This episode explores the impact of Ford's recent decision to discontinue the Escape, one of its more affordable vehicles. Ford’s Escape exit from the marketplace creates an affordability gap that concerns the automaker's dealers. Ford dealers want an entry-level vehicle that keeps shoppers in the brand; buyers want sensible payments, not just passion projects. Maverick and Bronco Sport help, but they won’t fit everyone who doesn’t want a truck-like look or a premium price. Across cars, crossovers, and climate, the throughline is the same: meet real-world needs with practical choices. If that’s your lens, you’ll love this one.

For this episode, we pivot to a different kind of problem: warm winters and thin snowpack across the West. When snow turns to rain, reservoirs don’t refill; water rushes off, flooding and leaving little for summer. We break down how mid-elevation snowpack drives most runoff, why ski towns and resort jobs feel the pain first, and how agriculture—winter wheat, sugar beets, and more—pushes the impact to your grocery bill. From the Pacific Northwest’s atmospheric rivers to Utah’s snow-dependent water supply, the stakes reach far beyond the slopes.

During this episode, we introduce you to the Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition, a nod to the Baja-equipped, off-road performance-infused Stroppe Broncos of the late 1960s-early 1970s. With its Baja-tuned suspension, GOAT modes, and 315-hp EcoBoost powertrain, it delivers off-road performance but falls short on price, fuel economy, rear-seat design, and daily usability. If you’re weighing a base Bronco build against a near-$80K special, we’ve got the context you need to hear.

In this episode, we explain how shoppers are speaking with their wallets, and the data speaks loudly. We kick off with a clear-eyed look at why Hyundai and Kia just posted record January sales, driven by hybrids and value-forward crossovers—and how Chevy’s layered lineup of crossovers and SUVs keeps affordable options on the lot.

This episode begins by taking an elevator into a cost puzzle. Why does installing one in North America cost three to four times as much as in peer countries? The answer lies in fragmented codes, larger mandated car sizes, a concentrated vendor landscape, and a tight, highly unionized technician pipeline. The downstream effects include fewer elevators in small- and mid-rise buildings, reduced accessibility, and higher construction costs. We map the incentives at play and identify fixes—standard harmonization, talent pipelines, and performance-based regulation—that reduce costs without sacrificing safety.

In this episode, we stress-test a headline claim: that AI will reduce crashes more than the seat belt. We examine where advanced driver-assistance systems still fall short—poor speed-limit readings, nagging monitoring, and inconsistent lane logic—and explain why even great software faces slow adoption in a 250 million-vehicle fleet. Add regulatory gray areas, cybersecurity risks, and the need for a consistent human in the loop, and bold predictions look premature. AI can absolutely augment safer driving, but we separate measurable gains from marketing gloss and explain what it will take to earn trust on real roads.

For this episode, forget the hype cycle—let’s talk about what actually moves people and markets. We start with a comeback story no one saw coming: minivans. After years of SUV dominance, buyers are rediscovering why sliding doors and low floors beat lifted ride heights and tiny cargo openings. We break down the latest sales spikes in the U.S. and Canada, explain why Toyota’s hybrid Sienna and Chrysler’s Pacifica are leading, and show how the core use cases—grandparents on long road trips, gig workers stacking deliveries, DIYers loading 4x8 sheets—are fueling new demand—practical wins when they make daily life easier.

During this special episode, I explain a bit about the how and why of the stories and features I discuss every week. More than any one topic, I have designed this podcast to cover a wide range of topics over the course of a year to make you aware, keep you informed, and entertain you a bit.