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ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPACE WE'RE IN

ACKNOWLEDGING THE SPACE WE'RE IN

The Carpool with Kelly and Lizz Apr 10, 2026 55 min
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About this episode

Kelly and Liz talk through the emotional grind of parenting close in age, then pivot to practical “life upgrades” and car obsession. Kelly shares her first-ever new-car order: a white Ford Expedition short wheelbase with a bench, explaining why she prefers it over longer versions for parking and daily use. They swap niche car-seat insights, discuss minivan and hybrid shopping advice (including military spouse buying tactics), and debate what “reliability” really means. Industry gossip includes Tesla’s unsold EV backlog, Buick returning to sedans, and the 2026 minivan rankings—plus a fun Eddie Bauer x Ford Bronco collab history.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

car bomb

"[134.6s] You know, the weather's nice. [136.6s] Car bomb is going good. [137.8s] Like I'm acknowledging that space."

“Car bomb” here isn’t about a car. It’s a nickname for a drink, and the speaker is saying their day/life is going well.

Concept

fleet discount

"Like all white, maybe we could get a fleet discount from them. That's not a bad idea."

A fleet discount is pricing offered when a dealership or manufacturer expects multiple vehicles to be purchased by the same buyer or organization. The idea is that buying several cars at once can reduce per-vehicle costs and paperwork.

Car

Hyundai Tucson

"...and I think the girls will have like a Hyundai Tucson."

The Hyundai Tucson is a small SUV. It’s often chosen by families because it’s roomy and easy to drive.

Term

bench

"Anyway, I ordered it. I did the bench and I did a short wheelbase, which are two"

A “bench” is a single wide seat that can fit more than one person. It’s often picked for families because it can be more practical than separate seats.

Term

car seat

"I've got a car seat. I'll throw a car seat in there."

A car seat is a special seat for kids that helps keep them safe in a crash. It’s strapped into the car so the child can’t move around.

Term

second and third rows

"And people don't always realize that the second and third rows are not mirror images of each other."

In many bigger vehicles, there are multiple rows of seats behind the front seats. The back rows can be shaped differently, which changes how many people fit comfortably.

Term

trunk space

"[469.2s] I know how much trunk space I use in a day, in a day. [472.2s] And it's not. [474.1s] It's also one of those things where it's like, if you have an"

Trunk space is how much room your car has in the back to store things. More trunk space usually means it’s easier to carry daily stuff without cramming.

Car

Toyota Sequoia

"[485.2s] It's not that. [486.3s] It's not even, it's also, it's not no trunk. [488.3s] Like it's not like I'm doing a Sequoia."

A Toyota Sequoia is a big SUV. People bring up its cargo space to compare how much stuff you can realistically store.

Car

Chevrolet Traverse

"[491.7s] You can put an H-dryer back there. [492.0s] It's probably, I wouldn't put the cubic feet, but like it's [494.0s] very similar to an Atlas, a Traverse, et cetera."

The Chevrolet Traverse is a family SUV with room for people and stuff. They’re comparing its cargo space to what they’re talking about.

Concept

auto show

"like don't forget the auto show June 13th, St. Louis. Yeah. Can't wait. Get your tickets. No, seriously, can't wait. After we had the New York, New York auto show..."

An auto show is an event where automakers display current models, concept cars, and sometimes new launches to the public and media. The segment compares attendance and lineup between major cities’ shows, using Honda’s presence as a talking point.

Car

Honda Pilot

"Not an odyssey or a pilot to be found. You know what's Chicago? Yeah. You know which two cars will be at the car and auto show? The pilot and the odyssey."

The Honda Pilot is a family SUV with room for more passengers. It’s the kind of vehicle people pick when they need extra seats for road trips and daily life.

Car

Toyota Sienna

"I think Sienna is darling. But like the first thing I thought was Toyota Sienna. Is that a bad thing?"

A Toyota Sienna is a minivan made by Toyota. It’s the kind of car people often think of when they hear the word “Sienna.”

Concept

Hybrid is fine, but nothing solely electric

"All the little drive is a must. Hybrid is fine, but nothing solely electric. How many kids four?"

They’re okay with a hybrid, which uses both gas and electricity, but they don’t want a car that’s only electric. That usually means they prefer not to rely entirely on charging at home or on the road.

Car

Buick Enclave

"[1828.1s] Buick, let's talk. [1830.3s] I'm trying to get an Enclave to the auto show. [1834.4s] I don't have a Buick Enclave at the auto show."

The Buick Enclave is a family SUV with three rows of seats. The hosts are talking about whether they can get one to an auto show to show it off.

Term

sales tax

"Any advice in the situation, sales tax or traps not to fall for."

Sales tax is the extra percentage you pay to the government when you buy the car. It changes depending on where you live, so it can make the final price higher than the sticker price.

Term

sales tactic

"There's no sales tactic. They can say, okay, well, what information would you need to buy today?"

A sales tactic is just a strategy someone uses to get you to buy. Car dealerships sometimes use them to steer you toward a decision faster.

Concept

dealership

"because most dealerships have one. Let's tack on the military discount while you're at it."

A dealership is the retail seller that typically handles pricing, financing, trade-ins, and promotions for a specific brand or brands. Understanding how dealerships structure offers helps you negotiate more effectively and avoid surprises.

Concept

airbags didn't deploy

"like as long as airbags didn't deploy or the vehicle didn't get towed or like there wasn't structural damage, like you're fine."

Airbags only deploy in certain levels of impact. If they didn’t go off, it often means the crash wasn’t as severe, which can help the car keep more of its value.

Concept

structural damage

"like there wasn't structural damage, like you're fine. Like it's a fender bender."

Structural damage is when the car’s main frame or strong parts get bent or damaged. That’s more serious than cosmetic damage and can affect how the car drives and what it’s worth.

Concept

fender bender

"Like it's a fender bender. Yeah. And like if you got it repaired, like I literally don't think it will affect your trading value at all."

A fender bender is a minor crash, usually just affecting the outer body parts. It’s generally less serious than a crash that damages the frame or safety systems.

Term

mileage

"Yeah. I would say, yeah, I mean, that's a lot of mileage. If you don't need that big of a car, I think there's an argument to be made for going."

Mileage is how many miles are on the car. More miles usually means the car is worth less and may need more maintenance sooner.

Concept

Sedans are back

"So, sedans are back."

This phrase means people and car companies might be starting to like regular cars (sedans) again. It suggests new sedan models are coming, not just SUVs.

Car

Buick Envision

"...an Encore, an Envision, and an Invista."

The Buick Envision is a crossover SUV. It’s brought up because it’s one of the models Buick currently sells in North America.

Car

Buick Encore

"...consists of an Enclave, an Encore, an Envision, and an Invista."

The Buick Encore is a smaller SUV. They’re listing it as one of the Buick models available in North America.

Term

all-wheel drive

"[2738.3s] The Sienna is best in class, fuel economy, extra great storage and available all-wheel drive. [2744.1s] So they're giving the best minivan to the Sienna."

All-wheel drive means power goes to all four wheels. That can help the car grip better on wet or snowy roads.

Term

fuel economy

"[2738.3s] The Sienna is best in class, fuel economy, extra great storage and available all-wheel drive. [2744.1s] So they're giving the best minivan to the Sienna."

Fuel economy means how far the car can go on a gallon (or tank) of gas. If a minivan gets better fuel economy, it usually costs less to drive.

Term

hybrid option

"[2774.8s] Best one that doesn't have a hybrid option. [2779.6s] They couldn't have come up, they couldn't have chat GPT'd like two other categories"

A “hybrid option” means the minivan can run using both gas and electricity. People in the conversation are trying to pick the best minivan that doesn’t offer that setup.

Term

Stow and go

"[2919.8s] Stow and go. [2922.0s] All wheel drive. [2925.9s] Yeah."

“Stow and Go” is a minivan feature that lets you fold the back seats down into the floor. That makes it easier to carry stuff without removing seats.

Concept

collabs

"[3133.9s] You know how like collabs are like all the rage right now? [3136.7s] Like skims is always like skims is collabing with like Fendi or like there's like people are doing these, right? [3142.9s] Sure."

“Collabs” means collaborations between brands. It’s when two companies team up so they can combine their styles or audiences.

Company

Yeti

"Like Yeti Yeti and you've got like some like a Yeti cooler in the back integrated somehow."

Yeti is a popular outdoor brand, especially for coolers. The idea here is that a car could be themed around Yeti gear.

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