Then Sami reviews the 2026 Lexus TX with seven seats, and he gets to use all seven of those luxury-lined seats. The review leaves Benjamin and Sami wondering what other true three-row luxury crossovers are out there, and which ones can compete at the TX's price point. Thanks for listening!

Links:

• Benjamin's new comic book, Dead Air #3, is on Kickstarter now! — What if one day a year, you could talk to the dead? Check out Dead Air on Kickstarter!
• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Following that, Sami gives a quick review of the 2024 Kia Sorento SX X-Line, a known crossover with mild updates for this year. However, while this Sorento coasts its way to its retirement off the media press fleet, Sami has noticed a few concerning QA issues. Don't miss what he finds about this so-called family car! Thanks for listening!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami checks out the 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid, which swaps out the V6 from the gas model for a hybrid powertrain boasting nearly 50 percent better fuel efficiency, without much of a compromise. But is this upgraded Carnival a big deal in the minivan market? How does it compare to the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey? Sami discusses it all on this week's episode. Thanks for listening!!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami gets his turn in the 2024 Mazda CX-90 Plug-in Hybrid. With a little over 20 miles of electric driving range the Japanese crossover has limited appeal as an electric alternative to the many three-rows out there, but the rest of the package may be able to save that fact. On the other hand, Sami suggests that there may be too many compromises and very little substance to the new Mazda, and that has him worried about the future of the brand. Thanks for listening!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami brings up the 2024 Kia Carnival, which played dad van duties when his extended family dropped in. With tons of tech, space and cool powered second row seats, the Carnival should be a hit with families, but Sami says the Korean minivan has a fatal flaw which may make it fall out of favor with those looking for a three row superstar. On the other hand, Benjamin's recent moving experience with the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV suggests that you don't need a family to thoroughly test a van, especially one as efficient as this particular hybrid.

Thanks for listening! See you all next week!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami chimes in to talk about the refreshed 2024 Kia Seltos X-Line, which gets a rugged new design, and an upscale looking interior. But Sami isn't convinced that this is the best Is can do, so be sure to hear what is making him tick about this Korean subcompact.

Finally the guys discussion subscription features, Corvettes and hot hatch resale values before closing out the show. Thanks for listening!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami talks about a pair of plug-in hybrid crossovers. The 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has been a face in this segment for a long long long time, and has been renewed with Nissan bones. The 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV is a bit less familiar, but has a few interesting changes compared to the similar Hyundai Tucson PHEV. Weight, seating, and other charging gimmicks help differentiate these two, but Sami comes down with an interesting verdict when it comes to summing these rides up.

Thanks for listening, don't forget to subscribe or get in touch with the guys on our website or through social!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.
• Check Out Benjamin's New Comic Book On Kickstarter: Dead Air Issue #1 — What if one day a year, every year, you could talk to the dead? It's 90's college radio sci-fi with a soundtrack!

Then we ask about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and why GM is planning to omit these handy features from its next generation EVs. We discuss why they'd take such an easy loss here and what it means for car buyers. Thanks for listening!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami chimes in about his experience with the 2023 Mazda CX-50 Meridian Edition with the Apex Package. A stylish crossover with high-end, off-road aspirations, Sami and Benjamin seem a bit puzzled at its place in the lineup. Can it still be a success story despite awkward pricing, size, and infotainment?

Finally, Benjamin and Sami announce the winner of last month's contest! Be sure to listen, subscribe and review the podcast, and even consider tipping on Ko-Fi.

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Sami on the other hand is here to talk about the new 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid, and is amazed at how much it's grown over the years. Now reasonably high end, the Sportage has a few small issues but leaves some big impressions.

Also, someone stole Benjamin's press vehicle this week. That sucks!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then the guys discuss a news piece about an unlucky Hyundai Elantra N owner, whose car was deregistered for having an excessively loud exhaust setup... except that setup was totally stock. Then Sami brings up the new Corvette Z06, as well as the new Audi R8 GT, before seguing into a discussion about the Audi TT, which is celebrating its 25th birthday with a special TT RS Iconic Edition. Finally, Ben shares a quick review of the 2022 Ford Explorer Hybrid, and his wishy-washy feelings on this large SUV.

Don't hesitate to reach out to our hosts on social media, or on our website unnamedautomotivepodcast.com, and be sure to check in next week. Thanks for listening!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then the pair dive into a conversation about the new 2022 Kia EV6, an all-electric car that's mechanically similar to the Hyundai IONIQ 5, but with different styling and, somehow, more range. Benjamin describes his experience in vivid detail and explains why the EV6 nets 20 more miles on the EPA test cycle, along with the car's fatal flaw. You'll definitely want to hear whether or not you should pick one up over the similar IONIQ.

Then the two talk about some news that's been burning through automotive circles. Cadillac has been caught trying to get buyers of its new Lyriq EV to sign an NDA, which caught the attention of NHTSA, which relies on owner information and reports to determine safety concerns. Then the guys talk about the weird new Toyota Crown, which sports a body style that defies convenvention, along with why you would ever design a car that offered FWD, RWD, and AWD in the same package.

All that and more inside jokes and pure car talk can be found in this week's episode, so be sure to listen! Also consider sending us a review, or some feedback, since we love to hear from our listeners!

Links:

• Review: The 2022 Kia EV6 Electric SUV Aims Straight At The Gas Free Family — There's something to be said for the future looking like the present.
• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Then Sami jumps into the 2022 Kia Telluride, a former darling of the automotive media. The Kia had also seen new rivals in the form of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee L and the Nissan Pathfinder. Can it still keep up? Should shoppers wait for the newly announced 2023 model? Sami jumps into each of those questions with reckless abandon and little time to think, so be ready for off-the-cuff answers.

Finally the two talk automotive news and Apples automotive dashboard design that's a part of iOS16, before Benjamin shares an update on his Datsun. Hear it all right here and be sure to subscribe to hear all the latest episodes throughout the summer.

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Benjamin jumps in to talk about empeegees with the 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. Is its teeny turbo gas engine and electric drivetrain enough to motivate this three row, six passenger SUV? Ben talks about efficiency and performance, and how they balance out the styling and pricing of the new model.

Finally the duo answer questions from listeners about new age parking strategies and the Dodge Journey. Listen, subscribe, and enjoy!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Sami then chimes in with his recent experience in two compact hatchbacks. A dying breed, the 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback and the Canada-only 2022 Kia Forte5 GT are both available with manual transmissions. Sami seems to think the hatchback styling of these cars stray too close to the sedan variants, and that cars like these are slowly losing their relevance to crossovers.

Finally, the duo discuss high-performanc driving techniques and how they apply to driving in the snow.

Listen now to get the whole scoop, and don't forget to subscribe and review.

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Also, the pair ponder where a scorpion would hide out from the heat within the folds of the BMW's design. This segment has a ton of fun segues, including "remember the (insert random acroynm of BMW vehicle here)?" and "What's better, a weird hatchback, a wagon, or a lifted wagon with body cladding?"

Benjamin then brings up how much fun he had with the 2022 Carnival, Kia's new minivan that goes all-in on luxury. While Sami whines that "minivans are for families," Benjamin remains perfectly composed in describing the true K-luxury offered by #vanlife.

Finally, Sami talks quickly about a pair of video games he's been playing that seem to treat car enthusiasts honestly: Forza Horizon 5 and Hot Wheels Unleashed. As usual, check out the website for more content, and don't forget to subscribe or send a review!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.
• Review: The 2022 Kia Carnival Makes a Case for the Sexy Minivan — MPV? More Like MP-VIP.

Sami heads into crossover country to match up the compact 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander three-row versus the mid-size 2021 Kia Sorento in a bid to discover whether it makes sense to get more features and less passenger room in a compact SUV or instead enjoy the extra space of a modestly-equipped mid-sizer choice.

Plus, listener questions!

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Benjamin returns to an old favorite, the 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI, on the even of the Mk 7's disappearance from the American market. Is it as good as he remembers, and what does the future of the now-splintered hot hatch segment look like?

Finally, the pair answer listener questions about Mustangs in the winter and Boxsters in the future, while also dissecting the latest press release weirdness from BMW.

Links:

• Check out Benjamin's Graphic Novel Code 45 — Dragons, drugs, and underground raves beneath the streets of Montreal. Launches June 1st on Kickstarter at www.code-45.com.
• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

The pair also review the book '1970 Maximum Muscle,' which dives deep into the pinnacle of muscle car power and pegs that particular year as the apex of big cubic inches.

Links:

• Check out Benjamin's Graphic Novel Code 45 — Dragons, drugs, and underground raves beneath the streets of Montreal. Launches June 1st on Kickstarter at www.code-45.com.
• 1970 Maximum Muscle: The Pinnacle of Muscle Car Power — In 1970, the American muscle car was as fast and outrageous as it would ever get. But the end was nigh, and 1970 Maximum Muscle dives head-first into the storm before the calm. ISBN 9780760366783
• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

The pair wrap things up with a look at the new (off-road) Ford Explorer Timberline and the redesigned 2022 Honda Civic.

Links:

• Like what you hear? Tip us at Ko-Fi — Send a dollar our way using Ko-Fi to help support the Unnamed Automotive Podcast.

Benjamin then discusses his week-long try-out of the 2021 Kia Stinger GT as a potential year-round daily driver, and mentions what he still loves about the twin-turbo hatch, and what let him down in the years between his first drive back in 2018 and the current model.

The pair wrap things up by pitting the Mustang SVT Cobra 'Terminator' against the 2018+ Mustang PP1 to answer a listener question about which would be the better high performance buy.

Links:

• That Time Subaru Built a Flat 12-Cylinder Engine for F1 Racing — Subaru's boxer-12 disaster KO'd its F1 dreams flat—and so it turned to rally.

Next, Sami's take on the 2021 Hyundai Elantra shows just how much life is still left in the small sedan segment.

Finally, the pair are puzzled by Tesla's decision to leave steering wheels and turn signals behind with the latest Model S EV refresh.

Links:

• 2020 CHEVROLET COLORADO ZR2 REVIEW: HOW DOES THE MID-SIZE OFF-ROAD PICKUP STACK UP AGAINST THE TOYOTA TACOMA TRD PRO? — We're now several years into the ZR2's challenge to TRD dominance, and the pickup's very existence has forced Toyota to up its own game by continuing to refine the TRD Pro package for the Tacoma. How do the two mighty mid-sizers match up after all this time?

Links:

• Review: The 2020 Lexus GX 460 Is a Big, Comfy SUV That Can Actually Handle a Trail — In the automotive industry, history and heritage are sometimes confused with a reluctance to move forward. Case in point: as sport-utilities and crossovers have blown through showrooms like a category-five storm, reshaping consumer tastes and vehicle lineups at every single price point, Lexus has stubbornly clung to an old-school template for both the LX 570 and GX 460. These hulking body-on-frame designs have more in common with the original truck-based platforms that once ruled the SUV roost than the smooth, car-like people-movers that have come to dominate the discourse.
• IS THE 2020 LEXUS GX 460 SUV A WORTHWHILE LUXURY UPGRADE OVER THE TOYOTA 4RUNNER 4X4 — Why did Lexus choose to stand apart from rivals like BMW and Audi by delivering a traditional truck in a market that's more apt to go for a sport-utility that's based on a sedan platform? In a word, cost.

Links:

• 2020 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Prototype Drive — Come next spring you may do a double-take when the new BMW 2 Series drives by. Now sporting four doors and the Gran Coupe badging, BMW is taking the 2 Series mainstream. What used to be a sporty coupe – and one of the most enthusiast-friendly vehicles in BMW’s lineup – is going toe-to-toe with the Mercedes-Benz CLA and Audi A3 with an entry-level four-door that brings the brand to a wider audience.

Links:

• A Visual Tour of VW’s Autostadt, an Amusement Park for Car Nerds — Since “car city” opened its 69-acre spread in the year 2000, 2.6 million Volkswagen customers have picked up their new car there, and that’s not counting the millions more who have visited even though they haven’t bought anything. What draws so many to this enormous facility snugged right next to the VW mothership, the largest automobile factory in Europe? We visited the Autostadt, cameras in tow, to give you a better idea of its charms.

Links:

• 2019 McLaren 600LT Spider Review — Take an exotic supercar around a track and it can feel like you’re just holding on for dear life. Far from domesticated, these cars do what they want, with jittery energy that can be hard to control if you’re unprepared.
• The New Kia Soul Is Funky Made Fresher — It’s said that the best revenge is living well—and for the Kia Soul, it’s hard to imagine one better against the Japanese boxes that it sought to usurp when it first appeared in 2010.

Links:

• 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE Review — The new Mercedes GLE is a revolutionary jump for the brand — not only does it feature all the things that make the brand great, but it even goes above and beyond that.

Links:

• 2019 Kia Sorento vs 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee — Despite rising fuel costs and urban sprawl, SUVs still represent big business and sell in impressive numbers. In light of that, we decided to take a look at two of our favorite new SUVs, the Kia Sorento and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, to see which one is better for each kind of buyer out there.

Links:

• Retro Rewind: Driving Mazda's RX-7 FD rotary wunderkind — How does “strange” hold up today in a world where turbos are now the norm and rotaries have been banished to the dust heap of history by emissions regs and warranty concerns? I spent some quality time with a 1993 Mazda RX-7 R1 borrowed from Mazda Canada’s classic collection to find out if an old favorite can still dance to modern music.
• Your definitive Mazda RX-7 FD buyer's guide — The third-generation Mazda RX-7—also known by its internal designation FD or FD3S—is one of the most arrestingly beautiful shapes to have ever escaped a Japanese design studio. When it went on sale in the early ’90s, its flowing lines stood in stark contrast not just to the more boxy wedge offered by the previous version of the car, but also the more aggressively linear look of rivals like the Acura NSX and the Mitsubishi 3000GT.

Links:

• 2018 Jeep Compass Review — This mini-Grand Cherokee has a few drawbacks.

Links:

• 2018 Kia Stinger Review: Bow To The Unexpected — Korean automaker's first foray into high performance headwaters proves that big cars, and big ideas, can still shake up the industry.