RoAb #61 - The 'Times They Are A-Changin’' Episode

The times sure are a-changin’, so let your friends at RoundAbout show you the future!  That bastion of tradition and Southern cheer, the Cracker Barrel, is caving in to the relentless advance of technology by installing electric-vehicle chargers at several of its locations across Tennessee.  Iran’s fun-loving President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is getting with the times by selling his vintage Peugeot sedan to the highest bidder.  State and local governments across the U.S. are jumping on the common-sense bandwagon and installing more and more traffic roundabouts, but many ‘Mericans want nothing to do with these European exports.  Also up for discussion this week in our Blind Spot is the unbelievable story of a 72-year-old man that steals cars on test drives plus we get to a long-overdue installment of Unsolicited Car Advice where we help one of our FAN find the vehicle that’s perfect for them.  We also continue our Holiday Gift Guide to help you buy the perfect presents for the car lovers in your life.  All that and a whole lot more, only on RoundAbout #61, the “Times They Are A-Changin’” episode.

Play RoundAbout Episode 61

Download MP3 | | |
Featuring: Dalibor Dimovski, Steven Ewing, Jeffrey Ross, Michelle Naranjo, Eric Trytko, Craig Cole and Ben Sanders

Show notes and Ustream video recording after the jump!

RoundAbout records LIVE on Fridays at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT. Visit RoundAboutShow.com and click Watch Live to watch our webcast and look in on all the antics.

Click to read more ...

A Closer Look - 2010 Kia Forte SX

Kia, now with more "The Power to Surprise!"

In the eyes of many consumers, companies like Loius Vuitton, Maserati and Apple stand at the top of their respective industries.  Besides building premium products, their names seem to roll off the tongue, connoting more to buyers than the sum of their products’ parts.  Kia is not one of these brands.  Its name is more akin to a tribal battle shriek than something that brings to mind luxury and exclusivity.  Nonetheless, the South Korean upstart has come unimaginably far in the past decade and is poised for serious growth in the next.

Click to read more ...

A Closer Look - 2010 Ford Transit Connect

It's what's inside that counts. No, really.

“What the hell is that smell?!” I thought to myself as I fired up the Transit Connect for the first time.  Looking over my shoulder, I scanned the cargo bay to make sure nobody left anything in the back that would account for the odor, but no, the metric ton of Kibbles ‘n Bits I expected to see wasn’t there. 

Ford has finally decided to bring this versatile and compact cargo van – henceforth referred to as the Trani – to its home market, complete with what has to be the most unappealing “new car smell” of all time.  I don’t know what they’re doing over in Kocaeli (kō-chel-E), Turkey, where it’s built, but it REEKS of dog food, and not the good kind.

Click to read more ...

A Closer Look – 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-550

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-550 is a good-looking car.

There’s no denying it, the 2010 E-Class is sharp like good cheddar.  Its form-fitting coachwork brings to mind a custom suit, especially when compared to the previous generation, which looks like it’s wearing Salvation Army sweat pants three sizes too big.  With this redesign, the E-Class is now the best looking of the middleweight German luxury cars, beating Audi’s graceful but aging A6, and BMW’s robot-inspired 5 Series.

Click to read more ...