The Driving Podcast: Recent Episodes
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The Driving Podcast is here to answer your questions about every stage of car ownership, from research to shopping to vehicle maintenance and enjoying the open road or raging against the vagaries of traffic laws and other drivers. Hosted by Driving.ca’s award-winning automotive journalist Lorraine Sommerfeld, The Driving Podcast updates once a week
Host Lorraine Sommerfeld is joined by George Iny, Executive Director of the APA and discuss which provinces have the best protections in place for consumers and changes that could be coming to Ontario to bolster that province's regulatory body, OMVIC. Iny tears into common advice for used car buyers ("How could you know if it's been re-vinned? You can't!") while also offering suggestions for buyers of both new and used cars in these ongoing shortages. You might not be able to find a great deal, but you can also find advice about red flags. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There are two components to getting ready to face winter on our Canadian roads. The first is your vehicle: what should you be replacing? What should you be checking? Is giving someone a boost still a good thing? Host Lorraine Sommerfeld is joined by Chris Muir, long-time mechanic and professor at Centennial College. Find out how important winter tires are, the value of rust proofing, and the best way to charge a dead battery. He'll even throw in some good tips for those of you with electric vehicles. The second thing to consider is you - the driver. Lorraine is also joined by Michelin pro driver and instructor Carl Nadeau who shares tips to stay out of icy trouble, what to do if you end up sliding or spinning, how to handle a surprise whiteout, and many other things that could save your car - or even your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Maureen Harquail is the Chief Executive Officer and Registrar at OMVIC - Ontario's vehicle sales regulator. In an industry that has found itself in unmatched upheaval, consumers need more than ever to know what their rights are - before they buy a vehicle, while they're in the showroom or online, and even after the fact. Contracts, aftermarket upsells, all-in pricing (this one really matters), financing and dealer behaviour. OMVIC monitors all of it, through secret shoppers and your input. Learn about the compensation fund available to buyers who find themselves tangled with predatory or sanctioned seller. The car selling industry is different from province to province, but OMVIC makes a good case for the direction they all should be heading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Lorraine Sommerfeld welcomes George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association which has been serving Canadian consumers for decades on all things automotive. We'll let you in what the shortages have meant to dealers, how to get the most out of your now-more-valuable leased vehicle, and what to expect when you order a new one. The rise of electric vehicle sales is not without its problems, and Iny points out some issues down the road many are trying not to think about. Finally, the ultimate question for a consumer advocate: does Canada need a Lemon Law? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Lorraine Sommerfeld welcomes her favourite mechanic, Chris Muir, back to the Driving Podcast hot seat. Topics include maintaining your new electric vehicle and what to consider if you're in the market for one. Does increasingly complicated technology have a downside and how do global shortages might be a concern for repairs to what you're driving. Finally, how an upside-down used car market has moved the dial on how much money you should put into your existing ride: where's the sweet spot for holding onto it, or letting it go? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Lorraine Sommerfeld and her guest, Driving.ca contributor Stephanie Wall, look at the impact of larger and larger vehicles and their effect on our environment, our infrastructure, and most importantly, other road users. As pedestrian fatalities climb and these big trucks keep making a bigger and bigger footprint, they discuss the responsibility of owners and manufacturers and more importantly, practical solutions to the problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's been tough for anyone buying a car since the world tipped upside down. It's been really hard on the used car market if you're buying - but that means it's been terrific for sellers. Join host Lorraine Sommerfeld and her guest, Canadian Black Book's James Hancock as they consider how to buy, what to buy, even if you should buy. He also tells us when he thinks the shortages should finally let up. Hint: it's later than you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This second episode of The Driving Podcast coincides with the noticeable drop in temperature across most of Canada - which means it's tire time! Join host Lorraine Sommerfeld as she speaks with Kyle Standford, an OK Tire dealer in Calgary Alberta. Winter tires, all weather tires, how to safely patch a tire, and perhaps most interesting of all, who does the most tire research before they come to his shop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Lorraine Sommerfeld is joined by auto technician Chris Muir as they tackle a wide range of your questions. From transmission issues involving class-action lawsuits to making sure you don't buy stale tires, from why we're switching to synthetic oil to why you shouldn't supply your own parts, there's something for everyone in the debut episode of The Driving Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coming soon, The Driving Podcast is here to answer your questions about every stage of car ownership, from research to shopping to vehicle maintenance and enjoying the open road or raging against the vagaries of traffic laws and other drivers. Hosted by Driving.ca’s award-winning automotive journalist Lorraine Sommerfeld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices