Editorial Podcasts

These Are The Most Reliable Car Brands

For today's podcast, we sat down with Tyson Jominy, Vice President, data and analytics for J.D. Power, to discuss what the most reliable car brands are.

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Have We Reached Peak EV (Part Two)?

Last week we were discussing electric vehicles with BJ Birtwell, who likely would consider himself and EV evangelist, and Alex Knizek from Consumer Reports, who noted that seven of this year's top 10 vehicles were electrified.

This week we dig deeper into what is happening with the EV market.

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Have We Reached Peak EV? (Part 1)

Electric vehicles are dominating the industry conversation, so we had a chat with someone who is a bit of an EV evangelist...as well as with a journalist who noted that his outlet elected seven electrified vehicles to its latest Top 10 list.

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Are Plug-In Hybrids the Future?

On today's podcast, we ponder if plug-in hybrids are the future, talk Tesla and Ram, and ruminate on our first races attended as fans.

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This State Might Ban Gasoline Cars. Here’s Who’s Fighting Back

This week we speak with Mike Spagnola, president and CEO of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), about a proposed ban on internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in Connecticut.

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Are Auto Shows Dying?

The question I posed in the headline is an interesting one. There's been a lot of consternation that auto shows are dying, set to be killed by a changing world.

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TTAC Podcast: What's the Best Used Car for the Money?

Welcome back to the TTAC podcast! Today we have Karl Brauer, executive analyst for iSeeCars.com, on to talk about best and worst used cars for the money. TTAC car reviewer Chris Tonn also sits in.

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TTAC Podcast: Talking Frozen Teslas With Tom Appel and Chris Tonn
TTAC Podcast: The Best and Worst Cars with Jake Fisher of Consumer Reports

We're doubling up this week after the tech issues we faced last week.

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TTAC Podcast: We're Back!

We promised you a podcast last week, and we're back!

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Housekeeping: The TTAC Podcast Returns!

Hey there! Remember the podcast we did until early last year? It was put on hiatus for a variety of reasons we'll keep in house -- and now, it's back!

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Shameless Self Promotion: TTAC Joins The Consumer Guide Podcast

Just a quick note of self-promotion here. You've heard our podcasts. Now you can check out my guest spot on Consumer Guide's podcast.

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TTAC Podcast: 2023 Chicago Auto Show

As February ends, we look back a couple of weeks to the 2023 Chicago Auto Show on our latest podcast.

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TTAC Podcast: Talking Mazda and More



Time for yet more shameless self-promotion! The latest episode of our podcast is now live. On it, we discuss the Mazda CX-90, EV pricing, and Honda's fuel-cell strategy.

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TTAC's Next Podcast: Chatting Cars With Robby DeGraff

The TTAC podcast is back, and we were aggressively Midwest this time around.

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TTAC Podcast Episode 3: New York Auto Show, State of the Industry, and More

The next episode of the TTAC podcast is here!

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Talking Gas Prices and More on the Second TTAC Podcast

Hi there! Remember that podcast we did a few weeks back? Well, we’re back with more.

There’s also more to come.

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Housekeeping: We Have a Podcast Now

One of my hopes as editor of this august site has been to get a podcast off the ground. It was a back-burner idea for years, then Matt and Steph and I recorded a trial run in 2020.

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Bob Lutz Speaks and Speaks and Speaks and Speaks and Speaks
Ex-Car Czar Bob Lutz has made the jump to hyperspace, joining New GM as . . . Car Czar. Of course, Bob can’t quite leave the Old School behind. More sp…
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EcoDriving Spinmeister: "We Can't Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good"

After our characteristically snarky blog on the launch of ecodrivingUSA.com website, The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers reached out to TTAC to defend its PR campaign. Like every professional spinmeister I've ever met, AAM's Senior Director of Communications proved to be an affable, sensible, persuasive guy. And how can you argue against saving gas? So I let the not-so-sibilant Charlie Territo make his case, then explored other mpg-related issues: federal fuel economy regs, state's rights in the matter and suchlike. TTAC encourages any newsmaker (or their rep) to contact us about any published story to make their case on the site, including, should they desire, unedited editorial space for their reply. (robert.farago@thetruthaboutcars.com)

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TTAC Investigates Thermal Butt Management
In our ongoing campaign to put TTAC at the forefront of automotive journalism, we've decided to go behind the headlines, to provide the kind of insight and p…
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National Labor Committee Alleges Toyota Supplier Sweatshops
First of all, the National Labor Committee says that less than 15 percent of its money comes from labor unions. So this is not a United Auto Workers' front o…
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E85 Boondoggle of the Day: Gas Prices "Force" Americans to Push for Ethanol Fuel
That's the headline on the press release sent by EPIC, the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. Apparently, "Motorists are frustrated and angry about h…
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Gas Price Gimmick Hits RV World
As well it might, what with the price of gas at the $4 a gallon mark (apologies to our foreign readers for our pump shock). A quick digression… I love…
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LeMons Update: Team Black Metal V8olvo Finished 15th
What a race. Ninety cars started the event. I have no idea how many cars finished the race, but it was a lot fewer than that. Due to inexperience and a poor…
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Autoextremist to Post On TTAC
Automotive analyst Peter Delorenzo joins TTAC. In a way.
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Ford Gets It Right: From 28 Seat Assemblies to 2
Ford reduces complexity behind the scenes.
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Fired Chrysler IT Worker: Indian Outsourcing Puts Production At Risk
A recently fired Chrysler IT contract worker talks to TTAC.
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Meizhu Lui: Racism and the "Internal Combustion Divide"
Meizhu Lui argues that American blacks need a better mass transportation system-- rather than cars.
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Loverman: Detroit Auto Show Unplugged
Anoterh TTAC 2008 Detroit Auto Show roundup
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TTAC Did Detroit
TTAC's Robert Farago and Sajeev Mehta discuss The 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
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GM Ramps Up The Corvette ZR1
GM set to unveil new Corvette ZR1 at the Detroit Auto Show
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KBB: Car Dealers' Websites Need CGC… Good Luck With That
Kelley Blue Book rep advises car dealer to allow user generated content. As if.
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Altairnano to GM: "We Have Your Battery"
Altairnano builds a better battery for EVs and hybrids
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Saturn Rethinks "Rethink American"
Saturn drops "American" from their "Rethink American" advertising strapline.
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NIKE Encourages Kids to Jump Over Cars
I know it sounds like I'm being sensationalistic (perish the thought) and making this up (never!), but there's no other way to interpret NIKE's decision to f…
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Brits Need Roads
The Association of British Drivers (ABD) is calling for the UK government to get their thumbs out and start building some more damn roads already, and bloody…
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Energy Bill Deal Due Today
The Detroit News reports that the House and Senate are close to cutting a deal on the bill that will determine what kind of cars automakers will be building…
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Honda's Clarity Fuels Hydrogen Hype
Honda is about to offer the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity to "customers" on a limited long-term lease basis. For 600 bucks a month, a handful of lucky leaseho…
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To Tell the Truth: Ford's Quality Guy Talks to TTAC (Pt. 2)
There's something reassuring about talking to employees who work for a really large company. You can almost hear a well-stocked 401k plan in their voice. Now…
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To Tell the Truth: Ford's Quality Guy Talks to TTAC
Even before I pronounced Ford’s “new” Focus a one-star car, FoMoCo PR had suggested a little tete-a-TTAC with one of their quality guys. We…
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What Women Want: Fold Down Rear Seats
It's true: TTAC panders to PR-meisters who use surveys to hook hacks into stories with only a peripheral link to the companies that sponsor them. And more th…
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UK Road Safety Campaigners Get Wasted
The Evening Leader (Wrexham, Wales, UK) reports that a road safety-oriented theatrical production called "Wasted" has kids swearing off cars. After watching…
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EPA Strugges to Devise Plug-In Hybrid MPG Rating
How the Hell do you calculate the official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mileage figures for plug-in or serial hybrids, vehicles that can/will operat…
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Ener1 Announces Li-Ion Battery Breakthrough
I don't pretend to understand all the ins and outs of Lithium-Ion battery technology. I know the basics: they're smaller than the nickel metal hydride cells…
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Solomon Technologies Appeals ITC Ruling on Synergy Drive Patent
The International Trade Commission has ruled that Toyota did not pilfer key technology from Solomon Technologies to create the Synergy Drive system used in T…
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Industry Alliance to Feds: Keep on Truckin'
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and National Automobile Dealers Association have launched a new website dividing the country into "car states" and "…
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DiMora V16 Volcano Gets Closer to Erupting. Maybe.
Alfred J DiMora is one of the most "colorful" characters in the custom car world. In other words, the larger-than-life entrepreneur's ambitions have hit the…
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Project 2000 Claims Toyota Cut Deal With GM to Deep Six Oldsmobile
I think it's safe to say to place this theory somewhere between Big Oil/Detroit's alleged conspiracy against the electric car and Erich von Daniken's Chariot…
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Lexus LS460L Review
My wife struggles with two automotive tasks: finding her destination and maneuvering the car into a parking space. (Locating a parking space is another issue…
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Volt Birth Watch 2: GM's E-Flex Propulsion Systems Geek Speaks… Again
Pt. 2 of a TTAC interview with Volt guy Tony Posawatz
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Volt Birth Watch 1: GM's E-Flex Propulsion Systems Geek Speaks
One of the Chevy Volt engineer Tony Poswatz talks. We listen.
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Chrysler Suicide Watch 8: Plan X From Outer Space
According to the Consumer Federation of America, most large insurance companies rely on computer programs like "Colossus" and "Claims Outcome Advisor." These…
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Fleet Sales Rx: Checker Redux?
When Ford threatened to pull the plug on its Panther platformed rear wheel-drive cars, the livery and taxicab companies howled in protest and Ford backed dow…
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President Bush's State of The Union Address: Towing the Line?
In last night’s State of the Union address, President Bush cooked-up a cute little saying: “20 by 10.” That’s a 20% reduction in Amer…
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General Motors Death Watch 107: Volte Face?
It’s no secret that The Detroit News (DTN) likes to cheer for the home team. It’s also no surprise that the financially challenged paper imports…
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Suzuki XL7 Review
I’m 31, single and happy. So obviously my mother is constantly nagging me to get hitched and give her grandchildren. Even my sister’s impending m…
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Review: 2007 Suzuki SX4
What the Hell’s a Suzuki’s SX4? I know it’s my job to know about these things, but I swear the test car greeting me upon my return from Old…
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BMW M6 Review
I’ve had a thing for the BMW 6-Series ever since “Spenser: for Hire” shared the airways with Mötley Crüe. While Robert Urich had…
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Car Insurance Rates: Star Struck?
As much as I enjoy vigorous debate, I abhor pseudo-science. From The Bermuda Triangle to past life regression, I just can’t deal. If the subject matter…
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  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.