Dan and Nick kick off with a shoutout to Milwaukee's excellent customer service before diving into a heated discussion about a controversial Wall Street Journal automotive review that mixes politics with truck culture, sparking debate about the state of automotive journalism. They reflect on the challenges of honest car reviews and share their favorite automotive content creators like Doug DeMuro and Zip Tie Tuning. The episode blends tool talk, industry insights, and media critique with a casual, conversational vibe.
We talk about cars all the time, but we’re not out there test driving them very often so we don’t really consider ourselves “car reviewers”. Reporting in general has changed significantly over the years, and the latest “review” on the F250 by Dan Neil in the WSJ shows how even car reviews aren’t safe from bad taste and political soap boxes. In better car review news, the real car reviews on the new Rivian R2 have started to drop and we all seem to think it’s a great step in the right direction EVs as a whole, but we would love to hear your thoughts on it. Dan is more excited for the Scout and Rivian R3, and we both think the new Slate is unfortunately doomed due to increasing costs. Who do you think was the biggest brand loser of 2025? We give our vote to Ford for having more recalls than we didn’t think possible and the huge failure of the Lightning, which should have been an easy win. In really good consumer news, the Michelin and BF Goodrich discount is renewed for 2026 and you can save more than ever by buying from our partners at Discount Tire! Considering how warm it has been in the PNW, it’s getting close to time to get those new summer tires anyway!
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"the general the gist of it is, if you drive forward F 250, you"
The Ford F-250 is a big truck that can carry and pull heavy stuff. People use it for work or when they need a strong vehicle.
The Ford F-250 is a heavy-duty pickup truck known for its towing and hauling capabilities. It is part of Ford's Super Duty lineup, popular among those needing a robust work vehicle.
""Speaking of reviews, and I haven't watched a ton of them. The new Rivian. Is it the R2? The new R2 is out. Yeah, and we'll get to our Carter tip in a minute. The Yeah, the new R2 launch Doug MKBHD, all the popular people have been putting it online""
The Rivian R2 is a new electric truck that runs on batteries instead of gas. It's made by a company called Rivian and is smaller and cheaper than their first trucks.
The Rivian R2 is an upcoming electric pickup truck from Rivian, a company known for its electric adventure vehicles. It is positioned as a smaller, more affordable model compared to their earlier R1T and R1S models.
"the R2 is a natural progression. It's going from body on frame to unibody."
Body-on-frame means the car's body sits on a strong frame underneath. This makes the car tough but heavier.
Body-on-frame is a vehicle construction method where the body is mounted on a separate frame. It is common in trucks and traditional SUVs, providing durability but often adding weight.
"It's got a pretty good ground clearance. It's got some really nice features,"
Ground clearance is how high the car sits above the road. More clearance means it can go over bumps easier.
Ground clearance is the distance between the lowest point of a vehicle and the ground, affecting its ability to drive over obstacles and rough terrain.
"...rsion? I don't know. I haven't shown it yet. Your ranger size? Yeah. Well, you've got the R3 coming out to..."
The Ford Ranger is a medium-sized truck that many people use for work or fun because it's not too big but still strong. It's good for carrying stuff or driving on rough roads. They might be talking about a new version coming out soon.
The Ford Ranger is a midsize pickup truck known for its versatility and capability, often praised for balancing size and utility. It's significant as a popular choice for those needing a practical truck without the bulk of a full-size pickup. The mention of an 'R3' likely refers to a new or upcoming variant or trim.
"...ike a small compact car, right? It's sort of like Outback competitor. Oh, which Subaru, you know who I'm ta..."
The Subaru Outback is a car that’s good for families and can drive well in snow or rain because it has special wheels. It’s like a small SUV that can carry a lot of stuff. They were probably talking about how it compares to other cars.
The Subaru Outback is a popular crossover wagon known for its all-wheel drive and practicality, often competing in the small SUV segment. It’s favored for its versatility and capability in various weather conditions. The context suggests it’s being compared to similar vehicles.
"back to EV. I don't know if it's unfortunate or not enough about the the math and politics behind it to be honest. I think it's important to say I don't have an educated opinion on this with the EV tax breaks."
Electric vehicles are cars that run on batteries and electricity instead of gas, so they don't make smoke from the tailpipe.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars powered entirely or primarily by electric motors using energy stored in batteries, rather than internal combustion engines. They produce zero tailpipe emissions but rely on electricity which may come from various sources.
"your your oil does give you a little bit of horsepower. And the reason is is because when you drain out the old oil, you drain about a bunch of sludge and contaminants out of your engine. New oil is causing friction and slowing it down. Exactly. Okay, new oil flows better. Simple as that. Is it a noticeable amount of horsepower? No, that's your butt dyno lying to you."
Horsepower tells you how strong a car's engine is and how much power it can make. More horsepower usually means the car can go faster or accelerate quicker.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement for engine power output, indicating how much work an engine can perform over time. It helps quantify the performance capability of a vehicle's engine.
"Is it a noticeable amount of horsepower? No, that's your butt dyno lying to you. But my butt dyno's truth. I mean, that's the only one I trust from all the tests that I looked up"
Butt dyno means how fast or powerful a car feels to you when you're sitting in it, not from any special machine but just from your own feeling.
The term 'butt dyno' humorously refers to a driver's subjective feeling of a car's performance based on seat-of-the-pants sensations rather than objective measurements.
"Exactly. Everybody knows that. K&N sticker. Absolutely. Even if you don't have a K&N filter."
K&N makes special air filters that help your car's engine breathe better, which can make it a little more powerful.
K&N is a company that manufactures high-performance air filters and intake systems designed to improve engine airflow and potentially increase horsepower.
"engine on an engine dyno will produce about one to three horsepower engine dyno. There's also, you know, there's all sorts of parasitic losses through the drivetrain."
An engine dyno is a machine that tests just the engine to see how powerful it is, without the other parts of the car slowing it down.
An engine dynamometer (engine dyno) is a device used to measure the power output of an engine alone, without the losses caused by the drivetrain. It helps in tuning and testing engine performance.
"engine dyno. There's also, you know, there's all sorts of parasitic losses through the drivetrain. But if you're on an engine dyno and you change the oil after 5000 miles, you can say one to three horsepower increase,"
Parasitic losses are like the engine losing some of its power because parts like the gears and belts use up energy before the car moves.
Parasitic losses refer to the power lost in a vehicle's drivetrain and other components due to friction, heat, and mechanical resistance. These losses mean the engine's power is reduced before it reaches the wheels.
"I was watching Cletus McFarland who was he has he just did some downpipes on his ZR1 and ended up with a lot more horsepower."
The Corvette ZR1 is a very fast and strong sports car made by Chevrolet. People often make it even faster by changing parts.
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a high-performance variant of the Corvette sports car, known for its powerful engine and advanced engineering. It is often modified for increased horsepower and track performance.
"he has he just did some downpipes on his ZR1 and ended up with a lot more horsepower."
Downpipes are parts of the car's exhaust that help get rid of gases faster. Changing them can make the car's engine stronger.
Downpipes are exhaust components that connect the turbocharger or exhaust manifold to the rest of the exhaust system. Upgrading downpipes can improve exhaust flow and increase engine power.
""...if you go to high flow cats, don't remove them. If you go to high flow cats for the street, you can gain like 80 horsepower... You're still got catalytic converters are still legal. You're just going to a much more expensive component than the stock one...""
Catalytic converters help clean the car's exhaust so it doesn't pollute the air as much. High flow ones let the exhaust flow easier, which can make the car a bit more powerful.
Catalytic converters are emissions control devices that reduce harmful gases from the engine exhaust by converting them into less harmful substances. High flow catalytic converters allow better exhaust flow while still reducing emissions.
""...Speaking of Corvettes in general and mid engine cars, if you do that, make sure...""
The Corvette is a fast sports car made by Chevrolet. The newer ones have the engine placed in the middle of the car to help it drive better.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous American sports car known for its powerful engines and performance. Recent generations include mid-engine layouts that improve handling and balance.
"you look at the pipes because you're adding a lot of heat to the engine bay. You need to wrap those and they have really good heat wraps for those but don't be cheap. Again, I don't mean just mean cheap parts. I mean, go all the way and wrap them in a heat wrap because you will melt your engine paying cost or fire."
Heat wrap is like a special blanket for hot pipes in your car's engine. It stops the heat from hurting other parts and keeps things safer.
Heat wrap is a specialized insulating material used to cover exhaust pipes and other hot components in the engine bay to reduce heat transfer and protect surrounding parts. It helps prevent heat damage and can improve performance by keeping exhaust gases hotter, aiding flow.
""No, okay. No, you're using a fire retardant. It's usually like not fiberglass. Sometimes it's metal but it's usually I forget what it's made out of.""
Fire retardant means a material that helps stop fires or slows them down. In cars, it can be used to keep things safe from heat or flames.
Fire retardant materials are used in automotive applications to resist ignition and slow the spread of fire, often employed in protective gear or heat shielding.
"because you can this that the really good turbo wraps that they advertise people literally touch them. Yeah, as soon as they take them off that turbo is glowing red."
A turbo is a part that helps the engine make more power by pushing more air into it, kind of like giving the engine a breath boost.
A turbo, or turbocharger, is a forced induction device that increases an engine's efficiency and power output by forcing extra compressed air into the combustion chamber.
"...shop when I had to lift in here when they're that 911 with a 350. Oh, yeah. And I had they had melted. ..."
The Porsche 911 is a famous fast car that looks unique and drives really well. People love it because it’s been around a long time and is very special. They might be talking about how powerful one of the models is.
The Porsche 911 is an iconic sports car known for its distinctive design and exceptional performance, often featuring a rear-engine layout. It's a benchmark in the sports car world and frequently discussed due to its heritage and driving dynamics. The mention of a '350' could refer to horsepower or a specific model variant.
"exhaust wrap that I use for various projects, motorcycles, lawnmower. Yeah. And that's the workshop."
Exhaust wrap is like a special blanket for the car's exhaust pipes that keeps them hot inside. This helps the car run better and stops heat from hurting other parts.
Exhaust wrap is a heat-resistant material wrapped around exhaust pipes to retain heat within the exhaust gases. This helps improve exhaust flow and can protect surrounding components from heat damage.
"Oh, I had it for the diesel heater. But I never hooked up that Brian. Oh, okay. Yeah. So I was going to wrap the tube in it because it makes diesel heaters perform a lot better."
A diesel heater is a small heater that uses diesel fuel to make warm air. It helps keep cars or other machines warm when it's cold outside.
A diesel heater is a device that burns diesel fuel to generate heat, commonly used to warm vehicle cabins or engine compartments in cold climates. Wrapping the exhaust tube of a diesel heater with exhaust wrap improves its efficiency by retaining heat.
""More good news for a VODs members. That's right. The Michelin deal is back on for 2026.""
Michelin is a company that makes tires for cars and other vehicles. They are known for making good tires that help cars drive safely.
Michelin is a major global tire manufacturer known for producing high-quality tires for various vehicles including cars, trucks, and motorcycles. They also engage in motorsports and innovation in tire technology.
"Actually, this is the truck ceramic too. It's the Bronco. That's waxed."
The Ford Bronco is a tough SUV made for driving on rough roads and going on adventures. It looks cool and can handle dirt and rocks well. They were probably talking about cleaning or protecting the truck’s paint.
The Ford Bronco is a rugged SUV designed for off-road capability and outdoor adventure, recently revived with modern features. It's notable for its classic styling and strong performance in challenging terrains. The mention of 'truck ceramic' and waxing suggests detailing or protective coatings applied to the vehicle.
"and I like it. That new ID buzz bus or whatever. Yeah, I do think"
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a new electric van that looks like the old VW bus from many years ago. It runs on electricity and is good for carrying people or stuff. They were talking about how much they like it.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is an electric minivan inspired by the classic VW Microbus, combining retro design with modern electric technology. It’s significant as part of VW’s electric vehicle lineup and appeals to those wanting a spacious, eco-friendly vehicle. The discussion likely focuses on its styling and electric features.
"It's always in the Gulf. But I see a ton of Tiguan's and a ton of what's the bigger"
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a small SUV that looks nice and is good for families or people who want more space than a car. Lots of people drive them, so you see them a lot. They were probably talking about how common it is.
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact SUV known for its European styling, comfortable interior, and practical size. It’s a common choice in many markets and often seen in urban and suburban areas. The mention of seeing many Tiguans suggests its popularity.
"the major failure of the F 150 lightning to sell. And."
The Ford F-150 Lightning is a big truck that runs on electricity instead of gas. It’s important because many people like big trucks, and this one is new and clean. They might be talking about how it’s not selling as well as hoped.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is an all-electric version of America’s best-selling full-size pickup, combining traditional truck capability with electric power. It’s significant as a major step toward electrifying the truck market. The mention of 'major failure to sell' refers to challenges in meeting sales expectations or production issues.
"And then, of course, obviously Jaguar, but the Jaguar is never really there."
Jaguar is a company from Britain that makes nice, fast cars, but sometimes they are not very popular.
Jaguar is a British luxury car manufacturer known for its stylish design and performance-oriented vehicles, though it has faced challenges in market presence.
"a car that I'm seeing a ton of now, if you don't know, is the 250 GTO that was here in the private collection and sold."
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a very old and special car made by Ferrari. It's famous because it was used in races and is very rare and expensive today.
The Ferrari 250 GTO is a highly coveted classic sports car produced in the early 1960s, known for its racing success, rarity, and extremely high value among collectors.
"makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. L-U-C-E. So I'm assuming there's an"
There isn’t a well-known Ferrari car called 'Luce,' so it might be a mistake or a special version. Ferrari makes very fast and expensive cars. They might have been talking about something rare or special.
There is no widely known Ferrari model named 'Luce'; this may be a mishearing or a rare/limited edition reference. Ferrari is known for high-performance luxury sports cars, so any mention likely relates to exclusivity or a special model. Without more context, details are unclear.
"loser of 2025? Cybertruck was 24, so don't name that."
The Tesla Cybertruck is a new kind of electric truck that looks very different from normal trucks. It’s made to be very modern and use electricity instead of gas. Some people wonder if it will be popular or not.
The Tesla Cybertruck is an all-electric pickup truck with a futuristic design and advanced technology, aiming to disrupt the traditional truck market. It’s significant for its unique look and electric powertrain, though production and delivery timelines have been delayed. The comment about 'loser of 2025' likely refers to skepticism or criticism about its market success.
"not sending people to Mars. OK, my dad's new Maverick should be here in four weeks."
The Ford Maverick is a small truck that’s easy to drive and doesn’t use a lot of gas. It’s good for people who want a truck but don’t need a big one. Someone is excited because their new Maverick will arrive soon.
The Ford Maverick is a compact pickup truck that offers practicality and fuel efficiency, often praised for its affordability and hybrid option. It appeals to buyers looking for a smaller, city-friendly truck. The mention of a new Maverick arriving soon indicates ongoing interest in this model.
"Maverick. He loves it so much. Did he get a Lobo? No, he got a"
The Ford Lobo is just what they call the Ford F-150 truck in Mexico. It’s a strong and popular truck. They were probably talking about someone’s truck and what it’s called there.
The Ford Lobo is the name used for the Ford F-150 pickup truck in Mexico, essentially the same vehicle with a different badge. It’s popular for its durability and capability. The mention likely relates to regional naming differences or personal ownership.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome to the Amantz Podcast. I'm Dan. I'm Nick. Welcome back, buddy. Did I go
somewhere? Yeah, for a week. Oh, I've gone for a week. Yeah. Well, that's why Brian's
not here anymore. That's right. Yeah, I'll tell you. I'll let him out. Well, hey, you
know, I mean, technically, you know, he's gone for Valentine's Day, which means
his lovely wife, right, needs some, you know, love and care, minus the love
parts. I was just saying that you're going to hand over the dog. No, I'm going to take
him and take Theo over there. No, never mind. Can't wait for Brian to listen to this
and be like, what? Just some little Easter eggs. No. Yeah. No. Hi, Sammy. Yep. Hi,
Sammy. We love Sammy. I was I want to tell you a good experience I had.
Obviously, we talk about tools all the time. I've been having some
issues with my new shop back from Milwaukee. The hoses fitting the nozzles and
things like that. And I want to give a shout out to them, even though I'm we
everybody knows that I'm a huge fan of them. I wrote them. I sent them a little
video of the problem I was having. And without even questioning it, they sent
me brand new stuff, brand new hose brand new stuff. I haven't gotten it yet.
But it was it shows me what customer service should be. It wasn't jerking
me around saying you need to try this, you should try this. So it's
definitely your fault. This is wrong. It was just the absolutely down down to
the point. And even got the apparently in the video I sent them, it showed a lot of
the other Milwaukee stuff. And the guys like, it looks like your garage is
full of our products. Oh, yeah. Cool. Nice. Yeah. Yeah. It's not about
having it perfect because every product's gonna have, you know, things
happen when you have a company that big, you're gonna run in stuff. Yeah,
it's how you handle it. Yeah, that's just tools. So very cool. I'd hear
that. I mean, I've had experiences like that before I went with Milwaukee
with DeWalt. I had some battery issues and they dealt with it really
well. But yeah, I've had dive deep. I do a warranty at a ratchet, both from
Technin and from DeWalt and they sent me one with no questions asked. Yeah,
just called the number from DeWalt and they're like, Oh, here you go.
Just send you anyone is like, really? I would be curious if you're
listening to this. What companies have you had good experiences with? I
don't I don't want to say we don't have people, but I'm always
curious to know what products out there that have you experienced
incredible customer service with because I always like to to share my
business with those or, you know,
Yeah, what keeps you coming back to a brand? Yeah, that's a good one.
You know, it's all fun. How's your world?
It's good. It's been so, so busy but good. Exciting stuff at work,
getting into some fun projects. I'm passionate about leveraging
some AI stuff to improve some tools, which I love. Speaking of
tools, I love working on tools outside of my home life as
well. So on tools, but not with tools. Got it. Yes. Okay,
fair enough. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'm working on improving some of
our tools and some of those big deliveries got done, which helps
make my work easier and my team's work easier and things better
for our customers in the long run. So I love those projects
where I get to see like something going to die. I've had for
years come to fruition and get done right. And it's like,
it's so satisfying when you've had it's watching your baby
grow. You do look like you got some passion in your eyes,
which is good. I mean, yeah, we all have our slumps and in
life. And it's nice to have some light at the end of the
tunnel that you want to walk towards. Yep. Yeah, I was
trying to work myself out of a job. Literally, like I want to
I want to do so much that it's like, Oh, here's your new
project. So I have a new challenge. So I'm always trying
to yeah, work myself out of the current. Yeah, the way I was
going to say, I'd like to stay working for you, but I'd like
to work on another project. Yeah, I know. That's just
it. I want to make a lot of what I do is improving our
internal tooling so that my job as it exists now goes
away so it can evolve into something else. It gives me
something new to learn. It gives the employees I work
with an easier life at work less toil less, you know, simple
tasks of just those tasks that are just kind of mind numbing
but need to be done. Like sometimes automation doesn't
work safety things manually. So it's like, Okay, what can I do
in the future to remove that manual toil so that it can be
easier and better for the next person so they don't have
the challenges I had.
It's going to be less monotonous and I don't want to
put a drill to my head to be filling in the square in an
Excel spreadsheet.
Yeah, exactly. But you know, as you've done is you've
ever dove into things like those Excel spreadsheets,
it's a you learn a lot in those processes. And
they're very valuable. It's, you know, you can get really
frustrating at the time, obviously, but you learn so
much in those those slow toil processes that make you learn
all the all the ins and outs and every little detail so that
you know, I enjoy that stuff, not that not the toil so
much, but looking back at it building that retrospective
and like, Okay, what can I take away from this to make it
better for the next person? That's my real passion
comes from I love AI, but I missed the paperclip. I'll
just say it.
Oh, we joke about that internally all the time, by
the way, we're like, you know, can we just like, you know,
have an Easter egg clippy in here? Like, if I type the
right phrase in, just clippy take over co pilot.
I mean, it would have been wonderful if clippy clippy
was AI like that. You're right. I mean, that'd be
great. So we're getting off in the weeds here. Yeah, I
want to talk. And I'm gonna again, this is a sensitive
subject about an article that Oh, yes. If you can call
it that. Daniel, who is the automotive journalist for the
Wall Street Journal car reviewer. Recently, I think
career suicide. Yeah, I don't know. I don't actually I want
people to go see I read it. Because it's kind of well, I mean,
the general the gist of it is, if you drive forward F 250, you
are a Nazi. Yeah. And that sounds really blunt and weird. But
I'll let you go. I mean, you can read article, go read the
article. The way he starts the article, the first two
paragraphs are about Germany and Nazis and things like
that. It's kind of crazy reading it really is. He just he
describes the typical F one F 250 owner as as being, you know, a
plumber and a redneck that toes it around with his his joy
toys and things like that. So obviously, Dan and I try a very
good job to keep things politics out of it. I think Dan has
now Dan Neil, I mean, injected so much politics into
this. He's sort of you're sort of seeing where he stands, which
is fine. Yeah, but maybe not in an automotive review of a truck.
Right. And the comments kind of went off on him. I did not
know those comments for the record. But it was interesting.
I was like, Oh, man, straight to the comments on this one,
which is disappointing in the sense that it was clearly
clickbait rage bait. And we're feeding into it by
telling you to read the article. But we we're not
telling you. And he he on his Facebook page, literally says,
go for the comments. I think it was it was part of his, he's
sort of making himself relevant again.
Yeah, it's a it's very much the definition of media clickbait
and the reason that journalism is not taken seriously anymore.
There's been a downfall of journalism. That's no matter
what side of the fence you're on right or left, the
downfall of journalism is very apparent. It's become sort of
more editorial versus reporting. And there's always a flavor of
that in automotive reporting, especially because it's but this
was not. Well, he's not a he's not a political reporter. He's an
automotive reporter. And in the past, he's been a wonderful
automotive reporter. Yeah, it's sort of just like, what the
hell? Where did this come from? Like, you almost want to
like reach reach out and be like, were you hacked? Yeah,
like this is it no matter what, if I agreed or disagreed, he went
too far.
Yeah, if you if you read the article, I think it's when I say
he shot himself in the foot or basically ended his career. It's
not because he won't be published. It's because he won't be
taken seriously again. Yeah, anybody who's an actual fan of
automotive journalism and reading good articles, or good
reviews, I should say, good reviews is going to look at
this and be like, he's not a trustworthy source anymore.
Which is unfortunate, which is unfortunate. Yeah. We are not
that we are, we have fun doing this, we hope you're entertained,
but we are here for entertainment value. We hope we
bring you some good information. But at the same
time, this is the polar opposite of that where you would go and
for an actual automotive review, you're like, Oh, this is not
an automotive review anymore.
And you know, I think being that we're not automotive
reviewers, but we have reviewed cars before and it's a tough,
it's a tough thing to do because yes, it's a thin line of you
have to tell the truth to the consumer, but you also want to
be hired again to tell the truth to consumer. And if you sit on
there and you absolutely roast the car, that car company is
probably not going to have you back because they don't want
that type of reviews out there. Exactly. So go out and see
it. You know, feel free to comment under under this, you
know, keep it. Again, we are politically neutral here.
But I think it went too far. So yeah, yeah, I like more. I like
to review reviews and stuff like that. But I typically get my
automotive review news from YouTube. Now, I don't typically
read it in print very often. I read the advance magazine,
which I got my new magazine rack. It's very nice. You have a
great rack. Thanks. I will always Doug DeMiro's reviews
have always been my favorite. Yeah, I like I like well, I
like the quarks and features because I like knowing that
stuff. I can read the spec sheet anywhere. I want to
know the weird stuff. Yeah, I like articles that you know, I
like more this honestly, my style is the stuff that's in the
advance magazine. I like the more an adventure, a person
story behind the car. But when it comes to reviews, yeah, it's
more Doug DeMiro recently MKBHD because I like the geeky side of
stuff.
I was gonna say rumor has it the next issue of the advance
magazine. I heard it's very good. It will be very I've
heard it's been very good. I've heard I mean, fabulous.
Yeah, the photography is wonderful. The articles are
wonderful. Everything is wonderful. So yeah, yeah, I've been
enjoying zip tie tuning. He used to work for Linus tech tips,
Linus media, he departed and started his own channel. I've
been really a big fan of that. It's very simple. They sort of
taking over where I think donut fell off. And I'm still a
fan of the old donut stuff. But they sort of fell off due to
some corporate intervention, things like that. There's been
enough about that. But I've been liking to see those
smaller channels come up. They just recently partnered with
the story till now who we've talked about before, and
reviewed a Sherpa, which is a super cool vehicle. He bought
one. Yeah, it's our story till now did the tuning did a review on
the shirt. Okay, really went through it, which was it's a
really fun review. And you should check them out.
That being said, I have tried to reach out to the story till
now. Multiple times I'd love to have him on the show because
he is Pacific Northwest Canada related. I have not gotten
through if anybody knows him, I would love to have the
content. I love his content. I like what he does. I like
how he does it. I think it's very down to earth. So I
just want to put that out there. It's funny that you
say that because like, literally, I sent I've sent him
several emails. And I'm sure being as big as he is that he
gets a lot of stuff. And I may I may be lost in the spam
folder. But yeah, if anybody knows him, at the same time, I
hope he does get a lot up. Still a big fan of his channel
love of cinematography, love seeing the adventures he
goes on. Yeah, it's stuff. Speaking of reviews, and I
haven't watched a ton of them. The new Rivian. Is it the
R2? The new R2 is out. Yeah, and we'll get to our
Carter tip in a minute. The Yeah, the new R2 launch Doug
MKBHD, all the popular people have been putting it online and
driving it. And I'm a huge fan. I would love the R1. When it
came out. I love the R1 s the SUV, the R2 is a natural
progression. It's going from body on frame to unibody. It's
a literally half the cost that starts at $46,000. It's a
perfect little commuter SUV. It's got a pretty good
ground clearance. It's got some really nice features, a
bunch of the R1 components swap over the rooftop 10, the
sleeping system that goes inside. It's huge inside because
there's no engine in the front. And so you have a much shorter
hood, which means even if you're over six feet tall, you can
fit in the back very easily. Are they going to do a truck
version? I don't know. I haven't shown it yet.
Your ranger size? Yeah. Well, you've got the R3 coming out
to which that's the one I'm the most excited about. That's
like a small compact car, right? It's sort of like Outback
competitor. Oh, which Subaru, you know who I'm talking
to you? I'm not happy with you right now. So yeah, yes. I love
the people that sell you. Thank you, Carter Motors, but I'm not
happy with you right now. But okay.
But yeah, I'm excited to see the R3 and I'm still really
excited for the Scout. I think because of the competition.
But the problem is, and the Scout they were recently on
Jay Leno. I feel like they keep the Scout keep Oh, not
Scout. I'm sorry, I'm thinking of the what is the
new mini truck that it was supposed to be 20,000 and then
slate the slate. That's what I was thinking. I'm sorry, I was
thinking it's late. Scout, I don't like them either. And you
know why
that's funny. Um, yeah, I have low hopes for the slate. I had
high hopes was 20,000. But now that we've unfortunately pulled
back to EV. I don't know if it's unfortunate or not enough
about the the math and politics behind it to be honest. I
think it's important to say I don't have an educated opinion
on this with the EV tax breaks. It's good and it's bad. It's good
in the sense that I think they need to be competitive without
those tax breaks. I don't know how much with the way EVs surged
in popularity, I don't know how much they were hurt helping or
hurting the environment based on their power draws. It's one
of those like, maybe it was maybe it's not. But if they're
not cheap and they're not efficient to charge, I mean,
then they're not really doing that much. Well, the grid's not
there. Yeah, that's the plan. So there's not grid where they use
them the most that is here. We have tons of hydropower here and
wind and not solar but you know, it's cloudy all the time. But
yeah, all the the the wind turbines that kill the birds.
Yeah, those. Yeah, that's okay. Yeah, they don't ever
recoup the cost on those. Yeah, they don't. The costs
aren't recouped on wind power. They just make people feel
better. But if either way, at $30,000, I don't see this late as
being competitive. There's so many better options at that. I
saw it 20. Oh, yeah, for sure. 20 keeps moving up. And every
time I see a new article, it goes from like 20 to 30, and
then 35. And I think they're going to be to the point where
it's nobody's gonna want it. Yes, exactly. Because it was
Amazon a part of that. Yeah, Amazon was a big investor in
slave. Okay. Yeah. So
let's see, Carter automotive group tip of the week. Let's talk
about ice and internal combustion engines.
So that quick. I didn't send that real quickly. I said to trigger
the audience. Yeah. Yeah.
Actually, I want to talk about oil and horsepower and the
old the old is it true? Does horsepower can you get more
horsepower from changing your oil often? Does it get
better when you change your oil? Yeah, if I leave the old
oil in the old car and I buy a new one, I get more
horsepower. That is true oil new car. Yeah. Yeah. The truth
matters. Yes, you do. Can you get more soft changing your
oil? Yeah, absolutely. The reason is is not because you think
though, it's if it's really old, obviously, but you're gonna
need to flush your engine and do all that. But just changing
your your oil does give you a little bit of horsepower. And
the reason is is because when you drain out the old oil,
you drain about a bunch of sludge and contaminants out
of your engine. New oil is causing friction and slowing
it down. Exactly. Okay, new oil flows better. Simple as
that. Is it a noticeable amount of horsepower? No, that's
your butt dyno lying to you. But my butt dyno's truth. I mean,
that's the only one I trust from all the tests that I looked up
and I did look up the most they saw was three horsepower.
Okay. out of a ship. This was all done on from the sources I
saw. It was all done on a Chevy 350, which is a great test
bed because it's such a basic engine that's been around
forever. But I can get three horsepower with a good
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