🚘 End of The Month and End of The 3rd Quarter Deals! ADVICE: EV Pros and Cons, PLUS 2025 Ford Mustang GT Convertible and 2025 Ram 2500 Limited Longhorn Test Drives

September 26, 2025

Dear Car Pro Family,

Here we are, the end of another month, the end of the third quarter, and the end of the $7,500 electric vehicle Federal rebates. It all comes to a screeching halt this coming Tuesday. Boys and girls, it’s go time if you are bargain shopping. New vehicles are going to take a huge leap in price as the 2026s arrive. The best deals of the year are going on now, I explain below.

The annual Sam Pack Classic Car show is TOMORROW. Come see Todd and me as we broadcast all five hours of the show from there. It’s your once a year opportunity to see Mr. Pack’s amazing collection of cars PLUS the many other classics outside the Sam Pack Museum tomorrow. If you are a listener and in DFW for any reason, come by and say hi!

In other stories below, Ford is moving its World Headquarters, which makes me a little sad. Two good things have fallen: The cost of car ownership, and auto thefts in the U.S. Both those stories are below. We now know the 30 semifinalists for the big award of the year, the North American Car, Truck, & Utility of the Year! Which automakers still offer you the chance to take delivery of your new vehicle overseas? I’ll tell you today, and the legislation that would require automakers to keep AM radio available in cars is advancing after being stalled.

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. I have a whole new batch of quirky and funny 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! In advice, I give you the pros and cons of electric vehicles, and in my closing message at the very bottom, I predict the future of electric vehicle sales.

In car reviews, I have the Race Red 2025 Mustang GT convertible, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, I also have the 2025 Ram 2500 Limited Longhorn Crew Cab with the big Cummins diesel under the hood to show you. Amy Plemons is tied up with the Texas Auto Writer’s Association 2025 Texas Truck Rodeo but will have a full review for you next week.

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!

It is the end of the month this Tuesday, so time is running out on the amazing September incentives, and almost always, they drop at the beginning of any new quarter. The end of the third quarter of 2025 ends on that Tuesday also, so this is the last weekend for both! Remember to check the incentive section below, it is there every week. We have every incentive and the end date for every vehicle sold in America.

It’s no secret, the deals get better at month end, and when the quarter ends at the same time, it really gets good for consumers. Automakers push the dealers for volume, and dealers do whatever it takes to make a deal. If you follow this newsletter every week, I’ve shown you proof of BIG price jumps for the 2026 models, so grabbing a 2025 while the selection is still good makes a lot of sense.

You last minute electric vehicle shoppers, the clock is running out quickly. The $7,500 Federal rebate ends next Tuesday as well, and if you miss that, you are giving away a TON of money. Don’t forget the article I wrote about pre-paid leases that were way less money than a $10,000 used car. There is a link to that article in my advice column today about electrics.

Remember too, at least for now you can write interest off on your taxes for 2025, and you self-employed and business owners, Tax Code 179 awaits and you might want to make that move now instead of December. There is something for everybody and we’ve got all the latest changes to the laws here:

The Car Pro 2025 Tax Code, Depreciation and Interest Write-Off Guide →

As I discussed last week, used car values are still very high but who knows how long this will last? There is really no logical reason the values have stayed this high this long.

For the best results, follow my process and talk to one of my friends here:

Find a Certified Car Pro →

After all, everybody needs a friend in the car business.

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 →

Time is running out to enter our sweepstakes to win a new 2025 Ford Maverick plus $5000 CASH! Our 50% off select entries deal continues through the end of the sweepstakes!

What You Need to Know:

Sweepstakes ends end of day, Oct. 8
Get 50% select entries (think more entries, half the cost to enter)
Your donation for entries is tax-deductible
Your entries support Light Up To Live Foundation! Lighting a path of hope and recovery for our military veterans!
The winner also receives $5,000 cash!

ENTER THE 2025 FORD MAVERICK SWEEPSTAKES!

From this week’s Kim Komando newsletters:

Say goodbye to paper checks: Starting Sept. 30, Social Security, veterans benefits and IRS payments will only be sent electronically. Most folks already use direct deposit, but if you’re still getting checks, you’ll need to either open a bank account or request a Treasury-issued debit card by calling 800-967-6857. Don’t wait on this.

Beware the Benadryl: A South Carolina teen landed in the ER after trying TikTok’s “Benadryl Challenge,” sending her heart racing to nearly 200 bpm while hallucinating. She’s OK, but high doses can cause seizures, coma, even death. Her parents are warning other families.

Prime and pause: Don’t click “Buy Now.” Amazon just announced a big hardware event for Sept. 30 in New York City, where it’s going to unveil new Echo speakers, Fire TV gear and a colorful Kindle that you can write on. Alexa’s gonna be smarter, too. Maybe it will ask me, “Kim, why am I unplugged?”

Bars from space: Elon Musk wants Starlink to be your phone provider. Instead of towers, satellites beam calls straight to your pocket. Texts are working now for some folks. Starlink just locked down spectrum rights from Globalstar, the same radio lanes carriers use. The big carriers are sweating, FCC’s nervous and you might finally get service in that one Target parking lot black hole.

Firefly on the moon: A Texas startup just made the second-ever private moon landing. Their Blue Ghost lander is testing heat, dust, drilling and even whether GPS works that far out. You know, “people living up there one day” basics. NASA’s paying companies instead of building everything themselves. Why? It’s cheaper and faster.

Make sure your car’s safe: About 1 in 5 cars on the road have an open recall that hasn’t been fixed. Check yours at the NHTSA website by choosing your state and entering your license plate number or VIN. FYI: You can also search recalls for tire brands and car seats.

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 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 will cross the block at Mecum Dallas/Fort Worth 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:
➡️ NEW!!! KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 1pm to 2pm Central Dallas Show Airs LIVE
KRLD 1080 AM, Saturday 2pm to 4pm Central - Pre-recorded National Show
Granbury, TX: KPIR 1420 AM, Saturday 11am to 2pm Central
Listen to the WBAP Podcast (up every Tuesday)→

The electric vehicle revolution is moving fast currently, but there’s one big question looming: what happens when the federal $7,500 EV tax credit finally runs out next Tuesday? Like it or not, incentives have played a starring role in getting EVs off the ground. Without them, sales would likely look very different.

The credit today acts as a cushion, narrowing the gap between EVs and their gasoline counterparts. A buyer cross-shopping a $42,000 gas SUV and a $49,000 EV might think twice, but when you lop $7,500 off the EV’s price, the math gets easier. Automakers know this, and it’s why nearly every sales chart has a big asterisk tied to “federal incentives.”

Once that cushion is gone, sticker shock becomes real again. For many households, the difference between $35,000 and $42,500 is the difference between signing on the dotted line or walking away. Without the rebate, EVs become less of an impulse and more of a luxury, especially for mainstream buyers. Early adopters, tech fans, and fleet buyers may keep the momentum alive, but middle-America families—the ones who drive the bulk of car sales—are more sensitive to price than to instant acceleration or charging apps.

Automakers are aware of the cliff ahead. Some are racing to lower production costs, moving factories to North America, and investing heavily in cheaper battery chemistries. Others are hedging with plug-in hybrids, which stretch efficiency without requiring the same charging infrastructure and giving people the ability to travel without range anxiety.

The good news is that EVs will not vanish from the market. Prices will come down as technology matures and supply chains stabilize, just like cell phones have. Range anxiety is slowly being replaced by charging reality, as networks expand, and speeds improve. But the road may get bumpy. EV sales growth will flatten, or take a hard dip for a time, as shoppers adjust to higher out-the-door costs.

What’s different this time is that governments, automakers, and even utilities are more deeply invested. Billions of dollars have already been committed to charging infrastructure and battery plants. It’s unlikely we’ll see a total collapse. But the era of easy EV growth may be nearing its end, and the next chapter will depend less on subsidies and more on whether the vehicles themselves can stand on their own merits: price, practicality, performance, and availability. VW just announced they will write off six billion dollars by overhauling its plans to go all-electric.

I have people who say: “Hey Car Pro, Tesla did well before the $7,500 tax credits.” Tesla was founded in 2003 and reported its first full-year net profit in 2020. That means it took about 17 years from its founding before it finally turned an annual profit. Remember that much of their profits, or fewer losses, were earned selling carbon credits to other car companies. A reasonable estimate for the cumulative revenue Tesla has made from selling regulatory / emissions / clean-vehicle credits to other automakers is around $11–12 billion in the U.S. alone since through 2024.

So, when the $7,500 carrot finally goes away next Tuesday, we’ll find out just how strong the EV market really is and if it can stand on its own. My guess? It won’t be lights out, but the glow may dim for a while before it burns brighter again. I predicted years ago EVs would amount to 10% of total sales of vehicles in America and we never got there. Now, with the federal money going away, my guess is under 5% of the market will be EVs through 2030. Only time will tell us for sure.

The Last Weekend Of The Month & End Of Third Quarter!

U.S. Auto Market

Volvo To Build New Hybrid In U.S. &Nissan Ariya EV Exits U.S. Market

Read more→

Ford Is Moving Its World Headquarters

Which Automakers Still Offer European Deliveries?

Straight Talk and Honest Answers

CarPro Advice: EV Pros and Cons

AM Radio For Every Vehicle Bill Advances

On The Road: Test Drives

2025 Ford Mustang GT Premium Convertible

Read Jerry's review →

2025 Ram 2500 Limited Longhorn HO Cummins

Read Jerry's review →

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

2026 North American Car, Truck & Utility Of The Year Semifinalists

The Cadillac Escalade IQ is on the semifinalist list.

J.D. Power Component Quality Reports

Auto Thefts Fell In First Half Of 2025

Chrysler Teams Up With Snoopy & The Gang

AAA: Cost Of New Car Ownership Drops

Weekly Recalls

What's New For Tax Code 179 and More!

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

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

Our Incentives Guide

Get All Three Credit Reports Weekly For Free!

Read more →

2025 Ford Maverick Sweepstakes Ends Oct. 8!

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!

Click here for the WBAP DFW 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

Volvo To Build New Hybrid In U.S. &
Nissan Ariya EV Exits U.S. Market

2026 North American Car, Truck & Utility
Of The Year Semifinalists

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