E35: Overseas Delivery Programs

Overseas Delivery Programs, what they are, how did we end up with them briefly during the 1990s and 2000s, why we only have 1 program standing, and whether that program (Volvo) is a good idea or not. I also talk about my rental of a brand new Cadillac XT5 Premium Luxury from Hertz in Phoenix, AZ.

Howdy! For this long belated episode, I do a drive-by of three of the most impactful events in the automotive market this year: 1) Tesla's continued price cuts, which launched an EV price battle, 2) is EV demand saturating?, and 3) how high interest rates have impacted certain corners of the car market. I also discuss a rental car roulette that is a minivan- my favorite category of cars! I drive a 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Touring-L from Budget Rent-a-Car!

On this emergency episode of the podcast, I evaluate and assess the big Tesla price cuts implemented on January 13, 2023 and what the immediate implications for other automakers, current Tesla owners, and EV shoppers.  I also talk about a fun rental car roulette- a Ford Mustang Ecoboost Convertible! 

On the first episode of 2023, I reflect on how the automotive market went in 2022 for consumers, dealers, and automakers and talk about how 2023 might unfold. I also evaluate a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid that was surprisingly available at Hertz! 

On this episode, I mourn the end of the manual transmission and discuss how from a business perspective we've wound up at this point. I also discuss the first pickup truck on rental car roulette! Have an automotive related question? Send it to [email protected]! 

On this episode, I interview the Alberts family (Jeff, Maria, and Stephanie) about their car buying experiences pre-pandemic (Stephanie) and today (Jeff and Maria). Having been involved in both purchases, we talk about their car buying experiences, how it's changed, and their advice for car shoppers today. I also briefly discuss a second appearance on rental car roulette for the Ford Edge, which has been refreshed for 2022 with minor updates!

In this episode, I explore the death of the affordable new car, with average new car prices rising to over $46,000 recently (up from $39,000 in December 2020). I'll discuss why the average price has jumped so dramatically, why this issue has flown under the radar, and my thoughts on how this will trend over the next few years.  I'm also revisiting a previous rental car roulette selection, the Mazda CX-30 2.5S Select. 

In this episode, I talk about what makes a new car "influential" for the automotive business, in my opinion, and share thoughts on the three most influential products of the past 25 years. I also discuss another rental car roulette, where I experience the current generation Ford Escape with the 1.5L 3-cylinder engine. Have a question about the automotive business? Send it in to [email protected]! 

It's the first post-pandemic era auto show season, and to explore what this meant, I visited the New York Auto Show in mid-April 2022. I talk about how the auto show has changed since the pandemic, how the extremely tight supply of new cars affected the Show, and how the New York show compared to the post-pandemic Austin show. Plus I discuss my latest experience with Rental Car Roulette at Hertz in Atlanta. 

In this episode, I explore the Carmax concept of used car sales--the idea that selling used cars can be very similar to buying a new desktop computer. I also explore the modern evolution of this concept--the internet only used car retailer by exploring the business model of Vroom, Carvana, and Shift, among others.  I also discuss another rental car roulette--a 2019 Kia Optima LX with 55,000 miles on the odometer!