The BMW 3 Series is a small luxury car that is fun to drive and has nice features inside. It's popular among people who want a mix of style and performance.
Car
2025 BMW M340i
The 2025 BMW M340i is a sporty version of BMW's 3 Series car, known for its strong engine and fun driving experience.
EV incentives are discounts or rebates that help lower the price of electric cars. They are designed to encourage more people to buy electric vehicles by making them cheaper.
The EV6 is an electric car made by Kia. It's designed to be efficient and environmentally friendly, offering a modern alternative to traditional gas-powered vehicles.
The Nero EV is a type of electric car, which means it runs on electricity instead of gasoline. It's part of a trend where more cars are being made to help the environment.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people love. It's known for being fun to drive and has a unique look that makes it stand out on the road.
The eight-speed Steptronic automatic is a type of car transmission that can shift gears automatically or let you change gears manually if you want more control. It helps the car drive smoothly.
The Toyota Supra is a fast sports car that is built for performance. It has a strong engine and is fun to drive, but it's also not very practical for everyday use.
The Mazda Miata is a small, two-seat car that you can drive with the top down. It's known for being fun to drive and is often considered a great choice for people who enjoy sporty cars.
A manual transmission is a system in cars where the driver has to change gears by hand, using a stick and a pedal. It gives the driver more control over how the car drives.
'Hoon' is slang for driving fast and doing tricks with cars, often in a fun but risky way. It's something car enthusiasts enjoy doing, especially in safe places like racetracks.
The Chevrolet Suburban is a big SUV that can carry a lot of people and stuff. It's great for families or anyone who needs a lot of space for trips or activities.
A 10-speed automatic transmission is a type of gearbox that changes gears automatically and has ten different speeds. This helps the car run more smoothly and use less fuel.
A nine-speed transmission is a system in a car that automatically changes gears and has nine different speeds. This helps the car drive better and use less gas.
All-terrain tires can be used on different types of roads and surfaces. They help vehicles grip better when driving on dirt, mud, or rocky paths, as well as on regular roads.
The three-peak mountain snowflake rating shows that a tire is good for driving in snowy and icy conditions. If a tire has this rating, it means it can handle winter weather better than regular tires.
Towing capacity is how much weight a car can pull behind it, like a trailer or boat. It's important to know so you don't pull too much and damage the car.
A digital gauge cluster is a screen that shows important information about the car, like speed and fuel level, instead of using traditional round dials. It can be easier to read and sometimes lets you change how the information looks.
Apple CarPlay lets you connect your iPhone to your car so you can use apps like maps and music on the car's screen. It makes it easier and safer to use your phone while driving.
Android Auto lets you connect your Android phone to your car, so you can use apps like maps and music on the car's screen. It helps you stay connected while driving without being distracted.
An infotainment system is the part of the car that lets you listen to music, get directions, and connect your phone. It's like a mini computer for your car that helps you stay entertained and informed while driving.
Automatic emergency braking is a system that helps stop the car if it thinks you're about to crash. It works by applying the brakes for you if you don't react in time.
Blind spot monitoring helps drivers see cars that are in areas they can't see in their mirrors. It warns you if there's a car nearby when you want to change lanes, making driving safer.
Rear cross-traffic alerts help you see cars coming from the sides when you're backing out of a parking spot. It warns you if there's a car approaching, so you can avoid accidents.
The BMW M3 is a super sporty version of a regular BMW car that is fun to drive fast. It has a powerful engine and is designed for people who love performance and luxury.
The Oldsmobile Curved Dash is one of the very first cars made in America, built over a hundred years ago. It has a special shape and is important in the history of cars.
That balance has been something that a lot of automakers
can't nail.
But as you said, BMW has pretty consistently
nailed it with their sports sedans.
And the fact that you can still get a rear drive sedan in 2026
should be applauded.
Right.
Very roomy interior with great sports seats,
very comfortable seats.
Rear seat space is very good.
And it's 17 cubic feet of trunk space,
which is a lot for a sedan.
You're just not going to see that.
40, 20, 40 fold down rear seats, so that's good.
And then the entertainment system
is good, the BMW operating system 8.5, 14.9,
and central touch screen.
You have this curved dash kind of thing
that also incorporates digital instruments.
So all in all, this is very good.
You have to buy, a must buy is this professional feature
that gives you additional things like adaptive cruise control.
I mean, to me, I'm kind of hard pressed
to figure out why that's optional when so much stuff
is included in this.
But otherwise, I mean, there's just
a ton of like about this vehicle.
I just like it.
Yeah, some of those BMW options, they're very pricey.
And they're things that you would expect to be standard.
But the car itself is fantastic, as you said.
Yeah.
The driving assistance professional package
is what I'm talking about.
That includes traffic jam assist, lane centering,
evasive steering assist, and lane change assist.
And like I said, you should buy this.
And it was in our test vehicles price of $67,000.
Not inexpensive, but heaven knows.
If you're looking at this kind of car,
a luxury sedan, a five-passenger luxury sedan,
this is absolutely one to look at.
I just like this car a lot.
I agree.
And when we come back, we will have a special guest.
Tom Kearns is the designer of the Kia Telluride.
So we'll talk with him when we come back.
Stay with us.
[?].
I received a letter from a reader this week,
and I thought I'd share it with you.
Here's what he wrote.
I just got around to reading Dance in the Dark
and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it.
I'm a compulsive reader, and this one was right up my alley.
An unlikely hero?
A lot of twists and turns, some adult content,
and humor that rose naturally from the action.
Keep on writing, and I'll keep on reading.
Of course, that's just the kind of letter
any author would love to get.
I hope that others get the same enjoyment from reading
Dance in the Dark and my newest crime novel.
Only one thing stays the same.
Both are available exclusively at Amazon.com.
That's Dance in the Dark, and only one thing stays the same,
both written by me, Jack R. Neyred.
Thanks for looking for them today.
Well, back to America on the Road Jack Neyred with you.
We've got a terrific guest for you
here at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
We're behind the scenes at the Kia booth,
where Kia is creating huge amounts of excitement
with an iconic vehicle.
And we have the guy responsible for that.
Tom Kearns is with us.
Ace Kia designer.
Thanks so much for being with us.
Thanks for having me.
Nice talking with you.
You presented today about Tell Your Ride.
Tell Your Ride is such a landmark vehicle for Kia,
more than just an SUV, right?
I mean, big time landmark vehicle.
Talk about that a little bit before we
talk about the new disaster.
I mean, the original Tell Your Ride
that we designed and the product that we brought to market
was, I mean, it's been wildly successful,
more so than we even expected.
And it seemed like it just hit a sweet spot
in the marketplace and a design that
resonated with consumers.
We wanted to get back to a little more
of the foundation of SUVs being, when we did it,
we called it big, bold, and boxy.
And so it seemed to have struck a chord.
And we developed an all-new car, but we
didn't want to walk too far away from that.
Yeah, which makes sense.
And let's talk about that.
One of the things interesting about original Tell Your Ride
too, I think, and its success, is
there's a sister ship from Hyundai
very similar to the Palisade.
And you kind of vaulted past the Palisade in a big way.
I mean, your design became much more popular, I think,
by all measures than the Hyundai version, which
is a very nice vehicle, still remains a very nice vehicle.
But talk about that a little bit.
What do you think was the home run about it?
Just my opinion, I think our design,
it showed a lot of restraint.
And what I mean by that is it wasn't trying too hard.
And if you see a lot of expensive luxury brands,
they're very careful with their design.
And they don't do anything that's too trendy
or that's going to look out of style next year.
It's something that has a lasting value
and has a timeless quality about it.
And I think that's, in my opinion, the original Tell Your Ride.
It was new.
It was kind of big and brawny and looked good.
But it also was very sophisticated.
And it brought a lot of sort of upscale annotations
to it, in my opinion.
Yeah.
I think one of my definitions of a car that's
going to be wildly successful is it looks more expensive
than it is.
And I think the Tell Your Ride was the absolute epitome of that.
It looked like a scale up.
It looked like a premium vehicle and yet at a popular price.
Yeah, exactly.
Nice success.
Well, let's talk about redesigning something.
There was Landmark Vehicle.
I mean, they had to get more production
and then more production.
And this is a vehicle.
I think, in its seventh year or something like that,
is outselling the previous year, which
outsold the previous year.
Yeah, that kind of never happened.
It never happens.
Yeah, talk about that a little bit,
because that's going to be very gratifying to you.
I mean, we had a mid-cycle enhancement,
a little bit of a facelift.
We changed the lights a little bit and the bumpers.
But essentially, it's been the same vehicle now
for six or seven years.
And I mean, usually you plateau with sales
after a year or two.
And then it kind of sails off.
Refresh, and maybe you get a little boost.
So to have this product year after year outsell
the previous years, never happens.
Pretty amazing.
Here's a question.
I kind of relate this to a rock and roll band recording
in the studio and recording a hit.
And I always wondered, did they know when they're recording
it or when they're listening to it coming through the earphones
again in the playback that they have a hit?
Did you know you had a hit when you designed the first tell
you, Ryan?
The first one, I felt confident about it.
I felt good about it, but I never expected
that it would take off like it did.
And it's not to say that I didn't feel good about it.
Like, I really felt confident, but the amount of success
it has, I never would have predicted that.
So then that provides you with the background
for doing a redesign, a complete redesign of this vehicle.
It's got to be kind of daunting, right?
Talk about that.
Yeah.
I'll stay on the rock band theme.
It's like your sophomore album.
If your first album was a huge hit, OK, now you've
got to go, you're going to have to make a new album.
And the follow up, and it's not easy.
It's actually.
They say you have your whole life to do your first album,
and then you have six months or a year to do your second, right?
Makes sense.
But now we're in a little bit different situation because.
Expectations are different.
The first one, we kind of just didn't exist before that.
So we just followed our gut and did what we think was right.
But now, oh, you're a little bit on the edge of your seat
because you don't want to mess it up.
But you don't want to play it safe either.
So it's a very challenging task to redesign something
that's been successful.
Platforms somewhat different, right?
It's longer wheelbase.
And then you went longer overall.
Talk about that a little bit and what that does for you.
Yeah, it's a little bit like two inches longer, almost.
And almost a three inch longer wheelbase.
So I'm not an engineer, but they tell me
it's going to help ride a bit better.
But it also opens up ingress egress and getting in and out.
Getting in and out, yes.
And second, third row leg room as well.
So that a little bit extra length
is going to help in those areas.
Yeah, the second door, the door I pass your side
on both sides, the passenger door on the back
can be longer, for instance, because of the longer
wheelbase and stuff like that.
So you use that as well.
Interesting greenhouse to this vehicle.
Walk me through that.
Well, it's got a very, I'll try to explain this
to your audience.
And they'll be able to see some of this.
The C pillar, the D pillar, which is the sail panel,
the farthest back sheet metal, body color sheet metal area.
It's angled, but it's kind of thick.
And it gives a substantial feel to the body side,
in my opinion.
And then on the body side, we've got these sort of,
on the shoulder of the vehicle, these angular shapes,
almost like the facets of a diamond
on the front and rear wheel,
which is something that I've never seen before
being done on a body side.
And those are very crisp and tight fillets
and very faceted.
But then they intersect the normal body,
which is very soft and has a large volume.
So it's really the opposites of those two shapes
coming together, which we felt was gonna give
something fresh and something new to the customer.
Yeah, let's talk about the fenders
and particularly around the wheels.
Do you have what almost looks like a little latch
or something like that?
How would you describe that and where did that come from?
Yeah, it's a little mechanical detail,
kind of rectangle shape directly above each wheel
on the wheel opening, wheel cladding.
And that's where those angles I was talking about
kind of come together and they point to that.
And it kind of makes for a foundation
of where those angles come to.
But it also just gives a little interest
and a little mechanical precision feel to the body side
that we felt gave it a little more strength
and detail, I guess.
Yeah, yeah, maybe a little more jewelry,
a little more interest.
Mechanical jewelry, exactly.
Yeah, I like that.
Let's talk about the face.
A lot of people are falling in love
or out of love depending on the different face of the vehicle.
It's got an interesting grill in the orchestra.
Yeah, well, so traditionally for decades now
manufacturers have a grill, a center grill
that's sort of their icon of the front
or their face of the front.
The grill shape sort of defines the brand
and adds a face to the front.
And then the lamps are separate.
But, and that's how we went about
the original telly ride.
But with this new one, we've sort of taken a new approach
and the grill and the lamps, we've combined them together
so that they're not separated.
And also because of the way technology is moving,
a radiator grill is not required in a lot of vehicles,
especially when you get into a hybrid or electric vehicle.
And the industry, we're sort of moving away from that,
not just Kia, but as an industry.
And lighting is what is the new identifier.
Especially with daytime running lamps,
they're on all the time.
You see a vehicle coming in the opposite direction
towards you, now it's,
lighting is the new signature for a brand
compared to what used to be a grill.
And even kind of walk up lighting, right?
I mean, I think the telly ride does some interesting things
as the driver walks up to us, talk about that.
Yeah, so we've got some very unique
headlight daytime running lamps in Amber,
which we've carried over from the original tire ride,
which were very popular.
People really seem to love those.
But then also, yeah, on the X-Pro,
we've got a lot of different lighting.
When the doors are open, when the lift gate is open,
pothole lamps throughout around the entire vehicle.
So if you're, let's say, tailgating or at a campsite
or unloading from a vacation,
everything's really well illuminated.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, tell us about X-Pro, that's interesting.
And in this vehicle, it's kind of your off road.
Yeah, it's the most adventure-ish,
rugged version of our new telly ride.
It's got an increased ground clearance.
I think it's over nine inches,
which is about an inch and a little bit more
than the X-Pro from the last generation.
So it sits up higher.
It's got knobby tires.
It has integrated tow hooks, front and rear,
right into the chassis and bumper system.
So they're not...
Yeah, the integrated tow system in the rear is really cool.
Yeah, they're not just for styling.
They actually work.
So a lot of different things.
And tow rating, 5,000 pounds, I think?
I believe so, 5,000, yes.
So a little more rugged feel for the customer
who wants something maybe not as luxurious
but a little more off-road feeling.
Let's talk about the inside
because it's a whole new interior as well.
Start where you want to start.
Yeah, really a wide-looking wrap around instrument panel
with the shape of the instrument panel
actually going into the door.
So it feels like it wraps around the whole,
like 360 degrees.
And really, especially the front passengers,
sort of embracing them, if you will,
which was really a new take on our interior.
And then we've got some premium,
we've invested a lot in premium materials.
We've got some engineered wood
and on the X-Pro, an engineered carbon fiber load,
which is sort of like a camouflage pattern,
but it has a lot of depth
and it has a really unique look.
Hopefully you can check that out.
Yeah, yeah, cool, cool.
And this vehicle comes on sale when?
Early next year.
Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait to drive it as well.
Now, thanks so much, Tom Currens for being with us.
We appreciate it and stay with us, everybody.
We'll be right back right here on America on the Road.
Welcome back to America on the Road with Co-O's, Chris Teague.
This is Jack D. Redback with you.
It is our final segment.
How have we gotten this far this fast, Chris?
It's just crazy.
It is listener question time.
We love to answer questions for you
based on our long experience providing car advice.
That's something we do.
Send your questions to editoradrivingtoday.com.
That's editoradrivingtoday.com.
Here, Chris, is a good question for Maureen,
who lives, I think, fairly close to you
in part two of our videos.
Close to you in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, she asked this.
We're coming to the end of the year
and I'm thinking of buying a new car.
Should I buy it now in December
or should I wait until after the first of the year?
Ah, we have these questions
and it's always kind of a similar answer.
I think if you're in a situation
where you absolutely have to have a car,
the end of the month is not a bad time to buy a car.
I think that a lot of people think they're gonna get
50% off or whatever because dealers are
in a hurry to sell cars.
That's not always the case,
but you can often get a better deal
by waiting until the end of the month.
That said, nobody knows what's gonna happen
after the new year, so I think if you need a car
and you can find a good deal now, just go ahead and buy it.
I don't know that there's any reason
that I would wait past the new year, would you?
I don't think so.
In fact, I talked to my friends at JD Power recently
about this, too, and they have new data
that really indicates this is a really good time
to buy a car, actually.
December used to be a dead period.
I remember when I was working for a car company
30 or 40 years ago, they didn't even advertise
in December, but now this has become a,
and I think Lexus kind of helped drive this
with their Redbow campaigns in December
to remember and all of that,
but this is a pretty good time to buy a car,
and I think a lot of people buy or lease a car
as kind of a Christmas gift, so interesting take.
That wraps up our show for this week.
My new crime novel, Only One Thing Stays the Same,
is now available in both e-book and paperback form
at Amazon.
It's a great Christmas gift, speaking of that,
and it is stupidly cheap right now,
so look for that.
If you like our show, please pass it on.
Listen on this radio station each week
and let your friends know where and when
you hear America on the Road,
and of course, America on the Road
is available as a podcast, right, Chris?
That's right, a quick Google search
for the America on the Road podcast
will bring us to you on all the major platforms,
Apple, Spotify, all the rest.
Like us, leave us a review, download the show.
All of those things help us out,
and you can take us with you wherever you go.
I'd also like to send you to our YouTube channel.
Check that out, please subscribe.
We have a bunch of America on the Road videos,
and we do some shorts now,
so look for those on our YouTube channel.
All right, thanks to Mercury Insurance
for sponsoring the show
and to our sports byline network radio stations
for carrying it.
We love Terrestrial Radio and AM Radio for that matter.
Most of all, thanks to you for listening.
Please join us again next time
for another edition of America on the Road.
["America on the Road"]
Hi, I'm Jack Arnie Resin.
I'd like to tell you about my newest crime novel,
Only One Thing Stays the Same.
In a style reminiscent of James M. Kane
and Jim Thompson, two of my writing idols,
the book chronicles of blue collar workers
up and down love affairs
with two modern Southern California women
who continue to surprise, shock,
and ultimately confound him.
As the story unfolds,
an unemployed aeronautics worker named Bill McCurdy
becomes disillusioned with his wife
and slips into an illicit affair
with a teenager from down the street.
Before long, he begins to think of doing the unthinkable,
but despite his desperate attempts to make things work,
almost nothing goes as planned.
His misguided quest for simple love
doesn't turn out to be simple at all.
And before the roller coaster ride stops,
he learns quite personally and very finally
that Only One Thing Stays the Same.
Only One Thing Stays the Same
is available in Kindle e-book and paperback form
exclusively at Amazon.com.
I'd appreciate it if you'd look for it today.
This is the time when we're all thinking
about Christmas presents and if you're like me,
you might have a difficult time coming up
with great gifts, especially for guys.
Well, I have a couple of suggestions for you,
both from companies that make all their products
right here in the USA.
The first is Dearborn Denim and Apparel.
They make great jeans, shirts, and accessories
in my old hometown of Chicago.
I've watched several pairs of jeans from them
and I think they're among the best jeans I've ever owned.
Great materials, high quality workmanship,
I just like them a lot.
Look for them at Dearborn Denim.us.
That's Dearborn Denim.us.
The second gift idea is Razors and Razor accessories
from a company called Western Razor.
Again, all of their products are made here in the USA
and they are terrific.
The Razors aren't cheap, but then neither is your face.
I love using my Western Razor
and let me tell you, those double-edged blades
last a long, long time.
You can find them at WesternRazor.com.
That's WesternRazor.com.
This isn't a paid commercial.
These are just two personal suggestions I have
about products I've purchased and used.
Take a look at Dearborn Denim.us and WesternRazor.com.
I think you'll like what you see.
About this episode
Exploring the 2025 BMW M340i, this episode dives into its performance, luxury features, and overall appeal as a midsize luxury sedan. Co-hosts Jack Neerad and Chris Teague discuss the car's turbocharged inline-six engine, smooth ride, and advanced technology, highlighting its balance of comfort and sportiness. They also touch on automotive news, including Kia's significant EV discounts and the impending final edition of the BMW Z4. An exclusive interview with Kia designer Tom Kearns adds insight into the new Telluride's design and market success.
This week on America on the Road, host Jack Nerad and co-host Chris Teague dive into a feature-filled show that includes two compelling road tests: Chris drives the newly rugged 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport, and Jack gets behind the wheel of the refined and powerful 2025 BMW M340i. The pair also unpack one of the tech world’s most surprising automotive announcements from NVIDIA, discuss a major tariff shift favoring Korean brands, and look at gigantic EV discounts. Plus, they cover the swan-song BMW Z4 Final Edition and comment on the new threats to racetracks that are looming nationwide. Jack also sits down with Tom Kearns, lead designer of the 2027 Kia Telluride, for an exclusive interview recorded at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
🚗 Road Tests
Jack Nerad Reviews the 2025 BMW M340i
Jack drives one of BMW’s most balanced sedans, the M340i, which is positioned between the 330i and the full-blown M3. The sweet four-door uses a 386-hp turbocharged inline-six supported by mild-hybrid technology and an eight-speed automatic that blends smoothness with quick shifts. Jack digs into the car’s poised handling, adaptive suspension tuning, strong braking, and premium cabin anchored by BMW’s curved dual-display setup. With nearly 17 cubic feet of trunk space and a refined ride, the M340i delivers daily usability with legitimate performance chops. That begs the question: is it the best midsize luxury sedan you can buy?
Chris Teague Drives the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport
Chris takes the most capable Passport yet produced into the real world of frigid Maine. The 2026 TrailSport offers meaningful upgrades: an inch-wider stance, flared fenders, exclusive 18-inch wheels, and specially developed General Grabber all-terrain tires. Honda adds steel skid plates, bright orange recovery points, and a retuned second-generation i-VTM4 torque-vectoring AWD system that brings sharper control in mud, rocks, and sand. A stronger 285-hp 3.5-liter V6 and updated 10-speed automatic transmission round out a package built to go farther off the pavement than any Passport before it.
🎙️ Special Guest Interview
Tom Kearns, Designer of the 2027 Kia Telluride
Jack sits down with Kia’s Tom Kearns for an exclusive look behind the design of the upcoming 2027 Telluride. They discuss how the next-generation model builds on the success of Kia’s flagship three-row SUV, what design themes carry forward, and how Kia plans to evolve one of the most popular vehicles in its lineup.
📰 This Week’s Auto Headlines
NVIDIA Introduces AI That Lets Cars “Explain” Their Thinking
NVIDIA has unveiled Alpamayo-R1, a new open-source model that combines vision, language, and action planning to let autonomous vehicles verbalize what they see and why they react the way they do. Vehicles can effectively “think aloud,” giving engineers clearer insight into real-time decision-making and potentially accelerating safer development across the self-driving sector.
U.S. Lowers Tariffs on South Korean Imports
A new agreement reduces tariffs on South Korean goods, including automobiles, to 15 percent—retroactive to November 1. The move comes after South Korea advanced its promised $350 billion in U.S. investments. Airplane part tariffs will be lifted as well, and future national-security-based duties for key industries will be capped.
Kia Offers $10,000 Off All EV Models
Kia is rolling out deep discounts across every EV in its lineup. The Niro EV, EV6, and EV9 each receive ten-thousand-dollar price cuts, along with additional financing bonuses and zero-percent APR options. Leasing incentives range from $209 per month on the Niro EV to $419 on the EV9. All qualifying EVs now include the North American Charging Standard port for access to Tesla’s Supercharger network.
BMW Announces Z4 Final Edition
The Z4 roadster era is ending. BMW has revealed the Z4 Final Edition, a limited-run M40i variant offered from February through April 2026. It features Frozen Black metallic paint, a Moonlight Black top, Shadowline trim, special wheels, red brake calipers, and unique chassis tuning for manual models. Inside, BMW adds Vernasca leather, Alcantara accents, and Z4 Final Edition sill plates.
“Right to Race” Legislation Gains Momentum
SEMA and PRI continue pushing for protections that shield racetracks from nuisance claims tied to expanding residential development. After major traction in North Carolina, the organizations met with Wisconsin lawmakers and track operators to build support for similar legislation. The effort underscores the economic and cultural significance of race tracks statewide.
📩 Listener Question of the Week
Maureen from Pawtucket, Rhode Island asks: “Should I buy my new car now in December, or wait until after the first of the year?” Jack and Chris walk through year-end incentives, dealer inventory timing, and how January pricing typically shifts.
📚 Books
Jack’s crime novel Only One Thing Stays the Same is out now in ebook and paperback—an easy holiday gift at an easy price.
🎧 Where to Listen
Catch America on the Road on this station every week, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and Rumble. You’ll also find road test videos, interviews, and shorts on our YouTube channel.
Special thanks to Mercury Insurance for sponsoring the show and to our Sports Byline Network affiliates nationwide.
