1. Surprising Redesigned Chevrolet Trax, Automotive Subscription Services Consumer Guide Automotive, Tom Appel, Jill Ciminillo 54:15

Jill and Tom opened the show discussing the recent Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) Spring Rally, and a couple of the vehicles Jill drove at the event held annually at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Jill was most impressed by the redesigned 2024 Chevrolet Trax, which after a one-year hiatus has returned redesigned to anchor the Chevrolet lineup. Jill also spent time with the Lucid Air premium electric sedan. 

Jill and Tom also briefly discussed Ford’s plan for brand EV owners to access the Tesla charging network. Jill and Tom will discuss further the ramifications of this deal at a later date. 

In the second segment the crew welcome Jan Hansen, Vice President of Growth at FINN Automotive to the show. FINN provides vehicle “subscription” services that work something like a lease, but offer a single monthly fee for all related vehicle-operation costs, including taxes and insurance. Jan explained how a subscription might serve vehicle shoppers better than ownership or leasing. Subscriptions can be for terms as short as six months. 

Segment three opened with Jill being subjected to a difficult Saturn (the car brand) quiz. Afterwards Jill and Tom discussed the all-new, 3-row, Toyota Grand Highlander. Tom also talked about his latest review, a test drive of the Toyota bZ4X electric compact crossover. 

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Tom Appel Host of the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast

Long-time publisher of Consumer Guide Automotive, and frequent radio and podcast guest. Currently co-hosting the Car Stuff podcast with auto-review veteran Jill Ciminillo. Life-long Chicagoan. Live with my wife of 30 years, and have a daughter earning her masters degree in animal behavior.