Then Benjamin shares his thoughts on the 2026 Genesis GV70, one of the newer faces among the luxury compact SUV segment, but one that is consistently recommended by our hosts. That's for a reason, as Benjamin explains, and the show further discusses who Genesis may be appealing to with all of its offerings. Thanks for listening!

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Then Sami reviews the 2026 Volkswagen Atlas. After testing so many three-row crossovers lately, Sami turns his attention to the German family-friendly ride, which has been thoroughly refreshed in recent years. However, one glaring red flag spoils Sami's recommendation of the Atlas; can you guess what it is?

Finally, the show shares some important and interesting news about Honda's deep-in-development EVs, which are now cancelled. Sami and Benjamin discuss what this means for the EV market in the US and the automotive industry as a whole. Thanks for listening!

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Then Benjamin jumps in to describe his experience in the 2024 Volkswagen Jetta GLI 40th Anniversary, a sport compact car that seems to be from a bygone era, and perhaps left on the vine to rot. Where the GTI gets more power and features, the GLI seems content to compete with just the Honda Civic Si, and mostly on a shoestring budget. What's going on at VW as these kinds of cars stall out in dealerships?

Thanks for listening, and be sure to get in touch with us through our website or social media.

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Then Sami discusses the 2024 VW Atlas Cross Sport. Having driven the vehicle several years ago at it's debut, Sami is here to report that the Atlas has received significant updates that really bring the crossover into the top tier of the segment. With new packaging, equipment, and a refreshed style, Sami went from lukewarm to red hot on this German offering.

Then the guys answer some questions about Netflix and Samis parenting journey. Thanks for listening!!

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First Sami describes his time in the 2022 Subaru WRX, which gets a new look and motor, along with a redesigned cabin. Since there's no high end STI anymore, can the WRX carry the performance crown with its meagre setup? Sami and Benjamin talk about the company, CVTs, driving feel and refinement before adding another experience to the mix.

Extra discussion arrives with the introduction of the 2022 VW Golf R, which is more expensive and more powerful than the WRX, but delivers a less authentic sport compact feel. Sami says it's high end and high tech, but the car has some significant issues, especially with its user interface.

You'll want to hear all the juicy details from this week's episode and don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. Thanks for listening!

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Then the duo rip through some of the hot news in the automotive industry. Specifically, there's super-sad information about the next generation Subaru WRX STI, and all the juicy details about the new Acura Integra. Finally, Benjamin takes Sami for a spin with his version of This-or-That, called That-or-This.

Listen through, and don't forget to send us your thoughts on the episode through social media or our website www.unnamedautomotivepodcast.com

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Sami then talks about how Subaru reached relevancy with its Ascent three-row back when it launched, but has struggled to do anything worthwhile with it since. Is the basic family crossover still good enough for 2022 or is the competition's more premium and powerful entries stealing the spotilgiht?

Finally, Sami and Benjamin discuss another forbidden-fruit market segment: the 'Ute. Once mildly popular in North America, the 'ute was a bigger deal in other parts of the world. The duo ponder why and try to figure out if there are any hopes for more 'utes for us in the future.

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• Caminofication: The Coolest Car-Trucks of All Time — In the world of utes (or car-trucks, or caminos, or crucks) there exist models both wonderful and awful, vehicles that balance the scales of good and bad taste across a line that is admittedly quite fine. We took a look at all of them—yes, all of them—and picked out the 20 coolest, compiling them here in alphabetical order for your debate, scorn, and admiration.

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.

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• 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.
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• 2020 BMW X6 M50i Review — There’s a line with luxury cars where they’re no longer just about luxury and style, but where they are designed to make a statement. The BMW X6 is a perfect example of this. Logically, the X6 isn’t as practical as the X5, but is just as high-tech and engaging to drive – not that high-end SUV-coupe buyers are looking for any of that. They want a car that makes a statement – like athleisure – that they’re too cool to care about anything like style or practicality or performance. In that regard, the X6 is a pretty big success.

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• 2020 DODGE CHARGER WIDEBODY TRACK DRIVE: CONQUERING SONOMA WITH 707 HORSEPOWER — 'More, More, More,' isn't just the refrain of an unforgettable disco classic—it's also clearly the guiding philosophy at FCA's SRT. It's fitting, in many ways, that a superhit from the 1970s applies to so many of Dodge's recent performance products, given that they often wear badges that harken back to that decade's muscle car glory days. The latest load of excess horsepower from the last American automaker continually raising the stakes on street, strip and track, is the 2020 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody. Joined by its somewhat-attenuated Scat Pack 392 Widebody sibling, this revised edition of the world's mightiest family sedan now features bulging fenders, a more focused suspension setup and body work that's aggressive enough to intimidate any other four-door in the daycare pick-up line.

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• 2019 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R REVIEW: HOT HATCH OR SLEEPER AGENT? — What if Volkswagen's intentions were to play the long game by creating a compact Q-ship, an executive car experience in hatchback form that defied the expectations of what was possible at the peak of the entry-level?
• 2019 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI VS. 2019 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R: COMPARING THE GERMAN HOT HATCH TWINS HEAD-TO-HEAD — Should you save your pennies and dimes in anticipation of a Golf R down payment, or would you be nearly as happy snagging a GTI and enjoying the savings instead? I drove each of these mighty 'Dubs back to back to bring you the answer.

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• 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.

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• Chevrolet Colorado Side Curtain Airbags Keep Deploying On Easy Off-Road Trails — The Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 is supposed to be a rough-and-tumble, body-on-frame, solid rear axle-having pickup that can handle off-road trails with ease. And yet, a number of trucks’ airbags are deploying on mild off-road trails, leaving owners with major hassles. Here’s what’s going on.

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• 2019 Volkswagen Jetta Review — While it’s true that the 2019 edition of the Jetta does deliver incremental improvements in fuel economy, interior room, features availability, and safety gear, the overall concept behind the vehicle is very nearly a dead ringer for what was available the year before. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on how enamored you were of what Volkswagen’s popular small car already had to offer (and if you’re comfortable with a little less choice under the hood).
• 2019 Chevrolet Camaro Turbo 1LE First Drive — Heralding the styling and equipment updates that have been made to the refreshed 2019 Camaro (the SS gains the 10-speed automatic gearbox that’s been slowly working its way across the GM portfolio, Chevrolet’s new Infotainment 3 system is now available, and, of course, the regular roundup of design tweaks also join the order list) comes the full 1LE treatment for the most affordable version of Chevrolet’s every-person performance car. The newest 1LE model doesn’t just allow the Bowtie to pull even with Ford, but it actually gives them something the Mustang doesn’t have: a legitimate track-ready package that’s now available with three separate drivetrains.
• 2018 Subaru Outback: 2 Million and 9 Reasons Why It’s So Popular — Two million buyers can’t be wrong, but in case there was any doubt, the Outback does a number of things very well. Here are a few reasons why this rugged crossover has become so popular

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• 2018 Nissan Leaf Review — The 2018 Nissan Leaf is more than just a modest bump in EV range

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• 2018 Lexus LC 500 First Drive: Surrender To All This Relentless Beauty — The all-new 2018 Lexus LC coupe makes a compelling argument for automakers to do it their own way rather than simply trace the familiar lines on a map already worn down by the competition. It also proves that sometimes ignoring the prevailing winds makes for a more interesting journey for driver and brand alike.
• 2018 Lexus LC 500 First Drive: Ground-breaking luxury coupe lets Lexus find its soul — The 2018 Lexus LC is an act of bravery. Not only did Lexus take the unusual and difficult step of birthing a street car that hews almost perfectly to the gorgeous, yet production-challenging lines of the LF-LC concept that preceded it, but it also chose to ignore prevailing winds – or are those forced induction vortices? – that have come to define the drivetrains found in top-tier luxury coupes. That the Lexus LC is a stunning design achievement is obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes. That it also waves a big, five-liter middle finger in the direction of its would-be German rivals is in a way both a more and a less-subtle statement.