Talking
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Talking Cars 465: Driving the Mazda CX-50 Hybrid
Main theme: In this podcast episode, we give our first driving impressions of the all-new 2025 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid, which we recently purchased for CR’s auto test program. The CX-50 Hybrid is a collaboration between Mazda and Toyota. On the surface, it’s a CX-50 with a RAV4 Hybrid powertrain, although it’s a little more involved than that, and our panelists…
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Talking Cars 464: Live From CR’s Auto Test Center
This special “Talking Cars” podcast serves as a “recap” of our first-ever live episode of a show focused on the state of electric vehicles in 2025. We welcomed live viewers and listeners who shared questions for real-time engagement with the panel. As you might imagine, there was plenty to talk about. Conversation focused on whether or not the EV products…
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Talking Cars 463: Driving the Nissan Kicks
Keith Barry Keith Barry has been an auto reporter at Consumer Reports since 2018. He focuses on safety, technology, and the environmental impact of cars. Previously, he led home and appliance coverage at Reviewed; reported on cars for USA Today, Wired, and Car & Driver; and wrote for other publications as well. Keith earned a master’s degree in public health…
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Talking Cars 462: The Best and Worst Cars of 2024
Main theme: As we draw to the close of 2024, we thought we would mix things up a bit. As per tradition, we still take a moment to reflect on the past year and to select those cars that we liked the best and those that we found most disappointing. But instead of hearing solely from the normal Talking Cars…
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Talking Cars 461: Driving the Chevrolet Equinox EV
Main theme: The Equinox is Chevrolet’s entry-level electric, with a tempting starting price of about $35,000 for the front-wheel LT version that offers 319 miles of range. We bought an all-wheel-drive 2LT model that gets an estimated 285 miles of range, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The 2LT starts at $41,900, and with a few options, such as AWD…
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Talking Cars 459: Driving the 2025 Hyundai Sonata
Main theme: Contrary to popular belief, we don’t buy and test every model year of every vehicle. Typically, we only buy a car when it’s a brand-new model or redesigned. However, if a car gets a significant refresh, which automakers typically do partway into a vehicle’s life to boost sales, it may warrant a test to keep our results current.…
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Talking Cars 458: Driving the 2025 Jeep Compass
Main theme: The Jeep Compass is the brand’s only compact or subcompact SUV. The podcast panel members look at changes to the 2025 model and share their driving impressions. In particular, they discuss the new 200-hp powertrain, answering the question: Do the latest engine and other updates give this Jeep an edge over its competitors? Read CR’s First Drive review of the…
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Talking Cars 457: Driving the 2025 Mini Cooper S
Main theme: We put together an extra-special panel to discuss our new 2025 Mini Cooper S, including a British-born test engineer and a former Mini warranty administrator, both of whom now work at CR’s Auto Test Center. Do we miss the manual transmission? Can the convoluted infotainment system understand a British accent? Find out on this episode of “Talking Cars.”…
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Talking Cars 456: Driving the Chevrolet Traverse
Main theme: In this podcast episode, we give our first driving impressions of the redesigned 2024 Chevrolet Traverse, which we recently purchased for CR’s auto test program. The outgoing Traverse fared well in our testing, owing to its ability to do most things well without any glaring faults. While the new Traverse isn’t drastically changed from the previous model, it…
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Talking Cars 455: We Bought a Tesla Cybertruck
Keith Barry Keith Barry has been an auto reporter at Consumer Reports since 2018. He focuses on safety, technology, and the environmental impact of cars. Previously, he led home and appliance coverage at Reviewed; reported on cars for USA Today, Wired, and Car & Driver; and wrote for other publications as well. Keith earned a master’s degree in public health…
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