#139, Cars.com index reveals ‘Made in America’ gains importance

Kelsey Mays, senior consumer affairs and vehicle evaluations editor for Cars.com, knows what it means for the industry and consumers when a vehicle is made in America. It means a lot. According to research from Cars.com in its recently released 2020 American-Made Index (AMI), 70 percent of shoppers consider a car’s U.S. economic impact a significant or deciding factor in their vehicle purchase. Mays is our guest this week on Episode #139 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Mays the 15th AMI and how during the COVID-19 pandemic it has further impacted Americans’

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#138, Tom Britzman: A 1917 Saxon and 80 years of driving

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Tom Britzman learned to drive at age 10. His father was enamored with automobiles and quality father-son time behind the wheel of an Austin seemed right. It was 80 years ago, but it could have been yesterday. “It was stupid,” said Britzman, a Korean War veteran who worked for 32 years for Sears, Roebuck and Co., following his Army service. “But at the time, when you’re a 10-year-old kid and you live out in the country, it was pretty exciting.” Britzman, who lives in East Garrison, California (formerly Ft. Old) is our guest in this week’s episode of The Weekly

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Internet myth: Hand sanitizer doesn’t explode in cars

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If you carry hand sanitizer in your vehicle, don’t worry about leaving it in the vehicle during hot weather. Despite mainstream internet and television reports that it may explode, it won’t. It’s a myth. While flammable and quick-burning when ignited, it will not catch on fire if left in a vehicle during extreme conditions, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Hand sanitizers use either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol as the basis for their formulas. “These alcohols have a low flashpoint,” said Guy Colonna, the Director of Standards for NFPA. “The flashpoint is the temperature at which the liquid

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2020 Mazda 3: Handsome, understated; why low sales?

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The 2020 Mazda 3 advnances the small sedan in its mid-teens and it has an identity complex. It’s an unheralded, worthy small sedan competing against more than a dozen rivals with bigger sales numbers. But it may have finally caught a break. With its simple, sporty design absent of sharp edges and angles, and a front end with a nod to a Ford GT Cobra, the 2020 Mazda 3 recently claimed world honors for automotive design. The other finalists were the Peugeot 208 and Porsche Taycan. The Mazda MX5 (Miata) claimed the award in 2016, starting the Japanese manufacturer’s global

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Extreme RVs keep getting more extreme on truck chassis

Extreme RVs keep getting more extreme with companies like Global Expeditions making RVs on truck chassis. The Missouri-based company creates its vehicles utilizing several truck manufacturers. Its latest creation is the $650,000 UXV-MAX. It can be constructed on the chassis of a Ford-750. A kitchen, dining area, (king-sized bed) bathroom and are mainstays, just like an RV. But there’s a lot different. A dishwasher, washer and dryer part of an optional upgrade. There’s also a healthy supply of high-end features: custom granite countertops, a sink, single burner induction cooktop, 6.4-cubic foot refrigerator-freezer and a convection microwave oven. Extreme RVs get

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Escape the coronavirus at the drive-in in 5 comfortable cars

The movies are classics and there won’t be new releases for a while. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, drive-in movie theaters are experiencing another renaissance. Escaping to see a movie in your car is safe entertainment. But certain vehicles make better seats on wheels than others. Cars.com, the Chicago-based automotive classified website, has released new research detailing that 42 percent in-the-market car shoppers plan to visit a drive-in movie theater this summer. “Drive-in theaters are making a comeback this summer as the destination of choice for movies, music and other forms of live entertainment that people can

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#137, SellMax will buy your used car, junker to classic

Sean Pour is a co-founder of SellMax, a nationwide, used-car-buying service headquartered in San Diego, California. His father once owned a used car dealership and the younger Pour followed the family’s business interests, albeit from a different angle. Pour, who started SellMax at age 14, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with him about the business of used cars in various conditions, and how the quick buy-and-sell market works. The goal of SellMax (www.sellmax.com) is to make offers to sellers who want quick, smooth, streamlined transactions. “We

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Ford F-150 pickup trucks face brake recall

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Ford trucks have dominated the industry for so long, many current buyers weren’t born when the F-150, its siblings and distant automotive relatives didn’t reign. But even the country’s perennially best-selling vehicle sometimes has problems. In this instance, it’s used Ford F-150 pickup trucks. About 350,000 trucks in North America, including 292,3111 vehicles from the United States and model years 2014-2017 are being recalled for a faulty brake master cylinder, Ford announced. Ford F-150 has braking issues The brake master cylinder can leak brake fluid into the brake booster, and ultimately reduce braking power to the front wheels. Drivers may

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Nissan Altima woes return, 2 million recalled

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The Nissan Altima, once the Japanese manufacturer’s best-selling vehicle, is increasingly doomed. Nissan recently announced the recall of nearly two million midsize cars in the U.S. and Canada to fix a nagging latch problem that may allow the hood to fly open while cars are moving. The latest recall covers nearly 1.9 million Altimas and includes cars from the 2013 through 2015 model years that were recalled earlier. It’s also been expanded to 2016 through 2018 model years. Nissan‘s latest recall covers nearly 1.9 million Altimas and includes cars from 2013 through 2015 model years, previously recalled. Nissan Altima recalled

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Kansas car junkyard: worthless rust or gold?

One person may see automotive gold, another may see a far-as-the-eye-can-see car junkyard of worthless rust-plagued classics as exactly that — junk. At least the seller of a junkyard in Great Bend, Kansas, full of classic cars, trucks and RVs in various states of disrepair hopes the first description is accurate. As detailed on eBay.com, craigslist and BarnFinds.com, the seller has so many vehicles, he’s not exactly sure what’s in the salvage yard. But the seller, who lists an address and phone number but not his name, knows he has some desired relics. Car junkyard has some surprises Some of

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2020 Lexus LX 570: pricey rugged luxury

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A luxury sport utility vehicle with strong attributes for off-road use is a niche offering in the vastly varied automotive marketplace. It’s a head-shaking quality of the 2020 Lexus LX 570. The wisdom of excursions on rugged terrain in a top-line luxury vehicle may be questionable. But as one friend who’s refreshingly dispassionate about automobiles often says: “If no one bought ’em, they wouldn’t make ’em.” Key Takeaways 5.7-liter V8 produces 383 hp with 7,000-pound tow rating: The only powertrain pairs an eight-speed automatic with standard four-wheel drive in a body-on-frame platform weighing roughly 6,000 pounds. Two-row or three-row configuration

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#136, Prof. Brian Marks talks cars, Covid-19

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:48 — 42.3MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreBrian Marks is the Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program at the University of New Haven in West Haven, Conn. He has a Ph.D. in Economics, a law degree, several additional titles and plenty of academic responsibilities. Marks’ opinions are thought-provoking and concisely address the COVID-19 and how it has and will continue to affect the automotive world. While covering many areas of the industry, Marks is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia,

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New drink honors iconic Laguna Seca turn 8

(At the top of this post is an encore presentation of our recent podcast with Barry Toepke, the marketing and communications director at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Several changes for the 2020 season were announced after the orginal podcast brodcast April 14, 2020.) Like all businesses, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has altered its plans several times this year as the COVID-19 pandemic situation remains ever-evolving. When the multi-disciple racing season finally begins this summer, visitors to the Monterey Peninsula may wish to taste a new cocktail, created to celebrate the delayed-but still-scheduled season. To commemorative the start of the unique

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#135, Buying a new car like it’s 2019

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If you’re interested in purchasing a vehicle, why not considering buying a new car that’s nearly two years old? There’s a huge inventory of 2019 vehicles available, particularly for consumers interested in Dodge. Here’s the deal. The covid-19 pandemic stalled production of 2020 models for carmakers and resulted in the temporary closing of many car dealerships. Sales suffered. But a positive emerged from the health crisis, and Julie Blackley, an analyst at iseecars.com, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast to discuss the issue. Dodge Caravan: New Car, Nearly Age 2 Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and

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Buy Tom Brady’s custom 2017 Cadillac Escalade for 300K

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Quarterback Tom Brady likes expensive cars as much as the next celebrity. But he’s not so attached to his vehicles that he can’t part company with his luxury wheels — like a 2017 Cadillac Escalade. Brady is selling his heavily customized Cadillac Escalade ESV edition for $300,000. It costs $350,000 new. Becker Automotive Design in Oxnard, California customized the one-of-a-kind sport utility vehicle. Brady called the Escalade his “sanctuary.” Tom Brady’a 2017 Cadillac Escalade Specs: * It was stretched by 20 inches, with the rear doors extended by 10 inches. * The roof was raised five inches and enforced with

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Huge Dodge Grand Caravan surplus in covid-19 crisis

The covid-19 pandemic stalled production of 2020 models for carmakers and resulted in great deals including the Dodge Grand Caravan

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