Talking Cars 438: Driving the Kia EV9

Plus, we answer questions about replacement tires for hybrids and pickup truck safety

By Mike Quincy

February 21, 2024

Main theme: This week our podcast panel looks at the new 2024 Kia EV9. With electric vehicles (EVs) flooding the market these days, we discuss why the EV9 is, arguably, the first mainstream three-row all-electric SUV. The chief point here is that it’s priced lower than upscale heavyweights such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Rivian R1S, and Tesla Model X—which also offer three-row seating. The panel does a deep dive into the EV9’s day-to-day livability by dissecting the SUV’s confusing controls and giving their impressions of how it drives. (See our Kia EV9 first drive and video.)

Audience questions:

What are good replacement tires for a 2020 Toyota RAV4 XSE Hybrid that will maintain the vehicle’s good fuel economy but also last a long time?
With the poor IIHS moderate overlap crash-test ratings for pickup trucks, what would be a good replacement for my Chevrolet Silverado 1500, which I use to transport young children? Should I look at a new small/midsized SUV or minivan? How about a used Audi or Volvo?

Talking Cars 438 panel — “Talking Cars” panelists (from left): Mike Quincy, Kelly Funkhouser, and Joe Veselak.

As with other “Talking Cars With Consumer Reports” episodes, this one is available free through Apple Podcasts. (Subscribe to the audio or video.) You’ll also find the audio on Spotify (log-in required) and video on YouTube.

Driving the Lexus TX, episode 437
Chevrolet Blazer EV Woes, episode 436
Highlights, Hype, and AI From CES 2024, episode 435
The Best and Worst Cars We Tested in 2023, episode 434
Why EVs and Why Now, bonus episode

Have a Question?

We’d love to include it in a future show. Upload your video questions to our Dropbox folder. Please send high-definition (1920x1080) MP4 video files with high-quality audio. Or send an iMessage question to our TalkingCars@icloud.com account.

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Mike Quincy

Mike Quincy is a writer, editor, podcaster, and tester with the Consumer Reports autos team. He has been with CR since 1993, purchasing more than 160 cars for the test program. Previously, Mike wrote for Automobile Magazine. When he’s not working, Mike can be found training for a long-distance bicycle ride, honing a wide variety of baked goods, or studying the world of mixology in search of the perfect martini.