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Today, Alan’s guest and contributor is BJ Killeen. BJ is an automotive journalist and a voice of reason. She joins the show to discuss the latest news from the automotive industry. The Mercedes Benz G Wagon is a status symbol machine that is incredibly capable off-road. In fact, the company is planning to introduce a new baby G Wagon model in 2026. Moving on to the political landscape of the industry, the UAW is requesting a 46% pay raise over a couple of years, a 32-hour workweek with pay for 40 hours, and a return to traditional pensions. If the workers go on strike, it will cost the three largest automakers a billion dollars within ten days. This would lead to a loss in production, which could result in dealerships marking up their vehicles. Before BJ signs off, she shares that Mini has announced they will no longer be offering manual transmissions in their vehicles. Even though they recently opened a school to teach people how to drive a stick shift.

Coming up next on Alan’s show is George Kennedy, co-founder of Cartender.com and Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association. He is also a contributor to U.S. News & World Report, CarGurus, Forbes Wheels, and The Drive. Today, George is test-driving the 2024 Acura Integra Type S. This is a much-awaited car for him, and it looks like a four-door coupe, but it’s a sedan. Acura and Honda are known for making very practical cars. This particular car has quite a bit of headroom and legroom. The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is a performance luxury car with a manual transmission that costs around $50,000. It’s a great all-around car, smooth and very easy to use.

Brian Moody, Executive Editor of Auto Trader.com and KBB.com, will be the final speaker. As hurricane season approaches, there are several precautions you can take to keep your car safe from Mother Nature. Firstly, avoid driving into floods. Prior to the storm, make sure to fill up your tank or charge your electric car to its maximum capacity. Also, store your car in a garage or move it to higher ground if you anticipate flooding. AutoTrader’s enthusiast page www.autotrader.com/oversteer features stories on car anniversaries such as Bentley Continental GT, Audi TT, Honda Civic CRX, Jeep Cherokee, just to name a few. Let’s shift our focus to the Ford Maverick. If you’re one of the people who purchased or reserved a 2022 Ford Maverick and are still on the waiting list, you may be able to take advantage of a few discounts. You can get $1750 off the gas-powered version or $2700 off the echo boost hybrid. Ford is aware that people are having to wait for a long time, so it’s offering some discounts. Alternatively, you could explore if there is a discount for switching to a 2024 model. The Ford Maverick is a great truck that can handle all the needs of the average person. Here’s some interesting information for you. Jim Farley, the President and CEO of Ford, recently test-drove the Ford F150 Lightning electric truck and had an eye-opening experience. He had to wait for 40 minutes to get a 40 percent charge, which made him realize the need for more charging stations. Before Brian left, he shared some findings from a JD Power study. The study found that 21% of people in the United States plan on adopting an electric vehicle. The top 10 states that are most interested in electric vehicles are California, Washington, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, Maryland, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Massachusetts. This year, more electric cars have been sold than ever before. However, there are also 10 states that are declining in electric vehicle adoption. For more information on this study, you can check out JDPower.com.

[00:00:00] – Contributor BJ Killeen
[00:06:51] – UAW Strike
[00:13:01] – Bye, Bye, Mini Manual
[00:20:52] – Contributor George Kennedy III
[00:28:27] – 2024 Acura Integra Type S
[00:37:23] – Ford Bronco Raptor
[00:43:43] – Contributor Brian Moody
[00:49:27] – Happy Anniversary
[00:56:43] – 70 Years and still going
[01:04:33] – Ford Maverick
[01:12:43] – More Charging Stations
[01:21:04] – JD Power Study

CREDITS

Host: Alan Taylor
Producer: Dave Milligan
Copy Editor: Colleen Mahi

Contributor: BJ Killeen
Contributor: George Kennedy III
Contributor: Brian Moody

EXPLORE MORE WITH HELPFUL LINKS:

• Contributor: Brian Moody |  Executive Editor of Auto Trader.com and KBB.com
• Contributor: George Kenney III |  Co-founder of Cartender.com, and the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association. He contributes to U.S. News & World Report, CarGurus, Forbes Wheels, and here on The Drive. 
• Contributor: BJ Killeen | Automotive Journalist and Voice of Reason.

Vehicles Discussed:

Bentley Continental GT, Audi TT, Honda Civic CRX, Jeep Cherokee, Land Rover Defender, Minivan, Volkswagen Passat, Honda’s first automobile, Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche, 2024 Acura Integra Type S, Mercedes Benz G Wagon, Ford Maverick, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford F150 Lightening, Ford Maverick

OUR SPONSORS & SUPPORTED CHARITIES:

• Austin Hatcher Foundation
• AutoTempest.com
• Brembo
• Dodge
• Foundation of Human Understanding
• Shell
• Subaru