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New York Times contributor and Emmy Award-winning automotive journalist Tom Voelk looks at all things cars.
454 Episodes
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Cars are transportation, right? Getting from point A to B. They’re also status symbols, pop culture icons, sculpture, engineering, plus environmental and political touchstones (as Elon is finding out). Crown Signia replaces Venza in Toyota’s SUV portfolio, in the same way the Crown sedan nudged Avalon aside a few years back. Crown has been the Big T’s premium machine going back to the 1950’s, just absent from US roads since the 60’s.
Apple may have abandoned plans for an electric vehicle but Sony is forging ahead. Reservations for the Sony Honda Mobility AFEELA should begin in 2025 with deliveries expected in 2026. Powered by Amazon AWS cloud technology, AFEELA is stuffed with tech, both ADAS and entertainment. Options include music and movie streaming plus remote PlayStation gaming from your home PS5 (hey, it’s a Sony). Tom Voelk gets a preview as it rolls through Seattle on a west coast tour. And learn where the AFEELA name comes from! This is a pre-production prototype, many things may change on production vehicle.
For years, the Supercharger network was a singular reason to buy a Tesla over other brands of electric vehicles. With loads of locations and a reputation for reliability, it’s been the charging provider to beat. Now Musk and Company are opening it up to other manufacturers like Ford, GM, Hyundai, and Kia. Tom Voelk loads the Tesla app into his phone and takes the new Volvo EX30 to a Supercharger station to check out the experience. Adapters are needed (unless you’re at a Magic Dock terminal). Tom uses a Lectron NACS to CCS Vortex Electric Vehicle Adapter that's rated to 500 Amps / 1,000V. He also explores the Level 2 Tesla Destination Chargers found at hotels and restaurants using the Lectron Tesla to J1772 EV Charging Adapter. FYI, you’ll need both to cover your bases. Tom originally purchased these adapters for personal use. Afterwards, Lectron reached out and provided sample units for testing.
Looking for a compact machine to rule the city? Volvo’s EX30 is the perfect tool. The brand might be known for safety, but the all-electric EX30 with Twin Motor power is a pocket rocket, the fastest accelerating Volvo ever. Built on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (or SEA) it’s E.P.A. rated at 253 miles as tested. Tom Voelk checks out a loaded Ultra Twin Motor model and finds a fun runabout that could use a few hard controls. Get used to saying “Hey Google”. A lot.
Take 15 vehicles, 15 automotive writers and two days of testing and you have Drive Revolution. Put on by the Northwest Automotive Press Association (or NWAPA), it's a competition to find the best ICE, HEV and BEV vehicles. NWAPA members also vote on best value and choose the NWAPA Drive Revolution Vehicle of the Year. Here's the list of competitors- 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT 2026 Genesis GV60 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Calligraphy Design 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Calligraphy 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S Limited 2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX-Prestige AWD 2025 Lucid Air Pure 2025 Mazda MX-5 Club 2025 Polestar 3 Dual Motor 2025 Toyota GR Corolla Premium Plus 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander Nightshade 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line 4MOTION 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz 1st Edition Special thanks to the manufacturers that took the time to bring their vehicles and representatives to Ilani Casino Resort in Ridgefield, WA. Special thanks to the staff of DriveShop and Page one for logistics and organization. A shout out to John Vincent, Nik Miles, J.R. Chocco, Bengt Halvorson and Kristen Brown for their support.
Every year, Northwest Automotive Press Association members get together to hold Mudfest, the NW Activity Vehicle of the Year competition. It’s a real world look at the kinds of vehicles people are buying today, not just crawling over rocks and trees. 19 automotive Northwest Automotive Press Association writers assembled at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA for two days of on-pavement and off-road evaluation. Check out the category winners and see which machine takes home the grand prize of NW Activity Vehicle of the Year! Also, you’ll want to watch to the very end… Special thanks to Aaron Hanson, Erin Kemp, the staff of DriveShop and Page One Automotive, Connie Peters, Kristen Brown, J.R. Chocco, John Vincent, Jim Redden, Bengt Halvorson, Nik Miles, The Ridge Motorsports Park and Alderbrook Resort for their part in making Mudfest 2025 a huge success.
The Porsche dealership delivery experience is significantly different than picking up a Toyota. What’s it like? Tom Voelk flies from Seattle to Ontario, CA to grab the keys to his new-to-him 2021 Porsche Taycan 4S to find out. Flying standby. Airport pickup. Touring the car for the first time. Checking out swag and aftermarket gear. Learning how to spec out and order a new Porsche. Setting up the apps and interface for the drive back to the Pacific Northwest. If you’re thinking about pulling the trigger of just want to day dream about it, here’s a taste.
Part two of Tom Voelk’s road trip from Ontario, CA to Seattle begins at 10AM in Woodland, CA with the Taycan’s range reading just 10 miles. With no overnight charging available, Tom puts his trust in the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager to steer him towards charging stations along the I5 corridor. How easy is it to navigate the infrastructure? Will Electrify America leave Tom stranded? How many Walmart bathrooms can a guy use? It’s a $75K cinematic video months in the making.
Think road tripping in an electric vehicle in 2025 is a gamble and charging takes too much time? Tom Voelk gets into his new (to him) 2021 CPO Porsche Taycan 4S in Ontario, CA and points it towards Seattle. Will full faith in the Porsche Intelligent Range Manager he hits charging stations along the I5 corridor. It’s a $75K video months in the making! Will Electrify America deliver over 1,200 miles? Will Plug and Charge work? Will Tom find any decent food? All that, original music from Chadashi and more in Part 1.
Lincoln’s Nautilus is new for 2024 and the big news is a huge screen. 4 feet wide, it dominates the interior. Does it work or is it just a gimmick? Tom Voelk checks out a loaded AWD Reserve III trim with the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine ($1,500 will buy the more powerful hybrid powertrain). The display is impressive but hardly the only thing to like about this 5-seat SUV.
The second-generation 2026 Hyundai Palisade is larger, roomier and gets an optional hybrid powertrain for the first time. Plus there’s a new XRT Pro off-road oriented model with more capability in rugged situations, including a trail camera system, recovery hooks and additional instrumentation. Tom Voelk checks out a Calligraphy Hybrid and XRT Pro V6 to preview the 2026 Palisade before it’s arrival in the summer of 2026. Hyundai provided transportation and lodging for this preview. All opinions remain his own.
Nissan pioneered mass market electrification with Leaf but it took a long time to bring it’s second EV to the US. Ariya is quite different from Leaf. It’s more refined. CHAdeMO is gone. The battery pack is liquid cooled. And AWD is available (dubbed e-4ORCE). The roomy cabin with its Japanese inspired details will seat 5 adults. Tom Voelk drives a loaded Platinum+ trim and finds comfort, style, solid range but pokey DC fast charging.
The 2025 Toyota Camry ditches the inline-4 and V6 engines for a fully hybrid lineup. The new nose and cabin space impresses. So does the fuel economy that’s as high as 51 miles per gallon. And for the first time, AWD is available with the Camry’s hybrid powertrain. Tom Voelk checks out a loaded XSE AWD and finds much that’s new… and a lot that’s familiar.
Nissan’s Ariya with e-4ORCE AWD is EPA rated at 267 miles. But road tripping at highway speeds over mountain passes will suck the life force from the pack. Tom Voelk and the lovely Mariko take a Platinum+ trim to Eastern Washington for a camping trip, covering nearly 600 miles. How far does it travel loaded down with gear? How good (or bad) is the charging infrastructure in rural areas? All these answers and more, plus my Texas award-winning chili recipe (it took second place in a San Antonio cook off, not that Texas has a lock on great chili).
The internet grabbed its torches and pitchforks when General Motors announced it was eliminating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its EVs. But… what if GM’s system works just fine without them? Unlike most brands, Chevrolet throws in eight years of free interface connectivity, so there’s no subscription fee. Tom Voelk spent five days in a Chevy Equinox EV to see if the system (originally dubbed Ultifi) works. He finds some hiccups along the way, plus some real advantages.
The Kia EV9 is been available for a just short time and has already racked up dozens of awards. What’s it like to live and travel with? Tom Voelk snags a Land AWD trim for a week to see if it has the space, features, range, comfort, cargo space and charge speed for families to use as their only vehicle. Spoiler alert, yeah, pretty much.
Grab your skis, camping gear and dog, there’s a new 6th generation Subaru Forester. With a beefed-up architecture and standard symmetrical all-wheel drive (of course) it feels more substantial now, even if the toughest road you take is a street with potholes. Tom Voelk checks out a top trim Touring trim with leather seats and the best looking interior to ever wear the Forester badge.
Anyone that’s followed Volvo over the years knows the Swedes are not above having a good time. Gothenburg has produced some true driving cars. The 2025 Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered is one of them. Useful too since it’s an SUV. Plus, as a plug-in hybrid with 36 miles of all-electric range, it can even save owners money. Good thing. As tested in Vapor Gray paint, it MSRPs for $77,345. Also, a brief look at the 2026 refresh.
The Mazda CX-50 crossover has always been a stylish fun-to-drive way to get the chores done. Now it’s more efficient with a first-ever hybrid powertrain. And the gas/electric setup is from Toyota so there’s reassurance that it’s been done right. Does it keep the band’s frisky fun dynamics? Tom Voelk checks out a top-trim Premium Plus edition with standard AWD to find out.
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doing the 2020 Kia telleride anytime soon?
448 GTB?