First Quarter U.S. Auto Sales, Jerry's EV Commentary, plus 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail, 2024 BMW X2 xDrive28i and 2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport Test Drives

April 12, 2024

Dear CarPro Family,

Here’s hoping your week is going well. The eclipse came and went in my hometown of Dallas, and we all made it through. It was a pretty cool event that was observed by many Car Pro Show listeners across the country.

I have the much-anticipated national sales for the first quarter of this year, and there were some surprises. I even give you all the electric car makers’ sales, although they are estimates with no real way to verify it, but it’s there for those interested. Ford reverses course on its electric car strategy and I have some commentary on the subject of electric cars.

We are giving away a beautiful 2024 Chevy Corvette and $10,000 in cash to pay tax, title, and license to some lucky listener! Best of all, this wonderful charity helps our Veterans find healing and a sense of gratitude and community, which they so deserve. Details are below on how to buy chances to win for just $10.

Interest rates for new cars averaged over 7% in the first quarter of this year. Barrett-Jackson is having its Palm Beach, Florida auction next week, and as always, we have info and TV times for you. The UAW has filed suit against Mercedes-Benz in their home country of Germany, this should be interesting. Subaru lovers, check out the all-new 2025 Forester, base priced at under $30,000.

I don’t ask you to do much here: check out my FAQ page and give us a like on facebook, or maybe buy a ticket to help a Veteran and possibly win yourself a new Corvette, but please take a minute and watch the Lexus video below and if you have young people in your life, make them watch it as well. It’s a game changer and you’ll be reminded of it the next time you think about texting and driving.

I have two reviews for you this week, the all-new 2024 Lexus GX 550 SUV, and the 2024 BMW X2 x28i SUV. Our Amy Plemons brings you a detailed review of the first-ever 2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport.

In advice today, two items to help you. I give you tips on how to navigate the finance office in a dealership, something many dread. Also, if you are an allergy sufferer, change that cabin air filter in your car.

We have another True Story from a Former Car Dealer below. This is a series of 40 stories written by me. Some are really funny, some are incredibly sad. I really peel back the curtain on my career highs and lows in the car business, and also share a lot of personal information. I hope you’ll take a minute and read these each week, I truly believe you’ll enjoy them. #15 is titled: Ignition switches. Not my proudest moment, but as the Ford National Dealer Council Chairman, Ford blew my mind in a meeting with the honchos about quality and I came unwrapped.

You’ll find the following stories and more info as you scroll down the newsletter:

Plus, lots of other information you will enjoy! If you have never been to our FAQ page, take a minute and peruse the categories, something there will interest you for sure.

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 CarPro 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, www.carpro.com, it changes all the time!

Have a terrific week. See you on the radio!

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I can't say I didn't see this coming. Ford says it's retiming the launch of upcoming electric vehicles. The automaker outlined its updated electrification plans last week.

This is a very well done spin by the Ford PR folks, I applaud them! Better late than never, although billions have been wasted on electrics, I said on the air several years ago Ford, GM, Stellantis and others were jumping into the EV fray too hard and too fast. In spite of the full-court press push by the government, ultimately it is consumers who decide where their hard-earned money is spent.

Tesla was the envy of every automaker in the world, in spite of the fact that they went some 14 years without turning a profit in a market where there was zero competition. The losses would have been way worse had it not been for government subsidies and the ability to sell carbon credits to other automakers for millions of dollars. Still, you have to hand it to Elon Musk for figuring that out. Late last week, Tesla said they were scrapping plans to make an electric low cost vehicle. Government money is also fueling Elon’s Space X venture.

Audio from my interview on DFW station KRLD 1080 on April 5th: Why doesn’t America want electric cars:

Click below for a link to Ford's statement. While not admitting it was an ill-fated plan and they moved too quickly, as I also said several years ago: Toyota gets it. The carmaker took a lot of heat and criticism over resisting EVs and staying the course with hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Oh sure, they dipped their toe in the water with the bZ4X, which has been a total flop while all the plug-in hybrid offerings have a waiting list and people lined up to buy them.

Here is what Ford is saying now. With what I said above, read between the lines. Key word here is “retiming”. How soon until GM and Stellantis give it up? I suspect it won’t be long.

Read Ford's Statement→

It’s not very often you get a chance to help someone and win something special in the process. The CarPro.com | Vehicle For Good “Corvette For Vets” sweepstakes is just such an event, and it is on right now! Roll Call of North Texas & Veterans Freedom Retreat will directly benefit every time you enter! And every $10 entry gets you a chance to win a 2024 Corvette Stingray 3LT Z51– and you know it’s RED! You’ll also get $10,000 in cash! Enter as many times as you like before July 5th! You will be helping our veterans find healing and community in the process!

DISCLAIMER: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Sweepstakes ends July 5th, 2024. Open to legal residents of the United States, EXCLUDING THE STATE OF NEW YORK OR WHERE PROHIBITED. Must be 18 years of age at the time of entry. See the official rules for more

A few years ago, I started writing a series of True Stories From A Former Car Dealer. Over 40 weeks, I wrote about experiences I had from my days as a dealership owner. Some will make you laugh, others will make you cry. The reaction was beyond my wildest expectations.

For our new subscribers, and for those of you who may have missed one or perhaps simply forgotten the details, we’ll bring these to you in the order they were written.

In this episode, I tell you about the only time I ever really came unwrapped while the Ford National Dealer Council Chairman. Ford was doing something so incredibly stupid, I erupted in a meeting with the Council and Ford Executives.

True Stories From a Former Car Dealer #15→

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.

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.

A guy was traveling way too fast in his Boss 302 Mustang and went off the highway, plummeting his car 400-feet down the side of a mountain. The Hulk, a beastly wrecker, was called in to retrieve the smashed Mustang and with the use of a drone to locate the car, finally drug it up the mountain and loaded onto a second wrecker. Shockingly, the driver lived.

It may seem hard to believe, but once upon a time, televisions were all black and white. Here, the always ebullient Bob leads us forward into the future.

You 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 Kevin McCarthy 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!

The CarPro 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.

new-markets-canva-pro-jan-11

We've recently welcomed some new markets to the CarPro Radio Network:

KTLR 890 AM/103.7 FM Oklahoma City: Sunday 4-5pm CT (replay)
The Mountain WSYY 1240 AM/ 102.5 FM Millinocket, ME:

Saturday 9AM- 12PM PT
KUFO: Portland, Oregon: Saturday 9AM- 12PM PT
Nevada Talk Network - THE Rural News Source: KELY 1230am/98.5fm, Ely; KPVM-TV 25.7, Pahrump, KAVB 98.7 FM, Hawthorne, KPKK 101.1 FM, Amargosa Valley, NV, KDJJ 94.1 FM, Fernley-Fallon all three hours live 9AM- 12PM PT
KFIR 720 AM, Sweet Home, Oregon: Sunday 4PM - 7PM PT (replay)
KBAR 1230 AM, Burley, Idaho: Saturday 6PM – 9PM MT (replay)
KACT 1360 AM, Andrews, Texas: Saturdays 7PM – 10PM CT (replay)
WDOC 1310 AM, Prestonsburg, Kentucky: Time TBD
KLXX 1270 AM, Bismarck, North Dakota: Sunday 10PM – Midnight CT (replay)

Other additions to the CarPro Show family in 2023:

B103 WOWS Indy, Indianapolis: Sundays from 7PM-10PM ET (replay)
WCED AM/ConnectFM , Johnston, PA: Saturdays from 2PM-4PM ET (replay)
KFIR 720 AM ,Albany, Oregon: Sundays from 4PM -7PM PT (replay)
News Talk 98.9 The Word ,Greenville, NC region: Saturdays 12PM-1PM (live), Saturdays 3PM -6PM (replay), and Sundays 11AM -4PM (replay)
WQXL AM/FM 1470 AM and 100.7 FM , Columbia, South Carolina: Saturdays from 12PM-1PM ET
News/Talk 103.7 FM WEEO, Hagerstown, Maryland: 12PM -3PM ET Saturdays WEEO covers parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the Washington D.C. area.
Talk 1370, Austin: Saturdays from 11AM -1PM CT

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.

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

WBAP DFW Podcast Here →
FOR ALL OTHER MARKETS, CLICK HERE→

Tips For Driving Safely During Monday's Eclipse!

Enter to Win A Corvette And Support U.S. Veterans!

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: What To Know About The Dealership Finance Office

U.S. Auto Sales

Read More→

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Must-Watch Lexus Video: It's Distracted Driving Month

On The Road: Test Drives

Jerry calls the all-new 2024 Lexus GX an exceptional on- and off-road SUV that's certain to be a huge hit for Lexus.

Jerry says the fun to drive 2024 BMW X2 delivers superb handling and great fuel economy.

Honda updates the 2024 Ridgeline with more standard tech and enhanced storage. The lineup also adds its first-ever TrailSport trim.

Bumper to Bumper: Industry Newse

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Want A Magenta-Colored Jeep Wrangler? Now's Your Time!

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UAW Files Lawsuit Against Mercedes-Benz In Germany

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Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2024 TV Times

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BBB: Extensive Study On Fake Car Scams

Read More →

Weekly Recalls

True Stories From A Former Car Dealer

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Closing Message From Jerry Reynolds