Best In Class

So many car brands have come and gone over the ages, with some dying during our lifetimes. Edsel, DeLorean, Scion, and more have all shuffled off this mortal coil. But which one was the best? How would we bring back them back today? And which one of these defunct brands did Steve have a direct hand in killing? That's this week on Best in Class. 

Most people have a car. Some have two. But not you, because you're a dreamer and doer and shaper of destiny. You have multiple cars, and you always want more. You might even have a dream garage full of cars you have fantasized about. Well, Best in Class is here to upgrade those dreams with our definitive list(s) of the best five-car garage possible. Buckle up, we're dishing painful truths this week.

While the 70's produced icons, and the 80's had some hits, the 90's were perhaps the golden era of concept cars. Designers had figured out the perfect ratio of fantastic to realistic, plastic molding technology meant new shapes were possible, and OEMs were flush with cash. But which of these works of art was the best?

Liv is a recent convert to the automotive lifestyle, having only fallen into it a year ago. It's been a whirlwind year so far with offroading, mechanical adventures, Cars&Coffee events, and a cross-country trek. This week Steve and Adam catch up with her to see how her first year as an enthusiast has gone, what she has learned, and what she wants to do next.

Toyota is revealing the new 4Runner today, so on this episode Best in Class we look back at the SUV's past and decide when generation was its very best example. Somewhere in there Steve also brings up his 308, but that's typical.

The Steve of a decade ago was a different person. He took fancy trips. He drove interesting cars. And he wore shoes. This is the story of Steve's epic European road trip when 10 years ago he watched F1 in person, drove his dream cars, and lived the continental lifestyle.

We all have to die sometime, so why not go out with some style? But do you shove off this mortal coil in your dream car? Or your first car? Or maybe your enemy's car to take it with you? All valid options. Buckle up, because this is going to be a dark episode!

The Broadmoor International Pikes Peak Hill Climb, presented by Gran Turismo - or as we call it Pikes Peak - is an utterly fascinating, utterly terrifying, and utterly American race that takes place every year up a Colorado mountain. If you've never experienced The Race to the Clouds, we're here to tell you just how special it is.

Kit cars inhabit an interesting place in the automotive lifestyle - often ridiculed, sometimes longed for, but never ever respected. Are there any good kit cars out there? Is it worth building your own car? And what do you do with all those leftover bolts? To help us answer these questions, we've enlisted kit car owner Diego to tell us what's what.

We're back with another one of our window shopping episodes where we trawl the local (and not so local) car ads to find the best car you can buy this week for a paltry $15k. We even brought Warren on so we could hear his rediculous idea, and boy was it a doozy!

You got yourself a BMW 5-Series. Congratulations. Shame you didn't work just a little bit harder so you could afford the big boy 7-Series. Oh well, someone has to file all that paperwork and fill out the PowerPoint slides. But at least you bought the right 5-Series by following Best in Class's recommendations, right?

The Land Rover Discovery - or Disco to the fans - was an attempt to move downmarket and get more people into the British car brand. Many people bought them, but then they too learned just how unreliable Land Rovers are. So the plan worked, I guess? This week Steve and Adam explore the history of the car Adam just acquired for $2000, and find out just how big of a mistake he made.

One of our loyal listeners is turning 50, and as such she asked us to help her pick out a fun car to buy for her birthday. The catch? It also has to be 50 years old. So Steve and Adam went on the hunt for the best car from 1974! The results, as you would expect, were mixed.

It's been too long since Adam has been to the DMV, so to correct that he went out and bought a car today! The only way to find out just what a heap of rust it is (or isn't) is to listen to this week's Best in Class!

Henrik Fisker is responsible for some of the most beautiful cars of the last 30 years. He's an entrepreneur and electric car enthusiast, but also a serial failure who has seen the inside of many courtrooms. So is he an automotive huckster, or a misunderstood genius? We'll find out this week on Best in Class.

The Lamborghini Jalpa was completely overshadowed by its big brother the Countach, but this hard-charging bull deserved better than that. At the very least, it was faster, better, and prettier than its direct rival - Steve's Ferrari 308. So if this car is so good, why haven't you heard of it? And is there a best version?