Home Podcasts Auto Buyers Guide Podcast
Auto Buyers Guide Podcast

Auto Buyers Guide Podcast

Auto Buyers Guide 100 Episodes Jul 21, 2026

Every month Alex Dykes and Travis Grady tackle a new set of new vehicles, dive into why things are the way they are, pontificate about how car companies can do better, and generally babble about all things automotive. The podcast covers automotive reviews and industry insights in an informal style.

Episodes

Seltos First Drive, Niro vs Seltos Hybrid & Is Honda-Nissan Too Integrated to Be Good?
Seltos First Drive, Niro vs Seltos Hybrid & Is Honda-Nissan Too Integrated to Be Good? Jul 21, 2026 3459 Travis returns from a sweaty Kia Seltos first drive — bigger, bolder, and available with a 1.6-liter turbo that makes it genuinely fun through the hills — but the story isn't the car itself, it's the incoming hybrid everyone's actually waiting for. The guys dig into Kia's curious trim-level decision (1.6T only at the very top of the X-Line), what the Seltos hybrid might actually deliver in fuel ec
Tesla's A "Legacy" Car Maker Now, Who'll Be Hands Free Next, Polestar & TRX vs Raptor
Tesla's A "Legacy" Car Maker Now, Who'll Be Hands Free Next, Polestar & TRX vs Raptor Jul 10, 2026 3496 A listener wants a fun weekend car with supervised self-driving that is not a Tesla, which sends us down a rabbit hole on when Ford, GM and Rivian might actually ship level three autonomy, and whether Tesla has quietly turned into a legacy car company. We dig into Tesla's R&D spending per vehicle versus GM, why the charging and range crown has slipped to Hyundai, Kia and Lucid, and what we wou
What's Wrong With Toyota's Lineup? Slate Truck Review & The Real Reason Hybrids Save Fuel
What's Wrong With Toyota's Lineup? Slate Truck Review & The Real Reason Hybrids Save Fuel Jun 30, 2026 4057 This week we diagnose Toyota's identity crisis — after the CEO admitted the lineup is "out of control," we go model by model through what should stay, what should die (Crown, Land Cruiser, Supra, GR86, the plug-in hybrid), and where Toyota needs more options in the middle of its SUV range. Plus, first impressions from spending real time with the new Slate electric truck, including configurator sur
Spare Tires & the 2027 Silverado
Spare Tires & the 2027 Silverado Jun 18, 2026 3801 Spare tire or no spare tire? After limping the last 50 miles of a 1,000-mile road trip home on a donut, the crew digs into whether the spare still matters in 2026 — the Consumer Reports data behind what new cars actually carry, why Honda and Subaru hybrids bury the spare-tire well under a battery and waste the space entirely, what a replacement donut really costs, and the safety reasons you should
Sedans Are Back, Dodge Is Confused & Should Acura Just Die?
Sedans Are Back, Dodge Is Confused & Should Acura Just Die? Jun 4, 2026 5054 This week on Auto Buyer's Guide, the crew goes unscripted and ends up covering more ground than most planned episodes ever do. It starts with a Camry in the driveway and spirals into a genuinely compelling argument for why Toyota's all-hybrid midsize sedan is one of the shrewdest value plays on the market right now — outselling the entire Mercedes lineup in North America and costing buyers roughly
Jeep's Toyota Secret, MSRP Is a Lie & Why Your Car's Legroom Numbers Are Wrong
Jeep's Toyota Secret, MSRP Is a Lie & Why Your Car's Legroom Numbers Are Wrong Jun 1, 2026 4511 Alex and Jared open with a revelation that stops most car shoppers cold: the new Jeep Cherokee hybrid isn't running some Stellantis-developed powertrain — it's essentially Toyota technology, sourced through Blue Nexus, the joint venture Toyota quietly controls via its majority stakes in Aisin and Denso. From there the conversation expands into the Cherokee's real-world performance (38 mpg, a 7.5-s
Rumble Bees Are Buzzing, Toyota's V6 Has More Issues, EX60, & Finally New Chryslers Are Coming
Rumble Bees Are Buzzing, Toyota's V6 Has More Issues, EX60, & Finally New Chryslers Are Coming May 22, 2026 4901 The auto world is heating up as Ram throws down the gauntlet with not one but three versions of the all-new Rumble Bee sport truck — and the hosts dig deep into what makes it tick: wider tracks, spool rear differentials, SRT-sourced all-wheel drive, and engine choices ranging from the 5.7 Hemi all the way to the Hellcat. But the conversation doesn't stop there. From Volvo's screaming-fast EX60 EV
Honda's Product Delays, The RAV4  Is The only PHEV That Makes Sense & Alex Is Still Car Shopping
Honda's Product Delays, The RAV4 Is The only PHEV That Makes Sense & Alex Is Still Car Shopping May 11, 2026 4611 The Auto Buyer's Guide podcast is back with a packed episode covering everything from major manufacturer shakeups to savvy used car shopping. This week, the hosts dig into Honda's shocking decision to delay four of its most critical vehicles — the Odyssey, Accord, HR-V, and MDX — past 2030, and what that says about the brand's strategic direction and engineering bandwidth. They also put the Toyota
Why Chinese Cars Are So Cheap, Rivian R2 v BMW iX3 v Volvo EX60, GMC Sierra EV
Why Chinese Cars Are So Cheap, Rivian R2 v BMW iX3 v Volvo EX60, GMC Sierra EV May 4, 2026 3726 In this episode of the Auto Buyer's Guide, the team goes deep on today's most talked-about vehicles and market trends. First up, they put three compact EVs head-to-head — the Rivian R2, BMW iX3, and the new Volvo XC60 long-range — breaking down real-world range, charging strategy, software ecosystems, and which one actually wins for everyday drivers. They also take a close look at the Silverado EV
Pickup Trucks, EV Lease Headaches & the Montana Loophole
Pickup Trucks, EV Lease Headaches & the Montana Loophole Apr 20, 2026 5224 In this episode: 🚛 Pickup Trucks: How Did We Get Here? — Why trucks went from work vehicles to $80,000 lifestyle statements, how the F-150 grew by nearly 3 feet since 1964, and why CAFE regulations accidentally made trucks bigger. 🔋 EV Lease Buyout Strategy — AJ from San Diego is staring down a $5,000 gap between his lease payoff and market value. We break down his real options, what dealers can (
What Dealers Really Cost You, The Used EV Flood Is Coming, High Power Hybrids & Minivan Death Traps
What Dealers Really Cost You, The Used EV Flood Is Coming, High Power Hybrids & Minivan Death Traps Apr 9, 2026 3919 This week on Auto Buyer's Guide, we're digging into why nobody's making high horsepower hybrids anymore (blame Toyota's pragmatism and the ghost of the Lexus LS 600h), answering viewer questions on 12-volt battery woes and whether you actually need to flush your brakes, and debating why ventilated leather seats are really just a solution to a problem leather created in the first place. We've also
Best Budget Manuals, EV Subscription Costs & Reliability Myths Explained
Best Budget Manuals, EV Subscription Costs & Reliability Myths Explained Apr 2, 2026 4007 This week, we’re recording from the back seat of Volvo’s smallest EV while diving into your latest car-buying questions. We break down the reality of buying a budget manual car in today’s market, unpack the growing frustration around subscription-based features in EVs like the Silverado, and take a hard look at whether reliability ratings (especially from sources like Consumer Reports) actually te

Recommended