July U.S. Auto Sales, Buying A Car Out Of State, Best Vehicles for Car Seats. Plus 2025 Nissan Rogue, 2025 VW Taos, and 2025 Toyota GR86 Test Drives

August 8, 2025

Hello again Car Pro Show family! I hope your week is going splendidly and if you are in an area that is scorching right now, like DFW, good luck handling it! The best thing about August in Texas is the hope for an early fall. We have a lot of information for you today, kicking it off with the robust sales for July across our wonderful country. People are buying cars in big numbers right now, and I suspect aggressive incentives and high trade values are the catalyst.

I remind you below that it is time to watch out for the little ones in school zones. Speaking of little ones, I have the best cars for car seats list from our friends at Cars.com. Tesla had a bad day in court unsuccessfully defending its Autopilot self-driving system, and I have the least expensive sedans and subcompact SUVs to insure and seven common auto insurance myths to dispel. Keep scrolling through, friends, there is a lot more that could be of help to you!

Kim Komando has some great tips for you today and don’t miss Kim’s Quiz, the answer is at the very bottom of this newsletter. I have a new batch of Quick Shift stories for you today, and don’t miss the first one. A lady got revenge against a car dealership and I belly laughed at what she did. This dealership might as well open their checkbook and simply ask: “HOW MUCH?” Don’t forget to go shopping in the Car Pro Merch shop, lots of good stuff there. Get caught up on the tariff news, too.

In car reviews, I have two compact but very different SUVs for you this week. I have the 2025 Nissan Rogue Platinum, and the 2025 VW Taos SEL 4Motion. In our third review, Amy Plemons brings you the sporty 2025 Toyota GR86 Hakone Edition.

If you have never read my True Stories from a Former Car Dealer series, may I suggest you do so? People have loved this for a lot of years now. You’ll learn more about me than you probably want to know, you’ll roar with laughter at some, and you’ll likely get a tear in your eyes on others. They are all right here, 40 of them, carefully written by yours truly: True Stories →

If you haven’t perused my FAQ page, please do. There are likely multiple articles you can use, every one of them written by me.

All of our other regular features are below including the Classic Car Contest, our radio station listings, how to connect with us on Facebook and call the show to talk directly to me, and much, much, more.

We very much appreciate you being part of the newsletter family. Without you, there is no Car Pro Show. Let us know how we can help you, and if you haven’t been to our website lately, check it out at CarPro.com. It changes daily.

Have a terrific week. See you on the radio!

Enter to Win a 2025 Ford Maverick + $5,000!

We are excited to kick off a new sweepstakes in partnership with Vehicle For Good, as well as Planet Ford and 94.5 the Buzz! The prize? A 2025 Ford Maverick XL, plus $5K in your pocket! Donations from this campaign support the Light Up To Live Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans heal from the visible and invisible wounds of service. Sweepstakes ends October 8, 2025. Click below to enter to win!

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Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s. We're on many of the same radio stations across America. She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do: Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better. Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.

Kim’s Quiz:

But it wasn’t only for fun. It was undercover training. Microsoft once preinstalled a game into Windows to slyly teach people how to use their mouse. Which one was it? A) Minesweeper, B) Solitaire, C) Hearts or D) FreeCell? Answer after my closing message at the bottom.

Here are some interesting and useful things in Kim’s newsletters from this week I found for you:

399 billion: The gallons of water Texas data centers are expected to chug annually by 2030. That’s nearly 7% of the state’s entire projected water use. They’re actually telling people not to take so many showers. Good thing I don’t live in Texas. I love nothing more than getting up at 6 a.m. for a cold shower. So I don’t.
Lithium-ion battery fire: A home in Fairway, Kansas, caught fire after a lawn mower battery blew up in the garage. It was on the charger when family members heard an explosion, and the fire spread quickly. Thankfully, everyone got out safely. PSA: Charge your electric goodies outside, not in the garage.
Clear your iPhone’s browsing data: It’s a quick fix for websites not loading or scrubbing private searches. Go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Now choose a Timeframe and tap Clear History. FYI: This logs you out of sites, but your autofill info stays.
Make cleaner links on Mac: Sending someone a messy URL in an email? There’s a better way. Type your message, highlight the text you want to turn into a link, and press Command + K. A text box will pop up. Paste your URL with Command + V and click OK. Voilà. A professional hyperlink.
Don’t let your phone battery die: Letting it hit 0% too often can hurt performance and shorten its lifespan. Experts say it’s best to keep it between 30% and 80% to avoid unnecessary stress. My advice? Always carry a portable charger with you. Here’s one with multiple cables that’s 21% off.
You’ve got to be kitten me: Every year since 2016, people have gone to theaters to watch a full-length film of cats being chaotic, cute and ridiculous (case in point). CatVideoFest is a compilation of viral clips and fan submissions aka YouTube, but on the big screen. The kicker? It’s a hit. Last year alone, it clawed in over $1 million. That’s the cat’s meow.

Photo Credit: Mecum Auctions, Inc.

We have had a lot of fun with our classic car contest on the Car Pro Show Facebook page. We post the photo of a classic vehicle every Saturday morning and invite people to guess the year, make, and model. The prize: an AutoHeatShield.

This 1959 BW 507 Roadster crosses the block at Mecum Monterey on August 16th! Official contest rules →

Our Facebook winner this week, and winner of an AutoHeatShield, is:

CarPro listeners receive a 10% AutoHeatShield discount with the code "CarPro10".
Visit AutoHeatShield here →

If you are searching for a particular new or used vehicle, we can help you! The best news is, if you use CarPro to search, when you find the car of your dreams it will be at a CarPro approved dealership.

Our search feature is simple to use. Choose new, used, or certified. You can select the make and model, or find a price range you are looking at. Choose the number of miles you are willing to travel and enter your zip code. From there, you can look through all your matches, knowing you are shopping at a dealership I have handpicked that adheres to the high standards I require.

Start your search on the front page of CarPro.com. If you don't find the car of your dreams, check back regularly.

have 5 hours to call the show! From 9AM- 2PM Central, 7AM-Noon Pacific, and 10 AM to 3 PM Eastern, the phone numbers are:

DFW Show: 9 AM to 11 AM Central,
- 1 (800) 288-9227
National Show: 11 AM to 2 PM Central,
- 1 (800) 926-7777

Add the numbers to your cell phone; you never know when you are going to need straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive.

So, what is the CarPro Radio Show?

Confused about the car buying process? Worried you won’t get a fair deal? Wondering about which vehicle is best for you? Then tune in to the CarPro Radio Show every week where Jerry Reynolds and Todd Chambless will guide you through the car-buying process with confidence.

No matter where you listen to the show or which station you listen to, you have five hours to call in and ask your questions. We take calls every Saturday from 9 AM-2 PM Central time, 7 AM to Noon Pacific. The phone number is different the first two hours, then changes, so keep that in mind.

We would love to help you in any way possible! Keep in mind, we don’t take mechanical questions, but everything else is great!

The Car Pro Radio Show is heard every weekend all over the United States, and every weekend we deliver straight talk and honest answers about everything automotive. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take a moment and tell a friend about the show.

Most of our listeners tell us that they never thought they would look forward to a show about cars. You may have friends or relatives who feel the same way in the cities below, please make them aware.

Here are the DFW markets the show airs in, times, and stations, and don't forget you can now listen to WBAP on the FM dial at 93.3 FM!

Dallas, TX: WBAP 820 AM/93.3 FM/99.5 HD 2, Saturday 9am to 11am Central
Dallas, TX: KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 2pm to 4pm Central (replay)
Granbury, TX: KPIR 1420 AM, Saturday 11am to 2pm Central
Listen to the WBAP Podcast (up every Tuesday)→

In light of the driver who got busted going 199 miles per hour on the Autobahn (that’s 124 miles over the speed limit), I give you this amazing footage from a few years ago. Go Pro footage of a Bugatti Chiron driving speeds in excess of 250 mph.

BTW, you might be surprised to learn that the Autobahn actually has a speed limit of 75. There are some rural parts that don’t technically have one…but even there they expect you to keep it under 130. Surprisingly, he was only fined a thousand bucks and two points on his license.

I will keep this short today, but since we spoke last week, so many more emails and messages have come in about the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. I am so gratified at the number of people who took the time and spent their money to vote. I realize you have no interest or any valid reason to become a member, so that made it even more special to me.

I always considered our listeners to be family. This is the reason I spend so much time explaining things on the air. I hear too many talk show hosts who blow people off, get irritated, and exude an attitude of not caring. I listen to several other “auto shows” each week while working on the newsletter. I started that to learn something, but the reality is, it is a constant reminder of what NOT to do. I hear them try to BS their way through things they know nothing about, and often give answers that I know are wrong. I hear vagueness when asked about a car they’ve never driven. I have to admit to screaming at my computer when I hear such things.

So, my promise to you is that as long as you listen, if I don’t know, I’ll say so. If you are completely lost on an automotive topic, I will never make you feel dumb or stupid. I will show you the respect you deserve, because it is humbling to me that some of you hold on the phone as much as an hour, in spite of the fact that I try to get to you just as quick as I possibly can.

All this to say a heartfelt THANK YOU for making this radio show-this little pipe dream of mine-the #1 listened to auto advice show in America. I hope you’ll tell a friend or family member to listen in and subscribe to the newsletter.

Your support during this Hall of Fame nomination and voting period is incomprehensible to me, and whether I make it in or don’t, now it doesn’t matter, because I won a treasure much bigger than any ring.

Sincerely,

U.S. Auto Sales

Toyota Tops July 2025 U.S. Auto Sales

More People Find Themselves Upside Down

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: How To Buy A Car Out Of State

Tariff Talk

A New Sweepstakes In Support Of Our Veterans!

Enter to Win a 2025 Ford Maverick + $5,000!

It's Back To School: Watch Out For The Kiddos!

Auto Insurance

Top 10 Most Affordable Sedans and Compact SUVs To Insure

7 Common Insurance Myths

On The Road: Test Drives

2025 Nissan Rogue Platinum

2025 Volkswagen Taos SEL

2025 Toyota GR86 Hakone Edition

Quick Shifts

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.

Bumper to Bumper: Industry News

2025 Best Cars for Car Seats WinnersFind out which 7 vehicles make Cars.com's straight As list.

Will The Loss Of Federal Funds Kill EV Sales?

Tesla Hit With $243 Million Verdict in Fatal Autopilot Trial

Weekly Recalls

Our Incentives Guide

Kim Komando's Quiz and Tech Tips

Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

Exclusive Approved Products & Services

It's Here! The CarPro Merchandise Shop!

Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter

Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle?

FAQ: Research Your Questions Before You Shop

You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show!

Where to Find Us

My Must-See Video Of The Week!

Todd's Video of the Week!

Closing Message From Jerry Reynolds

2025 Best Cars for Car Seats Winners
Find out which 7 vehicles make Cars.com's straight As list.