Happy New Year! We are LIVE on the air this SATURDAY! Jerry's Top Reviews of 2024, Plus 2025 Toyota Crown Signia, 2025 Nissan Sentra and 2025 Hyundai Kona Test Drives

December 26, 2024

From all of us on the Car Pro Radio Show staff, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and additionally we hope you have a safe and terrific New Year. Here is wishing 2025 is a great year for you and your family, and that it brings you much happiness and joy.

YES WE ARE LIVE THIS SATURDAY, EXCEPT in Los Angeles due to a Lakers game, but you still have 5 hours to call me and you can easily listen! I give you all the info below on how to do both.

THIS IS IT! The best week of the year to purchase or lease a new vehicle is here! Everything is lined up to make this the best time to buy in over five years! Our dealers are stocked up, they are offering big discounts, rebates and low interest rates are huge, and trade values are still sky high. That means all the elements are there that will make this a great time to purchase or lease a new vehicle.

Many are curious about my thoughts on the discussions between Honda and Nissan about a merger. I'll share some thoughts with you on this Saturday's radio show, and I'll likely write about it in next week's newsletter. I'm not convinced it will ever happen and I'll tell you why I think that, so tune into the show or catch the podcast.

Don’t miss the December Car Buying Guide that is below. There is a lot of great information there if you are going to pull the trigger on some new wheels at this best time of year to do so. Go through and read it all, it will help you save time at one of the Car Pro dealerships. A little extra patience is critical right now. Our dealers are slammed, and even with your VIP status (if you follow my process) live customers in the showroom will take priority over your phone call, text, or email. That is just the reality at this time of year.

You have 5 hours to call the show this Saturday, details below. We remind you not to drink and drive, and we have New Year’s resolutions for drivers. Also below, you will find a special report from Kim Komando on your insurance company spying on you under the guise of getting you lower premiums. Check the recalls, and if you missed it last week, read my top car reviews of 2024.

Two reviews from me this week, the all-new 2052 Toyota Crown Signia SUV, and the 2025 Nissan Sentra SR, a beautiful sedan for under $30,000 on the window sticker. Our Amy Plemons has the 2025 Hyundai Kona Limited. Also below, find the factory brochure on your first car, that is a lot of fun!

If you’ve ever needed my FAQ page, it is probably between now and year-end. Be sure to take a look: FAQ.

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

Have a terrific week. See you on the radio!

We will not be on the air tomorrow, December 28, 2024 on KNX due to a Lakers basketball game they are obligated to air. However, you can still join us by clicking LISTEN LIVE at CarPro.com from 9 AM Pacific/11 AM Central all the way to Noon Pacific/2 PM Central. You can play us on your smartphone, and if you have to go somewhere, put us on the Bluetooth in your car! Worst case, the podcast will be up at 12:30 Pacific for all 3 hours:

Click Here for the Podcast →

With fewer calls from Los Angeles likely, our friends in other markets will have a better chance of getting through! Usually, the phone lines are jammed for all 3 hours, so if you’ve tried before and haven’t gotten through, this is your chance. Store the phone number in your phone: (800) 926-7777

Thank you for your patience, we hate when this happens, too. We’ll be back with you soon!

The end of the year is fast approaching! If you've waited to buy a vehicle, now is the time to take advantage of year-end deals! While vehicles are more plentiful this year than in the past few, sales are brisk and our dealers are pre-selling incoming cars, especially in the case of Toyota and Lexus. If you want to take advantage of Tax Code 179, take advantage of the HUGE December incentives, or want to grab an EV before the $7,500 rebate runs out, START NOW.

Communicate with one of our dealers. Tell them what you want, try to be flexible if possible, and let them do what they do best: make you happy.

BEWARE of BAIT and SWITCH ONLINE PRICES

It is worse this time of year than any other time. Dealers putting unrealistic pricing is rampant right now. They only have one vehicle at that price and guess what? It sold this morning. They use all sorts of rebates you won’t qualify for, but you’re already three hours into the deal before you find out. Some will keep you hostage only to tell you later that it is “plus add-ons” or the price didn’t include transportation charges. Stick with my Certified Dealers to avoid this waste of time nonsense.

Here are some tips to help you make the Car Pro process quicker and easier:

First, be sure to start the process by emailing our dealers as prescribed below. Tell the dealer when you are going to visit them, and what you are looking for. It is a good idea to spend some time on the dealership’s website and if you find your dream car, include the stock number or VIN number.
If you have a bank or credit union, find out the best interest rate you can get. If the dealer can match or beat that rate, you can get everything done at one time, in one visit.
If you have frozen your credit files, unfreeze them in advance if you are going to finance.
If you have a trade-in, go through the vehicle and remove all personal items. Try to have it clean and the tires dressed. Leave all service records in a folder on the front seat.
If there is money owed on your trade-in, call and get a 10-day payoff from your lender. If your trade-in is paid off, take the title with you and both sets of keys. Take your current insurance card and driver license.

Using our system is easy, but MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS A PROCESS and it needs to be followed to reap the rewards of it, and this is true more now than ever.

You can go to CarPro.com to any of our affiliates from our website, all you have to do is click Certified CarPros near the top of the website. Email that dealer from our website, and you’ll get a CarPro VIP Certificate right back in your email. Be sure to enter your correct address to get the certificate. You are welcome to email as many dealers as you wish from our list. Here is a link to find all our dealers coast-to-coast:

Find A Certified CarPro →

A car for most people is the second largest purchase you will ever make. It is always a good idea to “know someone” in the business. The sheer volume of business I send our dealers gives you a HUGE advantage and best of all it is FREE!

If you have a trade-in, don't head to the dealership this holiday season without reading this. It's an article I've referenced numerous times on the show. Before you visit ANY CarPro dealership, it's always a good idea to know where you stand in your trade-in vehicle. Do you have equity you can cash in on? Or are you upside down (negative equity)? It's a crucial question to have the answer to before setting foot in a dealership. There's no more awkward moment for the consumer or the dealer than when the moment of truth comes when you find out what your vehicle is worth versus the amount of money you owe on it.

Car dealerships may be busy with end-of-year car shoppers, but don't let that deter you from getting a great deal during the best time of the year to buy. These tips will help you have a great experience.

Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s. Were 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.

This week we bring you a special report on the smart driving programs many insurance companies are recommending to “save you money” but what are they tracking and how it might actually make your premiums go up!

For the full report, click here →