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Kicking off the show, Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, and Alan lament the death of Regis Philbin, who died recently at age 88, and the cancellation of the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Then, Alan reviews the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, 1998 GMC Sierra, and the 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew, as well as describing the benefits of diesel in an age where diesel is more expensive than gasoline. Next up, we chat with JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, about Hollywood’s halted production, Mercedes-Benz’ decision to shut down factories in North American and slash their lineup, the return of auctions, and Hearst Publishing’s purchase of BringATrailer.com. Wrapping up the show, Car Coach Reports Publisher, Lauren Fix, reviews the Lexus LC 500, discusses the flop of electric vehicles, shares excitement over the Jeep Gladiator V8 and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, and warns us to watch out for supposed great car deals during the pandemic. Tune in to keep up with the latest auto news, reviews, and more!

·[00:00:00] CES Canceled, Regis Philbin Dies at 88

·[00:05:49] Lexus IS 350: Decent, but Needs Work

·[00:12:31] GMC Sierra 1500 and the Merits of Diesel

·[00:19:51] 1998 GMC Sierra vs 2020 GMC Sierra

·[00:27:13] 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew Review

·[00:35:53] Virtual Bleh and Too Many Car Models!

·[00:42:14] Hollywood Production Still in Standstill

·[00:48:17] Mercedes: HUGE Cuts to Lineup/Production

·[00:54:45] Auctions Are Back On, Alan to Sell Supra

·[01:02:06] Hearst Publishing Buys Bring a Trailer

·[01:10:04] Lexus LC 500, Gladiator V8, Shelby GT500

·[01:18:07] Don’t Be Fooled By Great Car Deals

[00:00:00] CES Canceled, Regis Philbin Dies at 88

We catch up with the increasingly depressing happenings around the world with Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen. To add to the giant list of canceled shows, we now have word that the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will not be happening. In other news, legendary talk show host and friend of Alan, Regis Philbin, has died at age 88. BJ urges us all to just shut off our news and plant a garden to distract ourselves from these trying times, as much as possible. 

[00:05:49] Lexus IS 350: Decent, but Needs Work

Okay, nobody would say that Lexus makes a bad car, but they have been falling behind the times a little bit. Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, reviews the Lexus IS 350, giving it positive marks for styling and power, but knocking it for some of it’s weird artifacts, like its foot parking brake. This car costs around $50,000 fully loaded, and when compared to the Hyundai Sonata that BJ just drove, it isn’t impressive for the money. Luckily, the 2021 model will have a design overhaul, and it’s slated to be very nice!

[00:12:31] GMC Sierra 1500 and the Merits of Diesel

Alan has been driving the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 4WD Crew Cab with the in-line 6 cylinder Duramax 3L diesel engine, and he loves it! This thing is loaded up with all the bells and whistles. From the $2525 tech package, to the $3355 AT4 package, you get a lot of value for your cash. Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, wonders what exactly the merits of having a diesel engine over a gas engine are, and we get into the details. Tune in for more.

[00:19:51] 1998 GMC Sierra vs 2020 GMC Sierra

Alan is driving the 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 diesel version, and coincidentally, recently bought a 1998 GMC Sierra 3500. Voice of Reason and Automotive Journalist, BJ Killeen, discuss the differences 22 years in vehicle technology leads to with Alan. The 1998 version has no backup cameras, no safety features, horrible mileage, and the list goes on; but one thing it does have is charm! It was a great machine back in 1998, and its a great machine today, but it just doesn’t hold up to the advancements in car technology over the years. 

[00:27:13] 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew Review

It’s a truck hour as we dive deep on some of our recent test drives. In addition to getting to drive the new 2020 GMC Sierra AT4, Alan also got behind the wheel of the 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew 4×4 for a week and shares his experience with Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen. One thing that really surprised him was the fact that it had a 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine. He would have never known it had such a small engine if he didn’t look under the hood.

[00:35:53] Virtual Bleh and Too Many Car Models!

We spoke earlier about how CES has been canceled for 2021 due to the coronavirus, but we didn’t mention how they would still be holding a virtual version of the event. Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason, BJ Killeen, and Alan express their distaste for virtual events; if you can’t touch it, feel it, and experience it, what’s the point? We also discuss the ridiculous overpopulation of slightly different car models from manufacturers like (but not limited to) Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. Thankfully, Mercedes-Benz has mentioned they will be cutting a good amount of superfluous models soon.

[00:42:14] Hollywood Production Still in Standstill

The COVID-19 pandemic drags on, and Hollywood sits in a standstill in terms of production. JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, gives us an update on the Hollywood production issues. Where there once were anywhere form 350-500 productions going on at any given time, now there are six. Productions are also cutting some of their car chase scenes from their movies to keep them from having to go out and shoot them. 

[00:48:17] Mercedes: HUGE Cuts to Lineup/Production

We’ve all heard the news –  sedan sales are down across the board – but how drastically does a car company need to cut cars and sedans to survive? JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, points out that Mercedes-Benz has recently decided to put ALL manufacturing in North America on hold, with the possibility of not returning at all on the table. On top of that, they’re cutting ALL coupes and convertibles from their line up. All of this may be warranted, because they make way too many different models as it stands, but perhaps they went too far. Let us know what you think.

[00:54:45] Auctions Are Back On, Alan to Sell Supra

When your wife asks you “Why do you have that car?” and your answer is “I don’t know!”, it’s probably time to sell that car. Having just signed the paperwork for a 2020 Ford Mustang GT500, Alan thinks he might take it down to a Barrett-Jackson auction. Speaking of which, January’s Barrett-Jackson auction at Westworld is on! JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, discusses the success Mecum Auctions has had resuming auctions recently, and Alan tells us why the used car and auction worlds are doing so well lately. 

[01:02:06] Hearst Publishing Buys Bring a Trailer

Alan tried to sell a 1973 BMW 2002 on the Bring a Trailer auction website, but his car was rejected! Grievances aside, Alan shares the news that Bring a Trailer was just recently purchased by Car and Drive owners, Hearst Publishing, and JoshCAR Hollywood Car Consultant, Josh Hancock, gives his take on this news. Josh also shares why certain seemingly luxurious or expensive cars aren’t always a steal deal at a low price. 

[01:10:04] Lexus LC 500, Gladiator V8, Shelby GT500

We catch up with Lauren Fix of Car Coach Reports to see how she’s doing during this pandemic. Starting off, we talk about the recent deaths that have us in mourning – Regis Philbin at the age of 88, and Herman Cain at the age of 74 – and the conditions surrounding their deaths. We also discuss Lauren’s current test drive, the Lexus LC 500 Convertible, its 471 HP V8 engine, and more! Tune in to catch it all. 

[01:18:07] Don’t Be Fooled By Great Car Deals

Alan’s nephew came over to his house the other day and was excited by the deal he got on a used Ford – he says “it’s at 2.9% for 72 months and my payments are under $200!” – but Alan wasn’t buying it. Turns out that his nephew ended up paying double the value of the car in turn for an apparently good financing deal. Car Coach Reports Publisher, Lauren Fix, warns us on what to look out for when dealing with leases and financing deals that some car lots are fooling us with right now. Tune in to save some cash.

Explore More with Helpful Links:

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

·Contributor: Josh Hancock | Hollywood Car Consultant, JoshCAR

·Contributor: Lauren Fix | Publisher, Car Coach Reports

Vehicles Discussed: 

2020 Lexus IS 350, 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, 1998 GMC Sierra 3500, 2020 Ford Ranger Supercrew, 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, 2020 Toyota Supra, 1973 BMW 2002, 2020 Lexus LC 500, Jeep Gladiator

Credits

Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Audio Engineer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Cody Castleberry 
Contributor: BJ Killeen
Contributor: Josh Hancock
Contributor: Lauren Fix

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.