To be honest, we recorded and edited a different episode for "Talking Cars" #36. But with a glut of recent industry news, we went back to the studio and started from scratch.
GM recalls keep coming, with another 7.6 million cars recalled for various problems, including ignition issues. We talk about the impact these recalls have on consumer confidence, how they illustrate the perils of cost-cutting, and suggest that GM stop building cars with ignition keys.
After just a few months on the job, GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, probably wishes she was in Alan Mulally’s shoes. He retired today as Ford’s CEO, stepping down as a lauded hero after basically mortgaging and saving the company. We discuss the effect this had on Ford’s products in the eight years of his tenure.
Finally, taking a break from industry news, we answer a viewer question about buying a BMW 3 Series as a second family car.
As for that recalled "Talking Cars" episode? You’ll see it next week, discussing the new Hyundai Sonata and Genesis, plus viewer questions about fuel economy and buying sedans for sons.
Check out the discussion in the video above.
As with the other reports, this episode is also available free through the iTunes store. Subscribe to the video or audio. You'll also find the video on YouTube and the audio via SoundCloud.
Also view:
"Talking Cars" Episode 35: Chevrolet Corvette vs. Porsche 911
"Talking Cars" Episode 34: Tesla patents, Ford fuel economy
"Talking Cars" Episode 33: Mini Cooper, German engineering, and more
"Talking Cars" Episode 32: The worst car ever
"Talking Cars" Episode 31: New test cars, from big to small
"Talking Cars" Episode 30: 2014 New York auto show
—Tom Mutchler
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