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Southeast Texas Driving Destinations · In Wheel Time Podcast

• 0:04
  Don Armstrong: Okay, uh are you gonna do driving destinations?
• 0:07
  Don Armstrong: Would you please do driving destinations?
• 0:10
  Don Armstrong: All right, brother.
• 0:11
  Jeff Dziekan: Get me set up, brother.
• 0:13
  Mike Marrs: There you go.
• 0:13
  Mike Marrs: It's all yours, brother.
• 0:15
  Mike Marrs: All right, so we have some people come over from Louisiana.
• 0:18
  Mike Marrs: Again, it's not very far over to Louisiana, and we got so we got a lot of out-of-town people coming in, so I thought we would look at some of the things that since you're here in Southeast Texas, you can start with by going downtown Beaumont to the Texas Energy Museum.
• 0:30
  Mike Marrs: And this is really where you're gonna get the whole old oil story for the area.
• 0:34
  Mike Marrs: Beaumont, Port Arthur, Orange, make up the Golden Triangle.
• 0:37
  Mike Marrs: Literally, at one point, we were doing 25% of the nation's gasoline was produced here and shipped out.
• 0:42
  Mike Marrs: Some of the largest refineries in the country and the world are located in the Golden Triangle area.
• 0:48
  Mike Marrs: So this really sets up, if you want to see about the drilling technology and the things that go into making the global energy markets and our position as a country in that, this is a great place to go and it is air conditioned.
• 1:00
  Mike Marrs: The second thing, while you're down there, you could go to the art museum of Southeast Texas.
• 1:04
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is a little bit quieter than the energy museum.
• 1:08
  Mike Marrs: Got a lot of uh regional and contemporary artworks, even though it does have a lot of industrial roots to it.
• 1:14
  Mike Marrs: Now there's a lot of rotating exhibits, so it kind of keeps things different, but it is more of an art museum.
• 1:20
  Mike Marrs: Then while you're down there, go a couple of blocks over and you get to the Fire Museum of Texas.
• 1:25
  Mike Marrs: This is the state museum or the fire museum of Texas.
• 1:28
  Mike Marrs: It's located in a 1927 fire station that was actually built back then.
• 1:33
  Mike Marrs: And it's got a lot of history in it in the exhibits because you can explore antique fire engines back into the 1800s.
• 1:41
  Mike Marrs: Got a lot of interactive displays for the kids, kind of keep them busy.
• 1:44
  Mike Marrs: And then while you're there, right outside the front door, is the world's largest working fire hydrant.
• 1:50
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is literally a 24-foot Dalmatian-spotted structure.
• 1:54
  Mike Marrs: Disney was using that to film 101 Dalmatians, and so once they got through with it, because it wasn't very far away here that they were doing that in Southeast Texas, they donated it to the State Fire Museum.
• 2:06
  Mike Marrs: Then on the way, we're gonna head a little south, and we're going to go down to the Spindletop Gladys City Boom Tom Museum.
• 2:13
  Mike Marrs: I've been there.
• 2:14
  Mike Marrs: It's a very cool place.
• 2:16
  Mike Marrs: It is, got a lot of things there if you get it at the right time.
• 2:18
  Mike Marrs: They actually have an oil derrick there.
• 2:20
  Don Armstrong: They also have an old gasoline tanker truck in the barn.
• 2:24
  Don Armstrong: You gotta see that see that.
• 2:26
  Mike Marrs: I think it was in one of the pictures.
• 2:28
  Mike Marrs: And they have a place for uh like a livery stable set up, but they'll set up and recreate the spindletop gusher that really kicked off the oil industry down here.
• 2:36
  Mike Marrs: And it's a real nice place to go, and it's located right there on the Lamar University.
• 2:40
  Mike Marrs: Then we're gonna go down south, back down towards Port Arthur, where you're gonna get to the Museum of Gulf Coast.
• 2:46
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is one of the places it's got a lot of local history in it, including uh locals like Janice Joplin, Jimmy me Jimmy Johnson.
• 2:55
  Mike Marrs: It's got a sports section in it to where you're gonna find you know Bum Phillips, Wade Phillips, things like that, and a lot of the other players have got a music section where Janice is.
• 3:04
  Don Armstrong: And let's not forget the uh the famous golfer, Babe Zaharius.
• 3:08
  Don Armstrong: I think she's from the.
• 3:09
  Don Armstrong: Larry McGillicutty.
• 3:09
  Mike Marrs: Larry McGillicutty was there.
• 3:11
  Mike Marrs: Yeah.
• 3:11
  Mike Marrs: Was he?
• 3:11
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, I think he's Mr.
• 3:12
  Don Armstrong: McGillicutty.
• 3:13
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, yeah.
• 3:14
  Don Armstrong: Okay, just saying.
• 3:15
  Mike Marrs: So it's a great place to go down there.
• 3:16
  Mike Marrs: It's in downtown Port Arthur, and there's a lot of stuff in there that's uh that you will recognize, but you won't recognize it is from Port Arthur.
• 3:23
  Mike Marrs: Then from Wales.
• 3:24
  Don Armstrong: We don't recognize anything at this point in our lives.
• 3:26
  Don Armstrong: Are you kidding?
• 3:26
  Mike Marrs: Yeah, from the.
• 3:27
  Mike Marrs: How many fingers am I holding up?
• 3:29
  Mike Marrs: Four?
• 3:30
  Mike Marrs: Then you're gonna go across the Rainbow Bridge.
• 3:32
  Mike Marrs: Now it's this is how you get to the body.
• 3:35
  Mike Marrs: So they're driving Subarus?
• 3:37
  Mike Marrs: No.
• 3:37
  Mike Marrs: I just said that.
• 3:39
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is a kind of a steep incline, got sweeping views on it, and it's great for going up over the Natus River on your way over to Orange.
• 3:47
  Mike Marrs: It's one of the tallest bridges and structures that's here in southeast Texas.
• 3:54
  Mike Marrs: And once you get across there, you're going over to Into Orange, you're gonna go to the Stark Museum of Orange of Art, and there this is in the cultural district, the downtown in Orange.
• 4:03
  Mike Marrs: You're gonna find a lot of paintings and sculptures, Native American artifacts that are around in there.
• 4:08
  Mike Marrs: So it's got a lot of setups in that regard.
• 4:10
  Mike Marrs: Now, across the street from that is the Stark House.
• 4:14
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is a house, an 1894 Queen Anne home that was built by the uh the Starks.
• 4:21
  Mike Marrs: You can actually go into all three of the floors.
• 4:24
  Mike Marrs: This place is 14,000 square feet.
• 4:27
  Mike Marrs: If you want to see how people lived in the late 1800s, early 1900s, uh, I guess what you would call it the luxury at the time, because that's what this was.
• 4:35
  Mike Marrs: So it's a great recreation and it's a great place to go and see how things work.
• 4:39
  Mike Marrs: And then while you're in orange to wrap things up, go over to the Shangri-La Botanical Gardens.
• 4:43
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is 250 acres along Adams Bio.
• 4:46
  Mike Marrs: It's got a lot of walkways, it's got uh garden paths, wetlands, and it's got a lot of things that you can go in if you enjoy bird watching and getting out into nature.
• 4:55
  Mike Marrs: It's got themed gardens, and it's really a even kids.
• 4:58
  Mike Marrs: I mean, they go out there because it's out in literally 250 acres in the swamp, and you can go see a lot of cool stuff.
• 5:04
  Mike Marrs: So that's just some things you can do while you're here in southeast Texas.
• 5:09
  Mike Marrs: And you're here for the tail pipes and tacos here in Beaumont.
• 5:13
  Don Armstrong: Well, thank you, Mr.
• 5:15
  Don Armstrong: Morris.
• 5:16
  Don Armstrong: I know I've always wanted to go to Shangri-La.
• 5:18
  Don Armstrong: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 5:19
  Don Armstrong: But uh I haven't ever been, but apparently it's here.
• 5:22
  Don Armstrong: You missed it.
• 5:23
  Don Armstrong: I've missed it.
• 5:24
  Don Armstrong: My wife's been to Shangri-La.
• 5:26
  Mike Marrs: I haven't been to Shangri-Law, but my wife's been to Shangri-La.
• 5:28
  Mike Marrs: Not through you, that's for sure.
• 5:40
  Don Armstrong: Time now for our car review.
• 5:41
  Don Armstrong: Mr.
• 5:42
  Don Armstrong: Mars drove the Ford F-150 hybrid.
• 5:45
  Mike Marrs: Yes, sir.
• 5:45
  Mike Marrs: Had a chance to drive this one uh for the last week or so.
• 5:49
  Mike Marrs: And and it's we talked about this a few weeks ago when I had one of the other Ford F-150s, more of a uh stripper as we would call it, an STX model, not nearly as loaded up as what the uh King Ranch is, by all by all means.
• 6:02
  Mike Marrs: So this final des assembly destination is location, is in Dearborn.
• 6:07
  Mike Marrs: Now there are eight available trim levels on the Ford F-150.
• 6:10
  Mike Marrs: There's three different cab sizes, three different bed sizes, different motors.
• 6:14
  Mike Marrs: There's like 20 combinations you can get out of the F-150.
• 6:18
  Mike Marrs: So there's bound to be something there you like.
• 6:20
  Mike Marrs: And if you want one that's on the luxury end, go for the King Ranch 4x4.
• 6:24
  Mike Marrs: This is a full-size pickup, seats five, and some really nice interiors.
• 6:29
  Mike Marrs: Now, on the outside of it, you're gonna find the King Ranch badging.
• 6:32
  Mike Marrs: You got LED headlights and fog lights, and even got side mirror spotlights and taillights, all of it LED, all the way around.
• 6:40
  Mike Marrs: It's got power deploying running boards, makes it a little bit nicer to step up into that because it does set up a little bit higher because of the four by four.
• 6:47
  Mike Marrs: It's even got a power rear glass on it.
• 6:50
  Mike Marrs: It's got the multifunctional tailgate that took me and a friend of mine about 20 minutes to figure out how to operate.
• 6:56
  Mike Marrs: Uh-oh.
• 6:56
  Mike Marrs: And then we also had the retractable center step in it, and once you got the tailgate operating like it's supposed to, that step works really well to step up in there, just like clipping up steps.
• 7:05
  Mike Marrs: Had the twin-panel moon roof on it, and we were rolling on some nice 22-inch wheels on it that makes it a really nice ride and drive.
• 7:13
  Mike Marrs: Interior, leather heated seats up front, even had leather heated seats on the second row.
• 7:20
  Mike Marrs: Front seats also are ventilated, so you got plenty of heat and cool choices there for the front passengers and the driver.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: And more enjoyable.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_02: It's available on 97% of controlled access highways called blue zones.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: Once you're on the highway, press the adaptive cruise control button on the steering wheel.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: Wait for the hands-free icon, and Blue Cruise helps with accelerating, braking, and steering so you can let go and relax while continuing to watch the road.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: Blue Cruise uses a driver-facing camera to help ensure your eyes stay on the road.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: The driver attention system was designed to remind you to pay attention, giving you visual and audio problems if your eyes are off the road for too long.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_02: Adaptive cruise control already adjusts your speed to the flow of traffic.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_02: Blue Cruise builds on that as a driver assistance feature, not a replacement.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_02: It helps monitor your position on the road and scans the traffic around you.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_02: In-lane repositioning detects approaching vehicles and can shift you over in the lane, providing a little extra room when you need it.
• 8:24
  Don Armstrong: Lane broadcasting, but continue with your view, please.
• 8:27
  Mike Marrs: I'm really not sure what that was then.
• 8:32
  Don Armstrong: So please continue your review.
• 8:35
  Mike Marrs: So up under the hood, you're gonna find a 3.5-liter hybrid setup.
• 8:39
  Mike Marrs: Now, this is the new setup from Ford, 400 horsepower, 500 pound feet of torque.
• 8:43
  Mike Marrs: And it's backed by a 10-speed automatic transmission.
• 8:46
  Mike Marrs: And this particular vehicle set up the way it is will tow 12,800 pounds and it'll haul 1,900 pounds.
• 8:53
  Mike Marrs: Now, again, this is a half-ton truck, so it should be about a thousand pounds, and that should be taken care of.
• 8:58
  Mike Marrs: But it's got plenty.
• 9:00
  Mike Marrs: EPA says you should be looking for about 22 miles per gallon in the city, 24 out on the highway, and 23 combined.
• 9:06
  Mike Marrs: Now, I will say that I drove this vehicle 325 miles and I got 21.2.
• 9:12
  Mike Marrs: Now, 54.3 miles of that was actually on the electric portion of the hybrid.
• 9:17
  Mike Marrs: So it worked out really well.
• 9:19
  Mike Marrs: The uh, and it does have a really nice luxury ride for a full-size pickup.
• 9:24
  Mike Marrs: It's got great acoustics in it, so that audio is really sounds really well.
• 9:28
  Mike Marrs: It's nice and quiet out on the highway, and you can tell that you're really into a more of a luxury setting than what the other truck was.
• 9:36
  Mike Marrs: Uh, it really surprised me that there was really that much difference in it.
• 9:38
  Mike Marrs: Now, the base trim price for this vehicle is$74,805.
• 9:44
  Mike Marrs: Uh as tested with Destination,$79,825.
• 9:49
  Mike Marrs: So it's right at$80,000.
• 9:51
  Mike Marrs: But you can get into an F-150, you really can into it for$46,690.
• 9:57
  Mike Marrs: So if you're looking for something to compare that to, a Ram$1500 crew cab setup, it's about$45,120.
• 10:03
  Mike Marrs: Even the Toyota Tundra, which is a little higher priced, always has been,$44,235.
• 10:08
  Mike Marrs: Wow.
• 10:09
  Mike Marrs: And the GMC Sierra is at$45,995.
• 10:12
  Mike Marrs: So they're all right there together at the entry-level portion of it.
• 10:16
  Mike Marrs: And again, this is a really nice riding and driving truck.
• 10:19
  Mike Marrs: It don't let the King Ranch idea think that it's a real rough and tumble 4x4 that you're going off-roading in.
• 10:25
  Mike Marrs: It's not.
• 10:25
  Mike Marrs: It's a luxury vehicle through and through.
• 10:28
  Mike Marrs: And I really appreciate the opportunity to drive it.
• 10:30
  Don Armstrong: Let's go to the symphony on a Saturday night in the F-150.
• 10:34
  Don Armstrong: There you go.
• 10:35
  Don Armstrong: All right, thank you, sir.
• 10:36
  Don Armstrong: Time now for Thanks for being with us today.
• 10:44
  Don Armstrong: Time now for Jeff's car culture.
• 10:46
  Don Armstrong: Gas cap design.
• 10:48
  Jeff Dziekan: Yeah, they're different nowadays.
• 10:49
  Jeff Dziekan: So why?
• 10:50
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh well, for decades, pulling up to a gas station meant unlocking the fuel door, twisting off a cap, setting it aside, and filling up.
• 10:57
  Jeff Dziekan: That ritual was so standard that it became second nature.
• 11:00
  Jeff Dziekan: But here's a few things that we didn't know, and here's why.
• 11:03
  Jeff Dziekan: So one of the things, one of the biggest motivators behind the caplist fuel systems is tighter emission control.
• 11:09
  Jeff Dziekan: Traditional gas caps wear out, crack, or even get loose, allowing vapors to escape.
• 11:13
  Jeff Dziekan: These vapors not only waste fuel but also contribute to smog and air pollution.
• 11:18
  Jeff Dziekan: Cap list systems steal automatically every time, meeting strict environmental standards and reducing the likelihood of a check engine light to be in the evaporator emission leak.
• 11:28
  Jeff Dziekan: In fact, those are bad gas caps, and one of the most common causes of emissions failures for vehicles today.
• 11:36
  Jeff Dziekan: The next one would be it's easier for drivers.
• 11:39
  Jeff Dziekan: The convenience is a you know a big role in the move away from the gas caps.
• 11:43
  Jeff Dziekan: With no gas cap to twist, drivers can insert the pump nozzle directly into the filler neck and start fueling.
• 11:49
  Jeff Dziekan: This means no fiddling, no worry with the cap clicking tight enough, no risk of leaving the cap behind in the gas station, which we've all done once or twice.
• 11:57
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh simply it's it's simplicity is especially appealing to the drivers who dislike to dealing with that kind of stiff, dirty, frozen caps in harsh weather.
• 12:07
  Jeff Dziekan: Also, the modern capless systems are often tied to the car's locking system, so you can't even open the fuel door without unlocking the vehicle.
• 12:16
  Jeff Dziekan: The this deters casual theft or tampering.
• 12:18
  Jeff Dziekan: Another benefit is the capless filters are designed with nozzle-specific openings.
• 12:23
  Jeff Dziekan: The gas vehicle's filler neck won't accept larger diesel nozzles, and the diesel truck's filler neck are too big for the gas nozzle.
• 12:31
  Jeff Dziekan: These designs help prevent costly misfueling mistakes that can ruin an engine.
• 12:36
  Jeff Dziekan: The next one, Mike, we talked about uh, believe it or not, the humble gas tank is responsible for countless trips to the mechanics.
• 12:43
  Jeff Dziekan: A loose or cracked seal can cause vapor fuel leaks and trigger the check engine light.
• 12:47
  Jeff Dziekan: Replacing the cap usually fixes it, but owners often spend unnecessary money in diagnosing the effect before realizing it was just a gas cap.
• 12:56
  Jeff Dziekan: Cap list designs eliminate the weak point entirely.
• 12:59
  Jeff Dziekan: There's no rubber gasket to wear out, and the system seals more consistently than any human can twist.
• 13:07
  Jeff Dziekan: And there's another reason.
• 13:08
  Jeff Dziekan: If you're ever unscrewed a grimy old gas cap, got dirt and fuel and rusty flakes on your hands, you appreciate the cleanliness of a capless design.
• 13:17
  Jeff Dziekan: Because the sea the flap seals uh tightly, it keeps out the dust, debris, road grime that also reduces the chance of contaminants getting into the fuel system itself.
• 13:27
  Jeff Dziekan: No drivers have to worry about setting a dirty cap on the trunk or dropping it on the ground and obviously driving off with it.
• 13:35
  Jeff Dziekan: And then you got Ford, who was one of the first major automakers to roll out a capless uh capless fuel filter widely, introducing its easy fuel system in the mid-2000s.
• 13:45
  Jeff Dziekan: GM quickly followed, adding capless designs to the models like the Chevrolet Malibu and the Cadillac CTS.
• 13:50
  Jeff Dziekan: Chrysler also adapted them in the Dodge and Jeep lineups.
• 13:54
  Jeff Dziekan: Today, capless filters are common across the wide range of brands, though not universal.
• 13:59
  Jeff Dziekan: Many economy cars and imports still use traditional caps, partly to cut the cost and partly because some drivers still expect them.
• 14:07
  Jeff Dziekan: And then you've got the capless fuel filler, uses a spring-loaded metal flap and multiple seals within the filler neck.
• 14:14
  Jeff Dziekan: When the fuel nozzle is inserted, it pushes the flap open.
• 14:17
  Jeff Dziekan: Once the fueling is complete, the nozzle is removed and the cap snaps shut, creating an airtight seal.
• 14:23
  Jeff Dziekan: Most systems include a secondary door deeper inside the neck to prevent fuel siphoning or tampering.
• 14:29
  Jeff Dziekan: This setup is surprisingly robust, designed to last the lifetime of the vehicle without any maintenance.
• 14:35
  Jeff Dziekan: And just a couple more things.
• 14:37
  Jeff Dziekan: Reactions to the cap list uh systems have been mixed.
• 14:40
  Jeff Dziekan: Many drivers love the convenience, noting that it's faster and cleaner.
• 14:44
  Jeff Dziekan: Fleet owners appreciate it that there's fewer emission-related check engine lights caused by loose caps.
• 14:49
  Jeff Dziekan: However, some drivers dislike the lack of a physical cap, saying it feels less secure.
• 14:53
  Jeff Dziekan: A few complaints in certain older worn pump nozzles don't always see properly.
• 14:58
  Jeff Dziekan: Occasionally lead to the premature shutoffs during fueling.
• 15:01
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, we have a premature shutoff.
• 15:03
  Jeff Dziekan: There you go.
• 15:04
  Jeff Dziekan: Uh there's there's a psychological element.
• 15:07
  Don Armstrong: We worry about premature something.
• 15:09
  Jeff Dziekan: Oh, there's a psychological element to the disappearance of gas caps for generations.
• 15:13
  Jeff Dziekan: The twisting motion was a reassurance that the tank was sealed.
• 15:16
  Jeff Dziekan: Without it, some drivers feel uneasy, even though the engineering behind the capless systems went more secure.
• 15:23
  Jeff Dziekan: So if you don't if you have a newer vehicle that's got the cap the capless, underneath your spare tire, in your spare tire area, there is an extension.
• 15:32
  Jeff Dziekan: So that if you have to put gas from a tank or a small container into the vehicle, there's a nozzle that you stick down in there and you can put it in there.
• 15:41
  Jeff Dziekan: So it's like an adapter.
• 15:42
  Jeff Dziekan: I have one.
• 15:42
  Jeff Dziekan: I checked my car out, I've got it.
• 15:44
  Jeff Dziekan: It's still in a little package.
• 15:45
  Jeff Dziekan: Because you're you're you're such a mover in shake.
• 15:47
  Jeff Dziekan: I've got a Buick, and there's nothing like it.
• 15:50
  Jeff Dziekan: Well, um, thank you very much for that.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: And we're going to move.
• 16:00
  Don Armstrong: All right.
• 16:00
  Don Armstrong: Time now for this hour's car review.
• 16:02
  Don Armstrong: I had a chance to drive the 2026 Ram 1500.
• 16:06
  Don Armstrong: Available trim levels include the Tradesman, Express, Bighorn, Lone Star, Warlock, Laramie, Rebel, Limited, Longhorn, RHO, and Tungsten.
• 16:22
  Don Armstrong: All of that.
• 16:23
  Don Armstrong: I had the Longhorn Crew 4x4.
• 16:26
  Don Armstrong: This is a standard or full-size body-on-frame pickup truck.
• 16:31
  Don Armstrong: Seats five people.
• 16:32
  Don Armstrong: Uh complete redesign happened in 2019.
• 16:35
  Don Armstrong: You're thinking, well, this is 2026, isn't it?
• 16:37
  Don Armstrong: Time?
• 16:38
  Don Armstrong: Listen, they wouldn't be able to compete if they didn't update that thing every couple of years.
• 16:43
  Don Armstrong: So the complete redesign happened in 2019.
• 16:46
  Don Armstrong: The updates happened all the time.
• 16:49
  Don Armstrong: Exterior features.
• 16:50
  Don Armstrong: Best looking exterior on the market.
• 16:53
  Don Armstrong: Grill styles varying depending on trend.
• 16:57
  Don Armstrong: Distinctive rear lighting with dual exhaust tips back there.
• 17:03
  Don Armstrong: Multifunction optional tailgate is a head-up competitor to Ford's.
• 17:09
  Don Armstrong: Engine size badging is on the hood, and it is big.
• 17:13
  Don Armstrong: You'll know just by looking at the hood what's under the hood.
• 17:17
  Don Armstrong: What I like, sheet metal appeals to me.
• 17:21
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement?
• 17:22
  Don Armstrong: The side mirrors, side view mirrors are so big, it obscures the view around them.
• 17:30
  Don Armstrong: There's gotta be a you know what Ford did was they did some lowering of the actual side window glass and moved the mirrors down.
• 17:39
  Don Armstrong: And uh I think that's what Graham needs to look at.
• 17:42
  Don Armstrong: Anyway, interior highlights, it's got a three-screen dashboard, it's awesome.
• 17:48
  Don Armstrong: Uh instrument cluster, infotainment, and the shotgun person sitting over there in the passenger seat, they've got their own screen right there in the dashboard.
• 17:57
  Don Armstrong: It's very cool.
• 17:59
  Don Armstrong: You can't see it as a driver.
• 18:01
  Don Armstrong: They've got it somehow shaded that you can't see what's going on over there.
• 18:05
  Don Armstrong: So you can pull up, I guess, porn if you want to watch that over there.
• 18:09
  Don Armstrong: Um by the way, that one has its own controls.
• 18:12
  Don Armstrong: Um infotainment, excellent, easy to use.
• 18:17
  Don Armstrong: Uh sliding shelf inside the center console uh is uh really handy.
• 18:25
  Don Armstrong: And you slide that shelf back, you know, you've got your remote control, your phone, whatever is in you want in there.
• 18:32
  Don Armstrong: You slide that back, and then you then you've got a race car that's just fired up back behind us here.
• 18:38
  Don Armstrong: That's the Supercomp dragster.
• 18:40
  Don Armstrong: Uh comfortable seating, uh all the adjustments on the thing.
• 18:47
  Don Armstrong: Uh it's a truck, multi-function bed, tie-downs, lighting, everything back there, and this particular model, what I liked.
• 18:55
  Don Armstrong: Uh Ram thought of everything on this.
• 18:57
  Don Armstrong: I don't are they gonna make a loop through the parking lot?
• 19:00
  Don Armstrong: Maybe that's what they should do.
• 19:01
  Don Armstrong: What could use improvement?
• 19:03
  Don Armstrong: Upper trims are expensive.
• 19:06
  Don Armstrong: But I mean, you know, if you're gonna do that, then buy a trim level as opposed to one offing it.
• 19:15
  Don Armstrong: Engine, it's the return of the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with a mild hybrid now.
• 19:22
  Don Armstrong: Turns out 395 horsepower, 410 pound feet of torque, through an eight-speed automatic transmission that's smooth as glass.
• 19:31
  Don Armstrong: Till rating, 9,240 pounds.
• 19:34
  Don Armstrong: It'll haul 1,330 pounds.
• 19:37
  Don Armstrong: Get 16 miles per gallon in the city, 20 on the highway for combined of 18.
• 19:42
  Don Armstrong: It was a time not that long ago that it only got 13 miles per gallon.
• 19:45
  Mike Marrs: That's right.
• 19:46
  Don Armstrong: So this new setup really works.
• 19:47
  Don Armstrong: I got 16.2 miles per gallon over 379 miles.
• 19:52
  Don Armstrong: What I liked about it, that smooth V8 power with the mild hybrid.
• 19:58
  Don Armstrong: You cannot beat it.
• 19:59
  Don Armstrong: I'm telling you, those V8 engines rock.
• 20:02
  Don Armstrong: And I I drive all of the four cylinders, it doesn't make any difference what it is, turbocharged.
• 20:08
  Don Armstrong: I don't care that V8, it rocks in that pickup truck.
• 20:11
  Mike Marrs: It's just that low-end port from that V8.
• 20:14
  Don Armstrong: It's also got available an optional Hurricane 6 high output engine, straight six in it, 540 horsepower from that straight six.
• 20:28
  Don Armstrong: I love the coil suspension, it acts like a Luxo limo.
• 20:33
  Don Armstrong: Wow, like you'd use improvement in the ride and handling nothing.
• 20:36
  Don Armstrong: This thing is just absolutely awesome.
• 20:38
  Don Armstrong: Base trim price, base trim price on this.
• 20:43
  Don Armstrong: Remember what that I what I was driving, and that was the Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4.
• 20:52
  Don Armstrong: Base trim price$75,405.
• 20:56
  Don Armstrong: Prices tested with some options,$86,205.
• 21:01
  Don Armstrong: Oh man.
• 21:02
  Don Armstrong: The base model price of this is$44,775.
• 21:09
  Don Armstrong: But here are the the other, they're all right there with it.
• 21:12
  Don Armstrong: Ford F-150,$43,935.
• 21:17
  Don Armstrong: That's the starting price.
• 21:19
  Don Armstrong: Starting price for the Chevy Silverado,$42,600.
• 21:23
  Don Armstrong: And the Toyota Tundra starts at$41,260.
• 21:29
  Don Armstrong: For a pickup truck.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, yep.
• 21:32
  Don Armstrong: You kidding me?
• 21:33
  Don Armstrong: It's a pickup truck.
• 21:35
  Don Armstrong: I go back to the days of what a pickup truck was just that.
• 21:38
  Don Armstrong: Bare bones pickup truck.
• 21:40
  Don Armstrong: You bought it to work with rubber rubber floor mats, all that.
• 21:44
  Don Armstrong: Yeah.
• 21:48
  Don Armstrong: We're just we're just gonna open the microphones and listen to this for a while.
• 21:52
  Don Armstrong: So it's a race car that's right behind us there.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:57
  Don Armstrong: That ram doesn't sound that loud, but it's They have quite that noise.
• 22:02
  Don Armstrong: It's got more creature comforts in it.
• 22:03
  Don Armstrong: Next week I'm gonna review the Chevy Equinox EV.
• 22:07
  Don Armstrong: And I know you'll want to tune in for that.
• 22:09
  Don Armstrong: Okay.
• 22:10
  Don Armstrong: You know how I am about EVs.
• 22:11
  Mike Marrs: Not a hybrid, but a full EV.
• 22:13
  Mike Marrs: A full E V.
• 22:14
  Mike Marrs: Yeehaw.
• 22:15
  Don Armstrong: Well