The Honda CR-V's only flaw? Plus, GM's struggles.

Issue #106

Happy Thursday! The automotive world is anything but boring this week. We’re going to cover GM’s rollercoaster ride, the CR-V’s main flaw, why EVs are more reliable, Tesla’s ventures into new markets, and much more.

Market News

• Trump's statement helps Ford and GM stocks jump. Here's why.

• Sports car manufacturer Lotus announces it's cutting jobs for this reason.

• A reliable new car for under $30,000? That sounds impossible, but Consumer Reports rounded out the best options you can buy. 

• The European Union wants to ban carbon fiber in cars, which could change everything in the automotive sector.

• So, it turns out EVs are more reliable than those with internal combustion engines, but in which aspects?

• Tesla begins operations in Saudi Arabia after a tumultuous past.

• GM is driving EV sales in the US, but who's lagging?

• Speaking of GM, the company begins layoffs in Canada to adjust to demand. 

Safety and Recalls

• BMW recalls thousands of cars over a massive safety risk. 

• Nissan hoods fly open, and you don't want that. The problem is that Nissan had already "fixed" them. 

• We dive into why Ford recalled more than 105,000 SUVs and everything you should know. 

Car Culture

• Jay Leno is backing a crucial proposal for old cars, and it could be great news for classic car lovers. 

• Is the new Toyota Land Cruiser the real thing? Here's the answer. 

• Which cars can avoid the 25 percent tariff? These, and they’re quite special.

• An affordable muscle car is almost impossible, but you can still find them.

• You can buy a Fast and Furious Lego kit, but why did they choose this one? Give us the Supra!

• Lexus is an old-people magnet, and that could be a problem.

• This muscle car’s last hurrah didn’t get the hype it deserves.

Video Of The Week

What happens when you order car parts from TEMU? You get a lot of mechanics going, "customer states that…"

Power On The Go

The 2nd Best Gift I’ve Ever Given My Dad (Hands Down)

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That’s why I joined Bluetti’s affiliate program. Their lineup of solar generators is incredibly solid—and they’ve got models for everything from emergency home backup to road trip charging stations.

Personally, I have the EB3A. It’s compact, perfect for camping or tossing in the car to charge phones and laptops. But if you want to power bigger stuff—like a fridge during an outage—you’ll want one of their larger units.

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Yes, that’s an affiliate link. No, it doesn’t cost you anything extra. But every click helps support this newsletter and keeps the content coming. Win-win.

In The Know

This is the only flaw of the Honda CR-V. 

One model usually comes to mind whenever we think of reliable and versatile SUVs. It's the Honda CR-V. People love this car, and so do most magazines out there.

Here are some of the awards it has earned: Kelley Blue Book Best Buy (for the 8th time), Car and Driver's 10Best Trucks and SUVs (three years in a row), and ISeeCars has ranked it #1 in the best small SUV category. 

This article even suggested that the Honda CR-V Hybrid should be the only car one should own. You can read it here to find out what makes it so special. 

There's a lot to love about the CR-V, and Honda likes it so much that the company created a new model to celebrate its 30-year existence. 

We can't say enough great things about it, except for the fact that you can't buy it. You can buy everything and do it yourself, which sounds like a great weekend project. 

So, is this the perfect small SUV? The Honda CR-V will fulfill almost all users' needs. It's versatile and adequately comfortable.

As we've covered in the past, it could even work as a bed, and now that Honda has come up with the idea, there's no excuse not to go camping with your CR-V. 

It might also not be as exciting as other options. Still, what it lacks in pizzazz, it makes up for with reliability. 

It's even a worthy option price-wise. This wasn't common in the past when Honda was known for being considerably more expensive than the competition.

Now, at least in terms of starting prices, it's only a couple hundred dollars more expensive. Its price does grow faster once you increase trim levels. 

However, the Achilles Heel of the CR-V could be a crucial deterrent to some buyers. 

As with most Honda automatic vehicles, the CR-V uses a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission, the automaker's favorite choice). 

Automakers love this transmission. We discussed why it's so popular in this previous issue, which you can read here.

Here's another fascinating tidbit: Only six mass-market automakers have never used a CVT. Find out which they are. 

While the CVT is a smooth transmission, it can underperform in more challenging activities, such as off-roading and towing. 

Simply put, it doesn't have enough torque, generating a vicious cycle.

First, the transmission constantly struggles to generate torque. So, drivers push the pedal even more, forcing the transmission to work past its limits. 

This can only end in one way: a total transmission failure, which is never cheap. To make matters worse, most mechanics don't even want to open a CVT and opt to replace it, which is never a cheap option. 

Honda understands this, and it has never promoted the CR-V as a capable car for towing. It's important to note that Honda offers some features, such as the Brake Assist and Tow Hitch, but they're not a true tow package. 

Plus, even with these features, the CR-V seriously lags the competition. The Hyundai Tucson, another excellent option, has 2,000 pounds of towing capacity compared to the CR-V's 1,500. The difference? The Tucson doesn't have a CVT. 

So, if you're considering towing with your Honda CR-V, we've created an article with everything you need to know. Check it out here.