Wheel Bearings

This week, Nicole tells us about driving home in a remote area of New England in the Range Rover Sport SE Dynamic while Robbie shares some thoughts on the new Mercedes-Benz GLS and GLE. Sam shares thoughts on the gas guzzling Toyota Sequoia and has mixed feelings on the Polestar 4.
While visiting his daughter in Denver, Sam saw one of the new Waymo Ojai robotaxis in her neighborhood. Lexus announces pricing of the new 2026 ES which will start cheaper for the electric version than the hybrid. Scout Motors CEO Scott Keogh provides updates on the brand's progress toward production. Kia is dropping the EV6 GT from its US lineup and Hyundai is dropping standard versions of the Ioniq 6. Chris Fuell is out at Chrysler and replaced by Matt McAleer. Kia added a solar canopy to its West Point Georgia factory to protect cars from hail and make some power.
BYD has launched a new version of its Blade battery that charges at up to 1,500-kW. Our pals at TFL have acquired a very dubious vehicle and Nicole shares thoughts on the base R/T version of the Hurricane-powered Dodge Charger. Sam recommends a croissant place in Denver.
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Links
Waymo robotaxis are now operating in 10 US cities | TechCrunch
2026 Lexus ES Pricing Revealed, and the EV Costs Less Than the Hybrid
2027 Scout Traveler and Terra Harvester EREV Details, Engine, and Launch Updates
Tariffs Just Killed the Kia EV6 GT in America - Autoblog
Dodge Brand CEO Matt McAlear Appointed as Chrysler Brand CEO and Head of Alfa Romeo Brand North America
Kia Built a Massive Solar Canopy to Shield 15,000 Vehicles From Hail
BYD unveils Blade Battery 2.0: 10-70% in 5 mins, 10-97% in 9 mins, and 20,000 flash charging stations in 2026
La Croissanterie Denver
Garage Find - This Is By Far The Most Underrated 4x4 AND Now It’s Ours!
Nicole Drives the 2026 Dodge Charger R/T in Vermont

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Even as a non-fan of minivans, Nicole found some beauty in the latest Toyota Sienna with a hybrid system and all-wheel-drive, plus 18 cup-holders for all her diet Cokes. Sam drove the Volvo XC90 B6 and really enjoyed the new Kia K4 hatchback.
The EPA published its latest annual Automotive Trends Report and US automakers still lag far behind the rest of the industry in fuel economy -- really far behind! Range Rover is preparing an electric replacement for the Velar and it looks like it will adopt a fastback profile. Toyota teased its new 2027 World Rally Championship machine and it might be a preview of a new Celica. The next Nissan Pathfinder might be two very different vehicles. Stellantis' huge 2025 losses mean no profit sharing checks this year. Researchers have found new ways to fool automated driving systems. Ford is reportedly developing a Lincoln SUV based on the Bronco and Rivian has established its Rivian Adventure Department or RAD!.Our complaints about the sound quality of Toyota four-cylinder engines are nothing compared to the cacophany that was GM's infamous Quad 4 of the late 1980s.
Links
Honda is #1 Full-Line Automaker in Fuel Efficiency in Latest U.S. EPA Trends Report
Download the Automotive Trends Report | US EPARange Rover saloon?
Sleek new Velar EV sheds SUV cues | Autocar
Did Toyota Just Soft-Launch the New Celica as Its Next Rally Car?
The 2029 Nissan Pathfinder Will Share the Xterra’s Body-on-Frame Chassis, Report Says
ALL-NEW 2026 SUBARU UNCHARTED EV ARRIVES WITH MORE THAN 300 MILES OF RANGE, STARTING AT $34,995 MSRP
Stellantis Reports Full Year 2025 Financial Results | Corporate Communications25-financial-results
Parking In Her Own Driveway Cost This Florida Woman $165,000 - Jalopnik
Research Shows How Self-Driving AI Can Be Hijacked With Nothing But Ink and Paper-and-paper
Ford's Rumored Bronco-Based Lincoln Sounds Like It Might Be The Blackwood All Over Again - The Autopianall-over-again/
Rivian Adventure Department
Three Decades Ago, Pontiac Managed To Offer More Noise, Vibration, and Harshness Per Liter Than Any Other Sport Sedan - The Autopian

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We're a little late with this week's show because we were waiting for the embargo to lift on some stuff. Robbie drove the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, Nicole had the Volvo XC40 and Sam had the 2025 Mazda CX-5.
Nicole had the opportunity to drive the all-new 2026 CX-5 and talk with project manager for in-vehicle technologies, Matthew Valbuena. Sam drove the new Toyota bZ Woodland and C-HR. Uber is building out a suite of tools to support the deployment of robotaxis on its platform. First reviews of the 2026 Jeep Cherokee are out. Scout is denying reports that the Scout launch is delayed to 2028 and Sam discusses some of the unobtanium cars he saw while on vacation in Mexico including lots of Chinese vehicles.
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Links
2026 Mazda CX-5 Makes Infotainment as Easy as Your Smartphone
2026 Mazda CX-5 First Drive: Bigger, Better, And More Tech-Savvy
2026 Toyota bZ Woodland First Drive | GreenCars
2026 Toyota C-HR First Drive | GreenCars
https://www.autoweek.com/news/a70406141/uber-investing-100-million-in-robotaxi-charging-hubs/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_aut&utm_medium=email&date=021826&utm_campaign=nl01_021826_AUT44201300&oo=&user_email=cd6c767ba0ce7abd8dfca31552cfbba9f49453eef65cf3c19d7d8f6a4a115cd9&GID=cd6c767ba0ce7abd8dfca31552cfbba9f49453eef65cf3c19d7d8f6a4a115cd9&utm_term=Daily%20Drive%20Sending%20Audience
2026 Jeep Cherokee DRIVEN: Is This New Model WORTHY of Its Jeep Badge?
Scout Launch Reportedly Delayed... Or Is It? - Kelley Blue Book
Uber Technologies, Inc. - Uber Unveils Uber Autonomous Solutions to Accelerate Autonomous Mobility & Delivery Worldwide

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While we were in Ojai California last week to drive the 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland and C-HR, friend of the show Tanya Gazdik and Sam sat down for a chat with chief engineer Masaya Uchiyama. 

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This week Nicole white knuckled it through a tunnel at Boston Logan Airport with a Ford F-250 Platinum diesel and Robbie and Sam had almost identical Toyota Corolla Cross XSE hybrids.
Sam and Robbie go deep on the 3D printed pistons that F1 teams might be using to "cheat" on the new power unit rules. The Vinfast VF8 has so much creep torque, it could be a safety issue. Ferrari announced its new EV will be called the Luce and it has an interior designed by former Apple design chief Jonny Ive and his pal Marc Newson. Toyota revealed its next-generation Highlander and its all electric. VW is previewing the 2027 Atlas on the snow and ice in Quebec, and the Trump adminstration has effectively killed the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. China is continuing to introduce regulations to address some of the worst design decisions of recent years, including banning steering yokes and requiring physical controls for the most commonly used functions.
Sam had a conversation with Mazda North America CEO Tom Donnelly about where the brand is going and we have a couple of tangents about corgis and furniture dollies.
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Links
How 3D-Printed Pistons Let F1 Engines Bend the Rules on Compression - Autoblog
VinFast VF8 Creep Torque Insane Problem! I've Never Seen Anything Like This
Why ‘Luce’ Is the Perfect Name for the First Electric Ferrari
New Ferrari Luce: 1000HP Electric Supercar - INTERIOR Reveal
2027 Toyota Highlander EV Reveal | GreenCars
Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Updates EV Charger Program to Include Buy America Requirements
Here's The ALL-NEW Volkswagen Atlas Before You're Supposed To See It!
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zvvz9h7u4m7brdndeskoe/China-takes-aim-at-screen-heavy-dashboards-in-new-safety-push-Automotive-News.pdf?rlkey=l05zgpen0kwvzh9z2l1px9w74&st=1d2th28d&dl=0
China Just Banned Steering Yokes, But Not For The Reason You Think - The Autopian
Westminster Kennel Club Pembroke Corgis

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