Cheap Cars and Expensive Jacks
About this episode
Dan and Nick dive into practical automotive topics like the benefits and risks of wheel spacers, efficient heating and cooling solutions for garages, and the challenges of finding affordable new cars under $20,000 in today's market. They discuss modern tools like the Gyroline phone-based alignment system and share insights on jack selection for off-road use, weighing the pros and cons of 1.5 vs 3-ton jacks. The hosts also reflect on rising insurance and fuel costs, vehicle depreciation, and the evolving landscape of entry-level vehicles, encouraging listeners to share their own buying experiences and jack preferences.
The cheapest car you can buy in 2025 is the Nissan Versa with a manual transmission. The days of the $10,000 dollar, 100k mile warranty Kia are gone. Kia even had a buy one, get one free promo at one point! There's a lot of factors in the rising cost of a car, but if you're going to buy new today and you want something good on a budget, what are you buying? We'd love to hear from you and why you chose what you did when it comes to your BUDGET buying experiences. We then talk all about jacking! Harbor Freight seems to have cornered the consumer market, with a few rare exceptions from Costco and Walmart. And when it comes to offroad, you've got Pro-Eagle, Badlands, and then the specialized bottle and high-lift jacks, but what are you using and why? We need to find a solution for Nick!
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Volkswagen Bora
"...wheel spacer, especially some of the newer stuff, Bora, I think they think it's Bora is the there's a co..."
Ford Bronco
"... chips. I've got weather tech in the front of the Bronco and Husky on the F 150. And they make a huge diff..."
Ford F150
"look depending on your vehicle, but mud guards do help a lot with stone chips. I've got weather tech in the front of the Bronco and Husky on the F 150. And they make a huge difference. And we ran those through Moab. No problem. Like they flex like"
Toyota Corolla
"Kia's, look at Hyundai's, look at the basic Corolla's things like that, you know, where you're not getting a lot of the creature"
Hyundai Genesis
"..., you look at Hyundai and then when they spun off Genesis, and those Genesis cars are more expensive"
Volkswagen Jetta
"...find the new entry level plus the new white girl, Jetta. There you go. I mean, you know, we've"
Chevrolet Camaro
"like you used to be able to get Mustangs and Camaros in the 20s. Like that was a thing, like base"
Ford Mustang
"like you used to be able to get Mustangs and Camaros in the 20s. Like that was a thing, li..."
Nissan Sentra
"It's a standard, you know, the Corolla, the Sentra, the the the Civic,"
Chevrolet Trax
"... to enjoy spending your time. You can get a Chevy Trax starting at 20,000."
Tesla Model 3
"overall mileage, I'd say leasing a Model 3 is pretty hard to beat."
Bronco Raptor
"Yeah. So I'm on the Ford Bronco Raptor owner's group on Facebook and a lot of people."
Toyota Land Cruiser
"...e can be sketchy out of Florida. That's where the Land Cruiser came from, wasn't it? Yep."
Ford Ranger
"That's crazy. Had that been a deal when the Ranger was, I probably would have just leased an F-150."
Ranger Raptor
"... mean, the cars I'm going to be jacking up is the Ranger Raptor, the Subaru Forester to check for nails,"
Volkswagen Beatles
"Got a lot of vintage Volkswagen Beatles in here. You really,"
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