James Raia

Articles by James Raia

#234, Marc O’Dell answers your car questions 24/7

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:57 — 43.9MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreMarc O’Dell is the expert you want to talk with when there’s an issue with your car. For the past two-plus years he’s worked as an auto expert for JustAnswer.com. The platform connects people with live doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, mechanics and other verified and vetted experts for real-time assistance, insight and answers to just about any question or problem. The service, available with different payment tiers, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. O’Dell, who has more than 25 years of automotive repair industry experience, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver podcast. Car Repair Needs? Answers Online Co-hosts

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2022 Ford Lightning bolts quickly into fame

Not quite with the quickness of its name, the 2022 Ford Lightning arrived a year after it was announced. There was much fanfare, an avalanche of deposits and now there’s an estimated three-year backlog for delivery. First teased at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show, Ford beat all the others — Tesla to GMC, Chevrolet to Rivian — to the streets to further add to manufacturer’s truck legacy. The industry’s best-seller for decades, hadn’t Ford already offered every conceivable truck necessary to maintain its sales advantage? The Lightning boldly adds to the mix. It’s a luxury-oriented, full-size electric pickup truck with top-level performance and a 300-plus mile range. Available in Pro, XLT, Lariat and Platinum trims, the F-150 Lightning splits its

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#232, Cruise driverless ride share debuts in San Francisco

After several years of negotiation and testing, Cruise was at the front of the autonomous line last week. It became the first driverless taxi service in San Francisco to charge for its services. The limited service area program features solo occupants getting rides in Chevrolet Bolts. The system is currently geofenced to the Northwest corner of the city of San Francisco, mostly residential areas in a grid of low-speed streets. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Jackie Shannon, Director of Product Management at Cruise, in this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. The episode was taped the day after Cruise’s debut. We were curious to hear about the company’s feedback from passengers the day after its first night

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2022 Toyota Tundra improved but glory days long gone

The Toyota Tundra debuted in its third generation this year as among the most varied available pickup trucks but with a diminishing legacy. The Japanese manufacturer assembles the truck in San Antonio, Texas, a hub for ranchers and RVers and their utilitarian vehicles. Despite the substantial niche market, the Tundra is struggling. Nearly 197,000 sold in 2007, the full-size truck’s best year. Just under 82,000 were purchased in 2021. Serious competition from an omnipresent truck foursome remains, and the Tundra’s smaller, thriving pickup, the Tacoma, has thwarted the big truck’s sales. The Ford F-Series, Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC are perennially among the country’s top-selling vehicles. The half-ton Toyota Tacoma had sales of more than 252,000 in 2021, about a

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Volkswagen Amarok pickup truck on its way to USA — maybe

The Volkswagen Amarok, a mid-size pickup truck sold internationally since 2010 (but not in the United States) will be revealed July 7 for its potential availability in this country. Sharing a platform with the upcoming Ford Ranger, the Amarok has been “teased” recently on various automotive outlets as well as from the manufacturer. Its exterior includes newly styled headlights and a rugged-looking rear end. Volkswagen Amarok Set for US Sales? The truck’s highlights include a vertically-aligned 12-inch touchscreen display, the same as the Ranger’s touchscreen. the VW Amarok also appears to have toggle switches for the hazard lights, parking sensors, an on-screen climate control menu and drive modes. There’s also a physical volume knob. According to the carmaker, the Volkswagen

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Toyota Tundra sales plummet, few changes planned for 2023

The Toyota Tundra full-size pickup truck had its peak annual sales 15 years ago when the 2007 year-end tally was just under 197,000. With increased competition, the truck’s selling success has never been anywhere close. Since 2018, sales of the Tundra have drastically dipped from 118,258 in 2018 to 81,959 in 2021. It was the poorest sales tally for the Tundra since 2009. In 2020, the Tundra was sharply criticized, including by U.S. News & Report. It wrote: “It’s been 13 years since this Toyota got a complete redesign. Most full-size rivals have more comfortable interiors, smoother rides, better composure, and higher-end cabins. Though the Tundra comes standard with a powerful V8 engine, it still can’t tow or haul as

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Electric vehicles aren’t new, just new again after 200 years

Approaching 200 years ago, a few smart, innovators with big dreams began experimenting with vehicles propelled by electricity, the original Electric Vehicles. Two Scotsmen respectively introduced an electric carriage and locomotive with galvanic cells with limited lives. The contraptions quickly gained notoriety. They were revolutionary for the early 1830s, but are best remembered as pre-historic precursors to the current electric vehicle surge. All major and niche car manufacturers — Chevrolet to Ford, Tesla to Lucid —have electric cars and trucks or are preparing an alternative fuel or electric vehicle. The automotive future is now, accelerated in California by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order announced in September 2020. The state will require by 2035 that all new car and passenger trucks

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2022 Lexus NX 350h: Improved SUV drives well, looks ugly

The 2022 Lexus NX 350h is an automotive dichotomy. Now in its second generation and eight years removed from its debut, the futuristic-looking sport utility vehicle is categorized as a subcompact luxury crossover. The description is contradictory and inaccurate. Luxury in vehicles was once determined by spaciousness, top-end construction, top-line materials and a handsome, confident and powerful presence powering along the highway. The NX 350 is none of that. Lexus remains the luxury brand of Toyota. Its upscale offerings were vaulted to the top of the J.D Power & Associates in 1991, the car maker’s third model year. More than 30 years later, the brand’s SUV lineup gets similar industry ratings. But as represented to an extreme by the NX

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#231, Bruce’s RV update, new retro trailers, Cruise taxis

Not too many days pass without the automobile, truck or RV industry abuzz. But it’s not always about Elon Musk, Tesla and the latest delay of his electric pickup truck. Sometimes, Bruce and I just have to get caught up in other auto news, and that’s what we do on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We cover several topics. Bruce and his wife Alene recently returned their fifth trip in their new fifth-wheel RV, a 29-foot Keystone Cougar, towed by their 2022 Ford F-250 pickup truck. Bruce updates listeners with his tales from the road — hot weather to windy driving conditions. “We’ve got it down; my wife and I,” Bruce says. “We know what to do. But

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2022 Toyota Highlander: maturing SUV remains worthy

The Toyota Highlander turned age 22 in 2022 and it retains its status as a respected midsize sport utility vehicle. Its consistency and versatility have provided long-haul clout. Last year, the Highlander had its best sales year since the three-row family hauler’s debut. Key Takeaways Highlander posts record sales year in a crowded segment: Now in its fourth generation, Toyota’s three-row SUV delivered its best annual total since its 2000 debut despite strong rivals in the Telluride, Pilot, Pathfinder, Ascent, Atlas, and Traverse. 295-hp V6 with eight-speed automatic powers all six trims: Every Highlander gets the 3.5-liter V6, plus Eco, Normal, Sport, and Snow drive modes standard. Price range stretches from $35,205 to over $50,000: The front-drive L trim opens

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Elon Musk faces more woes including massive lawsuit

Elon Musk can seemingly never escape controversy. The latest? The electric vehicle pioneer and two of his companies, Tesla and SpaceX, are being sued for $258 billion. According to Bloomberg, the business news service, the CEO of the country’s increasingly popular EV, is facing a massive lawsuit filed by Keith Johnson and announced on June 16. On the same day, employees of SpaceX, sent a letter to the company’s executives detailing that Musk is a “distraction and embarrassment” to the company. Elon Musk: Dodgy Dogecoin? “Elon’s behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks,” read the letter, which was provided to Reuters, the international news service. Musk was also

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Ford recall numbers skyrocket, another 3 million affected

For the fifth time in five years, Ford is recalling vehicles. The culprit this time is the possibility of nearly three million cars rolling away after being shifted into park mode because of degrading transmission components. The recall covers certain 2013 to 2019 Escape, 2013 to 2018 C-Max, 2013 to 2016 Fusion, 2013 to 2021 Transit Connect, and 2015 to 2018 Edge vehicles. Ford Recall: Latest Defect Cause Unknown According to a Ford recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a damaged bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission could degrade or detach in the affected vehicles. Ford said the cause of the defect is unknown. A damaged or detached bushing could prevent the

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#230, Bruce Meyer, ’32 Fords and the Petersen Auto Museum

Bruce Meyer loves 1932 Fords. He owns 10. It may seem excessive unless you’re a founding member of the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles and it just unveiled an exhibition honoring the 90th anniversary of the vehicles and their iconic legacy as hot rods. Meyer, 90, founding chairman of the museum, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Meyer the country’s most well-known museum and its celebration of the cars often known by their moniker, “Deuce.” The exhibit began earlier in June with a celebration and honor given to Billy Gibbons, the lead guitarist and primary vocalist of the rock band ZZ Top. Gibbons is also a Deuce

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#229, Tracy Broshar embraces three-wheel motorcycles

Tracy Broshar began riding motorcycles at age 19 but she hadn’t ridden for years out of respect for her partner’s wishes. When her partner died three years ago and the effects of Covid-19 hit, Broshar “felt lost.” “I kept thinking, ‘what can I do to get myself out of this,’ ” the resident of Sacramento recently explained. “I know I couldn’t ride two-wheelers anymore because I needed a knee replacement. I started looking online and I found the three-wheelers and history was written.” Broshar, 63, now a passionate rider and advocate of three-wheel motorcycles, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-host Bruce Aldrich and I talk with the rider (she’s a close neighbor in East

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2022 Genesis G80 defines the best of luxury sedans

The guy standing next to his parked Mercedes-Benz sedan was three spots away from my ride in the far reaches of a Home Depot parking lot. He stared at the 2022 Genesis G80 and said, “Nice lines. What kind of car is it?” The entire Genesis lineup gets plenty of similar reactions. Praised by critics and inundated with awards, the South Korean carmaker debuted as a stand-alone luxury brand from Hyundai in 2016. But it remains unheralded. Further confusing, Hyundai offered a Genesis as its top-line sedan beginning in 2009. Now Genesis manufacturers the G70 sports sedan, G80 mid-size sedan, G90 full-size sedan, GV80 mid-size SUV, and for 2023, the GV60 electric SUV. 2022 Genesis G80: Only One Dealership The

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Parts Authority Turn5, Inc. schedules annual charity event

The annual Parts Authority Turn5, Inc. Charity Auto Show, the automotive community event held to support Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley, will be held Oct. 1, 2022, at the Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. The show expects to attract more than 8000 muscle car, truck, and off-road enthusiasts. Highlights include Make-A-Wish’s opening ceremony parade, a muscle car burnout competition, dyno competition, RTI ramp and teeter-totter for Jeep/Off-Road vehicles, raffles and a muscle car revving competition. In addition to thousands of vehicles, events will be held throughout the day with proceeds adding to the more than $400k Turn5 has raised to date. Turn5 is proud to support Make-A-Wish as its grants heartfelt wishes to children coping with a life-threatening

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