Straight Talk and Honest Answers

If your tradition has always been to wander onto a lot just after Christmas and pick out a new vehicle, this may be the year to break that habit. Start the process now.

Read my end-of-the-year buying advice→

  Incentives Guide

December vehicle rebates, incentives, and lease specials change often, sometimes daily.  A few things have changed since last December. Inventories are better, which means incentives are stronger. Here you'll find a link to every major manufacturer’s incentive page. Enter your zip code to find the current incentives offered in your area. 

Current incentives By Automaker → 

  Tax Code 179, Plus IRS Loan Interest Update 

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 →
• IRS Temporarily Simplifies Auto Loan Interest Reporting Rules →

  U.S. Auto Market

Consumer Reports 2026 Most Reliable Car Brands And My Commentary

Read more→

Tariff Talk: New Duties and Regional Responses 

Read more→

  Jaw-Droppers!

  Please Don't Let A Celebration Turn Into A Tragedy 

'Tis the season for holiday parties and our annual holiday reminder to never drink and drive. It also coincides with this week's launch of NHTSA's annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign that runs through January 1, 2026.  Alcohol-impaired driving remains a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes in the United States, especially during the holiday season. In 2023, NHTSA data shows that 12,429 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving traffic crashes, accounting for nearly one third of all traffic crash fatalities nationwide.

Read more →

  Don't Miss Our 2025 Gift Guide & Holiday Articles!  

• CarPro Advice: December is the very best month to buy or lease →
• Chevy’s always terrific 2025 holiday commercial:  Memory Lane →
• Our Holiday Gift Guide →
• The 12 Days of Car Pro Christmas song →
• Thanksgiving prayers for our military & first responders
• Holiday shoppers - Be careful parking at the mall →
  
• Kevin’s Famous Holiday recipes →
• How to safely transport your holiday meals →
• How to get your Christmas tree home safely →
• Neiman Marcus Christmas Fantasy Car: Baby Bugatti →
• Thanksgiving prayers for our military & first responders →
  

  Quick Shifts

Stories you’ll find today:

• Subaru’s Latest Safety Feature: Swerving From Pop-Up Ads.
  
• California to EV Drivers: Back of the Line, Folks.
  
• Jeep’s New EV Gets an Unwanted Strip-Show.
  
• Auction Trash, YouTube Cash.
• Ram Cologne: For Men Who Think Goats Are a Love Language.

Read more →

  Weekly Recalls

• Ford  **CRASH RISK**→
• Genesis  **CRASH RISK**→
  
• Lincoln  **CRASH RISK**→
• Ram **AIR BAGS MAY RUPTURE**→
• Takata Air Bag Recall → 

  New Sweepstakes! Win A Vintage Electric Bike! 

We've partnered with Vintage Electric Bikes & Warrior Hippie Apparel to give away a 2025 Vintage Electric Bike Scrambler!  This sweepstakes closes on Dec. 21st!

Proceeds from this campaign benefit Veterans Exploration Therapy (VET)—a nonprofit that empowers veterans and their families to heal through adventure-based therapy. VET uses outdoor exploration, wilderness skills, and community connection to help veterans rediscover purpose, resilience, and belonging.
 
This sweepstakes is proudly sponsored by Warrior Hippie Apparel, a veteran-founded brand dedicated to inspiring mindfulness, strength, and authenticity. Through their apparel and community initiatives, Warrior Hippie encourages warriors from all walks of life to live with intention and serve with heart. 

  Kim Komando Quiz and Interesting Info  

Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter, my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s.  We are 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:

You know the drill. You’re trying to log in, and there it is, the mighty checkbox: “I am not a robot.” You click it, and boom, you’re in. No crosswalk grid, no blurry fire hydrants, just instant access. But wait, how does it know you’re human? Is it reading your aura? Psychic energy? Horoscope? 

The second you click that box, it runs a real test behind the scenes.

Does it: A) Scan your browser history for human-like behavior, B) Analyze the micro-movements of your mouse cursor approaching the box, C) Check if your webcam detects a face (even if the light is off) or D) Measure how long it took you to read the page? 

*Answer below my closing message at the very bottom of this newsletter.

Interesting items I found in this week’s Kim Komando newsletter:

• AI’s fake friend problem: Imagine booking an oil change, then getting blasted with texts from a bot trying to chat you up. That’s what happened to one guy, who kept getting messages from “Cameron Rowe,” a dealership “rep” who turned out to be a bot with a fake job title, fake email signature and enough personality to be in HR. Companies think we want AI to feel human. We don’t. We want to get things done, not a bot pretending to have hobbies. 

• Save your phone’s battery: If your screen stays on when it’s locked, that’s the Always On Display quietly draining power. Brands say it only uses 1%–2% an hour, but it’s often higher. Turn it off by going to Settings > Lock Screen > Always On Display on Android, or Settings > Display & Brightness > Always On Display on iPhone.

• Cut the cord. Plug it in once, and you’ll enjoy wireless CarPlay or Android Auto even if your vehicle did not come with it from the factory.  A great Christmas gift: Wireless CarPlay adapter ($36)

• Earth’s whisper: OK, this one’s wild. Turns out, Yellowstone’s been rumbling nonstop, but we couldn’t hear it. An AI project uncovered 86,276 previously invisible quakes between 2008 to 2022 under the supervolcano. Most were harmless, caused by underground steam, not magma. But here’s the kicker: Now scientists have a clear picture of what “normal” looks like, so if something does go wrong, they’ll catch it way sooner. I hope.  

• Speedrun shopping: Ever order something and spend the next two days staring out the window? “Amazon Now” is rolling out in Seattle and Philly with 30-minute delivery on things like eggs, toothpaste, pet treats and medicine. Prime members pay $3.99 for delivery, non-Prime folks pay $13.99. It runs on tiny, hyperlocal warehouses built for speed. 

• Speaking of Amazon: You get a call from “Amazon” about a fake iPhone charge. If you press 1, they calmly walk you through downloading a legit-looking app that gives them remote control of your phone, banking, photos, messages, all of it. Not just your info. Your entire phone. If they say “press 1”? Hang up like it’s on fire.

   Check Out Our Newsletter Archive Page!

Go to the Newsletter Archive →

  Classic Car Contest: Win An AutoHeatShield!

  Exclusive Approved Products & Services

  Get Your Car Pro Show Holiday Gifts!

  Subscribe to the free DFW Newsletter 

  Miss the Show? Catch Our Podcast!

  Searching For A New Or Used Vehicle? 

  You Have 5 Hours To Call The Show! 

  Where to Find Us 

  Jerry's Must-Watch Video of the Week! 

  Todd's Video of the Week! 

  Closing Message: The Unsung Heroes Of The Car Business 

I’ve spent most of my life around car dealerships, long before I ever had a microphone or a keyboard in front of me. The business has changed in plenty of ways since those days, but one thing hasn’t changed at all: the job of being a good car salesperson is still one of the toughest, most underappreciated roles anywhere. And today, I want to take a moment to thank the ones who do it right. Not the ones who cut corners. Not the ones who treat customers like transactions. I’m talking about the men and women who genuinely care—who show up every day ready to make someone’s life a little easier, a little better, a little more hopeful, and still enjoy the smile of their customer when the keys exchange hands.

Most people never see the work behind the work. They don’t see the salesperson who arrives early to warm up a vehicle in the dead of winter so a customer doesn’t shiver through a test drive. They don’t see the salesperson who stands out on a sizzling asphalt lot in August, sweat rolling off their forehead, trying to find the exact color and package a buyer asked for.  When your hands get burned just touching the steering wheel. They don’t see the late nights after the rest of the world have gone home, when the paperwork is finally done and the taillights fade out of sight, and only then does the salesperson head home to grab a few hours of sleep before doing it all again.

People don’t always realize most of these folks don’t get paid unless a car gets sold. That’s pressure enough. Add in the long hours, the holidays spent at the store while everyone else is carving turkey or watching football, and the constant expectation to stay upbeat no matter what’s going on in their own lives. I’ve known hundreds of salespeople who powered through personal heartbreak, financial stress, or health scares because they didn’t want a customer to feel one ounce of it. They wanted that customer to drive away feeling confident, not burdened. They took pride in that.

And then there are the moments most customers never hear about but are the reason the auto industry still has a beating heart. The salesperson who quietly pays for a stranded family’s lunch while their car is being looked at. The one who stays late to help an elderly buyer transfer their belongings from their old car to the new one. The one who drops off a vehicle to a single mom at her workplace because finding childcare for a test drive just wasn’t in the cards. None of this earns them a trophy or a parade. It’s simply who they are.

I know there are bad actors out there—every industry has them. They make headlines. They get the clicks. But they are not the story. The real story lives in the quiet dedication of the people who still believe that helping someone choose a vehicle is a privilege. That taking care of families is part of the job. That honesty is worth more than a commission. Good salespeople understand that a car is not just metal, plastic, and glass. It can be freedom, security, opportunity, and sometimes even a fresh start. They take that seriously and thank goodness they do.

So, this week, I want to tip my hat to the good ones. The pros. The people who give this business a good name. If you’ve ever walked a hot lot, cleared a snowy windshield, worked a twelve-hour shift, or missed Christmas Eve dinner because a customer needed help, this is for you. You keep this industry moving forward with integrity and humanity. And for all the years I spent in your shoes, all the stories I’ve lived and told, and all the people you continue to serve with heart and grit—thank you for being you. You deserve it.

Straight Talk and Honest Answers — always.

Kim Komando Answer:

B) It analyzes the “micro-movements” of your mouse. Welcome to the wild world of anti-bot tech, where being shaky and inefficient is actually a plus. If you’ve had three cups of coffee and your hand is shaking, congratulations, you’re passing the test with flying colors.