On this episode of The Knocking Rod podcast, I chat with Cousin Todd who is also known as Uncle Todd in our household. Turns out, Todd and I come from a long line of car guys, starting with Grandpa Smiley who passed his car-loving ways to his sons, who in turn brought the next generation into the fold.

Todd has many good stories, like the 1965 Cutlass his dad used as a parts car that became Todd’s first car. I remember this classic Olds from that time a surfboard flew off the roof while driving through Seaside Park, NJ. Todd recalls its unpleasant Mint Green finish that he swapped for Midnight Blue courtesy of an Earl Scheib $99 special.

There is the 1992 Jetta - also Mint Green - that carried Todd and his buddy Dennis cross-country from NJ to CA courtesy of a wheezing 100-horsepower four-pot.

Once he arrived in Hermosa Beach, Todd found himself with a handsome Coca-Cola van that was a perk of a new job selling Coke machines. It was also the vehicle he took his future wife, Kellie, on a date in. One that left her wondering where he’d parked his actual car (he didn’t have one).

There was the 1995 Wrangler that I got to ride in and experience the SoCal lifestyle for the first time. Which has transitioned into a series of SUVs, including a sweet Eddie Bauer Explorer and the current ride - a Yukon XL that carried a large crew of us to the Malibu triathlon with ease.

Were Todd to hit the lottery tomorrow, his dream garage would include a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing like the one his neighbor has and a 600+ horsepower Lamborghini Urus. Love it!

About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender

I recently had the opportunity to attend the launch of Michelin’s new X-Ice Snow+ winter tire. It was an incredibly interesting event, with time spent behind the wheel getting a feel for how the new rubber performs in its natural setting - the frozen and snow-covered Mecaglisse proving grounds deep in the Canadian wilderness.

A highlight was sitting down with Michelin’s David Griese, who is the Product Category Manager, Winter, for a podcast chat. His background includes 11 years of designing tires at Michelin, so having him on hand to dive into the details of the X-Ice Snow+ was hugely beneficial.

We discussed the engineering that enables the new the new tire to perform the way it does, the important Ice Braking designation that comes with the X-Ice Snow+, the fact that it is suitable for all vehicle types - including EVs - and how the proliferation of AWD crossovers may be leading to driver overconfidence in the white stuff.

About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender.

On this episode of The Knocking Rod podcast, I chat with my best friend Dave Russ - though he is known worldwide as Druss. We’ve had A LOT of car adventures together and that’s something that Dave rightly points out as something that really sticks with you.

Particularly the first car adventures when you and your friends are enjoying the first real taste of independence. For Dave, there was a pair of Honda Accords early on with sweet Sony XPLOD speakers and a 2-door Jeep Cherokee that ended up in my hands because of a broken elbow.

He also had a pair of Infiniti QX4s - affectionately known as the Q by 4. He and I cruised halfway across the country in a sweet Audi A3 TDI and today, Dave is rocking that minivan life - because kids. Stories about racing up to Cape Cod, breaking down in my Mitsubishi Starion, and running a Suburban all the way across the country abound. Good times in great cars!

About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender.

On today’s episode of The Knocking Rod podcast, I chat with the person who may not consider herself a car person, but who is in the fact responsible for my love of station wagons. That being my mom, Linda.

Her first car was a 1968 Pontiac LeMans. Prior to that, her mom, Shirley, had a Plymouth Valiant that was known for stalling after driving through puddles. In my memory, Shirley was also known for an impressive ability to somehow turn the car on, put it in drive, and floor it down the street…all at the same time.

Fun fact: Shirley’s mom Violet, who was born in 1904 and wasn’t allowed to ride a bicycle as a kid, rocked a big green 1950s Cadillac with epic tailfins. Turns out the female side of our family is more into cars than previously known!

Today, Linda is driving a very cool Acura TSX wagon. But my memories go back to an early 80s Buick LeSabre wagon with a rear-facing third-row known as the “way-way back” and a tailgate that would unexpectedly fly open…with us in there…resulting in kids laughing, mothers swearing, slammed brakes, and wild antics.

There was the little-known Mazda MPV, a weird AWD minivan/wagon thing that you may have forgotten and that my mom has no love for. Followed by a much-loved 1995 GMC Suburban that was a family favorite and is really a giant wagon.

Somewhere in the mix was a black Volvo XC70 from the early aughts that left me hankering for a V70R with the 6-speed Spaceball (a car I did later acquire).

We also touch on the Dodge Magnum, which I just learned was known by my mom as the “Brick On Ice Skates”. The hilarity of this particular wagon’s terrible handling in the winter was only matched by the amount of things that fell off of it. That said, the burly HEMI under the hood was truly awesome.

Currently, Linda is on the lookout for a car with a horse badge and a hybrid powertrain. Her Ford Escape Hybrid is great on gas, but rather boring. I tried convincing here to get a Volvo V90 PHEV and mentioned that Ford makes a horse-badged vehicle that runs on batteries, both of which don’t quite get there. So, any suggestions?

About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender.

I recently had the opportunity to attend Destination Defender with Land Rover out in Temecula, California. Though we did many cool things, a highlight was sitting down to talk off-road racing with American off-road racer Sara Price.

She’s been behind the wheel for 25 years, racing in Motocross, Supercross, NitroCross, and even electric hydrofoil boats with Will Smith ‘s (yes, the actor) team. Sidebar: These wild rides are known as Racebirds.

But today, we’re here to talk about Sara’s latest ride, the D7X-R that’s based on the Defender OCTA, which she’ll be piloting during the 2026 Dakar Rally. If you’re not aware, the OCTA is the biggest and baddest of the current Land Rover Defender lineup and Dakar is kind of a big deal.

Actually, we talked about a bunch of stuff, including Sara’s first car - which you’re going to love - and one of her favorite things to do when not racing or doing stunt work - which you’re REALLY going to love. Hint: One’s a “creepy van” and the other involves donkeys. Good luck in the race Sara and hope to chat with you again soon!

About the author: Niel Stender is an automotive journalist. More of his work can be found at muckrack.com/niel-stender.

On the latest episode of The Knocking Rod podcast, I talk with my favorite sister, Caroline, about many things. But mostly cars. Like her first ride - and the one I learned to drive stick on - a 1986 Volkswagen Golf with no power steering and a Wellfleet, Cape Cod provenance.

The Current Fleet

We look at her current fleet, which includes a Mazda3 lovingly referred to as “the roller skate”, a Hyundai that she, um, likes, and a 2006 Silverado that is a testament to Chevy engineering.

The Dream Car

The dream car is a Ford Bronco, in Robin’s Egg Blue Heritage Edition spec, with a 7-speed of course. We also have a laugh or 3 over underwear checks in the outrageously tall first-gen Ford Expedition and MacGyvering a motor oil funnel to add a quart to her dearly departed Honda Odyssey - a car mistakenly believed to be capable of running on…nothing.

The First Car

We talk cars that, though not necessarily bad, left Mr. Gaffney hanging. Like a 2004 Honda Civic - gray on gray with a 5-speed - that was unexpectedly unreliable and a 2009 Mercedes Sprinter van with a challenging transmission. A van that Jon built out for some cross-country camping fun.

The Challenging Cars

Last up, the dream car. A tough choice for any serious car guy, but Jon picks a serious winner in the form a BMW E36 Touring with an S52 or S54 swap. He currently drives a drool-worthy E90 Touring with a 6-speed that is trimmed in Montego Blue over a Saddle Brown interior. Oh yeah.

The Dream Car

Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening!

The First Car

We talk young Richard’s first car, a sweet 1968 Volvo coupe that snapped a clutch cable somewhere in the NYC environs. Then there’s the favorite, a wacky and wild bi-planified Merkur XR4Ti, the original “if you know, you know” kind of car.

The Favorite Car(s)

Discussions touch on Garden State Parkway shenanigans in the rarely seen Fox-body Mercury Capri RS during the days when you had to put (read: throw) quarters into the toll booth baskets.

And finally, the dream car. A shiny new 2024 Ford Mustang GT droptop. With a 6-speed - obviously.

The Dream Car

The First Car

Then there is the current car, a big, cushy Toyota Avalon with a special hidden feature that even the car-iest of car enthusiasts probably don’t know about. Also, Adam, my bad. We were supposed to talk about your favorite car here. Next time.

The Current Car

Finally, the dream car. Adam makes a tremendous choice with the ultimate in American supercar bad-assery. A first-gen Dodge Viper. V10 power. Outrageous style. Zero creature comforts. Turns out you can get your hands on one of these brutes for around 40 grand over at BAT!

The Dream Car

The First Car

We also delve into Tyler’s favorite car - a 2010 Hyundai Elantra Touring, specially made for hungover cross country road trips and a beast in the snow.

The Favorite Car

Finally, the dream car in Tyler’s words - a shiny, new Audi RS6 Avant. The money-no-object gotta-have-it ‘bahn burner. Once acquired, there is a plan afoot for immediate use in the next Cannonball Run.

The Dream Car

Join us as we carefully dissect these iconic cars with no goofing around.