Here we go!

Got into a debate with one of my friends the other day. He does well for himself; he drives a ‘24 Range Rover and an S550. He was telling me how they’re the two best-riding cars and the greatest luxury vehicles in the world right now.

Then he started talking about all the issues, especially with the Range Rover. He’s bringing it into the shop every couple of months for various problems, which can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days to fix.

That got me thinking—what’s luxurious about that? To me, something luxurious should relieve stress, not add to it. Luxury should be something you enjoy without worry, not something that constantly breaks down.

You could bring money into it, but I’d argue that if you can afford both a Range Rover and an S-Class, you’re not worried about the money—it’s more so your time. Wasting hours or even days dealing with repairs seems like the opposite of luxury.

Luckily, his is a lease, and he’s thinking about switching to a G63 or a Lexus LX next.

I’m curious on what your thoughts are.

Seeing as all non US made cars will now be at least 25% more expensive, will buyers all go for US cars or will they suck up the extra costs?

To me usually V6 Muscle cars (mostly mopars) that sound like a worse and slower version than the VQs. Also any straight piped 4 cylinder (not performance ones) that have a 10 second 0-60

Road & Track:

"Stellantis will offer customers a chance at the lower pricing through the end of April."

Generally speaking in today’s day and age , automatic cars are faster. However if you want fun experience, manual cars are generally the better option. Furthermore in the past , in the early days of automatic transmissions the manual cars were faster and more engaging.

This begs the question, is there any cars where the manual was so poorly designed that the automatic was better for both performance and fun?

Car & Driver:

"Honda’s mid-size EV SUV prototype was one of the only silent rides at the recent Red Bull Showrun event in Tokyo."

GM just launched “Chevrolet Vintage,” a new in-house program that revives classic Chevy models with detailed restorations and modern touches.

This is only from one store. Tomorrow I'm doing the fuel filter on my e46 M3. Should be fun for my back 😥What are you guys working on this weekend?

https://imgur.com/a/KUXS5cq

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3WoRN1ytLg

Hopefully the styling carries over to the Ridgeline soon

Interesting that SG says others to consider are Toyota RAV4, Highlander, Chevy Blazer, Ford Explorer, and Subaru Outback when the biggest cross-shopped vehicle I thought it would be is the Toyota 4Runner; when one wanted a 'off-roading' or overtrailing vehicle from Toyota or Honda, it's pretty much decided if you want unibody (Passport) or body on frame (4R) etc

LINK The Smoking Tire Podcast's 1000th episode, an 8 hour episode. Great bits from Leno in there.

"I know this truck ain't no stranger..."

Road & Track:

"A new 'From America, For America' campaign touts the program alongside Ford’s commitment to building vehicles in the United States."

🙂

• Company Announces GR86 Yuzu Edition for 2026
• GR86 Yuzu Edition Features Exclusive Yuzu Yellow Exterior Color, Black Wheels and a Performance Package
• 2.4-Liter, 4-Cylinder Boxer Engine Generates 228 Horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of Torque
• Complimentary 1-year membership to the National Auto Sport Association
• Expected to arrive at Dealerships Fall 2025