If there’s one word that’s defined 2025 so far, it’s uncertainty. In the car world, the tariff threat from the White House has everyone shook up, and what do people do when fear of shortages and higher prices looms? They buy. Yeah, April seems like a banner month for new car sales, and the big winner so far might be the brand your grandparents drive.
At the same time, Mercedes-Benz has caused some controversy in its charging strategy for the CLA EV, Ram is bringing back a sensible trim of its half-ton pickup truck, and Jeep is hitting pause on Gladiator production. All this coming up on The Morning Dump.
Everybody’s Been Panic(-buy)ing
April was a weird sales month for new cars in America. With an unusual tariff strategy threatening to hike the costs of everything automotive from repairs to new cars to used cars, people were panic buying. I get it, I’m also people, and I bought a BMW 335i on a whim at the beginning of the month. Granted, circumstances were a little different there, but uncertainty in the market certainly helped me sleep at night after blowing that sort of dough in one go.
Of the seven automakers that still report monthly sales rather than quarterly sales, all of them saw volume increases for April, some huge, some small. While Subaru only saw a 0.3 percent increase, that’s coming off the back of a record month which left the brand with 49 days of inventory, according to the analysts at Cox Automotive. Still, Toyota and Lexus had even less inventory—11.8 days for Toyota as per Automotive News—and those brands posted respective gains of 7.9 percent and 23.5 percent to 197,871 units and 35,174 units.
Speaking of Japanese brands, Honda and Acura posted some significant increases, the former up 16.6 percent to 123,637 sales and the latter up 33 percent to 13,019 units. Not too shabby at all, but as far as Japanese automakers go, it’s pretty good to be Mazda right now, posting a 21 percent sales increase to 37,660 units. As for Korean brands, Hyundai saw sales increase by 18.8 percent to 81,503 units, Kia saw a 13.8 percent increase to 74,805 units sold, and Genesis is up 14.5 percent to 6,307 units sold, and that rounds out reporting car brands from Asia.
Here’s a contrast from two automakers that used to be joined at the hip: Buoyed by hot models like Broncos and Mavericks, Ford posted a big 15.1 percent sales increase while Volvo largely stayed the course, reporting a more modest 5.2 percent sales increase to 11,160 units.
The biggest winner in all of this tariff fracas so far looks to be Lincoln, with the brand posting a 40 percent month-over-month jump in sales to 11,615 units, overtaking Volvo in the sales charts. Aside from the made-in-China Nautilus, it’s actually positioned well for dealing with potential tariffs, with the Corsair, Aviator, and Navigator all made in America. It also helps that Lincoln had 127 days of inventory heading into April, so people looking to panic buy could just walk onto a Lincoln lot and make a choice, rather than having to settle.
So where do we go from here? Well, despite a spike in April, I wouldn’t expect to see record high cars sales this year. While some of the sales gains can be attributed to panic-buying, a portion of them are likely consumers moving up their new vehicle timelines. In short, many of these consumers would’ve bought cars this year anyway, so sales in April could have effectively stolen from later months.
Words from industry insiders give some credence to this hunch. Dave Christ, head of the Toyota division in America told Automotive News, “The first couple days in April was a frenzy, then it slowed to a more normal pace. It could be we pulled forward all the business that was there, because that frenzied pace is not a frenzy anymore.” With a claimed consumer slow-down to more normal levels coupled with the yet-to-be-seen full effects of auto tariffs, it wouldn’t be surprising if 2025 balances out to near-normal or below-normal new vehicle sales on the whole, meaning if you’re looking to buy a new car soon, it’s not a bad idea to hop on non-tariff-impacted inventory now as affordability may be changing.
Mercedes-Benz Might’ve Already Screwed Up The New CLA
Launching a new EV on an 800-volt architecture is fantastic, because it means really fast charging times on a 350 kW charger. However, Wards Auto reports that in certain markets, the new Mercedes-Benz CLA EV only has an 800-volt architecture, and that’s a problem. See, most older DC fast chargers are based around a 400-volt architecture, as kW in DC is equal to amps times voltage divided by 1,000, and running higher amperage is how Tesla optimizes their 400-volt DC fast chargers. Most vehicles with 800-volt architectures use DC-to-DC voltage boosters or split battery pack strategies to work with 400-volt fast chargers, but that’s not what’s happening with the electric CLA in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as the CLA configurator in those markets displays the following warning:
Please note that charging at 400V charging stations is not possible, and for this reason, they are not shown in the navigation system.
Unsurprisingly, this new has resulted in mixed reactions on social media, with posters in the German Elektroautos subreddit raising some good points. Some note that 400-volt stations are rare around them while some raise the good point that the CLA is an entry-level EV for Mercedes-Benz and this limitation in charging station compatibility could sharpen the EV learning curve for those coming from combustion-powered cars.
While eventually, 800-volt-compatible DC fast chargers will be the universal minimum, the world isn’t quite there yet, so it’s quite possible Mercedes-Benz jumped the gun with the CLA EV. At the same time, equipment specifications in European markets don’t necessarily translate to North America; it would be a miss if the eventual U.S.-market model doesn’t offer compatibility with older chargers.
The Ram 1500 Express Is Back
Speaking of affordability, with consumers already stretched on new vehicle pricing, now’s a good time to bring some affordable trims back into the mix. Remember the Ram 1500 Express, a base-model half-ton pickup truck with alloy wheels and body-color trim? It’s back for the 2026 model year, and it seems like an alright deal. For $44,495 including freight for a quad-cab or $47,245 for a crew cab, you get 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, dark-finish headlights, and enough monochromatic trim to look like a more expensive truck than it is.
Of course, there is an options list, and the two big ones to watch out for are four-wheel-drive and the 420-horsepower Hurricane turbocharged inline-six. The former is a $2,095 option and the latter adds $1,695 to the price tag, and I’d expect most in-stock models to feature at least four-wheel-drive paired with the $995 Black Express package, which adds different cloth upholstery, front bucket seats, a seven-inch screen in the gauge cluster, and black wheels and badges. From where I’m sitting, it seems in the right price bracket to compete with the similar-in-spirit Ford F-150 STX, and it’s the sort of trim Ram needs after the rapid Trimflation of the Carlos Tavares era.
Jeep Hits Pause On The Gladiator
The Jeep Gladiator pickup truck is one of those vehicles that’s not objectively great at anything, and yet, I like it. The bed isn’t as practical as you get on a Tacoma or Colorado, it wanders like a kite on the freeway, it has a Churchill-like thirst, it’s noisy, it’s unrefined, it’s not as capable off-road as a Wrangler since it’s so dang long, and it’s no longer available with a manual transmission, yet there’s something fun about a convertible pickup truck. I smile every time I see one, because someone made a fun choice.
Unfortunately, if you want to make a fun choice and go with a Gladiator, you might want to do so soon. The Detroit News reports that the south plant in the Toledo complex, the line on which Jeep’s truck is built, is hitting pause. As Stellantis told the media outlet, the firm is looking to “align parts inventory with demand,” which makes sense considering leftover 2024 model year Gladiators are still on dealer lots into the second quarter of 2025. It’s the latest in several Stellantis production pauses, and it’s likely to have a brief but noticeable effect on suppliers. While some may be building up parts supply, some may be temporarily halting work.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
It’s been a while since I had a birthday fall on a Monday, but here we are. It’s not an especially important one, although it does mean I’m closer to 30 than 20, not that it really matters beyond a point of contemplation. In short, it’s mundane, and celebrating on such a regular threatening-rain day requires a tricky sonic balance. How about vaguely melancholic garage remixes, like the Badger remix of Julia Wolf’s “In My Room”? Given the weather, it feels appropriate.
The Big Question
Did you think about buying a car last month, or even pull the trigger on a new ride?
Top graphic credit: Lincoln
I keep looking at used Lightnings and R1Ts, but getting into one would mean the same size loan i started with 2.5 years ago with my current 2.5 year old car. Current interest rates mean the exact same loan would be 50$ more expensive. I just cant do it. That seems insane to me.
Panic buying a car sounds really dumb. I suppose they would get the last laugh if we see another covid style used cars gain value situation, but I kind of doubt it.
I think most people just wanted but didn’t really need a new car and now had an excuse to buy.
I was talking with a neighbor a month or so ago. He was saying they were planning on buying a new(er?) car and was worried about the oncoming tariffs. He speculated on whether it would be better to rush out and buy a car now or wait for things to settle down. Like me, he doesn’t drive a lot of miles/yr, but he was contemplating moving to a newer ride.
it might be less expensive now, but he might also be laid off by Q3
the seas are looking choppy, not a great time to commit to a new long term loan
He’s on permanent layoff, ie: retired. He might pick up the occasional side job, but I don’t think he worries about it. OTOH, Social Security isn’t exactly “rolling in it”.
yeah, I think most people will advise you to avoid any significant lifestyle changes once you are already living off of social security.
if it ain’t broke, don’t worry about it. today could be the day you break your hip.
The assumption is that whenever the tariffs are eventually called off, the prices will never return to the pre-tariff price
people are panic buying cars that wont even be affected
I you don’t legitimately need anything, you are better just hoarding cash
Went in for a oil change, brake fluid flush and tire rotation. They missed the tire rotation which led to spending 10 minutes extra on the lot – otherwise this would not have happened on this day. Showed my wife the new version of the car, stopped by a Lexus dealer on the way home and sat in a TX and GX and realized whatever perceived premium is not worth $20-40k more. Drove back to the dealer later, test drove and bought a new one. It’s not that we were not planning on replacing, we were within the next6-8 months. We realized we are too busy to spend time looking at other cars that cost more and offer no benefits that matter to my wife, the primary driver of this car, so went for it. Upgraded from ‘21.5 Atlas SEL R Line to ’25 Atlas SEL Premium R Line. For the size, space, style, etc, it is still a winner for us. I was trying to move in the direction of the Land Cruiser or GX, which we would have looked for used and they still would have been $10-12k minimum higher, and not really usefully as large inside as the Atlas or even TX/Grand Highlaner is. LC has no third row, GX has useless third row.
I think you bought something and are looking to justify your purchase.
A. The LC/GX is a completely different type of vehicle than an Atlas. Aside from having four wheels and all the other obvious simple comparisons, totally different. Neither the GX or the LC would be a purchase because of the third row space, for instance.
B. Additionally, the Atlas is such a known mess when it comes to reliability and owner satisfaction, it would appear that you really just wanted another VW, which, well….OK
I mean, they even goofed up the tire rotation at the VW dealer in your story
I thought about buying a car Friday when my GTI’s emergency oil pressure warning sound and light came on after 3 hours of interstate driving. No weird noises or smells, and then I made it back home without issue on Saturday. So it lives to see another day…
Future daily drivers are all going to be 10-yr-old toyota products I think.
Hopefully just a bad sensor, not actually bad oil pressure. My generation Corvettes are notorious for sensors going bad, and even knowing that it still made my blood pressure rise when I saw 88 psi at idle.
a bad sensor still means its not operating correctly and ignoring it will just cause a more expensive issue
I am investigating and will fix said sensor. I just hate these weirdo surprises on VWs.
its no different than any other machine that requires maintenance, people complain about VWs because they don’t get them fixed when something seemingly small goes wrong that inevitably bricks the engine
I’ve had a lot of cars and and a lot of bikes. All require maintenance but VW has more and weirder things that break. I’ve never heard of an ignition failing – ON! so I had to remove fuses to turn the car off – but it happens enough on VWs that there are videos from all over the world on how to fix it. You can hop into a 1980-something truck and the key will be so worn as to not be recognizable, but the thing will turn on and off.
Sure, but if it’s the sensor then you probably haven’t already done permanent damage so that’s the far better option. I speak of the Corvette’s sensor problem in the past tense because I fixed it as soon as I got home from that drive.
Another Auto-Tune crime against humanity.
Dave Christ (brother of Jesus), head of the Toyota division in America.
Now we know why Jesus did not speak of his own Accord.
Let he who is without Sienna cast the first stone
(makes sign of the Crosstrek)
Mercedes-Benz Might’ve Already Screwed Up The New CLA? Yeah, we’ve all seen the front end design–that’s not a “maybe”.
Fishmouth. Ugly fishmouth.
im waiting for the CLS to fix all of its issues like it did last time
they need the S to look better by comparison
I bought a “new” used car in March. My trusty old LeSabre hit 300k, has very rusty underpants, and needed a complete transmission rebuild, so it was time to replace.
A buddy of mine had his late father’s 2004 Toyota Solara SLE V6 Coupe, with full service history, 90k miles, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing the owner and how he took care of his equipment. So I bought it from him, which made his elderly mom very happy.
I paid a little more than my wife and I were intending to spend, but I’m relieved to have been able to avoid the used-car market right now, which is completely crazy.
I, too, am closer to 30 than 20. Unfortunately, I’m also closer to 40 than 30. Such is life.
I’ve been wanting to buy a Frontier for about 6 months now, but I can’t get the numbers where I need them. So the god forsaken Sorento lives on until the day I can pull the trigger.
I, too, am closer to 30 than 20. Unfortunately, I’m also closer to 40 than 30. Such is life.
i am also closer to 40 than 30. Happily (sometimes), I’m closer to 80 than 40. It’s kinda the consequence of being lucky enough to have multiple birthdays. Being 20 in the 70s was better than being 70 in the 20s, but it’s all good.
I feel your pain with the Sorento. Probably the worst automotive purchase I’ve ever made (certainly the worst after I outgrew my 20s). We traded it in on a RAV4 during Covid when it got to the point where we were thinking it would be better to take the F150 cross country and it would be to take the Sorento. It was eleven years old with about 135k miles on it. I hated that car for the last ten. Fortunately it was my wife’s DD so I didn’t have to deal with it all that much, but it drove like a truck. Actually, I take that back – the F150 drove better.
As for the human age thing, I’m actually past 30 PLUS 20, and just got my gallbladder yanked out today. Enjoy your health why you can!
They took my gall bladder nearly 2 years ago when they yanked the tumor (and about a foot of my small intestine) that was hanging out in there.
But if it’s any consolation, the cancer I had is normally only seen in 30 plus 20 year olds. I just beat the odds in the worst possible way!
Sounds like you dodged a bullet, actually. Hopefully they got it all, and you’ll have a long wonder life ahead of you.
I’ve been kind of “off” for the last five or six months but couldn’t really attribute it to anything in particular. It took a second really nasty gallbladder attack (the second in two days) to get me into the doctor. And they didn’t mess around (two nights in the hospital and five holes in my chest – it’s been an ordeal).
It sure pays to listen to your body when it’s trying to tell you something, as sometimes it’s trying to give you bad news.
Best of luck!
Agreed! My journey started when I noticed my stool was off. I texted my spouse at work (an Emerg RN) and the response was “I’m coming home and you’re coming here”.
Turns out, I’d been losing blood for weeks and my hemoglobin was measuring in the low 70s (should be 160ish). If I’d ignored it, someone would’ve just found me dead on the floor within the next couple weeks!
I have a loaner 2025 E Class from MB this week while my old CLK is in for service.
Boy, all those driver-assistance aids sure are nice – the big colorful navigation screen and elaborate HUD, the way it steers itself, matches speed w/ traffic, changes lanes with just a flick of the turn signal lever, brakes itself when we come to exit ramps, no plugging in the phone for charging, etc, etc….
But it’s not worth going $75000 in debt.
I’m keeping my 16 year old car till the wheels fall off and can’t be put back on.
The debt required for any new car hits me hard every time I start to long for something more modern. I could swing it, but it seems like such a poor way to use resources.
I could have kept my cheaper Jetta instead of pouncing on an A4 Allroad when I had the opportunity.
the extra monthly costs are worth it for how much more I enjoy it.
I could spend that money on other things, or save it, but I like the car
And once the wheels do fall off you can get it all for a third of the price*!
If the wheels fall off in 4 years, then I get the 2025 E Class for 40% off MSRP like I did when I bought the CLK as a 4 year old, 31K miles CPO vehicle.
Given the peeling paint on my Hyundai, and the need for a little paintless dent repair, I wonder if a new-to-me ride might be worth it. If Hyundai won’t cover the paint issue, then I’ll be out of pocket, which doesn’t appeal. At all.
If the paint expense is greater than the difference between my car and, say, a 2017 Accord Sport, I might make the jump. Obviously a 2018+ 2.0T Accord Sport would cost more.
I was also semi-fascinated to find out that Subaru made a Legacy sedan with turbo goodness in recent years.
Of course saying “eff it” and riding the Sonata until it fades into the moonlight is a decent option as well.
in that case, its better to wait until companies are throwing out low apr lease offers once used car prices go through the roof and your shitbox will be desirable to desperate people
Yes, but if tariffs mean new car prices jump too….it’ll be less of an issue here in Canada, where we won’t likely tarrif, for example, Korean-made Hyundais.
Well, in that case, your comment is irrelevant to the article.
Thanks for your constructive input.
I genuinely dont understand why you thought your current Canadian dilemma would be relevant to a discussion about pre-tariff panic buying
Because the price of any US-made car is going to go up. And, because of parts tariffs, so will the price of many Canadian-made ones.
Cars are the new toilet paper.
I don’t know. I can’t get by with less car by using a bidet.
depends how you got the car, friend
you could try walking every now and then unless you’re in one of those towns where your closest store is a dollar general 4 miles away
Just mapped it. I am 7.5 miles from the nearest Dollar General, and probably double that far from the nearest sidewalk.
“Affordable” is still $50-ish out the door. Man, we Americans are way too comfortable in our debt.
I’ll never forget when my dad and I test-drove a brand-new T-Bird in 1980. We picked up my mom from the store, and when she saw the Mulroney sticker (over $10,000) she shit a brick.
Dad didn’t buy the T-Bird, but he did spend $9k on a fully loaded Cordoba. For that price today, you can get a 15 year-old Toyota with 200k.
“a fully loaded Cordoba” – meaning, it was clad with rich Corinthian leather?
Nope, it was “Crown” level trim, but the seats were the softest maroon velour ever. They may have been the same price as the leather.
While I am always looking for something that might be more fun for the garage spot that holds the “toy,” I am less concerned with car prices than with my retirement accounts. A 20-30% fluctuation in car prices is less of a factor than a 2% shrinkage in the nest egg.
I’m always shopping a bit, but have the luxury of not needing anything soon, so can wait for more certainty before buying a fun car for the wife.
In the same boat.
I wasn’t in the market for a car, but buying a car is the last thing I’d want to do right now given all this uncertainty and I’m pretty amazed that so many people are doing so. They must have more faith in the future than I do.
That or they’re just being extremely short-sighted as per usual. If you’re that scared of the cost of literally every single item going up, the last thing you should be doing is signing up for more debt immediately before it happens.
That is typically true. However, if inflation hits hard, the money you pay back will be worth a lot less than the money you borrowed. For average working folks, all debt can be dangerous. The wealthy who don’t need to worry can borrow before price increases and be better off for it, which is basically like everything else nowadays.
Getting a stable, reliable, and consistent car payment instead of continuing to rely on an older, more temperamental, and potentially very expensive used car might actually be a very rational thing to do, depending on ones circumstances.
A consistent $500/month or whatever can be budgeted for, even if other costs are rising. A $5000 engine repair might not be.
A $5000 engine repair is still cheaper than $500/month payments per year.
Probably, maybe, but not for sure. It depends on whether you have $5000 ready to go and aren’t putting it on a high-interest credit card. Also, the $500/mo payment on a car with a warranty is a fairly sure thing. Putting $5000 into a car that needs that type of repair means it isn’t likely to need anything else over the 5-year period, you could be making $500/mo payments on a new/certified car.
But it is just another example of how expensive it is to be poor (or even middle class) in the U.S.
Again, it’s not just about outright cost but predictability. Both of the car itself, and also the budgeting.
If you can afford a $500/month car payment + down payment, title, taxes and fees – You can afford to leave $6000 in the bank every year to cover the operating expenses of the old car.
Then whatever you don’t use that year, you can leave it in the bank.
If you’re someone who is responsible enough to do something like that, then it can work for you.
Even assuming that degree responsibility and planning to be the case (which it isn’t for many), you’re assigning no value to the predictability of a new car that starts up every morning and never leaves you stranded.
It may not be maximally financially efficient, but paying a little extra to minimize drama is a totally reasonable choice.
Not if it means you can’t get to work and maybe loses your job because you don’t have reliable transportation or use your vehicle for work. There are tangential/related costs associated with taking such risks.
I’m a real estate agent – I know this all too well from personal experience.
If I’m not driving and showing houses – I have no earning potential. Which is the situation I’m in this week.
That said – I can always get a loaner from the dealer, or at worst, rent a car using money I’m not spending on recurring payments.
Because you can rent a car for quite a while for $500.
Yeah, but a new engine doesn’t mean nothing else breaks, and at modern labor rates, it’s rarely a $5000 engine anymore.
$5000 toward a new engine also barely increases the value of a car, whereas payments on something that depreciates very slowly is money that you can get back. I have a 2022 Camry hybrid that has depreciated only $8,000 after 3 years and 49k miles. That is money much better spent in my mind than spending a similar amount of money keeping a car with a bad engine limping along for longer.
I agree with you that people trading a $5,000 unreliable car for a $50,000 unreliable car (any modern German/American car) is making an unwise financial choice, but switching from an unreliable beater to a reliable new car that won’t depreciate like a rock (Toyota/Lexus) might actually be a fine financial choice, especially if you are well-isolated from the effects of an economic downturn (retiree, government worker).
Mercedes talked about this once. Sometimes you have to have a reliable means of transportation. Some folks don’t have the “luxury” of being able to function when their car is down.
10 years old now, still the best thing I’ve ever read on the subject:
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2015/02/no-fixed-abode-gotta-rich-cheap-car/
That was a great read that never saw before. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the article link. 100% true.
The sad truth is that a $5K engine repair isn’t going to be on anything nicer than a 2017 Corolla. Late model full size GM V8s, the most ubiquitous of engines and transmissions, are running often into the $12-$16K range per engine, and $9-$12 for transmissions. And we aren’t even talking about the fancier Denali/Escalade 6.2L either. Its rough out there if you drive a questionable used and can’t do the work yourself.
My grandparents own a 2010 Hyundai Azera that was burning a lot of oil and was displaying the signs of being on its last legs. My grandmother loved everything else about the car and didn’t want to part with it, so instead of buying something new, they had Hyundai replace the engine for $11,000. The thinking was that they’d have a new engine that could go another 150,000 miles for only $11,000 instead of paying $50,000 for a new car.
They made the wrong decision. The new engine has issues, they are $11,000 poorer, and the car still isn’t worth jack even with a new engine. They basically set $11k on fire. They would have been better off with a new car payment that at least was money going towards something that even somewhat holds its value and was reliable and did what they wanted it to.
I didn’t time my last car purchase right, and had to buy in the midst of COVID shortages, which meant paying new car prices for used cars. My current car was due for replacement next year (I drive a LOT for work), and I’ll be darned if I’m going to be stuck in the same situation again with tariff shortages (stoopidest trade war ever). Ordered my new car a couple weeks ago.
I’m having to wait a little because of reasons, but later this Summer I could be in the used car market. I ran my future vehicle plans by my wife and she replied with, “Just do whatever you want.” Well, I’m certainly NOT going to be doing whatever I want. Nearly 20 years of marriage has enabled me to translate that sentence.
My in-laws are shopping. Went from looking at an Audi Q5 to now looking at a Honda CRV. Not sure if it was price, the vehicles themselves or availability. Seems like a downgrade of expectations, but their current CRV has put in a decade of rock solid service. That might be a reason they weren’t keen on rolling the dice on long term ownership of an Audi. Told them nothing is wrong with wanting something German, but go into it with a clear understanding what it might entail if they plan on 10 years of ownership.
That is the response from a partner who doesn’t want to talk about it but is reserving 100% of their right to judge you after the fact. It is a clear, and almost always fair, warning.
When I ask and my wife responds, “Its fine,” I know to grab my pillow and make up the sofa because that’s where I’m sleeping for at least one night.
“It’s fine” is code for my wife saying, “I’m not angry. Just disappointed.” or “If that’s what you really want…..”
“Fine” covers a lot of ground.
My hobby car, a Crosley, was originally marketed with the slogan, “A Fine Car.” They stamped it right there on the badge. It must be true!
But is it “fine!” like a well-aged wine? Or, “eh, it’s fine” like a luke-warm bowl of soup with a fly in it? Or, “fine whatever (eye roll),” like a pissed-off spouse?
As James May could tell you, Crosleys are usually meaning #2, but pretty often meaning #3.
It’s a trap!
After 20+ years, it is a big flashing neon sign with a detailed responsibility matrix, signed in triplicate.
The current CRV is quite a nice choice (and far better than the prior model). It doesn’t really leave all that much on the table vs the normal Q5 which is built in Mexico but somehow sports a Euro VIN.
The best part is that the CRV will be cheaper to buy but in a decade and 120k miles will likely be worth more than the Audi.
I’ve rented a CRV Hybrid. It was nice, no issues, solid. Liked the drivetrain better than a RAV4 Hybrid. Could have used a little nicer/larger infotainment screen, but it worked great. I think it will be a good fit for them. They’ve had Hondas for decades now.
My sister in-law has moved up in her company and I think she was looking for something more fitting for an executive. I mentioned BMW and Volvo since they rank a little better in reliability, but she was sweet on the Audi. I tried not to poo poo on her preferences, but I couldn’t lie about Audi/VW 5+ year quality. I said Audi was no Honda in quality/reliability, but it makes up for it in driving dynamics and style. “If you are going to keep it only 5 years or lease it, go Audi.”
Yes. I have 4 cars, and only 1 is really usable, and it’s electric so my range is…… electric.
But, recent changes in my life suggest I not commit to major financial changes or decisions. As such, I’m trying to get at least one of the 3 not usable once again usable so I the capability to “drive to Florida” again. Luckily I have some time on my hands.
“Did you think about buying a car last month, or even pull the trigger on a new ride?”
Nope. Aside from better MPG I can’t think of what a newer car can offer me that I really want over what I’ve already got.
Panic! At The Dealership
Their live album recorded at Red Rocks is a classic.
“I chimed in with haven’t you people ever heard of closing the goddamn deal
It’s much better to face these kinds of tariffs
With a sense poise and rationality”
I Write Sales Not Tariffs
The Gladiator looks cool, but does nothing else particularly well. And in tough economic times, people who buy cars tend to look for more practical vehicles than the Gladiator.
Living near the Toledo area I feel compelled to get one sometimes, but I just wouldn’t trust it to not turn into a money pit. Plus it sucks that you can only get it in a 4-door configuration that’s 35 feet long.
That’s my biggest issue with the Gladiator. I think it’s a cool idea and there aren’t any other convertible pickups out there/I’ve definitely become truck-curious for my next vehicle because it’s going to have to do a lot of dad duty and I think pickups are very well suited to that. Kids can just throw their muddy soccer cleats in the bed, my gardening hobby can stop getting my Kona’s interior messy, and if you get a tonneau cover the bed’s basically a giant trunk, which makes it road-trippable.
But the Gladiator is just ridiculously huge. Whenever I see them parked in DC they look downright comical. I can’t even begin to imagine trying to maneuver and park one in the city. I find other “mid sized” (aka still huge but manageably huge) trucks to be a much more livable proposition, particularly the Colorado/Canyon that are shockingly good with car seats and half a foot shorter.
The best part of a truck is having a nice-clean cabin and a separate space to throw all your dirty/messy/smelly crap.
Before my Silverado, I had a 2016 Colorado and it really was a great size. I miss the size every time I park my Silverado. That said, My Silverado has so much more room in the cab and bed. To the point that it’s actually difficult for my wife to get things to my daughters car seat from the front passenger seat.
I had zero issues or complaints with the mid size truck, but for me the full size fits my needs better, and size has been the only negative.
Now, the gladiator I don’t understand. My cousins husband had one for a few years, and I couldn’t believe how shallow the bed was. It was comical and would be a huge limiting factor for my use.
I just can’t see myself taking the plunge on a full sized. I really like the form factor of trucks but I work an office job in the city. I think in my case the compromises would outweigh the benefits.
I don’t love that modern trucks come in 13/10s, 10/10s, and 9/10s sizes with the exception of the maverick, which still feels like 7/10s compared to the older stuff the new Slate is more sized like.
I love the Maverick on many levels but unfortunately it’s just not going to be big enough for me. The back seats are tiny and car seats don’t really fit. But I absolutely agree, to me mid sized trucks are too big but manageable, full sized trucks are huge, and HD trucks are comically huge.
I don’t really understand the point of the huge stuff unless you need the capability. You’re just making so, so many compromises if you buy one and just use it as a daily/grocery getter. I don’t have any inherent issues with people that choose to do that, and if we all drove only what we needed and nothing more cool cars wouldn’t even exist…but the fact that half ton trucks are basically the default vehicle here in Yee Haw land has always been a little silly to me.
It also bugs me that most of the midsized trucks don’t even have usable backseats. The Ranger and Taco fare extremely poorly in car seat testing, and even the Colorado/Canyon that I like do very well in them they still technically have less rear legroom than my Kona N.
Like…how did we manage to fuck up the packaging this much?
For what its worth, my Maverick did just fine with a 4 and a 6 year old in front facing car seats. Not a ton of space, but no complaints even on 3 hour rides.
Full size is definitely excess for most people. I use the extra bed space often, and I needed to move up in towing capacity. But otherwise, I would have stayed in the midsize world. I really like the new Canyon/Colorado.
Z71 Colorados that are pretty much completely loaded are going in the mid 40s near me and it’s a lot of car for that much money. Similarly equipped 2024 Canyons were selling for that in early 2025 as well. For a full leather interior with ventilated seats, Bose audio systems, four wheel drive that you can leave in automatic mode with a rear differential, sprayed in bed liners from the factory, a bunch of different cameras/parking sensors, blind spot monitoring/etc?
That’s a damn good buy in this day and age. Once you get into the crazy off road packages and they’re in the 50s or even 60s they kind of lose me and even I start to wonder why you wouldn’t just go full sized at that point…but getting borderline luxury truck appointments in a manageable package in the mid 40s with 430 pound feet of torque and nearly 8,000 pound towing capacity is gonna get a hell yeah brother from me.
I didn’t realize how long those actually were. Interesting. I’m building a quad cab Datsun 1985, and with the modifcations to build the cab I will have added almost 20 inches to total length. Even so, that truck will be nearly 30 inches shorter than the Gladiator.
My chief complaint as a non-owner is that it’s four door, but you don’t event get a full rear door! I know it’s cost efficient because it’s the same door as the Wrangler, but the tire isn’t in the way and the ingress and egress are annoying now.
While four-door pickups are the default configuration nowadays, I think that since the Gladiator didn’t really compete well with standard trucks, they should have made it an extended cab instead of the full crew configuration. It would have, at least, been very appealing to a niche audience who wanted to do Jeep stuff but also wanted an open bed.
Folks were absolutely buying now instead of later in the year. Taking an option on fewer problems and most of those problems being paid for on someone else’s dime makes sense. Plus with the market being all kinds of funny now, tax loss harvesting to secure statistically less problematic transportation with fixed monthly costs is a consolation prize at tax time. New vehicles are usually a terrible purchase for depreciation. This may be the second time in five years where they may be a smart purchase for a limited time.
Keep your elbows up and have a great anniversary of your birth.
We don’t NEED new cars and won’t for several years, so we’re rolling the dice on waiting it out for now.
Well, yes, but that’s been true of every month for several decades now.
I feel this. I find car online shopping to be way cheaper and more interesting than doom-scrolling social media.