The Drivecast

You would not know it from the posts on Instagram during Monterey Car Week last month or the barrage of expensive debuts that have been touted, but the luxury segment is in trouble.

While Bugatti and Ferrari are doing just fine the story isn't the same for other luxury automakers. Bentley is spiraling, Aston Martin is a mess, Maserati is a train wreck, and Porsche is in trouble and it's not clear that the Macan and Cayenne SUVs can save the iconic automaker this time.

This week The Drive's Director of Content and Product Joel Feder and Editor Byron Hurd break down the situation, go behind the scenes on the luxury market crumbling, why it's happening, and what comes next.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

The Luxury Car Market Is Crumbling from the Top Down

00:00 - Intro

05:41 - How did we get to this story?

06:11 - What's happening?

09:18 - Facts and figures

11:26 - Depreciation

12:30 - Second-hand market

17:59 - The blurry line of "luxury features"

26:00 - Pricing and stealth wealth
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One year ago, the average cost of a gallon of diesel fuel in America was $3.70. Today, at the time of this recording, it’s $5.60. That’s 50% higher, and some forecasts have it touching a record $6 a gallon by the end of the year. Not good.

America, and arguably the world, runs on diesel. So when prices go up by 50%... well, that pain can only be contained for so long. From multiple wars to oil refineries going offline there’s no easy fix. Everyone's about to feel the pain.

The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder break the situation down with Senior Editor Caleb Jacobs.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

Diesel Prices Are About to Break Records. Here’s Why They Keep Rising

The Government Is Still Messing With Fuel Formulas to Try to Curb Gas Prices

The Feds Say Cutting Fuel With Ethanol Will Bring Down Gas Prices. We’re Not Buying It

The Feds Plan To Start Diluting Gasoline This May: Explained

00:00 Intro

0:55 - Current diesel pricing reality

5:18 - Why has diesel gotten so expensive?

6:37 - This is a global issue

8:54 - Goldman Sachs prediction

10:27 - Modern realities

11:38 - Napkin math

15:42- Who's talking about this?

17:35 - Not at record levels, yet

18:56 - The new normal?

19:17 - Ripple affects on schools

22:05 - The holidays are coming

22:36 - This affects everyone

23:49 - There's no diluting like with gas

25:08 - There's no backstop

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While most people could not care less about tires they are in fact one of the most important aspects of a car's performance and safety. Goodyear is one of the most iconic tire manufacturers in the world, but its name, legacy, and blimps haven't kept it insulated from the turmoil the auto industry is going through.

Goodyear recorded a net loss of $1.7 billion in 2025 and $249 million in the first quarter of 2026. The company brought in a new CEO, Mark Stewart, in 2024 to "transform the company." Stewart's been swift and decisive in a bid to turnaround Goodyear's business.

The Drive's Editor-In-Chief Kyle Cheromcha and Director of Content and Product Joel Feder are joined by Goodyear CEO Mark Stewart to discuss whether the company can actually grow its business by selling more expensive tires to fewer people, the company's support of tariffs, and the competition. And yes, there's blimp talk.

00:00 Intro

07:23 How did Goodyear get into trouble?

10:33 Are we done with layoffs?

13:36 Stewart's background isn't tires

16:42 Tariffs

21:54 OEM supplier business

30:52 Chasing those whales

33:13 Are expensive tires actually better than cheaper tires?

37:31 Should Goodyear be more involved in cultural events?

42:04 The Goodyear blimps -- Blimp talk!

48:20 Goodyear in motorsports

52:38 Smart tires

55:44 Airless tires

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The U.S. is laughably behind the rest of the world when it comes to headlight technology. It’s not because the technology didn’t exist, but rather because outdated U.S. laws have prevented automakers from bringing these modern technological marvels to U.S. roads. Until now.

New laws that were finally enacted years ago are finally allowing automakers to bring adaptive headlights to the U.S. with a handful of automakers now launching the modern tech in America.

The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder, Head of Exterior Lighting for Audi AG, Michael Kruppa, and vehicle lighting and regulation subject matter expert Daniel Stern break down the differences in these upcoming modern headlight technologies and why it took so long for the U.S. to catch up to the rest of the world.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

Audi’s Matrix LED Headlights Are Finally Coming to America

Audi’s New Q9 Will Project Your Turn Signals Onto the Road

Here’s Why Modern Headlights Are So Unbelievably Annoying

It’s Not Just You: Six of 10 Drivers Say Headlight Glare Is a Problem

See Audi’s New Micro LED Digital Matrix Headlights in Action. Yes, They’re Still Illegal in America

Adaptive Headlights Will Finally Come to the US, Thanks to the Infrastructure Bill

00:00 Intro

04:58 Laws had to change to enable modern headlight tech

09:21 Addressing headlight glare

13:48 Adding communication to lighting

15:06 Rivian's adaptive lighting system vs. Audi's

21:56 Retrofitting adaptive lighting to cars on the road

25:22 One lighting regulation for the world

28:12 What took so long for America to get into this century?

28:40 One world headlight

30:42 Different implementations of the tech

33:26 Safety, light pollution, and blinding people

36:58 Audi vs. Rivian's system

38:35 Lighting tunnels: U.S. vs. The World

40:40 Is this a safety item?
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Millions of people have read Joel's report and seen the body cam footage after he was mistakenly tracked, and then ambushed, by police for what was believed to be grand theft auto after Flock license plate readers flagged the car he was driving for days.

The story, and topic of Flock and automatic license plate readers, is a lightning rod and at the heart of a national debate and various discussions in America. People's concerns about warrantless tracking, their 4th amendment rights, their privacy, and the constant stories surfacing of cops misusing the technology to stalk people can't be overlooked.

The Drive's Director Of Content And Product Joel Feder and Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley sat down for a candid conversation about what happened, what's happening in America, and the future.

Stories mentioned in today's episode:

⁠How Flock Cameras Wrongly Tracked Me for Days Over ‘Stolen’ Plates and Sent Police After Me⁠

⁠Flock Says Its Cameras Worked ‘Correctly’ When Police Tracked and Ambushed Me for No Reason⁠

I Reported on Flock’s Cameras. Now I’m One of the System’s Mistakes

⁠Cops Are Already Using License Plate Readers to Stalk People⁠

⁠License Plate Cameras Are Tracking Your Life Without a Warrant⁠

⁠License Plate Cameras Will Soon Track Phones, Wearables, Infotainment, and Even Your Pets

00:00 Intro

03:55 - What happened?

06:16 - What's changing and what did Flock learn from this?

14:02 - Addressing the hundreds of millions of misreads a month

18:00 - What's the future look like?

21:21 - The 4th amendment and privacy concerns

24:28 - Congress members threatening anti-Flock bills

27:00 - Publish pushback on Flock

31:52 - Police misuse and abuse of Flock

35:26 - Addressing Garrett calling people "domestic terrorists"
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