This is a 2009 Volkswagen Beetle, and the convertible version is the open-top model. The host is talking about rust on the lower side panels (the rocker panels), mostly as a cosmetic issue.
A battery tender is a device you plug into the car to keep the battery healthy while it’s parked. It helps the battery not go dead, so the car starts when you need it.
This message means the car thinks the transmission information it’s getting is inconsistent. It often points to a sensor or switch problem that tells the car what gear you’re in.
The check engine light is a warning that the car’s computer found a problem. It doesn’t always mean something is broken right away, but it does mean you should get it checked with a code reader.
This switch tells the car what gear you selected. If it sends the wrong signal, the car may throw a warning and can behave oddly because it thinks you’re in a different gear than you really are.
Here, the range switch is how the car figures out which gear you picked. If it doesn’t communicate correctly, the car can get confused and show a warning.
This is the electronic part inside the shifter that helps the car know what gear you selected. If it’s faulty, the fix may involve the shifter electronics, not just a basic switch.
The magnet is used to help the car detect which gear the shifter is in. If the sensing system isn’t reading correctly, the car may think you’re in the wrong gear.
This switch is how the car “figures out” what gear you selected. If it’s wrong or failing, the car may think it’s in a different gear than you actually selected, and warning lights can come on.
Cruise control keeps your speed steady without you pressing the gas. If the car thinks it’s not in the right gear, cruise control may refuse to engage.
When the tire warning lights come on, it usually means one or more tires have low pressure or a tire sensor is alerting you. The host mentions the tire warning lights flashing on the car they were dealing with.
The Hyundai Tucson is a small SUV that’s meant to be comfortable and practical for everyday driving. Here, it’s the car the host ended up buying as their new vehicle.
The Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is a family-sized SUV/crossover. The host says they already had one and bought a base version, meaning they didn’t want extra add-ons.
Locking lug nuts are wheel bolts that can’t be removed without a special key. They’re meant to make it harder for someone to steal your wheels, and the host says the dealer added them.
Mud flaps are small panels behind the tires that help keep mud and rocks from spraying. The host mentions them as an add-on the dealer tried to include.
Dealer installed options are extra items the dealership adds to the car after it’s built. The host says they tried to remove these extras because they didn’t want to pay for them.
Financing means you borrow money to buy the car and pay it back over time. Some discounts only apply if you use financing.
Term
$3,000 incentive
An incentive is money off the price of the car. Here, the amount increased, and the host is checking whether they’ll still qualify since they got the keys later.
Sales tax is the tax you pay when you buy the car. It’s usually calculated as a percentage of the car’s price, and it can add a lot to what you actually pay.
A normally aspirated engine doesn’t use a turbo to force air in. It pulls air in naturally, and that changes how the engine feels compared to turbo engines.
A turbocharger is a device that helps the engine make more power by forcing extra air into it. It uses the engine’s exhaust to spin and compress the air.
Push button start means you start the car by pressing a button instead of turning a key. You typically keep the key fob with you, and the car recognizes it.
A wireless charging pad lets you charge your phone without plugging in a cable. You just set the phone on the pad and it charges if your phone supports it.
AAA is a roadside help service. If you have car trouble, they can help you get assistance or tow you, and the host prefers a spare tire so you don’t have to wait.
In a hybrid, there’s a battery that helps the car run on electricity part of the time. People worry about how long it lasts and what it would cost to replace if it ever fails.
Horsepower is a number that roughly tells you how strong the engine is. Higher horsepower can make the car accelerate more quickly, but it’s not the only factor.
The speaker is describing an older Oldsmobile Cutlass at a car show and focusing on its engine and power output. They mention a specific engine variant and horsepower figure, using it to contrast with modern SUVs’ “underpowered” reputation.
A pre-delivery inspection is a checklist done on a brand-new car before you get it. It’s meant to make sure the car is in good shape and ready to drive.
A jump start is when you use another battery (or a jump box) to get your car’s battery enough power to start. It’s often used when the car has been sitting and the battery is too low.
An engine cover is a plastic piece that sits over the engine. It can help keep things cleaner and quieter, and some versions of a car include it while others don’t.
Internal combustion engines are the normal gas or diesel engines that burn fuel to make power. The point here is that different versions of the car may come with different under-hood parts.
The full-size Land Rover Range Rover is the larger, more formal sibling to the Range Rover Sport. The host’s point is that if the bigger Range Rover feels “too big or too formal,” the Sport keeps the premium feel but is easier to maneuver.
Some cars put most controls on a screen instead of using physical buttons. The host thinks that’s distracting because you have to look at the screen and tap it while driving.
The infotainment screen is the main dashboard display for things like music and settings. The host is saying the car makes you use it a lot, which can take your attention off driving.
Distraction while driving means taking your eyes or attention off the road. The host’s point is that using a touchscreen forces you to look down and tap controls, even if it only takes a few seconds.
The climate control system is what keeps the cabin warm or cool and controls the fan. The host doesn’t like that you have to tap the screen to change it.
An off-road vehicle is built for rough roads like dirt or gravel. The host is saying the Range Rover Sport can handle that kind of driving, not just city streets.
A plug-in hybrid is a car that uses both gas and electricity, and you can charge it by plugging it in. That means you can often drive on electric power for short trips before it switches to gas.
The electric motor is the part that uses battery electricity to help move the car. In a plug-in hybrid, it can handle a lot of low-speed driving so the engine doesn’t have to run all the time.
Idle stop is a feature that turns the engine off when you’re stopped, like at a light, to save fuel. The host says that when the car is running on electricity, you don’t get that engine shutoff behavior.
Electric range is how far the car can go using only electricity from the battery. If it’s long enough for your commute, you can drive without using gas most days.
A level two charger is a faster way to charge a plug-in car at home. It usually charges quicker than the basic plug-in charger, so you can get back to full battery sooner.
A level one charging cord is the slow, basic way to charge at home using a regular outlet. It works, but it can take a long time—especially if the battery is big.
A 20 amp circuit is a home electrical setup that can deliver more power for charging. More power usually means the car charges faster than on a smaller circuit.
Air suspension uses air bags instead of traditional metal springs. It can help the car ride smoother and can raise the height when you’re on rough roads.
All terrain management is the car’s way of adjusting how it drives for different surfaces like sand, snow, or rocks. It helps the SUV stay in control when traction changes.
The Land Rover Discovery is another Land Rover SUV. The host mentions it as the choice if you want a tougher, more rugged look, while still saying the Range Rover Sport can handle off-road conditions too.
This is a Land Rover SUV that uses both gas and electricity. It can run on electric power for everyday driving, then switch to gas when needed. The host says it’s comfortable, quick, and still capable off-road.
An infotainment-heavy interior means the car relies a lot on screens for controls. The host is saying that can be annoying because you have fewer physical buttons to use quickly.
Physical controls are the buttons and knobs you can feel and press without looking. The host says this car uses fewer of them, which can make it harder to use while driving.
Flock cameras are special cameras that can read license plates automatically. They’re often used by authorities to track vehicles for things like enforcement or investigations.
A license plate is the number on your car that police and cameras use to identify the vehicle. If someone steals it, cameras can mistakenly match it to the wrong car.
The “FLOCK” system is a set of cameras that read license plates and send alerts to police. If it reads only part of the plate, it can accidentally match the wrong car.
A press car is a car a magazine or journalist is using for review or coverage. Because it may be registered to a company instead of the driver, it can confuse police during a stop.
The Kia Telluride is a family SUV with three rows. Kia is recalling certain model years because the front power seat motors can overheat and potentially catch fire.
These are the electric motors that move the front seats when you use the seat controls. If they overheat, they can become a fire hazard, so the manufacturer is recalling affected vehicles.
A fuse assembly is part of the car’s electrical safety system. If there’s a problem, it helps stop the electricity so it doesn’t cause damage or unsafe behavior.
This sensor is built into the front passenger seat to figure out whether someone is sitting there. If it fails, the car’s airbag system can get confused and may deploy the airbag when it shouldn’t.
Unintentional airbag deployment is when the airbag goes off by mistake. That can be unsafe because it can hurt people and create a sudden, unexpected event inside the car.
The Ford F-150 is a large pickup truck used for work and everyday driving. The podcast is talking about recalls, which are safety fixes the manufacturer asks owners to make. The key takeaway is to check whether your vehicle has any open recall items.
Pedestrian warning sounds are the fake/extra noises some hybrids make at low speed. They’re there so people walking nearby can hear the car coming.
Car
Fiat Topolino
The Fiat Topolino is a very small, low-speed electric car. It’s cheap, but it may not be fully street-legal at first—so they’re talking about a kit that changes how it’s classified so it can be driven on public roads.
A low speed vehicle is a small electric car that’s limited to around 25 mph. That limit is what lets it be allowed on some public roads with simpler rules than normal cars.
Low speed electric vehicles are small electric cars meant for slower driving. They’re designed for limited-speed areas, which is why they can be allowed on some public roads.
Ram is a brand of full-size pickup trucks. They’re built to tow and carry loads, and the podcast mentions that Ram is also offering higher-performance versions. That’s why it comes up for people who want a truck that can do more than just work.
Aftermarket filters are replacement filters made by companies other than the car brand. If they don’t fit tightly, air can bypass the filter or cause problems, so it matters how well they match your car.
The air filter housing is the part that holds the engine air filter in place. If the filter doesn’t sit right, air may not go through the filter the way it should.
Drainback valves help oil flow back to the bottom of the engine when you turn it off. Some engines (like the Hyundai examples here) are sensitive to the right oil filter setup so oil drains back correctly.
An oil filter cleans the engine oil by trapping dirt and debris. Using the right filter matters because some engines are picky about how oil drains back after shutdown.
Counterfeit filters are fake replacements that look right but may not be made well. The host warns that online shopping can make it hard to confirm you’re getting the real brand.
Wix is a company that makes replacement filters for cars. The host likes it because they believe the quality and fit are more reliable than many other aftermarket options.
A cabin air filter cleans the air coming into the car’s interior through the heating and A/C. It helps reduce dust and pollen, and some types also help with smells.
“After blow” is a feature that keeps the fan running for a short time after you turn the car off. It helps dry the air-conditioning parts so mold and mildew don’t build up.
The Toyota 4Runner is a tough SUV that’s popular for off-road use and long-term ownership. Here, the host is looking at a used 2023 model with relatively low mileage from a Toyota dealer.
Velocity is the name of the tire brand on the car. Different tire brands can grip differently and last for different lengths of time.
LIVE
W-A-T-D presents John Paul, the car doctor, All Things Automotive.
Have questions?
Call or text 7-8-1-837-4900.
Now, here's John Paul, the car doctor.
And it's Sunday morning everyone and welcome to another edition of the car doctor program
on 95-9-W-A-T-D.
My name's John Paul, the car doctor here to help you with your car problems this morning.
And we don't have a guest, but we do have a guest.
We have Paul Piesel.
He's guesting in the captain's chair.
And thanks for having me again today.
Of course.
For people that don't remember you from last year, introduce yourself.
Tell us a little bit about you.
So I'm Paul and I had the privilege of interning at W-A-T-D last spring and summer.
I got to spend some time with John Paul, got to meet him once at an awesome affair.
We even played that cool game that was sent in, that cool box game, the racing one.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And you also got a scholarship, right?
I did, yes.
The Mass Broadcasters Association Scholarship.
I was very proud to receive that.
And it made a big difference in my education as I'm moving to change my careers, get into a broadcasting as we are here right now.
Sounds perfect.
Well, you keep an eye on the phones and for people who want to call in, the phone number is 781-837-4900.
And Paul, when we get phone calls, feel free to pop on and let me know or you can send me messages, whatever is easier for you.
All right.
He will do.
Remember, you're in charge.
I'm just kind of sitting here.
Alrighty.
Well, I'll tell you a little bit about my week as it happened.
And it's one of those weeks that I guess it's kind of a first world problem kind of thing, but it's been a weirdly frustrating week.
Just everything I seem to have touched on a break, just one of those things.
And I did actually, for people who've been paying attention, I did actually buy a new car this week and we'll get into that in just a little bit.
But even trying to go get it and there was some delays in getting it registered because I actually wanted to register it in Florida because that's where it's going to spend most of its time.
But I wanted to buy it here because I don't want to wait and go to buy it in Florida and we'll get into more of that as well.
But even getting off Cape on Friday morning and for people who maybe are new listening right now, I try to spend my time between a little tiny house here in Cape Cod and what I call the Tin Shack in Florida, an old mobile home,
and kind of try to spend six months here and six months there kind of thing.
But I was driving off Cape and you know, could have been worse, but a box truck apparently flipped over and caught on fire and completely shut down Route 6.
Fortunately, and this is the good news I guess, I read about it or saw it first thing in the morning, so I decided to take 6A up to the bridge to be able to get over the bridge.
We actually had a 2009 Volkswagen Beetle convertible that I was going to sell outright or donate it to, and it kind of felt a little bad, I didn't do it now, I was going to donate it to social Votec.
But I could have done that easier in the fall when they were open, kind of hard to do now, didn't want to, I don't have room to be able to let it sit.
So I went on Carvana and Petal, thank you for the recommendations from my listeners on Petal, and wanted to see what people would give me for it, a whopping $500 by the way.
But on the other hand, five years ago, I only paid $1,000 for it, and the guy I bought it from said, give me $500, now my guy is going to be worth $1,000, and he was a friend of mine.
So then we went to lunch, then I found out it actually needed a little bit more work than I thought, but that was fine.
My wife was in Florida, I was here, fixed it up, did some, actually had the Votec do some work to it as well, got some things done, got it appearance wise looking pretty good.
Like a lot of Volkswagen's, especially this one because it spent all of its life until I had it in New Hampshire, it had some rust on the rocker panels where a lot of Volkswagen's do.
Not structural because it's more appearance based, those rockers are really soft.
In fact, most of the time when people don't know and they jack them up, they just bend right there.
But in April, when my wife came up to visit her relatives for a while, she went and got the car.
It was on a battery tender, unplugged the battery tender, started it up, put her nephew was with her, put some air in the tires, and it was good to go, and we were driving it ever since.
So the dealership gave us more than Carvana, which was, you know, 500, they gave us 650.
I really would have liked to have got a thousand, but I didn't push it. I also didn't want to let it sit.
I was looking online at other ones for sale, try to establish a price because Kelly Blue Book and things like that, they can give you an idea, but their prices, it's a little hard to determine.
So you look and see what's for sale.
Well, you know, I saw some in most of them said things like not a bad car, all of them need at that age, 09 or so.
They all need tops unless they've been replaced because a convertible top in New England really only lasts 567 years, longer if it stays in garage all the time.
This one was garage, but it was old and it was kind of ratty looking. It didn't leak though, but over the couple of years we owned it, the rear window literally fell out of it.
And that's very common. If you ever see a say like an 05 to 2012 or so Volkswagen Beetle for sale, most of them have duct tape around the rear window.
I actually tried gluing the rear window back in. It lasted one season, came apart because the roof shrinks and literally pulls the glass right out of it.
Somebody said to me, well, you have full coverage on the car, just break the window and they'll have to put a top in it because you can't just replace the window.
No, I'm never going to do that.
So the next thing I did was I think I tried gorilla tape didn't work.
Then I actually when the window actually got loose and it was that at that point the top was leaking.
I kind of held the glass up in place and I think I used two tubes of silicone caulking around the glass and siliconed it right to the cloth roof.
It never leaked afterwards. And even though the roof looked terrible, it never leaked.
And driving, I was kind of remarking to my wife as we were driving up to get the new car.
And we took 6A so car handled well, it's quiet, it has four new tires on it last year or two years ago, two years ago I guess now.
They only have probably a couple thousand miles on them at that.
I'm like, you know, this is still a pretty good car. It starts up, it runs.
It did have a check engine light on and it had a check engine light on because of what is called implausible transmission data.
So which typically means you need to put a transmission range selector switch in, the thing that tells the car what gear it's in.
But Volkswagen uses a weird system. They use this range switch plus on the shifter they use a computer circuit board with a magnet.
So when you put the car in gear, this magnet rolls across the top of the computer board and tells the computer, hey, it's in drive and it agrees with what's going on with the switch on the transmission.
So I took the first, transmission selector switch apart and found out, oh, this was replaced in 2015.
And you could tell someone had been in there because nothing really fit quite back together the way it should.
So I'm like, oh, well, can this be bad? It's really not as old as the rest of the car.
And all the computer codes pointed to a faulty range selector switch, put the range selector switch in, cleared the code, went for a ride, went, ha, it's fixed, backed up, went forward, forward a dozen times.
Boom, check engine light came back on. Same issue.
So I suspect apparently a computer board must only last five or six years.
Problem is you have to buy it as a shifter assembly at over $600. I wasn't going to do that.
I really went looking for one of those salvage yards where you can go in and get your own parts.
There's one down in Rhode Island. They didn't have one. The only Volkswagen they had was a manual transmission.
When I was in Florida, I was like, hey, there's one in Venice, maybe, or somewhere.
I'm like, maybe that'll be a good day trip. Go up there, go get the part and bring it home with me just to make the light go out.
But that was really the only issue. The check engine light was on. Cars shifted well.
Cruise control didn't work because the computer didn't know if the car was in drive or not.
But considering the car's only been a couple thousand miles in three years, it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference.
We traded it in. Again, on the outside, rusty rocker panels, shiny paint though.
All the glass was in good shape, no cracks. Top was ugly. Put the top down, put the boot on it.
It actually looks pretty presentable. Look at the interior. Good shape. It was clean.
Carpets were in good shape. All the controls worked. Radio worked. AC worked.
And what's amazing is you see these cars for sale for, say, 2900, 3500.
And it'll say runs great and you'll look and the car's running and the airbag lights on.
Or the car's running and the traction control lights on. Or ABS lights on.
So they're not perfect either and they're looking for 2500, 3500.
My wife just saw one this morning. Similar color in our old town of Abington.
And it was $1,000 and she started to read it and said, car has a check engine light on. Airbag lights on.
Low tire lights flashing. Had a whole bunch of stuff.
But the person said, well, it starts and stops. I've been driving it since August of last year.
And they wanted $1,000 for it. Well, compared to the one we traded in, ours looked way better.
So anyway, so we ended up taking it up to Plymouth where we purchased a new car.
But on the ride up there, I'm like, you know, this is a good car.
And I said to one of the sales managers, and I dealt with a variety of people.
Bernard, A-O-U-N Anou, maybe?
He's one of the sales managers. Michael Duby and other sales manager.
And Edgar Montarosa, who's the general sales manager.
So I kind of dealt with all three of them because I can't just sit still when I'm in a car dealership.
I want to go wander around, go talk to those guys, see what's up.
And I said to him, you know, you got kids or one of the guys in the shop or somebody's looking for a summer car.
It's a good, fun little summer car. You know, shifts good, runs good, gets good gas mileage, doesn't burn oil.
It's had 115 or 18,000 miles on it. So for the age, it was actually pretty low miles.
So like I said, I think if it got driven a couple thousand miles in the last three or four years, it'd be a bit of a surprise.
So what did we buy? Well, we bought a Hyundai Tucson.
And as people who listen to the program know, I have a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, which now the Santa Fe has grown bigger.
In the past, it was Santa Fe, and then a Santa Fe Sport. The Santa Fe was a little bit bigger. Santa Fe Sport was a little smaller.
I just bought the base model Santa Fe Sport when I bought it. I bought it from what was a Hyundai dealer in Rockland, like literally next to the AAA office.
Got a pretty good deal on it, I thought, back when I bought it. It was because I don't buy any of the extras.
In fact, I even tried to argue away. They had locking lug nuts, a cargo mat in the back, and mud flaps as dealer installed options.
And then it had floor mats, which was extra. I didn't even want those. I'm like, take those off.
And they're like, well, you can't take them off. And they can't because they're actually not really put on by the dealer in a lot of cases.
They're put on by the distributor, so they can't get rid of them.
So I got what I thought was a pretty good deal back then. This car was about $7,000 more than the car I bought before, I guess.
Couple things. I went into mastery of Hyundai is where I bought the car in Plymouth.
And people said, why'd you go there? You know, have a Hyundai dealer right in Hyannis?
And I'm like, well, I stopped into the Hyundai dealer in Hyannis and they were okay, I guess, but I don't know.
Something just didn't strike me as good and not that they were bad. I just wasn't as comfortable, I guess, when I went in.
This Hyundai dealer I stopped in on the way, I think I dropped my wife off somewhere and I stopped in on the way going back to the Cape.
I liked the look of the dealership and the mastery of names for people who know what sounds familiar.
I actually met one of the mastery people at the Plymouth Festival that Paul talked about earlier today.
They had a booth set up right near the WATD booth, went over and talked to Jake, who was their internet manager.
In fact, he was on the program a bunch of years ago. Not a bunch a year ago, I guess.
So I talked to him. Also, when I was involved with Bristol Plymouth Votech,
a couple of the mastery employees from their dealerships on Route 44, the Nissan dealer, the GMC dealer,
they were on the same board with me and I just liked that.
The idea that they support vocational education made me happy.
So I'm like, you know what, they work with their community, I'll try to work with them.
So I went in and I had a sort of predetermined price.
Whether you use any of the various buying services, I had a price through AAA, wasn't an issue, they could do that.
They had a deal, if you financed the car, you could get an additional $2,250 off.
So I'm like, well, I'll finance the car and to save $2,250.
Of course, now it's a $3,000 incentive to finance the car.
I'm going to work on that Monday morning with the finance people.
I don't think there's anything you can do.
I think when you sign the paperwork, that's all there is to it.
But realistically, I didn't get the keys till Friday and the new incentive was in place.
So we'll see what happens.
I didn't get the keys till Friday, which was essentially my fault because I purchased the car on June 24th,
but because of sending paperwork back and forth to Florida to get the Florida plate, it took that long.
So we'll see, we'll see what they have to say about it.
So the car kind of all in with taxes and registration was like $32,000.
You know, that's sales tax, which is a big chunk of that.
People have asked me, why didn't you buy the next level up, the SEL?
Why didn't you buy the hybrid?
Good question.
The SEL was a little bit more, I had a number in my head that I wanted to stay under.
I kind of wanted to stay under $30,000 for the cost of the car.
That was just a random number I had in my head.
And the next level up, the SEL model, what was different about that over the standard SE?
And this is just a 2.5 liter normally aspirated engine, no turbocharger, none of that stuff,
makes 100 and 78 horsepower or something, about the same as the Santa Fe Sport.
And interestingly, it actually has more rear seat room, slightly less cargo room,
sits on a slightly longer wheelbase, and size wise, it's within an inch or so of the Santa Fe Sport.
So as an example for my wife to drive it, she's going to be fairly comfortable because it's going to feel about the same.
It has different things in it, you know, push button start, which the other car didn't, things like that.
So what's the difference between the SE and the SEL?
The difference is, not a lot.
Interior is about the same.
You do get a wireless charging pad for your phone.
You maybe get a little snappier looking display.
Heated seats, you get.
And heated outside mirrors.
Well, I don't really need heated seats.
Heated outside mirrors, although that's handy on a cool day where the mirrors get all moist and condensation on them.
You turn the heated mirrors on and they dry out.
Do I really need that, that I really want to spend another couple thousand dollars for that?
Not really.
Neighbor of mine said, how come you didn't buy the hybrid like I did?
I'm like, well, I want a spare tire and the hybrid doesn't come with a spare.
I said, I think maybe one can fit in there.
But once you take out all the styrofoam and all that stuff that's under the deck area, but I wanted a spare tire.
That was one of the things I really wanted.
Maybe because I'm a AAA person and we like spare tires because we want to put a person's spare on and get them on the road.
Rather than have to tow them to a tire store where they have to buy a tire or repair it or whatever the case is.
So I wanted a spare tire.
Also, I tend to keep cars a long time.
The Volkswagen that I did the return trip on is a 2015.
So it's 11 years old.
You know, how long is the hybrid battery going to last in a hybrid Tucson?
Well, it's guaranteed for 10 years.
Is it going to last longer than that?
Probably.
I mean, my kind of unscientific testing says they typically last a few 100000 miles.
But time can also be a consideration as well.
So, you know, maybe 12 years down the road, you have to put a battery in it, which could be 12000 dollars.
Who knows what batteries are going to be in 10 years or so.
So it wasn't 100% clear on that, whether I wanted to do that or not.
Also, looking at what I paid versus the SE model hybrid, I had AI do a calculation.
If I drive 10,000 miles a year, how long the difference would cost in the payback based on current gas prices and fuel economy variations between the two, 13 and a half years.
So I'll take my chances, I guess.
I'll pay a little bit more, but it isn't about mileage.
The hybrid also is a little zippier.
It's about 40 more horsepower.
So it feels a little bit has more performance.
It's funny.
I was watching online reviews of the 2026 Hyundai Tucson SE and people referred to it as somewhat underpowered.
Yesterday, I was at a car show and there was an old Zambia Cutlass W3025 and it was, you know, had to her shifter.
It was a beautiful car.
It was absolutely stunning.
I had never seen a W25 before.
I don't think W30.
Yes, that's a bigger engine one.
This was the 350 made 175 horsepower.
They bragged about it.
Makes 175 horsepower.
Few horsepower less than the Hyundai does.
So it's okay.
It's a couple of horsepower more than the Santa Fe Sport that we have now.
So somebody referred to it as it's ideal for a round town you wouldn't want to take it on a long trip.
Went to Florida back in a couple times.
Pretty okay to me.
So, you know, people want more horsepower and that's fine.
We'll talk about more horsepower later too.
So that was my trip.
The overall experience, I would say with Master Hyundai, about a B.
People are very nice.
No question.
They've had some turnover in the past two weeks since I've been there.
I went in and said, where's the salesperson?
She doesn't work here anymore.
Where's the F&I manager?
She doesn't work here anymore.
And I asked and they're very corporate.
They just said, we're heading in a new direction.
Whatever that means.
But the sales managers, especially Mike Dooby, I had a weird question and I probably should have known the answer to this.
I opened up the hood like I do with anything.
And I just want to make sure that everything's, whatever you can check, I want to double check.
So, is the coolant full?
Is the windshield washer full?
Belts look okay, even though they're brand new.
When cars get delivered, they have something called pre-delivery inspections, PDIs.
Depending on how they're done.
Sometimes they're done as soon as a car comes off the truck.
Sometimes they're done before delivery.
Depends on what the dealerships thoughts are on that.
This, I assume, was probably done when it came off the truck.
But I opened up the hood and just checked everything.
And it was okay.
Everything was full, oil was full, everything was supposed to be.
And the car had actually sat.
The only reason, the other reason I opened up the hood.
The car appeared to have come in sometime in May.
So it had been sitting for two months, maybe.
It had 20 miles on it, I guess, when maybe even less than that.
The first time I road tested it.
Probably had a couple miles less than that.
And I'm like, well, you know, it's probably been sitting for a long time.
Batteries probably, other than the drive back, probably never got recharged.
Chances are they probably had a jump started to get it going if it's been sitting for a couple months.
So I went and put my battery tender on it.
Just wanted to get the battery up to 100%.
But when I opened up the hood, I'm like, there's no engine cover.
No plastic engine cover.
So I'm like, what's going on? Why is there no engine cover?
That's weird.
So I called the dealership and said, hey, look, there's no engine cover.
And when I look at the specs on the Hyundai website, it says all models with internal combustion engines come with an engine cover.
So somebody took it off and put it back on.
Then I read a little bit more and said that it said that certain levels of trim don't come with an engine cover.
So then Mike Dooby, again, good guy, got back to me a little bit later in the day.
It looks like I'm guessing he talked to his rep because it looked like he cut and pasted a response back to me from someone else because it said something about on your lot.
Like he said, why don't these cars come with that? And they said the cars on your lot.
Apparently on the SE and the SEL models, to save a little bit of money and streamline production, they don't get the little plastic cover that goes on the front, which is where mice and stuff like to live.
So there you go.
Here's my car buying story.
Why don't we take a break?
When we come back, we'll talk about a car that's way different.
And that's the Range Rover Sport.
Not like a Hyundai Santa Fe Sport.
Range Rover Sport.
We'll talk about that when we come back.
You'll listen to the car doctor program on 959WATD, our phone number is 7818374900.
We'll be right back.
If you've been waiting for a summer refresh, it's all about being at the right place time. That place is Macy's. The time is one day sale.
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Red Sox Nation. Join us for Red Sox Day on Wednesday, July 15th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Irving in Pembroke.
Stop by and see the World Series Trophy. Meet Wally the Green Monster and enter to win tickets to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park.
There will also be fresh food samples and surprise giveaways. All will supplies last.
It's all happening on Red Sox Day, July 15th at the Irving, 92 Washington Street in Pembroke.
Hey, this is Kylie Evans. Tune in to Twilight Showcase Radio hosted by Sandy Stride and Keith James on 959WATD and also at 959WATD.com.
Search for Twilight Showcase on Facebook and visit twilightshowcase.org.
Twilight Showcase tonight from 8 to 10 on 959WATD.
Make an appointment Sunday morning at 11 for John Paul, the car doctor on 959WATD. Now back to the car doctor.
And welcome back to the car doctor program. If you'd like to join us and if you're getting tired of me talking and you want to talk, you can just call it 713-374-900.
A vehicle that is not a Santa Fe sport is the Range Rover Sport and it's one of those vehicles that actually does a very good job of balancing luxury performance and capability.
If you looked at the full size Range Rover and thought it might be too big or too formal or you're not going to, I don't know, some Hollywood premiere, the sport may be a better choice.
It has the same premium feel and presence but it comes wrapped in a package that feels a little bit more athletic, a little easier to maneuver in everyday driving.
My next door neighbor, she owns the acupuncture shop in Dennis and she's a Jeep person. She loves Jeeps. She thinks they're great.
And she's, I think in the few years I've known her, she's on her second, maybe third Jeep even. And her own family seems to have Jeeps. Her mother has a Jeep, her sister has a Jeep.
And she came over and she's like, can I take a look at it? Can I sit in it? And she's like, it's beautiful inside.
And so for Jeep person to kind of look at a Range Rover, she liked it a lot. The styling is classic Range Rover clean lines, modern appearance.
And the inside, although it has a lot of electronics, it's very minimalist looking. And when she was looking at it, she goes, it's nothing really here. It's all like Scandinavian, minimalist sort of architecture sort of thing.
And but it's just enough presence to let people know, I think, ooh, you're driving a Range Rover. So without being kind of overly flashy, I guess. So will it fit in if you're, you know, in a fancy restaurant?
Yeah. This morning I had to fit in at the local hardware store because we'll talk about that later too. So I had to run to the hardware store this morning before the radio show.
But inside the Range Rover Sport delivers the kind of cabin you'd expect. I mean, it's beautiful inside. The materials are excellent. The leather even has this, I don't know, very premium feel to it.
The seats are really comfortable, sort of oversized feeling, fit and finish, you know, typical Range Rover, you know, great.
Driving position is very good. And visibility is good as well. I mean, it's a big vehicle, so but it's not so big. It feels uncomfortable to park and maneuver and things like that.
Although I did find that I even at six feet tall, but I'm probably shrinking as I get old. But at six feet tall, I did find I wanted to move the seat up a little bit an inch or so to get a better view over the hood just seemed better that way.
I felt more comfortable to drive. The bad part is this kind of minimalistic approach is one of my biggest frustrations. Land Rover has gone all in and Range Rover has gone all in on touchscreen controls.
And I think they went too far. Nearly every function. Now there is some controls on the steering wheel, which I don't love on any particular car, but everything is designed around the infotainment screen.
And although it's generally pretty responsive and pretty quick, it's too distracting. And I just read a story this morning from Brian Reamer at MIT about looking up isn't paying attention.
And he was talking and showed a picture of somebody with a phone in one hand and coffee in the other hand and they're glancing up to look at the road. Yeah, that isn't paying attention.
And whenever you take your eyes off the road, even for a couple seconds, you're not paying attention. So when you have to go over and touch a touchscreen to get into the climate control or change the radio station or any of that sort of stuff, it's distracting.
Put some knobs back in. That's one thing I will say about the new little car I bought as a knob for the radio, volume and a knob to change stations and push buttons for the controls for the climate control system.
And people would probably go, it's kind of old fashioned. I kind of like it. Maybe I'm old fashioned. I don't know what it is. So, you know, multiple taps to make menu changes. Not that great.
This is one of these vehicles that is both a luxury car and it and I didn't do anything with it other than I live on a dirt road. But this would be a very capable off road vehicle.
But I think it will do. I think it will do good.
I again, I kind of understand the desire for clean modern interior, but I don't know functionality. I think should take some presence over aesthetics. Just me.
So, did I, you know, in the week or so I had the car did I miss have traditional controls? Yeah, my test vehicle was a three liter turbocharged inline plug in hybrid powertrain, which is probably the sweet spot in the Range Rover lineup.
The combination is get the smooth six cylinder electric motor delivers good acceleration. There's no idle stop thing that shuts the car up because it is electric. It is an electric hybrid when you know it's just going slow.
The transition between electric and gasoline you wouldn't even notice under ideal conditions fully charged. It would go more than 50 miles on all electric range, which is probably enough for like many daily commutes.
When my next door neighbor lives literally a couple miles away from her acupuncture shop acupuncture clinic. I don't know what the word is, but but she I said you can plug it in every night and never go to a gas station.
Yeah, you probably could. It takes a long time to charge. It's a pretty big battery, I think, and it takes quite a while to recharge on 110 volts. Now, if you're only topping off every night, it's going to be fine, especially if you're only going 15 or 20 miles.
But this is one of those plug in hybrids that I think could really benefit from a level two charger that can charge a little bit faster.
The level one cord that came with the convenience cord. And I didn't use my own charger for this because I was lazy and the cord was right in the back of the car.
Mine charges a little bit faster because it recognizes a 20 amp electrical circuit. So it pulls a little bit more electricity out of the house versus the normal one that kind of limits itself to 15 amps.
So you get a couple more kilowatts charge with the one that I have, but I use theirs. I think I had it plugged in for most of the day and it got only to about 80%.
Again, the ability of fast charge is a significant advantage. You know, and it can. You can do level three if you want, but I think a level two home charger would be perfect for this.
Out on the road, it's an impressive vehicle. Despite weighing two tons, it feels pretty agile and composed. Steering is precise. Body motions are well controlled.
It's comfortable to drive. You know, you're not, you know, road's not, road's not great, but it feels quiet. It's refined.
You know, you want something more rugged looking. Yeah, you go get a discovery or something, but it's got a very sophisticated four wheel drive system, air suspension, all terrain management.
It should be able to handle sanding, snow, rocky roads, all kinds of stuff. Is anybody ever going to use it that way? I don't know. Over $90,000. Maybe. I don't know.
Again, the biggest drawbacks of cost, not just because of the purchase price, but Range Rover's tend to have pretty long term maintenance and repair costs.
You know, factor in if there's somebody who only keeps a car a few years. Not an issue if you're somebody who keeps them a long time. Maybe something to think about.
But overall, the Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid remains one of the most complete luxury SUVs on the market, I think. It's comfortable. It's quick. It's beautifully finished.
If you like quality interiors, it looks really nice. Genuinely capable off-road if you want to do that. Enough electric range to make daily driving efficient.
Again, my biggest complaint remains with the infotainment heavy interior and the near elimination of physical controls. The technology is impressive, but there are times I wish Land Rover had prioritized ease of use over the minimalistic design philosophy.
Even with that frustration, if you're looking for a luxury SUV, they can do almost everything well. Well, offering, you know, if you're somebody who wants to offer, if you want to be electric only, it can do it.
So the Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid, if you have the budget, take a look at it. So it's a solid car. Here's a funny story, though. And you may have seen this in the news. And I guess I didn't pay attention.
There's something called flock cameras. Jesse, you know, I mean, Paul, do you know what flock cameras are?
You know, I've heard about these. them.
Yeah, they kind of record your license plate and, you know, it's like, it's like, you know, they track everything everywhere. They've had them in Europe for a long time.
Well, in California, someone stole a license plate off a Range Rover, and the license plate ends with DTM, which is, I believe, dealer transport manufacturer.
And the beginning of the license plate was like 35. So it was like 35 DTM. And in the middle, in much smaller letters, it was like 07 or 05. So it's like 35, 07 DTM.
Well, apparently, when the plate was stolen, it was recorded into the flock system as just 35 DTM, which is exactly the same plate that's on this car, by the way.
Mine has, I think, 05 or 07, whatever. It's different than the one that was stolen.
Well, out in New Jersey, an auto rider was driving a Range Rover, and he was with his wife, and he was returning some Amazon packages to the local coal store, I think.
And all of a sudden, he got surrounded by the police, and they said, what's going on? They go, well, this car has been reported stolen, or the license plate has been reported stolen, or both.
And he goes, I don't know what you're talking about. Well, it's because the system didn't record the little numbers in the middle. It only recorded the 35 and the DTM.
So I'm like, well, I hope they cleared that up while I'm driving this car.
Yeah, that's something they definitely need to figure out. You don't need to go through that hard attack, either.
No, no, we're not at all. So it was, so I guess after, you know, I guess the police said, you know, license registration, and I've been stopped once in a press car.
And it was at literally 330 in the morning out on like Route 84, or yeah, I think it was Route 84 heading to Connecticut. I was going to New York for the New York Auto Show.
And I will readily admit I was going above the speed limit. And I was the only, really, the only one on the road.
And all of a sudden I look ahead and I see this Mass State Trooper. And I go, I wonder how fast you have to go to bring him. Oh, he pulls out.
So he pulls over and I stopped pulling over as soon as I see him pull out. I don't even think he had time to turn his lights on.
So I pull over and he pulls over behind me and he goes, do you know why I stopped you? I'm like, yeah, I was speeding.
And he said, why are you speeding? I'm like, I don't know, because it's only you and me on the road. And I'm heading to New York for the Auto Show.
And he goes, license registration. I'm like, well, here's my license. Registration might be a little tricky because this is a press car and I tried to explain it to him and he was good about it.
And he just ran the plate and everything was good. But, you know, that does, you know, it's like while the car is registered to the company who owns the car, it may or may not have an insurance certificate with it.
So it gets kind of complicated to get pulled over. So I can't imagine this guy in New Jersey, you know, being surrounded by three.
I don't know if it's sheriff's departments or local police department in New Jersey, whatever it was, and trying to explain his way out of this.
And fortunately, one of the police officers was a car person and understood there's press cars that, you know, car and driver and road and track and motor trend.
And they all drive and this guy, I think, worked for a publication called The Drive. So the time I've had this car, I'm like, hope they fix that flock camera system or at least the reporting of it.
So I didn't get pulled over. But there's my weird Range Rover story and we'll just kind of go with that.
Recalls this week, Kia recalled 400,000, 462,869 Telluride SUVs from 2020 to 2024 model year because the front power seat motors can overheat and catch fire. Ouch!
Because this was a fix that was done in 2024. But Kia urges owners to park outdoors and away from structures until a newly electronic fuse assembly is installed, starting in early July, I think.
Honda recalled over and this is where recalls are weird. Honda recalled over 325,000 Odyssey minivans from 18 to 26 to repair a front passenger seat weight sensor that can crack in short circuit, potentially causing an unintentional airbag deployment.
Oh, that can't be good. And Ford's recalling hundreds of thousands of vehicles across multiple lines, including Mustangs, Markies, F-150s, to address issues like failing windshield wiper, unexpected gear down shifts, and a software error that disables pedestrian warning sounds on the hybrid SUVs.
So you never hear a hybrid and it goes real slow and you hear it making this weird, you know, Jetson sort of car noise. Well, that's required for people who are visually impaired so they can, so which they don't hear the car running because it's not.
So there is a car that's going on sale from Fiat called the Topolino and it's officially, I guess it's on sale now for under $15,000. Paul, do you know Italian at all?
Off the top of my head, no.
Isn't street legal yet? But I guess they're going to do some kind of conversion kit that's coming later this year that will classify it as a low speed vehicle and allow it to be driven on public roads.
Kind of wonder what's, you know, there's golf carts that have low speed plates on them now. Wonder what they have to do to this to make it street legal.
So you mean there's golf carts on the road right now?
Yeah, yeah.
Oh wow.
Yeah, yeah, and they have, they have windshield wipers and lights and horn and stuff and, but they only go 25 miles an hour. They're only, they're designated low speed electric vehicles.
And they used to be called, you know, before they came out with that designation, they called them neighborhood cars, neighborhood electric vehicles.
And there were some small electric cars. One was a gem electric car, which was kind of another glorified golf cart. Only it looked a little bit more rugged.
Ford actually had some kind of city car at the time, low speed electric vehicle car. Only 25 miles an hour. That's what they were designed for.
I have, years and years ago, somebody I knew there was an electric vehicle pilot program and I was pretty involved with the introduction of electric vehicles a bunch of years ago.
And they put two of these gem electric cars on the vineyard. And the person who was responsible for the car said, Hey, if you ever want to go road test one, I have two with the vineyard.
And I said to my wife, you want to go to the vineyard one day? And she's like, Why? And I'm like, Oh, I don't know. Go drive an electric car and we'll go have lunch.
And we did. We took the, we took the boat over from Hyannis, went to the vineyard, found the guy who rents cars and bicycles, got my electric car, drove it around the island.
And it was sort of funny. We pulled out in front of some, we pulled up in front of some little store, and it was like a half a parking space.
So this little gem electric car, which was probably about the size of the topolino pulled right into this little spot.
And when we did, it was, there was a woman in oddly arranged Rover. And she said,
Oh, that's that'd be great for here. And I said, Would you buy one? And she's like, No, are you crazy? So anyway, before we take the next break on the opposite side of the horsepower numbers of the topolino, which only made eight horsepower.
Ram is making comeback with high performance vehicles. They have a new Ram high performance truck coming out. It's a Ram 1500 performance lineup.
And it makes 777 horsepower. So if you want 769 horsepower more than a topolino, go buy a Ram truck.
Why don't we take another break? You listen to the car doctor program on 959 WATD. Our phone number 7818374900. We'll be right back.
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If you've been waiting for a summer refresh, it's all about being at the right place time. That place is Macy's. The time is one day sale.
You can't miss the deals I found, the best prices on the trends I want, the pieces that finish the look, the home essentials I keep meaning to get. They're all here only during one day sale.
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Plan a getaway and enjoy a long weekend exploring Plymouth. Go outside and we'll watch, hike, walk along the ocean and dine outdoors.
At night, enjoy live music, theater, art shows, and ice cream under the stars.
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Hey there, folks. It's Quinn Kelly reminding you to tune in Sunday night at 5 for the South Shore's first voice in sports talk radio, the Sports Exchange.
On match coverage of local high school action as well as a relatable voice on all things Boston Pro Sports, we've got you covered live at 5 every Sunday night.
Have a question for our host, Miss Last Week Show, or just want to share a great sports story you can find us on Twitter, at SE, on WATD.
But remember, mark your calendar, folks, and we'll see you Sunday night at 5 for the Sports Exchange on 959 WATD.
Honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, he's John Paul, the car doctor on 959 WATD.
And welcome back to the car doctor program on 959 WATD.
A couple of the questions that came in this week.
Is there a difference between getting an air filter and cabin filters from the dealer or an auto store?
I guess I mean auto parts store.
Do auto stores parts always fit perfectly?
And is it necessary to get an upgraded filter that filters out more dust, pollen, debris, or will it affect performance, fuel economy, and the engine if the car isn't driven much?
And if the car isn't driven much, is it time-based, change it every year, or only when it's noticeably dirty?
Well, my answer to that is change it when it's dirty.
Check it periodically if you can, but my experience is some aftermarket filters don't fit that well.
I've seen some cause system issues due to poor fit.
Filter doesn't fit in the housing correctly in the air filter housing, doesn't fit correctly in the cabin air filter housing.
So factory filters are great if you can get them.
I tend to use factory oil filters wherever I can, especially in the Hyundai's because Hyundai's are very fussy about their drainback valves and their filters.
So I just, I hope they're real.
I go on Amazon or something and order like three or four oil filters.
They come in boxes that say Hyundai on them.
They look like they're real.
They have little tags and stuff, but there's so much counterfeit stuff, it's hard to tell.
When I go aftermarket, I usually use Wix.
The parent company of Wix, they make a lot of the original equipment filters.
I think they're the same company that make Purelator.
I usually even find Wix a little bit easier.
So Wix tends to, you know, that's what I tend to use if I'm looking for an aftermarket, say air filter or cabin filter.
Unless you're trying to eliminate odors, I'd say with a traditional cabin air filter.
If you do have like a mold or mildew issue, then go with a carbon and pregnated filter.
That is right from, I don't know, Audi to Lexus.
Those cars that have had some mold and mildew issues, they actually have come out with a carbon and pregnated filter for that reason.
And, you know, when it's time to change filter, look at it.
When the filter gets dirty, get a new one.
The idea that, you know, some recommendations are, well, you should get a new air filter every year or you should get a new air filter every three years.
On three years, it could look brand new in a year.
It could look terrible if you live on a dusty road to live with.
There's a lot of pollen and stuff like that.
So interesting note, mildew and stuff.
The new Hyundai I bought has something called an after blow.
And that means that when you shut the car off, if it's hot and humid and the air conditioner has been on, the cooling fan, the interior fan,
runs for 10 or 15 minutes to dry out the evaporator so it doesn't get moldy.
I remember years ago doing something very similar to that, doing an update to a computer program for just that reason to make it run longer.
So there you go.
The other thing is, let's see, what else?
We had another pretty good question.
I'm interested in buying a pre-owned 2023 Toyota 4Runner with 27,000 miles being sold by a Toyota dealer.
The brakes for original tires look new.
The brand is Velocity, which I've never heard of.
The Asken price is 49.2.
Looking online at car gurus and IC cars, which is where I tend to go for most car pricing, 4Runners in that age and mileage 45 to 49,000.
So that suggests maybe there's a little room to negotiate.
And like any used car before purchasing, I'd have it checked by a third party.
As far as the tires, they're a bargain brand tire.
I'm sure the dealer put them on to say that they have brand new tires on the car.
So there you go.
Next week, we kind of have an interesting program for next week.
It has, we'll be talking with somebody who, I should have done this before.
I'll be talking to Nick Minzias, he's CEO of something called Driver's Hub.
And what they use is a computer program, an AI program that will, that goes out.
One of the problems with car buying programs, you put your name and address and email and all that stuff in.
And that's saying, you know, 10 different car dealers are calling you up saying,
oh, you're interested in buying a car, can you come up today?
And while this one, I guess it creates, not fake, it creates email addresses.
And then it lets the AI program do the negotiation.
Oh, we'll have to see how that works.
Again, probably should have waited until next week to buy a car.
Hey, that music means we need to go.
And as always, you know, wear your seatbelt, drive safely, be good to your car.
And if you do see an emergency vehicle by the side of the road, slow down or move over to safe lives.
And Paul Pisa, thanks for a great job.
I hope to talk to you soon.
About this episode
A frustrating week turns into a practical car-buying story as the host explains what went wrong with his previous vehicles and how he finally landed on a new Range Rover Sport review and purchase. He walks through warning-light diagnostics, including a Range Rover Sport range selector issue, and the real-world hassle of touchscreen-heavy luxury. Then the conversation shifts to his Hyundai Tucson deal—dealer add-ons, financing incentives, trim choices, and why he skipped the hybrid for spare-tire practicality—plus a few safety and recall updates.
