Best Used EVs, Renting with Turo + Sixt, Rivian Reliability + Owner Satisfaction
5/6/202628 min
Consumer Reports experts answer audience questions about CVTs and electric vehicles, including why simulated shifting exists, why the experts at Consumer Reports enjoy it, and how it affects performance and efficiency. We also explore the gap between reliability and owner satisfaction, with examples like the Rivian R1T and Rivian R1S, and what that means for car buyers, as well as current owners.
We also discuss alternatives to traditional car rental companies, including peer-to-peer services like Turo and Sixt, and if you can avoid getting a bad car from the vague categories rental places use.
Plus, we share advice on shopping for the best used EV under $40,000, with models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Audi Q6 and A6 e-tron, Honda Prologue, and more.
SHOW NOTES:
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Chad (Wichita, KS): Simulated Upshifts in Hybrids
05:34 - Joe: Rivian Reliability vs Owner Satisfaction
10:04 - Robert: Best Used EV Options (Audi vs Honda + Alternatives)
14:51 - Gordon (Atlanta, GA): Why Are Turn Signals Moving Lower?
18:20 - Daniel (Video Question): Is the Chevy Equinox EV Being Discontinued?
20:54 - Andrew (Video Question): Rental Car Hacks (Turo, Sixt, Categories)
26:44 - Outro & How to Submit Questions
LINKS:
Subaru Forester Hybrid Test Results: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/subaru/forester-hybrid/2026/overview/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_YT
2026 Owner Satisfaction Survey Results: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-reliability-owner-satisfaction/most-and-least-liked-car-brands-a1291429338/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_YT
Best Used EVs: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/hybrids-evs/buying-a-used-electric-vehicle-what-to-know-a7139266510/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_YT
Chevrolet Equinox EV Test Results: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/chevrolet/equinox-ev/2026/overview/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_YT
Best and Worst Rental Car Companies: https://www.consumerreports.org/money/car-travel/best-and-worst-car-rental-companies-a1417885044/?EXTKEY=YSOCIAL_YT
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMike Monticello· Host0:00
[upbeat music] Hi, everybody. Welcome to another episode. I'm Mike Monticello.
John Williams· Host0:14
I'm John Williams.
Aubrey Wishard· Host0:15
And I'm Aubrey Wishard.
Mike Monticello· Host0:16
So today, back by popular demand, is another one of our all questions all the time episodes, and that means instead of talking about a specific vehicle that we drove recently, we're going to, uh, dig deep into the CR mail bag and answer some of the very best questions we've gotten from you folks recently. And speaking of those questions, the best way to get them to us is to, uh, text the questions, comments, video clips to talkingcars@icloud.com. Uh, and remember, to kind of like a more incentive to give you an amazing question, if we use the question on the show, we, one of our producer will send you some CR branded swag.
John Williams· Host0:55
Mm-hmm.
Mike Monticello· Host0:55
So that's pretty neat. Uh, so with that, let's dive right into the questions. And the first one comes from Shad from Wichita, Ka- Kansas, and Shad says, "My wife and I are currently in the market for a compact SUV. We like our current 2020 Subaru Forester, so we are strongly considering a new Forester hybrid. While listening to your podcast about it, one complaint was that it doesn't do simulated upshifts since it uses the guts of the Toyota hybrid system. Our current Forester does simulated upshifts, and I cannot figure out why it is considered a good thing. Since a CVT or eCVT can, both can dial in a