2022 Toyota Tundra, Ford Expedition and Detroit's Motor Bella | Autoblog Podcast #697

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale. This week they talk about cars they've been driving including the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLA 35, Audi SQ7 and the long-term Hyundai Palisade. They also discuss this year's Detroit Auto Show, its outdoor format, and its two big reveals, the 2022 Toyota Tundra and Ford Expedition. They cap things off by helping someone spend their money on a new car.

Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com.

Video Transcript

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GREG MIGLIORE: Welcome back to the Autoblog Podcast. I'm Greg Migliore. Joining me today is news editor Joel Stocksdale, coming to us with his dog. How's it going, man?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Good, good.

GREG MIGLIORE: Well, we have a great show for you today. We're going to talk about the Mercedes GLA 35, that's the AMG. Had a lot of fun just driving that car. I literally just got out of it about maybe 20 minutes ago. So that's a fun car, hatchback crossover sort of thing. Also talk about the Audi SQ7 a little bit. Many of you probably didn't even know that existed.

Joel has spent some time in our long-term Hyundai Palisade, as have I, a little earlier in the year. So I'm very interested to hear your thoughts. We'll talk about Motor Bella. That is sort of the Detroit Auto Show, such as it is, this year, in the fall. It was interesting this year. So we'll get into that a little bit.

Talk about some of the things that were there, like the Tundra and the Expedition. Then, finally, we will spend your money, but first let's jump right into the Mercedes GLA 35 4matic. To me, this is a fun little hot hatch. It looks pretty good. It's, you know, relatively diminutive, if you will, pretty small. The proportions are good, attractive.

I drove the AMG version. Do you want to take a guess at how much the GLA 35 4matic costs, Joel?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: I'm going to guess around $50,000.

GREG MIGLIORE: All right, I'm going to read you a few options here. You tell me if you want to go up or down. 302 horsepower turbo four, so you probably knew that, that's a pretty ubiquitous engine, had all sorts of, you know, every electronic gizmo you can think, like the lane departure that pushes you back onto the road, beautiful leather seats, beautiful blue paint on the outside, deep blue metallic, black leather on the inside.

Every AMG thing you can think of, Napa leather, those big spokey wheels, if you will. They look really good. And when I open the doors, Mercedes crests light up my driveway. So you want to go up or down? Just curious.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Honestly, I kind of want to stay where I'm at, but--

GREG MIGLIORE: $63,000.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: OK.

GREG MIGLIORE: That's a little bit of sticker shock for me, simply because at one point the GLA and the CLA were the entry level vehicles in the Mercedes lineup. Since then, the GLB has been added and the A-class have really rounded out this sort of compact subcompact area, which is, to me, it's very interesting. It seems like Mercedes is bringing some of its European strategy to the United States, which, you know, it's a very German approach. I think it could work, especially if like maybe fuel prices go up in the near term.

Hey, it's good to have a lot of-- to sort of flood the zone here. That being said, I think they have one too many vehicles in this area. I think the GLB is probably overall the strongest, most American car. And then you really don't need two sedans, the CLA and the A-class. I feel like the A-class is probably the stronger version. But I do like the CLA.

So that leaves me with the GLA, which is, I would say, nominally a crossover. It's almost that, it's basically a hatchback, though. This to me feels more like a Mazda fighter. So, you know, that's where, I guess, I would slot it. This specific car, I would say it's the right car for you if you need a small car, you're rich, you love AMG's, and you want to drive something that is really fun to drive.

It's engaging. It's powerful. It sounds good. It has all the Mercedes gizmos. It is just, it's a smaller car. So for $63,000, you can get a lot of Mercedes, larger Mercedes, for sure. But, if you want a smaller car, and you want everything, I guess this is your play. In some ways it's-- you know, maybe this is just my Americanness.

I struggle to figure, to put in place a $63,000 like small hatchback. You know, it's a little-- there's just too much cognitive dissonance for me. But, I mean, for what it is, it's outstanding at what it is. I would say the GLA, it's not as dialed in as, say, like the GTI or the Golf R, you know, Volkswagen's hot hatches, or other options out there, like from Hyundai or Mazda. Steering's just a little bit lighter, but the chassis is pretty tight.

You know, we did a target run last night, and my passengers were kind of like, hey, this is rough over these roads here in Michigan, you know, this is a pretty tight chassis. So, to me, it is a very enjoyable hot hatch. Yeah, it's a fun car overall. I think maybe I just kind of-- that's where it is for me.

It starts at $47,500, so, you know, that's a little more palatable. But it's still not cheap. Let's put it that way. So I don't know, you've driven a lot of these smaller Mercedes over the years. What do you think?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, well, I was just thinking about the pricing and, well, what's funny is that, now that yours is all optioned up, it actually, well, it costs more than the GLA 45, which is also available. And that one gets the even more powerful four cylinder, the 45, it gets the 382 horse four cylinder, whereas the 35 gets the 302 horse one.

So if you are looking at these, you'll probably want to think long and hard about what matters more to you, getting xyz options or getting something that's actually significantly quicker. But, yeah, I've driven a few of these smaller ones. I don't think I've actually driven the 45 yet. I think I've only driven the 35 ones.

But I've enjoyed them. I think they're quite nice. And if you are a bit of a badge snob, these little Mercedes are probably some of the better choices. The like, having talked with Zac and some of the other people that have driven like the BMW 2 series sedan and things like that, haven't been all that impressed with them.

The Mercedes certainly has a nicer interior. And it's kind of the same case on the Audi front, like the A3 and things like that, so far, have had kind of disappointing accouterments. So the Mercedes is a good way to go. And, I mean, you can get it in so many different flavors. You've got the regular A-class sedan.

You've got the more coupe-like CLA. You've got the kind of rounded hatchback crossover GLA. And then you've got sort of the boxy-looking GLB. And the GLB, for reasons that I am still kind of shocked that they offer that with a third row seat, it's such a tiny thing. I don't know, I don't know who you're cramming in that third row.

But, yeah, they're neat little vehicles. I do feel like the price is a bit high for what you get.

GREG MIGLIORE: It's tricky. You get everything in some ways. But it's like, do you want everything in this car, you know, is your use case, are your personal needs in a car this size? You know, it's different, because it's like in the US market, we tend to think, well, the more means you have, the larger of a vehicle you got.

You know, it's just, you don't get a ton of US buyers who are like, yeah, you know, I need a smaller car, but let me get the nicest smaller car I can get, smaller crossover. So that's where these things get a little, you know, confusing, I think for a lot of us. But, I mean, you know, inside, you know, like to your point, I think the Mercedes interior is the best in the segment.

Like this interior is just beautiful, with the ambient lighting, the leather, the screen like right in front of you, like everything is beautiful, deep colorful screens. You know, I was driving my son to school, and I'm like, hmm, can look at how many Gs I'm pulling as I make a left turn, which, you know, is sort of superfluous information on random suburban street, but, hey, good to know, right?

So, you know, I will say this. Mercedes in its small cars generally has like pretty good, like, layouts, you know. There's a big center console for cups. You can put stuff in the middle. There's cupholders on the side, which, in smaller cars and sometimes larger cars, you see, companies tend to struggle with that. So, you know, it's functional.

It's fun. You know, like you, it's tough for me to believe the GLB has three rows, but, hey, I think that just speaks to the broader trend of people want three rows whether they need them or not, and whether they use them or not. I think a lot of people get three rows, and, you know, maybe you put the dog back there, or one kid.

And that gives you just a little more space that the second row has. So but, you know, that's the GLA 35. You know, a few years ago, when we were talking about, or more like 10 years ago, like just the proliferation of AMG, this is one that people would have been like, OK, so it's got a turbo 4 cylinder, you're putting it in your entry level crossover. What are you doing there.

That being said, to me this is a really authentic hot hatch, you know? I mean, like driving, it's a blast. You know, and it's a handsome car. So the wheels are kind of tucked under. It's got the right stance. Like it's one of those things where the execution is definitely there.

So looking forward to driving it. I actually have a Jeep, I believe, Grand Wagoneer showing up today. And at first, I was so excited about that. And I still am. I drove the Grand Cherokee L last week. This week Jeep is rolling out the, again, the Grand Wagoneer over here, too.

And my first thought was like, Yep, going to get that right when it gets here. But now I'm like, you know what, make that the weekend vehicle. I'm going to like maybe let the Mercedes run with that one more day, you know? Just have some fun with it, because it's a lot of fun. Plus it's a paid, you know, trade car seats. So there's that but--

Yeah, and I'm getting all these cars. This year I'm actually on the North American Car and Truck and Utility of the Year jury. Check out our post of the semi-finalists that were revealed earlier this week at Motor Bella, which we're going to talk about in a little bit here. That's why I'm running my own personal fleet of cars here, it seems.

Cars are coming and going and definitely making the neighbors even more curious about what it is I do. So, real quick on the SQ7, it's funny the center console thing that just came, stream of consciousness. That was the thing that really bugged me about the SQ7. So, yeah, eight cylinder, beautiful, expensive Audi, three rows, but you know what? The center console is not great. Like it's just a small little area.

There's barely any space to put your phone, your wallet, your keys, your hand sanitizer. There's just no room. Like I just kept smushing it down. You can adjust it to make the center console come out a little farther over this, I forget if it's a cell phone charger or just another like flat space, because, you know, that's what I need to do I need to do. I need to extend the leather cover. Like what is that? So not a fan of that.

Otherwise, the things people probably care much more deeply about, it's an absolute rocket ship of a three row SUV. The tagline they have is more cylinders than seats. OK. I can get on board with that. But it's fairly roomy in there. 500 horsepower, that seems pretty good to me, torque 568. They say you can get to 60 in 4.3, which I would believe sounds good, looks pretty good. Mine was bright red.

If you want to make a statement in drop off or running errands, pull up in an Audi SQ7, because it's also a relatively rare vehicle, you know? Even, you see plenty of like loaded up, you know whatever, Explorers, Expeditions, Navigators, Audis, Mercedes, you know, wherever you might be, like, those types of SUVs. You know, you just see them.

But, like an SQ7? It's really a rare bird, in my opinion, just because you don't generally see that kind of treatment to such a substantial SUV. It's pretty fun to drive, handles pretty well. It felt like for a relatively big crossover, it felt like relatively narrow. Like I don't know the dimensions off the top of my head. But it, you know, for just sheer size, it handles pretty well, far better than like any domestic SUV I've driven in this sort of category.

It's cool. It's fun. If this is, again, how you want to spend your money, go for it. You know, but I mean it's just, I think it's a good Audi take on a very, you know, segment that people are definitely looking at, you know? It starts at I think it's 86, $86,500 is what the website says here. Don't have the sticker in front of me, but mine had a lot of stuff on it, let me put it that way.

But, I mean, overall, it was a lot of fun, drove it for a week. There is some space in the third row, too. So that's kind of nice, not like a ton of space. But you get back there and it's all right. I would also ding Audi for the seats. That's a thing with me. Like I feel like these sort of like, they have quilting stitching patterns in them, but they were just these kind of like gray Audi seats that reminded me of the same seats I drove in like, you know, the S4 or S5 like 10 years ago.

It just, it didn't feel like, ooh, you know like the GLA's seats do, I guess. Let me put it that way. Or even some of the really nicer interiors you see from Lincoln. So don't need to hit on this too much, but, I don't know, it's a fun, large, three-row SUV, in that segment, to your point, it's becoming ubiquitous. Have you driven anything like this recently, Joel?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Well, so I think I actually drove an SQ7 late last year.

GREG MIGLIORE: OK.

JOEL STOCKSDALE: And, yeah, I also thought it was a really nice SUV, really quick. It's, like, I mean, as you would expect from a 500 horsepower SUV. But it's got a really strong mid-range, from what I remember. So it feels like more muscular than some other 500 horsepower engines, I guess, because, I mean, it is turbocharged, and with that strong mid-range, you don't have to build up to that high horsepower number, high on the RPMs.

It just kind of slams you when you really want it. And it's a way to get a surprisingly capable sporty SUV. Just looking on the website, it's got a 7,700 pound towing capacity. And I believe you can get it with a third row seat. I think, if I'm-- don't quote me on this, because I know that there have been like updates to Cayenne and things like that. But I believe the Q7 is still based on the same platform as like Porsche Cayenne and Bentley Bentayga and things like that.

But it is slightly long. It's slightly lengthened to accommodate that third row. So it is kind of a way to get like a really stealthy, really practical sporty crossover. So I guess, I don't know, if you've got a family and you're wealthy, but you can't quite convince your significant other to let you get a fancy sports car, this is a good way to kind of sneak that into the garage.

GREG MIGLIORE: I think I would probably go Cayenne, if I were going to pick among those three, just as far as like what I'd be looking for. But I will say this, the SQ7 did remind me just how cool Audis can be. You know, you roll up with those four rigs on the hood. Yeah, I mean Audis can be very cool and sporty, let's put it that way, even in three-row SUV form.

Speaking of three row SUVs what's going on with our long-term Hyundai Palisade?

JOEL STOCKSDALE: Well, to be completely honest, I haven't driven it a whole lot since it's arrived, and partly because I've recently upgraded the clutch in the Beetle and I'm trying to reach the 500 mile break-in period for that. So I've been just trying to rack up kind of stop and go miles, and to get that broken in. But I've driven it a little bit, and actually this is the first time that I've had it since it's been in our long-term fleet.

And, I mean, my first impressions, I can get why our green editor John Snyder bought one. It's a really, really nice big crossover. It's really quiet, the engine makes good power. And it's smooth and it's well isolated. The interior is really nice.

This one is really well equipped. It's even got nice kind of parchment white leather, and it's got the faux suede headliner inside it. I mean, it's got pretty much every option you could want. There is one thing that I feel very split on, and that's the faux wood trim.

And I like the color and kind of the pattern of it. It's this very kind of pale white stain kind of look to it, with sort of like little black pinstripes. And I think it looks really nice, and it matches kind of the light gray parchment leather interior. But when you touch it, and even when you look at it closely, it's very clear it's just like printed vinyl kind of wrapping.

Like it's clear that it is not real. And it bugs me, because like everything else in this interior is really, really nice, and, I don't know, it just bothers me. It's like, and I think maybe part of it is that some of the competition is definitely raising its game. One of, I had a Mazda CX 9 a couple of months ago. It was one of the top-level trims. And it had really very nice, real wood trim in it.

And like GMC with some of its like AT4 and Denali models, adding like real wood trim and things, and it feels like a weird kind of, I don't know, just kind of a weird oversight, but everything else is super, super nice in there. And then kind of one of the more prominent accents is pretty clearly fake. But, again, like the color and pattern of it does fit the interior nicely.

So it's one of those things where it's like I like the look of it. I just wish it was real, not fake, or just like a slightly more convincing fake. Honda actually has done some really nice fake wood trim, over the past few years. So I don't know. I guess, if you can make the fake convincing enough, I don't mind it. But this kind of sticks out.

But it's also just kind of one of the only real complaints I have about it right now, because everything else about it is so nice. It's so comfortable. It's so quiet. It handles pretty decently. It's got a good engine and transmission, like, I really have like almost no complaints about it, at least at the moment. But I guess maybe that's why this kind of stands out to me.

It's like everything else is so good, and then there's like this one nail that didn't quite get pounded in right.

GREG MIGLIORE: That's interesting. So I did a piece on the interior earlier this summer. And I like the calligraphy trim. I think it looks pretty good. For that, it's basically like I think the headlighter and the quilted like hexagonal like sort of leather stuff you get in there. I like the wood. It was fine with me.