Michael Martinez and Larry P. Vellequette join Jake Neher for a special holiday “Weekend Drive.” Honda’s CR-V just knocked the F-150 off the top of the sales charts for the first half of 2026, and new-vehicle prices just hit a record high. Then Mike and Larry go head to head with their picks for the biggest auto industry story of the first half of 2026.

July 3, 2026 | Weekend Drive: Mike and Larry’s top stories of the year so far

Automotive News Daily Drive

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Welcome to this Weekend Drive edition of Daily Drive for the first week of July, 2026. I'm Jake Neer in Detroit, in for Kellen Walker. And happy 4th of July weekend, everyone. Today on the show, Honda's CR-V just did something I'm thinking nobody saw coming, knocking the Ford F-150 off its top spot of the US sales chart for the first half of the year. New vehicle prices just hit a record high, nearly 52%.

$2,000 on average, and buyers apparently aren't blinking. And then we're going to do something a little different for the second half of the show today. Mike and Larry each make their case for the biggest auto industry story of the first half of 2026. Joining me today, Michael Martinez, who covers Ford and the UAW for us at Automotive News. Mike, welcome back. Happy semi-quincentennial, Jake.

Nice. Well, well played being able to say that in one take. We didn't have to edit that one. And Larry Veloquette, who covers Toyota, Subaru, and Mazda. Welcome back to the show, Larry Legend. I hope you're, I hope you have some big plans for the 4th of July holiday weekend here. Yeah, I got a few plans, but I am fresh off the men's Team USA win yesterday over Bosnia-Herzegovina. So, all excited now.

July 3, 2026 | Weekend Drive: Mike and Larry’s top stories of the year so far

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

July 3, 2026 | Weekend Drive: Mike and Larry’s top stories of the year so far

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.