Jerry's Nissan/Honda Commentary, Don't Forget The Dealer Survey! Plus 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition, 2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country and 2025 Lexus ES 300h F Sport Test Drives-3

January 3, 2025

We welcome you to 2025 and hope the year brings you happiness, good health, and prosperity. I had hoped to have the full-year 2024 sales report to you today, but many of the automakers are running behind counting sales, so next week for sure! We have had some shorter newsletters the past few weeks, but we are back today with a lot of info for you! As always feel free to forward this on to someone.

Many have asked me about the proposed merger between Honda and Nissan. I have my thoughts on it today in a new commentary piece. In good news for consumers, below I tell you details on the used car market stabilizing finally, and new car affordability is getting better. I also give you the vehicles we are saying adios to for 2025, and my thoughts on each one. Thinking of getting a collector car? Hagerty has some suggestions on which ones are the best buys for future value.

In the legal department, two dealer groups were busted for deceptive practices by the Federal Trade Commission and one of them set a new record- high for settlement. SO good to see them finally taking some action. Car dealers in California are taking action against Volkswagen due to the plans to sell the new Scout direct to the public, bypassing dealerships like Tesla does.

Don’t miss Kim Komando’s Tech Tips and other fun stuff of the week. As always, she tells us great information. In advice today, I explain the importance of the factory satisfaction survey many of you will soon get on that new ride of yours.

I have two SUV reviews for you today! Check out the beautiful 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition large 3-row SUV, and I also had the 2025 Chevy Traverse High Country, also a 3-row SUV. Our Amy Plemons brings you a review of the 2025 Lexus ES 300h F Sport Handling luxury sedan.

Also, don’t forget to check the recall section to see if your vehicle is affected, again there are a lot of those this week. Miss a radio show? We tell you how to get the podcast and if you missed a newsletter, the last 10 editions are there as well!

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.

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!

As we say hello to 2025, we say goodbye to almost three dozen cars, trucks, and surprisingly SUVs that have ceased production or will soon. Sometimes cars just need to go away, and for different reasons, such as they are bad cars that gave a lot of trouble. Normally, however, cars go away because they quit selling, or it takes more in incentive money to move them than the automaker earns in profit. At other times, it is because of automaker stupidity.

Going, Going, Gone: Cars We Say Goodbye To For 2025 →

Photo: U.S. Old History Defined on Facebook.

It was way before my time, but not far from the hospital I was born in was Porter Chevrolet. During Christmas 1953, Porter Chevrolet in Dallas Texas had a 80-foot high Santa built on their building to hold a real, brand new 1954 Chevy in his lap as an advertisement.

Two years after Big Tex was unveiled to rave reviews at the 1951 State Fair of Texas, and still a landmark today, the owner of Porter Chevrolet hired the same artist, Jack Bridges, to build an 80-foot Santa Claus to draw attention to his dealership. It took 12 people two months to complete, and when it was done, Bridges realized no trucks in the area were big enough to move it. Instead, Santa was cut into pieces and reassembled on the roof, complete with a full-sized 1954 Chevy in its lap. Days after it was installed, 46-year-old Park Lane neighbor Roy Davis made plans to have a crane hoist him up to Santa for his Christmas card photo. Tragically, as he was being lowered down, he fell 35 feet onto the concrete below, landing just between Santa’s boots, where he died.

Besides 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 a few of the things from the past week I think you will find interesting and helpful:

She wasn’t dating Keanu Reeves: Katherine Goodson, a 67-year-old in Vista, California, fell for a romance scam. She thought she was enjoying the real thing with actor Keanu Reeves. She sent “Keanu” tens of thousands of dollars for “emergency expenses,” only to get ghosted when her money ran out. Now, she’s living in her car. So sad.
Toxic wrist: This is bad. Your smartwatch band may be loaded with forever chemicals linked to cancer, infertility and high blood pressure. Researchers found a particularly nasty chemical in 22 smartwatch brands, including Apple and Google. The highest concentrations were in the more expensive bands; all the under-$15 ones were clear. Here are options for Apple Watches and Fitbit.
About to see way mo’ Waymos: Google’s Waymo took the lead in the self-driving robotaxi race, with over 3 million driverless rides across three cities this year. In 2025, we could see autonomous Teslas, and Amazon’s Zoox plans to open up to customers early next year, too. OK, this made me laugh: A confused cop tried to pull over a car with no one in the driver’s seat.
Looking for a cheap Tesla? Try renting one on Hertz. One Reddit user did, then scored a 2023 Tesla Model 3 with 30,000 miles for just $17,913. Be careful — most are pretty beaten up by the time they hit over 100,000 miles. That’s when Tesla’s battery warranty expires, so it may not be such a steal after all.
70 cents a mile Next year’s IRS mileage rate for business travel. The 3-cent increase kicks in for 2025 trips and taxes due in 2026. Tax question: How long do leftovers have to be in the fridge before you can claim them as dependents?
Saving little lives: Mercedes’ new CLA coupe is equipped with Child Presence Detection, or CPD. The tech is sensitive enough to pick up even a newborn’s breathing when the car is turned off. If the car senses a little one, its cameras will check for an adult. If no one’s there, it sends an alert, kicks on the AC and honks the horn. About 37 kids a year die in hot cars.

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.

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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.

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Commentary: Honda/Nissan Proposed Merger

U.S. Auto Salesl

Used Car Prices Stabilize; Used EVs Continue To Fall

Study: New Car Affordability Improving

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: The Almighty Customer Satisfaction Survey

RIP: Cars We Say Goodbye To For Year 2025

Dallas Chevy Dealership Had A 80-Foot Tall Santa In 1953

On The Road: Test Drives

2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 Edition

The Sequoia gets its first-ever 1794 Edition badge.

2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country

What's not to love about the 2025 Chevrolet Traverse?

2025 Lexus ES 300h F Sport

A fantastic luxury sports sedan for those also looking for fuel efficiency.

Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

The HEMI Lives On In The 2025 Dodge Durango

New Seat Belt Mandate Includes Rear Seat Warnings

Two Automotive Dealer Groups Busted By FTC

CA Dealer Assoc. Takes Legal Action Against Volkswagen

Online Automotive Finance Website Satisfaction Study

Hagerty: List of Collectible Vehicles For 2025

Weekly Recalls

Our Factory Incentive Guide

Kim Komando Tech Tips & Interesting Stuff

Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

It's Here! The CarPro Merchandise Shop!

Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter

Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle?

Exclusive Approved Products & Services

Jerry's Video Of The Week!

FAQ: Research Your Questions Before You Shop

You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show!

Where to Find Us

Closing Message From Jerry Reynolds

CarPro Advice:
The Almighty Customer Satisfaction Survey