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Gladiators, Pilots, and Palisades, plus a couple boring crossovers | Autoblog Podcast #562

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The duo discuss the leaked Jeep Gladiator, Ford's Baby Bronco, the Aston Martin DBX, and then touch on other reborn names like the Honda Pilot. They also discuss how boring crossovers have taken over as the family car of choice in the United States and debate the merits of turbocharged V6 engines versus the classic American V8. Finally, we spend your money.Autoblog Podcast #562 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 Jeep Gladiator leaked Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot teased Aston Martin DBX Ford Baby Bronco leaked Boring crossovers Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts LA Auto Show Aston Martin Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Truck Crossover SUV honda pilot jeep gladiator aston martin dbx hyundai palisade ford baby bronco

What do J.D. Power's quality ratings really measure?

Check these recently released J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS) results. Do they raise any questions in your mind? Premium sports-car maker Porsche sits in first place for the third straight year, so are Porsches really the best-built cars in the U.S. market? Korean brands Kia and Hyundai are second and fourth, so are Korean vehicles suddenly better than their US, European, and Japanese competitors? Are workaday Chevrolets (seventh place) better than premium Buicks (11th), and Buicks better than luxury Cadillacs (21st), even though all are assembled in General Motors plants with the same processes and many shared parts? Are Japanese Acuras (26th) worse than German Volkswagens (24th)? And is "quality" really what it used to be (and what most perceive it to be), a measure of build excellence? Or has it evolved into much more a measure of likeability and ease of use? To properly analyze these widely watched results, we must first understand what IQS actually studies, and what the numerical scores really mean. First, as its name indicates, it's all about "initial" quality, measured by problems reported by new-vehicle owners in their first 90 days of ownership. If something breaks or falls off four months in, it doesn't count here. Second, the scores are problems per 100 vehicles, or PP100. So Power's 2015 IQS industry average of 112 PP100 translates to just 1.12 reported problems per vehicle. Third, no attempt is made to differentiate BIG problems from minor ones. Thus a transmission or engine failure counts the same as a squeaky glove box door, tricky phone pairing, inconsistent voice recognition, or anything else that annoys the owner. Traditionally, a high-quality vehicle is one that is well-bolted together. It doesn't leak, squeak, rattle, shed parts, show gaps between panels, or break down and leave you stranded. By this standard, there are very few poor-quality new vehicles in today's U.S. market. But what "quality" should not mean, is subjective likeability: ease of operation of the radio, climate controls, or seat adjusters, phone pairing, music downloading, sizes of touch pads on an infotainment screen, quickness of system response, or accuracy of voice-recognition. These are ergonomic "human factors" issues, not "quality" problems. Yet these kinds of pleasability issues are now dominating today's JDP "quality" ratings.

2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid starts at $26,825

The pieces are coming together for exactly what's on offer in the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrids. We were able to drive the regular gas-electric and plug-in hybrid versions and were impressed with the feel behind the wheel, but before you know the price, it's tough to tell if the car makes any real sense. While the price for the PHEV is still shrouded in mystery, we at least now know how much it'll cost for the non-plug Sonata hybrid: $26,825, including $825 for destination. That's the same as the 2015 hybrid model. For comparison, the 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid starts at $25,675 and the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid comes in at $30,125. That's the base cost, which gets you the cloth interior and projector headlights. The 2016 Sonata Hybrid Limited starts at $30,100 ($900 more than before), which ups the 16-inch alloy wheels to 17-inch alloys and magically turns the interior to leather and the headlights to HID Xenon. If you want 60/40 split-folding rear seats, you'll need to opt for the Limited version. You can also tack on the Limited Ultimate Package for $4,500. The Limited Ultimate Package further improves the car's safety (with lane departure warning and forward collision warning) and sound (with the Infinity premium audio system). The LUP also adds a panoramic sunroof and an eight-inch nav system. Overall, there are seven exterior colors and five interior options. The PHEV price has not yet been announced, but whatever it is, Hyundai has said it expects the car to qualify for a $4,919 tax credit from the federal government. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: First Drive View 25 Photos News Source: HyundaiImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Hyundai Hybrid Sedan