Latest / In Wheel Time Podcast / Exploring Luxury SUVs: the Mazda CX-5, the Alpha Romeo Tonale, and Winter Driving Tips!

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Exploring Luxury SUVs: the Mazda CX-5, the Alpha Romeo Tonale, and Winter Driving Tips! · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: I had a chance to drive the Mazda CX-5 for 2025.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: This car was built in Hiroshima, japan.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: All right Available trim levels 2.5S.
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: 2.5s Select 2.5S Preferred.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: 2.5s Select 2.5S Preferred.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: 2.5s Carbon Edition.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: 2.5 Premium Plus.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: 2.5 Carbon Turbo.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: 2.5 Turbo Premium.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: 2.5 Turbo Signature.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: That's right.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Honest to God, really.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: God really, yeah, really that's amazing.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Do we need to have the two?
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: I don't know how.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: About select preferred carbon fiber?
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: Well, why would you have to?
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: they need some chrome across the back to put, so they got put the name back there well, I drove, the 2.5 turbo signature are you sure?
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: no, I'm not, but that's what the that's what the monroney said.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: This is a five passenger small suv.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: This was all new in 2017.
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: You're saying, well, wait a minute, this is an old, long of the two thing.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Well, yes, it is, but it's their most popular vehicle still now.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: It's going to be phased out soon, but it is still for sale and its replacement is the CX-50.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: Duh.
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: Well, I'm telling you what we've got on the screen right there.
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: That's a nice car that any family could use to drive around town.
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: I mean, it just looks good.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: Although it may be an older design, it's still one of the best looking in its class, I think Familiar shark nose grille with a very nice squinty.
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: Headlight design, up front Slots yeah yeah.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: Big wheel openings with wheels and tires that fill the void.
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: Rounded rear hatch with nice lighting.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: What I liked about it?
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: The overall looks get high design marks, in my opinion.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: What could use improvement?
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Well, they haven't changed it since 2017.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: So why mess with a good thing?
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: It's kind of like for years and years and years you know, know, jeep had the wonderful Jeep Grand Cherokee.
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: They made no changes to it.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: They sold every one that they made.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Obviously, if you start changing jacking with stuff, that's when you really roll the dice, so don't Just keep it going.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: Interior highlights Sharp-looking design inside too, with high-quality surfaces.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: Infotainment screen sits atop the dash.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: Not a big fan, but remember this is 2017 design.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: Second row seat is a little tight as far as leg room is concerned.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Cargo trunk room adequate.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: It fits its size.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: What I liked about it?
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: The quality and the lasting design of the interior as well.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: What could use improvement?
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: The infotainment system needs an easier to use operating system.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: I've gone over that a jillion times and I'm going to beat a dead horse.
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: 2.5 liter turbocharged four cylinder, that turns out a perfectly matched 227 horsepower and 310 pound feet of torque.
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: It has a six-speed automatic transmission.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: Gives you an idea once again of the older school, because everybody's either going with a CVT or a 10-speed.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: This works just fine.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: It tows up to one ton.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: It gets 22 in the city, 27 on the highway, for a combined of 24,.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: I got 24.2 miles per gallon over 454.8 miles.
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: What I liked about it?
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: The peppy motor.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: What could use improvement?
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Don't mess with it, leave it alone, make the money.
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: It's good, ride and handling.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: What I liked about it?
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: I liked its sports car handling.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: Now, if you're not into that kind of a ride, that kind of a quickness in the steering, then this might not be for you.
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: But if you appreciate that you like to throw it around the corner once in a while, this is your small SUV.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: Now it does have, like I said, sports car handling.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: What could use improvement in that?
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: Nothing.
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: If you don't like it, then you're going to have to go to a different make, model or design altogether.
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: But they play off of the Mazda Miata CX-5.
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: What is?
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: it.
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: I think it's MX-5.
• 4:33
  Speaker 3: No.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: MX-5.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Sorry, that's the Mazda Miata.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: All right, let's talk about the price.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Base trim price $40,760.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: That's the base as tested $42,750.
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: Still not bad Now to get into one if you just want to buy one bottom baseline price $28,570.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Oh, there you go, see, and you need to build up the layers and obviously this is the top of the line You're finding.
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: A lot of the manufacturers are in that price range.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: I guess the sweet spot.
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: One of the competitors to this vehicle is the all-new Mazda CX-50, because it starts at $3,300.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: Well, that's almost a $2,000 difference, almost $1,800 difference, Wow.
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: So take a look at the Mazda CX-50.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Maybe you'll like that a little bit better for a little bit more change.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: Maybe you'll like that a little bit better for a little bit more change.
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: Another competitor the Honda CR-V $30,100.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: Or the Kia Sportage $27,190.
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: They're all in there, they're all in that range.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: That is my review of the Mazda CX-5 for $20,25.
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: All right, hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, shoot us an email.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: The address here is info at inwheeltimecom.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: We're back com.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: Time now for Jeff's weekly feature.
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: This week we're going to talk about winter driving knowledge.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: Do you know how to drive in the winter?
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: You know I used to, but it's been so long since I've been in winter weather it's been difficult.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: Matter of fact, I was fortunate enough to have Ford send me out to Portland, oregon.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: Oh, boy.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: And I don't remember what car it was, but it was kind of a spring, kind of winter spring, part of the Slush and it was a lot of slush.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: You got to learn how to drive in the slush.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: Well, these can transfer over to summer as well.
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: You have to prepare your vehicle.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: You have to prepare when you drive, where you're going, how you're going to get there.
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: So here we go.
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: Winter weather can be unpredictable and dangerous, especially when driving.
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: On average, winter weather directly or indirectly contributes to over a half a million vehicular accidents in the United States.
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: The National Traffic Safety Administration does claim this.
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: You can get reports from them as well.
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: Preparing your vehicle, taking precautions before heading out, makes a big difference.
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: One of the things we want you to do is check the weather before you go.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Make sure that the weather forecast and all the warnings before heading out, that you understand them.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Visit the National Weather Service on their sites.
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: Go to the Weather Channel.
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: If roads in your path are in poor condition, consider postponing or non-essential travel until the road's clear.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: Consider leaving early or changing your departure to avoid being in the storm.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: Winter vehicle is ready, as yours.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: Make sure that the vehicle is ready by having a mechanic check it for potential emergency issues.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: Make sure the antifreeze levels are up, the battery, the ignition systems work properly.
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: Check your brakes and the tire pressure.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: Antifreeze levels are very, very important.
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: What you got there, mike.
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: I don't know, something came up here.
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: Okay, we'll let you go there we are.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Maintain your vehicle, make sure you got a full tank of gas, prevent fuel line freeze up and all those good things.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: If you have an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, keep your battery charged Minimizes the drain on the battery when you're driving.
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: Keep your battery charged Minimizes the drain on the battery when you're driving.
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: One of the other things is remove all the snow and all the slush and ice from your vehicle.
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: Adds weight to the vehicle.
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: Plus, it's dangerous if it gets in your windshield area and you can't get it done with your wiper blades.
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: Slow down, increase your distance and following.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: I've got a process on my car that you can set the distance on how far you want your car to brake.
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: That's always a good thing.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: Avoid sudden movements.
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: Don't be doing Joey Chitwood acts out there and try to slide around or do any skid pads.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: But if you do get into a skid, always remember steer into it.
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: Use your headlights.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: A lot of state laws either snow or rain, you have to have your lights on.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: I know that Florida is one of them.
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: There's many around the country that do have that.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: So make sure your headlights are on.
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: You can see where you're going.
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: Like we said know how to handle the skid, turn back into the skid as your vehicle is sliding, don't try to overcorrect and again, don't do any Joey Chitwood activities.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: Does anybody know who Joey Chitwood is?
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: anymore I do, and that's all that matters.
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle Jumper cables, flares, reflective triangles, ice scraper, snow shovel.
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: I still have an ice scraper in my garage.
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: You know your credit card works as a pretty good ice scraper too.
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: Yeah, you can buy yourself a snow shovel with that credit card.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: So use these tips.
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: Don't be doing stuff stupid out there.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: Get your vehicle prepared.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: Be prepared, be prepared.
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: That's the Boy Scout marching song.
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: Be prepared, mars.
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: Are you prepared?
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: I am pro-so prepared.
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, mr Mike Mars reviews the Alfa Romeo Tonali.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Okay, so prepared, ladies and gentlemen, mr Mike Mars reviews the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: I mean Tonale.
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: Okay, yes, this is the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale, tributo Italiano, e-all-wheel Drive meaning it's plug-in hybrid.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: This is a man from Neiderville Texas, trying to talk Italian.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay.
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: It doesn't work at home either.
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: Can you say spaghetti?
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: So for 2025, 2025, this particular vehicle.
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: There's two trim levels.
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: There's the base level and then there's the tribute that we are driving.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: So it's kind of a special edition and again it is a plug-in hybrid, uh, all-wheel drive.
• 10:16
  Speaker 3: It's small luxury suv seats, five people, um, okay, now, up front you're going to find that there's some tri-lobe led headlights and it's got the tri-lobe tail lights.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: So there's three different little pieces of it and it looks really cool, particularly at night.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: Got rain sensing wipers up front, got the black roof option.
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: So we got the blacked out grill, got blacked out trim, including the side mirror caps.
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: The side mirrors are heated and folding and it's got a hands-free lift gate with a 20 by 8-inch aluminum wheels, which creates a really nice look, particularly with the green that we were driving.
• 10:49
  Speaker 3: The interior the perforated leather seating it's got red undertones through it, so you kind of see the red underneath kind of come bleeds through it.
• 10:57
  Speaker 3: It's a different look and it'll work on you really well.
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: You'll like it, I think.
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: Heated front seats, got 60-40 folding rear seats.
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: Got a driver.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: Has a 12.3-inch display in front of him we used to call it a gauge package, but it's got all his information and he can change some of that, around 10.25-inch touch monitor in the middle.
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: That's where you're going to find your Uconnect 5, your Harman Kardon audio controls, your Apple CarPlay or Google Android, depending on what all you want to do your heating, your cooling, it's all right.
• 11:28
  Speaker 3: There Got large paddle shifters.
• 11:30
  Speaker 3: Now when I say large, I'm saying large like they blend in behind the steering wheel.
• 11:33
  Speaker 3: So they're looking at them.
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: They look like, oh, this will be really cool, but to me they're a little too far away.
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: I got to reach a little bit far for them, but they're there and they work, I guess.
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: Well, I mean, I'm not sure why.
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: Anyway, so the drivetrain it's Italian.
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: It's Italian, it's a 1.3 liter inline four up underneath the hood, but there is a rear axle E motor.
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: This is where you get your E all-wheel drive from, because the E runs the rear wheels, so you've got four-wheel drive out of it or all-wheel drive.
• 12:04
  Speaker 3: It's got a 285 horsepower equivalent.
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: It's got a six-speed automatic transmission with it.
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: Now, the fuel economy on this thing it's kind of good luck, yeah.
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: So, um, gas and electric.
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: The epa says you should be looking for 71 mpg equivalent, 29 miles per gallon gas only and an EPA range of 30, e range of 33 miles.
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: Now I drove the thing 131 point miles.
• 12:29
  Speaker 3: This is a premium vehicle, premium fuel vehicle, by the way.
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: So I got 31.6 miles per gallon on this vehicle.
• 12:39
  Speaker 3: I actually got 50 miles on the battery of it and I drove it 80 miles on the gasoline.
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: I thought that you didn't use the battery, you didn't charge the battery.
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: It regenerates a little bit if you drive it far.
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: Very little yeah very little.
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: That's why it only went about 17 miles further than what the battery did over the whole time.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: So there's not much because I did not plug it in and try it.
• 12:57
  Speaker 3: The nine-plus hours kind of pushed me away from that idea, particularly with the number of vehicles.
• 13:01
  Speaker 3: I've got my driveway long story, another story.
• 13:04
  Speaker 3: But driving it around town it's pretty quick.
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: Steering it's easy to get around town because of the size of it, the responsive steering, so it's pretty easy to drive Out on the highway.
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: I thought it had a fairly firm ride.
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: But and I also noticed that when the gasoline engine kicks in and starts running you get a noticeable increase in exterior noise, whether it's road noise, the motor noise, whatever, because it's so quiet whenever the e-motor's running it kind of makes it even more.
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: Now, base model price you're going to look at $36,495.
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: But don't look at that.
• 13:35
  Speaker 3: Go look at the base trim price for this special edition at $51,995.
• 13:41
  Speaker 3: But, that has tested because we didn't have much options, but it's $59,630.
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: Now the best I could find to compare it to is the Lexus NX 450 Hybrid $58,000, starting.
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: The BMW X1 X-Drive Hybrid $50,000.
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: The Volvo XC40 Recharge starts at $48,000.
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: So there's a lot of choices if you get in there and you start looking at that small luxury SUV.
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: I did get a lot of compliments on this car, particularly the color and the shape of it.
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: So if you are looking at that category, you ought to look at it, and that's my review of the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tenali.
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: Tributo Italiano.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: Thank you.