Lowest and Highest New Vehicle Inventory and Why It Matters, Newsweek Autos Award Winners, Plus 2024 INEOS Grenadier, 2024 Nissan Sentra, 2025 Honda Pilot Test Drives.

August 16, 2024

Hello friends, August is half over and in a blink of an eye, Labor Day will be here. After a fairly mild summer through July, August has brought a string of 100-degree plus days to Texas. Wherever you are, I hope it is tolerable. To help you get through the rising temps, I have below some tips to keep cool on the road!

We have a lot of good info today, and we start with which vehicles have the most and least inventory. Why do you care? Simple, the bargains and incentives are more likely to be on vehicles that are stacked up on dealer lots. The opposite is true of vehicles that are more scarce. I encourage you to look at this week’s CarPro.com tutorial as I walk you through some of the most-read topics that are there.

Two car dealers got popped for environmental issues, which you don’t see happen much. How would you like to have a Ford Bronco or Mustang with just two wheels? The story is below. Stellantis has developed a new Challenger electric exhaust that sounds wonderful. If you have a Hyundai or Kia that was part of the recall regarding thefts, you need to get it done, it is really slowing down the theft rate and it’s FREE. If you follow police cruisers like I do, I’ve got the 4-1-1 on the 2025 Ford vehicle you could see when you call 9-1-1.

San Antonio programming note: For some unknown reason, after over a decade, WOAI has killed two hours of the show, we are now only on from 1-2 PM Saturdays. You can always click LISTEN LIVE from 11-2 Central at CarPro.com and the podcast is always up by 2:30 PM Saturdays. We will look for another radio home there to air the first two hours, but if you like to let WOAI know how you feel, you can call them or email them from here: https://woai.iheart.com/contact/. We appreciate you listening greatly.

Don’t miss Kim Komando’s very useful Tips of the Week. She had a lot of really great ones this week, and as always, I encourage you to subscribe to her terrific and very useful newsletter that you’ll get seven days a week.

In advice today, I have insider tips on getting your car ready to trade in. There are things from my car business days you likely had not thought of. It is a how-to on getting top dollar for your car.

In reviews, I have an SUV you’ve likely never seen, the new-to-America 2024 Ineos Grenadier, a luxury off-roader. I also bring you a full review of an outstanding value, the 2024 Nissan Sentra. Our Amy Plemons gives you a full review of the 2025 Honda Pilot TrailSport.

We have another True Story from a Former Car Dealer below. This is a series of 40 stories written by me, and we’re down to eight more after today. Today, #32 is titled: Demos. I tell you about my first demos when I began in the car business, how important demos were to people in the business years ago, and a tragic story involving a dear friend and his demo.

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

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!

THE NEXT CARPRO | VEHICLE FOR GOOD SWEEPSTAKES is officially on! We're calling this one the “PORSCHE WITH A PURPOSE” campaign. Here are some of the highlights:

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It all starts at https://www.carpro.com/faq which is a good page to bookmark for future issues that may arise. The top of the page answers questions we get on car buying, but if you continue down the page, the FAQ questions are divided into topics and I’ll give you an idea of what is covered in each topic here:

Car Buying Process:

New Cars-Popular articles include how to shop when a dealer doesn’t have the car you want in stock, bait & switch advertising, best time to buy or lease, 8 mistakes to avoid, the proper test drive, and what is the dealer invoice on the car I want?
Used Cars-Buying a loaner car, buying out of state, are Certified cars worth it, history reports, should I buy a former rental, avoiding flood damaged cars, public auctions, buying from a private seller, my used car checklist, how to get an AutoCheck.
Leasing-End of lease options, down payments on leasing, 8 leasing terms you need to know, what is a pull-ahead lease, should you buy or lease, the truth about 3^rd party lease companies.
Incentives and rebates-Explaining factory incentives.
Sell or trade-in-How to sell a car on craigslist, getting your car ready to trade, trading in versus selling yourself, don’t trade-in without your title, evaluating your trade-in options.
Financing-when you owe more than your car is worth, navigating the finance office, spot deliveries, what to do if you can’t afford your car payments, avoiding long term loans, does paying cash save you money?

Car Maintenance:

Fuel type-start/stop systems, do I really need premium fuel, capless gas caps, what to know about electric cars, is a hybrid right for you, is a diesel right for you?
All-wheel/Towing/Axle Ratios-Picking the right axle ratio, guide to dinghy (all 4 wheels on the ground) towing, is all-wheel drive right for you?
Warranties-The factory warranty process, should you buy an extended warranty, warranties on factory Certified cars.
Maintenance-Importance of maintenance records, summer service woes, nix the 3000-mile oil change, guide to oil changes, synthetic oil, and oil consumption, finding a good repair shop

Drivers:

Insurance-Collecting diminished value, what to do if you have a wreck, dealing with an insurance adjuster, GAP insurance, shopping for car insurance.
Senior Drivers-Car buying tips for Seniors, why Seniors should consider leasing, when to take Mom and Dad’s keys.
Teens/Family/Military- Tips for growing families, first-time buyers, a teen’s first car.
Safety & Technology - Takata airbag recall guide, automatic braking systems, NHTSA and IIHS crash ratings.

Visit the FAQ Page →

Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s. We are 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 various tips & information I picked up from Kim’s newsletter this week I hope you find as useful as I did:

A criminal with the right gear can copy the signal from your key fob. Toss it in a Faraday bag (two for $8) to block them out.
Never lose your car again: Google Maps can keep track of where you parked. On iPhone or Android, open the Google Maps app. Tap the blue dot that shows your location, then Save parking. Steps here to do it automatically every time.
No more credit card offers in the mail: Visit optoutprescreen.com to stop financial junk mail you later have to shred. Choose to opt out for five years or forever. Opting out permanently? You’ll have to use snail mail, but it’s worth it. Print, sign and mail a confirmation form. I did it.
Flying anytime soon? There’s one way to contact customer service that you should skip.
293% increase In email attacks, compared to last year. Email scams exploded in the first half of 2024, including increases in ransomware malware and phishing attempts. AI might not be helping tech companies turn a profit yet, but it’s sure helping cyber crooks.

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 forgot the details, we’ll bring these to you in the order they were written.

In this episode, I tell you about demos I drove and what a motivator they were. I talk about many of the demos I drove through the years, and I tell you about a dear friend that I lost, driving his demo, and it still haunts me to this day. To read the entire story, click here:

Read True Stories #32 →

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.

If you know of someone who should not be driving, PLEASE tell local law enforcement, PLEASE. Earlier this month, a 78-year old man in Long Island, NY who was legally drunk drove like a maniac in a shopping center. Watch how close he came to hitting a mother & daughter in a crosswalk. He crashed into a nail salon at almost 80-miles per hour, killing four including a police officer, and many more injured. Of course, the drunk survived. May God comfort the families of those who died in this preventable tragedy.

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There is a large, almost vertical wall in Kenya called “Hell’s Gate”. People from all over the world bring their heavily modified jeeps and trucks to see if they can climb Hells Gate. How about the Tesla Cybertruck? How would it do straight from the showroom floor?

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 Car Pro 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 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.

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This week, we welcome KXRA Newstalk Radio Alexandria, MN to the Car Pro Show family! You tune in on Sunday 3-6pm and 9p to Midnight CST on 1490 AM/100.3 FM/105.7 FM.

We've also recently welcomed these new markets:

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)

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→

U.S. Auto Sales

New Vehicles With The Highest and Lowest Inventories

Ford/Mazda Issue Do-Not-Drive Warning

Straight Talk And Honest Answers

WIN A PORSCHE And Help Beat HOMELESSNESS!

CarPro.Com Tutorial: Finding a Car, and a Dealer

Car Buying Process:

Car Maintenance:

Drivers:

It's Hot! Tips To Keep Cool On The Road

On The Road: Test Drives

Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds calls the first-ever Ineos Grenadier a pretty amazing SUV all around! Our special thanks to Sewell Ineos Grenadier in Dallas for providing our test drive vehicle!

Looking for a compact sedan well under $30,000? Jerry says this one has to be on your shopping list.

A fantastic family-friendly SUV with capability and comfort.

Bumper to Bumper

Newsweek Names 2024 Autos Award Winners

'Best Of' Winners were named in 13 categories.

Software Updates Cut Hyundai, Kia Theft Rate

Two Dealers Fined For Environmental Issues

Dodge Debuts Electric Charger V8 Sound

Dodge Power Dollars Are Back!

Get Your Ford Electric Mustang or Bronco eBike

Ford Announces 2025 Police Utility Intercepter

Mecum Monterey Is Going On Now

Least Expensive Electric Vehicles To Insure

Weekly Recalls

Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

True Stories From A Former Car Dealer

Our Factory Incentive Guide

Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

Sell Your Car Through GiveMeTheVin!

Exclusive Approved Products & Services

FAQ: Research Your Questions Before You Shop

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

Searching for a New or Used Vehicle?

Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

Videos of the Week

Subscribe to the Free DFW Newsletter

CarPro Guide To Online Car Buying

Buying a vehicle online has never been easier.Our step-by-step guide will help you buy a car from the comfort of your living room, starting with selecting your CarPro Friend.

On The Air

Where To Find Us

Closing Message From Jerry Reynolds