Don't Get Too Amorous While Listening to This Automotive Podcast While Driving

The end of year awards season kicked off with Motor Trend's Car of the Year: It's the 2014 Cadillac CTS.



How much do those awards boost sales? It's hard to say, but October auto sales remained strong in the U.S. and that demand pushed up transaction prices as well.

The SEMA show in Las Vegas is a place where you can see cars that won't ever get sold, at least not for road use.

The outrageous designs probably inspired J Mays in his younger days. The famous designer is now retiring from Ford.

Many of his designs ended up in car rental fleets. Hopefully, they are in the better rental car companies.

Highway deaths are on the decline again, with the number of traffic fatalities falling for the first six months of 2013.

There are lots of things that you can do behind the wheel, but should you? And why would you want to? One of those things is wear your Google Glass while driving, which might get you a ticket.

This Podcast Asks: Is a Three-Wheeler More Desirable Than a Crossover Coupe?

We're approaching the end of year and that means it's time to start naming the best and worst of the year. Esquire named the Lexus IS350 it's car of the year, while Motor Trend said the Subaru Forrester was the SUV of the year, even if Mathew isn't sure it's a SUV.



No one thinks that weird crossover coupes are desirable, and few are being purchased, which means that most will fade from the market.

The 1991 Mazda 626 owned by running back Alfred Morris is getting a refresh in a cool PR stunt by Mazda dealers.

David would perform many stunts to get a chance to own or even just drive one of these 2013 Ural Gaucho Rambler Limited edition.

Toyota is bringing it's weird three wheeler to market, but not to the U.S.

U.S. drivers may have tried to blame Toyota vehicles for their accidents, but the jury in one case said it was operator error.

It would be an error to text and drive and now New York is creating text-safe areas.

Google is going wild in trying to patent the idea of gestures to control aspects of the vehicle. We think it's wild that this would deserve a patent.

Finally, roundabouts appear to be more efficient than American-style four-way stop intersections, but Mathew is skeptical of the results of this test.

A Podcast as Uplifting as Car Sales in August

It was an awesome summer for me in the PacificNW, but most car dealers and auto makers had a great summer too. Car sales were lush and green in August for almost every brand, and the good news trickled down all the way to electric cars like the Volt and Nissan Leaf.

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Car sales were like a day at the beach

But what is good for car makers may be bad for consumers. Inventories are tight across the U.S. and that may mean higher prices and less choice.

If you love old cars, and rare cars, that is a good place to park your assets. The Economist found that classic luxury autos are a great investment.

But few of those investment vehicles spend much time on the road, especially because traffic is going to get much, much worse because there are few plans to increase the amount of roads.

Do transportation planners take into account how bad (or good) drivers in their regions are?

Driverless cars would help take more of those bad drivers off the road and they are one of the five things that are coming in near future vehicles. Nissan and GM are promising at least semi-autonomous vehicles by 2020.

Will they be safe enough for passengers to skip the seatbelt? That might not be an option if ignition interlocks are connected to seat belts. But that might have lots of other benefits for car design.

Finally, we dissect a goofy list of 15 things you should always have in your car and Mathew convinces me that jumper cables are still a good idea.

Be Warned: Sitting in Traffic Listening to This Podcast Means Things Are Good

The summer is winding down, but there is one last burst of driving around Labor Day. The AAA is expecting traffic volume to return to pre-Great Recession levels so get ready to slow down.

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Mathew's warning.

But when you get back on the road after your weekend, be happy to get stuck in traffic because that means the economy is doing better. INRIX found an unsurprising correlation between traffic and economy activity.

If you use cruise control to get where you are going on your next road trip please be careful because again -- no surprise -- it makes it harder to control the vehicle.

Another thing that impacts safety are motor regulations and this dramatic map shows globally how many road deaths there are.

In the U.S. we have many laws governing driving and ownership. Those rules usually add costs, and here is a look at the most and least expensive states to own a car.

Finally, be wary of wacky road rules. Again, the whims of regulators lead to a plethora of varying driving laws.

This Podcast Would Make an Epic Traffic Jam More Fun

In this episode of the GTSOTR podcast:

We look at the cost of buying, owning and driving a car around the world.

Perhaps some of those road tolls and congestion fees could have prevented some of these epic traffic jams.

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Epic traffic in China

Mercedes-Benz is putting QR codes on its vehicles to help first responders access the cars "rescue plans."

Another clever use of QR codes is happening in Portland, Ore., where the local transit system is developing a system to allow passengers to buy tickets via their smartphones.

A new study predicts that the in-car mobile app market could reach more than $1 billion in less than five years.

While Mathew is saving his money for more important things like his rising insurance rates, David is hoping that this awesome remote-control car-quadcopter can be his in the nearish future.

This Automotive Podcast Is Efficient Enough to Not Get Caught in Traffic

The advertising overdrive that was the Super Bowl featured several auto makers vying for attention. We go through the best and the worst of the commercials, which of course leads us to a discussion of Dodge Ram and Jeep's efforts.

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The goal of those ads is awareness and ultimately sales, and given that sales incentives were down in January, perhaps not as much money was needed for those fancy ads.

Too lazy to plug it in?

One place where more money is going is toward gasoline. While the overall fuel economy of the new-car fleet has gone up, the price of gasoline has pushed up the percentage that families pay to drive each year.

Much of that fuel goes to engines that are idling in traffic, particularly in these cities where you should budget hours for trips that should take minutes.

Fuel economy suffers in all kinds of engines while stuck in traffic, but Consumer Reports says the batch of new smaller turbo engines aren't as efficient as auto makers claim. Perhaps induction charging can help drive demand for electric cars because it eliminates the need for the cord.

Finally, a daft driver in Ireland tries to thwart the boot.

This Automotive Podcast Doesn't Need a Safety Alert Sound

We're all digital this week. Both in audio and in content because it's CES time. Auto makers and parts suppliers are rolling out new gadgets, apps and infotainment systems that a recent study predicts will be the differentiator for buyers over the next few years.

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Ford and GM are battling for wired drivers with new systems, while traffic data supplier Inrix is adding parking information to its offerings. Delphi is also readying a new system to bring smartphone connections to older vehicles.

Being informed about the consequences is part of an effort in Japan to get people to drive safely.

Buyers weren't informed about the vehicles on the worst-selling of 2012 list. No Chevrolet models on there, and the GM brand hopes its new tagline drives sales.

The NHTSA wants to add warning sounds to electric vehicles so they don't sneak up and surprise pedestrians.

Finally, Jerry Seinfeld is re-upping his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and while he is wealthier than many corporations, one driver tried to argue that the corporate papers in his passenger seat were enough to qualify him for the HOV lane.

Flash Your Headlights If You Just Podcasted About a New Car

Those of you who are avid listeners to our podcast know that David is perpetually car shopping. But after this week, he'll be taking a break for at least a few weeks after trading in the big Benz for a VW GTI.

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More images of the new ride to come.

It may not have been a graduation gift, but many parents and grads are out car shopping right now and Joe White offers some ideas that are more interesting than a Toyota Camry.

The Facebook IPO didn't make as many millionaires as folks thought, but there are apparently enough wealthy car collectors that the high-end classic car market remains strong.

The rest of us working stiffs are at least getting to work faster thanks to the weak economy, which may have helped clear the roads of enough cars to make traffic less of an issue in most cities last year.

GM is hoping to save money next year by skipping the Super Bowl. We think it's a penny wise and pound foolish plan.

Finally, we enjoy the right of free speech, especially with this podcast, and now so do Florida drivers. A judge ruled that flashing your brights to alert other drivers is protected under the Constitution.

You Can't Sue Us If You Don't Like This Podcast About Cars

GM is hoping that you don't sue them, especially for anything that might be wrong with the cars that it made before it went through bankruptcy.

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Hyundai might get sued for this questionable unintended acceleration (check out the video below), but we agree there is something fishy going on.

Putting premium fuel instead of regular might save you some money in the short term, but the long-term effects on your engine remain unclear.

On a scary note, a fake police officer is terrorizing drivers in Mississippi and another is scaring police officers in Florida.

In Atlanta, efforts to add more lanes have created confusion and led police to arrest a former NFL player.

GM has decided it doesn't like Facebook anymore, at least for advertising -- and Ford is mocking its cross-town rival.

Finally, one man has taken a dead and crushed Ferrari and turned it into a coffin-like coffee table.
It made us wonder what kind of car you'd like to be buried in.

Carmageddon Was a Bust. Will Viadoom Create Havoc?

Over the summer, the worst fears associated with Los Angeles's Carmageddon -- the traffic jams expected when I-405 was closed for a weekend -- proved to be overblown.

Efficient commuting? From the Seattle Times.

Now Seattle is facing Viadoom: The closure of the crucial Alaskan Way Viaduct as workers demolish a portion of the downtown elevated highway as part of the controversial tunnel project.

The Seattle Times has provided all kinds of maps, guides and other resources for drivers looking to avoid the potential traffic snarls cause by the project.

While we were standing in the rain competing in a pumpkin race, several thousand Seattleites turned out this weekend to pay tribute to the roadway and stroll about without fear of getting hit by a car.

Tomorrow will be the big test to see if Seattle's already tough traffic gets exponentially worse. Stay tuned.

There's an App for Podcasting on a Crumbling Bridge

Car sales are next week, but we are excited because Ford is predicting a strong month for sales.

We talked about OnStar last week and we were split on how terrible their tracking of people's vehicles was. Well, GM listened. To someone, and the company said it will stop tracking vehicles where OnStar has been turned off, and allow drivers to opt-in, rather than opt-out.

Be happy about the economy.

Traffic is an indicator of economic success, according to a new study. So, you should feel comfortable about your job as you sit in traffic.

If you are sitting in traffic on a bridge, you should be worried about the U.S.'s crumbling infrastructure. A bridge linking Indiana and Kentucky has to be closed because is cracked. We're worried that many more bridges and roads are falling apart.

While the infrastructure is getting more dangerous, giant SUVs are getting safer, according to new data.

We have lamented the unpleasant experiences that many folks have at dealers and now a new Spike TV show will follow struggling dealer who need to turn things around in 5 days.

We're testing out a new Facebook app called Car Town. If you play, look us up. Here are some tips to get started.

Finally, the holiday shopping season is coming and a new toy let's kids drive on an iPad. Check out the video:

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Escaping Carmageddon in a Flying Car

Perhaps you bought a new car last month or over the July 4th weekend. What did you pay? Well, the average vehicle transaction topped $30,000 in June, or almost $850 more than the same month last year. We love to talk about gadgets in cars, and those gadgets and infotainment systems are what's pushing prices higher.

Even as prices rise, auto makers are always looking for new incentives. GM's latest is free car insurance, but only in Oregon and Washington and only for Cadillac buyers. That won't benefit Midwestern car buyers, who tend to be the most loyal to U.S. brands.

Are you a patriotic buyer?

Patriotism isn't in play for electric car buyers, with Nissan Leaf sales topping Chevrolet Volt sales. The local Independence Day parade illustrated that. There were about 10 Leafs, and no Volts.

Those Leafs glided past quietly, and that has regulators concerned. They are seriously considering adding "pedestrian warning sounds" to electric and hybrid vehicles.

Something else that worries regulators, cellphones and driving. But the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) urges states to hold off on banning the practice until more research is done to gauge the effectiveness of such laws.

Even though his fortune and his job depend on selling cars and trucks, Ford Motor Chairman Bill Ford wants more efforts into developing alternative modes of transportation.

Los Angeles area residents are probably going to be abandoning their cars next weekend when a much-hyped construction project closed the 405 for an entire weekend. The expected traffic jam is being called Carmageddon.

Perhaps the expected gridlock will make the roads safer for men and women. Well, maybe more for women. A new study of 6.5 million car crashes found that women crashed into other women more often than expected.

Finally, a flying car has received clearance to take to the roads. Good luck finding enough runway to go from highway to the sky.

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Distracted While Driving on Glass Roadways With Spiders and Slippery Key Fobs

We hope we don't distract you while you are driving with this podcast, because apparently there is a growing number of people who are using the Web while driving. We debate the validity of this study and distracted driving in general. After all, Americans traveled 3 trillion miles last year, most without incident, but with lots of traffic.

Buick tops Lexus on the lot

Buick has cause to celebrate after topping Lexus, the current luxury-car brand champ, in sales during February. Is it a blip or a trend?

Some weird recalls caught our eye, including spider webs in Mazda fuel tanks and “inadvertent ignition key displacement” in Chrysler minivans.

A new app aims to connect electric car drivers who would be willing to let other electric-car owners charge their rides at their homes.

And finally we debate the feasibility of an inventor's idea for glass roads with solar panels and LED messaging built in.

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Car Makers Hope for More Congested Dealer Showrooms, Spend Big on Super Bowl Ads

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Car makers should be revved up about sales for 2011, with a strong January showing. Lots of double digit gains by brands, including rebounds by Jaguar, Mitsubishi, Jeep and Jaguar.

The Super Bowl MVP gets a Chevrolet Camaro

Congestion might not yet be a problem for auto dealers, but it is a problem in many cities across the U.S. WSJ's Joe White writes about some of the more creative solutions being used, including having more tow trucks.

Timing red lights can improve traffic flow, and a new study by the IIHS says that red-light cameras can help reduce fatalities.

Software and app updates are a part of life for gadget owners and now car makers are looking for ways to make it easier to update the increasingly high-tech systems in vehicles.

This Sunday is the Super Bowl, and while neither of us cares deeply about the two teams, we are excited for all of the car ads that will roll across the screen between plays.

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The Podcast That Could Have Helped You Buy a Car Yesterday

The most wonderful podcast of the month: Car sales. They rose in November, except for Toyota, which is still suffering from the aftereffects of its unintended acceleration.

Deals are to be had for car buyers.

Most surprising data point: The week between Christmas and New Year is the busiest time for new-car sales. But the best auto deals are usually at the end of November, and for 2010 it was November 30th. And KBB has its list of the vehicles with the best resale value.

The Volt is just rolling off of the factory line, and the EPA finally got around to slapping a sticker on Chevrolet's extended range electric vehicle. GM, which is on a small roll, was able to pay back some of its debt.

Also, a new study says the auto industry bailout saved over 1 million jobs.

Too bad those working stiffs still had to sit in traffic, particularly in New York City and around Washington D.C.

Finally, Sony released Gran Turismo 5 for the PlayStation3 after years of development and Autoblog's review doesn't have us revved up to buy it.

GetThisShowOnTheRoad, December 2, 2010.mp3

Thanksgiving Driving Travel to Increase This Year AAA Reports

A snow plow on Thanksgiving, 3 days after the snow ended.

The the number of Americans traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday will increase 11.4 percent from 2009, AAA projected earlier this week. Approximately 42.2 million travelers were expected to take a trip of at least 50 miles away from home. Last year, 37.9 million Americans traveled during the Thanksgiving holiday. The 2010 Thanksgiving holiday travel period is defined as Wednesday, November 24 to Sunday, November 28.

After my little driving adventure earlier this week thanks to a #snOMG snow storm here in the Seattle area, our family went exactly 0 miles for the holiday. I walked out to the street a couple of times to see whether it would be drivable some time this year.

Did you drive this weekend? Did you go car shopping? Let GTSOTR know..

Podcasting With Automobilistic Undertones

You think traffic is bad on your commute. Try sitting in traffic for 10 days. That's what is happening in China where road construction has created a 60-mile back-up, made-up mostly of trucks. In some cases, the trucks are moving a half-mile per day.

On the road in China, but not moving.

That could drive someone to drink. But hopefully not driving. Sadly, a new study from NHTSA found that 8% of Americans admit to drinking and driving at least once in the past year. That's about 17 million drivers. A quarter of all respondents say they have gotten behind the wheel within two hours of having one or more alcoholic beverages.


Labor Day is coming. Don't drink and drive.


Especially if you paid over a $1 million for your car, which more than two dozen bidders did at the recent auctions during the automotive "holy week" surrounding the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Well-heeled car collectors chose to invest in rare and perfect vehicles rather than the stock market. But that rush of buyers isn't going to trickle down to lowly Mustangs and Camaros from the '60s.


Speaking of more modest wheels, Nissan is rolling out its new Juke tiny CUV in a month, and its polarizing styling make help trick American car buyers into small hatchbacks. That's basically what the Juke and the coming Mini Countryman are, even if they resemble SUVs.


On the assembly line, Ford is using Wi-Fi to customize vehicles and may explore using the same technology to allow owners to customize the options they want, at least in the infotainment area.

Finally, Garmin is on the hot seat with battery problems in several of its GPS devices. They are recalling over a million units, some of which were installed by manufacturers.

GetThisShowOnTheRoad, August 27, 2010.mp3