This week we cover tips on how to keep your car clean during the Coronavirus outbreak. Find out which cleaners work best to kill the virus while preserving the interior of your car. Plus, we discuss our test results of the 2020 Toyota Highlander and answer audience questions about CR Top Picks and the reliability of American made cars.
Check out for the latest reviews, tips, and recommendations and subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
Follow Us on Social:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Pinterest:
Instagram:
SHOW NOTES:
1:05 – Disinfecting the interior of your car
6:45 – 2020 Toyota Highlander test results
13:37 – Send us your questions at TalkingCars@iCloud.com
13:47 – Question #1: Pierre | Québec, QC; I agree with 90% of your Top Picks cars this year. (The only car I would not buy is the Supra.) But why did you not choose at least one Porsche, Genesis or Mazda in your Top Picks? I personally believe the Genesis G80 and Mazda 3 are really good buys.
18:18 – Question #2: Steve | West Chester, PA; I'd love to buy a car from an American brand, like Ford or Chevrolet. However, my own experience, and your reliability rankings tell me that these cars will typically be much less reliable. Reliability and longevity are the top criteria for me. How can American nameplates have such poor reliability year after year? Why aren't they learning how to do this? They are keeping away those of us who don't want to spend money on repairs or spend our time at the dealership.
20:39 – Question #3: Ray | Henderson, NV; Many of the newest cars, including my Audi A6, have a sport or dynamic drive mode. This seems to increase the RPMs in the vehicle, and I was wondering if it’s safe to keep the car in this mode at all times. Does it affect engine or transmission reliability? Thanks for the service you provide, and shout out to the crew, especially the 2 Mikes!
LINKS:
How to Kill Coronavirus in Your Car Without Damaging Interior Surfaces:
2020 Toyota Highlander:
10 Top Picks: Bets Cars of the Year:
2020 Autos Spotlight:
I find abrupt throttle tip-in is a common Toyota trait. It’s not a good one either, as it’s a silly attempt at imparting a feeling of performance which doesn’t really exist.
Nissan especially with their VQ V6 motor has an extremely strong throttle tip in! Teaching my daughter when she was learning how to drive on my 2008 Nissan Altima 3.5SE was somewhat difficult. I bought her a 2015 Corolla 3 years ago and even though it has a lot less power the Toyota has the same sensitive tip in as our old Altima so she was use to it. I currently own a 2016 Accord V6 Coupe automatic and it’s not that way at all even though it’s by far the most powerful!
Thank you for continuing the podcast! I look forward to it every Friday! Stay safe and healthy!
Glad that Talking Cars is still going on with due safety precautions, in spite of the Corona Virus.
I had wondered what the Covid situation would mean for this podcast. So glad to see you’re keeping it going! Thanks for another interesting episode!
Thank you Consumer Reports for this very informative video! I have one question for you guys. Would using an ozone machine inside the car also work to disinfect and kill the Coronavirus – and if so, for how long should the ozone machine run?
Great work, gentlemen! Appreciate you keeping up with the podcast/video production despite working from home.
Hi, guys, thank you and the crew for continuing to give us our Talking Cars fix! Good work as always!
Thank you guys we need the distraction
Have a 2012 Highlander Limited and absolutely adore it. Will probably wait until 2022, and replace it at that time with a new Highlander. Toyota always hits the sweet spot with their vehicles. Not the fastest, not the fanciest, but reward their owners with comfort, convenience and extreme reliability. We even have a 2001 Camry with 175,000 miles and a 2011 Tacoma TRD quad cab. Thanks for the test.
Mike Monticello and I have the same microwave.
Did you consult Consumer Reports before buying it?
Same old Highlander, but dressed up a bit with far less front legroom for taller drivers. We bought an Ascent which offers a lot more legroom. Even though Toyota claims 42″ front legroom, the Ascent had a lot more front legroom my husband said, a superior driving position and more options at lower trim levels. If the Highlander works for you, it’s reliable and that Hybrid should offer superior gas mileage if you can afford it, but a lot of new competitors are offering more comfortable vehicles at better price levels
I just knew Jake was a wood panelling kind of guy
Lol I can tell consumer reports customers aren’t really into cars with these types of questions this is stuff my mom would ask me lmao
Are you *sure* about microfiber cloths? They are great for cleaning in normal situations but I’m not so sure about them being anti-microbial or anti-virus. There was enough ambiguity in how you mentioned them and I don’t think you *exactly* said you can just use a microfiber cloth but I am only going to be using microfiber cloths in combination with alcohol or soap/water. I tried to search around and didn’t find a 100% clear answer. I didn’t find any references that you can *just* use the cloths, all the references seem to be in combo with other stuff or pre-coronavirus references about general cleaning.
we need more content. bored at home and im going to start planting when i hate planting because im freaking bored.
Mike, you need to work on your “Uhm” to other vocabulary ratio 🙂 But seriously keep up the good work.
I enjoy the Talking Cars videos because it’s just good chats. No fake drama, clickbait etc. Keep it up guys! 👍
The 3 keys of car buying: Reliability, reliability and reliability, in my opinion.
HIGHLANDER: HYBRID AND MOST RELIABLE!!!!
I always look forward to your shows. I am extremely glad that you could put one together for this week. Thank you very much.