Wheel Bearings
353 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★★ - 172 ratingsNicole, Roberto and Sam discuss the cars they are driving each week and then dive into some of the big topics of the auto industry including the technology, trends and personalities.
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Episodes
Still Too Much
April 07, 2024 19:56 - 87.4 MBThis week Nicole and her husband compare the 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4XE to their 2022 model that they own. Robbie takes the Kia EV9 on a snowboarding trip and is unimpressed by the new Lincoln Nautilus. Sam drives the 2024 Polestar 2 dual motor performance model. Nicole shares her impressions of driving the updated Jeep… Read More »Still Too Much
Faster Than Magma
March 30, 2024 14:54 - 85.1 MBThis week, friend of the show Perry Stern is filling in for Robbie and he’s been driving the Mercedes-AMG GLB. Nicole tries out the latest variant of Honda’s pickup truck the off-road-ish Ridgeline Trailsport and Sam has the Acura TLX Type-S. Perry went to the New York for the Auto Show this week and gives… Read More »Faster Than Magma
Jumping Raptors
March 25, 2024 04:05 - 50 BytesWhile Robbie is off doing some late winter snow boarding, Nicole and Sam are holding down the fort. Nicole has been driving Buick’s new entry level model, the Envista and the Hyundai Palisade. Meanwhile Sam had the new Toyota Prius Limited AWD and the very pricey Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV. Nicole gives a preview of the… Read More »Jumping Raptors
Touch The Vent Not The Screen
March 16, 2024 23:59 - 82.1 MBThis week Sam has been driving the Honda Passport Trailsport while Robbie has the Ford Escape plug-in hybrid. Unfortunately, Nicole is under the weather so she couldn’t join us. Sam assesses the new Lincoln Nautilus and likes the big screen, but there are other issues. Don’t forget to check out the video Sam and Nicole… Read More »Touch The Vent Not The Screen
Return of the Gremlin
March 10, 2024 18:18 - 92.6 MBThis week Sam has been driving the Genesis Electrified G80. Robbie was picking speakers for his band in the Land Rover Defender 130 and Nicole has the Infiniti QX60. The core of Henrik Fisker’s original design for the Karma continues to live on, now as part of the Karma Automotive and the Chinese-owned company has… Read More »Return of the Gremlin
Who Cares About Efficiency?
March 05, 2024 16:00 - 50 BytesThis week Nicole is driving the Ford Maverick Tremor, Robbie has the Range Rover plug-in hybrid and Sam has new Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road. We’ve got lots of news this week. After a decade of work and billions of dollars spent, Apple has apparantely finally abandoned the idea of building a car. Ford took its… Read More »Who Cares About Efficiency?
What’s Happening at Jeep
February 25, 2024 19:46 - 133 MBThis week Robbie got to spend some time with something really fast, the new McLaren 750s. Meanwhile, Nicole and Sam had some more pedestrian rides. Nicole got a few days with the Volkswagen ID.7 as well as the Jeep Hornet PHEV. Sam had the Toyota Crown Platinum. In the news, we’ve got first drive reports… Read More »What’s Happening at Jeep
Testing Tires
February 20, 2024 13:09 - 99.3 MBRobbie is back from Colorado where he attended the Bridgestone winter driving school and spent time with the Toyota Rav4 and 4Runner in the snow. He also rented a Ford Transit van to move ping-pong tables and drove a Kia Carnival. Nicole has been spending time in the psuedo off-road Honda Passport Trailsport and Sam… Read More »Testing Tires
Killing Unused Features
February 13, 2024 10:00 - 50 BytesRobbie is off visiting some family this week, but even with just Nicole and Sam it’s a long episode. Sam has been burning up the gas in a Ford F-250 XL 4×4 while Nicole has a much more reasonably sized Subaru Outback. Nicole and Sam were both in Chicago this week and talk about the… Read More »Killing Unused Features
Bringing Back Hybrids
February 05, 2024 14:00 - 87.7 MBThis week Sam is driving a very luxurious and pricey version of the J300 Land Cruiser in the form of the Lexus LX600. Robbie has been trying out the 2024 Ford Mustang Premium Ecoboost and Nicole had Toyota Prius. Nicole has first thoughts on driving the new Lexus GX. Ford and Lincoln have finally gotten… Read More »Bringing Back Hybrids
Lucy With the Football
January 28, 2024 19:58 - 105 MBNicole has been having some fun with the Mazda 3 Turbo while Robbie has the Subaru Impreza RS. Sam is driving the most affordable Buick in a long time in the form of the new Envista. In the news, Chevrolet has revealed a second completely different and not at all electric Equinox and expanded its… Read More »Lucy With the Football
Dealers be Dealering
January 22, 2024 12:00 - 115 MBThis week, Nicole has the Mazda CX-50 in a disappointing color, Robbie has the Range Rover Velar in one of the 8 available non-colors and Sam is driving the Chevrolet Trailblazer in Cacti Green. In the news, Jeep teases the upcoming Wagoneer S EV with too much power. Stellantis also launches the Ram Promaster EV… Read More »Dealers be Dealering
Tell Me A Dinosaur Story
January 16, 2024 01:19 - 118 MBSam and Robbie survived another year of CES and have lots to discuss. Sam has been driving the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid since returning. Nicole has had the Hyundai Tucson and Robbie got to ride the Honda Motocompacto at CES. At CES, large language models have been integrated into cars with VW using ChatGPT, BMW… Read More »Tell Me A Dinosaur Story
And The Winners Are…
January 06, 2024 00:43 - 78.2 MBThis week Sam and Robbie both have large, luxury, three-row SUVs with turbocharged inline-six cylinder engines. Robbie has the BMW X7 and Sam has the Cadillac Escalade Platinum diesel. In the news we have the winners of the 2024 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards. Ford also bumps up pricing… Read More »And The Winners Are…
We Can’t Have Nice Things
December 31, 2023 19:23 - 71.4 MBThis week, Sam has been driving the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce and Nicole shares her experience renting a Volvo XC60 diesel in Switzerland. Daihatsu which only briefly sold its small cars in the US in late 1980s and early 1990s reveals that for more than 30 years it has been faking safety certification documents for… Read More »We Can’t Have Nice Things
Winter Socks for Tires
December 27, 2023 16:22 - 129 MBNicole is back and she has the new Honda Accord Hybrid Sport! Robbie is back and he’s got thoughts on the Volvo C40 and Electrify America! Sam gets a bunch of electric miles out of the Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti eAWD. In the news, the Chevy Blazer EV we discussed last week is having some… Read More »Winter Socks for Tires
Strategic Crown Vic Reserve
December 16, 2023 22:39 - 106 MBThis week Robbie and his wife are visiting New York for the holidays and Nicole and her hubbie are hitting the Christmas markets along their European river cruise route. Fortunately, Stephanie Brinley is back to join Sam. Steph has been driving the Nissan Leaf SV+ while Sam spent time in the Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss… Read More »Strategic Crown Vic Reserve
Are We Ready To Swap?
December 10, 2023 18:59 - 94.5 MBTanya joins us again this week as Nicole’s European Christmas vacation continues. She spent time with the Toyota Sequoia and the Honda Civic sedan. Meanwhile Sam spent a week with the updated BMW X5 eDrive50 that went 45 miles on a charge of the new larger battery pack. In the news, friend of the show… Read More »Are We Ready To Swap?
Better Late Than Never?
December 03, 2023 18:57 - 98.9 MBThis week Sam drove the 2024 GMC Canyon AT4 and guest host Tanya Gazdik tells us about her experience with a rental Jeep Renegade in Utah and the new Honda Civic. Tanya also got a first drive in the new Toyota Tacoma. Almost 4 years to the day after smashing the windows on the Cybertruck… Read More »Better Late Than Never?
Not A Daily Driver
November 26, 2023 20:26 - 112 MBIt’s just Robbie and Sam today as Nicole starts a European vacation with her hubbie. Next week we should have a third participant. Sam drove the 2024 Ford F-250 King Ranch which is a really impressive truck for doing work, but trucks this size have no business being used as daily drivers. Robbie had another… Read More »Not A Daily Driver
Frunk-Gating
November 21, 2023 16:24 - 98.5 MBThis week Sam drove the 2024 Hyundai Kona and also got a bit of wheel time in the new Volvo EX30. Nicole got another stint in the Subaru Crosstrek, this time in Sport trim. In the news, there’s lots of stuff from the LA Auto Show including the 2025 Toyota Camry and Crown Signia, Kia’s… Read More »Frunk-Gating
Appropriately Named
November 12, 2023 18:58 - 95.7 MBThis week it’s just Nicole and Sam. Since she last joined us, Nicole has been driving a fabulous wagon, the Volvo V60 Cross-Country and the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 high-performance SUV. Sam has had the Chevrolet Tahoe RST with a big, classic American V8. Sam got to drive a bunch of newer models from the BMW… Read More »Appropriately Named
Don’t Call It A Hybrid
November 07, 2023 05:20 - 50 BytesNicole is on the road this week so it’s just Sam and Robbie. But Robbie was flying back and forth to Singapore so he didn’t drive anything. Sam had the new Subaru Impreza and a short stint with the Kia EV9. In the news, details of the Stellantis tentative agreement with the UAW are out… Read More »Don’t Call It A Hybrid
The Tardis of EVs
October 29, 2023 18:17 - 98.1 MBSam is back from Korea and Japan and has driven the 2024 Chevrolet Trax. Nicole has the Ford Maverick Tremor and spends time riding on a GoCycle e-Bike. Robbie spent the week with the Subaru Crosstrek. In the news, Sam has highlights from the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo including the Mazda Iconic SP concept,… Read More »The Tardis of EVs
Falling Short and Expensive
October 22, 2023 23:51 - 81.1 MBSam is in the middle of a 2 week jaunt in Korea and Japan so it’s just Nicole and Robbie today. Robbie has the Ford F-150 Lightning again and Nicole is driving the refreshed Kia Seltos. In the news, Toyota dropped a bunch of images of new EV concepts it will highlighting at the Japan… Read More »Falling Short and Expensive
A Very Expensive Bumper
October 14, 2023 14:11 - 60.8 MBThis week on the show we’ve been driving a broad selection of stuff even though Robbie had nothing new to report on the Kia Niro EV. Sam had two very quick but very different red cars, the Kia EV6 GT and an all too brief stint with the Maserati MC20. Nicole drove the BMW M2… Read More »A Very Expensive Bumper
A Long Note
October 08, 2023 18:36 - 81.4 MBThis week Robbie gets his hands on the almost base model Lucid Air, the all-wheel drive Pure. Nicole has the new Subaru Crosstrek which is no longer offered in high-visibility orange and Sam drive the Lexus RZ450e with its flimsy charge port door. In the news, Ford is upgrading the climate control on the 2024… Read More »A Long Note
I Found It A Little Wonkety
October 01, 2023 21:12 - 70.9 MBThis week, Robbie rented a Chrysler Pacifica for a family road trip. Nicole drove the lovely Volvo S60 Recharge plug-in hybrid sedan and Sam had the latest Honda Accord Hybrid. In the news, Honda showed off the Prologue, its first high-volume battery electric vehicle. It’s a midsize crossover built for Honda on the Ultium architecture.… Read More »I Found It A Little Wonkety
Sharing a Bench With Your Bestie
September 25, 2023 00:02 - 92.2 MBIn the garage, Nicole has the Chevrolet Silverado Z71 Trail Boss which isn’t as expensive as the GMC Sierra she drove last week and also the Polaris Ranger. Robbie has been getting to band gigs quickly in the Cadillac Escalade V. Sam drove mostly on electrons in the new Prius Prime. In the news, Ford… Read More »Sharing a Bench With Your Bestie
Suitcase Scooter
September 17, 2023 18:43 - 126 MBThis week the whole team converged on the Detroit Auto Show but we never managed to get more than two members in the same place at the same time with Robbie mostly focused on the nearby battery show. Sam drove the Toyota Crown Limited while Nicole had the most off-roady of GMC Sierras with the… Read More »Suitcase Scooter
Made In China
September 10, 2023 18:05 - 102 MBWe’ve got a full team this week as Robbie drove the updated 2024 Polestar 2, Nicole had the Ford F-150 Raptor R and Hyundai Palisade and Sam spent time with the Mazda CX-90 plug-in hybrid. Sam got to spend a few days in Munich this week at the IAA Mobility show which included some ride… Read More »Made In China
Extinction Event
September 01, 2023 18:18 - 68.1 MBWe had record early this week because Sam is flying to Germany this weekend, but Robbie is trying out new Bridgestone tires so it’s just Nicole and Sam. Nicole had the fraternal twin of the Toyota Supra, the BMW Z4 while Sam drove the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited AWD. Continuing with Hyundai sedans, the Elantra… Read More »Extinction Event
Send Them To School
August 27, 2023 18:38 - 94.7 MBTanya Gazdik is back this week subbing for Nicole and she has been driving the Mercedes-Benz EQB and having a bad charging experience in Detroit. Tanya also spent time in the latest Range Rover LWB. Robbie tells us about driving the new BMW X5M Competition to Monterey car week and renting a Tesla Model 3… Read More »Send Them To School
The Most Audacious
August 20, 2023 18:37 - 119 MBThis week Robbie hanging out among the fancy people covering Monterey Car Week so Stephanie Brinley is back with Nicole and Sam. Sam took a road trip in the Honda Pilot Trailsport. Stephanie had the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV and Mazda CX-90 plug-in hybrid. Nicole drove the Mazda CX-30 turbo. In the news, we’ve got several… Read More »The Most Audacious
The Detritus of Daily Life
August 11, 2023 17:44 - 50 BytesIn the garage this week we have two similarly sized electric crossovers that are very different. Sam drove the Toyota bZ4X Limited AWD while Nicole had the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV. Robbie wraps up his time with the Mazda Miata. In the news, Cadillac took the wraps off its oversized, overweight Escalade IQ and GM promised… Read More »The Detritus of Daily Life
Just A Boondogle
August 06, 2023 18:48 - 98 MBThis week Nicole is having a seriously fun time with the 2023 Honda Civic Type-Rrrrr! Robbie is also having fun with a car that surprisingly fits both him and his bass guitar, the Mazda Miata Club. Sam actually had a great Electrify America charging experience with the Genesis GV70 Electrified. In the news, it appears… Read More »Just A Boondogle
Bad Lessons
July 30, 2023 18:19 - 86.5 MBThis week in the Wheel Bearings garage, Robbie is driving the latest BMW M2, complete with what may be one of the last manual transmissions in a BMW. Nicole has the non-Max version of the new Lexus RX hybrid, the RX350h and Sam is driving the Honda CR-V hybrid. In the news, seven (really six,… Read More »Bad Lessons
It’s Mostly New
July 25, 2023 10:00 - 50 BytesNicole is travelling again this week so our friend Stephanie Brinley from S&P Global Mobility is filling in. Stephanie has been driving the Lexus LC500 while Robbie had the Lamborghini Urus Performante. Sam meanwhile had to make do with a Corolla, the GR Corolla Morizo edition. Steph and Sam both drove the 2024 Ford Mustang… Read More »It’s Mostly New
The Fancy Sandwich of SUVs
July 17, 2023 14:30 - 50 BytesThis week Robbie and Sam both had Lincoln’s baby plug-in hybrid, the Corsair Grand Touring. Aside from the position of the start-stop button, and Robbie’s inability to arrange the 24-way driver’s seat adjustment to comfortable, there isn’t much fundamentally wrong with it, but is it worth the price? Meanwhile, Nicole had the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV… Read More »The Fancy Sandwich of SUVs
No More Grey
July 11, 2023 13:00 - 50 BytesThis week Robbie came to the realization that the Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a great vehicle for anyone with a Daft Punk cover band. Nicole drove a pair of Nissan Zs back to back with automatic and manual transmissions and Sam spent the week with the highest end Volkswagen Taos. In the news, Nicole… Read More »No More Grey
Comfy Seats
July 01, 2023 14:26 - 111 MBIt’s been a busy week. Sam had both the Dodge Hornet GT+ and the Hyundai Santa Fe plug-in hybrid. Robbie finally gets to talk about the driving the Kia EV9 and also the Seltos. He also discusses an unfortunate crash while going to pickup guitar picks. Nicole drove to Accord to drive the Accord. In… Read More »Comfy Seats
It Hears Me
June 26, 2023 13:00 - 50 BytesRobbie is back from Germany and Korea but he can’t talk about that stuff yet. Nicole drives the Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV and Sam has better luck with the voice interface on the 2023 Lexus RX500h. Stellantis has launched a new compact pickup called the Ram Rampage in Brazil and while they haven’t yet announced anything,… Read More »It Hears Me
Tremors Big and Small
June 21, 2023 10:00 - 50 BytesRobbie is on his way to Korea for a secret mission so it’s just Nicole and Sam this week. Nicole drove the Genesis G80 Electrified and the “last call” Dodge Charger Swinger. Sam had the Ford Maverick Tremor. In the news, Sam and Nicole both drove the new 2024 Ford Super Duty pickups including towing… Read More »Tremors Big and Small
Yanking the Steering Wheel
June 11, 2023 18:39 - 110 MBSam spent the past week testing out the new version of BlueCruise in the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E and was pleasantly surprised at the energy efficiency. Nicole had both the Toyota Sequioa TRD Pro and Lincoln Corsair PHEV. Robbie drove the new Chevrolet Colorado and the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica. Nicole and Sam took a quick… Read More »Yanking the Steering Wheel
Buzz Me
June 06, 2023 00:41 - 85 MBIn the garage this week, Nicole has been driving two very different vehicles from the Hyundai Motor Group stable, the new Genesis G90 and refreshed Kia Telluride. Robbie has car for dog lovers, the Subaru Crosstrek and Sam was pleasantly surprised by what the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid could do with a fully charged battery.… Read More »Buzz Me
Live From the Kona Coast
May 30, 2023 21:30 - 50 BytesWe’re all back together for a brand new show after a week away for some vacation time. We’ve got lots of rides to discuss this week. Nicole had the Mercedes-AMG G63 and Genesis GV70 Electrified. Since we last had him on the show, Robbie drove the Ford Expedition to Tahoe for a band gig, the… Read More »Live From the Kona Coast
New York Conversations
May 21, 2023 16:00 - 92.2 MBSam and his wife are on a beach somewhere in the middle of the Pacific this week so we’re giving Robbie and Nicole the week off too. Instead of news we’ve got interviews that we recorded at the 2023 New York Auto Show. Most of these interviews have already been published for our patrons, but… Read More »New York Conversations
It’s Very, Very Bad
May 14, 2023 18:53 - 91.7 MBRobbie couldn’t make it this week so it’s just Nicole and Sam. Nicole has been driving the Rivian R1S and the Toyota Rav4, two very different SUVs. Sam had an SUV that sort of fits in the venn diagram of the previous two, with a gas engine and serious off-roadability, the Ford Bronco Heritage edition.… Read More »It’s Very, Very Bad
One And A Half
May 08, 2023 13:01 - 50 BytesThis week, Robbie is playing at a wedding in Yosemite with one of his bands, so friend of the show Tanya Gazdik is back with a plethora of Stellantis vehicles. Among the Ram Rebel 1500, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and Jeep Grand Wagoneer L you might be surprised to learn which is her favorite. Nicole has… Read More »One And A Half
The Essential Part Not Included
April 30, 2023 18:32 - 100 MBThis week Robbie tells us about sleeping in and driving the new BMW XM. Nicole spends a week with the Mazda CX-90 and Sam drives the BMW i4 M50 and Maserati Grecale Modena. Lots of news including the NEVs Emily GT, an electric successor to Saab that didn’t make it but is for sale. The… Read More »The Essential Part Not Included