COVID-19, Lexus ES F SPORT, Hyundai Palisade, Motorsports

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COVID-19 seems to be flaring up around the country while the car market starts to stabilize. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, discusses how COVID-19 has kept the film industry down, but hasn’t put the car market down as much as he would have thought. Josh also gives us details on the new Hybrid Ford F-150 and why it’s a really cool truck. Then, we chat with Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, about the 2020 Lexus ES 350 F Sport and the alphabet soup that certain car companies naming conventions have turned into. Next up, Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, makes the case for why the Hyundai Palisade is a perfectly, excellently viable replacement for those searching for a Kia Telluride – it’s the same vehicle in almost every way but exterior aesthetics. Closing out the show, we discuss our outlook on the COVID-19 pandemic, celebrate a big weekend for motorsports at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Austrian Grand Prix, and trade vehicle repair stories.

·[00:00:00] COVID Setbacks and Car Sale Numbers

·[00:06:12] Stand Out Vehicles Saving Brands?

·[00:12:30] Hybrid Ford F-150, Bronco, Car Market

·[00:19:51] George Drives 2020 Lexus ES 350 F SPORT

·[00:29:59] Car Model Names Are Alphabet Soup

·[00:35:53] Hellcat Durango, Lexus ES 350 F SPORT

·[00:42:14] Can’t Find a Telluride? Think Palisade

·[00:48:19] Almost No Gripes with the Palisade

·[00:54:45] MBUX Uses Augmented Reality in HUD

·[01:02:06] COVID Coping, Big Indianapolis Weekend

·[01:11:23] Vehicle Repair Story Time

·[01:18:06] Formula 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix!

[00:00:00] COVID Setbacks and Car Sale Numbers

COVID-19 keeps dragging on and on. The film industry is still on hold after the New York based ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ production lasted less than a week before members of the cast and crew started coming down with the virus. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, says there’s not much we can do about it until things calm down, but on another note, was surprised to see how much better the car industry was doing than he expected. While Josh was expecting to see some companies take a 50% nose dive in sales, some companies have been able to float around in the mid to high 30s.

[00:06:12] Stand Out Vehicles Saving Brands?

Some companies are being hit much harder than others during this COVID-19 influenced economic downturn. BMW has seen more than a 40% decrease in sales, while FCA sales have gone down 39%. Josh CAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, says while the overall numbers for these companies are down, certain vehicles have actually maintained increases in sales. For example, the Jeep Gladiator has risen in sales in comparison to FCA’s decrease, and the same can be said about the Ford Ranger. We wonder what the Ford Bronco will be able to do for the brand in this time of need.

[00:12:30] Hybrid Ford F-150, Bronco, Car Market

They recently revealed the 2021 Ford F-150 and while it may not look very different, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have impressive changes. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, tells us about the new hybrid model for the Ford F-150 and its awesome uses. We also discuss the new, unique look of the Ford Bronco, and Mazda’s strong market showing with only a 9.3% sales downturn and a CX-30 that is doing extremely well.

[00:19:51] George Drives 2020 Lexus ES 350 F SPORT

Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, is driving the 2020 Lexus ES 350 F SPORT – jeez that’s a mouthful! What does it all mean? Well the ES refers to Lexus’ flagship mid-size luxury sedan class, and the F SPORT refers to their souped up performance division. The MSRP for the base ES 350 comes in around $39,900 and the F SPORT version is $44,640 and it’s well worth the price increase! Tune in to learn more.

[00:29:59] Car Model Names Are Alphabet Soup

Alan was recently driving a Mercedes-Benz AMG. Which one? Hell if we know, its too hard for us to keep track of the jumble of letters and numbers some of these manufacturers attach to their models. Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, recalls the old days when every car had a cool, easily rememberable, marketable name attached to it, but even companies like Lexus which previously had a few interesting names under their belt, have gone the way of the alphabet soup. Could you name a Cadillac? How about a Mercedes? Yeah, we can’t either.

[00:35:53] Hellcat Durango, Lexus ES 350 F SPORT

If you haven’t been keeping your eye on Dodge, you may have missed the announcement that they’ll be releasing a Hellcat powered version of the Dodge Durango. Co-founder of Cartender, and Freelance Automotive Journalist for CarGurus, Boston Globe, and U.S. News & World Report, George Kennedy III, and Alan are both very excited about this new addition to Dodge’s line up. Changing topics, George finishes his review of the Lexus ES 350 F SPORT, giving its infotainment screen props, but not so much for its mode of control. Tune in to find out why.

[00:42:14] Can’t Find a Telluride? Think Palisade

Alan has chronicled his struggles finding a Kia Telluride for his wife for the past year. It’s been tough, its been long, and it hasn’t been fruitful; but in lieu of a Telluride, Alan considers the Hyundai Palisade. Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, confirms that the Hyundai Palisade is the sister vehicle to the Kia Telluride in almost every way. The only reason people prefer the Telluride is due to design aesthetics. The Palisade has tons of interior room, a decent engine, and great value. Tune in to learn more about the Hyundai Palisade.

[00:48:19] Almost No Gripes with the Palisade

When it comes to choosing between the Kia Telluride and the Hyundai Palisade it comes down to your preference. Do you prefer redheads or blondes? Telluride or Palisade? Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, gives us the details on the Hyundai Palisade and it is functionally the same vehicle as the Kia Telluride. It has all of the standard safety features and near-luxury interior design you’ve come to expect from Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis. BJ only had two complaints with this vehicle: the media control buttons, and the fact you had to have your seatbelt on to take off. If that’s all she’s got, then you can feel assured that this vehicle is top-of-the-line.

[00:54:45] MBUX Uses Augmented Reality in HUD

So we all know about phone games and apps that use augmented reality to change the way we see the world around us, but how are car companies using this new technology? Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, tells us about Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) and their inclusion of augmented reality into some of the functions of the car. For example, instead of just a flashing little light on the dashboard when you turn on your blinker, there is a cool series of arrows pointing you in the direction you’re going in your head up display. Pretty cool huh?

[01:02:06] COVID Coping, Big Indianapolis Weekend

Alan and Automotive Journalist for Autoweek, Automobile Magazine, and Grassroots Motorsports, Steven Cole Smith, share their outlook on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Alan has opted for a more relaxed approach, Steven is ramping up his precautions – wearing his mask in public due to the quickly increasing numbers of cases in Florida. We also chat about the big weekend for motorsports that happened at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Listen in for details.

[01:11:23] Vehicle Repair Story Time

It’s been a weird year, but this weirdness has given Alan a lot of time to work on his 1973 Chevrolet Blazer. Alan tells us how it took him five tries over the course of an hour to get the header bolt back on, and how he felt super accomplished afterwards. Automotive Journalist for Autoweek, Automobile Magazine, and Grassroots Motorsports, Steven Cole Smith, shares the story of his BMW purchase gone wrong. After he got the BMW home he found out it had four locking lugnuts and he had no way of getting them off! We also learn about the Daytona 240 and the winners there.

[01:18:06] Formula 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix!

Motorsports have been on hold for a while but now they are starting to come back. Formula 1 just raced the Austrian Grand Prix, and Autoweek, Automobile Magazine, Grassroots Motorsports, Automotive Journalist, Steven Cole Smith, gives us the results. Valtteri Bottas won the Austrian Grand Prix for Mercedes, followed by Charles Leclerc for Ferrari, and Lando Norris of McLaren; Lewis Hamilton didn’t make it to a poll position. It seems COVID-19 has set a mental barrier for some people in the racing world, and if you look at NASCAR only a couple people are dominating, and that could be why.

Explore More with Helpful Links:

·Contributor: Josh Hancock | Hollywood Car Consultant, JoshCAR

·Contributor: George Kennedy III | Co-founder, Cartender | Freelance Automotive Journalist, CarGurus/ Boston Globe/ U.S. News and World Report

·Contributor: BJ Killeen | Automotive Journalist, Voice of Reason

·Contributor: Steven Cole Smith | Automotive Journalist, Autoweek/ Automobile Magazine/ Grassroots Motorsports

Credits

Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Cody Castleberry
Copy Editor: Caleb Hayward
Contributor: Josh Hancock
Contributor: George Kennedy III
Contributor: BJ Killeen
Contributor: Steven Cole Smith

Our Sponsors & Supported Charities:

·Austin Hatcher Foundation

·Brembo

·Dodge

·Foundation of Human Understanding

·Shell

·Subaru

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This episode was produced by Entertainment Right Now (ERN). If you found value in this episode, and you’d like to hear more, please consider leaving us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don’t miss a beat. Your feedback helps us to reach more enthusiasts around the world! If you have a question you’d like us to answer, please leave a comment below or e-mail us at info@ernlive.com.

About THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor

THE DRIVE with Alan Taylor puts you in the driver’s seat for a unique, fast paced look at today’s automotive industry. This is your pedal-to-the-metal, two-hour thrill ride devoted to the latest car news and test-drive results, how-to tips, car maintenance tips, auto show coverage, expert insights and behind-the-scenes race day action. Don’t miss exclusive interviews with top auto executives, athletes, celebrities and prominent newsmakers from around the world.