The Avants Podcast

Forza 6 Fever, Filson Broncos, and an Oil Crunch Coming?

It’s that time again—Forza Horizon 6 has officially dropped, and somehow it’s even better than the hype. Nick is now in the market for a new Xbox, while Dan is fully locked in—couch-bound and completely obsessed. And honestly? It’s justified. The latest Forza is absolutely stunning and might just be one of the best arcade racing experiences we’ve ever seen.
On the automotive side, Ford unveils the new Filson Edition Bronco—a collaboration that feels like a perfect match of rugged capability and outdoor style. It may not be the classic Eddie Bauer partnership, but it definitely brings its own kind of legacy energy.
Meanwhile, things are getting interesting in the world of oil. With several retailers warning about a potential shortage, DIY enthusiasts might want to stock up sooner rather than later—Costco runs might be in your near future.
 
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
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Overhyped!

OVERHYPED! No, not us, we're pretty self aware. It's why we cry in the shower. In this episode we're talking about overrated cars. Not cars we hate, but cars we actually love, but still think are overrated like the Vector W8, the Jaguar XJ220, the Jeep Wrangler, and several classic cars. Are they bad cars? Not at all, and we want all of them in our garages, but the comprises these cars come with or came with are pretty hard to ignore. What's on your list? 
On the life side of things, Nick and Kate picked up a new car, and we’ve gotta give another shoutout to our friends at Carter Subaru for hooking that up. Nick also spent some time in the new S5 this week, which is fully wrapped in STEK, so at least it’s surviving this absolute mess of weather—sun, rain, pollen, and whatever else the trees feel like throwing at it.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
 

Brake-by-Wire Is Here… Are We Still Driving?

The future of driving just took another step away from… driving. BMW is bringing brake-by-wire to production—ditching traditional hydraulic systems in favor of fully electronic control. It’s a big leap forward in technology, but also raises a bigger question: are we slowly being disconnected from the driving experience altogether? EV drivers already rely heavily on regen braking—so does this even matter anymore, or is this the tipping point?
Meanwhile, Lucid just dropped a $1B loss, proving once again that building high-end EVs isn’t for the faint of heart (or wallet). Backed by Saudi funding, they’re not going anywhere—but can the next wave, like the Rivian R2, finally deliver the EV breakthrough the market actually needs?
On a more hopeful note, Nissan might be back. A new Skyline is on the horizon, and somehow Infiniti could be the one bringing back a proper manual sports sedan. Is this the comeback enthusiasts have been waiting for?
And speaking of performance—how fast is fast enough? Dan shares his run at 193 mph in a GT-R, still chasing that elusive 200 mph club.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
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We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!
 

The Worst Overlander Ever Succeeds

Dan took the Bronco Raptor down to the beach—and honestly, nothing happened. It handled everything like it was built for it, no drama, no stories… which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly great podcast material. Meanwhile, somewhere across the globe, two guys successfully the exact opposite: a 14,000-mile journey from London to Cape Town in a Reliant Robin. And as you’d expect, they would never do it again.
Naturally, that got us thinking—we might need to step up our own adventure game. So in this episode, we dive into that wildly ambitious road trip, swap stories about motorcycles and Avants, and start asking ourselves what it would actually take to make things a little more… interesting.
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
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We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!

Enjoying Cake and Being Sad About Our Key Fobs

This episode kicks off with a bit of well-earned self-hype as Avants Magazine Issue 23 drops—featuring us! Huge shoutout to Brian Elich for capturing some incredible photos that made the feature even better.
From there, we dive into some big industry news: GM pulling out of the electric truck market. What went wrong for legacy automakers like Ford and GM, and how did Rivian manage to get it so right? We break down the challenges—and we want to hear from you. If you’ve owned (or ditched) a Ford Lightning or GM EV truck, tell us what you loved… or didn’t.
Next up, we talk about Ford Raptor cost-cutting, and why enthusiasts are starting to notice some questionable decisions in a premium product.
Over in motorsport, Formula 1 changes the rules yet again, and surprise—fans and drivers aren’t thrilled. We unpack the latest shake-ups and what they mean for the sport.
On the brighter side, Porsche reveals yet another 911 variant, proving once again that they somehow never miss. Is it necessary? Maybe not. Does it look amazing? Absolutely.
And finally, Dan makes a life decision: buying his first e-bike (an Amflow PR Carbon Pro)—which also happens to be only his third bike ever… at 46. What could possibly go wrong? 
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
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We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!

Birds, Trucks, and Bad Decisions

This week’s episode takes a few fun detours and a few hard turns into the reality of today’s car market. We kick things off in unexpected territory with a discussion on Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching and the strange, entertaining world of accidental ornithology—proof that bird watching can be far more intense (and competitive) than anyone expects.
With the GMC Jimmy officially making a return, we ask the obvious question: does this finally give us hope that Ford might bring the Everest stateside? That leads into a bigger “what if” conversation—cars that *should* have been massive hits but were held back by baffling decisions. We argue the Cybertruck may have been more popular as a true SUV instead of a polarizing pickup, and the Honda Prelude is our go-to example of a car that was absolutely nerfed by its manufacturer. We also ask listeners which car they think deserved better.
Truck talk continues as Toyota announces the Tundra TRD Hammer Edition, a clear shot across the bow of the Raptor. We think Toyota nailed this one and expect it to be a serious competitor. On the performance side, pricing for the new Grand Sport X has dropped, and at $113K we make the case that it’s one of the best bang‑for‑your‑buck cars on the market right now.
We then dive into the brutal reality of depreciation—especially in the EV space. The Tesla Model 3 RWD losing roughly 62% of its value raises a bigger question: is this a reflection of the EV market as a whole, or is Tesla dealing with its own unique set of problems, including brand fatigue and Elon‑induced polarization? Along similar lines, Ford officially confirms what many saw coming—the death of the F‑150 Lightning. The twist? We think it’s actually fixable, and we break down how Ford could have saved it.
We wrap up with some real‑world pain: gas prices. When a full tank in a Raptor is flirting with $200, it begs the question—what’s the most you’ve ever paid to fill up?
And finally, our Question of the Week: what shop or garage upgrades are you planning this year? Dan thinks a mini‑split is non‑negotiable before summer hits—do you agree?
 
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!

The Diesel Dilemma

On this week's episode Nick experiences the fun of current fuel prices as he fills up the Storyteller with diesel for the first time. At the time of publishing this episode, Diesel is currently sitting at $7 a gallon! If you're on the hunt for a new vehicle, have you reconsidered due to fuel prices or are you betting on prices dropping? Let us know in the comments! 
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!

Let The Modding Resume!

The weather’s warming up and the roads are finally drying out—which means it’s prime time to wrap up those long‑overdue mods. What projects are you finishing this season? Nick’s juggling upgrades across his bike, the Storyteller Van, and possibly a rack upgrade for the Ranger Raptor. Dan confesses his F‑150 Raptor is a certified mall crawler, so he’s leaning into practicality with airbags for towing, while the Bronco still has a long list of unfinished upgrades. Brian drops back in after some travel to hang out, share a few favorite roads, and talk about his time with Raptor Junkies—along with some hard‑earned tips on how not to be a total newb.
 
The Avants Podcast is brought to you by our friends at STEK USA and Carter Seattle!
Not an Avants member? https://www.avants.com/member-plans
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! 
Leave us a voicemail or send us a text any time at 425-298-7873!
We're doing give aways! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and we'll pick a random name every 25th review!