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Car Pro Radio Show April 4 26 Hour 2

Car Pro Radio Show April 4 26 Hour 2

CarPro Radio Show Apr 04, 2026 33 min
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About this episode

Jerry Reynolds and Todd Chambliss field listener calls on everything from car buying to comfort and safety. A Prius driver complains about road noise and asks for a quieter, longer-life upgrade; Jerry steers them toward newer Toyota/Lexus hybrids like the Lexus ES. The show also covers CarMax’s California title-transfer settlement and broader dealer bait-and-switch enforcement, plus advice on replacing a high-mileage Ford Focus with reliable compact sedans. Other segments touch on plug-in hybrid real-world electric range, classic-car community fun, and what to do when you want a V6 in a world shifting to turbo fours.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Car

Buick Roadmaster

"...? And I know for my sidekick here, Todd, the old roadmaster, he would upgrade his stereo. Absolutely. It doe..."

The Buick Roadmaster is an older, large car from Buick. People often keep them as classic cars and may update things like the stereo so it’s more enjoyable to drive. In the podcast, they’re talking about upgrading audio in one.

Term

subwoofers

"So it's like I would think there's got to be some subwoofers or another system out there that would just kind of make that go to the next level."

Subwoofers are the speakers that handle the deep bass. They help the music sound bigger and more exciting, not just loud.

Brand

Sonos

"Yeah. And I had one with Sonos. Sonos? Oh my gosh. Yeah. There you go."

Sonos is a company famous for high-quality speakers at home. If a car has a Sonos system, it usually means the sound is set up to be noticeably better than the standard stereo.

Term

steep driveway

"Cause you say you had sort of a steep driveway. A very steep driveway. I'm screwed when it snows."

A steep driveway is a hill you drive up or down. If your car sits low, the front or bottom can hit the ground, so you may not be able to drive out safely in bad weather.

Term

scraping the bottom

"So you're not scraping the bottom or you're not dealing with the steepness of the drive up. And I mean, just unreal. And a lot of the, a lot of the exotic sports cars have front end lifts like this one where"

Scraping the bottom means the underside of the car hits the road. It can cause damage, so the car may need more clearance or a different way to drive over bumps.

Term

speed bumps

"And this one, I've got three speed bumps. I got to drive over every day. And this one, I set it Monday."

Speed bumps are raised parts of the road to make cars slow down. If your car is low, you have to be careful because the bottom can hit.

Concept

road noise

"And my biggest complaint is the road noise. Yep. Yep. I don't have any problems with that. I drive 130 miles a day round trip for work... But they're just so noisy."

Road noise is the annoying sound you hear from the tires and the road while driving. If it’s bad, it can make it hard to hear the radio, especially on highways.

Concept

hybrid system

"It's a very quiet car inside and it's got the same hybrid system as your Prius does. So if you want to get it past 250,000 miles, it will probably do it with just routine maintenance."

A hybrid system combines an internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery to improve efficiency and reduce fuel use. In this segment, the hybrid system is presented as a shared technology between the Prius and Lexus ES.

Company

Car Max

"[528.8s] They have settled a lawsuit in California for just over a million dollars. [533.4s] This this is interesting to me because I'm not sure exactly what benefit or why if this [539.2s] is all true. [539.7s] Car Max was so late with getting folks."

CarMax is a company that sells used cars. In this story, the issue is that some buyers didn’t get their paperwork handled quickly enough, which caused problems for them.

Concept

settled a lawsuit in California

"[525.5s] And this was in the recent newsletter that came out Friday. [528.8s] They have settled a lawsuit in California for just over a million dollars. [533.4s] This this is interesting to me because I'm not sure exactly what benefit or why if this"

They reached an agreement in a court case in California. The issue described is that buyers were affected because the company didn’t handle paperwork on time.

Concept

mileage

"Fifty, fifty one nine thousand miles. Fifty two now, less than fifty two thousand actual miles. It's in perfect."

Mileage means how many miles the car has been driven. Lower mileage usually makes a car worth more, especially if it’s also in great shape. The caller is stressing that the miles are real and low.

Concept

actual miles

"Fifty two now, less than fifty two thousand actual miles. It's in perfect."

“Actual miles” means the real odometer miles on the car. If those miles are low and trustworthy, the car is usually worth more. The caller is stressing that the number is genuine.

Term

dents, dings

"The truck is just immaculate. There's no dents, no dings, no anything on this vehicle."

Dents and dings are body-condition issues that can reduce value because they may require repair and can affect buyer confidence. The caller repeatedly emphasizes the vehicle is “immaculate” with “no dents, no dings,” which is a key part of how condition is graded for valuation. Even small cosmetic flaws can move the price.

Concept

vehicle value

"And it says that the value of that vehicle is. they put it at 18000. I don't know if that's high."

Vehicle value is the estimated market price, and it can differ depending on whether the number is based on retail listings, auction results, or appraisal assumptions. The caller is reacting to a figure of “18,000,” questioning whether it’s high for the described condition and mileage. This is a classic used-car valuation discussion: condition and mileage vs. market reality.

Concept

consignment car

"This is a perfect consignment car. And I've got a company that I work with. I've worked with them for years. And they will take that car on consignment."

Consignment means you let a shop/dealer sell your car for you. They advertise it and handle the selling, and you get money once it’s sold (usually after they take a cut).

Concept

market it online

"But the best thing is they know exactly where to market it. They know where to put it online. And odds are somebody will fly across the country to get that car."

Marketing online means posting the car where people search for cars. If you put it in the right places, you’re more likely to find someone who’s specifically looking for that type of car.

Concept

perfect conditions of weather

"[990.4s] You've got the pretty much perfect conditions of weather. [996.5s] And so it doesn't get any better than that."

Weather affects how efficiently a car uses energy. When conditions are “perfect,” the car can usually go farther than it can in cold or extreme weather.

Company

triple A

"I'll give you the details on the dealer group that's getting fined seventy five million dollars triple A did a study."

AAA is a well-known car organization in the U.S. They do research and publish reports that people in the car world pay attention to.

Term

no turbo

"It's got a three point five liter. Naturally aspirated V6, no turbo. And it's got it's putting out a little over three hundred... horsepower."

“No turbo” means there’s no turbocharger boosting the air. The engine power usually comes on more smoothly as you rev it.

Concept

ten year hundred thousand mile warranty

"It is a great car with a wonderful interior. And you get the ten year hundred thousand mile warranty with it. The whole deal."

That’s a warranty that lasts a long time—ten years or up to 100,000 miles. It’s meant to protect you from expensive repairs if something goes wrong.

Concept

fuel economy

"All about fuel economy. It you know, it takes it takes a lot of planning..."

Fuel economy means how far the car can go on a gallon of gas. The speaker is saying companies are making decisions mainly to improve that number.

Term

horsepower

"What is the horsepower on a four cylinder turbo car? ... I'm driving four cylinders now that are putting out close to four hundred horses."

Horsepower is a number that tells you how strong the engine is. Higher horsepower usually means the car can accelerate more quickly, though other factors matter too.

Car

Lexus IS

"But if if you really hung up on getting a six cylinder, look at the two that I said, look at the G 70 and look at the Lexus IS and see what you think."

The Lexus IS is a luxury sedan from Lexus. The speaker is mentioning it as a car to compare when deciding whether you really need a bigger engine.

Company

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

"Well, it's another list of cars that is in the newsletter from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They have their top safety picks."

This is a group that tests cars for safety and gives awards for the safest models. Their ratings can help you compare cars, but it’s still smart to look at the details.

Concept

top safety picks

"They have their top safety picks. And as you mentioned earlier on the Dallas show, you are taking this with a grain of salt..."

This is an IIHS award for cars that do well in safety testing. It’s a quick way to spot models that are likely to protect occupants in crashes.

Concept

lobbying group for the insurance industry

"Yeah, they kind of favor. I mean, they're they've been around a long time, but their job started as a lobbying group for the insurance industry."

The speaker is saying the group may have ties to the insurance industry, which could affect what they focus on. It’s a reason to look at safety ratings critically, not blindly.

Brand

State Farm

"Now, I have followed along a story about State Farm for a good while now in the newsletter. And one of the things that I talked about was their way they value cars."

State Farm is an insurance company. In this segment, they’re being discussed because of how they pay out when a car is declared totaled.

Car

Ford Focus

"I have a 14 Ford Focus of one hundred and sixty six thousand miles on it. That's got to be some kind of record."

A Ford Focus is a small, everyday car. The caller is talking about theirs having a lot of miles and problems with the transmission, which is a big deal for long-term ownership.

Company

Toyota of Katie

"[1917.5s] went to Toyota of Katie in the Houston area. [1920.3s] Talk to her friend, Kevin Jackson there. Nice guy."

Toyota of Katie is the dealership they visited. Different dealerships can have different inventories and different ways of helping you buy and finance a car.

Term

personalized license plates

"If you want personalized license plates, like the guy in the quick shifts last week, right? Right. Exactly. Go to my plates.com."

Some states let you pick your own license plate letters and numbers. It can be for fun, branding, or a message you like, but the rules and cost depend on the state.

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