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A Deep Dive Into The 2026 Lexus LX 700H And The Tech Features Drivers Love To Hate · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:04
  Don Armstrong: Welcome to the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show.
• 0:07
  Don Armstrong: Just ahead, Chip Lupo with Wallet Hub.
• 0:11
  Don Armstrong: Car insurance on the rise.
• 0:13
  Don Armstrong: Don't we know it?
• 0:15
  Don Armstrong: Mike reviews the new Subaru Outpack.
• 0:17
  Don Armstrong: Jeff has the cruise in and events calendars, plus this week's top auto news stories.
• 0:21
  Don Armstrong: Howdy, along with Mike out of this world, Mars.
• 0:23
  Don Armstrong: We always need more Jeff Zeken.
• 0:25
  Don Armstrong: David Ainsley joins us in the engineering department.
• 0:28
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong.
• 0:29
  Don Armstrong: So glad that you could join us.
• 0:30
  Don Armstrong: Let's get right to Chip Lupo.
• 0:32
  Don Armstrong: Chip, Wallet Hub, good morning, and thank you so much for joining us today.
• 0:38
  Jeff Dziekan: We lost Mike and Chip.
• 0:41
  Jeff Dziekan: There's Mike.
• 0:43
  Don Armstrong: I guess that uh Chip uh can't hear you, Mike.
• 0:46
  Mike Marrs: Oh, sorry.
• 0:47
  Mike Marrs: I had it on mute.
• 0:48
  Mike Marrs: I was trying to work with Chip.
• 0:49
  Mike Marrs: Same problem we had earlier.
• 0:51
  Mike Marrs: He's coming in with uh no audio and video, but he's coming in, so I'm working with him offline.
• 0:56
  Don Armstrong: Okay, well, we're just gonna put you on hold, and when we see uh Chip, then we'll get back with you.
• 1:02
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 1:03
  Jeff Dziekan: Um Did I tell you I was getting 32 plus miles to the gallon on my beauty?
• 1:07
  Don Armstrong: You know, and um that's not surprising.
• 1:10
  Don Armstrong: And you know, if I if I am very careful and feather the throttle in the 2001 Corvette, not go over 60, I can get 30 miles per gallon in that V8.
• 1:23
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, it's truly amazing if you really work at it.
• 1:25
  Don Armstrong: And that car that I had not that long ago, the Hyundai Elantra, 47 miles.
• 1:31
  Don Armstrong: Now it was a hybrid, right?
• 1:33
  Don Armstrong: 47 miles per gallon.
• 1:34
  Don Armstrong: Are you kidding?
• 1:35
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, I'll take that.
• 1:36
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh I've been using my cruise control and using that as my throttle.
• 1:41
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh, you know, I'll get on a highway, I take certain back rows to get to work and certain highways to get to work, depending on the day in traffic.
• 1:47
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh, but I'll use that cruise control.
• 1:50
  Jeff Dziekan: If it's 35, I'll set it at 37.
• 1:52
  Jeff Dziekan: And then the car automatically adjusts the speed for front and rear.
• 1:55
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, mainly front, so you're not traveling too fast.
• 1:58
  Jeff Dziekan: It's all electronic.
• 1:59
  Jeff Dziekan: I use that, or I'll just turn it off and I'll or upgrade it through the buttons rather than the accelerator pedal.
• 2:04
  Jeff Dziekan: So I think that's how I'm getting this good mileage.
• 2:07
  Jeff Dziekan: Plus, I'm not a uh hot rodter, anyways.
• 2:09
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh did that long ago.
• 2:10
  Jeff Dziekan: Kathy's the 90 or nothing lady.
• 2:12
  Jeff Dziekan: She is.
• 2:12
  Jeff Dziekan: Really?
• 2:13
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, yeah, yeah.
• 2:14
  Jeff Dziekan: She'll pull the wheelie out of the garage if you can do it.
• 2:17
  Don Armstrong: Well, um, I I think that it's interesting.
• 2:20
  Don Armstrong: So you have uh the keep the distance uh thing going.
• 2:26
  Jeff Dziekan: I had it set at 68, and I'm in the right lane, and if a car pulls out, it'll you can actually feel the car, you know, kind of slow down.
• 2:35
  Jeff Dziekan: The cruise number doesn't change, but your actual miles per hour changes because it adjusted accordingly.
• 2:40
  Jeff Dziekan: So yeah, that's I think that's all I'm getting at.
• 2:42
  Don Armstrong: Well, I I use that quite frequently in the new car of the week, whatever that that may be, if I can find it.
• 2:49
  Don Armstrong: Uh that seems to be a growing trend is to the ease of use of steering wheel controls.
• 2:55
  Don Armstrong: Um, they're not well marked for one.
• 2:58
  Don Armstrong: And uh number two is getting them to work without lane keeping assist, which drives me insane.
• 3:06
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, it's turned off.
• 3:07
  Jeff Dziekan: And Laura on her new vehicle, uh, how they go over the options of the car that you have to own and you do this, this, this you kept turning everything off.
• 3:14
  Jeff Dziekan: The guy's looking at her like, why you're turning?
• 3:16
  Jeff Dziekan: I don't want it.
• 3:17
  Don Armstrong: Right.
• 3:17
  Don Armstrong: Take it off.
• 3:18
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 3:18
  Don Armstrong: Um, and I think that there are some manufacturers that are like the start-stop feature.
• 3:24
  Don Armstrong: Oh, yeah.
• 3:24
  Don Armstrong: People absolutely hated it.
• 3:26
  Jeff Dziekan: Mine's off.
• 3:27
  Jeff Dziekan: I turn it off.
• 3:27
  Don Armstrong: And I've got one.
• 3:28
  Don Armstrong: Um, I had one, uh, a car that had the start-stop on it.
• 3:32
  Don Armstrong: This one out there's got start-stop.
• 3:35
  Jeff Dziekan: It automatically comes on when I start the car, but I I know where the button is.
• 3:39
  Jeff Dziekan: I I put my seatbelt on, I start the car.
• 3:41
  Don Armstrong: See, to me, you shouldn't have to turn it off.
• 3:44
  Don Armstrong: It should be if you want it, turn it on.
• 3:46
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 3:47
  Don Armstrong: And leave it on.
• 3:48
  Don Armstrong: Don't reset it every time you restart the car.
• 3:51
  Don Armstrong: It uh some of the things that and you know what?
• 3:55
  Don Armstrong: Come to find out that I am not by myself when it comes to these things.
• 3:59
  Don Armstrong: No, no.
• 3:59
  Don Armstrong: If you want the start-stop feature, turn it on.
• 4:02
  Don Armstrong: And when the car, you turn it off and turn it back on, then it remembers your setting.
• 4:06
  Don Armstrong: It should.
• 4:07
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 4:07
  Don Armstrong: But they don't they've got they've got the adjustable seats, you hit the little one button, and every single time it will go back to that setting if you have it set that way.
• 4:18
  Don Armstrong: Right.
• 4:18
  Don Armstrong: Well, why not set the other stuff that way?
• 4:20
  Don Armstrong: I'm the one that drives the car.
• 4:22
  Don Armstrong: If you share the car, okay, there's and many cars have the you know, we can set it all up for you in one way, and then me the other way.
• 4:33
  Jeff Dziekan: It drives it's yeah, it's the options that you have, but I agree with the oh, that's gonna cost more money.
• 4:38
  Don Armstrong: No, it's not.
• 4:39
  Don Armstrong: Just don't put it in.
• 4:40
  Don Armstrong: It's it's a computer program that the guy sitting back there in the corner, all he has to do is yeah, but you know what?
• 4:46
  Don Armstrong: It's mandatory we take the AM radio out.
• 4:49
  Jeff Dziekan: That's another horse crap thing.
• 4:50
  Don Armstrong: They work more on that than the stuff that I really need to be doing.
• 4:53
  Don Armstrong: They didn't have AM radio.
• 4:55
  Don Armstrong: Now, not that I am a huge AM radio fan because most of the stations on AM these days I don't listen to.
• 5:01
  Don Armstrong: I I listen to two of them.
• 5:02
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, you get news, uh, and then I I listen to the Astros.
• 5:06
  Jeff Dziekan: And I listen to Michael Berry.
• 5:07
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, occasionally I do too.
• 5:08
  Jeff Dziekan: But uh Astros are mainly about I listen to FM.
• 5:11
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh like my classic radio stations where they have old dragnets on.
• 5:15
  Jeff Dziekan: That's fun to be a little bit more.
• 5:16
  Jeff Dziekan: Now, here's a brilliant when I ride, I want to go back to the radio.
• 5:18
  Don Armstrong: Griping about radio, and I have reason to gripe because that's where I got my start and was in radio a long time.
• 5:26
  Don Armstrong: So they take a radio station here in Houston off the air called 97.5 the spot.
• 5:33
  Don Armstrong: What do they do?
• 5:34
  Don Armstrong: They make it into a sports channel.
• 5:37
  Don Armstrong: I don't want sports, I want the music from the spot.
• 5:41
  Don Armstrong: Now I don't have any choices as to what music I hear.
• 5:44
  Don Armstrong: I used to listen to one other station, they suck now.
• 5:48
  Don Armstrong: The music selection on there just absolutely sucks.
• 5:51
  Don Armstrong: And the other ones, I don't want to hear the same old hard rock and roll from the 70s because that's all it is.
• 5:59
  Don Armstrong: Well, as he's that's one of David's stations.
• 6:01
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, on like on the XM, you have classic rock, you have classic rewind and stuff.
• 6:05
  Don Armstrong: What if you don't have XM?
• 6:06
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, I'm just saying, but uh you know, we listen to that when Kathy and I are together, it's sport, whatever.
• 6:10
  Jeff Dziekan: But the DJs, there's they just drone on and on.
• 6:13
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, we can't do that.
• 6:14
  Jeff Dziekan: It's kind of like this talk show.
• 6:15
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, we're gonna talk about this artist and they go 20 minutes, play the damn song.
• 6:19
  Don Armstrong: It's kind of like this this talk show, isn't it, Mike?
• 6:21
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 6:22
  Don Armstrong: Mike's gonna talk.
• 6:23
  Don Armstrong: Mike's got his stuff a few times.
• 6:25
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 6:26
  Don Armstrong: So uh what what are we doing here, Mike?
• 6:29
  Don Armstrong: Well, okay.
• 6:32
  Don Armstrong: Um do I need to turn you away again?
• 6:36
  Don Armstrong: You you you I tell you what, there's a vacuum cleaner in the closet in the house that you're in.
• 6:41
  Don Armstrong: I think you need to go and do that today.
• 6:45
  Mike Marrs: I think I need to do something because I'm I'm sitting here, I'm I'm getting very frustrated.
• 6:50
  Mike Marrs: But anyway.
• 6:51
  Don Armstrong: Are you?
• 6:51
  Don Armstrong: I can see the sweat on your brow.
• 6:55
  Don Armstrong: Chip?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_03: Chip.
• 6:58
  Don Armstrong: I'm here.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: I'm having a problem with the um video.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_03: I can hear you.
• 7:03
  Don Armstrong: Every guest that we've had today.
• 7:05
  Don Armstrong: Let's call him back.
• 7:06
  Mike Marrs: Well, we can talk to him, we just can't see him.
• 7:08
  Mike Marrs: Dom?
• 7:09
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, dumb.
• 7:10
  Don Armstrong: Well, you know, I'm sure that he's probably got other interviews lined up and be my guest.
• 7:14
  Don Armstrong: That's why we didn't have him last week.
• 7:16
  Don Armstrong: Uh, because uh double booking.
• 7:18
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, double booking.
• 7:20
  Mike Marrs: But do you want to talk to Chip?
• 7:22
  Mike Marrs: Let's talk to Chip.
• 7:23
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, Chip's there.
• 7:24
  Mike Marrs: Chip's morning, guys.
• 7:26
  Don Armstrong: Hey, hey Chip.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_03: How are you?
• 7:30
  Don Armstrong: Well, well, we could we can kind of hear you.
• 7:33
  Don Armstrong: Um, uh we don't know why we can't see you.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 7:36
  Don Armstrong: Where are you speaking where are you speaking to us from?
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I'm in Columbia, South Carolina.
• 7:41
  Don Armstrong: It's um, well, there's the problem right there.
• 7:44
  Don Armstrong: That's the problem in Columbia, South Carolina.
• 7:47
  Don Armstrong: They have absolutely no clue how to do the internet there.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: Well, it's so hot here you probably melted the cameras.
• 7:55
  Don Armstrong: So let me ask you this.
• 7:56
  Don Armstrong: Are you with the are you with the Xfinity still?
• 8:03
  Don Armstrong: See, this is not gonna work.
• 8:06
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 8:07
  Mike Marrs: All right, Chip.
• 8:08
  Mike Marrs: We'll have to do something else later.
• 8:10
  Mike Marrs: Sorry.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, my apologies, gentlemen.
• 8:14
  unknown: No worries.
• 8:15
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, you need to call Xfinity and tell them to go away and find some other some other company to handle your internet stuff because Xfinity sucks.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Spectrum, which is probably even worse.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: Spectrum, rectum, they kind of go together.
• 8:31
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, there's that.
• 8:32
  Don Armstrong: You might want to check that with uh your rectum people there.
• 8:36
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 8:37
  Don Armstrong: That's that's W-R-E-C-K rectum.
• 8:42
  Don Armstrong: Guys, I've got to read the carf rectum.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: I'm thinking 11 30 next Saturday if you want to try again.
• 8:49
  Don Armstrong: Well, that would be up to Mr.
• 8:51
  Don Armstrong: Mars if we want to try again.
• 8:53
  Don Armstrong: You need to call your rectum uh internet people and and get it started with them first.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: It's a Google Chrome thing.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: It's having trouble giving me access to the are you on your phone?
• 9:06
  Mike Marrs: No, I'm actually Well, see, we one of the earlier guests was having trouble with Google Chrome, so I'm not sure what the deal is because Google's amended.
• 9:15
  Don Armstrong: It's called an update.
• 9:17
  Don Armstrong: Oh, we did an update.
• 9:19
  Don Armstrong: Well, anyway, Chip, anyway, anyway, Chip, I know that you're a money man, and I'm thinking maybe you need to open that wallet and dish it up just a little bit and step it up instead of Google Chrome.
• 9:30
  Don Armstrong: Maybe you need to have uh, you know, Don's Deluxe hamburger stand that would that would suffice for you for your internet.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, whatever works.
• 9:41
  Don Armstrong: Exactly.
• 9:42
  Mike Marrs: All right, sir, we'll be in touch.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_03: All right, thanks, guys.
• 9:45
  Don Armstrong: If we can get through, yeah, yeah, and that's always a that's always an issue.
• 9:50
  Don Armstrong: So just thought I'd throw that out there.
• 9:52
  Don Armstrong: He had mentioned something I just like to do.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, guys, we'll talk.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, bye-bye.
• 9:57
  Don Armstrong: I think that's a threat, isn't it?
• 10:00
  Don Armstrong: I have I have a car review.
• 10:03
  Don Armstrong: Would you like to do that?
• 10:05
  Mike Marrs: Plug it in, Mike.
• 10:06
  Don Armstrong: Mr.
• 10:06
  Don Armstrong: Mars?
• 10:07
  Mike Marrs: It's there.
• 10:07
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 10:08
  Mike Marrs: I have a car review, you have a car review, everybody's got a car review.
• 10:11
  Don Armstrong: All right, well, I got a car review.
• 10:13
  Jeff Dziekan: I'll let you uh fire it up, Mike.
• 10:15
  Don Armstrong: All right, so I had an opportunity to drive the 2026 Lexus LX 700H.
• 10:22
  Don Armstrong: Now, we are familiar with all sorts of different Lexus models, and I had to really put on my thinking cap, which is almost worn out.
• 10:32
  Don Armstrong: I had to put that on and thinking an LX.
• 10:36
  Don Armstrong: Now, this is not an LS.
• 10:38
  Don Armstrong: I'm familiar with the LS, the big sedan.
• 10:41
  Don Armstrong: LX, hmm, gotta be an SUV and wait at different number destination here of 700 with an H at the end of it.
• 10:51
  Don Armstrong: Well, it is a great big huge SUV, and the 700 doesn't mean anything other than the fact the H at the end, it is a hybrid.
• 11:01
  Don Armstrong: So there are seven trim levels of this car, um, and the price ranges from$107,000 up to$143,000.
• 11:12
  Don Armstrong: It ain't cheap and it is real nice.
• 11:15
  Don Armstrong: Uh, the review trim level is the hybrid over trail, it is a$117,000 trim package priced uh hybrid standard SUV, meaning that it is a body-on frame SUV with only two rows of seating in this one.
• 11:36
  Don Armstrong: Other trim levels you can get three rows of seating.
• 11:39
  Don Armstrong: This one is two, and um, I will tell you that the frame underneath it is semi-tundra truck.
• 11:48
  Don Armstrong: Okay, so keep that in mind.
• 11:50
  Don Armstrong: This is a very rugged SUV.
• 11:53
  Don Armstrong: Look at that beautiful interior.
• 11:54
  Don Armstrong: We're gonna get to that in a minute.
• 11:55
  Don Armstrong: This is fourth generation LX debuted in 2022.
• 12:00
  Don Armstrong: Hybrid began in 2024.
• 12:03
  Don Armstrong: Uh, exterior features include overpowering spindle grill.
• 12:08
  Don Armstrong: I think it detracts from uh its grill look.
• 12:12
  Don Armstrong: Uh it's just it overwhelms everything.
• 12:15
  Don Armstrong: Straight body lines um and bulging front fenders um add to the off-road appearance.
• 12:23
  Don Armstrong: Huge rear hatch swallows everything, probably a couch back there, uh, maybe even uh at least a fridge.
• 12:32
  Don Armstrong: Um rear valance and taillights add to the elegant touch of this.
• 12:38
  Don Armstrong: Uh, what I liked about it, I like the overall conservative styling.
• 12:41
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement?
• 12:43
  Don Armstrong: The grill.
• 12:44
  Don Armstrong: Interior highlights.
• 12:46
  Don Armstrong: Depending on the trim level, the interior goes from mild to wild with colors.
• 12:52
  Don Armstrong: That one there is the F Sport, and you can see that it's got a really nice red interior.
• 12:59
  Don Armstrong: Don't understand dual screens for the HVAC and radio navigation.
• 13:04
  Don Armstrong: Um, that's something that uh puzzles me.
• 13:06
  Don Armstrong: Why?
• 13:07
  Don Armstrong: Why couldn't you just put it in one screen?
• 13:09
  Don Armstrong: But at least they have done away with the touch screen, the touch pad that you used to have to use your finger to actually put the cursor onto wherever it is that you're trying to go.
• 13:22
  Don Armstrong: Uh huge center console with optional cooling capabilities.
• 13:26
  Don Armstrong: Yes, cooling capabilities.
• 13:28
  Don Armstrong: So if you want to have your Coca-Cola's cooled, there's a place for that in the center console.
• 13:33
  Don Armstrong: Premium leather throughout the cabin, comfortable front seats.
• 13:37
  Don Armstrong: Uh, without the third row, there's plenty of room for camping gear back there.
• 13:41
  Don Armstrong: What I did like about it, that Mark Levinson sound system with, I don't know, a hundred speakers in it, is really nice.
• 13:47
  Don Armstrong: Look at use improvement.
• 13:49
  Don Armstrong: Again, kill the dual screens and make one big one.
• 13:52
  Don Armstrong: That would be my suggestion.
• 13:53
  Don Armstrong: But who am I?
• 13:55
  Don Armstrong: A 3.4-liter twin turbo V6 is under the hood with 457 horsepower.
• 14:04
  Don Armstrong: Yep, 457, 583 pound feet of torque through a 10-speed automatic transmission.
• 14:12
  Don Armstrong: Again, it is a hybrid.
• 14:14
  Don Armstrong: Its towing capability is up to four tons.
• 14:20
  Don Armstrong: That's 8,000 pounds for those that don't want me to do the math for you.
• 14:24
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, miles per gallon.
• 14:26
  Don Armstrong: Well, 19 city, 22 highway for combined to 20.
• 14:30
  Don Armstrong: Now, mind you, that this is one of those vehicles that used to be like 13 miles per gallon.
• 14:36
  Don Armstrong: So they've bumped up the the party.
• 14:38
  Don Armstrong: 60 twin turbo, yeah.
• 14:39
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 14:40
  Don Armstrong: Uh, I got 18.1 miles per gallon over 389 miles.
• 14:46
  Don Armstrong: This thing is heavy, it weighs almost three tons.
• 14:52
  Don Armstrong: So that kind of mileage um is impressive considering that it's gonna haul around all that way.
• 14:58
  Jeff Dziekan: 10-speed transmission, too.
• 15:00
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 15:00
  Don Armstrong: Uh, what I liked about it, the horsepower.
• 15:02
  Don Armstrong: The V6 acts like a V8.
• 15:04
  Don Armstrong: You can't tell the difference, or at least I couldn't.
• 15:06
  Don Armstrong: Uh, what could use improvement?
• 15:08
  Don Armstrong: More mileage.
• 15:09
  Don Armstrong: Um, um, and I think that I think that this is a nice compromise.
• 15:14
  Don Armstrong: It's a V6 instead of a V8, and it's also a hybrid, so it does have a battery backup.
• 15:21
  Don Armstrong: You start adding batteries and making the mileage go up, then you got to deal with the weight.
• 15:26
  Don Armstrong: So it's a nice compromise in that area.
• 15:28
  Don Armstrong: Um, ride and handling, air ride suspension absolutely nails it.
• 15:34
  Don Armstrong: Now, I don't know about you.
• 15:36
  Don Armstrong: Have you ever ridden in one with an air ride suspension?
• 15:39
  Don Armstrong: They're different, they feel different.
• 15:41
  Don Armstrong: You go over the the bumps and the the bruises on the freeway, and you go, that just felt different.
• 15:47
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 15:47
  Don Armstrong: And uh boy, it absorbs those.
• 15:49
  Don Armstrong: Didn't feel it like uh the old GMC buses from the 1960s.
• 15:54
  Don Armstrong: It's nice, it's really nice.
• 15:56
  Don Armstrong: It acts like a luxury sedan from the 80s, it is smooth.
• 15:59
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement again?
• 16:01
  Don Armstrong: The weight, uh, it feels heavy and it is almost three tons.
• 16:06
  Don Armstrong: All right, so you want to know about the pricing.
• 16:08
  Don Armstrong: Well, I kind of gave you a tease, but here's the real thing the base trim price is 115.
• 16:14
  Don Armstrong: Price is tested, 119,311.
• 16:16
  Don Armstrong: The base model price, gasoline version, is$108,000.
• 16:24
  Don Armstrong: Uh competitors, Mercedes-Benz GLS, BMW X7, and the Infinity QX80.
• 16:30
  Don Armstrong: And uh next week I'm gonna review the Mazda CX5.
• 16:34
  Don Armstrong: And that's my review of the 2026 Lexus LX.
• 16:39
  Jeff Dziekan: Noticed about it.
• 16:39
  Jeff Dziekan: I don't like that grill.
• 16:41
  Jeff Dziekan: The grill is too obtrusive.
• 16:42
  Jeff Dziekan: It's but it's overwhelming.
• 16:44
  Jeff Dziekan: It is, it takes up the entire front end.
• 16:46
  Jeff Dziekan: I get it that it's a Lexus, but could you scale it back just a little bit?
• 16:49
  Jeff Dziekan: All the attaboys, that one old crap that wipes it all out.
• 16:52
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 16:53
  Don Armstrong: To me.
• 16:53
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 16:54
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 16:55
  Don Armstrong: Mr.
• 16:56
  Don Armstrong: Mars, um, I I know that you've got a car review uh coming up.
• 17:00
  Don Armstrong: Uh I guess it's in the next hour.
• 17:02
  Mike Marrs: Uh actually it was there, but we are I'm going to do it in the next hour now.
• 17:06
  Don Armstrong: I'm sorry.
• 17:07
  Don Armstrong: I'm sorry, Mike.
• 17:08
  Don Armstrong: Did I that I did I that I I I guess I really made a bad decision there, didn't I?
• 17:14
  Don Armstrong: I was just trying to fill the time, you understand?
• 17:16
  Mike Marrs: I understand.
• 17:17
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 17:18
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 17:19
  Don Armstrong: Let's take a break, shall we?
• 17:20
  Don Armstrong: Coming up, Jeff has the crews in and events calendars, and I'll have the stories making automotive news headlines this week.
• 17:25
  Don Armstrong: The N-wheel time car talk show continues after this 90-second break.
• 17:30
  Don Armstrong: The Tex Max dining experience is defined by Loopy Tortilla, your destination for Texas's best beef fajitas and frozen margaritas.
• 17:39
  Don Armstrong: Since 1983, Loopy Tortilla has served authentic and time-tested recipes made with the freshest ingredients.
• 17:46
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• 17:52
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• 17:58
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• 18:03
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• 18:12
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• 18:17
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• 18:19
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• 18:22
  Don Armstrong: The ingredients are always fresh.
• 18:24
  Don Armstrong: Loopy tortilla.
• 18:25
  Don Armstrong: Eats pretty good.
• 18:30
  Don Armstrong: Apple or Android In Wheel Time Podcast can be found everywhere, on the stream and through downloads.
• 18:36
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• 18:41
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• 18:51
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• 18:57
  Don Armstrong: Inwheeltime.com has a list, so check us out.
• 19:03
  Don Armstrong: Yes, thank you.
• 19:03
  Don Armstrong: Hey, be sure and join us for a live show every week.
• 19:05
  Don Armstrong: In Wheel Time Air Saturdays, 10 to noon on Facebook, YouTube, and InWheeltime.com.
• 19:09
  Don Armstrong: And of course, if you miss it, you can catch 30-minute podcasts from this show and others at your favorite podcast store.
• 19:15
  Don Armstrong: Thanks for joining us today, time now for Jeff's cruise-in and events calendar.
• 19:20
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, yeah, let's not forget, summer's winding down.
• 19:22
  Jeff Dziekan: Everybody's going back to school, so there's going to be a few of these car events that are going to be less and less as we go.
• 19:27
  Jeff Dziekan: But today, from 5 30 to whenever, is the classics of Brisoria County cruise in at the Dairy Queen on loop 274 in Angleton, Texas.
• 19:36
  Jeff Dziekan: Entry is free and it's an open cruise.
• 19:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Did you say the treats are free?
• 19:40
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh the entry is free.
• 19:41
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, the entry.
• 19:42
  Don Armstrong: So in other words, we can't have a uh blizzard or something.
• 19:46
  Jeff Dziekan: You can bring your own and that would be free, but you'd have to pay for that.
• 19:48
  Jeff Dziekan: Sorry.
• 19:49
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh 9 a.m.
• 19:50
  Jeff Dziekan: to 5 p.m.
• 19:50
  Jeff Dziekan: today is uh the cruise in show and swap meet and faux real trade days at 321 Wallaceville Road.
• 19:57
  Jeff Dziekan: Go on up there.
• 19:58
  Jeff Dziekan: That entry is free, also.
• 20:00
  Jeff Dziekan: It's a swap meet.
• 20:00
  Jeff Dziekan: That'd be pretty cool to do.
• 20:02
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh also this afternoon from 5 p.m.
• 20:04
  Jeff Dziekan: to whenever is the Saturday night car meet at Lowe's, and that's in League City.
• 20:09
  Jeff Dziekan: Entry is free.
• 20:11
  Jeff Dziekan: 6 p.m.
• 20:11
  Jeff Dziekan: to whenever tonight is the East Side Ride, Saturday night cruise in in Baytown, Texas.
• 20:16
  Jeff Dziekan: Mike, you might want to venture over there.
• 20:17
  Jeff Dziekan: Come on a little west for us.
• 20:18
  Jeff Dziekan: And that's uh it's an open cruise as well.
• 20:21
  Jeff Dziekan: Tomorrow, Sunday, 9 a.m.
• 20:22
  Jeff Dziekan: to noon is Round Rock Car Show, Old Settlers Park Tennis Courts.
• 20:27
  Jeff Dziekan: Wow.
• 20:28
  Jeff Dziekan: 2002 Harrell Parkway in Round Rock, Texas.
• 20:31
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh, you got another one tomorrow, 7:30 a.m.
• 20:34
  Jeff Dziekan: to whenever is the Catalina Coffee Meet.
• 20:36
  Jeff Dziekan: It's a Washington Avenue.
• 20:37
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, nowhere it's at.
• 20:38
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh, it's in Houston, Texas.
• 20:40
  Jeff Dziekan: Also, cruise in.
• 20:42
  Jeff Dziekan: Entry is free.
• 20:43
  Jeff Dziekan: And then tomorrow we've got one from 8 a.m.
• 20:44
  Jeff Dziekan: to 1 p.m.
• 20:45
  Jeff Dziekan: The Galveston Car Cruise meet.
• 20:47
  Jeff Dziekan: It's Katy Freeway.
• 20:48
  Jeff Dziekan: You're going to meet up there at Katy Freeway, and then they're going to give you a map and directions how to get to Galveston, and it's going to be a long cruise in all the way down there.
• 20:55
  Jeff Dziekan: Weather permitting on all of these, and don't forget that some of these are going to be ending soon.
• 20:59
  Jeff Dziekan: So if you want to get out there before the end of the year, go to a cruise.
• 21:02
  Jeff Dziekan: There.
• 21:03
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 21:03
  Don Armstrong: Thank you, sir.
• 21:04
  Don Armstrong: Um, import tire boom that has notably gained market share in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, may have finally peaked, according to the July forecast from U.S.
• 21:14
  Don Armstrong: Tire Manufacturers Association, USTMA.
• 21:18
  Don Armstrong: You're familiar with them.
• 21:19
  Don Armstrong: U.S.
• 21:19
  Don Armstrong: TMA projects total U.S.
• 21:21
  Don Armstrong: tire shipments of 330.3 million units.
• 21:25
  Don Armstrong: Units.
• 21:26
  Don Armstrong: How about tires?
• 21:27
  Don Armstrong: It's a unit.
• 21:28
  Don Armstrong: It's a unit.
• 21:29
  Don Armstrong: It's a wiggle.
• 21:29
  Don Armstrong: So I compared to 336.3 million units in 2025 and 332.7 million units in 2019.
• 21:38
  Don Armstrong: I'm going to leave you this.
• 21:40
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, you buy a tire as a individual tire.
• 21:42
  Jeff Dziekan: You can buy them one at a time.
• 21:43
  Don Armstrong: That's why they're units, I guess.
• 21:47
  Don Armstrong: That's some good bathroom reading right there.
• 21:49
  Don Armstrong: You'll really appreciate it.
• 21:51
  Don Armstrong: A pole star retailer in New Jersey has accused the electric vehicle maker of using a government sales ban as covered.
• 22:00
  Don Armstrong: For an intentional withdrawal from the U.S.
• 22:02
  Don Armstrong: market.
• 22:03
  Don Armstrong: I know that we've mentioned this on the show before, but Polestar, which was kind of like a Volvo-esque all-electric thing.
• 22:11
  Don Armstrong: Well, guess what?
• 22:13
  Don Armstrong: They're out.
• 22:15
  Don Armstrong: So those whatever 700 cars that they sold, they're out of luck.
• 22:19
  Don Armstrong: I had someone in my neighborhood that had one, and I haven't seen it recently.
• 22:23
  Don Armstrong: Prestige Imports filed a lawsuit seeking at least$25 million in damages.
• 22:28
  Don Armstrong: A declaration that Polestar violated New Jersey's Franchise Practices Act, payment of the franchise's fair market value, and five years of continued parts and warranty support.
• 22:41
  Don Armstrong: They signed a contract, Polestar did, to this dealer, and they they ain't gonna live up to it.
• 22:46
  Don Armstrong: Polestar said the U.S.
• 22:47
  Don Armstrong: Commerce Department banned it from selling vehicles as part of a prohibition on Chinese linked connected vehicle technology.
• 22:54
  Don Armstrong: Uh-oh.
• 22:55
  Don Armstrong: Meaning that the info teedwind system and all the stuff that runs the car is from China.
• 23:02
  Don Armstrong: Polestar had warned since 2024 that the rules effectively would force it to exit the U.S.
• 23:07
  Don Armstrong: Europe generated 78% of Polestar's first quarter sales versus just 6% here in the United States.
• 23:14
  Don Armstrong: Easy way to get out of that.
• 23:19
  Don Armstrong: Oh, I got up, you know.
• 23:21
  Jeff Dziekan: Funny you say that because my motor minute kind of relates to China and stuff going on.
• 23:26
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 23:27
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah.
• 23:27
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, there's stuff going on uh over there.
• 23:29
  Jeff Dziekan: There's automakers.
• 23:30
  Don Armstrong: Uh California is approaching electric vehicle rebates in a new way.
• 23:34
  Don Armstrong: And with support from more than a dozen automakers, get this.
• 23:37
  Don Armstrong: Its strategy could reshape how states incentivize EV adoption nationwide.
• 23:42
  Don Armstrong: California's latest EV incentive doesn't fully replace the expired$7,500 tax credit that the Feds offered that helped push EVs to 21% of the state's new car market last year.
• 23:53
  Don Armstrong: But the rebate's novel design, including automaker matching funds and focus on first-time buyers, could serve as a model for other states seeking to boost EV deliveries after this year's decline, analysts said.
• 24:09
  Don Armstrong: Now, they didn't say the fact that all the manufacturers have pulled back on their EV deliveries, so I guess it's all going to be Tesla stuff.
• 24:17
  Don Armstrong: With the Trump administration pulling support for EVs and automakers shifting toward hybrids, state incentives are becoming increasingly important in supporting EV adoption.
• 24:26
  Don Armstrong: California's My First EV program gives$3,500 to buyers, that's out of the state kitty, out of new EVs, and$1,750 for used ones, with 13 participating automakers.
• 24:39
  Don Armstrong: The$270 million fund, half from automakers, half from the state, will cover around 73,000 new and used EV sales.
• 24:47
  Don Armstrong: California Air Resources Board said more than 137,000 new EVs were registered in California in the first six months of 2026.
• 24:56
  Don Armstrong: Where's Jack Nieran?
• 24:57
  Don Armstrong: They're still pushing it.
• 24:58
  Don Armstrong: They're pushing it.
• 24:59
  Don Armstrong: They're wanting to make it happen.
• 25:02
  Don Armstrong: I'm not going to read the story about, oh, there's a story about all of the EV chargers.
• 25:08
  Don Armstrong: They're more reliable, and there's more of them now.
• 25:12
  Jeff Dziekan: So I mean, so we're up to what, six?
• 25:14
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 25:15
  Don Armstrong: No, that's six that work out of the 30 that are out there.
• 25:18
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, okay.
• 25:19
  Jeff Dziekan: I understand.
• 25:19
  Don Armstrong: And it's funny because they used EV Go as the example.
• 25:24
  Don Armstrong: EV Go is the one that didn't work up at Whole Foods for like a year.
• 25:28
  Don Armstrong: Yep.
• 25:28
  Don Armstrong: You go up there to charge the car out of order.
• 25:32
  Don Armstrong: You're doing a bad job, so we're going to promote you.
• 25:35
  Don Armstrong: So there's that.
• 25:37
  Don Armstrong: And the complaints keep rolling in, Mr.
• 25:39
  Don Armstrong: Mars.
• 25:40
  Don Armstrong: Do you have any EV charging stations over there in Niederland?
• 25:43
  Mike Marrs: Yes, we do.
• 25:44
  Mike Marrs: I used one just the other day.
• 25:46
  Don Armstrong: Really?
• 25:47
  Don Armstrong: You didn't plug it into the 110 volts at the house?
• 25:50
  Don Armstrong: No.
• 25:52
  Mike Marrs: It takes days, days to do that.
• 25:54
  Don Armstrong: Well, you know, it's funny because if I plug it in here at the house when I get an Eevee, drive it to work, plug it in at work, no problem.
• 26:02
  Mike Marrs: Well, I know.
• 26:03
  Mike Marrs: But you're what, 40, 45 miles?
• 26:05
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, 40 miles.
• 26:07
  Mike Marrs: So you're knocking 10, 20% off?
• 26:10
  Don Armstrong: Oh, it's yeah, well, it depends on the car, but uh at least 20%.
• 26:14
  Mike Marrs: Okay, so you got eight hours to put the 20% back or enough to get back.
• 26:20
  Mike Marrs: I mean, uh when I plug it in and it tells me four days to get to 80%.
• 26:27
  Don Armstrong: Hey, we'd love to hear from you.
• 26:28
  Don Armstrong: Shoot us an email.
• 26:29
  Don Armstrong: The address here is info at nwheeltime.com.
• 26:31
  Don Armstrong: We'll be right back after this quick break.
• 26:34
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• 27:46
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• 27:56
  Don Armstrong: Call Bill today, 832-922-0963.
• 28:00
  Don Armstrong: That's 832-922-0963.
• 28:05
  Don Armstrong: That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show.
• 28:09
  Don Armstrong: I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and our InWheel Time.com website.
• 28:19
  Don Armstrong: Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartPodcast, Podcast Addict, TuneIn, Pandora, and Amazon Music.
• 28:27
  Don Armstrong: Keep listening, and we'll see you soon.