Annual 9/11 Tribute, August 2025 U.S Auto Sales, EV Buyer Reprieve, Plus 2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition, 2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce and 2025 Lexus LX 600 Test Drives

September 5, 2025

Dear Car Pro Family,

We start today by me asking you to do something for me, and it won’t cost you a penny. As you go through this newsletter, take a moment and read my closing message at the very bottom. It is associated with the first item today, which is about our annual Tribute to the Heroes and Victims of 9/11. Yes, it is that time of year, the 24th anniversary is next Thursday.

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! We start this 9th month of 2025 with a ton of good information for you, including a look at August national sales results. Also below, Clark Howard has some good advice on not using your insurance carrier for your roadside assistance. You Lexus lovers, we’ve got all the details on the NX models for 2026. California car dealers are suing Honda & Sony, I tell you why below.

Kim Komando has some very useful information for you today, and don’t miss Kim’s Fun Quiz, the answer is at the very bottom of this newsletter, along with my closing message. I have a whole new batch of Quick Shift stories for you today, and 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, and some examples of how the tariffs are already affecting prices of the 2026 model vehicles. In advice, I give you 5 tips for shopping for your car insurance to save some money.

In car reviews, I have the 2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition, and it’s a looker. I also have the 2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce luxury SUV to show you. Amy Plemons brings you a detailed look at 2026 Lexus LX 600 Luxury SUV.

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.

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!

Tomorrow, for the 23rd time in a row, we will play our Tribute to the Heroes and victims of that horrible day, 9/11/01.

Yearly, I am inundated with requests to post the audio. We recount the time before the first plane hit the tower, then all the events leading up to the fall of the Twin Towers, narrated by Kevin McCarthy and myself.

We cap it off with a musical version of me teaching my nephew Connor, who was three years old, (now 27) the Pledge of Allegiance with the help of the incomparable Lee Greenwood.

I hope you enjoy this tribute. I vowed that as long as I was on the air, we would play this every year, on or near September 11, in hopes that people would never forget the darkest day in America’s history, the day we lost our innocence.

If you listen to the Car Pro Show, you’ll hear it tomorrow, but if you want to hear it in advance, or share it with someone you know or love, here is the audio. Bear in mind, some of the timelines we talk about will be off a little, but the events of that day are accurate and chilling:

Please don’t miss my closing message on this subject at the very bottom of today’s newsletter.

The tributes will air tomorrow (Saturday) Central time at:

9:35 AM on WBAP 820 AM in Dallas
11:35 on all nationally syndicated stations that air live

A faithful listener wrote this and sent it to me 24 years ago, the day after the worst day in American history, and I wanted to share it with everyone.

Silence To The Heavens

As I looked toward the heavens – the sky was sad last night
There were no sounds of aircraft – the stars were not as bright
I walked around my plat of land – my mind wondered far away
To a place of tragedy – where carnage came today

The date was Nine Eleven – the year Two-Thousand One
The terror felt in America – violated our known freedom
Many of us wondered – “Where do we go from here?”
But our undying spirit – will never be more dear

The madness of our enemy – we never can forget
But we need to find forgiveness – there is a way….and yet,
We must not permit their laughing cheers – to fill us with such rage
Or we will lose our nation’s strength – as it knows no age

Another morning dawns now – and we all begin again
To persevere, yet express our pain – at this unpardonable sin
We must support our country’s leaders – put political differences aside
This heartbreak affects America – and there’s no place we can hide

Let’s not forget our heroes – who gave their lives that day
From airline crews to passengers – and those who came to aid
The human lives imprisoned within – World Trade Center and Pentagon
They will forever be remembered – as our lives continue on

We may never have all the answers – to this senseless desecration
But we surely can give of ourselves – and offer consolation
The wound is deep, the healing long – so remember Nine Eleven
For on this day, the aftermath, brought Silence To The Heavens.

M. Clary
Fairview, TX
September 12, 2001

Don't Use Your Insurance Company for Roadside Assistance

FYI: Clark Howard is a leading consumer advocate and money expert who has been sharing practical advice to help people save more and spend less for more than 30 years. He has a podcast: (The Clark Howard Podcast) and a daily newsletter that I subscribe to. Like us here at the Car Pro Show, he collaborates with Kim Komando and her Tech coverage. I hope to bring you more of Clark’s work in the future. If you would like to subscribe to whis newsletter, you can do so at www.Clark.com, he puts out a terrific publication.

Did you know that if you use roadside assistance from your auto insurance company, using their services can come with a catch? According to money expert Clark Howard, it can cost you a lot of unnecessary money. Find out why in this great in-depth article on the subject on Clark.com:

READ: Why You Should Never Use Roadside Assistance →

Car Pro Note: I reached out to Melissa Bankard, the Owner of Melissa Bankard Farmers Insurance Agency in Richardson, Texas to see if she had encountered this before, and she noted that she could not verify what other insurance carriers do, but Farmers Insurance does not count a roadside assistance claim as a surchargeable loss. Bottom line is: Clark is correct, know for sure before you sign up with your insurance company for roadside assistance.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL CARPRO SHOW LISTENERS FROM
JERRY REYNOLDS, THE CAR PRO

Friends, we have been publishing the latest rules and eligible vehicles list for Tax Code 179 for over a decade. I encourage you to reach out to one of our Certified Car Pro Dealers at a CarPro approved dealership. They will help you figure out how to get the eligible vehicle you want. Note: Many automobile buyers will now be eligible to write the interest off on car loans, as a result of the “big beautiful bill” signed into law this July. The details of the rules are at the link below along with the latest on Tax Code 179.

2025 Tax Guide and List of Eligible Tax Code 179 Vehicles →

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:

How many times have you touched your phone today? Two? Twenty? Lost count before breakfast? You’re not alone. Our thumbs are basically little cardio machines at this point.

A recent study clocked the average person’s daily tap-swipe-click count, and your screen time report might want to have a word with you. Can you guess how many times the typical smartphone user taps, swipes or clicks each day: A) 500, B) 1,200, C) 2,600 or D) 4,000? Make your best guess and see if you get a gold star, answer below my closing message at the bottom.

From this week’s Kim Komando newsletters:

Luxury’s identity crisis: When you’re dropping $400K on a car, do you really want it to feel like a fancy iPad on wheels? Bentley doesn’t think so either. They’re going full old-school – custom wood, rare materials and designers who actually sit down with you. Because real luxury is still made by hand, not just coded in.
Watch population change: See the globe’s births and deaths simulated and visualized. Pretty wild.
TransUnion hacked: We all have a record here, whether we want it or not. More than 4.4 million customers had their personal data swiped from the credit bureau. The company says “no credit info was accessed” but hasn’t shared what was stolen, who’s behind it or if demands were made. You have to know they took important details like your name, DOB, SSN and other goodies. So take this news as a need for you to change your TransUnion PIN and password. Never stops.
Free NFL on YouTube: This year, YouTube is streaming the first Friday game between the Chiefs and Chargers on Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch on the YouTube home page or the official NFL channel. Bonus: month-to-month NFL Sunday Ticket plans. New fans: $85/month. Returning fans: $115/month with YouTube TV, or $145/month on YouTube. New is better, obviously.
Poor Mark Zuckerberg can’t catch a break: The man-child has spent $110M buying 11 homes in Palo Alto to build a personal fortress complete with a pickleball court, “bat cave” basement and private school. After eight years of nonstop construction, frustrated neighbors got a peace offering. He actually gave them noise-canceling headphones. Because nothing says “sorry for ruining your street” like a $300 pair of earbuds. Oh, also donuts.
Check your doctor’s ties: Wondering if your doctor’s advice is really unbiased? They might be getting paid by Big Pharma. Search your health care provider in the U.S. government’s Open Payments database. You’ll see exactly which drug or medical device companies have paid them, and how much.

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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. Official contest rules →

This 1961 Porsche 356B Super Cabriolet will cross the block at Mecum Dallas 2025 on Saturday November 1st!

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)→

shutterstock_2511524925 This coming Thursday marks the 24^th anniversary of the horrible day now known as 9/11. If you are 30 years old or older, you likely remember exactly where you were when the news broke that there had been a massive attack on our soil. I had dinner at the top of one of the towers less than 90 days before that fateful day. I chronicled my day in my True Story #11 of 40. If you haven’t read it, here is the link to all of them.

I have to say each year, it makes me a little sadder as fewer people stop their lives on that day to remember the victims, including all the first responders who ran into those buildings, opposite of the crowds of thousands running away. I still have visions of people jumping out of windows 70 or more floors up. I cannot imagine why they thought that was the best choice, but clearly, they did. The smell, the heat, the overwhelming fear of staying must have been horrific.

While September 11, 2001 was a day that is etched in my mind forever, two other days, for me, are equally as important as 9/11 and should be observed as well.

First, September 10, 2001. This was a day when many people went through their normal routine. They went to work and came home, or they went to school and came home. Maybe you spent the evening watching your favorite TV show. Odds are good this was just another Monday. Little did we know what was about to happen. We didn’t know we should have had tighter security at our nation’s airports. 3,000+ people would have spent more time with their loved ones they would never see again a few hours later, if they’d only known.

The other date is September 12, 2001. By noon on that day, we’d had over 24 hours over non-stop news coverage. We never knew before this date the eerie feeling of the sound of silence coming from our skies. We waited and waited to see if there was going to be another attack, perhaps in our own town. But the most impactful feeling to me was the unity we felt on this day. One nation, under God, indivisible. American flags flew all over our land and even in foreign countries, they were on cars and in the back of pickup trucks all over our great land. The feeling of patriotism was overwhelming and literally hung in the air. Full of emotion from all the events, I really thought this wave of togetherness would last forever. I was wrong. It faded way too quickly, and we never got it back.

Look, I don’t want that feeling in America again due to such a horrible tragedy. Some way and somehow there is a happy medium. When did political party affiliations become a cause for hatred of the other side? Was it cell phones, social media, perhaps the advent of 24/7 news? It is above my pay grade, but I do know this: If we all give just a little, if we don’t immediately assume we like or we hate someone the moment we find out they think differently than we do…if we could just capture those feelings of love for our country we had on Wednesday, September 12, 2001 the United States would be a better place for all of us.

It doesn’t take much effort to open your mind and open your heart to people who think differently. Be honest, you skipped over listening to our recording of the events of 9/11 in the opening story of this very newsletter, didn’t you? Are you willing to try to recapture the love you felt for our country, your neighbors, your co-workers as we came together as a nation on 9/12/01? If so, go back to the top and listen. NO, tell you what, I’ll give you the link again right here to make it easier for you:

Car Pro Show 911 Tribute →

If you felt a tinge of emotion, send that link to someone, anybody, and encourage them to do the same. Who knows what good could come from it and with just a little luck and some divine intervention, we can once again feel pride in the greatest country on earth, a beacon of faith for the future, and we can come together as ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Our Tribute to the Heroes and Victims of 9/11

U.S. Auto Market

August 2025 U.S. Auto Sales Results

Tariff Talk: Cadillac Hikes Escalade Prices, Again

Car Buying Satisfaction Increases, Still Room To Improve

EV Buyers Get Reprieve From Deadline

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: 5 Car Tips On How to Shop for Car Insurance

Special Feature: Clark Howard

Don't Use Your Insurance Company for Roadside Assistance

On The Road: Test Drives

2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition

2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce

2025 Lexus LX 600 Luxury

Win A 2025 Ford Maverick and Help Veterans!

Tomorrow is the last day for 50% off select entries in our 2025 Ford Maverick + $5K Sweepstakes! When you enter you are giving hope and recovery for our military veterans by helping to raise money for Light Up To Live, a nonprofit that supports veterans.

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

Hyundai Motor Group Boosts U.S. Investment to $26 Billion

Model-Year 2026 Lexus NX Updates

Top Sellers At Mecum Monterey 2025

Weekly Recalls

What's New For Tax Code 179 and More!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL CARPRO SHOW LISTENERS FROM JERRY REYNOLDS, THE CAR PRO

Our Incentives Guide

Kim Komando's Quiz and Other Info

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

Tomorrow is the last day for 50% off select entries in our 2025 Ford Maverick + $5K Sweepstakes!

When you enter you are giving hope and recovery for our military veterans by helping to raise money for Light Up To Live, a nonprofit that supports veterans.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL CARPRO SHOW LISTENERS FROM
JERRY REYNOLDS, THE CAR PRO