The hosts discuss their recent experiences with new vehicles, including the 2026 Audi S5 and the challenges of protecting and driving it. They share stories about favorite scenic drives like Arizona's US 89 and the Blue Ridge Parkway, noting how social media has impacted these routes. The conversation also touches on the joys and challenges of off-roading, emphasizing how it broadens automotive appreciation. Personal anecdotes about vehicle use, road trips, and the importance of driving experiences highlight the episodeās focus on enjoying cars beyond just ownership.
Consumer Reports has launched there worst of 2025 and much to our surprise, the new 4Runner made the list! We love the new 4Runner, but CR did have some good points about the underwhelming engine choice as well as it's ride quality on the road. While the other choices were somewhat expected, we were surprised to see the beloved 4Runner make the list, but what do you think?
And for our question this week, where are you most excited to travel to in the upcoming driving season?
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"...ith Stack and Metropolitan took the new 2026 Audi S5 and dropped it off for protection, which has bee..."
The Audi S5 is a stylish car made by Audi that is faster and more powerful than regular models. It is designed to be comfortable and fun to drive.
The Audi S5 is a sporty version of the A5 coupe and sportback models, offering enhanced performance, handling, and luxury features. The 2026 model continues Audi's tradition of combining style with a powerful engine and advanced technology.
""we're doing full clear bra and they're, I'm having them tinted out and do everything good to it. Cause gotta protect it. Yeah.""
A clear bra is like a see-through sticker that goes on your car to stop little scratches and chips from rocks. It keeps your car looking nice for longer.
A clear bra is a transparent protective film applied to a car's paint to protect it from scratches, rock chips, and other minor damage. It helps maintain the vehicle's appearance and resale value.
""...you're going to use them, be it off road cars, be it street cars, be it race cars.""
Street cars are the normal cars you drive every day on regular roads. They are made to be comfortable and safe for driving in cities and highways.
Street cars are vehicles primarily designed for regular road use, optimized for comfort, fuel efficiency, and safety on paved roads. They differ from off road or race cars in their setup and intended use.
""...you're going to use them, be it off road cars, be it street cars, be it race cars.""
Race cars are cars made to go very fast and win races. They are built differently from regular cars and usually aren't comfortable for everyday driving.
Race cars are specially built or modified vehicles designed for competitive motorsports. They focus on performance aspects like speed, handling, and aerodynamics, often sacrificing comfort and practicality.
""...you're going to use them, be it off road cars, be it street cars, be it race cars.""
Off road cars are special vehicles made to drive on rough ground like dirt or sand, not just smooth roads. They have bigger tires and stronger parts to help them go over bumps and rocks.
Off road cars are vehicles designed or modified to be driven on unpaved surfaces such as dirt, sand, mud, and rocks. They typically have features like higher ground clearance, rugged tires, and reinforced suspension to handle rough terrain.
""...if you are a car enthusiast and we harp on this a lot...""
A car enthusiast is a person who really loves cars and enjoys learning about them, fixing them, or driving them for fun.
A car enthusiast is someone who has a passionate interest in cars, including their design, performance, history, and culture. Enthusiasts often engage in activities like modifying, collecting, or racing cars.
"I mean, like taking a real off road day, going to Natchez locally or going to Moab, obviously, which we talked at the end, you know, over and over again about, I think you're missing out on a key peak automotive experience that you need to invest in. It's worth it. Even if you go with a friend or something the first time, you'll get it. But having those experiences really changes your perspective on cars. And in a good way, you either, you're not going to dislike it. I don't think unless you do something stupid and roll your truck or something,"
Off-roading means driving a car on dirt or rough paths instead of regular roads. People do it for fun or to explore places normal cars can't go.
Off-roading refers to driving a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as dirt, mud, sand, rocks, and other natural terrains. It requires specialized vehicles or modifications to handle rough and uneven terrain safely and effectively.
"it's kind of a nice thing about being strapped in to like a race, a race seat where you've got all that. It's actually more helpful off-road in my opinion."
A race seat is a special car seat that keeps the driver safe and steady when driving fast or on rough roads. It helps stop you from moving around too much.
A race seat is a specialized seat designed to securely hold a driver in place during high-speed or off-road driving, often featuring harness slots and enhanced side bolstering.
"our friend that owns Mountside Tavern and he had that, that F-150 Raptor and had three seats."
The Ford F-150 Raptor is a special kind of truck made to drive well on rough and bumpy roads. It has a strong engine and special parts to help it go off-road.
The Ford F-150 Raptor is a high-performance off-road version of the F-150 pickup truck, featuring a powerful engine, upgraded suspension, and off-road focused technology.
"...w, I wonder if anybody's going to do that with a Ranger Raptor and the fact that you remember our friend ..."
The Ford Ranger is a medium-sized truck made by Ford that can carry things and drive on rough roads. The Raptor version is a special model made to handle tough off-road conditions better than regular trucks.
The Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck known for its versatility and off-road capability, especially in its Raptor variant which is designed for high-performance off-road driving. The Ranger Raptor is significant for bringing advanced suspension and rugged features to a smaller truck segment, appealing to enthusiasts who want a capable yet more manageable pickup.
"Ranger Raptor and the fact that you remember our friend that owns Mountside Tavern and he had that, that F-150 Raptor and had three seats. It was two in the front, one in the back in the middle."
The Ford F-150 is a big truck made by Ford that can carry heavy loads and drive on many types of roads. The Raptor version is a special model made to go off-road and has a unique seat setup with two seats in front and one in the back middle.
The Ford F-150 is a full-size pickup truck and one of the best-selling vehicles in the United States, known for its durability, towing capacity, and versatility. The F-150 Raptor variant is a high-performance off-road model featuring enhanced suspension and powertrain for rugged terrain, and unique seating configurations like the three-seat layout mentioned.
"What is off-road diesel and what happens if you use it in your vehicle, which is highly illegal. Um, I mean, well, first of all, it's called farm diesel. You can tell the difference because if you're pulled over while driving on a road in it and the officer looks at you and says, I'm going to stick something in your tank boy and it pulls it out and it's red."
Off-road diesel is special diesel fuel that farmers use for tractors and machines that donāt drive on roads. Itās dyed red and cheaper because it doesnāt have road taxes. Using it in regular cars is against the law and can get you fined.
Off-road diesel, also known as farm diesel, is a type of diesel fuel dyed red to indicate it is untaxed and intended for use in vehicles that do not operate on public roads, such as tractors and other agricultural equipment. Using it in on-road vehicles is illegal and subject to heavy fines.
"I like a DSG in a motorcycle. I really do. An Africa twin with the DSG that automated quote unquote shifter."
DSG is a special kind of gearbox that changes gears quickly and smoothly so the ride feels better and faster.
DSG stands for Direct-Shift Gearbox, a type of dual-clutch transmission that allows for very fast and smooth gear changes without interrupting power delivery.
"I think that tech or what, or what we'll call that tech could go into like driverless, smaller driverless vehicles, kind of things like delivery vehicles..."
Driverless vehicles are cars that can drive themselves without a person controlling them. They use special computers and cameras to see the road and other cars.
Driverless vehicles are cars or other vehicles equipped with technology that allows them to operate without a human driver, using sensors, cameras, and software to navigate roads and traffic.
"You're going to let these things lane split. I absolutely will let them. Just to get your dominoes there a little quicker."
Lane splitting means a motorcycle or small vehicle drives between cars that are stopped or moving slowly in traffic to get ahead faster.
Lane splitting is the practice of a vehicle, usually a motorcycle, moving between lanes of slow or stopped traffic to reduce travel time. It is legal in some regions and controversial in others.
An electric vehicle is a car that runs on electricity stored in batteries instead of gas. It uses electric motors to move.
An electric vehicle (EV) is powered by electric motors using energy stored in batteries instead of using a traditional internal combustion engine fueled by gasoline or diesel.
"And if you remember Volvo was sort of on the leading cusp of safety with these, this technology of where their cars would supposedly stop if a pedestrian stepped out in front of the car."
Volvo is a car company from Sweden famous for making cars that are very safe.
Volvo is a Swedish automaker known for pioneering automotive safety technologies and innovations.
"when you click on forerunner, go right now, go to Toyota, click on forerunner. See how many models there are. Not everybody needs to follow Porsche."
The Toyota 4Runner is a type of SUV that can go off-road and is very tough. It comes in different versions with different features and some have hybrid engines.
The Toyota 4Runner is a mid-size SUV known for its rugged off-road capability and durability. It comes in various trims including base, TRD Sport, TRD Pro, and newer variants like Trail Hunter and hybrid options.
"...l is bad. I mean, the same could be said for the Cybertruck. It's weird."
The Tesla Cybertruck is a truck that runs only on electricity and looks very different from other trucks. It is made by Tesla and is designed to carry things and drive well while using electric power instead of gas.
The Tesla Cybertruck is an all-electric pickup truck with a distinctive angular design and stainless steel body, aiming to combine utility with electric vehicle technology. Its unconventional appearance and innovative features have sparked mixed reactions, making it a notable topic in automotive discussions.
"It's, it's not like a C8 Corvette where the base model is still fantastic. Yeah."
The C8 Corvette is a sports car made by Chevrolet that has its engine in the middle of the car, making it handle very well. Even the basic version is really good to drive.
The Chevrolet C8 Corvette is the eighth generation of the Corvette sports car, notable for its mid-engine layout which improves handling and performance. The base model is highly regarded for its value and driving experience.
"The cheapest Tacoma you can get is like 40. Yeah. Which is insane with, with steel wheels and no options, but they still do steelies."
The Toyota Tacoma is a type of truck that many people use for work or fun, especially if they like going off-road or need a tough vehicle. It's known for lasting a long time.
The Toyota Tacoma is a midsize pickup truck known for its reliability and off-road capability. It is popular in the United States and often used for both daily driving and outdoor activities.
"Which is insane with, with steel wheels and no options, but they still do steelies. Yeah. It done the base base base model."
Steel wheels are simple, strong wheels made of metal that come on cheaper or work vehicles. They are less fancy but very tough.
Steel wheels, often called steelies, are basic, durable wheels made from steel rather than alloy. They are typically found on base model vehicles or trucks intended for heavy-duty use.
"Interesting fact about the forerunner trail hunter edition though, the snorkel is not a water snorkel and it's not water rated. It does not change the weighting depth of the vehicle. It is a true dust snorkel."
A snorkel is a pipe on a car that helps the engine breathe cleaner air, especially when driving in dusty places or through water. Some snorkels only help with dust, not water.
A snorkel is an aftermarket or factory-fitted air intake extension that raises the engine's air intake point, often used in off-road vehicles to allow cleaner or cooler air intake and sometimes to enable water fording. However, some snorkels are designed only to reduce dust intake and do not increase water fording capability.
"Well, they all do because it raises, it's a, so if you think about how dust intake works, it's coming off the wheels and around the vehicle for aerodynamics. You can watch, if you go through dust, you'll quickly understand how the aerodynamics in your vehicle work, which is always fun to see if you're in the lead, which is why your back hatch will be covered dirt."
Vehicle aerodynamics means how air moves around a car when it drives. This affects how much gas it uses and where dirt sticks on the car.
Vehicle aerodynamics refers to how air flows around a vehicle, affecting fuel efficiency, stability, and how dirt and dust accumulate on the vehicle surfaces.
"It really does a good job, but it is not in this case, a water fording change. It's going to be have a water fording rating. Like any good snorkel is changed, is helping with water fording."
Water fording means how deep a car can drive through water without breaking or getting damaged.
Water fording refers to a vehicle's ability to drive through water without damage, usually measured by the maximum depth of water it can safely cross without water entering critical components like the engine or differentials.
"You still have to extend your diff breathers and exhaust stuff. About just about to say that like you could take your car as deep as you want depending on the air level. But if you don't know where your, your diff breather is,"
Differential breathers are tiny vents on the car's gears that let air out. When driving through water, you have to make sure these vents don't let water in or the car can get damaged.
Differential breathers are small vents on a vehicle's differential that allow air to escape and prevent pressure buildup. When water fording, these breathers need to be extended to prevent water from entering the differential and causing damage.
"...mean, look how long it took accurate to bring the NSX out. This stuff is planned way in advance."
The Acura NSX is a fast sports car made by Acura that uses both a gas engine and electric motors to go quickly. It is designed to be very precise and fun to drive.
The Acura NSX is a high-performance sports car known for blending advanced hybrid technology with precision engineering. Its development and release are often highlighted as examples of long-term planning and innovation in the sports car segment.
"Oh yeah. But I used anti-seize last time. So they'll come off this time."
Anti-seize is a special grease that helps parts not get stuck together. It makes it easier to take them apart later.
Anti-seize is a lubricant applied to fasteners and components to prevent them from sticking or corroding, making future disassembly easier. It's commonly used during brake jobs to help remove parts like calipers or rotors.
"I had to basically disassemble the caliper. Yeah. Yeah. That's what it was."
The caliper is a part that pushes the brake pads to stop the car. Sometimes it needs to be taken apart to fix the brakes.
A brake caliper is the part of a disc brake system that squeezes the brake pads against the rotor to slow down or stop the vehicle. Calipers can sometimes seize or require disassembly during brake maintenance.
A dual sport bike is a motorcycle you can ride both on the street and on dirt trails. Itās made to work well in both places.
Dual sport motorcycles are designed to be street legal while also capable of off-road riding. They typically have features like higher ground clearance and off-road tires, allowing versatility across different terrains.
"I still, I don't know if 3, 390 would be enough after having the 450. I don't know if the 390 would be enough."
The KTM 450 is a bigger and more powerful motorcycle than the 390R. Itās good if you want more speed and can handle rougher trails.
The KTM 450 refers to a larger displacement motorcycle, typically a dirt bike or dual sport, offering more power and performance than smaller models like the 390R. It is favored by riders who want stronger acceleration and better off-road capability.
"Cause it's only like, it comes out to like 28 horsepower or something like that at the end."
Horsepower tells you how strong a vehicleās engine is. More horsepower usually means the vehicle can go faster or pull heavier loads.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for engine power, indicating how much work an engine can perform. It helps describe the performance capability of vehicles and motorcycles.
"I was just thinking like, okay, do I need a monkey in a grom? And, and I know that's blasphemy in our group because you need both and sometimes you need multiple. But yeah, I don't know. I mean, just so we're clear, grom is a used grom."
The Honda Grom is a small motorcycle thatās easy to ride and good for city streets. Itās popular with people who want a simple, fun bike.
The Honda Grom is a small, lightweight motorcycle known for its compact size and fun ride. It is popular for urban commuting and as an entry-level bike, often praised for its ease of use and affordability.
"So have you watched the review on the Doug DeMurro specifically review of the zero one X? I have not. It is in my to watch."
Doug DeMuro is a person who makes videos about cars. He shows whatās cool and different about them so people can learn more before buying.
Doug DeMuro is a popular automotive YouTuber and reviewer known for detailed and entertaining car reviews. His videos often cover unique features, quirks, and practical insights about vehicles.
"... the numbers. He puts it right up there with the McLaren 765 LT, the GT3 RS. Like it's, it's, I think it's withi..."
The McLaren 765LT is a very fast and special sports car made by McLaren. It is built to be light and quick, mainly for driving on race tracks.
The McLaren 765LT is a limited-edition supercar known for its extreme performance, lightweight construction, and track-focused engineering. It is highly regarded among enthusiasts for its speed, agility, and advanced aerodynamics.
"Are you doing the Nurburgring? Are you, uh, that's, that's what I haven't done."
The NĆ¼rburgring is a well-known race track in Germany where people drive cars very fast and test how good they are. It's famous for being really hard to drive on.
The NĆ¼rburgring is a famous motorsports complex in Germany known for its challenging Nordschleife track. It is often used by car manufacturers and enthusiasts for testing and high-performance driving.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome to the Abantz Podcast. I am Dan. I am Nick. Welcome back everyone. Wow,
that was formal. First half of sleep as I am, that's way formal. How are you? Oh,
I'm pretty good. The rain has come. The rain has definitely come hard. I tell you,
I was out and about today chasing down a package, by the way. If you work for the
US Postal Service, I'm sorry. I just, that's just, I ordered some stuff for
Kate's birthday. And I don't understand why, and I'm not going to go too
deep into this. You had to pay through PayPal. And PayPal, for some reason, told
them my shipping address was the place in Sammamish that I haven't lived in
four or five years. Oh yeah. And then I call PayPal and they go, we don't have
that address on file. We didn't do that. And I was like, I, so then I go somewhere
buried in your address book. So I, well, no, no, no, but I, I, I'm very good at
checking that before I sent stuff. So I go to my old address and the lady goes,
oh yeah. Well, there's nobody living in your apartment. And so I told the postman
to send it all back. Yeah. Return to sender. How nice. Yeah. So that's fun.
But other than that, my day was fabulous. Thanks for asking.
Sorry. Actually, my day was awesome. Speaking of our awesome partner partners
with Stack and Metropolitan took the new 2026 Audi S5 and dropped it off for
protection, which has been tough. I haven't driven it. And either has my dad
because it's been, we took delivery and then it sat underneath in Bellevue.
It's funny because we always talk about enjoying the drive. But like that car
being the fact that had no protection on it, I had to limp it to Metropolitan.
So I took all these back roads so that I wouldn't be following people. Yeah.
I took the most convoluted way to get to Redmond and my GPS is like, what are you
doing? But I don't blame you. That's a great approach. I was about to take it.
I was like, oh, I just get on the free. I was like, oh, I can't get on the
freeway in this car. That would be absolutely suicide. So actually,
and thank you to everybody at Metropolitan. My appointment was on Monday,
but they got us in early. They are absolutely swamped, which I'm glad to see.
That's, you know, Metropolitan has been a part of this podcast since day one.
Yeah, we have a lot to thank John and his crew over there.
And even, even with it trading hands. So all the, I mean, so we're doing,
we're doing full clear bra and they're, I'm having them tinted out and do
everything good to it. Cause gotta protect it. Yeah.
Well, you guys will have it a long time and it'll be very worth it.
So that's, I've talked to you about this and the fact that like,
it's going to take some sales. So the day we took delivery of it, you know,
we weren't supposed to have it till April.
All the vehicles that have been ordered through the Bergeron family are showing
up early. It's weird. Oh, good. All of them hint.
Yeah. More to come. Much more to come. But the day they took delivery,
my dad and I took delivery, they released that RS five wagon.
And I'm like, that would be a lot more fun. So we just leased this one.
So I'm like, maybe that would be in the future, but I don't know.
It's always easy to spend somebody else's money.
So just because I'm on the board doesn't mean I get to decipher where the money
goes. Yeah. Well, congratulations on the new car. Yeah.
A big thanks to our friends at S tech. Like you said, I will have a review
after I've driven it not 25 miles an hour from Bellevue to Redmond.
So yeah, I'm looking forward to that. It's a, I like the redesign.
I think it's a really good looking car. Beautiful interior as always.
I will say this, it, it, I even sitting in the, in the cockpit,
it's taking a lot for me to take it all in, which I have to learn it
so that I can teach it and it's, it's a lot. That car, that car does a lot.
And I mean, which I'm grateful for, uh, but there's just so many really cool
little features as far as where the turn signals light up the dash and
like the interior stuff and like down to the simple things like where
you hit the button and how the lights will come on and yeah, that's cool.
Yeah, there's some, yeah, there's a lot of tech and out East.
That's for sure. And especially the new ones, but keep Brandon.
Keep Brandon business.
I had not told him by the way, I forgot to tell him about that.
I told him in that chat, I was like, huh, good news. Good news, everyone.
Yeah, so nice. We, uh, before we get our car to see if we actually have
another text message, we always appreciate these.
This is a good one.
Somebody else yelling at me.
No, no, this is, uh, uh, James G.
Evance member, former Seattle, so Cal currently in Japan.
Oh, yeah.
I know, I know James who he is anyway from this post.
Um, I know you are.
I know you are.
Uh, thanks for these regarding roads.
I love to drive.
I have two favorites and unfortunately they've both been largely
commandeered by Instagram and TikTok idiots.
We know how that goes all too well.
Uh, the first is Arizona, formerly us highway 89 a from Flagstaff to
Prescott going through Sedona and the Verde Valley.
I know this road very well.
I love this road.
It's so fun.
Uh, he's right about the traffic though.
Luckily this is one of those roads that dies massively during the
off season when people think it's going to like rain or snow, which
it barely ever does over there.
It does snow in Sedona.
Don't be wrong.
And especially on that route, but it is an incredible drive and
it's I've driven it several times in like October, November, December,
and there's virtually nobody on it, but man, you get into the summer
months, the spring.
It is packed.
Okay.
So highly recommend that one.
He said growing up in Arizona and then going to school at Northern
Arizona University.
I drove that road a lot when I wanted to go for a scenic drive.
The second is the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Uh, first lived in North Carolina more than 15 years ago and driving
the parkway was one of the things I did.
There were several more drives on it.
Well, I lived there.
So it's like offshoots of this, the Blue Ridge Parkway.
That is a beautiful drive.
Um, I don't know that route, that route.
If you haven't looked up the Blue Ridge Parkway, you will definitely
recognize photos of it and the way the trees lineup looks almost,
it doesn't look real when you see photos of the views from there.
It literally, the first time I saw a view is I thought it was AI
generated.
And I mean, like the way these days, yeah.
And it's, it's incredible.
So highly worth it.
Um, so I would love to go back.
For drives on both, but again, there's somewhat of a shit show
with all the social media.
Yeah.
He's, he's right.
Uh, one of the downs like tail of the dragon has become.
Yeah.
You know, absolute shit show.
Yeah.
So still worth driving.
You just got to pick your seasons carefully.
Um, it's funny.
I was having, it's funny how this stuff crosses over as having completely
unprovoked this exact same conversation at work today.
We're talking about places they love to go and it's winter.
So people are saying, you know, skiing in Aspen is incredible.
And it is.
Aspen's one of my favorite cities.
The, the highway outside the back side of California.
Yeah.
California.
Samsonite.
Yeah.
Beautiful, beautiful drive outside there.
Um, I forget the name of the pass that's behind there.
I could look it up, but anyway, uh, probably worth it.
So,
I mean, you have a recall of roads that I won't, I don't think most people
ever have in the fact.
Obviously you've driven most of them, but like.
Driven a lot of them multiple times that helps.
I've made special trips just for like, Oh, I love this road.
I'm going to go drive three states over to drive this road.
So,
yeah.
Well, that makes sense.
I mean, if you're going to, if you're going to work as hard as you do
and, and I'm, I'm talking in general for advanced members and put the money
into your vehicles, you're going to use them, be it off road cars, be it street
cars, be it race cars.
It's, I mean, it is fun to sit in your garage and tinker and look at your car.
But at the end of the day, you want to, you want to drive it.
So.
Yep.
I get it.
There was a post on a Vance off road.
Um,
I think it was just in the advanced channel about how someone had switched
over to going off roading from sports cars.
I saw that.
Yeah.
How much they had loved it.
And like I said, if you are a car enthusiast and we harp on this a lot,
but I think that was that group that went to the dunes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, how they said it really completes your circle.
It's not that one is better than the other.
I mean, you, you will enjoy one more than the other.
Sure.
But I think it, you haven't experienced that side of a vehicle.
And I don't mean like just doing the BDRs.
That's great.
The BDRs are fantastic, but they're the Washington one is very mild.
Let's put it that way.
I mean, like taking a real off road day, going to Natchez locally or going
to Moab, obviously, which we talked at the end, you know, over and over again
about, I think you're missing out on a key peak automotive experience that
you need to invest in.
It's worth it.
Even if you go with a friend or something the first time, you'll get it.
But having those experiences really changes your perspective on cars.
And in a good way, you either, you're not going to dislike it.
I don't think unless you do something stupid and roll your truck or something,
but it really opens up your world to what more is out there, what more
a vehicle can do in a different way.
I always look at it as, and I, and I tell Kate this, I have automotive
options on a day that's nice.
I can get in the triumph and I can go driving, but if the roads are bad,
like people are too many people and come home, I can get in the truck
and I can go into the woods.
And yeah, there'll be people, but there won't be as many people.
So I'm still filling that need to be in my car and do something.
And to your point of not liking off-roading, there are certain people,
somebody in my life, aka my wife, that when we're off-road and I'm moving
and it jitters the crap out of her, she's not a fan, which I get.
Yeah.
Well, that's the high speed stuff, but maybe she'd really like the low speed
stuff.
Like, oh, I was so scenic.
Yeah.
No, I mean, that's on the list and I've made it very clear to her and I
want to fit my parents down there too.
Like some of this stuff to get in there.
Like, I mean, I want her to see Thelma and Louise Point, but it's,
it's, they're still going to be some slow bumps.
Like, yeah, through that.
So yeah, you have the right vehicle for it though.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
No, I'm not, I'm just saying like being, being a pet, I will say this
and probably a good example.
Brian and I in the back of your car that day, I was, I was ready to get out
of the car.
Like, oh yeah, I love off-roading, but I was like, even the slow stuff was
like, you're just, it's hard to control.
Like as a driver, you have the kind of the wheel to hold onto.
And as a passenger, it's, it'll be a grip handle somewhere.
Cars don't have as many shit handles as they used to.
It's really disappointing.
They really should consider that.
Yeah.
Well, actually, you know, it's kind of a nice thing about being strapped
in to like a race, a race seat where you've got all that.
It's actually more helpful off-road in my opinion.
I mean, I, I'm, you know, I wonder if anybody's going to do that with a
Ranger Raptor and the fact that you remember our friend that owns
Mountside Tavern and he had that, that F-150 Raptor and had three seats.
It was two in the front, one in the back in the middle.
Such a great setup.
I think that would be great in the Ranger because that back seat sucks
and you can't sit back there anyway.
So just rip it out and put that in.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It was good watching the jump videos though.
Nice to see our, our friends and people out in advance using their trucks.
Apparently some of us who are in the Raptor community were not invited to
that, so whatever.
No, I'm kidding.
I'm glad to see.
It really pleases me to see a lot of people out there, especially in the, in
the Ranger Raptor community.
That's kind of grown and the, in the, in the Vaunts community.
So there's a lot of good people that are buying them.
So yeah, but yeah, um, yeah, Carter tip of the week.
Yeah.
So, uh, let's talk about diesel.
Since we talked about it last week, a little more on how that's changing.
This isn't, uh, I want to talk about off-road diesel.
What is off-road diesel and what happens if you use it in your vehicle,
which is highly illegal.
Um, I mean, well, first of all, it's called farm diesel.
Yeah.
You can tell the difference because if you're pulled over while driving on a
road in it and the officer looks at you and says, I'm going to stick something
in your tank boy and it pulls it out and it's red.
It's a large fine.
I'm not going to tell you how I know that.
Um, but yeah, uh, it's untaxed.
We're correct.
Yeah.
So off-road diesel or farm diesel is not taxed because those vehicles don't
go on roads.
So why would they pay a road tax?
I'm sure that'll change here like everything else, but, uh, for those of
us who are just have tractors that are diesel, so you can just go fill up your,
your farm diesel when paying no tax on it because that vehicle will not touch
the road, which makes perfect sense.
And I'm not joking.
It is bright red.
And if you're pulled over and they think you're using that on the road,
they will test it and the fine is large.
Um, this person that I know who looks a lot like me was driving somebody else's
vehicle and helping, but was still had to share in the fine.
I'll put that that way.
So, so yeah, fines are the first step.
The Arizona department of transportation, you could be looking at, this is a
worst case scenario.
I think this is for commercial vehicles, $1,000 fine for every illegal gallon,
a charge of $10 plus potential prosecution.
I don't know what the $10 is for, but $1,000 for every legal gallon is an
insane amount.
Uh, so watch that.
Uh, yeah.
So, but, you know, semi pulling massive loads and then you can imagine
how much diesel they're going through.
There's a lot of temptation there to use that.
Okay.
So as of 2025, the average retail price of diesel in the United States is
approximately, no, that's not 24 cents per gallon.
That's wrong.
I was trying to figure out the difference.
Like it's there.
It's what?
It's about the same price.
Super.
And let it use it because I've, I was back in my day when this person got
pulled over, it was a lot cheaper.
Yeah.
And, and yeah, that's as it should be because it's less refined, but why would
they do that?
Yeah.
That's about 470 a gallon around here.
I'm just looking at local diesel prices for, uh, yeah, it should be cheaper.
There used to be a bigger gap in it.
Oh yeah.
It's like a dollar cheaper.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And now, um, yeah, with people with that death restriction going away, I'm
curious to see if they want to come back like we talked about, but I don't
know.
Yeah.
This person, I know it just happened.
Like it was a hot day and they decided to drive to the store and police
officer watched them drive out of the field and yep.
So that's it though.
That's the only difference.
Yeah.
It's just not taxed.
It's the same thing.
It's just, it's got to die in it.
Not all of it has died, uh, almost all way.
Like 99% of it has died and that's just do that so they can get you.
Yeah.
That's it.
It's just, it's just a regulation.
It's just a control.
Yeah.
So control factor.
Yep.
That's it.
Um, but good to know.
Let's talk about automation.
Oh, my favorite topic.
Okay.
It is.
I love automation.
I've worked with it a lot.
Uh, do you like it in your cars?
No, I hate it.
Okay.
Do you want it in your motorcycles?
That's the least place I want it.
Why would that be Dan?
Why would you have a motorcycle if you can't?
If it's automated anything.
So that's, that's kind of, I mean, maybe, okay.
I like a DSG in a motorcycle.
I really do.
An Africa twin with the DSG that automated quote unquote shifter.
That's not the same thing is a fantastic transmission.
That's really, really good.
But that's it.
As you know, we have, I mean, we're starting to see the way most here.
They're starting to drive around.
Yeah.
It's funny because every time I try to point one out to Kate,
somebody is driving one.
It looks self-driving car.
Oh, yeah.
But the idea has come that that could come to motorcycles.
And, um, the article, of course, now won't pull up.
So I can't read my facts, but, uh, the Ducati's us CEO CEO was saying
that that's never going to happen at Ducati.
And that defeats the purpose of riding a motorcycle, which, you
know, is one of those, if you're a car person or an automotive person,
duh, like the whole point of riding a motorcycle is to be on the edge
of being on two wheels to have fun, you know, be it monkey, be it
African twin, be it a CBR 500, whatever it is, a Hayabusa.
Um, having, you know, the, the automation, like you said, with the
clutches and maybe the, you know, and ABS and things like that are great.
I think that's wonderful stuff in it, but it is important to also
know how to ride a bike without that stuff.
Cause if you happen to get on a bike, but they're talking, he's talking
basically about them saying like you get on a motorcycle and it just
drives you where you want to go away, but it's like, no, that's not happening.
That is terrifying for one.
Absolutely terrifying.
That's like 50 years from now.
Maybe you still have to wear a helmet.
Better.
I'm not sure you're offering your honor.
I wasn't drinking the motorcycle was the bugs alone.
Oh my God.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That seems terrible.
I mean, it's obviously you could implement it, but at the same time.
Oh, no, yeah, just no.
The fact that you would be not, I mean, one of the things you, there's
so many more factors to consider the G forces, the breaking.
Like you have to be holding on.
And so that's exactly that would introduce so many problems.
Well, obviously, you know, it's, it's probably not going to happen
to the point of like, I think that tech or what, or what we'll call
that tech could go into like driverless, smaller driverless vehicles,
kind of things like delivery vehicles, like, you know, where they
can put your pizza in and it will drive it to your house.
And, and a smaller vehicle might be able to get through traffic
faster than a four wheel drive or four wheel vehicle.
Correct.
I could see an unmanned two wheel vehicle doing this.
It's completely no occupant.
That's a great point right there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that I would actually be for because they would take
up far less space on the road and they would be much more maneuverable
and they could get around traffic.
You just have a little dedicated.
You're going to let these things lane split.
I absolutely will let them.
Just to get your dominoes there a little quicker.
Okay.
Dominoes would be the one to do it too.
Lane splitting by dominoes.
Yeah.
That's funny.
Get the nerd or the noid to come back.
The noid.
Yeah.
If you know, you know.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh man.
There's a whole video game for that.
Is there really?
Yeah.
There's a noid video game.
Oh, there was.
Yeah.
I remember that.
I think it was Super Nintendo.
I don't remember.
Yeah.
It was old though.
Good money.
Good money.
Yeah.
I just, it was something that came up that was funny to me.
Um, I, uh, obviously it's, it's not going to happen.
So.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like you said, I think you hit around the head though.
Small delivery vehicles that could be very advantageous.
I, I would be glad to see them do that.
They would get hit all the time.
So we would be looking at them, but I mean, you could make it like one big,
you could make it like a box basically.
I mean, they have those now, like those little, those little coolers with four wheels.
That wire.
Those are hilarious.
I mean, I think they get picked on, but.
Yeah.
Those would work, you know, those would work great in Japan.
Yeah.
Where people would, nobody would screw with it.
They'd be like, why?
And they probably do.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That would be a fantastic.
And they have small, narrow streets and people move out of the way for things.
Yeah.
That's a great society for that.
I just feel like somebody here would spray paint with their own logo and.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Somebody would kidnap it for sure.
I don't know about that.
Don't, don't kidnap autonomous vehicles.
That'd be me.
Yeah.
That's, that's pretty funny though.
Um, all right.
Next topic.
So, uh, consumer reports came out with their most disliked vehicles of 2025 and.
One of them is obvious.
The other two, I was a little surprised at one of them.
I'm very surprised at the most obvious.
Of course, the cyber truck, um, between very polarizing looks and, um, just weird.
How do I say it?
Not ergonomics.
Static or?
Yeah.
The, the, the aesthetically, they're obviously very mixed, but also like the dimensions are
kind of odd.
They're very difficult to park the low speed handling.
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