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A Monkey Crashed Our Kia Review

A Monkey Crashed Our Kia Review

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About this episode

The podcast features a lively car talk show from Team Gilman, including a detailed review of the 2025 Ford Mustang GT Convertible highlighting its performance, design, and driving experience. The hosts also discuss seven underrated U.S. racetracks worth visiting, share insights on classic car auction prices, and introduce young automotive content creators. Additionally, there’s a review of the 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid, automotive industry news including FTC regulations on dealership advertising, and upcoming car events like Tailpipes and Tacos. The episode blends car reviews, market updates, and community engagement with a fun, informal vibe.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Ford Mustang GT

"We're going to have Mr. Mars do his Mustang GT review. I didn't get a Mustang GT to review, but you did."

The Ford Mustang GT is a fast and sporty car made by Ford. It has a big engine that makes it go really fast and is loved by people who like muscle cars.

Car

2025 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

"Sothisisthe2025FordMustangGTConvertible. Droptoppremiere. NowthisvehiclewasfinalassemblyinFlatRockofallplaces."

The 2025 Ford Mustang GT Convertible is a sporty car that can seat four people and has a roof that can fold down. It's part of the newest generation of Mustangs that started in 2024.

Concept

seventh generation Mustang

"ItistheseventhgenerationoftheMustang,anditwasreintroducedin2024. So25iskindofacarryover."

The seventh generation Mustang is the newest version of the Mustang car that Ford started making again in 2024. It has new features and a fresh look compared to older Mustangs.

Term

EcoBoost

"YoucangettheMustanginanEcoBoost,anEcoBoostPremium,GT,GTPremium,oryoucangettheDarkHorsetheyjustcameoutwith."

EcoBoost is a type of engine made by Ford that uses special technology to give you good power while saving gas.

Term

convertible roof

"GotuhonethingIreallylikedaboutit,Iwasalittleconcerned,theroof,theconvertibleroofonit,isfullylined,clothtop."

A convertible roof is a roof on a car that you can fold down or take off so you can drive with the top open. Many are made of cloth and need to be looked after so they don't get damaged.

Term

10-speed automatic

"It's also got a 10-speed automatic. We didn't have the six-speed in it, but it does have the 10-speed automatic."

A 10-speed automatic is a type of car transmission that changes gears by itself using ten different gear levels. This helps the car drive smoothly and save gas.

Term

EPA fuel economy ratings

"Now the EPA says you should be looking for about 16 miles to the gallon in the city, 24 out on the highway, 19 combined."

EPA fuel economy ratings tell you how far a car can go on one gallon of gas when driving in the city, on the highway, or a mix of both. This helps you know how much gas the car might use.

Term

ride handling

"Also, as far as ride handling goes, of course it's almost like driving a go-kart. It has the performance vehicle, so it's got a little bit stiffer suspension on it, more for road handling and stuff, but it does make it ride a little bit rougher."

Ride handling is how a car feels when you drive it, like how smooth or bumpy it is and how well it turns corners. Sporty cars usually feel firmer but handle better.

Term

performance vehicle

"It has the performance vehicle, so it's got a little bit stiffer suspension on it, more for road handling and stuff, but it does make it ride a little bit rougher."

A performance vehicle is a car made to drive faster and handle better than regular cars. It usually has special parts that make it more fun to drive.

Term

tire size and road noise

"The bigger and the wider tires that are on this car, on this GT, has a little bit more road noise on it."

Bigger and wider tires help a car stick to the road better but can make more noise when you drive. This noise can be heard inside the car.

Term

3.55 gear ratio

"It also has 3.55 gears on it, so it is got plenty of get up and go juice."

The 3.55 gear ratio means the car's engine turns a few times to make the wheels turn once. This helps the car accelerate well and have good power.

Term

base trim price

"Now the base trim price on this vehicle that we were driving is $56,580."

The base trim price is the lowest price you pay for a car without extra options. It shows how much the basic version costs.

Car

Ford Mustang

"ThebasemodelpriceonaMustangis$33,915. ... Mustang'sbeenaroundforyears. It'sgotstayingpower. It'saveryfun,dailydrivercapablecartohave."

The Ford Mustang is a popular sporty car that many people enjoy driving every day. It has been made for a long time and can be fast and fun to drive.

Term

MSRP

"OurMSRPastested,$72,245. Reallywow. Soalmost$20,000ofoptionsbetweentheperformancepackageandsomeofthepaintandsomeoftheotherthingsthatwereonhere,theaudiosystem,allofitthatkindofaddsup."

MSRP is the price the car company thinks the car should be sold for. It doesn't always include extra costs like special features or dealer fees.

Concept

performance package

"Soalmost$20,000ofoptionsbetweentheperformancepackageandsomeofthepaintandsomeoftheotherthingsthatwereonhere,theaudiosystem,allofitthatkindofaddsup."

A performance package is a group of extra parts or features you can add to a car to make it faster or handle better.

Car

Toyota GR Supra

"Ifyou'relookingforsomethingtocompareitto,youknow,maybetheToyotaGRSuprastartsat$56,250. Okay."

The Toyota GR Supra is a sporty car that is fun to drive and has a powerful engine. It is made by Toyota and shares parts with BMW.

Car

Nissan Z Nismo

"TheuhNissanZNismo,unfortunately,itstartsat62. Okay. YoucouldgetintoaZcheaperthanthat,buttheNismoseemtobemorelikeafaircomparison."

The Nissan Z Nismo is a sportier and faster version of Nissan's Z car. It has special parts to make it better at driving fast and looking cool.

Concept

daily driver

"It'saveryfun,dailydrivercapablecartohave. Theyseemtobegettingbiggerandbiggereveryyear."

A daily driver is a car you can use every day without problems. It's good for going to work or running errands.

Car

Chevrolet Camaro

"TheCamaroisgone. Well,exactly."

The Chevrolet Camaro is a fast and sporty car made in America. It used to compete with the Mustang but is no longer made.

Car

Dodge Challenger

"TheCamaro,theChallenger,andtheonesyoumentionedareareyouknowthingsyoudon'tthinkof. Listen,thatcariscool."

The Dodge Challenger is a big, powerful car that looks like old muscle cars. It is still made and competes with the Mustang.

Concept

Road America

"So, one of them we want to talk about is Road America. Now, this is the classic natural terrain remote. Wisconsin. Yes. It's four miles, goes through the hills and forests of Wisconsin. You got a lot of long straights, so you get a lot of speed up, technical corners to make them slow down and try to maneuver around through the laps."

Road America is a race track in Wisconsin that is about four miles long. It has fast straight parts and tricky corners, making it fun and challenging to drive on.

Concept

Virginia International Raceway

"Now, the another one I wanted to mention is the Virginia International Raceway. This one has a lot of elevation changes, which is what makes it kind of work really different from everybody else. You got a lot of places you can get the speed, but they've got flowing corners. It doesn't have the really long straight speed uh straightaways to where you're gonna get up the maximum speed that you're gonna get in a lot of people. And what's the name of that place? Virginia International Raceway. Now it's called VIR. That's kind of the abbreviation for it. I've heard of that one. But it's Virginia International Raceway."

Virginia International Raceway, or VIR, is a race track with lots of hills and turns. It doesn't have very long straight parts, so drivers focus on going fast through the curves and hills.

Concept

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

"Then the other thing is going up to uh the WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca. Now this is not the WeatherTech, that's Laguna Seca. WeatherTech is sponsoring it. Exactly. They're paying them a lot of money to have their name at the top of it."

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is a popular race track in California where cars race. It's named after the company WeatherTech, which pays to have its name on the track.

Term

Corkscrew turn

"But it's one of the things that it's famous for is because it's got a corkscrew term with a sudden downhill left-right sequence that drops several stories in elevation. So you really kind of drop down on it."

The Corkscrew is a tricky part of the race track where the road suddenly goes downhill and twists left and right. Drivers have to be very careful to get through it safely.

Concept

Seabring International Raceway

"Uh another race track is going to be the Seabring International Raceway. It's one of the oldest and toughest circuits in North America, originally built on an old World War II airfield. So it's all got concrete surfaces that can get kind of rough and uh makes things really challenging for the cars and the drivers because it's going to eat on tires pretty hard as well as the car."

Sebring International Raceway is a very old and hard race track in North America. It was made on an old airplane base and has rough concrete roads that make racing tough for cars and drivers.

Concept

12 Hours of Sebring

"Now, this is where you're going to find the 12 hours of seivering sometimes. Yeah, I mean, that's a race that you can go there to see."

The 12 Hours of Sebring is a long car race that lasts 12 hours. It happens at Sebring race track and is a big event where cars and drivers have to keep going for a long time.

Car

1996 Chevrolet Corvette

"What is the hemmings old car price on a 1996 Chevrolet Corvette? It looks completely stock. Stock wheels. I think it's black or dark in color. It looks clean, nothing special. How much do you think that that's sold for? 96 Chevy Corvette. Looks like it's automatic. That would be a C4."

The 1996 Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car made by Chevrolet. It is part of the C4 group, which means it was made between 1984 and 1996. This car is known for being fast and having cool features like a digital dashboard. You could get it with an automatic or manual transmission.

Term

luggage rack

""Soa68. Ithinkitjustgotabunchofoptionsonit. Musthavewiththeluggagerackyouweretalkingaboutandstuff. It'saluggagerack. Butit'sgotchromebuffers.""

A luggage rack is a frame on top or back of a car where you can put extra bags or boxes when you don't have enough space inside.

Term

Landau vinyl top

""IthasaithasaLandauvinyltop. Ohmy. Whichislikeahalfvinyltop. Itissougly,Ican'tevenbegintotellyouhowbadthatis.""

A Landau vinyl top is a special kind of roof cover on some cars that looks like part of the roof is made from soft material, like a convertible. It was popular on cars a long time ago.

Term

all-wheel drive

"Uh, I had the hybrid SX Prestige all-wheel drive. This is considered a small SUV, seats 5."

All-wheel drive means the car sends power to all four wheels, helping it grip the road better when it's slippery or rough.

Concept

trim package

"And obviously, hybrid is part of the trim package. Uh, and so we change wheels with trim packages these days."

A trim package is like a special version of a car that comes with certain features and looks. Some trims have nicer wheels or more technology.

Term

1.6 liter turbo

"...engine, a 1.6 liter turbo, inline four-cylinder, 232 horsepower, which ain't too bad."

This means the car has a small engine that uses a turbocharger to make it more powerful without using more gas. It helps the car go faster while still saving fuel.

Term

inline four-cylinder

"...engine, a 1.6 liter turbo, inline four-cylinder, 232 horsepower, which ain't too bad."

This means the engine has four parts that make power, all lined up in a row. It's a popular type of engine because it works well and doesn't take up much space.

Term

horsepower

"...inline four-cylinder, 232 horsepower, which ain't too bad."

Horsepower tells you how strong the engine is. More horsepower means the car can go faster and accelerate quicker.

7 cars featured

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