A tiny, overlooked component is bringing giant assembly lines to a halt. We dig into the Nexperia saga—European control, Chinese export blocks, and a packaging choke point—and explain why the “boring” diodes and transistors tucked into door locks, HVAC, and wiper motors matter as much as any cutting-edge processor. When each vehicle hides 300 to 600 of these legacy chips, one missing part can park an entire line, and that’s exactly what Honda, Volkswagen, and Nissan are starting to face.

We connect the supply chain dots to real-world outcomes: reduced shifts, delayed models, and dealer backlogs. Then we pivot to a sharp recalls roundup, where Ford’s record-setting year meets moonroof deflectors, defrost issues, and camera failures, while tires and lighting glitches hit other brands from Cadillac to Fiat and Ferrari. It’s a tour of what happens when quality, parts availability, and service capacity collide—and what owners can do now to stay safe and informed.

For a breather, we fire up Name The Sold Car Price, comparing a 1952 Studebaker Commander, a 1965 MGB, an ’85 F-250, a 2002 Thunderbird, and a stunning 1936 Packard 120. You’ll hear what moved, what stalled, and what these numbers say about condition, provenance, and taste. We also map the calendar for Veterans Day cruise-ins, toy drives, and big regional shows—community checkpoints where car culture thrives, knowledge spreads, and enthusiasts help each other keep their machines on the road.

If you care about how cars are built, why they break, and where the culture is headed, this conversation brings clarity and a few laughs. Tap follow, share with a friend who loves shop talk, and leave a quick review telling us which sold-car price surprised you most. Your feedback helps more listeners find the show.

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We sit down with newly appointed Houston Auto Show president Rochelle Salinas to unpack what it takes to steer a legacy event through inventory shortages, EV uncertainty, and shifting manufacturer strategies while still delivering experiences people can feel.

Rochelle shares concrete updates: Camp Jeep is confirmed, a curated luxury showcase with Modern Luxury is on deck, and outdoor ride-and-drives with Toyota, Subaru, and Stellantis remain a highlight. We’re adding expert-led tours that group vehicles by real buyer needs—SUVs, trucks, family cars—so you can compare fast, ask smart questions, and leave informed. Inspired by trips to LA, New York, and Chicago, we’re bringing an overlanding zone to Houston, complete with camping setups and Scout partnerships to make it hands-on and family friendly.

Community impact gets real with Houston Give Back Day, created with the partner Boat Show to spotlight roughly 20 nonprofits and on-site blood donation. We also celebrate the rapid growth of the student technician competition at Texas State Technical College in Rosenberg—23 teams, scholarships, cash, and tools—building the talent pipeline our industry needs. And for a dose of car culture history, Jeff revisits the Vertipak era, when Chevy shipped Vegas nose-down to pack more cars per railcar, a bold logistics gamble that changed how vehicles move across the country.

We close with a detailed review of the 2026 Chevy Trax. It’s a small SUV with a big value story: clean design, an excellent infotainment screen, surprisingly lively 1.2-liter turbo performance, and near-30 mpg combined, all at a compelling price point. If you’re weighing Trax vs Trailblazer, AWD needs, or interior tech, you’ll get the clarity you’re looking for.

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow and subscribe, share it with a friend who loves cars, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show. Your feedback shapes what we explore next.

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Two family haulers, two very different promises. We put the 2025 Mazda CX-90 and the 2025 Chrysler Pacifica through their paces to find out whether driving joy or everyday ease should lead your next purchase. If you’ve ever stood in a dealer lot torn between a sleek three-row SUV and a minivan that just works, this head-to-head is your shortcut to clarity.

We start with the CX-90’s immediate curb appeal: balanced lines, tasteful chrome, and those painted arch moldings that make it feel premium without shouting. On the road, Mazda’s 3.3-liter turbo lights up with 340 hp and 369 lb-ft, backed by an eight-speed that helps it feel quick and composed. Our long loop returned an impressive 26.7 mpg. Still, there are caveats. A fussy start-stop system and a first-to-second shift that nags in traffic chip away at an otherwise athletic package. And the infotainment? It’s still behind the best, which matters when carpool chaos hits and you just need things to work.

Then we slide into the Chrysler Pacifica, a minivan with real presence. The laid-back windshield and blacked-out pillars deliver clean lines, while sliding doors and a generous liftgate make every errand easier. Inside, practical storage and durable, comfortable seating keep the cabin tidy. Top trims add surprising luxury, and dual sunroofs brighten both rows. The V6 and nine-speed won’t win stoplight sprints, but they deliver the right blend of power, quiet, and stability. The ace up its sleeve is Stow ’n Go: seats that vanish to create a flat, low cargo floor, then reappear when duty calls. Add competitive pricing and AWD, and you get a family machine that solves problems before they start.

Looking for a driver’s SUV with real power and premium vibes? The CX-90 makes every commute feel special. Need maximum flexibility, painless loading, and trip-ready storage on demand? The Pacifica proves why the minivan still reigns for real life. If this helped narrow your shortlist, share the episode with a friend, hit follow, and drop a review with the one feature you can’t live without.

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A vinyl roof once meant instant glamour. We open with the style story that turned sedans into showroom stars, tracing how factory-installed tops promised convertible vibes without the compromise. From luxury badges to muscle icons, the trend peaked with opera windows and bold textures, then collided with reality—moisture trapped under fabric, hidden rust, and a slow retreat from the option sheets by the 1990s.

Then the conversation downshifts into the shadows: the machines that were too rare, too radical, or too rule-breaking to live a normal life. We unpack the near-mythic 1969 Corvette ZL1 with its all-aluminum 427, Ford’s aero-slick Torino King Cobra stopped by a NASCAR rule change, and Pontiac’s full-size Catalina 2+2 eclipsed by the GTO spotlight. Alongside them sit the AMC Matador Machine that marketing wouldn’t bless and a ghostly Ford Fairlane prototype that left almost no trace beyond rumors and a few photos.

We close under the hood with Pontiac’s experimental Super Duty 455 aluminum blocks—lighter, hotter, and nearly impossible to cool with the era’s hardware. It’s a tour of ambition meeting constraints: fashion versus longevity in vinyl roofs, engineering prowess versus budgets and rulebooks in outlaw muscle. If you love automotive history, restoration challenges, and the legends that almost made it, this ride is for you. Subscribe for more deep dives, share with a fellow gearhead, and tell us: which lost car would you bring back and why?

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As we head to the end of the year, with new 2026 models out or on the way, many buyers are looking for end of year deals. We are doing a review of some of our reviews of popular models, just in case....

A trail tamer or a family hauler—what truly fits your life right now? We put two 2025 standouts under the microscope: Chevrolet’s Colorado ZR2, a factory-built off-road machine with real armor and beadlock-capable wheels, and Kia’s Sorento SX Prestige with the X Pro package, a smart three-row SUV tuned for comfort, tech, and daily ease. Along the way, we unpack the details that matter beyond the brochure: how the ZR2’s underbody camera and rocker protection change your confidence on rocky terrain, why the lifted suspension improves clearance but complicates step-in height, and how the TurboMax four-cylinder’s 430 pound-feet moves the truck even when it sounds busy.

Shift to the Sorento and the vibe changes. Dual 12.3-inch panoramic displays streamline navigation and driver info, while a digital rearview mirror widens your view in traffic. Heated and ventilated seats in both the front and second-row captain’s chairs elevate comfort, and rear door sunshades beat tint when you don’t want darkness at night. On the road, 17-inch wheels with taller sidewalls calm bumps and cut harshness in a way low-profile tires rarely can. With up to 4,500 pounds of towing in the 2.5-liter turbo AWD setup, the Sorento handles small trailers and weekend projects without drama, and city maneuverability stays stress-free.

We also get practical about numbers. The Colorado’s ZR2 pricing reflects serious hardware and a 7,700-pound tow rating when equipped, all in a package that still fits a standard garage. The Sorento’s value story spans from accessible base models to a feature-rich SX Prestige around the high $40Ks as tested, competing in a crowded segment with a flexible third row that doesn’t feel oversized. By the end, you’ll know whether your miles call for rock gardens and skid plates or a calm commute with room for kids and cargo.

If you enjoyed this breakdown, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s shopping, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Which one would you park in your garage and why? We’d love to hear your take.

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With Dodge thinking real hard about bringing the Hellcat, we take a look at two of our favorites.

A three-row family hauler with 710 horsepower sounds like a punchline, but the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Premium makes a strong case for everyday insanity. We dive into the details that matter: the captain’s chairs that make carpool easy, the Laguna leather and heated second row that keep everyone happy, and the SRT Performance Pages that tempt you to explore every drive mode. From red Brembo brakes and 20 by 10 wheels to the 10.1-inch Uconnect system and a thundering Harman Kardon setup, the Durango blends comfort, tech, and raw force in a way few SUVs can touch.

Then we talk numbers and nuance. A 6.2-liter supercharged V8 with 710 hp and 645 lb-ft moving 5,500 pounds to 60 in under five seconds feels unhinged, yet the competition suspension and AWD deliver a firm, stable ride on the highway. Towing up to 8,700 pounds, seeing real-world fuel economy in the teens, and confronting a six-figure sticker spark the bigger conversation: what are you really buying when you choose a Hellcat badge? We stack the Durango’s capability against the short list of rivals and find that very few full-size SUVs play in this power league.

To round out the picture, we jump into the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody and explore why a shape born in 2008 still sells out. Wide fenders, a flat-nose grille, and hood nostrils serve retro muscle with modern grip, while a thick SRT wheel, high-bolstered seats, and bulletproof Uconnect keep the cockpit focused. With 717 hp and 656 lb-ft on tap, the Challenger raises the eternal question: should you use all of it? We unpack the burnout myth, traction realities, daily drivability, and how the Hellcat compares with Mustang Mach 1, Camaro ZL1, and Charger Hellcat.

If you’re weighing a supercharged SUV that can tow the toys or a coupe that time-travels to the glory days, this conversation maps the trade-offs in power, price, and practicality. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves big horsepower, and leave a review to tell us whether you’d pick the Durango or the Challenger.

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With the weather changing toward Winter, it is a good time to check our batteries, so we decided to revisit an earlier discussion to start ... the discussion.

Ever wonder why your car starts strong some mornings and struggles on others? We take you under the hood of battery choices that actually affect daily reliability, from budget-friendly picks at big-box stores to premium designs built for harsh conditions, high-current audio builds, and weekend toys that sit for weeks at a time. Our goal is simple: help you pick a battery that fits your vehicle, your climate, and your lifestyle without wasting money on features you don’t need.

We move brand by brand through a no-nonsense ranking: EverStart and Interstate for accessible value, Motorcraft and AC Delco for OEM confidence, Bosch for dependable mid-tier coverage, and Antigravity for lithium lightness where every pound counts. For enthusiasts and workhorses, we break down why XS Power and Odyssey excel under heavy loads and frequent deep cycles, and how their warranties and construction translate into fewer headaches over years of use. Then we spotlight DieHard’s enduring reputation and Optima’s spiral-wound advantage, explaining RedTop vs YellowTop vs BlueTop so you match cranking power, deep-cycle resilience, and marine readiness to the job at hand.

Along the way, we unpack AGM versus traditional flooded lead-acid, when lithium makes sense, and how to read warranty terms that actually protect you. We also cover practical buying tips: verifying group size and reserve capacity, understanding OEM recommendations, and deciding when paying more now saves you from a tow later. If your vehicle has added lights, winches, or a big audio system, or if it sits for long stretches, you’ll walk away knowing which chemistry and brand can handle the load with fewer surprises.

If this helped you think smarter about batteries, subscribe for more straight-talk car guidance, share with a friend who loves a weekend project, and leave a quick review to tell us which brand has lasted the longest for you.

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The headlines promised an EV future on rails, but the market had other plans. We open with a candid look at Porsche’s sharp margin squeeze, the cost of a rapid electrification pivot, and why tariffs and a cooling Chinese luxury market are reshaping the brand’s near-term outlook. From Taycan’s steep first-year depreciation to the 911’s long-haul value and the Macan/718 model timing gaps, we map the difference between bold strategy and buyer reality and explore what it means for enthusiasts, dealers, and anyone pricing a premium garage.

Then we turn the spotlight to the auction lane, where nostalgia and scarcity spark big moves. A driver-grade ‘72 Nova that punches above its weight, vintage Toyota Land Cruisers and International Scouts riding a surge of love, and a shockingly cheap ‘88 Corvette remind us that taste cycles and condition trump assumptions. If you’re hunting an entry ticket to the hobby, we highlight where the value still hides and where documentation and originality command a premium.

We also go hands-on with the all-new 2025 Toyota 4Runner. Body-on-frame toughness stays, a 2.4-liter turbo replaces the old V6, and the cabin balances rugged materials with modern tech and a genuinely smart phone-charging nook. We dig into trims, pricing, towing confidence, highway comfort, and where the options list may overwhelm. Along the way, we flag the week’s recalls you should check now, unpack the ripple effects of an aluminum plant fire that’s idling Detroit lines, and weigh NASCAR’s misfired branding gamble for what it says about fan identity and tone.

If you care about where car culture is headed—values, supply chains, real-world ownership, and machines that still feel honest—this conversation brings the signal. Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to tell us where you think the market goes next.

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