In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show
In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk ShowNov 5, 2025
Chevy Trax Surprises, Kia Telluride Shines
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Car
Chevrolet Tracks
The Chevrolet Tracks is a small SUV that's easy to drive and park. It's designed for people who want a compact vehicle with enough space for passengers and cargo.
The Jaguar Mark I is a stylish car made by the British company Jaguar, built in the late 1950s. It's known for its elegant design and is considered an important part of car history because it helped Jaguar become famous for making luxury cars. People talk about it because of its beautiful looks and how it represents a certain era of automotive design.
A turbocharged engine is one that has a special device called a turbocharger, which helps the engine produce more power without needing a bigger size. It makes the car faster and more efficient.
Two-wheel drive means that only two wheels of the car get power from the engine. This is usually better for fuel economy but can be less effective in bad weather or off-road.
Four-wheel drive means that all four wheels of the car can get power from the engine, which helps the car grip the road better, especially in bad weather like snow.
The Chevrolet Trailblazer is a small SUV that can handle different driving conditions, including snow, especially if you choose the four-wheel drive version.
The Chevrolet Vega is a small car that was made in the 1970s. It was built to be affordable and fuel-efficient, competing with other small cars from around the world.
An aluminum engine is made from a lighter metal called aluminum instead of heavier metals. This helps the car use less fuel and go faster because it weighs less.
General Motors is a big company that makes cars. They produce many different brands and models, and they are one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.
An engine oil baffle helps keep the oil in the engine where it belongs, especially when the car is tilted or turned. This prevents oil from spilling out and causing problems.
Trim levels are different versions of the same car that have various features. For example, one version might have more technology or better materials than another.
A roof rack is a frame on the top of a car that helps you carry things like bags or bikes. Some cars come with them, but you might not need one if you don't carry extra stuff.
The base trim price is the lowest price for a car model, without any extra features or upgrades. It's the starting point for what you would pay for that car.
The overall price is the total amount you pay for a car, including the starting price and any extra features or taxes. It's what you actually spend to buy the car.
The Toyota Grand Highlander is a large SUV that has three rows of seats, making it great for families. It has a lot of space for passengers and luggage.
The Subaru Ascent is a large SUV that can fit a lot of people and is great for families or trips with friends.
LIVE
All right. Time now for this hour's car review. I had a chance to drive the 2026 Chevy
tracks. This thing is made in the Shang Juan, Korea province. Oh yeah. Then it comes and
I didn't know that you're been there. I have not. Have you? No, no, um, available trim
levels. My mind was racing at about a hundred miles an hour to come up with something and
I did, but I can't repeat it on the air. Available trim levels, LS, one RS, LT, two RS and active.
Active is the new model. I had the two RS. So pretty much loaded up small SUV seats, five
was all new in 2024. Large split grill with squinty headlights. It's very attractive. Side
scalping is just the right amount with upswept rear glass, small rear hatch window with a
sunshade over it and attractive lighting back there in the back wheels. They change with
the trim level that you select. What I liked about it, the overall design in my mind gets
high marks. I really did like this. What could use improvement? I'm not exactly sure what
the roof rack rails are for anymore. It's just a look because they don't serve any purpose
other than looking from the side. You can see a rail up there, but why? I don't know. I don't
get it. It just don't make sense. Well, anyway, interior highlights, optional big infotainment
screen. One of the best and it's one of the biggest as well. Our RS trim had attractive red accents
stitched on the seats and piping, which adds some pop to the interior. Easy to use and find dash
controls. Steering wheel controls are not complicated. I'm glad to report. Cargo room,
more than you would expect in a small SUV like this. What I liked again, high marks overall,
including comfortable seats. What could use improvement? Nothing. Here's a killer. I'm
really surprised. All right. A 1.2 liter, three cylinder turbocharged engine powers this thing.
A three cylinder. You wouldn't know it. 137 horsepower. You think a lot. This thing is
gutless. No, it's not. 162 pound feet of torque, six speed automatic transmission. And that
combination actually works very well. You'd think that the thing is a slug from the stop light. It
is not a tow rating, 1263 pounds on a three cylinder turbocharged motor. And this I really like
miles per gallon rated 28 city 32 highway for a combined of 30 miles per gallon. I got 29.3
miles per gallon over 477.5 miles. And 90% of that is driven on the highway.
What I liked zippy, despite that small engine and it gets good gas mileage, which could use
improvement, maybe a little more power as an option. But why? Because then you kill the price
point, ride and handling, smooth and comfortable. Yes, he said that. What could use improvement?
It only comes in two wheel drive. Now here in Houston, good, because we get to save the money
on not having a four wheel drive. Now, if you have the thing in some place that's got a snow,
well, that could be a problem. But then you've got other options
when it comes to that in the Chevrolet lineup. This two wheel drive model keeps the price down
for will drive again for the snow belt base trim price 25 three prices tested 28 385 base model
price 21 600 nice base model price 20 starter vehicle. Yeah, 21,600 nice starter vehicle.
Competitors Mazda CX 30 starts at 25 975 the VW Tows 26 five and the Chevy Trailblazer. And I
say that because the trailblazer is just a tiny bit bigger, but it does have a four wheel drive
option. If that's what you want, it starts at 23,000, which again is a couple of thousand
dollars more than the base model price of the Chevy tracks next week.
All right, time out for Jeff's car culture. And today Jeff talks about
Verda pack Chevy shipping. What is this? And you got to be careful when you say it.
Verda pack Chevy shipping. Okay, careful. You just set it all for everybody. There you go.
Well, the Chevy Vega was a subcompact car sold by Chevrolet during the 70s 70 to 77 mile years.
The goal was to take a new Japanese European small fuel efficient car with an American made
body innovative features and all kinds of good stuff, but it had to be competitively priced.
Major cost efficiencies of the Vega gained through a quick vehicle development process.
It had aluminum engine and had advanced automation in the assembly plant. Getting the Vega to the
dealers needed to find a cheaper way to ship the cars. So what they did was typical car in the 70s
could rail car that is could fit about 15 vehicles due to its compact size. It was possible to fit
18 of the Vegas in that same configuration. It was a small gain, but not good enough because
one of the things was that to ship a Vega from Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant to the furthest
point on the West coast was about 4800 bucks. The car itself cost around two grand. So that was
not very, very efficient. No. So what they did was the new method came from a form of what they
call a Verda pack rail car developed by General Motors and Southern Pacific Railway by placing
the cars nose down 30 cars could fit where 18 previously did. Getting those extra vehicles
loaded into each rail car reduced shipping charges. However, it required additional rail
car features and vehicle packaging. In order to have the Vega packaged in this, the new rail car
design, each one was fitted with four removable cast steel sockets to the undercarriage. Plastic
spacers were wedged beside the powertrain to prevent damage to the engine and transmission
mounts. These were removed when the cars were unloaded. Yeah, right. The rail, the rail ramp
doors were opened and closed via forklift. What could go wrong there? Not only did the doors double
as ramps, they also provided security from weather vandalism and theft, something which the typical
air, the typical tri level racks were exposed to. Then Chevrolet marketing wanted to put
and tout the Vega as ready to drive off the Verda pack ramps without any fluid fills.
Unfortunately, the cars were not meant to be suspended nose down for any length of time.
Since the Verda pack shipment method was known early, Chevrolet engineers were able to design
the Vega with this in mind. Check this out. Engineers perform vibration and low speed
crash testing to ensure Vegas did not sustain physical damage in the rail cars. They also
included following the preventative of actually to prevent fluid spills and internal engine
damage while the vehicle was vertical. An engine oil baffle prevented the oil from entering the
number one cylinder. Battery filler caps were located on the edge of the battery. The battery
prevent acid spilling. The carburetor float bowl had a tube that drained into the vapor canister
during shipping. When she wash her bottle stood at a 45 degree angle. Nothing could go wrong with
all these design considerations were meant to get the Vega to a market in a safe efficient manner
in real life. The Verda pack system created challenges. Now there's more to this story
because they interviewed a lot of the rail people that did this and there were a lot of problems.
The doors failed. The forklifts jammed them up in there damaged the vehicles that fell back.
So there was a lot of things that were not actually conducive to making this a proper way.
They saved some money but in the long run it cost them because of all the damages.
They had to get the rail cars right and then of course the broken vehicle. So it was an event.
It was an expense that they did and for the seven years at the Vega I don't know if it was cost
effective or not. Well you know it wasn't that long ago that they shipped cars in open rail cars.
Do you remember that? Yeah. Oh my god and they will arrive to their destination dirty broken beat
up. Yeah it looked like they'd gone through hell and back. And the ones that you see now
on the tracks that we have in the area those were actually designed by General Motors. General
Motors designed that for the theft and I think they came out of Detroit doing that.
So and you see the pictures there that's just a little bit about what how they did it back in
the 70s. Well I vaguely remember the 70s and we'll just leave it at that. But you had two of
them. You know that. Oh yeah well yeah two Vegas or I thought you had two 70s.
Time now for an extra bonus car review this week because we didn't get to it last week so we
wanted to stick it in here right now. I had a chance to drive the 2025 Kia Telluride. Now this
is a three row SUV and I thought that this was interesting. The final assembly location is West
Point Georgia made here in the U.S. of A. Right. Available trim levels include the LX, the S,
the EX, the SX and the SX Prestige. What did I have? The SX Prestige, X Pro,
V6 all wheel drive plus X line and X Pro. Wow. That's what it said on the window sticker.
They had to make the window sticker extra big to fit three windows. Kind of a wrap around.
Well can you imagine in the back of the car the nomenclature back there?
Then you run across the whole back of the car. This is a standard SUV so it competes up there with
the Chevy Suburban. This is a big SUV. Seats including the driver, seven, all new in 2020
and here we go. Exterior features include modern overall clean design with that familiar Kia
pinched grille, wheels and some trim change with the trim level that you choose. It does have a
hockey stick rear lighting configuration back there with a sunshade over the back glass. All of
the manufacturers seem to be doing that sunshade thing. Dual exhaust tips on the lower right
of the car. Maybe you can see it in this picture. Yep. There they are. Not dual exhaust, one on
each side. Right. No, this is two on one right hand side. What I liked, the clean look. Roof rack
is old school and not necessary. I want to just make it an option. I don't understand. How many
people do you see going down the road with a luggage on top? Do you know the first car I
looked at before the Buick had that it was a Toyota and I said that is the hideous thing and the guy
tried to sell me. I said no, did you have one without a roof rack? They all come with roof
racks. Mine actually has a style rack on it, but mine is different. Is that what they call it,
a style rack? That's something that they invented, but go on. I'm sorry, I didn't mean a rack.
Oh, that's perfectly fine. Interior highlights, huge infotainment screen with easy to use controls,
digital instrument cluster with white faces, which I thought was a nice touch, comfortable seating
surfaces, steering wheel mounted controls are not overdone, which so many manufacturers tend to do
these days. Very much so. Cargo trunk room, great. What I liked the roominess and the quality materials
plus the well placed controls. What could use improvement? How do you improve on that? Look
at that. It's like a spaceship in there. It's beautiful. 3.8 liter v6 motor in this that turns
out 291 horsepower, 262 pound feet of torque, eight speed automatic transmission. It will tow
up to 5,500 pounds. All wheel drive is standard on this model. The lower models, it's an option.
It's got knobs, not cannibals. It's got cannibals. Wow. Miles per gallon in the city. It's rated at
18 on the highway 23 for combined to 20. I got 22.2 miles per gallon over 426.6 miles. What I
liked about it, the power is nicely matched with the eight speed automatic transmission. I don't
think you can improve on this turbo. No turbo. No, no, no. Right handling, very compliant. It's
too many competitors. Oh, so they're going to take him to school on it. Yeah.
So you, you compare this to a suburban? I don't think it's that big. Well, it's, it's, it's three
rows and your United States government, they classify this and this is in the same classification.
I think the suburban's actually gotten a little smaller compared to what it used to be. Well,
base trim price 53,685. Price is tested 56,240. Now the average overall price of a new car is now
at $50,000. You can get into one of these. Base model price 36,390. Overall, I give it high marks.
Competitors, Toyota Grand Highlander, that's the three row, starts at 44,2. The Subaru Ascent,
then Mars go away, the Subaru Ascent, it starts at $39,995 and the Honda Pilot starts at $40,200.
Now, this one again starts at $36,390. If you are into big SUV three rows, I would definitely
shop this. Starting price isn't bad. No, it's affordable for a starter. I would definitely
shop that thing because I think that you're going to be impressed. Whether you're impressed with
the Keel line or not, I'm just telling you, there's somebody, somebody that drove it for almost 500
miles. I can tell you that this is one nice vehicle. Good deal. All right. Okay. Hey, if you'd like to get
About this episode
The episode features reviews of the 2026 Chevy Trax and the 2025 Kia Telluride, highlighting their unique features and performance. The Chevy Trax impresses with its stylish design, comfortable interior, and surprisingly zippy performance from its 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, achieving good fuel economy. Meanwhile, the Kia Telluride stands out with its spacious three-row seating, modern design, and powerful V6 engine, making it a strong contender in the SUV market. The discussion also touches on historical shipping methods for the Chevy Vega, adding an interesting twist to the automotive narrative.
Think a three-cylinder can’t pull its weight? We put the 2026 Chevy Trax through nearly 500 miles and found punchy torque, smart gearing, and honest 30-mpg efficiency that make city runs and highway stretches feel easy. Then we climb into the 2025 Kia Telluride SX Prestige AWD, where the vibe flips from thrifty to luxurious: a serene ride, a clean and modern cabin with a huge infotainment screen, and a 291-hp V6 that tows up to 5,500 pounds without breaking a sweat.
We start with the Trax’s sharp design, intuitive controls, and surprising cargo room, weighing the real trade-off of two-wheel drive against its attractive price. From trims to tech, it’s a small SUV that nails the basics and sprinkles in style, competing credibly with Mazda CX-30 and VW Taos on affordability and ease of use. Then we step into the Telluride’s larger world—three rows of comfort, refined road manners, and the kind of daily livability that wins families fast. The knobs are back where they matter, the ride is limo-like, and the value story holds even as the options stack up.
Between these road tests, we detour into car history with Chevy’s VertiPak experiment—shipping Vegas nose-down to cut rail costs. It’s a wild look at how engineering, logistics, and real-world execution collide, and it frames a timeless buying lesson: value isn’t just about price; it’s about how well a vehicle fits your life. Whether you’re chasing efficiency and a low entry point or space, power, and long-distance comfort, these two SUVs show how clear priorities create better choices.
If you enjoy smart car talk with real-world numbers and honest impressions, follow the show, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick review so more drivers can find us. Which one would you pick for your driveway?
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
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