Unnamed Automotive Podcast · Unnamed Automotive Podcast

Episode 423: 2025 Jeep Avenger, 2025 Subaru WRX tS, Jaguar Land Rover Hack

·43 min·3 clips

The hosts argue Subaru needed a real STI, not a tS badge, to justify a $50,000 WRX.

1. Unnamed Automotive Podcast Episode 423 centers on the 2025 Jeep Avenger, the 2025 Subaru WRX tS, and the Jaguar Land Rover hack. 2. Sami Hajisad and Benjamin Hunting host the episode, while Chad Kirchner appears as a guest host on the Subaru discussion. 3. The episode asks whether a Europe-shaped Jeep, a pricier WRX tS, and a major auto-industry cyberattack reveal where the market is changing. 4. Sami says he drove the Jeep Avenger in Ireland after being away for about 14 or 15 days. 5. Benjamin notes that the Avenger is a small Jeep sold in Europe in EV and mild-hybrid forms, not a Wrangler-sized SUV. 6. The hosts describe the Avenger's 55-kWh battery, 155-horsepower front-wheel-drive EV setup, and roughly 300 kilometers of real-world range on Sami's highway-heavy drive. 7. They say the Avenger has sold over 200,000 units in Europe since 2023 and won European Car of the Year in its first year. 8. Sami points to the Avenger's seven-slot grille, bright yellow paint, Jeep badging, and Easter eggs such as a child with a telescope in the windshield surround. 9. The hosts also discuss the Avenger's relationship to the Fiat 600 and Alfa Romeo Junior on Stellantis' STLA Small platform. 10. Benjamin and Sami argue about whether the Avenger is truly a Jeep or a Peugeot-based hatchback with different bodywork. 11. The Subaru segment starts with the history of STI, which the hosts say Subaru moved away from while rivals like the Civic Type R, Hyundai N cars, Golf R, and GR Corolla moved ahead. 12. They explain that the WRX tS stands for tuned by STI and brings no extra horsepower over the regular WRX's 271 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. 13. The tS does add adaptive shocks, Recaro seats, more aggressive tires, six-piston front brakes, and selectable drive modes. 14. Benjamin and Chad keep returning to the $10,000 premium over the base WRX manual, which they say starts around $38,000 in the United States and about $40,000 in Canada. 15. The hosts compare the WRX tS with the Civic Type R, Golf R, GR Corolla, and Elantra N, arguing that those cars offer more power and more personality for the money. 16. Sami says he still likes WRXs generally, but he cannot recommend the tS because the special parts feel like aftermarket mods rather than a cohesive factory upgrade. 17. The episode's tone shifts quickly between joking, technical comparison, and blunt criticism, with the hosts interrupting each other and chasing side calculations. 18. The format is conversational and argument-driven, with Sami setting up the topics and Benjamin and Chad pushing back with pricing, platform, and performance comparisons. 19. Listeners who follow European EVs, Subaru performance trims, and auto-industry news will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners who want only one car review or no pricing debate may skip it.

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