The fourth generation means this is the latest version of the Mazda MX-5 Miata, which has been updated since it first came out. Each generation usually brings new features and improvements.
A two-liter four-cylinder engine is a type of car engine that has four cylinders and can hold two liters of fuel. It's often found in smaller cars and helps them run efficiently while providing decent power.
Torque measures how much twisting force an engine can produce. It's important for how quickly a car can start moving and how much weight it can pull. Higher torque means better acceleration and towing ability.
Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful an engine is. The higher the horsepower number, the more work the engine can do, which usually means the car can go faster or accelerate better.
Power-to-weight ratio tells you how much power a car has compared to how heavy it is. If a car is light and has a lot of power, it can go faster and accelerate better.
Miles per gallon tells you how efficiently a car uses fuel. The higher the number, the less fuel the car needs to travel a certain distance, which is better for your wallet and the environment.
A road course racetrack is a track with turns and straight parts where cars can race. It's different from oval tracks and is used to see how well cars handle.
Base trim price is the lowest price you can pay for a car model before adding any extra features or upgrades. It's like the starting point for the car's cost.
The Toyota GR86 is a small sports car that is fun to drive and has a rear-wheel-drive system, which means the power goes to the back wheels for better handling.
2025 is the year when this specific version of the Mazda MX-5 Miata will be sold. Car models often have a year associated with them to show when they were made.
The Mazda 3 is a small car that is fun to drive and looks good. It comes in two styles: a regular car shape and a hatchback, which has a rear door that opens upwards.
All-wheel drive means that the car can send power to all four wheels at the same time. This helps the car grip the road better, especially when it's rainy or snowy.
Trim levels are different versions of the same car that have different features and prices. For example, some might have more luxury options than others.
An auto-sense power liftgate is a back door of a car that opens automatically when you wave your foot or press a button, which is helpful when your hands are busy.
These are the car's wheels that are 22 inches wide and 8.5 inches across. They are made of aluminum, which is lighter than regular steel wheels, helping the car perform better.
The Chevrolet Tahoe is a big SUV that can carry a lot of people and is good for towing things like boats. It's a popular choice for families and outdoor activities.
The Chevrolet Suburban is a large vehicle that can carry many passengers and lots of cargo. It's often used by families or for work, and you might see it in movies or TV shows because it's popular with security teams.
A climate-controlled environment is a place where the temperature and humidity are kept at specific levels. This helps protect classic cars from getting damaged by things like rust and mold.
Renault is a car company from France that makes different types of vehicles, like small cars and SUVs. They are known for being creative and have a history in racing.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a fast and stylish sports car that many people admire. It's known for being powerful and is often seen in car shows or racing events.
A small block V8 is an engine with eight cylinders that are arranged in a V shape. It's popular because it provides a good mix of power and fuel efficiency.
The Oldsmobile Cutlass is a car that was made for many years and came in different styles. It was popular because it was practical and offered a good mix of features.
The Ford Torino is a car that was made in the late 1960s and 1970s and is known for being sporty and fun to drive. It was popular during a time when many people loved fast cars.
The Dodge Charger Daytona is a special version of the Charger that was built for speed and racing. It's famous for its unique look and is very popular among collectors.
The Pontiac GTO is a classic car known for being very fast and powerful. It was one of the first cars to be called a 'muscle car' and is still popular with collectors today.
The Plymouth GTX is a powerful car that was made in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It's known for being fast and stylish, and many people who love classic cars really admire it.
The Ford Mustang is a popular car known for being fast and fun to drive. It's often seen as a symbol of American cars and has a lot of fans who love its sporty look.
The Ford Galaxy is a big car that was made for families, offering lots of space and comfort. It was popular back in the day for being a reliable choice for long drives.
The Plymouth Roadrunner is a fast car that was popular in the late 1960s and 1970s. It was known for being fun to drive and had a cartoon character as its mascot.
The Pontiac Trans Am is a sporty version of the Firebird that many people love for its cool look and speed. It became famous in movies and is a favorite among car fans.
The Pontiac Firebird is a sporty car that was made for several decades and is known for being powerful and stylish. It became really popular in movies and has a strong fan base.
All right, so let's do this hour's car review, shall we?
Mm-hmm.
Had a chance to drive the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata, final assembly location Hiroshima, Japan.
Yes, home of the atomic bomb.
Mm-hmm.
Available trim levels come in sport, club, grand touring, and 35th anniversary edition.
If you're watching, what you're seeing there is the 35th anniversary edition.
It's a good car.
This is a two-seater.
It's classified as a two-seater.
And exterior changes from last model year.
Well, it is part of the fourth generation that was originally introduced in 2016.
This is the best-looking Mazda MX-5 Miata that has ever been in existence as far as I'm concerned.
I love the peaks on the fender wells up front.
Notice how it's almost a Corvette-like look up there.
Long hood, short deck, classic sports car shape.
Crisp top of the front fender, low to the ground grill, bulging rear fenders to
carry the rubber back there.
Unique taillights fit its unique overall design.
What I liked about it, everything.
I love the fact that the shape of it, including the grille, all proportionate.
Nothing is overdone, but what is there is really outstanding, I think.
Interior highlights.
Love your passenger because it's very tight confines on the inside.
And six-footers, beware.
Oh, boy.
Modern infotainment system and instrument cluster.
Clean look dash design with no passenger side glove box.
The tiny storage area is behind and between the two seats.
It's interesting.
You can't actually look in there if you're driving.
You just got to kind of feel around in there and hopefully you remembered where
you put whatever it is that you put in.
It's dry.
Trunk room is tiny.
One overnight bag, and that is all.
What I liked about it, the easy to use top.
It's a one-click thing for the top.
And you put it down manually right behind you.
And the same thing to put it up.
There's no electric top or nothing like that.
It's manual, but it works so well.
It's unbelievable.
Nice.
The manual shifter that you see there, it is butter.
It works like butter.
I have never driven a car with a shifter like that.
It's so smooth.
Unbelievable.
What could you use improvement?
Well, it is what it is.
It's tiny.
Well, I remember when they came out with this car
and they sent all the press out there to debut the car.
And everything about it, there is a name that they used,
and it's a Japanese name.
I can't remember what it is.
For instance, like the steering wheel.
Where the steering wheel is placed in the car,
it's dead center up front of the driver.
If you will notice, your car is off-set.
They're off-set.
The steering wheel is a little bit off-set
one way or the other to accommodate the mechanics
underneath the hood.
Anyway, just a bit of trivia.
Two-liter four-cylinder engine turns out 181 horsepower,
151 pound-feet of torque.
But let me tell you this.
That is all about the fact, power-to-weight ratio.
The car weighs nothing.
In 181 horsepower, it feels like it's
got a great big block Chevy 400 horsepower motor.
Well, it's because you're in a small environment
and you're low to the ground.
And the car doesn't weigh anything.
Toe-raining, no, it's none.
Hall-raining, it hauls butt.
How about that?
Manufacturers set up as far as miles per gallon
is concerned, 26 city, 34 highway for combined at 29.
I got 34.5 miles per gallon over 453.1 miles.
What I liked about it, power-to-weight ratio is awesome.
What could use improvement?
This is a purpose-built sports car
that can cut a rug around a road course racetrack.
And if you want to go and have some real fun,
get yourself one of these.
What I liked about it, handling on this thing is awesome.
What could use improvement?
Maybe a bit too stiff for those looking
for a highway cruiser, because that it is not.
It will cruise the highway.
There's no doubt about it, but the ride,
well, it's a sport car ride.
Here's the pricing.
Base trim price is 37,485.
Price is tested, 37,435.
Now, I don't know what happened to the $50 there.
Just by looking at it, I guess they want you to say,
I like the car.
Base model price, you can get in one of these
for 29,530.
Yeah.
So here are the competitors.
The Toyota GR86 starts at 30,400.
It's cousin, the Subaru BRZ starts at 33,210.
Wow.
The other competitor, if you want to call it that,
the Mini Cooper is $28,950.
That's my review of the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Love the car.
As far as a six-footer person is concerned,
it's a little tight.
I was going to say, so when you go to a amusement park,
you have to be taller than this line to get into that car.
If you're, and with the car,
if you're taller than this line, you can't drive it.
Yeah. Well, I will tell you this.
So I had my buddy that I work with, Matt.
Matt got in it.
Matt is a little heavier set than I am.
By golly, he could fit.
Now, his knees did touch the dashboard,
but he could make it work.
So I'm telling you, if you really want to,
for no other reason, go out, take a look at it.
I think that you'll really have a good time
looking at the car if you don't want to buy it.
And a step up from that would be what the Mazda 3
to be a little bit larger vehicle kind of.
Yes, I guess.
But it's size-wise.
You lose the whole two-wheel thing though,
when you do that.
Yeah. Yeah.
You lose the performance.
Hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us,
send us an email.
The address here is info at inwheeltime.com.
We are back after this quick break.
Stay with us.
I'll see you in the next video.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Nice dining experience is defined by Lupi Tortilla,
your destination for Texas' best beef fajitas
and frozen margaritas.
Since 1983, Lupi Tortilla has served
authentic and time-tested recipes made
with the freshest ingredients.
Atmosphere is part of the award-winning experience
at Lupi Tortilla, all developed in the Little
House near Highway 6 and I-10 in West Houston.
Visit any of the Lupi Tortillas
and you'll see the same attention to detail
in each and every location.
Start your Lupi experience with queso flamiado and guacamole,
along with a classic frozen margarita.
Dine on famous Lupi beef and chicken fajitas
or pepper shrimp brochette, or a fish or vegetarian entree
and finish with a scrumptious flan for dessert.
Find Lupi Tortilla in Houston College Station,
Beaumont, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, Fort Worth.
There's a Texas location near you.
The recipes are authentic and time-tested.
The ingredients always fresh.
Lupi Tortilla.
He's pretty good.
Apple or Android, In Wheel Time podcasts
can be found everywhere, on the stream and through downloads.
Whether you're on the road or at home
and jones in for a different kind of car talk show,
give In Wheel Time a try.
Honest new car reviews, fun and formative interviews
with real car people, weekly automotive news,
features like Jeff's car culture
and Mike's driving destinations, all on In Wheel Time.
Check us out on SiriusXM Podcasts, iHeart Radio,
or while you're shopping on Amazon through Amazon Music.
InwheelTime.com has a list, and we know you love lists.
["In Wheel Time"]
You're on, Michael.
In case you're just joining us, we...
I'm talking about the 2025 GMC Acadia Denali.
No, you're going to be talking about it.
No, I am talking about it now.
The Denali all-wheel drive version of this vehicle.
Now, this is a mid-sized crossover SUV.
It comes in three trim levels.
The elevation, which has an all-wheel drive variation to it.
The AT4 and the Denali.
And we happen to have the Denali with the all-wheel drive.
Now, this is the third generation of the Acadia.
It was introduced in 2024.
So 2025 is kind of some tweaks, some updates on it.
And we happen to have the seven passenger model.
I found out, I haven't seen it,
but in the elevation, you can get an eight passenger seating
arrangement on it.
Out front, you're going to find rain-sensing wipers,
LED lighting.
You've got a panoramic sunroof.
You've got roof rails on it.
You've got a auto-sense power liftgate that works pretty good.
And then you've got a 22 by 8 1⁄2 inch aluminum wheels
on this vehicle that look really well.
Now, that is the optional package.
And we also had the Traderang package,
which I'm mentioning in that here,
because that's part of what we'll get to in just a little bit.
The interior, we had the leather seating,
which is the Denali.
That's what you expect.
Front seats are heated and ventilated.
The second row are bucket seats in this model.
Again, if you happen to get the eight passenger seating
arrangement, that would be a bench seat.
Then we had the third row is the 6040 split
with the one-touch fold option.
When you lift up the gate, there's a button right there.
You push it, and everything starts folding.
It's really cool if you try and put cargo in,
you don't think to fold it down before you get to it.
Up front, we had the 15-inch display.
Now, it's standard in this vehicle.
That's where you're going to find all your convenience
controls, the nav, your surround vision cameras
to see around all the vehicle.
We also had the 11-inch driver information center
right in front of us.
Got a lot of different ways that you can configure that
to however you want it, to where you get the information
you need about the vehicle.
The rear camera mirror works great.
It's got a really good picture on that.
And I've come to like that a whole lot,
and I miss it when we don't have it.
This unit happens to have a rear air conditioning system
on it, too.
Bose 16-speaker audio system will fill this thing up
with plenty of sound.
Now, up front, the only engine you're going to get in this
is a 2.5-liter turbo.
It has 328 horsepower, it's 326 pounds.
Four cylinder?
Yes.
Four cylinder.
326 pound-feet.
Maybe losing a say.
8-speed automatic transmission.
Did you lose your place?
When I was looking for something else,
when you said that, I said, anyway,
it's rated to tow 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.
Now that's where the trailer and package comes in
with this vehicle so that you can get to that.
Now, the EPA says you should be looking for 19
in the city, 24 on the highway, and combined 21.
Now, I drove this vehicle 138 miles
the days that I had it, and I got 18 miles per gallon
as an overall average on it.
You only drove it 100 miles?
130.
Ooh, okay, 130.
Well, my crosstown commute is four miles.
So why didn't you drive it over here last weekend?
Well, because I had to drive the truck,
because we were bringing gear and loading gear up
and stuff and all that, the other week that I had that.
Sorry, I didn't mean to sidetrack you, go ahead.
Well, but out on the highway, I did push it out
on the highway some, and it was surprisingly quiet
for that big of a vehicle.
Sometimes you think, well, it's big, and it's open,
and it's going to have a lot of echo and a lot of noise.
It's only got a four-banger in it.
And it's got responsive steering.
It's very responsive.
And it has the performance suspension on the Denali.
So not only is it roomy, but it's very responsive,
and it doesn't wobble all over the road.
Now, based on the price on a vehicle like this, 42,900.
The base trim price is 55,900.
Six.
And MSRP, as we got it, was 64,410.
Oh my God.
So it's kind of up there when you look at the Ford Explorer
that starts at 39.7.
The Honda Pilot starts at 40,200.
The Kia Telluride, which I happen to like that vehicle
as well, 36,390.
So at the base trim level, but again,
you're talking about this is the Denali,
so it does have a lot of extra things on it,
a lot of extra touches that are considered upgrades in it.
But if you're looking for that size of vehicle,
I was really impressed.
My wife was impressed with it.
You know, it's something that you should look at.
Heck yeah.
If you want to tow $5,000, I'll owe.
He almost feels like you're driving the bigger Tahoe.
To me, it's like, I don't want to use the term downscaled Tahoe.
It's a little bit smaller than a Tahoe,
but to me, the luxury is there.
That thing that you're driving today,
what is that thing out there?
The one that you're driving?
Is it Traverse?
Yes.
The Traverse.
That's another one.
You pulled up and then I thought,
well, that's a suburban.
Oh no, it's a Tahoe.
So they're making these vehicles,
they're changing the body style.
And they look really good and they look a lot bigger
than the original version of that thing.
Well, I think absolutely all of them have gotten bigger
slowly, but surely over the last 10 or 12 years,
everything has, but they just, they look,
they're taking on more of a luxurious trim look to me.
Yeah, they are.
That's exactly it.
Because I was looking at that one
and I'm thinking, you know,
you see all these guys in the black Suburbans
and all their black suits on TV, you know,
and I thought, why wouldn't you drive this?
You know, it's, it's as big and it's nice
and four door, easy to end it up.
Anyway, that's the 2025 Acadia Denali all wheel drive.
What does Denali mean?
It means it's a mountain.
Yeah, it means the high one or tall one.
It's an Alaskan name.
Yep.
I Googled why you're doing it.
Back in the...
MUSIC
All right, time now here on Inwheel Time for Jeff's feature this week, drawbacks to owning
a classic car.
Yeah, owning a classic car can be a dream come true for many enthusiasts, but it also
comes with its own set of challenges.
So the first thing that comes to mind is high maintenance costs.
Owning a classic car often involves higher maintenance costs.
Parts that can be rare and expensive and finding a mechanic experience and working on it is
challenging as well.
So regular maintenance tasks such as oil changes, brakes adjustments, carburetor tuning and
all of that is costly, so you got high maintenance costs.
Limited availability of those parts, finding replacement parts for a classic car can
be difficult due to their age, Don, and rarity.
Many parts are no longer in production.
Owners may need to source them from specialty suppliers, salvage ours or other collectors.
Get on a network and find out what's going on that way.
So parts are a problem.
Lack of modern safety features.
Classic cars lack that safety feature parts of the interior and why you want to do that.
Airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control and advanced driver assistance systems are
no longer available in some of those just non-existent.
The absence of these can be more dangerous to drive, especially in the event of an accident.
So beyond that, how are you going to store it?
Well, storage requirements, proper storage is crucial for preventing a classic car's
condition.
Preserving, I should say, a classic car's condition.
These vehicles often require climate-controlled environment to prevent rust, mold and other
forms of deterioration, rot, rot and you've got animals, creatures and rodents
and things like that depending on where you store it.
So be careful of that.
Invest in specialized storage if you can.
Next one would be reliability.
If you've got reliability issues.
Is that a renault?
I don't know.
That's a renault.
I think that's, yeah, that could be.
It's a renault.
It used to be a renault.
And I think it's like scrap now.
Reliability of classic cars can be unpredictable due to their age and the potential for worn
and outdated components.
Vehicles may experience frequent breakdowns, especially if you're on tour or you're
on a road or you're at a car function and you break down.
How embarrassing is that?
The next would be vulnerability to theft.
Classic cars can be attractive targets for thieves due to their high value and demand.
And the ease of stealing one.
Exactly.
Owners need to invest in additional security measures such as alarms, tracking systems,
secure storage area facilities to protect their investments.
So, beyond that, Michael, you've got high depreciation risks.
You got lack of comfort in those vehicles.
You're driving it as the seat have cushion in it.
Are you taking a date out for a nice cruise?
The difficulty of finding a mechanic.
Do you know a guy?
Is it a guy that knows a guy or is it a neighbor or something like that?
Or a professional repair?
Or are you going to be the moron know-it-all?
Poor handling.
I mean, you got the proper tires.
You got the proper suspension.
Are you going to take it on long runs?
Those are all to be considered as well.
Legal and registration aspects.
How do you register it?
How do you insure it?
Yeah.
How do you insure it?
Well, yeah.
So, all of those can be an issue, so be careful, because hot ride season is coming
up.
Once we get past the first of the year, it's no holds barred.
Let's get it done again.
Well, I have to tell you that I, when I decided that I was going to get in
the show car business and get the 77 Corvette that I had driven for two, three years off
the road and give it a million dollar paint job and redo the interior with only 35,000
miles on it.
Ouch.
I was looking for a car to drive.
Well, my moronic self decided that he was going to go for the 56 or 57 Chevy pickup
truck, half ton.
And it was basically a rest-o-mod.
One of the mechanics over at Richardson Chevrolet had dropped a small block V8 in it, had an
automatic transmission, a three-speed automatic transmission in it, and had been painted not
quite root beer brown, but as dark brown.
You don't ever buy a brown car.
Well, won't.
Don't.
I had a cutlass that was brown.
It was chestnut brown from Cadillac paint.
Chestnut brown.
And it was gorgeous.
Okay.
Well, you stay with that thing.
Yeah.
You keep that.
Your brown car.
It's kind of like buying a green race car, ain't going to happen.
Anyway, I bought this thing.
So it's, you know, had all the bugs worked out of it, baloney, it did not.
It was a total pain in my side.
I spent more time keeping that car truck running for me to get back and forth to work
in than I did with the Corvette.
It was a pain.
But you wanted it.
It was, it was.
It looked cool.
It was a dream car at the time.
No, it wasn't a dream car.
It was a filled-the-gap car.
Gotcha.
I've had a couple of those.
So time now for Jeff's car culture.
You betcha.
Banned, crushed and forgotten muscle.
That's right.
So not every muscle car made it to glory.
Some were banned before they even hit the streets.
Others were quietly crushed after their moment had passed.
So this first one up on the block is a 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL1.
The 69 ZL1 was technically a production car, but just barely.
Chevy built just two of these, powered with an all-aluminum 427 V8 designated for racing.
The engine alone added four grand to the price, doubling the cost of that standard
Corvette and that year-made model.
Too expensive, too aggressive for the public roads.
The ZL1 faded into obscurity, and it just went away.
Well, it didn't fade that much because you got it on this thing.
Well, both examples survive, but they're in private collections and not used.
So next one, 71 Ford Torino King Cobra.
Ford's response to the Dodge Charger Daytona and then put the Superbird was the Torino
King Cobra.
Sleek, fast back, and radically sloped nose, designed for NASCAR aerodynamics.
Not exactly.
Only three prototypes were built before NASCAR changed the rules after they built them, said
no more.
No more of that.
With the program scrapped, the King Cobra never reached production.
The prototypes were quietly shelved and the 429 jet engine silenced before they could
make the headlines.
I wonder where that car is today?
It's a museum piece.
65 Pontiac Catalina 2 plus 2, 421 high output.
I remember these.
I love that car.
The 1AX Catalina 2 plus 2 was built to move, especially when equipped with the 421 high
output engine, making 376 horsepower at the time.
Though it was a full-sized coupe, it had quarter-mile performance that rivaled mid-sized
muscle cars, but overshadowed by its GTO sibling.
So it's a little bit smaller on the GTO side, but that's a beautiful car.
Plus it's a rag top.
That's good.
Next one we're going to go to, Mike, is the 71 AMC Matador machine.
The machine.
AMC planned to follow up with the Rebel machine with a more aggressive Matador version in
71.
The idea was to carry over the machine's 401 V8 and the graphics, but marketing didn't
back it.
They didn't like it.
A few prototypes were made, but the project quietly died before mass production.
What's left of the Matador machine concept is mostly photos, paperwork, and a few scattered
parts.
No one completed cars have survived, making it one of the strangest AMCs here.
Just a minute, that's a late model Tahoe back there in the back, so somebody's got that
there.
Yeah, somebody's got that there, but that's just what I can tell you.
Okay.
Maybe it's a Photoshop.
It could be.
1966 Fairlane GTX prototype.
This Fairlane was a Ford prototype created to bridge the gap between the Mustang and
the full-sized Galaxy.
So what do you have?
There's the valve covers that have shot through the hood there to be in.
What the hell is that?
They're loose bolts.
I think it's been recalled.
No, but if you think about the later models of the Roadrunner and stuff, they had hoods
too.
Not like that.
That's ridiculous.
Not here that tall.
It wore unique badging interior trim, reportedly tested a few suspension tweaks that would
later show up on the GT and the Cobra models.
It never intended for production, but after a few developmental changes, it was reportedly
destroyed.
What makes it interesting is how the little photographic evidence remains.
One of these cars you hear about, engineering's performed, executives, all that good stuff.
No one knows where it went.
What?
So that is a new Explorer or something.
Yeah.
It's an expedition or something.
Expedition.
There you go.
73.
Somebody has that car.
73 Pontiac Transam SD455 with an aluminum block or as they say, aluminum block.
SD was super duty.
Super duty 455 is already a rare piece of Pontiac history, but there's a subset
of prototypes that took things further.
A handful of pre-production cars were fitted with experimental aluminum blocks for weight
savings and better heat distribution.
Only a few were ever built and most were destroyed after testing.
None were sold to the public.
Rumors persisted about one surviving car, private hands, but nothing has been confirmed.
That's a pretty car.
I like that car.
Well, that would be easy to do.
You could hide that all aluminum V8 underneath the hood.
Even though it was just a regular Transam at the time or a Camaro or Firebird, whatever.
All the externals.
Yeah.
And there's companies that make the retro.
They'll take a new Camaro and they'll make it look with the old body styling and stuff.
Yeah.
It's still new, but they'll make it kind of retro looking.
That's no fun.
I had an aluminum block car one time.
It was the lightweight, I understand, but it always had a heating problem.
You had to be careful that you didn't cook the engine because it just didn't take
much to heat it up.
Well, you're probably using the mechanical fan on the front there of the motor.
Oh, absolutely.
1963.
Oh, yeah.
They didn't invent them back then.
So it was, you know, I could see why they tried it, but it didn't work so good.
You own a car you love.
Well, why not let Gulf Coast Auto Shield protect it?
Houstonian John Gray invites you to his state of the art facility to introduce you to his
specialist team of auto enthusiasts.
We promise you'll be impressed.
Whether you're looking to massage your original paint to a like new appearance, apply a ceramic
coating, install a paint protection film, nanoceramic window tint, or new windshield
protection called ExoShield, Gulf Coast Auto Shield is where Houston's car people
go.
Curved your wheels?
Instead of buying new, why not have them repaired?
How about a professionally installed radar detector?
Gulf Coast Auto Shield does that too.
Get a peek inside the shop and look at the services offered by getting online and heading
to gcautoshield.com.
Better yet, stop by their facility at 11275 South San Houston, Tolway, just south
of the Southwest Freeway and get a personal tour.
Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your place to go for all things exterior.
Call them today, 832-930-5655 or gcautoshield.com.
The award-winning In Wheel Time Car Talk Show now reaches 5.3 million folks each year.
Check us out on InWheelTime.com, YouTube, Facebook, and podcasts available from your
favorite go-to source, including our live broadcast every Saturday, 10 to noon Central
Time.
The In Wheel Time Car Talk Show has informative automotive guest interviews, new car reviews
along with popular features including driving destinations, Jeff's car culture, latest
car news, cruise ins, and racing dates.
It's all on InWheelTime.com.
That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show.
I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning,
8 to 11 a.m. Central on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our InWheelTime.com website.
Links are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Podcast, Podcast Addict, Tune
In, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
Keep listening and we'll see you soon.
About this episode
A detailed review of the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata highlights its stunning design, impressive handling, and spirited performance. The hosts discuss the car's compact size, interior quirks, and the joy of driving it, especially with its smooth manual transmission. They also compare it to competitors like the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ, while touching on the practicality challenges of a two-seater. The episode transitions into a review of the 2025 GMC Acadia Denali, emphasizing its spacious interior, advanced tech features, and towing capacity, along with a discussion on classic car ownership challenges.
We wrap up the year with two radically different drives, one honest verdict. We put the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata through its paces to see if a featherweight roadster with a manual top and a “butter” shifter still delivers peak driving joy in a world of screens and mega-SUVs. Then we jump into the 2025 GMC Acadia Denali to test whether a quiet, tech-rich, seven-passenger family hauler can feel premium without feeling ponderous, and how its turbo power, towing rating, and Denali hardware stack up against segment favorites.
We start with design that tells the truth. The Miata’s long hood, short deck shape and crisp fender lines aren’t nostalgia plays; they’re a blueprint for balance and feedback. Inside, space is tight by intent, storage is minimal, and everything you touch feels straightforward and well judged. The two-liter engine’s 181 horsepower rides an ideal power-to-weight ratio, delivering real-world pace, great fuel economy, and handling that begs for backroads. We underline who it fits, who it doesn’t, and why its clarity of purpose is its superpower.
From there, we scale up to the Acadia Denali and its different kind of promise: room for seven, quiet cruising, and tech that actually helps. The 15-inch center display, 11-inch driver cluster, surround-view cameras, rear camera mirror, and one-touch folding third row raise daily ease. The turbo 2.5 with 328 horsepower and a 5,000-pound tow rating brings capability, while the Denali’s suspension tuning keeps it poised. We parse real-life fuel economy, pricing that climbs with options, and comparisons to the Kia Telluride and Chevrolet Traverse to help you decide if the Denali premium is worth it.
We close by getting real about classic cars: rare parts, higher maintenance costs, limited safety, storage and theft risks, and why resto-mods can be both dream and headache. Plus, a tour through banned, crushed, and forgotten muscle legends that almost changed the landscape. If you love driving feel, need family flexibility, or dream of garage icons, this review gives you the tradeoffs and the wins. Enjoy the ride, then share your pick, subscribe for more real-world reviews, and leave a rating to help other car lovers find the show.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
---- ----- Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time?
In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy!
Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are. ----- ----- Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.
In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:
Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.
Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTime
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/
https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltime
https://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTime
For more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at