We wrapped up testing on our 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport and share the results. Jeep has resurrected an iconic name plate with its newly unveiled Wagoneer, we talk about the nostalgia associated with this large SUV and go through the specs. Also Mercedes-Benz has redesigned its flagship S-Class sedan for 2021, and we discuss some of the new technology that the luxury sedan will feature. And we tackle a few audience questions about electric vehicles including one about how EVs' high performance affects tire wear.
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SHOW NOTES
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00:00 – Introduction
01:39 – Jeep unveils the 2021 Wagoneer
06:25 – 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
9:35 – 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Test Results
13:57 – Question #1: Is the Mini Cooper SE a viable electric vehicle?
17:04 – Question #2: Is it a good idea to import the Hyundai Ioniq Electric to Iowa from a different state?
20:14 – Question #3: Do high performance vehicles have a shorter tire life than regular gas powered cars?
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Coronavirus Resource Hub
2019 LA Auto Show: 2020 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
4K Review: 2018 Volkswagen Atlas Quick Drive
Jeep Unveils New Plug-In Hybrid SUVs and Grand Wagoneer Concept
Preview: High-Tech 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Ultra-Luxury Sedan
2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review
10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Tesla Model S
Electric Cars 101: The Answers to All Your EV Questions
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Great episode! Felt more consice and less ponderous than recent episodes. Hadn’t considered that electric cars would be harder on tires. Good to know.
Fa misses again! Would never buy one
The S Class looks like an over-priced A Class. The center console looks like the Avalons
It doesn’t look like the prestige class act it used to…
This is probably my favourite line up.
Remember the Wagoneer from the film ‘What about Bob’ with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss?
Stop asking for money
I’m getting really tired of the obsession with range on EVs. Many, many people have small or short commutes and also have second vehicles for longer commutes or vacations. The extra cost and weight penalty of carrying around more EV range than necessary (big battery) needs more discussion and focus.
The future of EVs is both shorter and longer range accordingly.
Two things: In the winter, with heat on, you could lose up to 40% of your range. The 110 miles could become 65 miles. Second, batteries degrade based on charge discharge cycles. If you have to charge daily, as opposed to 2-3 times a week, you will degrade the battery faster. Even if you top off the battery daily, smaller top off charges will make the battery last longer than near full recharges.
good episode…but gabe..he spends just as much time saying “uh” as he does giving info.
Hey Ryan, get out of your storage room where your college furniture went to die and film somewhere where wife/GF decorates.
Where are the wood panels?! Funny how the MSRP of a 1984 Grand Wagoneer was $19K – Adjusted for inflation would be $43K today! Hmm.
Prefer the more retro inspired resurrection of the Bronco nameplate to this Grand Wagoner. The side profile especially really fails to take any cues from what I thought was a elegant look, fake wood paneling or not.
Looks like they took some Tahoe doors and slapped on the Wagoneer. Atlas Cross looks like Honda Crossturd
well, if there ever was a bad idea?!? I can’t listen to other people, why would I want to listen to a car talk all day long? like literally first thing I will ask when all cars can talk, and if you wanna buy a car you have no other choice but to buy a talking car, will be “how do I turn the talking off?”
I really like the Wagoneer!
Some of us don’t want a 3rd row. I currently have a ’11 Acura RDX, and I love it however I’ve been thinking about the Honda Passport. I don’t want the Pilot because it has a 3rd row, and the CRV doesn’t have the better AWD system like the Passport/Pilot does. The extra space is great for two dogs, luggage and a partner.
The original Grand Wagoneer was developed by AMC that they like. AMC bought Chrysler in 1987 and discontinued it in 1988. So basically, it has not be around since AMC was alive. It only took Fiat/Chrysler another two mergers and 32 years later to bring it back. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I’ve got to say this since it’s in the opening of every talking cars episode. It’s a verbal tic that I always notice when people use it. What is a “quick second”? Is it different from a slow second? Kind of like irregardless vs regardless. Just an observation.
Regarding the Atlas Cross Sport I see this vehicle as a good size for active empty nesters, or families with 1 kid. As city dweller, I currently have a Telluride which I love but in two years, I will have one kid graduating college, and one entering college so I could see this as a good car for my wife and I. I am also looking forward to the new Kia Sorrento as from what I am seeing in the test pics, this could offer tough competition for the Atlas Cross Sport.
With the Atlas Cross Sport VW joins almost every automaker with two SUV’s in the midsize mainstream category. With the forthcoming Venza only Mazda will offer only one midsize SUV. (i.e. CX-9). But VW has learned two lessons in the last decade. First, don’t cheat on diesel emissions, especially in the US. Second, North American consumers like their VW models larger and typically less expensive than their Eurpean counterparts. Thus, the first generation Tiguan was replaced in the US with a second generation known as the Tiguan AllSpace in international markets but without the AllSpace modifier in the US. The American Passat is larger, cheaper, and less well appointed than its European counterpart. The current generation Jetta is significantly larger than its predecessor and isn’t even offered in Germany and other European markets where variants of the Golf remain while VW plans to drop the Mk8 Golf with the exception of the GTI and the Golf R. That will leave only the GTI, the Golf R, and the Arteon as vehicles in VW’s North American VW lineup that closely resemble their European counterparts.
That brings us to the Atlas and the Cross Sport. VW dropped the slow selling Touareg in the US when the significantly larger and less expensive Atlas was introduced for the 2018 model year. When the 2020 Cross Sport was introduced, VW followed the dominant trend in the industry by limiting it to two rows of seats and a slightly shorter overall profile. But unlike rivals that range in length from about 188″ to 192″, the Cross Sport is significantly larger at 195.5″. It’s a half inch longer than the new generation three row Highlander. In effect, the Cross Sport is the largest 2 row midsize SUV in the marketplace and while most 2 row midsize vehicles are 6″ or more shorter than their 3 row siblings, the Cross Sport is only 2.8″ less in length than the Atlas.
As noted in the video, the shorter length and coupe-like styling of the Cross Sport means sacrificing significant cargo capacity. The Atlas provides a total of 96.8 cubic ft of cargo capacity and a massive 55.5 cubic feet behind the second row. The Cross Sport offers only 77.8 cf of total cargo space and 40.3 cf behind the second row. But what isn’t noted is that the combined first and second row legroom in the Cross Sport is 82″ compared to 79.1″ in the larger Atlas. In effect, the Atlas offers significantly more cargo and passenger capacity than the Cross Sport while the latter counters with better looks and more passenger room for its smaller passenger capacity.
17:04 yeah you’re not the only one who’s interested in the buzz around this and the unexpected sales of the Hyundai Ioniq plug in varanets. I take this too mean that people are willing to buy ev’s with lower range if the price point is set to match. there are seems to be a bit of an “anti-tesla” thing to this. These buyer’s seem to just want a Mini, a Civic, or an Elantra with a plug. No fancy screens, or ultra tech forward stuff, the just their old car with a better drivetrain at a similar price point.
Don’t get me wrong I expected this at some point, but given how long it took people to accept hybrid technology, the fact that it’s happening so quickly caught me completely off guard.
I’m trying to wrap my mind around the implications of this.