Talking Cars Tackles the All-New Honda Civic and Lexus RX

Rebuilding a reputation can take a lot of work. Just look at the Honda Civic. A botched 2012 redesign scuttled the Civic's sterling reputation, with the car scoring so low in our tests that Consumer Reports didn't recommend it. To make amends, Honda went clean-sheet on their 2016 redesign, claiming it is the biggest transformation in the car's history. Talking Cars discusses this big change and why it was necessary, while sharing our first impressions of this more substantial-feeling Civic. (See our 2016 Honda Civic first drive.)

Lexus faced a different challenge with redesigning their RX luxury SUV: How do you keep loyal owners, while trying to appeal to a younger audience tempted by sporty German competitors? Toyota's luxury brand cleverly builds a sheep in wolf's clothing, retaining the RX's familiar comfy, quiet feel beneath a newly aggressive skin.

Redesigns like these aim to enhance owner satisfaction, but some models inevitably fall well short. We talk about the least-satisfying cars by segment, noting that multiple Nissan and Infiniti models languish at the bottom, as they fail to meet buyer expectations. Finally, we talk about a good car choice for a viewer's elderly mom, with one pick earning universal votes from our podcast's panelists.

As with the other Taking Cars, this episode is also available free through the iTunes Store. Subscribe to the video or audio. You'll also find the video on YouTube.