It’s very pleasant when you get behind the wheel of a car, and it proves to be a lot better than you thought it would be. That was Host Jack Nerad’s experience with the 2024 Volvo S60 Recharge eAWD Ultimate Dark. While the eurosedan has a name longer than the block Nerad lives on, he discovered it to be faster, more agile, and more inventive than he imagined. One big positive — the 455 horsepower available from its plug-in hybrid powertrain. The 143 horsepower kicked in by the rear-axle electric motor, which engages almost instantly, made the S60 Recharge feel even more powerful.

Inside, the competitor to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class offers a well-designed cabin that doesn’t look like a clone of every other sports-luxury sedan. For one thing, it has cloth upholstery, which was attractive and felt cool to the touch. And the infotainment system is topnotch, too. We’ll have more on the S60 in this episode if we don’t run out of time just saying its full name.

Co-host Chris Teague was at the wheel of our other road test vehicle this week — the very competent 2024 Acura MDX Type S. It’s Acura’s sportiest three-row trim, and while that might sound oxymoronic, it proved apt, as our review of the MDX will outline.

In the news this week, the proposed fuel economy regulations could cost American automakers almost $10 billion in fines. This is according to a letter the companies sent to the Department of Energy. Of course, carmakers will probably pass on the costs to consumers, so all of us will end up paying more.

In happier news, vehicle sales surged in the third quarter. We’ll tell you which types led the charge — and which didn’t — coming up. The figures might surprise you.

A related story shows that EVs are affordable, at least for some people, but that affordability depends a lot on who you are and what kind of money you have.

A new report says the United Auto Workers union’s strike tactics are forcing the U.S.-based carmakers into a game of “Survivor.” We will talk about that and about which of the car companies is likely to cave in first.

Our special guest this week is Honda product planner Kyle Campbell. He’ll give us all the inside details on the 2024 Honda Passport TrailSport in an interview for you coming up.

America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com