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March 14, 2025

Dear CarPro Family,

I hope you have adjusted to Daylight Saving Time by now, the first couple of days were a little rough for me, but I think I will survive it!  We’ve got a full edition for you today as we cross the midpoint of March, so don’t risk missing something that might help you.  I suggest you scroll all the way through to make sure!  Today, I have another edition of the Auto Industry Roundup for you!

best-resale-valiuesI talk about resale value a lot, and below we have KBB’s Resale Value Award winners for you.  We also have the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year winnersIn an award no city wants to win, we have the top 10 cities for the most drunk drivers.  Spoiler alert, Texas needs to tamp it down on the alcohol, especially you guys and gals in Austin!  Full details are below.

Have you seen the new 2025 Lexus LX 700h hybrid SUV?  It’s a beauty and it’s large.  I’ve got full details below on it and I will be reviewing it next week, so we can learn about it together below.  Would you buy a used car from Tom Brady?  He sure wants you to!  What is Uninsured Motorist insuranceI have the answer for you below in the insurance Q & A article.

Don’t miss Kim Komando’s Tech Tips and other useful info below, and in advice today I tell you if it is a good idea to buy or lease a loaner car or not.  For those of you who love the collector car auctions, Mecum is in Glendale, AZ next week and we have all the details for you! 

lexus-lc-500-In car reviews, I have the beautiful 2025 Lexus LC 500 Bespoke Edition convertible. Wow, what a wonderful example of classic beauty and old school muscle.  I also give you a review of the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek SUV.  Our Amy Plemons will be back with a review next week.

Check the recall section to see if you may need to take action on your vehicle. Miss a radio show?  Below we tell you how to get the podcast, and if you missed a newsletter, we tell you how to find the archive page where you can see the last 10 editions.  The incentives have gone up lately, but our Incentive Guide is always 100% up to date.

Plus, lots of other information you will enjoy, including my video of the week we talk about on the air all the time!  If you have never been to our FAQ page, take a minute and peruse the categories, something there will interest you for sure → FAQ.

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We so appreciate all of you who take this newsletter and listen to the show every week.  We know that without you, there is no Car Pro Radio Show.  So always let us know when we can help you. If you have not been there lately, take a look at our website, carpro.com, it changes all the time! 

Have a terrific week.  See you on the radio!

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 Meet The Newest Vehicle In My Garage!

Jerry-reynolds-new-lease-bmw-5-series

50% of EV Buyers Are Leasing...
Including Yours Truly!

If you listen to the show, you know I always tell people who are interested in electric vehicles to lease them.  I recently took my own advice when I leased an all-electric 2025 BMW 5-Series, pictured above, earlier this week!   After trying several vehicles for myself (this vehicle will rarely get driven since I am always reviewing a car) I settled on the 5-Series and it's tons of fun!

My main reason for advising leasing over buying an EV is the volatile used EV market and the continuing drop in prices.  In addition, some people who choose an electric because it works for them today could have their situation change in the future and it will be much easier to get out of a short term lease versus a long term purchase.  According to new leasing data, it appears I am not the only one taking my advice about leasing over buying an EV.  

50% of EV Buyers Are Leasing → 

   Newsletter Exclusive: Jerry's Auto Roundup

EXCLUSIVE-2Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.  Here is this week’s edition:

More on my video of the week below:  A customer who was upset with the appraisal on his Subaru rammed the front doors of a CarMax in Inglewood, CA, then turned around in the showroom and drove through the doors on the back side of the dealership as you’ll be able to see from my Video of the Week today.  Apparently he didn’t like either the offer to purchase his Subaru, or he was upset with the amount they were giving him as a trade-in, that is unclear.  What is clear is 25-year-old Andrew Arroyo is in a heap of trouble.  One CarMax employee was taken to the hospital in critical condition, although word is the injuries were not life threatening.  Six other employees and one customer were injured in the vehicular attack.  Arroyo couldn’t even turn himself in properly, he did it at the LAPD Police Academy.  Hopefully one of the rookies in training got to practice putting the silver bracelets on the man.  Arroyo has had the bracelets on before it turns out, after being charged with a DUI last year.  I assume once the episode was over, the appraisal on the Subaru was lowered, but of course ‘ol Andrew won’t need a car where he’s going anyway.

Another week, more electric vehicle drama:  It is increasingly difficult to keep up with all the EV news flowing our way.  What is clear is there is a lot of effort being put into a segment that only represents 8% of the total market in America.  We know now that 50% of EV buyers actually lease them, that is one of the articles today in this newsletter.  You also know from that article that I am one of them.  I leased a new BMW i5 electric earlier this week.  You can see it in the aforementioned article.  We’ve learned that Elon Musk is having a rough week.  Not only is Tesla stock having a horrible week, down almost 50% since December, people are boycotting his products and protesting in front of Tesla dealerships.  Some people’s Teslas are being vandalized and new Teslas are being set on fire at dealerships.  Some individuals are selling their Teslas because of the harassment they are enduring.  While Elon is trying to slash government waste through DOGE, he is also going to court to try to collect his 56 Billion Dollar pay package, which probably has gotten more difficult with the events of late.  And if the outlook for EVs wasn’t bleak enough, President Trump is planning to cut the $7,500 Federal Credit in place now, throw out the EPA fuel economy guidelines that could not be met by automakers anyway, and redirecting money that was going to build EV chargers across America.  The picture for the future of EVs is not rosy in the least, which is why I always tell you to lease if you want to go electric.  That way, you don’t care what the used EV prices are in the future, it’s not your problem.  See?  I do listen to my own advice!

His name is Ivan Espinosa, and he is going to have his hands full:  Maybe he read this column a couple of weeks ago and decided he wanted to be the CEO of a car company so he could get fired and get the golden parachute deal all the fired auto CEOs receive.  That is one of my aspirations as I told you.  You see, Mr. Espinosa is the new CEO at Nissan, where he inherits a host of issues, the most serious of which is a lack of operating capital. I have had a lot of listeners ask me if Nissan was going to make it.  Yes, they will, trust me on this.  As I’ve pointed out before, it only takes one big hit vehicle to revive a car company and the all-new Nissan Murano I reviewed a couple of weeks ago will likely be the one to do it.  They have a new Pathfinder that I reviewed for today’s newsletter.  I also think Nissan is establishing itself as the value leader in America.  The Nissan Kicks is an outstanding small SUV that starts at just over $21,000.  Nissan actually has six models that you can buy for under $30,000, which is a rarity these days.  The one thing insiders say about Mr. Espinosa is he has unlimited energy.  Who does that sound like?  Sounds just like Carlos Ghosn who was ousted and imprisoned by Nissan and authorities.  He was a workaholic, and that is what it takes with any car company CEO and especially taking this job at Nissan.  The big question is can Mr. Espinosa, often referred to as a Car Guy, revive the merger with Honda, and does he even want to? Even if he tries to, it is doubtful it would be successful.  As I pointed out a few weeks ago, I’m not sure Honda really gains enough to take the risk.  The ace in the hole for Nissan?  They are too big to fail.  The Japanese government is very protective of the Japan-based automakers and will find a way to bail them out if the situation becomes dire.  It is not unlike our government bailing out General Motors and Chrysler 16 years ago (yes, it’s been that long).  I would like to wish Ivan Espinosa good luck, but worst case:  good severance.

I’ve warned you about scams on Craigslist & Facebook Market place, but even really smart people get duped, too:  It is true, people get ripped off likely every single day by people who are looking to sell cars on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and often CarGurus.  Some of the crooks are really good at what they do.  Nobody is exempt from these scammers.  If this has happened to you, don’t feel bad.  Let me introduce you to Michael Mente.  Michael is a Los Angeles millionaire and the CEO of Revolve (www.Revolve.com), a popular fashion retailer who just had to have a Mercedes AMG One a few years ago.  The car is a crazy-fast F1-type car that has a gas engine AND 4 electric engines as well.  It puts out 1,000-horses.  So, Mr. Mente shelled out 5.4 MILLION dollars to a French car dealer named Jean-Pierre M.R. Clement.  Sounds like a pretty cool name, heh? Turns out, it was a fake name.  Homeland Security notified Mr. Mente that good ‘ol Jean-Pierre was actually Traveon Rogers of, you guessed it, Texas.  Mr. Mente was convinced that everything was rosy because a Colorado Attorney named Scott Oliver represented Jean-Pierre, Traveon, or whatever his name was, and he had a very convincing story of becoming a billionaire by being an early investor in Snapchat and starting his own private equity firm.  Problem is, the Benz AMG One was already sold out when Mr. Mente forked over the money.  Apparently, the Colorado Attorney was duped also, but said “Rogers was quite a character. Clearly he was able to convince people and get them to pay money and defraud people out of a lot of money."  That may be the understatement of the year. Fear not my gullible friends, Traveon/Jean-Pierre is currently serving a 7-year sentence for outsmarting another rich person by impersonating an Aston Martin representative.  If you’ve been ripped-off by a scammer trying to buy or sell a car, don’t feel bad.  It happens to even “brilliant” rich folks.

And so it goes!  

  Straight Talk and Honest Answers

shutterstock-cars-loaner-carCarPro Advice:
Is Buying A Loaner Car A Good Idea?

You can usually save thousands doing so, but you need to proceed carefully. Here's what to keep in mind.

Read Jerry's Advice→

  Highboy For Heroes Sweepstakes!

VFG F250 Spring Break Newsletter

Show your support for our veterans this spring by entering the "Highboy for Heroes" sweepstakes! Enter for your chance to WIN a fully restored 1972 Ford F250 or $100,000 in cash. Proceeds help veterans find healing & community by benefitting two organizations, Veterans Freedom Retreat and Roll Call.  From now until Monday, 3/24, take 25% off 3 entry levels. Click Enter Now below to enter! 

 Texas Auto Writers Bill Neale Award Winners!

I am very proud of our Amy Plemons who worked extremely hard on this wonderful award.  I think it is safe to say that without her, this would not be possible.  Great job, Amy!

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The Car Pro Show sends its congratulations to the talented winners of the Texas Auto Writers Association's 2025 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students!  The competition, open to U.S. High School Students, honors world-renowned Dallas-based artist Bill Neale who passed away in 2021 and serves to inspire the next generation of automotive artists.  

See the winning artwork → 

  Q&A: What Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage?

uninsured-drivers-shutterstock-signIf you have uninsured motorist coverage, your accident-related expenses can be covered. And if the other driver does have insurance, but it’s not sufficient to cover your costs (given today’s high medical bills), underinsured motorist coverage can help fill the gap. Most states require drivers to buy liability insurance to cover damage and injuries they cause. Some drivers choose not to buy it, or they might forget to renew it in time. So it’s a good idea to consider adding uninsured motorist coverage to your policy.

Visit Farmers Insurance to read more →

Special thanks to Farmers Insurance & DFW Farmers Agent Melissa Bankard in Richardson, TX for providing this insight.  You can visit her Farmers web page here.

  On The Road: Test Drives

2025-Lexus-LC500-yellow-hero-carpro2025 Lexus LC 500 Bespoke Convertible  

Stunning looks meet V8 performance for a luxury ride like no other.

Read review  

2025-nissan-pathfinder-rock-creek-hero-1-carpro2025 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition

A great-looking off-roader that's a great value, too!  

Read review →

 

 Upcoming Review: First-Ever 2025 Lexus LX 700h

2025-lexus-lx-700-h-luxury-credit-lexusBarring something unexpected happening, I should have this beauty Monday for the week, and wanted to give you a preview, as well as doing a little review prep myself!  The review vehicle I have scheduled is the Overtrail model, looking forward to this one!

Preview The 2025 Lexus LX 700h

  Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

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   2025 KBB Best Resale Value Awards 
The Toyota Tacoma Ranks No. 1

Read more→ 

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Dodge Re-Prices Two Performance Vehicles

Read more→
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2025 Women's Worldwide Car Of The Year Awards

Read more→

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Top 10 Cities With Most Drunk Drivers

Read more→
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Tom Brady Wants to Sell You A Car 

Read more→
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Mecum Glendale Is Next Week!

Read more→
2025-cadillac-IQL-credit-cadillac

Escalade EV Not Big Enough? Check out the IQL

Read more→

  Weekly Recalls

 Our Incentive Guide

incentives-3Check out our vehicle incentives and lease specials page for information on understanding incentives, plus links to every major manufacturer's incentive page for the latest offers by zip code.

Find Incentives By Automaker → 

 Kim Komando's Tech Tips and Useful Info

new-kim-kommando-graphiBesides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s.  We're on many of the same radio stations across America.  She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do:  Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better.  Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.

Here are some items I found this week that I think might be of interest:

  • Uber completes a million trips an hour: Wow, right? To keep up with demand, their next move is integrating autonomous vehicles into the app. But get this: Instead of building their own robotaxis, they’re partnering with the likes of Waymo. What does that mean for us? Most likely higher ride prices since revenue will be split, and fewer jobs for human drivers.
  • Fastest car under $1 million: I’m a car gal, so I love this story. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 hit a top speed of 233 mph on a 7.6-mile test track in Germany. You may know it’s one of the heaviest sports cars, starting at $174,995. To punch above its weight, GM engineers simulated it to prep for the test. The computer was only off by 1.09 mph. How cool. 
  • Move over Kia Boys, the Nissan Boys are here: Steps outlining how to steal a Nissan are all over social media. Thieves use special hardware to intercept a Nissan’s key signal, which lets them unlock the doors and start the engine. To stop your key’s signal from transmitting, wrap it in tinfoil (Yup, that trick again!) when you’re at home or place it in a metal box. Expect an upgrade from Nissan soon.
  • Out of black ink? Before you print, change the color to #010101. It’ll look black, but it’s really 99% gray. While you’re at it, knock down the font size and switch the typeface to Courier New or Garamond. They use the least ink.
  • 15 minutes before your plane takes off, arrive at the airport. I bet that just stressed you out. This airport theory” has almost 400 million views on TikTok. Some folks breezed through security and made it on time. Others weren’t so lucky. Don’t chance it.
  • Egg prices got you scrambling? Rent a chicken. Seriously. Rent The Chicken lets you “borrow” hens for fresh eggs at home. For about $140 a month, you’ll get two hens, a portable coop, feed and instructions to keep them happy. Expect one to two dozen eggs per week. I had a hen who could count her own eggs. She was a mathemachicken. That was bad. I agree. Watch the video here

   Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Screen Shot 2024-06-27 at 1.11.02 PMDon't forget to check out our newsletter archive! You'll find the past 10 weekly newsletters there.You can find it under the radio show tab on CarPro.com.

Go to the Newsletter Archive →

  Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

winner-March-13We have had a lot of fun with our classic car contest on the Car Pro Show Facebook page. We post the photo of a classic vehicle every Saturday morning and invite people to guess the year, make, and model.  The prize: An Auto HeatShield!

Official rules 

CarPro listeners receive a 10% AutoHeatShield discount with the code "CarPro10". 

Visit AutoHeatShield here →

  Jerry's Must-See  Video Of The Week!

OK, this trend has to stop!  Just a few days ago in Inglewood, CA, a disgruntled customer crashed his car through the front door of a CarMax location, turned the car around inside the showroom, and drove through another door on the other side.  Eight people were injured, and the angry customer was arrested shortly afterwards and faces a lot of charges, plus thousands of dollars in damages to the dealership.  KTLA 5 in Los Angeles brings this 2-minute video that is incredibly frightening.

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  Exclusive Approved Products & Services

CarPro Radio Show host Jerry Reynolds can count the number of products he's endorsed on one hand. He's had many opportunities, but after much due diligence, he usually ends up saying no.  Jerry won’t recommend a product or service unless he's tried it himself and feels good about recommending it.   

Here are the companies Jerry endorses and personally uses →

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  It's Here! The CarPro Merchandise Shop!

  Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter 

NEWSLETTER-DALLAS-SIGNUPLive in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and haven't subscribed to the DFW edition of the CarPro Radio Show Newsletter?

Just click here or on the left to subscribe. You'll see it in your inbox every Friday morning. 

 

  Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

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Catch all three hours of the CarPro Show national podcast!  You'll find them posted Saturday afternoon following the show. 

Click here for the WBAP DFW podcast →

  Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle? 

If you are searching for a particular new or used vehicle, we can help you!  The best news is, if you use CarPro to search, when you find the car of your dreams it will be at a CarPro approved dealership.Screen Shot 2023-07-13 at 9.41.44 AM

Best of all, it’s simple to use.  Choose new, used, or certified.  You can select the make and model, or find a price range you are looking at.  Choose the number of miles you are willing to travel and enter your zip code.

From there, you can look through all your matches, knowing you are shopping at a dealership I have handpicked that adheres to the high standards I require.

Start your search on the front page of  CarPro.com. If you don't find the car of your dreams, check back regularly.

  FAQ: Research Your Questions Before You Shop

Our FAQ page offers answers to questions Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds is asked most frequently.

Visit the FAQ Page →

  You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show! 

phone-2 have 5 hours to call the show!  From 9AM- 2PM Central, 7AM-Noon Pacific, and 10 AM to 3 PM Eastern, the phone numbers are:

  • DFW Show: 9 AM to 11 AM Central, 
    • 1 (800) 288-9227
  • National Show: 11 AM to 2 PM Central,
    • 1 (800) 926-7777 

Add the numbers to your cell phone; you never know when you are going to need straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive.

So, what is the CarPro Radio Show?

Confused about the car buying process? Worried you won’t get a fair deal? Wondering about which vehicle is best for you? Then tune in to the CarPro Radio Show every week where Jerry Reynolds and Todd Chambless will guide you through the car-buying process with confidence. 

No matter where you listen to the show or which station you listen to, you have five hours to call in and ask your questions. We take calls every Saturday from 9 AM-2 PM Central time, 7 AM to Noon Pacific. The phone number is different the first two hours, then changes, so keep that in mind.  

We would love to help you in any way possible!  Keep in mind, we don’t take mechanical questions, but everything else is great!

  Where to Find Us 

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The Car Pro Radio Show is heard every weekend all over the United States, and every weekend we deliver straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment and tell a friend about the show.

Recent additions to our affiliate family include:

  • KLXX 1270 AM Bismark-Madan North Dakota
    • Saturday 5p to 6p CT (Replay)
  • KKTK AM 1400/FM 97.1 in Texarkana, TX
    • Saturday: 12 noon to 3 pm CT (Replay)
  • KQEW 102.3 FM in Fordyce, Arkansas
    • Saturday  5PM - 8PM CT (Replay)

Most of our listeners tell us that they never thought they would look forward to a show about cars.  You may have friends or relatives who feel the same way in the cities below, please make them aware.

WBAP 93.3

Here are the DFW markets the show airs in, times, and stations, and don't forget you can now listen to WBAP on the FM dial at 93.3 FM!

  • Dallas, TX:  WBAP 820 AM/93.3 FM/99.5 HD 2, Saturday 9am to 11am Central
  • Dallas, TX:  KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 2pm to 4pm Central (replay)
  • Granbury, TX:  KPIR 1420 AM, Saturday 11am to 2pm Central 

  • Listen to the WBAP Podcast (up every Tuesday)→

 Closing Message From Jerry Reynolds

Thank you for reading this edition of the Car Pro Weekly, recommending it to your friends and family, and for listening to the Car Pro Radio Show. 

We hope you found it to be informative and entertaining. Remember we're always here for you at www.carpro.com.

Until next week, stay safe, don't drink and drive, remember our Troops and public safety officers, and may God Bless.

Sincerely.

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