Episode 99: “A deep dive on Driving and Owning EVs with Dr. Karl Bloss from Consumers Energy ” In this episode, producer Phil Tower plus hosts Al Schwinkendorf and John Puhek welcome Dr. Karl Bloss, Consumers Energy’s Electric Vehicle Education and Outreach Coordinator. As just about anyone who drives knows by now, electric vehicles have gone from being a rarity to almost commonplace road sight. In fact, Cox Automotive reports that in the second quarter of 2022, electric vehicle sales topped 5.6% of all new car sales. EVs are becoming mainstream. Still, these vehicles are far from standard ..read more

Episode 98: "An inside look at 16th running of Car and Driver's Lightning Lap, with editor-in-chief Tony Quiroga" In this episode, producer Phil Tower welcomes back Car And Driver editor-in-chief, Tony Quiroga. Tony is an 18-year-veteran Car and Driver editor, writer, car reviewer, and the 19th editor-in-chief for the magazine since its founding in 1955. In this episode, Tony gives us an insider's look at Car and Driver's 16th running of Lightning Lap, an annual test of performance cars held at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 recorded the quickest time t ..read more

Episode 91: “And the winners are: a close-up look at the 2023 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year Award winners " In this episode, producer Phil Tower, along with hosts Al Schwinkendorf and John Puhek, welcome back guest, Jeff Gilbert, an automotive reporter for CBS Newsradio and WWJ NewsRadio in Detroit. Notably, for years, Jeff has served as a juror for the North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle Of The Year Awards. And congratulations are in order for Jeff as we learned that he has been named president of the association for the upcoming year! On January 11th ..read more

On our latest episode, number 88 of Michigan's AutoTalk, producer Phil Tower, along with hosts Al Schwinkendorf and John Puhek, hear Al share the remarkable story of his grandfather, Adolf. Adolf came to America from Germany in 1909 and spent 40 years working for Studebaker in South Bend, Indiana. Grandpa Adolf and his wife saved diligently until they could purchase what would become his pride and joy... A brand new 1947 Studebaker Commander. According to Studebaker factory records, the total Sedan Coupe production, including a very short run of 1942 models, stands at around 2,350 units, which ..read more

Sticker price+$5,000 ?: The five new vehicles buyers pay big $$ for with Karl Brauer from iSeeCars(Episode 97) Bought a new car lately? Today, new cars have priced an average of 8.8 percent above MSRP nationally, even after improving supply chain issues and paying higher interest rates on vehicle loans. In this episode, producer Phil Tower chats with Karl Brauer, executive analyst for ISeeCars.com. Locally, a recent iSeeCars study also found that the average new car in the Grand Rapids metro area is priced at nearly 8% or $3,104 above MSRP. The study analyzed over 12 million new car listings ..read more

Episode 86: "Ford's secret new money machine comes disguised as a pickup truck" In this episode, producer Phil Tower welcomes back Phoebe Wall-Howard, automotive, writer, and reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Phoebe joined us to talk about the runaway success of the highly anticipated 2023 Ford Super Duty. In this episode, Phoebe tells us that Ford set an all-new sales record for the month of November after reaching a record number of new orders for the new Super Duty...52,518 new orders in fact... And that was just in the last five days of October! And is Phoebe wrote in the Detroit Free ..read more

Episode 84: "Auto Analyst Karl Brauer on Cars that Depreciate the Least and Most Over 3 Years." In this episode, producer Phil Tower, along with hosts Al Schwinkendorf and John Puhek, welcome Karl Brauer, executive analyst for ISeeCars.com. Karl joins us to discuss which specific vehicles have the best and worst overall depreciation levels over a three-year period for the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo markets. Given the substantial rise in car prices due to the microchip shortage, finding a vehicle that retains its value can provide significant savings for consumers. The average new car in Grand ..read more

Episode 93: “Live from The 2023 Michigan International Auto Show Part 1” In this episode, producer Phil Tower plus hosts Al Schwinkendorf and John Puhek recorded this episode live from the 2023 Michigan International Auto Show at Devos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. On this episode, we learned from show manager Dawn Baker that this is year #25 for the Michigan International Auto Show where auto manufacturers from around the world showcase their finest traveling displays with new vehicles. The show is also a perfect place for new car buyers to shop and compare options for everyday vehicles ..read more

Episode 92: “An insider’s look at the contenders for Road and Track magazine’s 2023 Performance Car of the Year awards.” In this episode, producer Phil Tower welcomes Mike Guy editor-in-chief of Road & Track . He was the founder and former editor-in-chief of The Drive. Prior to starting The Drive, Guy was the digital director of Maxim and an articles editor at Details. Mike also served as an editor and feature writer for Rolling Stone. Mike joined Phil in this episode to talk about the process that Road and Track go through every year to select their annual Performance Car of the Year wi ..read more

Episode 82: “A special look at Ford’s dedication to those who served our country and wear the blue oval” In this episode, producer Phil Tower welcomes special guest Scott Rumfield, a product line manager with Ford and a Vet who leads Ford’s Employee Resource Group and Veterans Network Group. The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) recently recognized Ford as a Gold-level Veteran Friendly Employer. Ford’s ERG, the Veteran Network Group (VET NG), has played a critical role in elevating the company’s commitment to the Veteran community to a gold-level standard. Scott shares his experience w ..read more