The Ford F-150 is a big pickup truck from Ford. It’s one of the most popular trucks in the U.S., and the show is using it to talk about what people like and why they might switch (or not).
Ford’s F-Series is the name for their lineup of full-size pickup trucks. Instead of talking about just one model, the show is talking about the whole family (like F-150, F-250, and F-350).
An oil change is basic car maintenance where the old engine oil is replaced. The guest was at the dealership for this, and that’s when the new-car deal started.
A trade-in is when you give your current car to the dealer and use its value toward buying a new car. In this story, the guest says the trade-in value helped make the new purchase work.
The Kia Telluride is a larger SUV with three rows of seats, so it can carry more people. The podcast mentions a hybrid version, meaning it uses both an engine and an electric system to help with efficiency. It’s the kind of vehicle people buy when they need room for a family.
The electric battery is the part that stores electricity for the car’s electric motor. Here, the driver is saying the battery’s power use feels smooth and not noticeable.
Auto stop-start turns the engine off when you’re stopped and turns it back on when you move again. This person likes that their vehicle doesn’t do that, because it avoids the engine restarting feel.
The Ford SHO was a special, faster version of the Ford Taurus. It was known for having a strong engine (this caller says Yamaha built it) and for being a surprisingly quick sedan for its era.
A “high performance engine” just means the engine is tuned to make more power and feel more energetic than a normal one. It’s usually built or adjusted to respond quickly and pull harder.
Yamaha is the Japanese manufacturer that, in this segment, is credited with building the Ford SHO’s engine. That matters because it’s an example of cross-company engineering—an automaker using a specialist engine builder to create a distinctive powerplant.
An assembly line is how factories build cars step-by-step. Saying it was on the “Lincoln assembly line” is about where it was built, which can affect how consistent the final quality feels.
The Cadillac CT5 is a luxury car (a sedan) that can be set up to drive more confidently in tough conditions. Here they mention a twin-turbo V6 and that choosing all-wheel drive helps with traction, like in snow.
All-wheel drive means power goes to all four wheels. That usually helps the car grip better on slippery roads like snow or ice.
Concept
blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm that makes roads very slippery and visibility very poor. The point here is that AWD can help you stay in control when driving in those conditions.
Car
CT5-V
CT5-V is the sportier, higher-performance version of the Cadillac CT5. If you want the CT5 but with more performance emphasis, this is the trim the host is pointing you toward.
The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a tougher version of the Outback. It’s meant for people who want a wagon that can handle rougher roads and light off-road use more easily than the regular model.
The Lexus GX is a rugged SUV that’s built more like a truck. It’s designed to handle rough terrain better than many regular SUVs, while still being comfortable for everyday driving.
A 2010 Jeep Liberty is an SUV from Jeep that’s meant to be practical for everyday driving. Here, the owner is talking about having it since new and now needing to replace it because it’s getting worn out.
A V6 is an engine with six cylinders arranged in a V shape. People often like V6s in SUVs because they usually feel smooth and provide enough power for normal driving.
“Four cylinders” means the engine has four working parts that burn fuel. The host is saying that newer four-cylinder engines can be quicker and use less gas than older six-cylinder engines.
A “six-cylinder” engine has six working parts that burn fuel. The host is comparing it to newer four-cylinder engines and saying the newer ones are better in efficiency and acceleration.
The Bronco Sport is a compact SUV made to handle more than just smooth roads. It’s meant for people who want a bit of extra capability while still being practical for daily driving. The “get up and go” comment is about how quickly it accelerates in normal use.
The Subaru Crosstrek is a small SUV/crossover that’s popular because it’s practical and can be driven in bad weather thanks to available all-wheel drive. In this discussion, it’s one of the safer long-term choices compared to the Compass.
The Mazda CX-30 is a small SUV that’s known for having a nicer-looking, higher-quality interior than many similar cars. In this segment, the host says it has the nicest interior among the options they’re comparing.
“PowerBoost” is Ford’s name for a hybrid version of the truck. It uses electricity along with the gas engine to help it use less fuel and feel stronger when you need it.
They mention “Subaru Uncharted,” but they don’t explain what car it is. It may be a Subaru promotion or a special name, not a specific model you can look up from the transcript alone.
VIN is the code that identifies your exact car. Most VINs are 17 characters long, and the letters/numbers are chosen so you don’t accidentally confuse similar-looking characters.
Term
zero with the O
VINs are designed to avoid mix-ups between characters that look alike. For example, the letter O and the number 0 are easy to confuse, so the VIN format prevents that kind of ambiguity.
In a VIN, the 10th character often tells you the model year. So if someone says the truck is one year, you can check the VIN and confirm the correct year. That can change how much it’s worth.
This is a Ram 1500 pickup truck. The “Texas edition” is a special trim package, meaning it may come with different features than other Ram 1500s. The “V8” tells you it uses an eight-cylinder engine.
A Ram 1500 is a pickup truck, meaning it’s built to haul things and handle tougher jobs than a regular car. The V8 is the engine type, and it’s usually chosen for stronger power. People often ask about the year because features and updates can change over time.
Incentives are discounts or special offers that can reduce what you pay for a car. The speaker is saying the current offers on Ram trucks are very good.
Arlington is a city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and it’s referenced here as the location of a dealership. For listeners, it’s a practical pointer for where to shop locally.
The Mazda CX-5 is a small SUV that’s meant for regular driving and carrying people. If you’re noticing the back seat feels tight, that means it may not be as roomy for taller passengers or long trips. This is a common thing to check before buying.
The used SUV market is just how expensive used SUVs are right now. The host is saying that if used SUV prices are high, your current SUV may be worth more as a trade-in, which can help you pay less for the new one.
Sales tax is the tax you pay when you buy a car. The host is saying that when you trade in your old vehicle, it can reduce how much of the new car’s price gets taxed, so you may save money.
The Mazda CX-70 is a larger Mazda SUV meant for families. The host says it has a roomy back seat and more space for luggage than the SUV you might have now. They also suggest it could be a good trade-in choice because of how the used SUV market is behaving.
EcoBoost is Ford’s name for turbocharged gas engines. The idea is to get more power than a basic engine while still using less fuel, especially on the highway.
“3.5” means the engine is about 3.5 liters in size. Bigger displacement often helps with power, and in this case the host says it still does okay on gas mileage.
The Crosstrek is a small Subaru SUV. It’s meant for everyday driving and can handle different road conditions. In the podcast, it’s mentioned because the driver feels it’s still a good fit for them.
LIVE
Welcome to the CarPro Show.
Jerry Reynolds the CarPro was in the auto industry for over 35 years and in addition
to getting his sixth win from the Texas Auto Writers Association for Best Radio Show in
Texas, he's a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame, along with fellow members Dan Rather
and George Carlin.
His co-host, Todd Chambliss, just became a member of Applebee's Hall of Fame for finishing
off 84 check-in nuggets without using a dipping sauce.
Now let's get this straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive on the
CarPro Show.
Thank you very much for joining us here on the CarPro Show.
We're in the middle of July and that means we're right in the thick of the carbine season
so if you're thinking about making a move, let's talk 800-926-7777-800-926-7777.
If you're new to the show and a lot of the markets are, we added a whole bunch a few
weeks ago so if you're new, what we do here is I give you free advice on what I think
is the best thing for you to do when it comes to getting a new vehicle or used, we talk
about used quite a bit too, but if you're down to two or three vehicles, I've probably
reviewed it and I can tell you what I think about it, if I think there's something that
may fit you better than what you're looking at right now, if you're wondering about things
like leasing and should you buy or should you lease and special incentives and things
like that.
Those are the things we talk about here and then every week we have kind of a discussion
question of the week if you will.
Today, what we're talking about is we're going to take the top 10 best selling vehicles
in America so far this year through June and each week I'm going to tell you where we are
and what number it is and if you own one of those or have owned one of those, then I want
you to call me and tell me about it.
So today we're taking a look at the number one best selling vehicle in America which
is the Ford F-150 truck and actually that's not true, it's the entire lineup of Ford trucks,
the F-Series line if you will, F-150, 250, 350, 450, 450, if you got one of those, tell
me two things, what's the one thing you love the most about your F-150 and which buy another
one.
I think those things could really help some people who are struggling with that decision.
Pickup buyers are typically very loyal but occasionally I'll talk to somebody that switches
brands and they go from there.
So if you got an F-Series truck 800, 926, 77, 77, Todd Chambliss is with me and Todd you
made a major purchase yesterday.
Well I did and you were involved in that whole thing from start to finish because as you
say on the show if you do it the car pro way then you have a great story to tell, you're
treated right, you have a great experience, I got a brand new vehicle.
Tell us what you got.
Okay, well I had the 2020 Ford Telluride and I was actually at the dealership which is
a high-end Kia of Corinth and was there getting an oil change and getting a few things done
and just happened to amble and walk up to the front of the store where the new cars
are and I was kicking the tires looking at them and someone said hey you want to talk
about your current car and I said oh I'm okay for now and he said well let's just do an appraisal
and see where you are and that was where things started turning because once you start to figure
out oh you mean you can actually cover the value of the car with the trade in and now
I'm kind of free and clear and able to get a brand new car and so I got myself a 2027
Telluride hybrid.
And I mean you've only had it, you haven't even had it 24 hours.
Not even 24, got it yesterday evening 6 p.m. I got to tell you.
First impressions.
Oh my gosh, the handling, the drive, the smoothness, they've even upped it.
It was already comfortable and it was a great driving car before, it just handles better.
The steering wheel is sort of like a rectangular shaped.
I'm seeing a lot of that now.
Yeah and I didn't know if I'd like that but I do because it doesn't obscure your view of the
gauges and the screens and everything.
The hybrid is great so I obviously, I think I started with 545 or 50 miles to empty
because the combination of the gas and the hybrid.
I got that electric battery.
I got to tell you, you don't even know when the thing turns on and off.
I saw a diagram where it was showing a switching back and forth and you don't even feel it
and the best part about that thing is no auto stop start on this vehicle.
There you go, I love that.
That's the best.
So I got to tell you, I'm walking proof.
I had an inclination of what I wanted to get before.
I thought I'm going to get a white Telluride when I drove in.
Once I saw the black it was all kind of over at that point.
So I got a black one.
It's beautiful, especially when it's all washed up and ready to go.
It was fantastic.
So Jerry's way works the best.
You're kind of a black and white guy.
I really am in so many ways really.
800-926-7777, Don.
San Luis Obispo, California, welcome.
You're first on The Car Pro Show.
Yes Jerry, thanks.
My question, I've already placed it to your cohort there,
but the finest luxury automobile I ever owned and I owned several was the Ford SHO,
which has discontinued.
Do you know or are you aware of anything in the world,
anybody manufacturing something like that at that price,
you know, with the splendid interior, high performance engine,
and you do 140 miles an hour, but it was safe for your wife to drive.
The last one was you could hardly turn it over, you know.
Oh, I was in the Ford dealership when the show came out and stood for super high output
for those who might not recall.
And it was fast.
The engine was actually made by Yamaha.
And, you know, it was just a real unusual car for the times.
And I tell you what, it was assembled on the Lincoln assembly line.
It did, it did.
And I think that's probably, probably why the interior was so great.
I'll tell you the car that's reminiscent of that for me today.
And probably the only one is the Cadillac CT5-V.
CT5-Z.
And the price, you would say, would be similar if they were making that today.
SHO, if you were.
You know, a Ford, a Ford's always going to be cheaper than a Cadillac if all the,
if everything's equal.
But I'll tell you, I've reviewed the CT5.
The seats are super comfortable.
It's got a beautiful interior, 360 horses, twin turbo V6.
I'd get it in all-wheel drive just for the traction and the way it handles.
But yeah, that comes in handy if you're driving in a blizzard, you know.
Well, and you probably aren't there where you live.
But the handling difference is dramatic.
And I don't think a dealer would order one that wasn't all-wheel drive.
So take a look at the CT5-V and see what you think.
I think that's the answer for you.
Your trade could be worth a lot or not.
Find out which by calling Jerry Reynolds, the car pro at thechase.com car pro listener line at 1-800-926-7777.
And Facebook is where you'll find this week's classic car of the week.
Just go to carpro.com at the very bottom.
There is a link to our Facebook page.
Go in like that and follow it.
And there's all kinds of great content there.
But every single week, we have a classic car of the week.
You can comment on with the correct year-making model if you are correct in that.
And you're chosen for a random drawing early next week.
You could be the winner of your very own auto heat shield that's perfect for your car.
These days, when the heat index is getting above 100 in lots of areas,
you're going to really, really be thankful that you've got that particular one for your car.
The car that is in question is crossing the auction block at Harrisburg.
It's the Mecom Auctions Harrisburg.
Is that Harrisburg PA?
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah, that's a big Mecom.
Is it really?
Yeah.
You wouldn't think that with Harrisburg.
Well, Mannheim has got a huge operation in Pennsylvania.
Oh, okay.
That makes sense.
So lots of cars around that area.
Makes sense there.
While you're there at carpro.com, besides clicking on find a car pro
certified dealer near you at the top of the page, you can also subscribe to the free weekly
newsletter that came out yesterday.
The top three clicked on items was the most American made vehicles.
The list of the JD power initial quality study.
This is one I pay close attention to every year, although I prefer this.
This is gauging the first 90 days of ownership.
I prefer something that's longer.
I like to, you know, in the first 90 days, you're probably still on your car honeymoon.
It really is that.
You know, they also do a study three years down the road.
That's the one that I really want to see.
You've gone through quite a bit of life for that car after two or three years.
If you've had problems in the first 90 days, that's, I mean, if you've really had problems,
that's an issue.
Oh, yeah.
And then third one was my video of the week.
Todd has a video every week, too.
But it's a little lower.
Let's see.
34
Well, there's my Subaru Outback Wilderness review.
That did very well.
Yeah, that didn't.
Yeah.
You know, hey, you beat the, you beat Amy's Lexus GX review.
By the skin of my teeth, too, by seven votes.
Yeah, it was really close.
Yeah.
Six, but who's counting?
Okay.
Math isn't a strong suit for me.
Sorry.
Let's talk to Mike and Tom Ball, Texas.
And Mike, thank you very, very much for calling us here on The Car Pro Show.
What can I help you with, sir?
Jerry and Todd, enjoy your show.
We don't listen to as much as I can.
But this morning I have, I've got a 2010 Jeep Liberty I've had since I bought it brand new.
Yeah.
It's got 220,000 miles on it.
I have to maintain it.
But it's getting to the point.
I'm going to need a new car.
Yep, you are.
This one will be all right for my wife to put a round town in close.
But when I travel quite a bit, like I said, I've poured $4,000, $5,000 into it,
fixing it up this year.
But I need to buy something else that's equivalent, like, I like V6s.
I like the space.
It's automatic, you know, all that stuff.
Can you give, the only car I know that I liked that I've rented was a Kia Telleride.
I love that car.
That's a great car.
Oh, sure.
Yeah.
I don't, you know, I don't know.
I would like your opinion on it if you wouldn't mind.
Is the Liberty the right size for you?
Or are you trying to go up?
Because you're going, you're going up a lot.
No, it's a little, it's long enough, but it's too narrow.
Yeah.
The 2010, and I have a 2002 as well, my son owns.
That one's shorter, but it's wider.
Yeah.
And I'm a Jeep guy.
I love my Jeep.
But this one is long enough, but it's just way too narrow.
Yeah.
And, and it was narrow.
And, and most of them are wider.
Let me give you a couple to consider.
Now, let me, let me tell you one thing right up front, because you said it,
you're not going to find a six-owner anywhere in this, this size range.
They're gone.
Okay.
Sorry.
And that, it's okay.
The four cylinders today are better performers than the six-cylinder was that you got in 2010.
By far.
And they're more fuel efficient and they got more power and they'll get up and go better.
But look at the Bronco Sport, not the big Bronco, but the Bronco Sport from Ford.
Look at the Subaru, look at the Subaru Crosstrek.
You could look at the Jeep Compass.
I, I just, I'm not as sold long term on the Compass as I am the Bronco Sport and the Crosstrek.
I don't, I don't think it'll last as long as those two.
And then the third one I would tell you to look at is the Mazda CX30.
It's a great SUV.
It's got the nicest interior of all those that we talked about.
So look at sport Bronco Sport Crosstrek from Subaru Mazda CX30.
See what you think about those.
They're all top notch quality, all very safe and all in roughly the same price range.
Plus I got good dealers for all of them in Houston, Mike, right there at CarPro.com.
Almost everybody thinks they know about cars, but the CarPro Jerry Reynolds actually does know.
Call the CarPro show now on the chase.com CarPro listener line at 1-800-926-7777.
And we go to Houston to talk to Pastor Frank.
Frank, welcome to the CarPro show.
Hey, good man.
What's up?
Well, I drive an F-150 as my daily driver.
It's a power boost.
Oh, yeah.
I'm a truck guy.
But let me tell you, I love the vehicle.
It pulls all my trailers.
It is fast and it gets incredible gas mileage.
I know.
I know.
I've got a listener.
I believe it's in Houston that got one on my recommendation because I've said here on the
show many times in the past year or two, if I were in the market for a new pickup today,
I'd buy the F-150 power boost.
And yeah, it is.
But this guy is telling me he consistently gets 29 miles to the gallon out on the highway.
Wow.
That's pretty good.
I don't do that too.
But I'm a heavy, I'm a heavy pedal.
But I'm with you.
I'm a sports car guy, really.
But anyway.
I'm with you.
I have the same problem.
I don't know, Frank.
I don't know if you get my newsletter or not.
But since you've got a heavy...
I do.
I had an article yesterday about Texas cracking down on speeding.
It started today.
Oh, yeah.
So if you've got a heavy foot, be careful out there.
I will.
And you're a pastor, right, Frank?
Yeah, I am.
41 years at the same church.
What gives the name of your church?
I'd love to know.
West Oaks Fellowship.
West Oaks?
There you go.
Go see Pastor Frank at West Oaks Fellowship.
Yeah, come on.
They're in Houston.
I know everybody's welcome.
You'll love it.
Yep, I can tell by the word.
You bet.
There you go.
Hey, I appreciate the call.
He's answering the question of the day, which is four F-150 owners.
And I want you to tell me what's the one thing you love the most about your truck
and would you buy another one?
Hmm.
So we're doing the F-150 this week
because it's the number one seller in America so far this year.
Next week here on The Car Pro Show, we'll look at the Chevy Silverado
and I'll want to hear from you.
But today we're talking F-150 and the number to call.
If you've got one you want to talk to me or you want to ask me about your next car,
I have had the Subaru Uncharted this week.
Is that what they call that?
Uncharted.
All right.
Not Uncharted, which I keep trying to say.
Uncharted once.
800-926-7777.
If the last car you bought made your blood pressure reading higher than your SATs,
let's fix that.
Call Jerry Reynolds, The Car Pro on the chaise.com Car Pro Listener Line at 1-800-926-7777.
And welcome back to The Car Pro Show with Jerry Reynolds, The Car Pro and me,
Ty Chambliss.
You ever looked at a VIN on a car and wondered what's all the numbers correspond to?
Is it just, let me use this term that I got to use a couple of months ago.
Higgledy, pigledy?
Is it all just crazy?
Or is there a method to the madness?
Well, if you go look at the newsletter, there indeed is a method to the madness.
Jerry breaks it down from the country of origin to all the way to assembly plant where it was made.
It's all represented there in the VIN.
It gives you example, tells you exactly what they mean.
It's fascinating to look at that.
You wouldn't think that from just a rando set of numbers and letters,
but everything has a meaning and a purpose in the VIN.
And I'll give you a little trivia that I didn't put in the article.
I don't think.
So this is an extra?
Yes.
Okay.
Okay, great.
This is in addition to what was in yesterday's free newsletter.
Yeah.
There are 17 characters in a VIN.
Yep.
But they have never used three letters.
Let me guess.
Z?
Nope.
Okay.
Which letters then?
I, O, and Q.
I think I understand I and O, but Q I don't.
So why don't you explain why those three aren't used?
Well, I would, I mean, I'm guessing, but it would seem to me like a Q could look like a zero.
And with this Quigley, the O looks like a zero and the I looks like a one.
Those two I understand.
So, I mean, being close with a VIN number doesn't really help you.
You got to be right on.
It's got to be 17 exact letters and numbers.
And you can't confuse the zero with the O.
You just, it's not going to work out.
No, it's not, especially if you're pulling a history report or something along those lines.
Now, sometimes it's hard to read a VIN through your windshield in the bottom left, bottom
right hand as you face the car, bottom right hand corner.
Yeah.
But the VIN is also on the door.
Yep.
So that's what I do when I need a VIN is I snap a picture.
100%.
With my phone.
Yep.
And then spread it bigger.
Zoom in on it.
Zoom in.
Yeah.
It's real easy to, it's real easy to read that way.
But no I O or Q in any VIN ever.
That is, that's actually very interesting.
And the year was 1981 that we went from 10 characters to 17 characters.
And just because they were making more cars, they ran out of numbers.
They didn't want any duplicate numbers.
Fair enough.
And that's cool.
When you are in the car business and you're a vehicle appraiser,
you learn to memorize the year model designation in a VIN.
Ah, okay.
It's the 10th place and you just, you just learn them.
So some people don't know what your car they have.
And that's the truth.
They'll tell you it's 2006 and you look at the VIN, it's 2004.
You know, and it makes a difference in the value.
So, but it's represented by, in this particular VIN you've got here by AO.
Is that right?
The model year?
I'm not looking at it.
It's the 10th, it's the 10th digit.
Okay.
All right.
I could count them, but that's,
it used to be the 10th.
I guess I would think it's the 10th.
All right.
Let's talk to Spencer and Houston.
Spencer, welcome to the car pro show.
Thank you, sir.
I have a truck at the 2017.
It only has 170,000 miles, but my son just graduated from high school.
And I'm trying to figure out if I should give him my truck or if I should buy him used.
What, what kind of truck is it, Spencer?
It's a Ram 1500, Texas edition V8.
What year?
There, 2017.
2017.
Okay.
And have you done the maintenance well on it?
Yes, sir.
You know, what, and one last question.
What's he, is he going off to college or what's he going to use this truck for?
So, yes, he'd be his driver.
It'd be his every day.
But not, he's not going to be racking up a gazillion miles on or anything.
No, sir.
He's going to be local here in Houston.
He's going to go to HCC.
Okay.
Well, I mean, there's life left in it.
That thing should, if you've done the maintenance, it should go well past 225,000 miles or so
without any major problems.
So, yeah, I'd say give him that truck and you get yourself a new one.
Oh, nice.
Okay.
I'm kind of looking for something similar.
If not, I don't even know.
I don't even know.
I know F-150 is a popular brand.
I'm not really a forward guy.
Well, that's okay.
I really do like, like the Dodge.
This truck has done, done well for me.
Well, then get another, get a Ram.
I'll tell you right now, the Ram for me is the best riding, quietest inside truck on the market.
They're fantastic.
If you're, if you, and look, it's hard, it'd be hard for me to switch brands
after putting 170,000 miles on a vehicle and not having, you know, not having any trouble.
Get another Ram.
I've got, I've got good Ram dealers there in Houston that'll, that can help you and
save you some money.
And I'll tell you, I'll tell you right now, the incentives on the Rams are good.
I mean, they're really good.
They're the best we've seen in a lot of years.
So, you know, hey, go get a Ram.
I got great dealers there.
Okay.
Absolutely.
What about Dallas?
So I work in Dallas.
My family's here in Houston right now, but I work in Dallas.
Would there be a dealership in Dallas?
Classic, classic Dodge Caster Jeep Ram in Arlington.
Adam Lancaster's the GM there.
They're the same family as classic Chevrolet in Dallas and Houston.
Been with me for 20 plus years.
Great people.
Talk to Adam.
He'll get you hooked up.
Fantastic.
Thank you very much.
All right, pal.
Hey, thank you so much.
And we go to White House, Texas now to talk to Sherry.
Sherry, welcome to The Card Pro Show.
You're welcome.
What can I help you with, Sherry?
Well, I had a Mazda CX-5 and we bought it in 2024, bought it new.
And we have noticed over the last two years that there's not really a lot of room in the back seat.
Right.
We weren't wanting, we weren't looking for anything really big, but you know,
when we have our seats pushed back a little bit, it doesn't leave much room,
leg room in the back seat.
So I guess our thought here is our car's only two years old,
runs good, runs great, happy with it and all that except for that.
Would it be, would we lose money if we sold it or traded it in for something different?
And if we traded it in or sold it, what would you suggest that we get?
It's comparable to the CX-5.
How many miles are on it?
We have about 20,000.
Okay, you know, 2024.
I mean, you got to lose money from what you paid for it brand new, but everybody does.
That's just part of the program.
But I think with the SUV market used the way it is, that's a very, very desirable trade in.
And you can save a ton of money by trading it in on the sales tax on a new one.
So for those reasons, I would tell you, look at the Mazda CX-70.
It's got a very roomy second row seat and more cargo area than you have now.
So, you know, your current one's going to bring more to a Mazda dealer than anywhere.
So look at the CX-70.
And welcome back to The Car Pro Show with Jerry Winnells, the car pro in the newsletter,
the advice column.
Here's the headline.
Will car prices go down in 2026?
And should you buy now or wait?
You were actually on Houston TV.
I think it was what the other day?
Was it yesterday?
Yeah, it was earlier this week.
Earlier this week.
And you talked about that.
Yeah, I was on Fox.
I was on Fox Houston.
The Fox 26 station there.
And the actual video link is in the newsletter.
But to give sort of a, I guess, a thumbnail, I guess the answer is yes, it is good to buy
right now.
And if you wait too long into either August or September, all the cars turn a year older
and then it's going to be a different scenario for you.
It could hurt your trade value for sure.
But, you know, the question I keep getting asked, because I do a lot of interviews.
And the question I keep getting asked is, you know, are car prices going to go down?
No, they don't go down.
They never go down.
Car prices never go down.
Incentives go up, which lowers the price.
But the car price themselves, what you see on the window sticker doesn't go down.
And it never will.
So yeah, you can wait.
But guess what?
They're not going to go down.
They're going to go up.
Cars go up during the year.
It's not like they're set on a price all year long.
There's two or three price increases pretty much on every car made.
That could be a misnomer.
People think, oh, at the end of the year, the prices are better.
They go down.
Or it's like, well, they don't go down.
Your incentives get better.
And, you know, the loyalty payments that they do and everything else,
that can factor in to bringing it down to a level that seems lower.
But the car doesn't go down in price.
Yeah.
The only thing you can do is watch the incentives.
And in our free weekly newsletter, there's an incentive section there
where you can find the incentives on every car sold in America,
every single week, every single Friday.
And most times before anybody else gets it.
Yeah, that's a fact.
Same as recalls.
That's right.
Rick in Houston.
Rick, welcome to the car pro show.
Hey, Rick.
Is Rick there?
The bumper said, I need to stay high.
So there we go.
Oh, hello there.
Hey, hello.
Hey, Rick.
So here's, Gary, here's the thing.
I've got a, I got a 2020 to Ram 2500 four by four diesel.
We had us pulling an RV.
We got rid of the RV.
And, you know, I love the truck, but it just beats me and my wife to death.
Yep.
They'll do that.
We're thinking about coming in and down and I'm going to say downgrade.
It's not really downgrade.
But I was thinking about the F 150 or sticking with the Ram 1500.
I don't hate the Ram, but on the F 150, my, even my brother's 250 rides better than this one,
as far as the bumping and the beating up.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
My question is I'm about to retire and I want my forever car.
And so we've got another sedan that we have.
It's, you know, very, very, it's relatively new.
Realistically, if you went with the F 150, what do you think that mileage would be to
get out of that for the rest of the, how many miles do you think it would go before
in the life on that or the Ram 1500 for that matter?
You know, the EcoBoost engine from Ford, I like the 3.5 because it's got a lot of power
and it gets decent fuel economy out on the highway.
And those are usually good to 250,000.
I've heard way more than that, but haven't ever verified it.
You know, I've had people tell me 350 and, you know,
but I've talked to a gazillion people that made it to 250 with just regular maintenance.
And I think the truck itself inside is super quiet, but so is the Ram.
But, you know, there's a reason the F 150 has been the number one selling
truck in America for 47 years.
People who buy and buy them again and again and again.
So, you know, I'd go with the 3.5 EcoBoost.
I'd go with the F 150.
The incentives this month are really good.
And your Ram is worth a ton of money.
And the market on those right now are fantastic.
I've got four great Ford dealers at carpro.com.
Talk to my contact there and let's see what we can get done for you.
Go with the Ford.
I think you'll like it.
Whether you want an SUV, a truck, or what is it called?
Oh yeah, a car.
Get free expert advice from Jerry Reynolds, the car pro.
Call him now on thechase.com car pro listener line at 1-800-926-7777.
Well, that's the payoff time.
Here is the happy listener moment where folks who have used Jerry's advice and
contacts and his way of buying a car have done so and have great stories to tell.
Here's a listener in the Dallas, Fort Worth area named Nancy.
She's listened to you for a long, long time, but only recently got to experience the whole
car pro method.
She just loved the show, but she had told friends about it, but she had never done it herself.
So she went and saw Ewing Subur of Plano.
Of course, Ross Iver over there got her into a cross track.
She says, I'm a senior citizen, but I still have to work.
She runs a pet sitting service.
Really?
I never heard of that, but I guess they have to have that.
She's on the road a lot.
She needed a good vehicle, got herself cross track and she loves it.
Said it was easy, so positive.
Ross was pleasant to talk to.
And I know you hate this one, but it's always pops up where they say,
this is probably the last vehicle I'm going to buy.
But she says, I'll never forget his kindness and we'll be sending people to him.
And here's the line, the, the really good line I love.
She says, thank you, Jerry.
Appreciate your honesty, the help you give to people.
Quite a refreshment in the world that we live in today.
Isn't that nice?
That is nice.
Nancy, you are a peach.
Nancy, thank you.
I appreciate that.
That's why I do this to help people.
I really, truly love helping people and always have all your own car dealerships.
Yeah, I was there to make a, you know, make a dollar.
Well, yeah, of course.
But I also really got a lot of satisfaction in seeing the smiles on people's faces
when they drove off the lot in their brand new car.
It's just so much fun and I can help you as well.
Everything, well, not everything, but pretty much everything you need is at carpro.com.
And if you'll look there, all of our dealers right there near the top of the page,
it'll say, find a car pro certified dealer near you, pick your brand, put your zip code in,
and be sure you talk to my contact like Nancy there did.
And I promise you a great experience.
Knowing the right time to trade is a huge thing right now.
As the car pro Jerry Reynolds on the chase.com car pro listener line, 1-800-926-7777.
About this episode
The show kicks off with a look at “the top 10 best selling vehicles in America so far this year through June,” then shifts into real-world buying stories—like a dealership oil-change leading to a new 2027 Telluride hybrid. Listeners and hosts trade tips on truck and SUV choices, including Ford F-150 PowerBoost fuel economy, CT5-V traction with AWD, and why modern four-cylinders can outperform older sixes. The episode also covers VIN decoding basics and how to time trade-ins using incentives and dealer networks.
