AutoGuide Hot Takes: Summertime Surprises

We’re fast approaching the summer holiday season—as always, AutoGuide is here for it. We don’t always cover every piece of news, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have thoughts and opinions—many of them. 

Managing Editor Mike Schlee, Road Test Editor Kyle Patrick, Site Coordinator Michael Accardi, and Editorial Director Greg Migliore weigh in on the hot topics of the week. If you disagree, please get in the comments and tell us why we’re wrong.

1) We’ll lead off with an actual hot take: We recently tried Houston Chicken, one of the many fast-cash hot chicken joints across North America, and were pleasantly surprised. It was Wednesday night takeout, so the stakes were low. The sandwich is a nice blend of saucy heat and spice. And the seasoned fries were good. Go for the slaw on the sandwich.

2) Right now the car business is still trying to sort out the impact of the tariffs, and this was evident in the better than expected CPI numbers. We haven’t seen a dramatic, immediate effect. They didn’t really impact CPI, there just wasn’t really enough time to feel the impact.

3) The car business is highly competitive and automakers are used to operating on thin margins, so I think this will lead to a competitive situation where some companies won’t immediately pass along tariff increases to consumers.

4) It’s a good time to buy an EV in the United States. As J.D. Power reports, the average price of an EV is about the same as a gasoline-fed vehicle. Get that $7,500 tax credit while you can. Plus there’s 137,000 EVs in dealer inventories – not subject to tariffs and eligible for the tax break.

5) Never bet against Toyota. Not only did the brand’s trepidation towards the EV shift prove prescient—an administration focused on undoing progress helps—but the actual electric models are getting good. The Big T could’ve let the bZ4X wither and disappear, but the refreshed model not only looks better, it now has some of the better stats in the segment.

6) The C-HR and bZ Woodland are smart moves too; same platform, same interiors, but different exteriors to target different buyers. This is the diversification electric platforms offer.

7) Included in the bZ Woodland release was easily one of the most bonkers press images we've seen in a while. Manufacturers like to show off bare platforms from time to time, but... well, we'll let the image speak for itself:

8) Tamiya has announced a model for the upcoming Honda Prelude and boy oh boy does the hybrid coupe look pretty. The Prelude is quickly shooting up our list of most anticipated cars of the year.

9) Surprise surprise: the RAM 1500 REV and Ramcharger are both delayed, no longer coming this year. That’s been the case for a while with the all-electric Rev, but the range-extender Ramcharger—which is not a plug-in hybrid—was meant to arrive before year’s end. It now slots in for Q1 of next year, while the REV is pushed back all the way to summer 2027, assuming Stellantis doesn’t just cancel the thing, since it doesn’t seem all too interested in finishing it.

10) Back onto food for a sec: with this weekend being a holiday in Canada, and America’s coming soon, what are some of the best road-trip snacks? We like pretzels for the lack of greasiness, even if they do make you thirsty.

11) Aaaaaand back to Toyota: all signs point to a RAV4 reveal next week at headquarters, where we’ll be on hand. This is the biggest reveal of the year, as the best-selling non-pickup in America and Canada was last redone in 2018. We don’t know whether it will continue to pull styling cues from Toyota’s trucks, graft the Prius face to its more upright form, or do a combination of the two. Toyota can’t screw this one up.

12) De Tomaso has shown off the production version of its P72 supercar, which we stuck up top for what should be obvious reasons. Suitably gorgeous and powered by a supercharged V8 making 700 horsepower, it’s the stuff of posters, surely—do kids still put posters on their walls? And perhaps more importantly, does this mean the whole awkward legal case between the co-founders is dealt with?

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