Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of a 2024 Santa Fe in full-zoot Calligraphy trim in Earthy Brass Matte paint. All told, including destination charge, our test car came to $50,905.

Jill and Tom welcome Sam Abuelsamid, Analyst with Guidehouse Insights to the show. Sam walked the hosts through the current state of the EV market, and talked about what to expect in the second half of 2024. Sam also talked about the pace of new-technology EV battery development, including solid-state cells. 

The old-school formula of shoe-horning a big engine into a little car goes back a long time, but is rarely executed so effectively as Lexus has done here. And again, if you’re open to a little restrained indulgence, and your wallet allows, the IS 500 may be the perfect car for you—and think of all the money you’ll save on therapy.

The ad here is amusing because Knots' characters were never known for bravery or toughness, yet here he is extolling the heavy-duty engineering of a pickup truck. With the zeitgeist past, we can only assume that the audience was in on the gag.

This author would love to see Jaguar make a heroic comeback, however my rooting interest may fade as the brand continues to distance itself from its storied past. After all, what is Jaguar once you’ve scrubbed all the wool carpet, big 6-cylinde engines, and heritage design from its resume? Something of a low-volume, upmarket Tesla, I fear.