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This guy is a real, live new car dealer....the actual car-guy you need in your car-life

This guy is a real, live new car dealer....the actual car-guy you need in your car-life

My Car Guru Podcast Jul 09, 2026 22 min
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About this episode

Lenny Lawson, a current new-car dealer, pushes back on typical dealer podcasts by emphasizing honesty and walking customers away when timing or terms would hurt them. He explains how misleading trade-in and “over book value” ads can collapse once the fine print and MSRP markups are considered, and how many buyers focus on monthly payments instead of total price. He then breaks down lease math using Ford examples (MSRP, selling price, residual value, buyout cost, and taxes/fees) and warns about long-term financing traps. The show also touches on credit revolving vs installment, dealership tech overwhelm, and community events like Cars and Coffee.

Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Company

Federal Trade Commission

"according to the Motor Vehicle Commission in the state of Tennessee and the Federal Trade Commission."

The Federal Trade Commission is a U.S. agency that helps enforce rules about fair advertising. The speaker is saying the FTC was involved in requiring clearer deal information.

Company

Motor Vehicle Commission

"according to the Motor Vehicle Commission in the state of Tennessee and the Federal Trade Commission."

A Motor Vehicle Commission is a government office that regulates vehicle-related rules in a state. The speaker is saying Tennessee’s regulator said the ads weren’t following the rules.

Term

required disclosures

"They just came out with new guidelines as far as required disclosures that have to take place."

“Required disclosures” are the specific details a dealer has to clearly tell you by law. The point here is that some ads didn’t include the necessary fine print or conditions.

Term

trade-in

"when you tell somebody that you're going to pay them $8,000 or $10,000 over book value for their trade, and you don't have any kind of disclaimer there"

A “trade-in” is your current car being used as credit toward buying the next one. Instead of selling it yourself, you hand it to the dealer and they subtract its value from the new-car price.

Term

addendum stickers

"and you have addendum stickers, the sticker beside the sticker that jacks up the price on a new car,"

“Addendum stickers” are extra dealer-added price labels. They can add fees or add-ons that raise the price beyond the first sticker you see.

Term

book value

"Yeah, well, we only offer $8,000 over book value for the very best cars that absolutely need nothing that are tops in our market."

Book value is a “typical” used-car price from pricing guides. When a dealer says they’ll pay over book value, they mean they’re paying more than that guide price for your trade-in.

Term

winter sticker

"Well, off of what price? [253.1s] Well, off of the winter sticker. [256.0s] You know, the one, the sticker, the sticker, oh no, no, no."

They’re talking about the sticker price the dealer starts from when they negotiate. It’s the number they use to decide how much they’re “discounting” or “adding” to your trade.

Term

MSRP

"You're still not giving me anything off of MSRP. [265.3s] You're starting at that higher number."

MSRP is the “list price” the manufacturer sets for the car. If a dealer says they won’t discount off MSRP, they’re basically saying they’re not reducing the car’s list price.

Term

monthly payment

"What if we had not talked the sale price or the trade value? [275.5s] And we had just talked about monthly payment."

Monthly payment is what you pay each month on a loan or lease. It can be misleading because two deals can have the same monthly payment but very different total costs.

Term

approved at $5.50 a month

"Salesperson comes back to me and says, good news, I got you approved at $5.50 a month. [288.9s] Oh, good, good."

They’re pitching the deal as “you’re approved for $5.50 per month.” But the real question is what the car costs overall—monthly payment alone doesn’t tell you that.

Term

lease

"I just got some information from Ford on some leases. We talked about leases the other day, and I just thought it was worth showing you how this works and what the dealers have access to."

A lease is like renting a car for a few years with an option to return it. You pay a monthly amount, and the deal is based on what the car is expected to be worth later.

Brand

Ford

"I just got some information from Ford on some leases. We talked about leases the other day, and I just thought it was worth showing you how this works and what the dealers have access to."

Ford is the car company. Here, the host is saying Ford provides lease deal information that dealers can use when quoting offers.

Car

Ford Maverick

"Ford has been generous enough to go ahead and calculate a bunch of leases on different models, everything from a Ford Ranger to a Maverick to a F-150."

The Ford Maverick is a smaller pickup truck. The host is using it as an example of a specific model that can have its own lease deal numbers.

Car

Ford F150

"Ford has been generous enough to go ahead and calculate a bunch of leases on different models, everything from a Ford Ranger to a Maverick to a F-150."

The Ford F-150 is a big, popular pickup truck. Here it’s mentioned because lease deals can be calculated for specific models like this one.

Car

Ford Ranger

"Ford has been generous enough to go ahead and calculate a bunch of leases on different models, everything from a Ford Ranger to a Maverick to a F-150."

The Ford Ranger is a pickup truck. The point here is that Ford can provide lease numbers for specific models like this one.

Term

disclaimer

"So, dealers have something that they can advertise, and then they can put this disclaimer. You know what a disclaimer is. So, that's when you see a price and it has a little asterisk beside it."

A disclaimer is a note that explains the offer has conditions. It’s the part that says “this price only applies if you meet certain requirements.”

Term

Find Print

"It's called the Find Print. And I'm going to give you a little tutorial on looking for finding and analyzing the Find Print. I'll be back in a minute."

“Find Print” means the small, detailed terms in the paperwork. It’s where you learn the real rules of the deal—things you might miss if you only look at the advertised price.

Car

Ford Mustang

"You know, for example, here's a Mustang EcoBoost 2026 model with the 2.3 liter automatic transmission."

This is a Ford Mustang with the EcoBoost engine, meaning it uses a turbocharged four-cylinder instead of the bigger V8. The host uses this specific Mustang example to show how lease pricing and end-of-lease purchase price are calculated.

Term

residual value

"What is the residual value? That's what you can actually purchase the vehicle for once the lease is over and done. In this case, the residual factor is 59% of the MSRP or $26,270."

Residual value is what the leasing company expects the car will be worth at the end of the lease. If you want to buy the car later, that estimate is the starting point for the purchase price.

Car

Ford Escape

"Let me look at another one here, an escape, Ford Escape MSRP, $34,585."

The Ford Escape is a compact SUV. The host brings it up to show that the same lease concepts—like residual value and the buyout price—apply to other vehicles too.

Term

96 months

"On used vehicles, it's $550, and that's why terms are being extended to up to 96 months. That's a lot of months."

“96 months” means the loan is stretched out to about 8 years. That can lower the monthly cost, but you often pay more interest overall and it can be harder to get out of the deal early.

Term

getting buried

"Some of them will loan in excess of 130% of MSRP. And what that's called is not just getting buried once, but getting buried twice."

“Getting buried” means you owe more on the loan than the car is worth. If you try to switch cars again later, that problem can get worse.

Term

bankruptcy

"And then the only option is to file bankruptcy. It's just a way to wipe the slate clean again."

Bankruptcy is a legal way to get rid of certain debts. After it’s done, some people can buy a car again, but lenders may charge higher interest because your credit is affected.

Term

discharged

"I've seen people file bankruptcy and turn around a month later. I mean, once it's discharged, turn around a month later..."

“Discharged” means the bankruptcy court has cleared certain debts. After that, you may be able to get a car loan again, but the interest rate can be higher.

Term

interest rate

"They have to pay a higher interest rate, much higher interest rate. And a lot of it depends on what they've done since."

The interest rate is the extra cost you pay for borrowing. If your credit is worse, lenders often charge a higher interest rate.

Car

Ford Bronco

"because we were freezing. So we got into my Bronco, and I looked straight ahead, and there's a mattr..."

The Ford Bronco is a type of SUV made for both regular driving and off-road adventures. It has a roomy, enclosed cabin so you can stay comfortable even when the weather is cold. The podcast mention suggests they used it to get out of the freezing conditions.

Term

infotainment system

"I feel like somebody just bought a new car trying to figure out the infotainment system. I mean, we have to spend probably 30 minutes just on the dashboard area"

The infotainment system is the car’s screen and controls for things like music, navigation, and phone connections. New cars can be confusing at first, so dealers often spend time teaching it.

Term

power windows

"I mean, when I first started selling cars, you just had to show them how to work the power windows and adjust the mirrors"

Power windows are windows you open and close with buttons instead of turning a hand crank.

Term

adjust the mirrors

"you just had to show them how to work the power windows and adjust the mirrors"

Adjusting the mirrors means setting them so you can see behind and beside you clearly.

Term

8-track

"and adjust the mirrors and maybe how to slide an 8-track into the stereo system. That's about it."

An 8-track is an old type of tape player/car stereo format that used tape cartridges.

Topic

cars and coffee

"Okay, we got cars and coffee tomorrow at Gateway Ford in Greenville, Tennessee. We do it every second Saturday."

“Cars and coffee” is a friendly car meet where people show up with their cars, hang out, and talk about cars over coffee.

Brand

Gateway Nissan

"and get out some lawn chairs and sit around and drink coffee and eat some unhealthy donuts, compliments of Gateway Ford and Gateway Nissan."

Gateway Nissan is another dealership involved in the event atmosphere the host describes.

Concept

properly store it, drain the fuel out of it

"It's become a piece of furniture with oil in it, gas. If you've got an old car, make sure that you properly store it, drain the fuel out of it."

If you’re not driving an old car for a long time, you should store it in a way that prevents fuel-related problems. One common step is draining the fuel so it doesn’t go bad while the car sits.

Concept

history of the car

"You tell them everything that it has on it. Just like the engine size and the history of the car."

“History of the car” is basically what you can prove about where the car has been and who owned it. For classic cars, that kind of proof can make people trust the car more and pay more.

Term

engine size

"You tell them everything that it has on it. Just like the engine size and the history of the car."

“Engine size” tells you how big the engine is. Bigger or different engine sizes can change how the car feels and what buyers expect it to be worth.

Car

57 Chevy

"My 57 Chevy that I bought. It's unbelievable. It is an absolutely remarkable restoration."

“57 Chevy” means a 1957 Chevrolet, a very famous classic car. The point here is that if you can prove who restored it and what the car’s background is, it can make the car worth more to collectors.

Term

restoration

"It is an absolutely remarkable restoration. And it looks as good on the underside as it does on the top."

“Restoration” means someone rebuilt and refreshed the car to make it look and work like it should. The host is saying this one was done so well you can tell even underneath.

Concept

value of it

"If I knew the history and if it was good history, it could add 10, 20% to the value of it."

They’re saying that if you can prove the car’s background and restoration quality, buyers may pay more. In other words, good documentation can raise the price.

Term

accident estimate

"or several pictures of it, get a copy of the estimate, put it in an envelope and stick it in your glove box."

An accident estimate is a document from a repair shop that lists what it would cost to fix the damage. Keeping it helps prove what happened and what repairs were needed.

Term

Carfax

"what the dealership's going to do is they're going to pull a car fax and they're going to see that it's had an accident."

Carfax is a report that shows a car’s history. It can include things like accidents, so dealers and buyers use it to judge what the car is really worth.

Term

four-wheel drive

"Let's say that you have a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab four-wheel drive with 100,000 miles on it, has a Z71 package, it's got leather seats and, you know, it's in decent condition."

Four-wheel drive means power goes to all four wheels. That helps the truck grip better on slippery or rough roads.

Term

extended cab

"Let's say that you have a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab four-wheel drive with 100,000 miles on it, has a Z71 package, it's got leather seats and, you know, it's in decent condition."

Extended cab is a pickup configuration with extra space behind the front seats. It’s usually smaller than a crew cab, but gives you more room than a basic regular cab.

Car

2020 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab four-wheel drive

"Let's say that you have a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab four-wheel drive with 100,000 miles on it, has a Z71 package, it's got leather seats and, you know, it's in decent condition."

A Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size pickup truck. This example is a 2020 Silverado with an extended cab (more space behind the front seats) and four-wheel drive (better traction in snow, dirt, or rough roads).

Term

Z71 package

"Let's say that you have a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab four-wheel drive with 100,000 miles on it, has a Z71 package, it's got leather seats and, you know, it's in decent condition."

The Z71 package is an off-road-focused option on some Silverado trucks. It usually adds upgrades that make the truck better for dirt roads and rough conditions.

Term

leather seats

"has a Z71 package, it's got leather seats and, you know, it's in decent condition."

Leather seats are a nicer interior material than cloth. They can make a used truck more appealing and sometimes help it sell for more.

Term

AutoTrader

"Go to AutoTrader, it'll pull up hundreds of them [1253.3s] and search for vehicles that have similar mileage to yours."

AutoTrader is a website where you can look up car listings. The host is saying you can use it to find cars similar to yours and see what they’re selling for.

Term

markups

"Now, is a car dealer going to give you that much for your car? [1295.0s] No, because he's going to have markups. [1298.0s] So you need to discount that number by about 10%."

A markup is the extra amount a dealer charges to make money. So even if your car looks worth a certain amount online, the dealer may offer less because they’ll add their own profit on top.

Term

VIN number

"then you just send the information to me, the VIN number, [1310.2s] the trim packages that it has on it, the miles that it has,"

The VIN number is like your car’s unique ID code. If you give it to a dealer, they can look up the exact car and figure out what it’s worth more accurately.

Term

trim packages

"the VIN number, [1310.2s] the trim packages that it has on it, the miles that it has,"

Trim packages are the specific equipment levels and option bundles a car came with (for example, different infotainment, wheels, or driver-assist features). They matter for valuation because two cars with the same model can be priced very differently depending on what’s included.

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