Cars The Podcast

10 Episodes
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By: Don Swier and Bill Magnusson

From the shadows of Mt Rainier, Bill Magnusson and Don Swier help you get the most value from your 2nd biggest asset. Fuel agnostic, whether ICE or electric; join us as we cover the industry, car culture and tips on how to buy and maintain.

Rebroadcast: 5-year anniversary. Unintentional damage. Marital problems. $940k decision? Fatality rates by model. $1.98 part + 7 labor hours!
Today at 12:39 AM

Fatality rates vary widely among different classes of car. Lowering your expectations can yield an extra million dollars in a few decades. Bill's 7 hour job to replace a $1.98 part: common nowadays.

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No payments or debt is priority. Best car?? Car industry is world's most disruptive. Service bill includes costs you might not realize shop is incurring. Toyota dethrones Ford F150 with RAV4?
04/14/2025

Alix Brothers puts Auto Industry at #1 for disruption this year. Lead time for new plants is 5 years....is DC aware of that? Leno buys cars that impress him, not the Hoi polloi. Reasons why small CUVs like RAV4 & Rogue have stolen sales crowns worldwide. Jeep Cherokee OTA takeover a decade ago still has ripples today,


Rebroadcast: Toyota not perfect. Subaru CR darling. Don't lose focus when buying. Tesla pushing envelope.
04/05/2025

Listeners from Djibouti to Iceland to Jakarta: Bill's customer squeezing every mile & dollar from aging Sienna, but even Toyota can have teething problems with new engine. Subaru slow evolution of same platform scores a Conumer Reports #1 reliability rank. A cheap used car won't fundamentally worsen your life, but a cheap neighborhood will. Get a pre-purchase inspection tp avoid expen$$ive hidden problems.

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CarsThePodcast@gmail.com


Ignorance of cars is co$tly. Gritty Tacoma car culture. Japan & Korea love gasoline cars. Pioneering engineer Salihi modified Chevy.
03/15/2025

Basic knowledge of cars can save $$. Trivia not trivial. V8 swaps can be a grunty & fun fix for an old Jeep. Griot's hosts Corvairs, Skylines, Panhard, Lucid, VW & more. Regulations making cars disposable & costly. Was there a sweet spot in technology & reliability 20 years ago? Jalal Salihi engineered GM's first modern EV in the early 60's.


9 feet of mountaintop snow in a DeLorean. Fuel options that make sense for humans. Ford CEO blunt comments on Chinese cars and EV losses. Honda & Suzuki idea for glorious 13,000 rpm Range Extender Sports Cars.
03/01/2025

Snowcats produced by DeLorean (and diesel fuel) are keeping our phones working! Fuel choice is important even for cell towers. Ford's CEO Jim Farley praises the Chinese Xiaomi SU7 he drove for months. Ford also admits EREVs are more useful & profitable than EVs for America. What if a range extender engine was a spine-tingling V8 or rev-happy Hyabusa alllowed to rev under load using creative software, and an optional "sound mode" to attract gearheads like us?            


Honda & Nissan merger off. How both brands grew in USA. Scout & Honda plan direct sales like Tesla and Rivian to attract new generation of buyers.
02/16/2025

How will Nissan cope now that Honda merger called off? Scout and Honda plan to introduce direct sales channel for new brands as Tesla has proven successful. Reducing order complexity helps buyers and producers.


Rebroadcast: Japan trip. Ups & downs of owning business. Honda, Suzuki, Nissan & Yamaha. When to give up DIY & see a mechanic.
01/31/2025

Bill getting back to form after Europe trip. Don's trip to Japan for family and visiting Daikoku, Honda, Suzuki, Nissan & Yamaha: pragmatism & perfection on display. When is it best to quit a DIY procedure and visit a real technician?

We love to hear from you! CarsThePodcast@gmail.com  Rant, Rave or just say hello!


Toyota not perfect. Subaru CR darling. Don't lose focus when buying. Tesla pushing envelope for other OEMs. Hyundai & KIa engines.
01/01/2025

Listeners from Djibouti to Jakarta. Bill's customer squeezing every mile from reliable Sienna, but even Toyota can have teething problems with new engine. Lesson for buyers? Subaru slow evolution of same platform scores Consumer Reports #1 reliability rank. A cheap used car won't fundamentally worsen your life, but a cheap neighborhood will. Get a pre-purchase inspection to avoid expen$$ive hidden problems.

Corrections? Rants? Raves? .....doesn't matter!

We love to hear from you! CarsThePodcast@gmail.com


Rescuing Dodge, Ram & Jeep with V8?. Beware flood cars! Edison Motors & EREV. Chinese parts sneaking in.
12/20/2024

Can a late pivot to EREV save Mopar and inject missing soul? Disposable cars and flawed parts are frustrating the process of repairing. Chinese cars like Buick Envision, Lincoln Nautilus and Polestar are sneakily creeping into the US market. Driving an EREV 100 miles with no motor oil is fine? Aftermarket adapters are not safe.


5 year anniversary! Sticker pack sign-up contest. $940k decision. Fatality rate by vehicle: Hyundai. Corvette. Unintentional co$tly damage.
12/08/2024

Fatality rate per vehicle has little to do with safety ratings. Cheap Hyundai & costly Tesla, Porsche and Corvette are notable. Unintentional damage by owners is costly. Why driving habits will cost $$. Pocket $940k in savings with one decision. Why oil changes are more important than they were 25 years ago. 

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