test driving the 2026 jeep cherokee the autoguide show ep 110 The Jeep Cherokee is one of the most iconic names in the car world, and it's back with new styling and a hybrid powertrain. Editorial Director and Host Greg Migliore catches up with Road Test Editor Kyle Patrick, who was among the first to test drive the all-new 2026 Cherokee. Later on, Mike Schlee joins for his latest gear test, a portable refrigerator for your car! In the AutoGuide Garage, Greg recently tested the Volvo EX30 and Kyle talks about the Audi A6. We'll close things out with the mailbag, which features potential sports car news from Mazda. Listen to The AutoGuide Show on your favorite platform: Spotify Apple iHeartRadio 2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro: All the Details Show Notes: 0:08–0:50: Introduction of the show and topics The show is presented by eBay Motors. Topics for the show include: The new Jeep Cherokee's styling and hybrid powertrain, compared to its predecessors, with road test editor Kyle Patrick. A gear test by Mike Schlee on a portable fridge for a car. The "Auto Guide Garage" segment, discussing the Volvo EX30 and the Audi A6. The mailbag segment. 0:50–1:29: Advertisement for eBay's Secure Purchase eBay has reinvented vehicle buying, with everything covered from "click to curb". Secure Purchase means eBay is where you find and buy your car, start to finish. Title, financing, registration, and delivery are all built in. Eligible vehicle purchases are backed by up to $100,000 in protection. The service is powered by Caramel Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. 1:29–10:59: Discussion of the new Jeep Cherokee The Cherokee is one of the most iconic names in Jeep's history and has returned to the compact/midsize SUV segment after Jeep left it for a few years. The new model is a competitor to the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. It measures 188 inches long, which is almost two feet longer than the classic XJ model. The new Cherokee is hybrid-only, featuring a regular hybrid system, not the 4xe plug-in system. The powertrain has a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine paired with two batteries, producing 210 horsepower and achieving 37 miles per gallon combined, with up to 500 miles of range. The off-road portion of the test drive was canceled due to torrential downpours. The vehicle looks rugged, which is what many consumers want. The speaker commented that the styling did not look like a "natural evolution of the Cherokee". The new Cherokee looks bigger in person than in photos, nearly the same size as the Grand Cherokee. There is no Trailhawk trim available at launch, though there is speculation that one could be coming. The vehicle is built on the Stellantis large platform, also used for the Charger and Recon. The hybrid powertrain is very smooth in engaging its different power sources. Despite its size, it feels very compact to drive and has good visibility. It has more cargo storage space than the last Cherokee, but still lags behind competitors. The interior is quiet, comfortable, and refined, feeling closer to a Mazda or Grand Cherokee than a RAV4 or CR-V. There are no leather options; the interior is all leather-free. Pricing starts at $38,000, including destination, which is in line with the mid-trims of competitors when considering the Cherokee's standard all-wheel drive and its size. The highest trim currently tops out at $45,000. 10:59–13:02: Advertisement for eBay's Secure Purchase eBay has reinvented vehicle buying, with everything covered from "click to curb," thanks to their new Secure Purchase. Secure Purchase avoids the hassle of meeting strangers, dealing with pushy salespeople, or waiting at the DMV to transfer a title. eBay has been a go-to for gearheads, collectors, and DIYers for classics, SUVs, trucks, and imports. With Secure Purchase, eBay is where you find and buy your next ride, start to finish. Sellers and titles are verified, paperwork is handled by experts, and payments are traceable and digital. Users can finance, insure, and register the vehicle in one place. The vehicle, plates, and paperwork are shipped to the user's door. Eligible vehicle purchases are backed by up to $100,000 in purchase protection. Secure Purchase also simplifies selling by verifying the buyer and their funds, fully integrating financing payoff, and providing fast payment. The speaker encourages people to "Skip the DMV," "Skip the sketchy meetups," and "Buy it on eBay". The service is powered by Carbell Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. 13:02–22:22: Continuation of the Jeep Cherokee discussion and gear test setup The segment returns, mentioning the show is presented by eBay Motors. The new Cherokee is suited for a Jeep family wanting a family vehicle. Jeep is meeting market demand by offering a RAV4 competitor, providing a "Jeep flavor" in a crowded segment. The speaker is cautiously optimistic about the new Cherokee. The ultimate test will be a family trip to the Upper Peninsula, including camping, a dog, a tent, and various gear. The speaker will talk to Mike Schlee next about his gear test. 22:22–22:58: Advertisement for eBay's Secure Purchase eBay has reinvented vehicle buying, with everything covered from "click to curb," thanks to their new Secure Purchase. eBay is where you find and buy your car, start to finish, with built-in title, financing, registration, and delivery. Eligible vehicle purchases are backed by up to $100,000 in protection. The service is powered by Caramel Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. 22:58–27:50: Gear Test: Boug RV Portable Car Fridge Mike Schlee discusses the Boug RV portable car fridge. He purchased it for long-distance road trips with his dad and son as an alternative to a regular cooler that requires constant ice refills and causes items to get wet. The fridge uses a 12-volt car plug and can also use a regular two-prong plug if the vehicle has one. It can be set to any temperature, even low enough to be used as a freezer. Mike plugs it in at home before a trip to cool it down, then keeps it plugged into the vehicle. Once cool, it can hold the temperature for hours, even when the vehicle is off. It can transport perishable items like milk and meat for days. The fridge can be taken into hotel rooms and plugged in. Mike also tested an optional power pack (a large battery brick) that can power the fridge for hours, allowing it to be used outside the vehicle, such as at a beach or during a power outage. He has owned it for four years and is happy with the high-quality, easy-to-use fridge. Mike transported it in the rear of a Ram 1500 Limited, on one of the folded-up rear seats, or in the back corner of an SUV like a GV80, near the plug. A link to the refrigerator will be provided in the show notes. 27:50–38:28: Auto Guide Garage Road Tests (Audi A6 and Volvo EX30) Audi A6: The A6 is handsome, especially when compared to the divisive BMW 5 Series and the "boring" Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The A6 lineup is smaller this generation, featuring only one engine: a V6. The V6 is a mild hybrid with 362 horsepower and over 400 pound-feet of torque, making it the torquiest regular six-cylinder in its segment. Its fuel economy is a weak point compared to the inline-sixes. The A6 is a good value because its base engine is a V6, while other Germans offer a four-cylinder. It drives well, is quick, and includes features like massage seats and fancy headlights. Kyle is confused about the target buyer. The interior has "a lot of screens," which is disappointing compared to Audi's past leadership in interior quality and styling. The speaker agrees that the V6 is a strong selling point for German luxury sedan buyers. Volvo EX30: The speaker drove the EX30 in late fall and found it quirky, fun, and different. The cabin is well-done and roomier than expected, with a clean, Scandinavian dashboard. The center console was "a problem" and "obnoxious". It was more basic than some previous Volvos, lacking the Orrefors crystal shifter. The dual-motor version is very fast. It is nimble, easy to handle, and has good visibility. The Android infotainment system was annoying and needs work. The key fob was "super annoying," locking when you get too close or too far away, especially difficult for families with children. The fob feels "about as premium as a Tic Tac package". Software-designed vehicles like the EX30 can have these issues fixed through updates. It's a good-looking crossover with noticeable exterior styling details. 38:32–44:44: Mailbag Question: Mazda RX-8 Trademark Filing The question is about the RX-8 trademark filing. Trademark filings can be for various reasons, including preserving the name for toys or future products, which the speaker puts at a 50/50 chance. Mazda has shown beautiful concepts (like the Icon SP) and executives have spoken about a sports car successor to the RX-7 or RX-8. The speaker believes the conditions are right for Mazda to pursue a sports car. The RX-8 name is integral to the Mazda brand, but the complexity and cost of developing a unique rotary engine/platform are significant obstacles. A new rotary sports car would generate global brand awareness. One suggestion is to make it a grand tourer instead of a pure sports car, while keeping the Miata as the focused purist model. Another suggestion is for Mazda to partner with another company for the platform, similar to the collaborations for the Nissan Z and Toyota Supra, or the joint development of an automatic transmission by Chevy and Ford. A theory is proposed that Lexus is working on a hybrid coupe to replace the LC and RC, and Mazda could partner with Toyota for a grand tourer. The speaker encourages listeners to comment with their thoughts. 44:44–45:26: Conclusion and Final Advertisement The show concludes, mentioning it was presented by eBay Motors. A final advertisement for Secure Purchase: eBay is where you find and buy your car, start to finish, with built-in title, financing, registration, and delivery. The service is powered by Caramel Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. TRANSCRIPT 00:08 Welcome back to the Auto Guide Show presented by eBay Motors. I'm Greg Migliore and we have a great show for you this week. The Jeep Cherokee is one of the most iconic names in the car world and it's back with new styling and a hybrid powertrain. But how does it measure up against its predecessors? Stick around and find out. Our road test editor, Kyle Patrick, is just back from the first drive, and we're going to tell you all about it. Later on, Mike Schlee joins me for his latest gear test, a portable fridge for your car. In the Auto Guide garage, I recently tested the Volvo EX30, and Kyle's going to tell me about the Audi A6. We'll close things out with the mailbag, but first, a word from eBay. eBay has reinvented vehicle buying. From click to curb, everything's covered. With their new Secure Purchase, eBay isn't just where you find your car, it's where you buy it, start to finish. Title, financing, registration, delivery, it's all built in. And eligible vehicle purchases are backed up by up to $100,000 in protection. This is what modern car buying looks like. Get your next ride on eBay. eBay, things people love. Secure Purchase is powered by Caramel Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. Kyle joins me now to talk about his latest test drive. This is the all-important Jeep Cherokee. I am super excited to hear about this. If you're listening to this on your phone sometime on Monday, the embargo for this, that's sort of a journalism term just dropped. So, head over to the site if you haven't done that. You can read Kyle's full review, but right now you may be listening to the first impressions of this very important Jeep. So, we're super excited about that. So, Kyle, welcome to the show. What are your impressions on the Jeep Cherokee? Oh, boy. Greg, I have a lot of thoughts about the Cherokee because, as you kind of hinted in the intro here, it is one of the most iconic names in Jeep's history and so many people have so many thoughts on what it should be. And this new model is a CRV and RAV 4 competitor. And I think that's an important move for Jeep because the brand left that segment a few years back with the last Cherokee. And we all know it's the biggest segment out there. You need something there. The Compass is just a little too small to really compete. The Cherokee fixes that. For one thing, it's big. It's real big. It's 188 inches long if I'm remembering correctly, which makes it almost two feet longer than the classic XJ that we all remember and love, which is is wild to think about, right? Is that seemed like a right size SUV and this one is a compact, well, compact midsize. Jeep tends to use the term midsize. It really straddles the line and I think that works for Jeep, right? Because they do have the Compass that's smaller. And now this, uh, more important and sure to ruffle some feathers, this is a hybrid only. It's not Jeep's 4xe plug-in system. It is a regular hybrid system. It is a 1.6 L turbocharged engine paired with two batteries. You get 210 horsepower, 37 mpg combined. So surprise surprise, it isn't as capable off-road as you might expect from a Jeep vehicle. I mean, I say that with a big asterisk because we dealt with torrential downpours our entire drive. So, I couldn't actually drive it off-road. The off-road was scrubbed from the plan. That being said, it still is a Jeep. It still has good ride height knobbly tires all things considered, and it looks rugged. And I think that's a big deal right? People want, as we've seen with so many other brands, they want things that look rugged, and this does. It looks a little more mean and ready to go on an adventure than you would expect of the Japanese competitors. I definitely think Jeep was leaving some money on the table by not having the Cherokee for a couple years. They took that kind of pause. Um, they were trying to line up some manufacturing things. I think they were trying to figure out maybe just how hard they might go into EVs, which turns out not to be very hard at all for Stellantis. But, um, I think that was kind of they stubbed their toe for a little bit. They gave up some market share and bringing this thing back obviously makes all the sense in the world. A name with so much heritage. I actually saw this at the the Viper plant of all places in Detroit. I went to a background here this summer, last summer, and that's sort of where they did the preview for it, so I didn't get to drive it. Very excited to drive this thing, too, by the way. But I was kind of taken that the styling was not quite what I was looking for. Like to me, they were trying very hard to sell this is the natural evolution of the Cherokee, whereas I think you can make a credible case for things like the Charger, sure, that it's a natural evolution, you know, but not a carbon copy. But how do you think this thing looks? Uh, so in person, I I enjoy I I like how it looks. I like that squared off face a little bit more. But that being said, I I see what you mean especially if we're looking at that iconic '80s and '90s model, right? Like that that really kind of set the design for what the Grand Cherokee is now. I know that the Grand Cherokee coexisted with it. But yeah, this is smoother. And I think given where the market has gone since 2001 when the XJ disappeared, I can see their argument. But to be honest, I I think like the previous Cherokee with its squinty face kind of already threw that out. So, now we can go in a different direction. I will say that the size was hard to get past. This was my first time seeing it in person. And so you know, in photos it does look pretty small. It it looks like a a little brother to the Grand Cherokee. And then on this event, since the Grand Cherokee was also there, which for listeners you'll be able to read my review on that in a few days. If you're listening to this right on Monday when it came out parking the two of them together, this is nearly the same size. And so that threw me off is just how elongated this looks in real life. I I see what you mean and I realize that there is one gap in the trim lineup at launch, right? There is no Trailhawk. So when I was at the background again, they sort of basically said stay tuned for that. So, I don't really see a world where that doesn't take place. At one point, the Dodge CEO or the Jeep CEO kept flubbing and he said Trackhawk and people immediately like their phones lit up. They're starting to take notes. He's like, "Whoa, hey, hang on." Meant to say Trailhawk there. So, but they can do a lot of things with the with this platform. Um, so, I mean, we'll see. And I think I mean it's interesting because they're Jeep. They're like one of the original off-road brands. And then you look at like Hyundai with the XRT Pro trim, Subaru with the Wilderness, Honda with the Trail Sport, you name it. Everybody has like an off-road like trim. And I think specifically by not having the Cherokee, they were letting other people eat their lunch. But now too, I do think they need to literally go off the trail and do like some sort of Trailhawk trail type trim pretty soon. Just because again you were leaving money on the table by not having the Cherokee. Now you're leaving money on the table by not sort of catering to what some of these other like sort of lifestyle folks are going to want. Absolutely. Yeah. I agree with you there. I think the the nice thing about this vehicle is it is on the Stella large platform just like the Charger and the Recon. And so you know that there's flexibility in there. But yeah, I I think they'll need to get ahead of it and give us some news on this Trailhawk, not Trackhawk, before the end of the year. What did you think of I mean kind of big part here, how did it drive? What did you think of the powertrain? So, Jeep really stressed during the presentation here, they really stressed that the importance for the hybrid powertrain was its smoothness in how it engages its different power sources. And for anyone who's driven a 4xe, you can understand why that might be a focus. That was not the most refined powertrain. This one truly is very impressive in the handoff between power sources. You do get a little bit of drone from the gas engine when you know it kicks on and you're going up a hill. That's that's necessary. That's kind of the the nature of this class right? You have 210 horsepower. You're moving something that's 4,300 lb, it's going to happen. But in terms of how it feels when it's doing it, it's very smooth. And I think that matters more than hearing a little bit more engine noise. The good news, too, I will say, is that while it is larger than all its competitors, it doesn't drive that way. It actually feels very compact and and you get a really clear sense of where the ends are. And when we're driving in torrential downpours and having to dodge rocks that have slid onto the road. Yeah, that's actually a nice encouraging feeling. So from that perspective, it was good. There's good space in the back. Jeep talked a lot about how there's more cargo storage space, and there is there's a lot more than the last Cherokee, but it's still lagging behind other competitors in the segment, which is kind of surprising given the size of it. Yeah. But yeah, overall I think it was very agreeable and well I I have more thoughts on that, but but I'll pass back to you for a sec. All right. Yeah, a couple numbers here that I will throw at you real quick. 37 miles per gallon that's combined up to 500 miles of range. The 1.6 L turbo 4 cylinder is actually in its third generation in Europe. So, while this is kind of new to us, it's a pretty proven engine that Stellantis has tried in other markets. So, I think that is going to be a strong um I think that's a strong play for Jeep is kind of pulling something off the shelf that's already been proven out. But we're going to talk more about how the Cherokee drives right after this. eBay has reinvented vehicle buying. 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Get your vehicle, plates, and paperwork shipped to your door, ready to drive. And it's all part of one seamless process designed to feel as easy as buying anything else online. And eligible vehicles purchased on eBay are backed up by up to $100,000 in purchase protection. Thinking about selling your ride? Secure Purchase makes that simple, too. Because you know your buyer and their funds are verified. If you still owe on your car, the financing payoff is fully integrated, so you're not chasing paperwork or waiting on checks to clear. And with Secure Purchase, you get paid fast, and you're not going to be stuck chasing no-shows or answering the fifth still available message. This is what modern car buying looks like. Skip the DMV. Skip the sketchy meetups. Buy it on eBay. eBay, things people love. Secure Purchase is powered by Carbell Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. Okay, we're back talking to Kyle Patrick. You're listening to the Auto Guide Show presented by eBay Motors. We're talking about how the Cherokee drives. Now, you didn't really get to go off-road, but it sort of sounds like off-road came to you with this downpour and stuff getting into the road. That sounds about as tricky as any off-road course I've ever done. Do you think like off-roaders are going to buy into the the Cherokee? Do you think they're gonna for what, you know, this segment is, do you think people are going to get into this? I I I think, look, using the name you're you're going to invite criticism from the hardcore off-roaders. But they were never going to buy this segment as their main off-roader anyway, and the Wrangler still exists. So, in my mind, this makes sense for someone who is already a Jeep family, but wants their family vehicle. I, um, I've said this a few times since I drove it. We remember the early 2000s when Jeep started expanding out and becoming a much larger automaker, and it had the Patriot and the original Compass. And those got a lot of flak for being softer and not real off-roaders because back then in the early 2000s, SUVs were only just starting to really exist across other brands. And so it felt like Jeep was watering down its recipe. Now SUVs are everywhere and they're the dominant shape on the market. So, Jeep having a RAV 4 competitor that isn't a hardcore off-roader makes a ton of sense because you're still getting the Jeep flavor in a segment that everyone wants a part of. Um, I think I think the important thing here is that, as we've said, Jeep is now in this segment and it isn't necessarily a frontrunner in a lot of ways, but it still carves out its own unique flavor in a very crowded segment. The interior, for example, is quiet. It's it's very comfortable. It feels refined in a way that I think is more Grand Cherokee. It actually maybe a little Mazda, which is is a tough competitor, right? Like Mazda has the swankiest interiors in the mainstream segment, and this feels a lot closer to that than it would a RAV 4 or a CRV, both of which aren't super impressive in their cabins. So, I I think that's an important angle, too, for this. Yeah, I I didn't sit in it when I I kind of did like a walk around of it, but I was impressed with the interior. It's um in some ways it's um more it's classier and more straightforward than I've come to expect from some different Stellantis products. Now, like a high trim Jeep could be as luxurious as almost anything. So, but to me, that's always like a separate thing. It seems like a very well-executed interior, just very straightforward good-looking materials. I think the Mazda comparison is is excellent. It's very fitting here because Mazda doesn't try to be somebody else when you get inside like a CX70 or a CX90 or, you know, you name it. It feels like a Mazda. And it's not like overly done, over the top, sporty or luxurious. It's just sort of like the right, you know, elements of all of those. And I think Jeep does that with like that off-road kind of vibe here. And for the segment, that's going to be good for a lot of people who want something that looks good, they show off to their friends, but also, you know, still has that kind of off-road vibe. So, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And the other nice thing about the Cherokee interior, this is a a new one for Jeep. There are no leather options. It's all leather free and you wouldn't know it, right? It it's we've now gotten to that point where faux leather, unless you tell people, they're not going to know. And the lighter interior color I had during the day, you know, it does make it feel brighter and airier. It It feels special inside and I think that's a good thing because this segment does not always guarantee that. So, I should probably talk price. Yeah. because that is an important aspect of this vehicle. And I'm not going to sugarcoat it because that's not my job. But it starts at $38,000 including destination, which is a lot, right? But Jeep has spent probably the last 18 months or 24 months kind of realigning its prices knowing that they got out of hand and the brand is being pretty upfront about that. This doesn't start with a base trim. I mean, I know it does, but its base starts where everyone else's mid-trims are. And when you count the fact that it also has standard all-wheel drive, because it's a Jeep, I don't think they can get away with selling a front drive one. It turns out it's in line with the pricing with other brands, right? And it tops out currently with its highest trim at 45, which again is a lot for this segment, but that's where everyone is now. You can buy a loaded CRV for basically that amount of money. Same with a RAV 4. So I think Jeep is coming in at a competitive spot and they're going to hammer home the fact that yeah, it's a Jeep and so it has this legacy of off-roading. Whether or not it can deliver, I don't know. I didn't get to do it, but it's also bigger. And so I think I think it has a strong argument for it and we're going to have to see how it plays out on the market. I I have done some off-roading in Jeep Cherokees. I actually did one this is the last generation of course at the Chrysler Proving Grounds kind of in the in the middle of of Michigan and it's I think it's very good off-road especially with the upper like more off-road capable model variants because it is kind of the right size. You know, it fits like well in tight sort of like, you know, rough off-road kind of cornering situations. Like it just it's frankly easier than if you were to take like, you know, a larger Jeep or like a 4Runner or something. It's just like the use case it can be very practical in that sense. So you know I I wouldn't totally discount the off-road side of this because I know Jeep is going to try to really sort of pound that rock as hard as they can. But it, you know, it could do other things. And another, I think, kind of, it just takes a little like mental recalibration. They're almost pitching this is like it's in like a like a RAV 4 competitor, uh, you know, sort of, you know, competitor, as far as being that part of the segment, but it's a, again, to your point, it's a big vehicle. So, you're almost paying like compact pricing for sort of like midsized pricing or midsize size. So, again, that's definitely like that is sugar coating it like you said, but it definitely, um, it is something to consider because it is pretty large. I do wish they had figured out the storage cargo capacity a little better. That seems to be at times a weakness with Jeep. Like remember the old Cherokee actually had about the same maybe even less storage space than the Compass which is hard to like wrap your mind around. Um, so I don't know that's kind of fun with different numbers there but I think they actually on like net net they prove the case of the Cherokee as far as how useful it could be to like families who want to still have some fun. Absolutely. Yeah. And I and I think, you know, without going too far off into the the weeds here is is Jeep probably realizes, look, it's not going to be fighting RAV 4 for sales. It's not going to be the top of the class, but that's why they have the Compass and the Cherokee to kind of go on either side in terms of size. And that gives you a unique angle where, yeah, a lot of buyers probably want something that's just a little bit bigger, but they don't necessarily want to go a full class up. And this gives you that. And All we're going off are the official figures for cargo capacity right now. As we all know, the numbers only tell part of the story. So, once we actually get to spend a week with the Cherokee, hopefully in a few months time, then we can, you know, load it full of camping gear, I guess, or adventure ready stuff, and see exactly how useful that space is. So, yeah, I'm I'm cautiously optimistic. I think this was the right move. For me, the ultimate test for this will be sometime in July or August when the family goes up north, as we say, to the Upper Peninsula. We go camping. We take the dog, we take the tent, we take coolers of beer, hot dogs, golf clubs, swimming equipment, snorkeling. But for like for my family, this would be a vehicle we would want to take because it's good for the expressway with the fuel economy figures. It fits everybody. It's not huge. We're not like this huge family. Um, so it'd be a pleasant ride up north, as we say, up Interstate 75 and over the Mackinac Bridge. So, for me that'll be the real test. But Kyle, thanks for hanging out. We'll be back with more from you after this. We're going to talk to Mike next with his gear test. You're listening to the Auto Guide Show presented by eBay Motors. eBay has reinvented vehicle buying. From click to curb, everything's covered. With their new Secure Purchase. eBay isn't just where you find your car, it's where you buy it, start to finish. Title, financing, registration, delivery, it's all built in. And eligible vehicle purchases are backed up by up to $100,000 in protection. This is what modern car buying looks like. Get your next ride on eBay. eBay, things people love. Secure Purchase is powered by Caramel Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. Mike joins me now to talk about a little bit of a different gear test. This is the Boug RV portable car fridge. I can't wait to hear more about this. Tell us, Mike. What did you do with this? So, I got this a couple years ago for these long-distance road trips I used to do with my dad and my son. We got it because we'd always take a cooler, but like people know that have just regular coolers every day, maybe multiple times a day, depending where you are, you have to keep filling up with ice and then empty out the water and fill it up with ice and everything that's in there is going to get wet at some point. So, I thought, why not test out a portable car fridge? So, Boug makes a whole line of them. They make more advanced ones that are designed for little travel trailers that maybe don't have a built-in fridge, but you could, um, not hardwire, but directly plug it right into the system. I had the 12vt car fridge, which is great because it comes with dual plug, so you can plug 12vt into your vehicle. Well, luckily the two of the three years we've taken it on long trips, there's actually been a regular two-prong plug in the vehicle, so I could plug it in there. But even with the 12vt, it could still keep anything in there as cold as you want. You adjust the temperature, so you could have it actually as a freezer if you want to make it cold enough. With the 12vt, it just takes a lot longer to get it down to temperature. Once it's up to temperature, it can hold it. What I would do is I'd plug it in at home before my trip for a couple hours to get it down to whatever temperature I want. Usually just, you know, like what a fridge would be degrees above freezing. Keep everything nice and cool. And then plug it right into the vehicle. Leave it plugged in all day. Especially if you have a vehicle that will allow it to still run even when the vehicle's off. It's fantastic. If you don't, I left it for hours and I'd come back and everything would still be more than cold enough. Like we could actually travel for days with milk. We could take meat in there. We all sorts of stuff that you probably wouldn't want to push your luck with in a cooler. And then at night when we'd go to the various hotels, we just throw it on the dolly and take it up to a room and plug it back in there and it's like you had a a fridge in your room as well. Um, when I tested it, they were kind enough to also give me the power pack. So, it's this giant rectangle brick of a battery and if you charge that up, it can power the fridge for hours on its own. So even if you aren't in your vehicle or in a room, if you go to the beach or if you're who knows where and you want to still like the the big fridge with you, it can power itself. So what I found an advantage for that is at night on these adventures there was 80 cars and about 160 people and we'd all hang out in the parking lot at night and just, you know, talk about the day and whatnot. So it was a great way to keep soft drinks cold at night in the parking lot while we were chatting without having to have a car running the whole time. So yeah, there isn't the only company that makes these, but I've had this now for 4 years. I've taken it camping. I've taken on road trips. I've used it in a power outage. I I highly recommend it. It doesn't have the biggest capacity inside, but that's because it needs space to store the the electrical cords and whatnot. Plus, it's a fridge. It's not just a cooler, so it needs to have all the the cooling elements in there. But yeah, I I highly recommend it. Again, it's um as the name suggests, it's it's fancy. It's not the cheapest fridge out there, but I've been very happy with it and it's real easy to use. So, I I do recommend it if you're looking for a high quality portable fridge. Where did you put this in your car when you were transporting it? Like in the trunk, in the back, the back seat. I'm just having visions of the old Ford Flex with that kind of like cooler in between the seats. How does one transport your Boug RV fridge? So, it totally depends on what you're driving. So, the first year we had a Ram 1500 Limited and it did have a tonneau cover, but I didn't want to put it back there because I couldn't lift the lid up with the tonneau cover in place and I didn't want it to pull out every time. So, since there's just the three of us and they have these flip-fold rear seats, I just folded up one of the rear seats and it sat on the other side in the back and it was great. It was like, yeah, totally having a fridge built right into the car. And then the other vehicles have just been your usual SUVs like a GV80. And I just put it right in the back corner by the plug. And same thing, you just pop the hatch and there's your fridge. And then easy to get in and out when you take it to the hotel rooms. All right, sounds good. I think this is one of my actually very favorite gear tests we've done. This just this has given me a lot of ideas. We will drop a link to this refrigerator in the show notes. So, if you're listening to this, head to head to our site. We'll we'll have a link for this. Thanks for hanging out, Mike. We'll be back with Kyle for some road tests in the Auto Guide garage. Okay, it's time to step inside the AutoGuide garage where we have a couple of interesting vehicles: the Audi A6 and the Volvo EX30. Kyle, you drove the A6 slightly more recently than I did, and it's a little bit newer and perhaps more newsworthy. So, I'll let you lead off. Tell me about this car and what you did with it. Okay. Well, Greg, to start, Audi has been a little bit of a professional blind spot for me for a while. I just haven't been in their cars. So, it was nice to go and drive this. It also helped that it was in Palm Springs in February, so getting out of the polar vortex was nice. But I will say that the A6 it was a hard car to pin down prior to the drive and even now I'm still a little confused about who it's for. I will say it's handsome. It's a it's a very good-looking car and in a class where the 5 Series is divisive and the E-Class is a little boring and I I don't like saying that but it is. The A6 is is handsome. Audi has seen the writing on the walls, right? We know that everyone buys SUVs now. And so, the A6 lineup is much smaller for this generation. It is one engine. There is no S6. There's no four-cylinder. There's just the V6 now. And I think it's a good motor. It's 362 horsepower, 400 a little over 400 lb feet of torque. So, it's the torquiest regular six-cylinder that you can get in this segment, and horsepower is competitive with the others. It's a mild hybrid, so it does the whole start-stop thing when you're rolling to a stop. It's not great on fuel economy against the inline sixes. That is its one weak point. But it's powerful and it's fun and it's the base engine. And Audi really made an a note of how for pricing for this new A6, you're getting into a V6 where the other Germans are offering a four-cylinder. So, you're getting a lot more power. And it's a weirdly good value when you frame it like that for what is a midsize luxury sedan. There are massage seats. There's the fancy headlights that Audi has become famous for in modern day. And you know what? It it drives pretty well. It's It's quick. It's almost as quick as the outgoing S6. So, I think they've done a good job of, you know, really shortening or shrinking the lineup for the essence of the vehicle. I just don't know who it's for. That That's very fair. For me, I think especially given the market segment, like German luxury sedan buyers do like power and they like, you know, engine size. So, I think that's a very strong selling point. And I've also I would put Audi maybe second among the like the sort of the German big three as far as their styling right now. I think Mercedes right now is just stem to stern just excellent. They do everything so well inside and out. I feel like Audi has maybe passed BMW a little bit in certain segments as far as just having designs like you mentioned the headlights. Just having a very well-tapered look. And I feel like they've also chilled out a little bit on some of their over, like overtly styled like lines and silhouettes. And I think that's reflected in the A6. So this is one I can't wait to drive. Actually, I'm I'm intrigued by it. Yeah, I I I think what you said made a lot of sense. I'm still not sure about the CLA from Mercedes. That's a a different one. But the interior is one aspect of the A6 where I'm I'm not quite sold on. Right. there's a lot of screens and and Audi used to be the leader in terms of interior quality and styling and so to see them kind of floundering with just a lot of screens and and not a lot else, it's a little disappointing. I will say that the screens work well. But yeah, that that was one aspect where I think BMW actually has probably better interior design. But yeah, I'm I'm excited for you to drive the A6 when you hopefully get a chance in the summer. But I want to hear your thoughts on a small little electric vehicle that I'm quite a fan of. Excellent segue. And I want to hear some of your thoughts. So, I drove this late last fall. It was quite cold. My initial sort of memory was like re freezing at like a quick charger trying to actually top off the batteries because I ran it down quite low. But I generally like my time with it. I think it's um, it's quirky, it's fun, it's different. I think the cabin is pretty well done, and it's a little roomier than you might expect for the segment. So, I thought that was a little bit of a surprise and delight. Um, mine had these kind of like hound's tooth like patterns on it. Um, the dashboard was nice and clean. Very Scandinavian as you would sort of expect. Center console was a problem like for me and like multiple family members. I wrote down in my notes that it was like a Russian novel. It apparently took me days to figure out how to open it, which is hilarious. But I thought there were things like that. Like it was a blend of simple Scandinavian just, you know, clean design with just weirdness. I thought for the sake of being weird and that's where I ran into things like the center console. It was also probably more basic than some Volvos I've driven in the past, but that's sort of fair given its price point. There was no Orrefors crystal shifter, which I mean, hey, come on, man. I have standards here. We We got to have crystal shifter. Yep. On the road, it's very nimble. Easy to handle. I thought the steering was very direct. Good visibility. If you look at pictures of it, the greenhouse, even though it's like kind of a swoopy coupe, the visibility going forward to the side is still quite good. Um, so, you know, in that sense, it was pretty pretty fun to drive. I found the Android system kind of annoying a little bit. I generally I'm okay with Android systems. Like I feel like GM tried for so long to like force us to adopt this that I got used to it by driving GM press cars. I'm still not fully there on how some of these Android systems interact. And also the key thing I didn't maybe you have this experience. I thought the key fob was super annoying. Like it kept like locking when you would get close. If you were too far away it would lock again. Like again, when you have like a young family like I do, it's obnoxious when your eight-year-old's trying to get in the car and it's snowing and it's locked and you're like four and a half feet away instead of being four or whatever the sensing rate like range was. So, I thought that was the example of being kind of like way too like wonky in my notes. I have so much like wonky written here. I did charge it previously at the Nissan Tech Center, which was kind of a fun little footnote of my test drive. I took it to a Nissan Sentra drive. So, I actually had a good like 25 miles out to Farmington Hills, 25 miles back kind of drive. So and it was good on the highway. You know, sometimes cars like this can get a little breezy and drafty and obnoxious. So, so yeah, kind of Did you have the Did you have the dual motor or the single motor? I had the dual motor. Okay. So, it's it's a rocket. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Maybe I buried the lead. This thing could really take off. Um, plenty of all the electric car sort of vibes you would expect. Um, yeah. I mean, in that sense, it was pretty fun to drive. Um it's I was supposed to drive this actually two years ago and it was supposed to show up for North American car, truck, and SUV of the year testing. And they did actually have it, but then they like withdrew it because they didn't get it on sale in the US market with enough critical volume. So, we didn't get to vote on it. So, it's like one of these vehicles that's been a little bit of a kind of a ghost floating out there. Like, so this was my most extended time with it, I guess, is how I would put it. Okay. No, it's it's it's good to hear and and a lot of my thoughts align with yours where there's so much to like about it. I like the shape. I like the looks. The infotainment kind of annoying. It It needs some work. The lack of four window switches. Annoying. And and the fob, it feels like it was designed, I understand it's the smallest model from Volvo, so it was designed for people who are primarily driving alone or maybe just a couple. But yeah, if if you have family, you have kids who want to get in, that fob is really annoying. It also feels about as premium as a Tic Tac package. It's it's really there's no weight. There's no feel at all to it, which is disappointing. But I think you know the the flip side to software designed vehicles in this day and age is the things that we are annoyed about with the EX30 can be fixed during its life. And and so I have hope that Volvo does update it well because there's so much to like there. It's a good looking crossover. I think the exterior, you know, the headlights, the kind of those like sail panels in the back, a lot of good stuff from Volvo there. Um, got a lot of attention, that's for sure. And I think that's a that's always a good sort of sign that vehicles are resonating even if they're polarizing. Definitely put a lot of stuff in it, too. It was pretty it gets like there's more room in there than it might look like. So, um yeah, I liked my time with it. It's we'll see what the market is given just like the the climate for EVs currently. Um, it's still a little on the small side. It's not cheap. So, it's kind of all of the things for why people might decide they have a hang-up for buying an EV, but it was fun to drive. You know, it's also, like I said before, it's nimble. So, like parking this thing was amazing. I was surprised how easily I could wedge it into shopping center parking lots and things like that. So, yeah, it was a fun it was a fun week with this. But as you can see, I have some mixed emotions about it. Yeah. All right. So, that is the Auto Guide garage. Thanks for hanging out in the garage here with me, Kyle. We'll be right back after this with the mailbag. All right. In this week's episode, we have a mailbag question. Kind of a riff on the Mazda RX8, trademark filing. You maybe saw earlier this week. I actually wrote the story. Question is, I saw your story on the RX8 trademark filing. What's going on there? Well, short answer is, we're not totally sure. Trademark filings, patent filings can mean a lot of different things. It could be literally just paperwork. Maybe your general counsel needs to make some money at the end of the month. I don't know. But it also typically means things like you're trying to preserve a trademark, maybe you want to use it for toys. And then there's always like option door number three, which is hey, maybe it's future product. I would put that at I don't know, 50/50 for Mazda right now. They've shown some beautiful concepts. That Icon SP concept just absolutely gorgeous. Some of their executives have spoken openly about having a sports car as a spiritual successor to the RX7 or the RX8. So maybe file the paperwork so you have that name. Going through the documents, it said it was a new application, which I that you could take that a lot of different ways. Did they let the previous one lapse? Is this maybe they're trademarking the name a certain way with that like dash in it? Could be a lot of different things. But I think one of the things that I think has been cool about the car industry since I've been covering it is different sort of low volume segments have been invested in by automakers. And you're seeing that of automakers of all stripes. So in maybe the '90s, early 2000s, which is ironically when the RX7 and RX8 were around, you didn't see them placing bets in areas where there wasn't a clear path to victory. Since then, you've seen automakers invest in all sorts of sports cars, off-road vehicles, off-road trims, electrics. So, that's kind of a long-winded way of saying I think the time is right. The like the conditions are there for Mazda. If they wanted to go down this road, they could do this. So, I I would love to drive an RX8, an RX9, whatever they want to call it. Make a rotary hybrid. Let's see. What do you think, Kyle? Is I think Mazda's in an interesting spot because I would argue no other brand has a reputation tied to a single type of engine more than they do. It's like Mazda wasn't the first to do a rotary, but they're the ones that did it most. And and so now that has become such a integral part of the brand's DNA that every year we go through, so are you guys going to bring a rotary sports car back? They have to do that dance with us. And look, I know that it's a small company. I know that it's essentially independent. And so, you know, the amount of money that you need to throw at developing a unique sports car on a unique platform with a unique engine that, to put it lightly, has had some speed bumps over the years. It's a lot, but I mean it's also in terms of brand equity and brand awareness a home run. Like if if Yeah. If Mazda brought out a new sports car powered by a rotary, they would have all of the coverage across the globe. So, it's I I I appreciate your optimistic take. For me, it's probably like 20% a chance that it's actually a new model. Um, but there's something there. And I I think whatever it could be, you know, pair it with the Miata, you know, come up with a platform that somehow works for both. I I don't know. It's it's it's a tough thing. It would probably piss off people, but my suggestion is maybe make it less of a pure sports car, make it more of a grand tour because you have a bigger footprint to fit stuff in. Keep the Miata as a very focused purist model. I I'd love to see it. I guess at the end of the day, I I get the feeling that it's just to, you know, hold on to a valuable name for them, but I would love it if Mazda could bring back a rotary sporty car of some sort. And I used to think that it had to be an RX9, but no, there were three generations of RX7. So, yeah, make another RX8. Do it. Give us the the rear hinge doors, too. I drove an RX8 in a snowstorm one time. Manual transmission, probably summer tires. It was a heck of a ride. Let's put it that way. Those cars are memorable, though. And that's why I think they should do it. You know, give the people what they want. Give the Mazda fans what they want. Um, you know, here's another like, you know, conspiracy thing. Look for a partner. Maybe like, you know, Mazda does the like the rotary engine and maybe they keep that, but somebody else does the platform and maybe they kind of design something that's ubiquitous. Like I thought it worked with the Z and with the Supra. Other people had strong feelings on that, but I mean for a long time Chevy and Ford actually had the same like automatic transmission in the Mustang and the Camaro. Like this can be done. It can happen. It's it's true. And actually to bring it back to another story that was published on AutoGuide this week, there are rumors that Lexus is working on a hybrid coupe to replace the LC and RC because those are, well, the RC is dead now and the LC dies this year and the LC is one of our absolute favorite coupes. You know where you're going with this. If Toyota needs a partner to do a really nice grand tour and you know keep the hybrid powertrain and the LC if Mazda also wants to play. Just saying that is an excellent theory. If you're listening to us, thanks for listening at this point. Please get in the comments. Tell us what you think. We should leave it right there because that's a perfect ending. Thanks everybody for listening to the AutoGuide show this week. Please like, share, and subscribe. Please give us a five-star rating on Apple Podcast and Spotify. It helps us get the word out. If you'd like us to answer one of your mailbag questions, just get right in the comments on the post right below this on autoguide.com. Be safe out there. You just listened to the AutoGuide Show presented by eBay Motors. eBay has reinvented vehicle buying. From click to curb, everything's covered. Ever try to buy a car online and end up in a parking lot with a stranger and some blind trust? That era is over. Now with Secure Purchase, eBay isn't just where you find your car, it's where you buy it, start to finish. Title, financing, registration, delivery, it's all built in. This is the modern way to buy your next ride on eBay. eBay, things people love. Secure Purchase is powered by Caramel Dealer Services LLC, an eBay subsidiary. 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: All the Details