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10 Most Underrated Cars
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Mar 29, 2025
Mike and Kyle discuss the 10 most underrated cars currently on sale today. Ok, maybe cars isn't the right word as a few SUVs and Trucks do make our list. What do you think of their selections? Anything that should be added to the list? Anything that shouldn't be on the list? Let us know in the comments what your top 10 list would be.
View Video Transcript
0:00
hey everyone it is mike here from auto guide and i have kyle with me and today we are going to talk
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about underrated cars well underrated vehicles i guess you know yeah cars that as rodney danger
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field said just don't get any respect well they get some but we both feel not enough people are
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giving them the credit they deserve or the sales they deserve or the attention whatever right
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yeah yeah that's pretty much it so we each have five selections that we're gonna go through here
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um we both may not fully agree with each other's and we'll let each other know that as we go through
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yes although i know that there's at least one that i think we both agree on um i think there's a lot
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we probably both agree on but there's probably one or two each that we don't but anyway we will
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start the list I guess I'll go first since I'm talking so my first one is something that's fresh
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in mind because I literally gave it back yesterday full video coming next week and that is the Mercedes
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CLA and although I specifically had the CLA 45s which is like a complete animal on its own
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I put this down to the whole vehicle because a lot of people see it and they're like oh it's the
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the little Mercedes, the front drive Mercedes, the fake Mercedes. It's like, how have you been doing this for years
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And even BMW does it. So I think that isn't, I think that's a little harsh on Mercedes
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I mean, the GLA, the A, the CLA, everyone has one of those platforms now
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And the A250 front wheel drive in the US is quite affordable
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Like it's cutting into like some high end compact mainstream cars almost
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it's a good deal. Then the 45S is just insane. 416 horsepower out of a 2 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder
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with nothing else. No hybrid, no fancy electrics doing it. When I grew up, I'm old, but even when I was in my
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20s, that was the height of the Evo and STI in North America days. Everyone was like
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300 horsepower out of a 2 liter or a 2.5 liter? That's insane. This 2 liter is making 416. I looked it up. There's I think 8 cars
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on sale technically that make more power per liter and they're all like seven figure supercars pretty
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much yeah yeah and and i feel like like i remember that era too and europe got these special edition
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evos that were like the fq 400 or whatever and they barely had warranties because yeah you're
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turning that two liter up to 400 horsepower and it's like now it's in a black smoke coming out
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black smoke pouring out of the exhaust too yeah because that's how they got around it was it was
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I think it was because they could go to Cosworth or somewhere and get around it. But yeah, it's a Mercedes with a full warranty that when you put in comfort mode, it just drives like a regular CLA
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Like, it's crazy. So as someone who has driven a regular CLA and a class sedan before it was killed, RIP, and the hatchback
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The hatchback, for sure. The CLA 45 does not ride like a regular CLA
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So, yeah, I meant in the sense the engine and transmission. You wouldn't know you're in this high-strung car boosted to an inch of its light
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No, you're right. I said in my review that the three suspension settings are Comfort Sport and Sport Plus
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but they're really stiff, stiffer, stiffest. It is pretty hard riding. But yeah, I just don't think it gets the credit because it's the smallest, most affordable
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full AMG. I'm not talking 35s and 53s and 43s that are warmed over
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This has a lot of performance, and it's a crazy car. but if it's biggest competitor in terms of size price and power is the Audi RS3 and that thing's
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regarded as this like crazy hallmark of a sport compact supercar and it's like the Mercedes makes
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more power from a smaller engine and it's yeah so I just don't think it gets what it deserves
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okay fair enough I have I have thoughts on that but I mean we have nine other cars so we can we
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can get going uh okay so i guess i should uh go next then sure all right well my first pick is
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also german and it's one that both of us have driven recently that we haven't driven the newest
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one but i'm sure we'll fix that this year uh the volkswagen jetta gli that is my underrated car
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although i feel like increasingly it's becoming less so because it's becoming more obvious as a
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affordable, compact, sport bargain. Right? The GLI is basically a smarter
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Civic Si. Yeah, it's sort of what the GTI was to those cars, but if you want to go up
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a class, it's like the Golf R to the Civic type R. It's not as raw
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as the Civic Si, but it's way more livable, more powerful. Yeah, it's..
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I really love the car too. It's priced about the same and it makes more power than a Civic Si or, I mean, there's no other cars kind of in that category
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The Forte GT is dead. No, and it's spacious. The thing that makes the GLI so great is that it's based on the Jetta and the Jetta itself
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I can almost go the same way as you, Mike, and say that the entire Jetta range is underrated
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but the GLI in particular because more than the CLA if you drive the GLI in its
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regular modes it's really not anything different not too different than a
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torqueier Jetta that's what makes it so great in my mind is that it's so easy to live with
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the infotainment's pretty easy to use we'll have to see how the space
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left in one goes there's lots of space it's comfortable I think it looks pretty good
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The styling always been a little fussy but you know I mean it I guess you could say it at least stands out more than a Civic Calling any Volkswagen styling fussy with how conservative they are I know what you mean
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Compared to regular Jetta, yes, with the two-tone accents and whatnot. Yeah. Yeah, and I mean, unlike an SI, it has an automatic option
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which as much as that's not what I'd pick, it goes a long way to broaden the appeal of the vehicle
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So that's a great one. I think I will stick with front wheel drive bias sedans and go with one that we may not disagree
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with and that's the Acura TLX specifically the Type S. I am keeping this locked into just the
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Type S. Now first it's the way it drives for a car that has its engine pointed sideways in the front
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it's crazy how much power can go to the rear wheels and how well their super handling all
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wheel drive actually does what it's supposed to and if you hammer through a corner and really
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give it gas you can feel that outside rear tire just trying to push the car and turn it around
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through the corner like a rear wheel drive car of that class could like a 340 or a c i don't know
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what they are c43 c45 i don't know what they call them anymore but yeah and it's way cheaper it's
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like the price of a a regular car so that's mine i know you don't like it as much but i every time
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I'm just like, this is fun. The thing for me, I don't think you've driven a Genesis
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G70 V6 recently, have you? No, I have. Yeah. For me, that's always the tough one
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That does what I want the TLX to do. Yes, but I can't put my family in a G70
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It is tiny inside. What's the TLX inside? No, it's like an Accord
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The G70, I love driving it too, but even I barely fit in it um i don't know it's just something with maybe the way i like to sit but
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it is a fun car and it is also low priced but yeah i just i just think the tlx i'm not saying
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it's the best in the class because it's not but it doesn't get in the conversation which i think
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it should that's fair and it is one sharp looking sedan i will give them that yeah it was just
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crazy because 10 15 years ago accurate did not make good looking sedans no no but they do now
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All right. Well, fair enough. If we're going to stick with controversial sedan picks, my next one should probably apply the Subaru WRX
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And it feels I'm in agreement. I'm all on there. Oh, I just feel it's not underrated, but I'm all on it with you
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I feel like it's underrated because it's kind of stood still. Right
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Like we've seen these hot hatches grow up, like the Type R, the GR Corolla especially, and they've kind of taken the spotlight
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But when we drove the WRX, jeez, I can't remember which two letters it was in the summer
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TS, TR, RS. It definitely wasn't an STI. It wasn't. It was the RS in Canada, TR in the US, I think
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Okay. Yes. So when we drove that last summer against a GR Corolla, I mean, yes, the GR Corolla is better in just about every way
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Although the WRX is weirdly more livable to ride along in every day
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And sit in the back. Yeah, the WRX is so much more affordable
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And I think that's the thing that, in my mind, kind of redeems the WRX
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And people keep ragging on the cladding, but it's been a few years now
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I'm kind of used to it. I feel like it's a pretty good car if you want something that's affordable, but feels like you don't have to baby it
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And crucially, the WRX works better the harder you work it. Yeah, it likes getting beat on
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Yeah, that segment is kind of on its own because all the other ones have gone to where the STI used to be
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And that was sort of, that's part of why Super discontinued it. I mean, it's more than just price, but they're expensive and they have a small market
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They have good sales down where they are. You know, I know some people say, well, you should get an Elantra N for the same price
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Well, they're two very different vehicles. Although the power is similar and the size is similar, like the Elantra N is a track weapon
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that is not fun on everyday life, whereas the WRX is not a track weapon
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But if it's snowing, raining, whatever, dirt roads, it's still fun to drive
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So, yeah, very different vehicles. I can't even think what the closest thing to it is anymore
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the GTI has always kind of been a competitor but a different drivetrain
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the Civic SI never really kind of got up to that level
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I agree with that I get your points as to why it's underrated
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I am going to I'll take a break from the sedans for one round
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this one is actually submitted by Greg, our boss in charge that we
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love discussing cars with and when he said this I was like oh yeah that totally is because I had
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one last year and I fully agree that's the Honda Ridgeline it's a lot like the CLA where it's just
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got this stigma of oh it's not a real truck because it's front drive it's not this it's not
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that you know what it isn't a real truck because it drives like a car and it drives so much better
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and I would wager anyone who has a truck that doesn't tow a 10,000 plus trailer or have to
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climb a mountain is probably all they'd need 99% of the time. It's payload, it's towing capacity
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Like it's, it's good. And inside it's like a passport or a pilot
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Like it's just your regular SUV inside. Yeah. Although it's the previous generation ones
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Yeah. It's waiting for its update. But I mean, obviously it's coming with the other two updated
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Yeah. I'd say this year is probably that's sort of the order they usually go
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pilot, passport, then Ridgeline. Yeah. It's just, if I was to get a truck, I don't need a big truck
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Cause the stuff I do, I would tow a boat. I would need the bed for some house stuff
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So yeah, like that Maverick, like that's the right spot. Even against like a Ranger
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Again I I see the appeal if you need to beat on your truck to get the Ranger but otherwise like you live in a city get the Ridgeline Yeah No I agree with you although with a fairly big caveat
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that I've actually never driven a Ridgeline. I've only ridden along in them
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So it's a blind spot for me. But I'm just right there with you
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I'm in the choir. I almost picked the Santa Cruz from Hyundai
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as one of my underrated ones for very similar reasons. Uh, but I guess I'll, I'll move it along and go to my next one, which is very different
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And it's the BMW i4. And I realized that a car that just recently won Canadian electric vehicle of the year
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probably isn't underrated, but hear me out. Uh, so a little bit of background
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I was at the Toronto show recently and watching people pile into that car all the time
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and one of the main appeals is that it looks just like a regular bmw right it's an i4 it's
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electric car that doesn't shout that it's an electric car uh in canada it also has the unique
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advantage of being one of the only rear drive ones you can still get everything else is x drive all
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the time and in america you can still get some models as x uh as rear drive still but the i4
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is kind of the modern take on what we all remember the classic BMW format being, right
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It's a Grand Coupe, so it's four doors, so it's pretty practical
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It's a hatchback, so it's even more practical. And then it's rear drive, and it's fun and punchy
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and it's a pretty nice-sized package. It's fairly affordable in the luxury world
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I think it's a really good car, and I'd argue it's the best 3 Series derivative
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That's bold. Bold words, especially. Yeah. Regular one, I assume. Not like an M3 CS or something
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Yeah, I'm not counting the full M's. But yeah, that's what I think
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I agree. It's a little underrated because not even for what you're saying
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but the philosophy. It is a 4 Series or 3 Series. It's a 4 Grand Coupe that just happens to be electric
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Whereas Mercedes and Audi and a lot of other luxury makers were making their EVs
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different names and completely different styling and a whole different brand. And as we are witnessing, that isn't really working
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And BMW is doing pretty well with their i vehicles. I mean, their iX and XM are a little out there, but their cars aren't
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So, yeah, that's a good one. My second last one is actually in the luxury segment, too
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And it's one I've talked about on this show to death. So no one's going to be surprised here
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And that's the Cadillac CT5. But I am including the entire range, not just the Blackwing
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And you know what? I almost would disclude the Blackwing because although to general people
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they don't know what it is. Anyone who's into cars knows what it is and knows like how crazy it is and how
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good it is. But I don't think the regular CT five gets enough credit. This goes back to what you're talking about with the G70 and the TLX
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It's, it can rival the BMWs and Mercedes. I think trim to trim
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if you really put them together, I'm not saying it's the better one, but even the entry four cylinder
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although the power numbers are way down compared to the Germans, It's also cheaper and it's the same size, yet the engine feels way more powerful than the numbers suggest, like the Germans do
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And I mean, you look at the 0-60s officially quoted, and yes, they're slightly off, but you wouldn't notice
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And you know what? There's a twin turbo V6, if you want, as well in the, I think, the premium or the V
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And then, of course, there's the supercharged V8 and the Blackwing V. It's just Cadillacs progress and evolve so well with their sedans
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they are on par with the Germans but I think it just took so long and there's just such a
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I don't know stigma against them that people aren't giving them the credit they deserve and I mean it can stretch to the
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CT4 as well yeah okay I haven't driven either of those since the
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facelifts I think my one major issue with them would be that they're
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a little noisy compared to the Germans I mean compared to the Mercedes especially but
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maybe that would be the argument thumb toggles on the Cadillac so yeah it's back so yeah maybe the argument is you know maybe people
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expect more luxury and less sport from Cadillac but I mean that's a weird thing because for the
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last 25 years Cadillac has built this sport personality and I think it does it really well
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right like for Escalade that's a whole different idea than what Blackwing or even regular Vs are
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Let's not talk about the XT6, but the other models. Yeah, yeah
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All right. Well, fair enough. I mean, I wish I would have driven it
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and I wish we could have put it up against that E-Class that I had around the same time so we could have really seen what they were all about
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But okay. So I'm going to move back to something a little more affordable
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Still sedan biased. We seem to have a lot of them on this list
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But for me, it is the Nissan Sentra. and I'm going to preface that by saying
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it's underrated but it is not the best car in its class
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I fully acknowledge that but the Sentra is still pretty affordable where a lot of the class is now
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just moving higher up and the fundamentals are there I think if you need a
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no fuss, straightforward compact car for commuting the Sentra does it and in certain trims it can actually be a little fun
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Now Canadians have an advantage because you can still get a manual on the SR trim in 2025, which is kind of shocking because I think that makes it the only manual regular model
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They like brought it out for the SR. Remember it was like the S only and it was like a five speed base
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Now the SR gets like a proper six speed. It is like on the surface you like what But I get what you saying especially you can get high trims and it only comes with one engine which is slow But that fine because a lot of competitors they have the upgrade engines which we want more
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and we appreciate, but it also drives price. The only thing, I think the biggest knock
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against the Sentra and the value play is the existence of the Versa. Because it's pretty big and cheaper
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but it's not nearly as nice of a car. Yeah, and that is my major point
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is like the SR, the Sentra, it's one of the better looking cars in its class
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I would say. It has a nice low nose. It has good colors available
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I think it's an underrated choice. And also, I mean, you know
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it's the only one that's used as a basis for a one-make racing series these days
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So it's got to count for something. I think it's one of those cars too
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that would get more respect and get more people's minds, but had a Halo. And I still don't know to this day
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why Nissan didn't put the 1.6 Turbo or something, or even now
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the new three-cylinder Turbo, something in the SR. Even if you sell a handful
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it gets people recognizing the Sentry in it. I mean, they're making lots of money, so
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I guess I don't know. Are they? So, moving on to my last pick
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I am changing the rules because I made them, and I'm not picking a car
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I am picking an entire segment, and that is one that I'm fresh in
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mind because I'm editing a video for it, and that is minivans minivans do not get the respect they deserve today people will still call them soccer
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mom cars or you know family vehicles this and that like not in a good way family vehicle yeah
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minivan is better on gas probably well maybe not more affordable but better on gas way more spacious
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way more um capable of hauling people and gear at the same time because of this giant trunk than
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any three-row SUV. And I mean that, like, any. Like, get an
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Sienna, Carnival, they all have those dugout trunks where the seats can fold in flat. An SUV
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can't because they have to be all-wheel drive. And even Toyota has an all-wheel drive extra
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motor back there, and they still do it. And they drive so much better
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Like, yeah, I don't need a minivan. I have one child and a small dog
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But if I had three kids, like, it would make your life
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so much easier than getting a three-row SUV. especially when they're little because sliding doors in parking spaces change your life yep yep
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i have a friend who uh was just looking at a minivan and they were happy for what you just
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mentioned but also as a happy bonus uh their kid even liked the sliding doors right because
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they like that they can open that and it slides out for them they don't have to worry about it
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closing it's it's so much better uh i'm happy i heard someone telling me the other day that uh
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minivan sales are actually on the up so i think we're hopefully getting past the stigma because
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yeah the whole soccer mom thing is such a a outdated kind of insult but also i mean that's
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what if you're getting into an suv you're doing what literally everyone else is doing anyway
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so get a minivan be a trendsetter yeah that's what happens with the auto industry everyone had
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wagons and they're like well my parents were wagons i'm getting a minivan i'm gonna be different then everyone had minivans so then our generation's like we're getting suvs well maybe our kids will
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be like, I want SUV. I'm going to get a wagon, minivan, some other
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space pod we don't even know about yet. Yeah, okay, fair enough
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You know what, I'll allow it, the change to an entire segment. There's only four of them anyway
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so, you know. My final one is, well, actually a crossover, but it is the second
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from this brand on this list, the Mercedes-Benz GLB. The second on the same platform
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actually uh so i'm gonna overrule here and say that the glv is actually the best vehicle on that
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platform um because it's funny that the cla shares a platform with a three-row suv yes yeah it does
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but i mean the corolla and the sienna are also technically on the same platform um every subaru
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is on the same platform except for the brz so i get what you're saying so the glv is it's always
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impressed me since I first drove it years ago where it's boxy cool right it kind of looks like
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a shrunken down rounded off sibling of a g-wagon it drives very nicely because it's on a front
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based car platform so it's very easy to drive it's easy to place it does have the third row
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which is admittedly for kids only I mean it says it right on the door jam like do not sit anyone
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over five foot in the third row. But it just, it works so well
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It has so much character. You can fit a lot of stuff in it. There is a GLB 35 if you want a very cool, weird hot hatch
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kind of like the Mini Clubman, where it was a hot hatch, but not really. And then there's also the EQB, so if you want an EV version
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And unlike all the other Mercedes EQs, hues it's actually pretty much the same as its regular gas model so i think the glv really
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deserves a lot more attention than it gets when it came out i thought for sure the gla was dead
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because it just made so much more sense it was like yeah i said same platform but more spacious
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and price but the same and then and it allowed the glc to go a little further up market which it did
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um after you said 35 i'm just thinking oh man a glb 45s that would that could be like my ultimate
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a car. Just keep that third row folded all the time and I got a nice big
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family hauler for my little family. Yeah, alright. Well, on that note, that ends this
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top ten list of our top ten most underrated cars. Let us know what you
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think are underrated cars that maybe we didn't cover and which ones we
23:50
got wrong because I'm sure you will say that to us regardless. We'll be back with
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more of these lists down the road. Until then, we will see you later
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