you're saying cool car.

[Jill Simonello]

I, you know, there were very few things that I did not like on this vehicle. And I mean it's the usual suspects, the wireless charger, some plastic trim materials, but outside of that, like it drives great, it looks great. You know, there's actually plenty of room in the back seat for adult sized passengers. Maybe not super sized, you know, tall adult, but certainly average sized adults are going to fit back there just fine. Seats are comfortable. I, I, yeah, I have a plethora of good things to say about this year.

[Tom Appel]

I'm gonna, I'm gonna push back on the passenger space. I don't think you can get. Okay, I don't think you can get average size males back there.

[Jill Simonello]

No. My husband would fit back there and he's 58 and he weighs about 200 pounds.

[Tom Appel]

All right. I remember being a little, a little tidy. All right, we're going to take a break and when we come back we talk to Sam Fiorani, vice president of global forecasting at auto forecast solutions.

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

Stick around questions or comments, Drop us

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

a line at car stuffsumsumer.

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

That's [e-mail]

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[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

Welcome back to the Car Stuff Podcast

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

and special guest Sam Fiorati.

[Tom Appel]

And we're back. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast. I am Tom Appel, publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive. She is Jill. Jill Seminole. How you doing, Jill?

[Jill Simonello]

I am still doing really well. Are you still doing well?

[Tom Appel]

I'm doing reasonably well. It's warm in my office right now. Here's the deal. We don't have central air, but we have air conditioning window units and there's one in my daughter's room across the hall here and then a big one upstairs for our bedrooms. But right now, I don't know, I've got the door closed, so that's one problem.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

And there's a cat in here. And cats are like little heat sinks. They just warm stuff up.

[Jill Simonello]

Me, I had my space heater on before the show started because I was cold. So I turned it off so you don't hear the background noise.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, that's crazy talk. All right. On the phone for, I think his first regular visit of the year is Sam Fiorani, our good friend, Sam, and my favorite guest. He's vice president of Global forecasting at Auto Forecast Solutions. Sam, how are you, sir?

[Sam Fiorani]

It's very. I'm very good to be here. I thought you didn't like me because this is the first time I've been on this year.

[Jill Simonello]

He's going to blame her, by the way.

[Tom Appel]

I Am slightly going to blame her. It's just that we have been suffering from a bit of success. We, we have guests thrown at us.

[Sam Fiorani]

You've had great guests this year.

[Tom Appel]

We have. And, and it was great to get to them and great to talk to them and we keep forgetting to schedule our regular guests in between the madness of our, of our new guests. So we will have you on several more times this year to make up

[Jill Simonello]

for the end of that story is as soon as we hang up, we need to actually get you scheduled for your next visit because we are already scheduled through like September.

[Tom Appel]

It's like going to the dentist for a teeth cleaning. Like the minute you leave, they schedule the next one.

[Jill Simonello]

Let's get it scheduled.

[Tom Appel]

Oh, man. So Sam, tell us about Auto Forecast Solutions and what you do there.

[Sam Fiorani]

Auto Forecast Solutions provides sales and production forecasting by vehicle, by powertrain around the world. We cover 60 plus countries and we do a forecast through 2038 every month.

[Tom Appel]

Okay, I'm looking behind you at your desk there and below the Auto Forecast Solutions screen is a red car. Is that a Mazda Cosmo?

[Sam Fiorani]

It is not. It is an Alpine.

[Tom Appel]

Oh, I was never going to guess that. I have never seen, I've never seen an Alpine in person.

[Sam Fiorani]

It's a remote control car that my son gave me because I, I guess it didn't fit his needs.

[Jill Simonello]

And it's looking a little dusty. You need to take that out for a drive.

[Tom Appel]

That's very cool. So Sam, before you joined us, we were having a conversation and I realized something last night. That may or may not be fact, but we wanted to run it past you since Jill poo poohed the idea that this was actually happening. Well, I was suggesting that part of the reason transaction prices on cars have risen in the last six months and in the last year is because frankly, hybrids cost more than non hybrids. Everyone is buying hybrids. And additionally, hybrids tend to reside on higher trim levels than the non hybrid vehicles. So I'm just thinking that this whole movement towards hybrids is driving up the price of cars.

[Sam Fiorani]

It's not hurting it, it is helping push the prices up. A lot of that is manufacturers pushing hybrids. It's not so much the consumers wanting to buy them, it's that they don't have the choice. They're, you know, you buy a Camry, it's a hybrid. You buy a RAV4, it's a hybrid. And that's happening a lot more these days. A lot of the push north on prices is the fact that we don't have any Entry level models. Part of that is removing the gas powered versions. But part of that is Chevrolet doesn't offer a Cruze anymore. Ford doesn't offer a Focus, Dodge doesn't have a Dart. The all these vehicles disappeared from the lineup and that was helping keep the pricing down because they were forced to make them 10 years ago. Now they're not forced to make them. And they can build 50 and 60 and $70,000 F150s and Silverados.

[Jill Simonello]

And people will buy those and people will buy them.

[Tom Appel]

And it's funny you mentioned the Cruze and I was just thinking this about the Ford Escape. Both of those vehicles were canceled when they were still doing six digits of sales annually. It's just sort of crazy to see them disappear.

[Sam Fiorani]

Well, the Escape was supposed to be replaced by an electric model, but that kind of fell off to the wayside. But the Bronco Sport will replace that in the lineup to a degree. They're definitely not going to get one to one from that.

[Tom Appel]

No.

[Sam Fiorani]

And, and the, and the Cruz was a good car, but it was, it lost money for Chevy.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, yeah. That's crazy to do the volume and not make money on it. And then that factory, nothing ever came of that.

[Sam Fiorani]

Although they built a handful of Lordstowns. You can find like three of them on the street.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, that's a story. We don't have time to go in today. But that became, that became a firestorm of activity that never actually became activity. Lordstone never built anything there. Oh, what is the Chinese company that built? Not Chinese. Foxconn. That's not Chinese, that's Taiwanese. Right, Right. Yeah. Yeah. Foxconn was going to do all sorts of stuff there like they were going to do in Kenosha, Wisconsin. None of this stuff ever happens.

[Sam Fiorani]

Foxconn has cars that. Electric vehicles, but the market just dried up for electric vehicles, so it wasn't. Wasn't worth their time to invest in it.

[Tom Appel]

Crazy stuff. We talked a little bit about Polestar last week and I noted in the first segment that Polestar is currently hanging some huge incentives on what's left of their inventory. The Polestar 3 and the Polestar 4. But if you could nutshell what the hell happened there, that would be great.

[Sam Fiorani]

There are probably a few things going on with that. One, the fact that the, the government and the Trump administration and the Biden administrations both pushed for no Chinese vehicles in the U.S. the software and hardware issues that, that connect these vehicles to the grid to potentially the Chinese government forced a lot of these companies by the wayside. So we have Chinese software being banned as of the 27th model year and Polestar is the most Chinese vehicle sold in the United States. So it didn't get the exception that Volvo got. We're still waiting to find out why Volvo did get it and Polestar didn't.

[Tom Appel]

Right.

[Sam Fiorani]

I'm sure we'll see the answer to that in coming months.

[Jill Simonello]

Do you have any thoughts on that, why Volvo would have gotten the exception but Polestar didn't?

[Sam Fiorani]

Part of it is likely that they have a company, they have a factory. Volvo owns the factory in South Carolina and they hire Americans. Polestar is basically subletting part of that factory from them. If it had been analyzed properly, Polestar was going to support that plant. Volvo can't build enough vehicles to maintain that plant on its own. So it's going to be Polestar. What was going to be Polestar supporting that plant. And because they don't have their name on the building, I'm sure that's a big reason why they didn't get the exception.

[Tom Appel]

That's crazy. Do you have a sense of. What was the question I was just going to ask you here? Do you have a sense of why Polestar does not seem to be pushing back on this decision?

[Sam Fiorani]

Well, I don't know if you said it, but I did hear it from another person that their sales have been so low that this was a reason to get out of the country. They could. They could back down from the dealers they have without saying it's their fault.

[Tom Appel]

Interesting. And kind of a shame. They're such good cars. And the technology for people who don't know is basically the same stuff. Polestars are based on Volvals and it doesn't make clear sense that one would be allowed and one would not. But as you noted politically, Volvos are now being built here or in South Korea. A couple of them are being built in South Korea. So just crazy stuff. Do we see? There's really not a lot of other companies that would be affected by this. Lincoln sells the Nautilus, that's made in China. Buick sells the Envision and that's kind of it. Right.

[Sam Fiorani]

There was a Lotus vehicle imported and at one point there were some Volvos. So it's a very limited group. And the Polestar is the only electric. So that was the one issue that they had. The other ones are gas powered and supposedly not as well connected.

[Tom Appel]

So you mentioned Lotus. The Lotus electric crossover still hasn't arrived

[Sam Fiorani]

in the US We've been promised it for a while. Yeah, we're still waiting.

[Tom Appel]

I think they got as far as pricing at some point, but. And it's also available in Canada, I understand. Very weird. All right, Sam, we've got some. The news is evolving on this, but the USMCA that replaced the NAFTA agreement is up in the air now. It needs to be redefined because it's basically run its course this year and there's a lot of confusion about this. But the current administration has said that they don't want a formal agreement now. They want to simply recheck it every single year. Your thoughts on this and my take on this. And I've heard people say this is, this is a nightmare for manufacturers because they don't want things to change this quickly or the situation to be this volatile.

[Sam Fiorani]

Yeah. The North American market, the North American automotive industry works as one machine. They need Canada, they need Mexico, they need the United States to work together in order to compete globally. And when we see groups like the EU and we see massive countries like China competing against North America, it needs everybody working against them in order to compete on a global scale. The United States can't do it alone. Mexico and Canada definitely can't do it alone. And it takes all three countries to do this. The instability of the current situation with USMCA doesn't help these manufacturers make investments, doesn't help them work across borders because they don't know what's going to happen in six months or a year or two years. It's very difficult to work at all in this industry at this point. And we need stability. We need a locked in free trade agreement across all three countries. And it's, it doesn't seem like it's going to happen.

[Tom Appel]

This is, that feels bad now. General Motors recently announced that it's going to take half ton production of its 15 of its Silverado pickup out of Canada. This feels like a really big deal.

[Sam Fiorani]

Yeah, the, the Canadian plant in Oshawa has been on the bubble for 15 years. Yeah, about 15 years. They stopped Impala production at one point, then brought it back. They added Silverado production. This plant has always been the plant that General Motors uses when they want to placate the union. They're up for negotiations with Uniform this year. So the idea is, well, let's, let's keep it going until we get past that because we have. The GM has other plants in Canada that make engines for American cars. So they, they need to have the union on their side. And giving them a handful of jobs in OSHA is their way of doing that. Every Four years now. They've decided they're just going to build the medium duty pickup trucks there. That's. It's going to, they promise it's not going to lose any jobs. But that's a lot of volume to get out of a plant that is actually supplementing a plant in the United States as well.

[Jill Simonello]

Right.

[Tom Appel]

Stellantis too kind of been vague about what they're going to do with Canadian production as well. Is there any news there?

[Sam Fiorani]

Well, that goes back to the usmca. They need the signed agreement with Canada before they can even make the investment to. Because if you make an investment in Canada then the American side thinks that money should have been in the US and it should have been invested in, in Belvedere or Warren Truck or one of the other plants in the US Instead of Brampton or Windsor. The Brampton plant is currently vacant. It's likely that it's going to be building something like Land Rover products with the new deal with Tata or and Windsor is building minivans. In order to keep that going, to move that production to the US you'd have to build a whole new plant or gut an existing plant because it doesn't share any parts with any other vehicle built in the US it seems like.

[Tom Appel]

And tell me if I'm reading this wrong, Canada's getting beat up more because of the tariffs than Mexico. Is it?

[Sam Fiorani]

It definitely is. Canadian jobs are on par with the US by salaries and wages. So the idea that they could be one to one whereas Mexico is our, our low cost neighbor. We get the less expensive, the less profitable vehicles from Mexico. And if you just cut off Mexico, the prices, the average price of an American car would go up to $60,000 really quick.

[Tom Appel]

Are we going to see. And it's starting to feel like we definitely will the production of Chinese vehicles

[Sam Fiorani]

in Mexico, they're definitely going to come to Mexico and we're likely to see them in Canada as well. These, these, these companies want to move into the north North American market and they want the US Market as well. They're going to get into the US market eventually and making it putting more vehicles in Canada and Mexico and appealing to Americans by saying look what you can get just across the border in this lower cost MG or BYD or whatever vehicle they, they see from, from Detroit where you can literally see Windsor from Detroit. It's going to happen. We're going to see those people jealously looking across the border going I could spend $25,000 on that car. I want it.

[Tom Appel]

Speaking of Mexico and Speaking of General Motors, I don't know what happened here and maybe you can enlighten us or at least enlighten me, but Chevy was selling an awful lot of vehicles in Mexico that it was importing from its operations, saic, its Chinese operation. But then Mexico has raised the tariff a lot on those vehicles. Has that slowed the sale? Has it discontinued the sale of any of those vehicles? And what is Chevy doing down there Now?

[Sam Fiorani]

Chevrolet is one of the companies that imports vehicles from China to Mexico. And much of the top 10 of best selling vehicles in Mexico come from China. They're going to continue to go that way. They're going to find a way to get in there even if costs them more to do it, just to keep that market cracked open. But Chevrolet is planning on importing kits or parts from China and assembling them locally. It's going to happen over the next few years and we going to see that replace the imported vehicles.

[Tom Appel]

So what do we see next in the, the USMCA negotiations?

[Sam Fiorani]

Oh, we're just, right now they're in the middle of negotiations. So we're just waiting for somebody to say that they've come up with an agreement. And the idea that they're going to go year to year does not help the American automotive industry, probably doesn't help farmers or anyone else. And especially an industry as busy and as cost prohibitive as automotive. We need a signed agreement soon.

[Jill Simonello]

Well, and I mean the other part of that too is automakers plan four, five, six years in advance. And if you're going to go year to year on this agreement like that, that really wrecks your long term planning.

[Sam Fiorani]

Absolutely. And when you have companies like Ford and General Motors where their market is North America largely, they need to make those agreements, a long term agreement with, with unions, with the factories, with the suppliers. And if you cut off Mexico and Canada, you're going to cut off entire parts of the market for those companies.

[Tom Appel]

Crazy. All right, Sam, let's talk about happier stuff. Are you ready? You are involved, closely involved with the Boyertown Museum historic vehicles and you guys are adding a new wing?

[Sam Fiorani]

Yes, we have a building across the street from the main building that we're opening our second gallery. And I've been told square footage wise it is bigger than the main gallery.

[Tom Appel]

Oh wow.

[Sam Fiorani]

We're going to have a whole building of trucks and electric vehicles in addition to the main gallery where we already have a bunch of Pennsylvania built vehicles and 100 years of electric vehicles.

[Tom Appel]

Well, tell us about the museum. For people who don't know, the Boyertown

[Sam Fiorani]

Museum of Historic Vehicles in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, concentrates on Pennsylvania connected vehicles which are either built there or bodied there or have some other local connection and alternative fueled vehicles. We have over 100 years of electric vehicles. We have one hydrogen vehicle. We're looking at adding more steam vehicles to the museum. And we also have Roadside America. We have a diner, we have a travel cabin, and we have a gas station all inside the museum.

[Tom Appel]

I hope to make it out there before I retire, but then I'll do it after I retire. But people should go to the website because you guys have really good photography of what's going on there and it looks like a wonderful place to spend a day.

[Sam Fiorani]

It is definitely a great place to spend four or five hours. And if you're in the area, let me know so I can give you a tour.

[Tom Appel]

That sounds good. Sam, we've run out of time. Remind us about Auto Forecast Solutions and how people can keep track of what you guys do.

[Sam Fiorani]

We're on LinkedIn, we're on Twitter, we're on Facebook. And Auto Forecast Solutions is covering the industry for suppliers, manufacturers, financial houses, and anyone who needs the information about the industry.

[Tom Appel]

And for people who don't know, you are the most critical, quoted person in the industry. There are days where I hear your name two or three times on podcasts or I read a story. Clearly, you are a respected thought leader in the industry. Sam, thank you so much for your time today.

[Sam Fiorani]

Thank you, guys. It's always great to be here.

[Tom Appel]

All right, that was Sam Fiorani. We're going to take a break and when we come back, Quiz time. Quiz time.

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

Questions or comments?

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

Drop us a line at Car stuff@consumer

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

guide.com that's car stuffconsumerguide.com. Welcome back to the Car Stuff Podcast.

[Tom Appel]

And we're back. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast. I'm Tom. She is Jill. Always good to talk to Sam.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

His office looks like fun.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. Yeah, it does. Mine, mine is just boring and filled with books. He's got fun stuff in the background.

[Tom Appel]

Mine is just a mess. I can reach cool things. Also, we were talking about the Rumpler Trophyn Wagon somewhere around here. I have a Rumpler model.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

They're not common.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

But 1921.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. You know, over the years I have a collection of like Hot Wheels and things like that. I need to pull those out eventually. You know, at some point maybe them in my background, but I have, oh, you know, a whole bunch of little things.

[Tom Appel]

I have. I have Something interesting here. And if people are watching on YouTube, they can see this. Do you remember this?

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, I do. I actually have that in my bedroom and I used it as an air freshener in my house. It's.

[Tom Appel]

That was. This is a. I made retail available to us the journalists version of the smell, the aromas that you can, you can install in your Lincoln.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes. And that's like a woodland scent or something like that.

[Tom Appel]

Yes, that's what I took. Yeah, it's actually very nice.

[Jill Simonello]

I took the same one. I love it. I would totally have that in my car. That's right. Yes.

[Tom Appel]

All right, enough of that. You have social media stuff to share.

[Jill Simonello]

I do, I do. I am on. I do a lot of work on TikTok and YouTube at Jill Simonello using the hashtag card Azure. I post daily shorts to both venues and then I post this podcast to YouTube and I also post at least one long form video every week to YouTube. But you can also find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram threads, Twitter, X all the things at Jill Simonello.

[Tom Appel]

This weekend when I was test driving my last test car, I found a bunch of stepside pickup trucks. So mostly 70s and 80s, but that was my car spotter. Find my car spotter haul for the week. And. And you can find those on Blue sky and on Twitter X or I am car guy. Tom.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes, I actually have a car spider I need to post. We were heading to dinner the other night and we were on the Kennedy getting ready to go through Hubbard's cave. And. And I saw this. I mean, yes, I will post it. It's very cool.

[Tom Appel]

All right.

[Jill Simonello]

Yep.

[Tom Appel]

All right. Guess what time it is. Oh, did you get through the social stuff?

[Jill Simonello]

Yep.

[Tom Appel]

All right, it's quiz time. I hope you're ready.

[Jill Simonello]

I am as ready as I always am.

[Tom Appel]

Today's topic is car parts.

[Jill Simonello]

Oh, gosh. Awesome. Okay.

[Tom Appel]

According to one source, there are 30,000 separate parts in each new car, going as high as 40,000 for luxury vehicles. I'm going to name a part one of those 30,000 parts and you have to tell me if it's a real part or not.

[Jill Simonello]

Great.

[Tom Appel]

So actually, these parts may have become

[Jill Simonello]

obsolete, but it could have been a real part. Or is it a current real part?

[Tom Appel]

Either or.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

You just have to tell me if it's a real part.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

All right, that's the five questions plus a bonus question. Bonus question. Always related to the topic of the

[Jill Simonello]

day, but only if it's a Hallmark. Yeah, Hallmark TV station question.

[Tom Appel]

All right.

[Jill Simonello]

I tried very hard to get you to sign up to be an extra.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

For the Hallmark in Chicago movie.

[Tom Appel]

You know, that was pretty half assed of Hallmark. They've got a big picture there. It's supposed to be about Chicago. That's clearly London. It was clearly London in the picture.

[Jill Simonello]

I don't know. Chicago, London.

[Progressive Ad Voice]

Same.

[Jill Simonello]

Same.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, exactly the same. You can get a Chicago hot dog anywhere in London. All right, number one, are you ready?

[Jill Simonello]

Yes. Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Was this a real car part? A glow plug?

[Jill Simonello]

No.

[Tom Appel]

Final answer.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Glow plug is real.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah, like I'm not, I'm not having high expectations for this quiz.

[Tom Appel]

The glow plug is actually the thing in a diesel engine that warms up the cylinder before combustion can begin. So it's part of the reason that in the old days we used to have to wait a long time before we could start a diesel in sub zero weather. You were waiting for the glow plugs to basically fire off the engine.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

All right, you have no points.

[Jill Simonello]

Your favorite phrase.

[Tom Appel]

Yep. Number two, the octane recovery tank. Octane recovery tank. Is that a real car part?

[Jill Simonello]

I mean, if it's a real part, it would have something to do with gasoline, I would think, because octane.

[Tom Appel]

Logical. Logical.

[Jill Simonello]

Logical.

[Tom Appel]

It has the word tank too, where you would keep a fluid.

[Jill Simonello]

So, you know.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

Either a very creative made up thing or something real. Yeah, like I said, I'm not going to be doing well on this quiz. I'm gonna say no.

[Tom Appel]

No. Yep. That's fake. All right, you got one point. Nice job. Number three, the plasma conduit vent. Plasma conduit vent. I real car part.

[Jill Simonello]

A plasma conduit vent.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah.

[Jill Simonello]

I'll say yes.

[Tom Appel]

No, no. I think it's part of the Enterprise though. The second dinner. Well, actually it's not the second Enterprise, it's the fourth, but anyway. Or fifth. That's a long story. All right, you have one point. You're getting into trouble here.

[Jill Simonello]

I. I know.

[Tom Appel]

Number four, the throttle body injector. Throttle body injector.

[Jill Simonello]

At first I thought you said Bondi.

[Tom Appel]

No body. Bondi. Bondi. What's Bondi?

[Jill Simonello]

Like a bonded thing. It's Bondi body.

[Tom Appel]

So throttle body injector.

[Jill Simonello]

I'm gonna say yes.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, the throttle body injector, or throttle body fuel injector was basically the first replacement for the carburetor. Okay. Very simple device. Enormously popular on American built cars in the early 80s and mid-80s. So there you go. You've got two points, right?

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

All right. Number five, the half shaft. Half shaft?

[Jill Simonello]

Half H, A, L, F shaft.

[Tom Appel]

Yep. Yep. Half shaft.

[Jill Simonello]

I'm gonna say yes.

[Tom Appel]

Yep. You've won the half shaft. Basically the half shaft. I don't know if we ever called them that for rear wheel drive cars, but for front wheel drive cars, it's one half shaft goes to one wheel, one half shaft goes to the other. And it's basically how power gets from the transmission to the front wheels on front wheel drive vehicles. Interesting thing about the half shaft is if one of them is shorter than the other, if the torque transfer transfer travels less distance on one side than the other, that's how you end up with torque steer. So this was a. Torque steer was a really big deal on early American front drive cars where the car would want to pull away from the center line if you hit the gas hard.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

All right. You've got it. You won. That's the magic of five questions. You get out of trouble as fast as you can get into it.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes. So I don't need the bonus question. But of course I. On his question.

[Tom Appel]

Nope. According to franchise ranking. Ranking dot com. That's franchiseraking dot com. Okay. There are 1,000 individual fast food chains in the U.S. okay, I need you to tell me which of the following is not a failed fast food chain.

[Jill Simonello]

So four of them are failed and one of them is not.

[Tom Appel]

One of them is fake.

[Jill Simonello]

One of them is a real franchise. No. Like, explain this to me again before you read them.

[Tom Appel]

Sure. I'm going to read you four franchises. Fast food franchises. Three of them were real and failed. One of them is made up.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay, so three were real and failed and one was not real.

[Tom Appel]

Yep.

[Jill Simonello]

But none of them exist currently.

[Tom Appel]

Correct.

[Jill Simonello]

Okay.

[Tom Appel]

All right, Are you ready?

[Jill Simonello]

Mm.

[Tom Appel]

Burger Chef. Noggles, Pistol Pete's Pizza, or Country Bob's Double Dog.

[Jill Simonello]

I know Burger Chef was real.

[Tom Appel]

Not only was they were big, they were actually involved in promotion for the original Star wars movie. They were that big. I don't know why they filled so quickly.

[Jill Simonello]

Nope. So Burger Chef. We've kicked that out. That was real. So what were the other three again?

[Tom Appel]

Noggles, Pistol Pete's Pizza, or Country Bob's Double Dog?

[Jill Simonello]

I feel like Pistol Pete's pizza was also real. So it's the. What was the second and the fourth one?

[Tom Appel]

Noggles. Country Bob's Double Dog.

[Jill Simonello]

Country Bob's Double Dog. Noggles. You're gonna have to spell Noggles for me.

[Tom Appel]

N, A, U, G, L, E, S. Noggles.

[Jill Simonello]

That is not how I thought that was going to be spelled. I thought it was going to be spelled. N O, G, G L E S Then I was gonna say that's totally the fake. Somehow N A U G L E S makes it a little bit more real. I'm not. It's either the second one or the fourth one.

[Tom Appel]

Okay,

[Jill Simonello]

I'm gonna go with the cowboy dog. It's not real.

[Tom Appel]

Country Bob's double dog is the fake.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah it is. Nice job. Yeah. Burger Chef 1954 to 1996. Noggles primarily in California, though one opened in Palatine in the 80s. 1970 to 1995. Pistol Pete's Pizza 1958 to 2021. And there may be strain on franchise stores still around, so no one needs to write me about that. And then Country Bob's was the fake. So there you have it. Nice job. I can't sign and hand this to you because you not here.

[Jill Simonello]

I know, I know. And we only have fake donuts. Have I. Have I showed you my fake donuts lately? They're like desktop decoration still wrapped in plastic. But they're here to remind me of the real donuts we used to have.

[Tom Appel]

They look like bars of soap.

[Jill Simonello]

They are actually bath bombs. So like drop them into a bath and they get all fizzy. But yeah, I feel like that would be really messy to clean up, so I haven't used them.

[Tom Appel]

Interesting.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

So what are you driving this week?

[Jill Simonello]

I literally just swapped into the Mazda CX5 and I can't. This is the car we have to talk about next week. I can't wait to talk about it.

[Tom Appel]

CX5.

[Jill Simonello]

Yes.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah, interesting vehicle in that it is still Mazda's best selling vehicle. And Mazda did an interesting thing where they went to their two digit name vehicles and those were supposed to be the more modern, the sleeker, the upscale products. But the CX5 still hit, still crushing it. Now that might change because I think CX50 is getting very popular.

[Jill Simonello]

Well, and they, I mean like you get behind the wheel of this vehicle and it does not look like a Mazda like it. It is so unmaza. Like I wonder if they have alienated the people who were the. The die hard must have a five fire. And that's why I can't wait to talk about. I literally just got it this morning. I've just driven it into my garage. So I haven't had the time to spend any, you know, I haven't had the chance to spend any time with it. But like I trying to figure out how to pair my phone was like brain surgery.

[Tom Appel]

And because they no longer use the

[Jill Simonello]

rotary knob, they do not use the rotary knob, nor do they have like an icon on their menu that you can hit to pair your phone. So I, I just, I, I can't wait to spend more time with this vehicle. I'm going to be driving it to Indianapolis over the weekend, so I'm going to spend a lot of time with it. And I really, I, I can't wait to like get more impressions. But my first impression was what happened to my Mazda?

[Tom Appel]

Well, two things actually happened that were interesting. So they've got the new digital interface. Right. And we were told on the show by the folks at Mazda that they simply couldn't move forward using the rotary knob anymore. It wasn't possible to do all the stuff they wanted to do with different points of access. So they changed that. But also the turbocharged engine. No longer available.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

In the CX5. And that, that turbocharged engine is a honey. So people are gonna miss that.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. But I mean like the, the infotainment screen, I have no idea how big it is, but it's like, it felt like bigger than my body is wide. Like it feels huge. And you know, the, the lack of the rotary dial was weird. And like, again, getting behind the wheel, it looks not like a Mazda. So I just, I, I can't wait to spend more time with it and have this conversation next week.

[Tom Appel]

All right, well, that is our car review for next week. Yes, that'll be good. And we have talked about the, the Outback, so I'll just have some thoughts about that. But I am looking forward to driving that. And again, it's interesting to me that it's selling well and I'm glad it's selling well and I'm glad it's meeting the needs of Subaru owners who are painfully loyal. Subaru. Subaru buyers go back to Subarus.

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

They do.

[Tom Appel]

And really for good reason. I recently drove the Forester and it's funny how much that feels like a Subaru and things that that vehicle does you would consider flaws in other vehicles. Like there's some grit to that engine. Right. That flat four, that boxer four cylinder engine, it makes a little bit of noise, it sounds a little gravelly and that's part of the character. And it makes all that torque down low, not especially quick, but it does launch a nice Leaf away from a stop. And if you were going to do something off road in it, you'd probably be okay with that. It's very roomy, lots of glass area. There's just a lot there to like. And I can see why people return to them it's interesting, too, because both Subaru and Toyota currently being called out, and this is mostly anecdotal and mostly social media for lapses in reliability.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

And we'll see where that takes us. If it's real, if this is temporary. The Toyota stuff's a little bit more frightening because it does involve that big V6 engine.

[Jill Simonello]

Right.

[Tom Appel]

But still, people return to those brands

[Jill Simonello]

that they do. They are very loyal. Although I will say the loyal Subaru owners are very skeptical of the new electric cars from Subaru.

[Tom Appel]

Well, interesting thing about that. The EVs are Toyotas.

[Jill Simonello]

Yep.

[Tom Appel]

Not a lot of Subaru in those. But. And we've talked about this before. The Forester, for example, now available with a hybrid drivetrain, despite the fact that it's hybrid. The rear axle is. Is not an E axle. It's not powered by a battery. They actually bothered to do the plumbing. And they have a direct mechanical connection from the transmission from the. Why can't I think of the name of that box in the middle? But anyway. But Subaru just made. Subaru made a conscious decision to actually give up a little fuel economy to maintain its traditional superiority in foul weather. And I think that's pretty cool, actually.

[Jill Simonello]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tom Appel]

All right. Guess what we did today.

[Jill Simonello]

We had another great show.

[Tom Appel]

Yeah. It was great to talk to Sam. Big thanks to Sam Fiorani of Auto Forecast Solutions. Thank you, Jill. Thanks to producer Margaret. Let's talk more about cars again next week. Next week.

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

Remember to check us [e-mail] the car

[Podcast Intro Voice 1]

stuff podcast is produced by J Turn Media.

[Podcast Intro Voice 2]

To advertise on the show, please drop us a line at [e-mail].