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Driving the Honda Ridgeline and marveling at Tesla | Autoblog Podcast #638

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They start off talking about why more people should buy the Honda Ridgeline, because it's a pretty darned good truck. Next, Byron talks about some Hyundais. He shares his experiences with the 2020 Sonata Hybrid and talks briefly about the prototype 2021 Elantra currently occupying his driveway. Up next, Jeremy shares his feelings about the BMW X1 crossover he spent some time with, prompting the gang to mull over the notion of BMW's modern interpretation of "Ultimate Driving Machine." After that, Byron talks about towing his 1990 Mazda Miata with the 2020 Infiniti QX80, and then they wrap up with some discussion of the mystery surrounding the Ford Maverick and some comments on the current state of Tesla. Autoblog Podcast #638 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Hauling dirt with the 2020 Honda Ridgeline Driving the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Discussing the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Driving the 2020 BMW X1 Towing a 1990 Mazda Miata with a 2020 Infiniti QX80 News Ford Maverick tailgate stamping leaks; we may see the whole thing in 2021 Tesla reports profit for fourth straight quarter, setting it up to join S&P 500 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Infiniti SUV recall marks latest chapter in Takata airbag saga

Automotive parts maker Takata is having a rough year with millions of vehicles equipped with its airbag inflators being recalled. However, it looks like there might still be problems with the company's quality control, if a new recall by Infiniti is any indication.
The Japanese luxury brand is recalling 1,912 total units of the 2013 Infiniti QX56 and 2014 QX80 in North America because of a manufacturing flaw with their Takata-supplied inflators for the driver's side front airbag. Of those, 1,848 are in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Specifically, the outer baffle could be the wrong component and cause too much pressure to build up inside. According to documents submitted to NHTSA, it's possible in a crash for the part to rupture spraying metal shrapnel at occupants. At this time, Infiniti has not had any reports of this actually happening to drivers.
While this problem sounds nearly identical to the issue affecting millions of earlier vehicles, it must be noted that this is a different fault. According to the notice being sent to dealers on NHTSA's website: "This particular Voluntary Safety Recall Campaign is unrelated to two earlier campaigns that involved Takata passenger front air bag inflators on some older model Infiniti vehicles. This issue involves a much newer inflator and is a different, more isolated, Takata quality control issue."

2022 Infiniti QX55 Review | Price, performance, size, comparisons with QX50

Carmakers love calling them coupes, but as they have four doors, that's still a tough sell for our dictionary. So, let's go with fastback SUV for now, and say that the 2022 Infiniti QX55 is one of the best-looking examples of the growing bunch. Even if Infiniti wasn't originally intending to lop off the back of its QX50 compact crossover, the afterthought project to turn it into the QX55 was nevertheless a successful one. When parked next to a BMW X4 or Audi Q5 Sportback, we know the QX55 would do the prettiest job sprucing up the driveway. It's nicely proportioned and tastefully detailed with just a hint of Infiniti's forever cool FX SUV at the rear. The interior is also interesting to behold and pleasing to touch. Unfortunately, the QX55's aesthetics are its main selling point. Driving it is a real letdown as its underwhelming handling and soul-sucking continuously variable transmission just aren’t up to snuff for a luxury model. It makes the QX55 feel like you're driving a Nissan Altima. And even if you're less concerned with a car's driving dynamics, the QX55's odd and antiquated tech interface is sure to be a put-off after seeing what BMW, Audi and Mercedes have to offer. Of course, all of this could be said of the QX50. At least the QX55 has aesthetics on its side.   What's new for 2022? The QX55 is an all-new model, although the QX50 upon which it's based has been around since 2019. 2022 Infiniti QX55 View 25 Photos What's the QX55 interior and in-car technology like? The QX55 interior is a highlight. ItÂ’s lifted from the QX50, and thatÂ’s good. ItÂ’s just as flowy as the exterior, and on our Sensory trim level test car, it was fitted with sumptuous red and black leather on nearly every surface, plus some natural-finish wood trim across the dash and doors. Lower trim models arenÂ’t quite as flashy but still feature the same attractive design. It's all suitably elevated for a luxury car. On the other hand, the dual-screen infotainment system is at best bizarre and at worst antiquated.  Most infotainment functions are accessed and operated via the touchscreen at the bottom of the stack. That placement makes it easy to reach but hard to see. The top screen controls the navigation system and Apple/Android integration, is of a noticeably lower resolution, and is controlled either by touch or with a control wheel on the center console next to the shifter.