May 12, 2025 • 30 mins
Summer brings longer days and more drivers on the road—and unfortunately, a spike in accidents caused by reckless behavior. What makes some states deadlier than others when it comes to dangerous driving? The answers might surprise you.
Join us as we explore the shocking statistics behind reckless driving fatalities across America with insurance expert Divya Sangam from LendingTree's Value Penguin. Montana tops the nation with reckless driving death rates five times the national average, despite its sparse population. The culprits? Remote roads, extreme weather, and delayed emergency response times creating a perfect storm when drivers take unnecessary risks.
The geographic patterns tell a fascinating story. Mountainous states like West Virginia and Colorado rank second and third for reckless driving deaths, while South Dakota recorded zero such fatalities during the five-year study period. We unpack why terrain, weather conditions, and driving culture contribute to these stark differences.
Beyond the statistics, we dive into practical observations of dangerous behaviors we've all witnessed—like drivers zigzagging across lanes thinking it will save time (spoiler alert: research shows it actually delays your trip). We share personal experiences navigating treacherous mountain roads and discuss how factors like digital distractions have made our highways increasingly hazardous.
While we can't control other drivers, we offer defensive driving strategies that could save your life this summer. From maintaining awareness of surrounding vehicles to adjusting speed for weather conditions, these simple steps can keep you from becoming another statistic on America's dangerous roads.
Have you encountered particularly reckless drivers in your travels? What states do you find most challenging to drive in? Share your experiences and join the conversation about making our roads safer for everyone.
Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Don Armstrong (00:00):
Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast.
I moved my microphone and Iforgot where I put it.
You got the award-winning InWheel Time car talk show just
ahead, we visit with ourfavorite auto info insider,
divya Sangam or Sangram onreckless driving.
(00:24):
It's always a good way to startoff the morning.
I'll give you my thoughts ondriving the 2025 Ford F-150.
Jeff has the motor minute.
It's all coming up on thissegment of the In Wheel Time Car
Talk Show.
Howdy along with Mike out ofthis world, mars down there.
We always need more Jeff Zekinhere.
You don't even know where I am,mr Forgetful.
(00:46):
Yeah, and that's what you'regoing to go with.
I'm me and you're not.
Thank goodness.
Isn't that the truth?
Divya Sangam (00:53):
Div you ready.
Here she's coming right now.
Jeff Dziekan (00:56):
She's on her way.
She's parking the car.
Don Armstrong (00:58):
Right now she's parking the car, so I'm not the
only one that's late.
Jeff Dziekan (01:04):
We look like we scared her, oh no.
Don Armstrong (01:08):
Let's just zoom in right now.
Shall we Zoom her?
There she is, ladies, andgentlemen, Divya Sangam.
Divya Sangam (01:13):
Hi, hi, hi guys, how are you all doing?
Don Armstrong (01:16):
Well, we're doing good, I'm doing good.
Were you kind of scramblingthis morning trying to get to us
?
Divya Sangam (01:24):
A little bit, yes.
Don Armstrong (01:26):
Because you're never late, and you were a
minute late this morning, that'sokay, we scramble every
Saturday morning, so don't worryabout it.
Jeff Dziekan (01:31):
We scramble eggs, eggs.
Divya Sangam (01:32):
Well, no, Well, I got late.
I was scrambling because I wasscrambling eggs this morning and
I woke up a few minutes late.
Jeff Dziekan (01:40):
So that's why Feeding the family is important.
Divya Sangam (01:45):
There you go.
Absolutely Well.
It's good to see you.
How have you been?
I've been good.
How about you guys?
Don Armstrong (01:47):
Very well.
Thank you, divya.
By the way is with LendingTreeValue Penguin and we appreciate
you taking the time to talk tous.
It's always fun to talk to her.
It is, it's always good.
I know that you of everycountry that's being tariffed
(02:08):
right now Go.
Divya Sangam (02:10):
I wouldn't know exactly where we are with the
tariffs because they keepchanging.
But I will say this A lot ofpeople are worried that auto
insurance rates are going to goup because of tariffs, and what
I want to say to them is holdyour horses.
It's probably not going to beas bad as we imagine.
The situation is constantly influx.
You know they're striking dealsall the time and, more
(02:33):
importantly, you know tariffs isjust one small part of the
calculation that goes intofiguring out how much your rates
are going to increase.
Climate change and weatherdisasters are probably going to
have an even bigger impact.
Or you know, reckless drivingor just unsafe driving is
probably going to have a farbigger impact than tariffs.
Yes, tariffs are going toaffect, you know, the cost of
(02:55):
repairing cars, because you knowthe cost of importing spare
parts is going up, but it's apiece of a larger equation.
Don Armstrong (03:03):
Well, let me just say this you know we hear and
see television commercialsthey're bombarded by we'll save
you at least $300 a year on yourcar insurance.
Well, I got ticked off atAllstate, who I have been with
for decades, Because it's such apain to have to go and change.
(03:30):
And then I only changed once inmy life and I changed to state
farm and I was with state farmfor one month and they dropped
me.
Oh, oh gosh, I'm sorry to hearthat yeah, it was awful because
I have a perfectly clean drivingrecord no accidents, knock on
wood, nothing.
But whatever reason, and theycouldn't tell me and I was
ticked.
Needless to say, I was mad.
(03:50):
So I went back to Allstate.
Well, this time my Allstateinsurance agent sold his agency
to somebody that I never knewState Farm.
To another agent and never oncedid I get a phone call or email.
(04:11):
Welcome to our new agency.
My name is so-and-so.
Let us know if you have anyquestions.
We're reviewing your policy.
We'll be back with you soon.
Nothing, I got nothing.
I thought, okay, I can playthis game.
So I thought I'm going to startshopping for car insurance and
you can go on a website and then, all of a sudden, every
(04:31):
insurance agent in the entireUnited States now has your email
.
It's funny how that works.
Divya Sangam (04:37):
Yeah, unfortunately, that's the way a
lot of these sites are set up.
The upside of getting called byagents is then they're kind of
at your mercy, so you can askthem whatever questions you want
.
They're eager to close the sale, so it's just a really good way
to compare us in shop.
Don Armstrong (04:53):
Well, I will tell you that I kept waiting and
waiting and, of course, hey,we'll call us.
No, no, you do the work.
I got one phone call from ayoung man with a farmer's
insurance agent out of CollegeStation, texas, which is about
what?
90 miles from here, or so 99,yeah, yeah and really a nice guy
(05:16):
and let me get your information, mr Armstrong.
So I gave him all myinformation in the car and all
of that.
I saved myself $500 when Ibundled it thank you with my
homeowners, which is a renter'sinsurance policy and my car
insurance and my car insurance.
I don't have you know bigexpensive deductions with you
(05:38):
know collision and all thatstuff.
I got a you know 25-year-oldcar and it's my baby and I don't
drive it very often.
I told him that he says, okay,well, we got this, this, this,
this, this and bam, $500 a year.
Then not once did I get a phonecall.
So I wound up having to callthe Allstate insurance agent and
(05:59):
say Go fly a kite.
Pretty much, yeah, go fly akite.
Oh well, what can we do to getyou back?
You didn't even give us achance.
No, you had a chance for sixmonths to call me and say, hey,
I'm me and you're you and thatkind of thing, nothing.
So goodbye, allstate, see youlater and the insurance agent.
There you go.
(06:20):
So that was that.
Jeff Dziekan (06:21):
Maybe Divya can insure us.
Don Armstrong (06:23):
Yeah, well, maybe not.
Divya Sangam (06:26):
I'm sorry, I don't have an insurance license.
I'm purely focused on theresearch side and all the
interesting stats.
Don Armstrong (06:33):
So let's talk about what you called us to tell
us about reckless driving andwhat effect it has on everybody.
Divya Sangam (06:41):
So here's the thing you know, summer is upon
us and usually when the summerseason starts, you get to see
all kinds of drivers on the road, because the days are longer.
Everyone's out there drivingand one of the consequences of
having more people on the roadis more accidents.
And let's admit it, we've allseen that one driver on the road
(07:01):
who's extremely reckless andyour first thought is oh my god,
is this person gonna die?
Is he gonna crash?
Um, and the statistics showthat reckless driving is a
problem.
Um, you know, nearly 10 percentof all crashes that are fatal
are attributed to recklessdriving, and the problem is more
pronounced in states where youthere's bad weather or just
(07:24):
roads are more challenging.
So we're talking, you knowMontana.
We're talking, you know Nevada,arizona, colorado, some of
these states that have mountains, you know very remote roads or
just challenging weatherconditions.
When you drive recklessly inthose conditions, you're
probably going to crash.
(07:44):
And you know, if there is atakeaway here, it's just keep
your eyes peeled on the road.
Even if you are the safestdriver out there, you can't
trust the other drivers on theroad to be safe, and we really
don't want this summer to be amiserable summer because someone
got into a nasty crash.
Don Armstrong (08:02):
Well, there's that, and then, and then, I was
really surprised by the factthat Montana, that is such a
remote place.
You know it's part of Canada,isn't it?
I mean, it is A suburb.
A suburb yeah, a suburb ofCanada or maybe Alaska, but it's
up there and it gets reallycold up there.
(08:23):
Not a whole lot of people livethere and it topped the country
in reckless driving fatalitiesWow, by five times.
Divya Sangam (08:33):
Yeah, and that was surprising to us until we dug
into it.
You know states like Alaska,montana.
Their roads can be quite remoteand, like you rightly pointed
out, the winter can be verybrutal.
So when you have a combinationof bad weather, remote roads, if
you get into a crash it mighteven take a little longer for
(08:54):
emergency services to reach you,which might contribute to the
rise in fatal accidents.
And it's cold, so probablypeople also may be drinking more
to stay warm.
And so when you see, that in allof these, you get a scenario
(09:15):
where people are drivingrecklessly because they think,
ah, there aren't that manypeople on the road, I can get
away with it.
They get into a crash,conditions are bad, they're not
getting emergency servicesgetting there quickly, and all
of these contribute to it.
So if there really is atakeaway here, it's just don't
drink and drive, don't text anddrive and be wary of other
(09:38):
drivers on the road.
Don Armstrong (09:39):
Well, the other interesting stat here, South
Dakota and Washington.
Are you talking aboutWashington State, not DC?
Divya Sangam (09:47):
Yeah, Washington State.
Don Armstrong (09:48):
Washington State.
Well, so that's got somemountains in it, and South
Dakota is kind of next toWyoming and you're thinking that
there aren't as many peoplethere.
I don't know, but they reportedthe fewest reckless driving
fatalities.
Divya Sangam (10:04):
Yeah, I think South Dakota had zero in the
five-year period we analyzed,and Washington also was very,
very low.
Jeff Dziekan (10:10):
Maybe South Dakota is driving to the other states
and getting in these wrecks.
Divya Sangam (10:12):
Driving to North Dakota, either that or a bad
bison.
Jeff Dziekan (10:15):
Well, I heard this the other day from a friend of
mine that says these carelessdrivers aren't driving their
cars, they're aiming their cars.
Don Armstrong (10:25):
Matthew Broderick said that Okay, I'll go with
that.
Jeff Dziekan (10:28):
Yeah, yeah.
Divya Sangam (10:28):
I mean that makes a lot of sense.
You know, careless drivers area menace.
Jeff Dziekan (10:33):
Yeah, they're aiming their cars, not driving
them.
Don Armstrong (10:34):
Now here's something that I thought was
really interesting the secondand third most reckless driving
states West Virginia andColorado.
My youngest daughter lives inColorado, and we will assume
that is because of themountainous region of the United
States.
Divya Sangam (10:54):
Yeah, that's a huge part of it.
Don Armstrong (10:56):
Well, I will tell you that I visited there summer
before last.
No, last summer.
Was Colorado, in what otherstate?
Second, second and third?
Oh, second and third thatColorado.
I went to Pikes Peak.
Oh, second and third thatColorado.
I went to Pikes Peak.
I still.
My knuckles have not yet reallygotten back to the color that
they're supposed to.
I am still white, knuckling itup that damn Pikes Peak that I
(11:19):
never thought in a million yearsthat I would be that terrified.
Oh my God, it has to besomething with my age, I don't
know Used to be.
Divya Sangam (11:28):
No, I mean, it's new to us.
It was probably a newexperience for you because you
may not have driven on that roadbefore, but you were terrified.
Now imagine you're a local.
You're driving down that roadevery day.
You might get careless and thatmight contribute to it.
Don Armstrong (11:41):
Well, like the tourist buses that were passing
me on a two-lane road,zigzagging up the mountain,
passing me On a two-lane road,zigzagging up the mountain,
passing me, I'm going.
Are you kidding?
The guy obviously drives it allthe time and they're all going
as they went by, exactly.
Divya Sangam (11:56):
I mean, I remember when going with my family up to
the Shenandoah Valley so it'sbetween Virginia and West
Virginia and there were parts ofyou know the road that were
very narrow and the stated speedlimit was like 20 miles an hour
.
It's supposed to be a scenicbyway so we were sticking to the
speed limit.
You know it was a manual car,so we were going on second gear
(12:18):
and then we were scared to moveup a gear and there were people
zipping by us, going at 50 milesan hour and you know I was
terrified, my heart was in mymouth.
Jeff Dziekan (12:27):
Yeah.
Divya Sangam (12:34):
So and you know I was terrified, my heart was in
my mouth yeah, so definitely themountainous roads and just the
conditions overall contribute toan increase in reckless driving
fatalities.
There are reckless drivers inevery state.
I mean, I've seen them.
I live in New Jersey.
I have driven in many countriesbut I am terrified of driving
in New Jersey.
But just because it's you know,roads are better, wider, well
lit-lit, you can probably escapea bad driver.
But if you're up in a two-laneroad up a mountain it's a lot
(13:00):
harder.
So you know reckless drivingneed to be careful on the roads,
especially if you're living ina place where roads aren't well
lit or they're mountainous, oryou just have bad weather or
maintained, yeah, and theresults are reflective of that.
Don Armstrong (13:18):
Well, I will tell you that through my lifetime I
have had multiple, multipledriving lessons.
Oh, you know speeding ticket.
Okay, I used to get those everyonce in a while.
Then you take the driver safetycourse and one of the things in
all of the driving safetycourses is adjust your speed
according to the weather.
You got bright, blue skies, nobig deal.
(13:40):
Run the speed limit if trafficconditions permit, but if the
weather is bad, it's on you.
If you have a wreck becauseyou're supposed to slow down,
and that's the biggest thing ofall.
And I see it, we have a beltwayhere.
The speed limit is 65 in a veryurban area of Texas.
Jeff Dziekan (13:58):
Well, with Colorado, you would think.
You know, is it an accident?
Is it a post-dispensary visitor pre-dispensary visit?
Well, there's that thought.
Yeah, there is that thought.
And Well, there's that thought.
Yeah, there is that thought.
Don Armstrong (14:07):
And the other thing is great, big trucks, you
know, doing over the speed limit.
And here's the guy insidetexting Yep, all the time, I see
it all the time.
Huge thing, reckless driving,yeah, and it's preventable.
You can't prevent somebody elsefrom being a reckless driver,
(14:27):
but you can get out of the waymost of the time, unless, of
course, they're coming up behindyou at 80 miles an hour and
you're stuck in traffic.
There's nothing you can do andthey slam into the back of you.
Then you call Jim Adler.
Michael Marrs (14:35):
Yeah, I was coming in at 10 this morning.
I crossed over Beltway 8, stillon 10.
I got my cruise set on 78.
I'm cruising with the trafficand I see him coming, a big
black car coming.
I thought it was police, itwasn't, it was somebody else and
he went around me and wentacross three lanes in front of
me.
Then he came back across threelanes just working his way
(14:58):
through traffic.
Divya Sangam (14:58):
Zigzagging.
Michael Marrs (14:59):
And I'm doing 78 in a 60, 65, whatever the speed
limit is through there and thisguy is just blowing by me.
I mean, Hello, steve Woodard.
Yeah, I was going to say thesame thing Steve Woodard.
Jeff Dziekan (15:11):
Next time set up that radar.
Don Armstrong (15:12):
Steve Woodard is our state trooper, friend Set up
that radar over there on I-10between Beaumont, Port Arthur
and Orange in Houston.
Divya Sangam (15:20):
Mr Mars is ahead of this away Inside the beltway
where it speeds up.
Jeff Dziekan (15:24):
Camp out in Mike's driveway, you'll get them.
Divya Sangam (15:26):
I will never understand drivers who zigzag
across lanes thinking it's goingto get them to their
destination faster.
Jeff Dziekan (15:35):
There was actually a study done by the University
of Michigan.
Because they are in the bigtraffic thing for the feds they
say changing lanes actuallydelays your trip.
So if you're in a lane and sayit's a three-lane traffic and
you're in the middle lane andthe left lane keeps kind of
going ahead of you, keep goingahead of you, and then you get
in that lane.
You just backed up because thatother lane is going to move too
(15:55):
.
So stay in your lane, don't bezigzagging, and you'll get there
in time.
Don Armstrong (15:59):
And don't be preached to by somebody that is
the biggest sinner of all whenit comes to that right foot.
He can plow that thing rightdown to the floor mat.
Who's that?
Jeff Dziekan (16:09):
Me no, no, they say I'm an old man when I drive.
Here's the guy that had his.
Don Armstrong (16:15):
what was it?
A 69 or 70 Nova, 72.
72 Nova with a big V8 motor init?
Jeff Dziekan (16:21):
No, no, him speeding.
No, no, he never did that?
Michael Marrs (16:25):
No, never did.
You know he?
He never did that, no, neverdid.
He talks about his hair gettinga little thin.
That's because the air he'sblowing so fast?
Jeff Dziekan (16:30):
Yeah, just blow it all off Blowing it off.
Don Armstrong (16:32):
Yeah, don't do it , divya.
It's so good to see you, Greatto talk to you, as always.
The next thing on your agendafrom the guys at In Wheel Time
is trying to sort out the tariffsituation, and I know that
you're going to do a great job.
It may take you until next year, but you're all in for that, I
can tell.
Divya Sangam (16:53):
I'm definitely going to give you guys an update
the moment we get a sense ofhow much insurance companies are
raising rates.
Don Armstrong (16:58):
And that's going to be the biggest problem.
You say insurance Because it'sgoing to raise the price of the
car and repairs to the car.
Is that right?
Divya Sangam (17:05):
I mean insurance is just one part.
I only speak about insurancebecause that's the one thing I'm
obsessed with.
But yes, I mean it's going toaffect the entire car ownership
process.
Right, it's going to be moreexpensive to buy a car.
It's going to be more expensiveto repair a car.
But you know, with insuranceit's going to be one part of a
(17:26):
many piece puzzle on how ratesare going to be calculated in
2026 and beyond.
Don Armstrong (17:32):
So Reckless Driving Deaths Study
valuepenguincom.
Divya Sangam (17:38):
Yeah, definitely look for it, and I'm sure you'll
find some good tips in there.
Don Armstrong (17:42):
It's always a pleasure to talk to you, my dear
.
Take care of yourself, divya.
We appreciate you.
Take care of yourselves guys,thank you Happy.
Divya Sangam (17:48):
Mother's Day.
Jeff Dziekan (17:49):
Happy Mother's Day .
Divya Sangam (17:50):
Happy Mother's Day .
Happy Mother's Day to all thebeautiful women in your life as
well.
Don Armstrong (17:53):
Thank you very much.
We'll talk to you again soon.
Divya Sangam (17:56):
Talk to you soon.
Don Armstrong (17:56):
Bye-bye, all right, that's done.
Yeah, yeah, there's that Justahead a review of the 2025 Ford
F-150 and Jeff's Motor Minuteright after this quick break.
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The In Wheel Time Car Talk Showthanks you for 14 wonderful
years.
Yep, our first show aired May7th 2011 on a local radio
station.
Then it was a move to thedigital world and social media
(19:18):
and you followed.
Thank you.
We continue to build and growour fan base and it's all
because of you and your autoenthusiast friends.
We appreciate your support.
It's always great to see you atour remote broadcasts and we
hope you'll continue to stop byand say hello.
It's been a great ride and wehope to bring you more fun and
adventure right here on the InWheel Time Car Talk Show.
Hey, I did want to remind youthat our last stop on the In
(19:40):
Wheel Time Spring Tour happensJune 12th.
That's going to take place inGranbury, Texas, just to the
south of Fort Worth, at the LoneStar Street Rod Association
State Run.
That live broadcast will air ata special time, 9 to noon on
June the 12th, and we hope thatyou will join us.
Time now for Jeff's MotorMinute Motor.
Jeff Dziekan (19:59):
Minute.
Hey, you know what's coming up.
At the end of the month, indianwill join us.
Time now for Jeff's MotorMinute.
Motor Minute.
Divya Sangam (20:03):
Hey, you know what's coming up at the end of
the month Indianapolis 500.
Jeff Dziekan (20:05):
They're already starting time trials.
They're already startingqualifying for the circuit
inside the track and all thatstuff.
I watched a little bit of ityesterday, but here's some fun
facts.
The Indianapolis, or the Indy500, is the world's largest
single-day sporting event.
That draws more than 300,000people a year.
So how's that?
And then you've got theIndianapolis Motor Speedway.
(20:27):
Where the race is held spans animpressive 253 acres.
Really.
A whole complex, then.
Over the course of its 100-yearhistory, the Indy 500 has been
won by 75 different drivers.
That's pretty cool.
Helio Castroneves, aj Foyt,rick Mears and Al Unser share
the record for the mostvictories at the Indy 500, with
four each.
That's quite a bit.
(20:47):
That's a good accomplishment.
Scott Dixon holds a record forthe most laps led at the Indy
500.
That's pretty cool too.
Borg Warner Trophy has beenawarded to the winning driver
since 1936.
The winner of the 500 istraditionally presented with a
wreath and what else, mike?
Bottle of milk.
There you go.
Thanks, mike.
Al Hunter 1992,.
(21:09):
Al Hunter came really close towinning his third consecutive
Indy title in a row.
So he's won back-to-back, buthe didn't have the chance to win
the third.
Didn't three-peat the hat trick,the hat trick, there you go.
Don Armstrong (21:23):
So that's a little bit of Indy stuff.
Jeff Dziekan (21:23):
I'm excited.
I don't know what a hat trickis.
I'm excited because I like theIndy 500 and there's another big
, super-duper, worldwide eventcoming in that week after Indy.
It's going to be epic.
You'll all find out about it.
Don Armstrong (21:36):
I guess you'll tell us about it after the Indy.
I'll tell you now.
It's going to be my birthday,okay, well, we'll look forward
to that celebration.
Send your gifts too, uh-huh,and tequila bottles too.
There you go.
Time now for this hour's carreview.
Had a chance to drive the 2025Ford F-150.
Final assembly locationDearborn, michigan.
(21:58):
Yeah, buddy, the home of FordMotor Company.
It comes in these trim levels XL, stx, xlt, lariat Trimmer,
platinum King Ranch and RaptorReviewed trim level.
4x4 SuperCrew King Ranch.
Oh my God, your living room isnot this nice.
(22:22):
I promise you this is astandard pickup truck.
Seats.
Five people uh, 14th generation, yes, 14th generation.
Wow.
Redesign and all new for 2021.
Exterior features classic forddesign with conservative, not
overpowering grille.
(22:42):
It seems to be a thing thesedays and I don't get it.
Wheel opening trim variesdepending on the trim level that
you choose.
Swinging tailgate yeah, it's aswinging tailgate option.
When it opens, it allows foreasy bed access and reach, so
it's got like a door within thetailgate.
(23:04):
It's in the middle of it andyou can swing it open.
Yeah, it's cool.
Yeah, their competition theyall have something special.
That General Motors one ispretty cool too and it helps in
you getting closer to the bed.
So if you've got somethingreally heavy and you want to get
it in the bed, you don't haveto put it on the tailgate and
shove it in, you just go rightto the bed with it?
(23:27):
Yeah, you don't have to reachover and strain your back any
more than you already do.
What I liked about it theoptional Pro Power for camping
or working with 120-voltconnection.
That is very cool.
Do any of the others have that?
Jeff Dziekan (23:42):
I think they're starting to put me in.
I think they're putting someplugs back there.
Don Armstrong (23:45):
Here's the deal, and this is strictly from Ford.
This is mine.
There are so many options andtrims and configurations.
If you can't find one on thelot which is highly unlikely
somewhere in the state of Texas,there's one exactly the way you
want it.
But order it.
(24:06):
And I say that because I had aquestion to Ford one time.
This is years ago.
I said so what if I'm going topull a trailer with the half-ton
pickup truck?
Can I change out the rear axle?
Because I'm going to tow it alot.
The majority of the truck'swork is going to be towing A big
(24:27):
boat or whatever it is that I'mtowing Trailer.
Yes, you can do that.
Chances are you're going tohave to special order it Because
for the most part now withthese new 10-speed automatic
transmissions, sometimes youdon't have to change the rear
axle.
But if you are going to drivein a mountainous area, for
(24:49):
instance, travel to Colorado allthe time, and you're pulling
your travel trailer behind youin the halftime tongue weight,
everything else is good youmight want to go for a lower
differential right, and sothere's that.
Order it from the factory is mysuggestion.
Interior highlights Awesome,easy to find dash buttons and
(25:11):
switches.
Configurable instrument cluster, huge touchscreen with killer
radio in it.
And I checked the radio outwith David Ainsley because he
wanted to hear his fine workthat he did with the new
transmitter at 107.5.
My God, that thing sounded likea billion dollars.
Yeah, I can't imagine somebodytaking that out and putting an
(25:33):
aftermarket radio in it, becausethat thing works great.
Configurable instrument cluster, as I said, the huge
touchscreen.
King Ranch leather.
Interior is beautiful andcomfortable.
The cargo in the back seat issuperb.
Fold up seats.
What I loved about it, the BlueCruise for highway is
absolutely the best and you knowit basically guides you through
(25:57):
it.
If it's time for you to putyour hands on the wheel, it'll
tell you to do that.
It's easy to use.
Loved the work surface thatuses the backside of the center
console and the armrest Foldsout over the shifter in the
center console.
The shifter goes down into theconsole.
It's really cool.
This thing is a Swiss Armyknife of goodness.
(26:19):
A Swiss Army knife of goodness.
Turn the page.
I like that.
3.5 liter twin turbo V6 with a1.5 kilowatt per hour lithium
battery motor Turns out a totalof 430 horsepower with 570
pound-feet of torque.
Toll rating up to 13,500,depending on the configuration
rating up to 13,500, dependingon the configuration, haul
(26:42):
rating up to 2,445 pounds,depending on the configuration.
City 22 miles per gallon.
Highway 24, combined at 23.
I got 19.3 over 348.7 miles.
What I liked.
The mileage was better than the13 miles per gallon this thing
used to get when it had the V8engine in it.
(27:04):
Nice, yeah, the V6 is reallyawesome.
What could use improvement?
Nothing.
What I liked fairly smooth,without a load of any kind in it
, which was kind of surprising,because you know a pickup truck
is made to haul stuff.
Well, with that you've got tohave the suspension that can
take the heavy load.
1,000 pounds in the bed wouldmake it a lot smoother.
(27:24):
Of course it would cut down onthe cast mileage a little bit,
but you really don't needanything in the bed, right, it's
pretty well.
Air suspension option would begood.
Base trim price $74,805.
Price is tested $79,825.
I didn't say it was cheap.
Base model price $44,095.
(27:44):
Chevy 1500 is one of itscompetitors.
It starts at $42,700.
The Ram 1500 starts at $43,025.
And the Toyota Tundra starts at$40,090.
Nice, yeah, it works well Ifyou're on a truck shop around,
but I think that you're going towind up checking out in a Ford.
(28:07):
All right, if you'd like to getin touch with us, shoot us an
email.
The address here is info atinwheeltimecom.
We are back after this quickbreak.
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(29:14):
The award-winning In Wheel TimeCar Talk Show now reaches 5.3
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Check us out on inwheeltimecom,the Odyssey Radio app, youtube,
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there, including our livebroadcast every Saturday 10 to
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(29:37):
including Jeff's car culture,the latest new cars, cruise ins
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It's InWheelTimecom.
Join us.
That's it for this podcastepisode of the In Wheel Time Car
Show.
I'm Don Armstrong, inviting youto join us for our live show
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our InWheelTimecom website.
(29:58):
Podcasts are available on ApplePodcasts, spotify Stitcher, I
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Keep listening and we'll seeyou soon.
Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast.
I moved my microphone and Iforgot where I put it.
You got the award-winning InWheel Time car talk show just
ahead, we visit with ourfavorite auto info insider,
divya Sangam or Sangram onreckless driving.
(00:24):
It's always a good way to startoff the morning.
I'll give you my thoughts ondriving the 2025 Ford F-150.
Jeff has the motor minute.
It's all coming up on thissegment of the In Wheel Time Car
Talk Show.
Howdy along with Mike out ofthis world, mars down there.
We always need more Jeff Zekinhere.
You don't even know where I am,mr Forgetful.
(00:46):
Yeah, and that's what you'regoing to go with.
I'm me and you're not.
Thank goodness.
Isn't that the truth?
Divya Sangam (00:53):
Div you ready.
Here she's coming right now.
Jeff Dziekan (00:56):
She's on her way.
She's parking the car.
Don Armstrong (00:58):
Right now she's parking the car, so I'm not the
only one that's late.
Jeff Dziekan (01:04):
We look like we scared her, oh no.
Don Armstrong (01:08):
Let's just zoom in right now.
Shall we Zoom her?
There she is, ladies, andgentlemen, Divya Sangam.
Divya Sangam (01:13):
Hi, hi, hi guys, how are you all doing?
Don Armstrong (01:16):
Well, we're doing good, I'm doing good.
Were you kind of scramblingthis morning trying to get to us
?
Divya Sangam (01:24):
A little bit, yes.
Don Armstrong (01:26):
Because you're never late, and you were a
minute late this morning, that'sokay, we scramble every
Saturday morning, so don't worryabout it.
Jeff Dziekan (01:31):
We scramble eggs, eggs.
Divya Sangam (01:32):
Well, no, Well, I got late.
I was scrambling because I wasscrambling eggs this morning and
I woke up a few minutes late.
Jeff Dziekan (01:40):
So that's why Feeding the family is important.
Divya Sangam (01:45):
There you go.
Absolutely Well.
It's good to see you.
How have you been?
I've been good.
How about you guys?
Don Armstrong (01:47):
Very well.
Thank you, divya.
By the way is with LendingTreeValue Penguin and we appreciate
you taking the time to talk tous.
It's always fun to talk to her.
It is, it's always good.
I know that you of everycountry that's being tariffed
(02:08):
right now Go.
Divya Sangam (02:10):
I wouldn't know exactly where we are with the
tariffs because they keepchanging.
But I will say this A lot ofpeople are worried that auto
insurance rates are going to goup because of tariffs, and what
I want to say to them is holdyour horses.
It's probably not going to beas bad as we imagine.
The situation is constantly influx.
You know they're striking dealsall the time and, more
(02:33):
importantly, you know tariffs isjust one small part of the
calculation that goes intofiguring out how much your rates
are going to increase.
Climate change and weatherdisasters are probably going to
have an even bigger impact.
Or you know, reckless drivingor just unsafe driving is
probably going to have a farbigger impact than tariffs.
Yes, tariffs are going toaffect, you know, the cost of
(02:55):
repairing cars, because you knowthe cost of importing spare
parts is going up, but it's apiece of a larger equation.
Don Armstrong (03:03):
Well, let me just say this you know we hear and
see television commercialsthey're bombarded by we'll save
you at least $300 a year on yourcar insurance.
Well, I got ticked off atAllstate, who I have been with
for decades, Because it's such apain to have to go and change.
(03:30):
And then I only changed once inmy life and I changed to state
farm and I was with state farmfor one month and they dropped
me.
Oh, oh gosh, I'm sorry to hearthat yeah, it was awful because
I have a perfectly clean drivingrecord no accidents, knock on
wood, nothing.
But whatever reason, and theycouldn't tell me and I was
ticked.
Needless to say, I was mad.
(03:50):
So I went back to Allstate.
Well, this time my Allstateinsurance agent sold his agency
to somebody that I never knewState Farm.
To another agent and never oncedid I get a phone call or email.
(04:11):
Welcome to our new agency.
My name is so-and-so.
Let us know if you have anyquestions.
We're reviewing your policy.
We'll be back with you soon.
Nothing, I got nothing.
I thought, okay, I can playthis game.
So I thought I'm going to startshopping for car insurance and
you can go on a website and then, all of a sudden, every
(04:31):
insurance agent in the entireUnited States now has your email
.
It's funny how that works.
Divya Sangam (04:37):
Yeah, unfortunately, that's the way a
lot of these sites are set up.
The upside of getting called byagents is then they're kind of
at your mercy, so you can askthem whatever questions you want
.
They're eager to close the sale, so it's just a really good way
to compare us in shop.
Don Armstrong (04:53):
Well, I will tell you that I kept waiting and
waiting and, of course, hey,we'll call us.
No, no, you do the work.
I got one phone call from ayoung man with a farmer's
insurance agent out of CollegeStation, texas, which is about
what?
90 miles from here, or so 99,yeah, yeah and really a nice guy
(05:16):
and let me get your information, mr Armstrong.
So I gave him all myinformation in the car and all
of that.
I saved myself $500 when Ibundled it thank you with my
homeowners, which is a renter'sinsurance policy and my car
insurance and my car insurance.
I don't have you know bigexpensive deductions with you
(05:38):
know collision and all thatstuff.
I got a you know 25-year-oldcar and it's my baby and I don't
drive it very often.
I told him that he says, okay,well, we got this, this, this,
this, this and bam, $500 a year.
Then not once did I get a phonecall.
So I wound up having to callthe Allstate insurance agent and
(05:59):
say Go fly a kite.
Pretty much, yeah, go fly akite.
Oh well, what can we do to getyou back?
You didn't even give us achance.
No, you had a chance for sixmonths to call me and say, hey,
I'm me and you're you and thatkind of thing, nothing.
So goodbye, allstate, see youlater and the insurance agent.
There you go.
(06:20):
So that was that.
Jeff Dziekan (06:21):
Maybe Divya can insure us.
Don Armstrong (06:23):
Yeah, well, maybe not.
Divya Sangam (06:26):
I'm sorry, I don't have an insurance license.
I'm purely focused on theresearch side and all the
interesting stats.
Don Armstrong (06:33):
So let's talk about what you called us to tell
us about reckless driving andwhat effect it has on everybody.
Divya Sangam (06:41):
So here's the thing you know, summer is upon
us and usually when the summerseason starts, you get to see
all kinds of drivers on the road, because the days are longer.
Everyone's out there drivingand one of the consequences of
having more people on the roadis more accidents.
And let's admit it, we've allseen that one driver on the road
(07:01):
who's extremely reckless andyour first thought is oh my god,
is this person gonna die?
Is he gonna crash?
Um, and the statistics showthat reckless driving is a
problem.
Um, you know, nearly 10 percentof all crashes that are fatal
are attributed to recklessdriving, and the problem is more
pronounced in states where youthere's bad weather or just
(07:24):
roads are more challenging.
So we're talking, you knowMontana.
We're talking, you know Nevada,arizona, colorado, some of
these states that have mountains, you know very remote roads or
just challenging weatherconditions.
When you drive recklessly inthose conditions, you're
probably going to crash.
(07:44):
And you know, if there is atakeaway here, it's just keep
your eyes peeled on the road.
Even if you are the safestdriver out there, you can't
trust the other drivers on theroad to be safe, and we really
don't want this summer to be amiserable summer because someone
got into a nasty crash.
Don Armstrong (08:02):
Well, there's that, and then, and then, I was
really surprised by the factthat Montana, that is such a
remote place.
You know it's part of Canada,isn't it?
I mean, it is A suburb.
A suburb yeah, a suburb ofCanada or maybe Alaska, but it's
up there and it gets reallycold up there.
(08:23):
Not a whole lot of people livethere and it topped the country
in reckless driving fatalitiesWow, by five times.
Divya Sangam (08:33):
Yeah, and that was surprising to us until we dug
into it.
You know states like Alaska,montana.
Their roads can be quite remoteand, like you rightly pointed
out, the winter can be verybrutal.
So when you have a combinationof bad weather, remote roads, if
you get into a crash it mighteven take a little longer for
(08:54):
emergency services to reach you,which might contribute to the
rise in fatal accidents.
And it's cold, so probablypeople also may be drinking more
to stay warm.
And so when you see, that in allof these, you get a scenario
(09:15):
where people are drivingrecklessly because they think,
ah, there aren't that manypeople on the road, I can get
away with it.
They get into a crash,conditions are bad, they're not
getting emergency servicesgetting there quickly, and all
of these contribute to it.
So if there really is atakeaway here, it's just don't
drink and drive, don't text anddrive and be wary of other
(09:38):
drivers on the road.
Don Armstrong (09:39):
Well, the other interesting stat here, South
Dakota and Washington.
Are you talking aboutWashington State, not DC?
Divya Sangam (09:47):
Yeah, Washington State.
Don Armstrong (09:48):
Washington State.
Well, so that's got somemountains in it, and South
Dakota is kind of next toWyoming and you're thinking that
there aren't as many peoplethere.
I don't know, but they reportedthe fewest reckless driving
fatalities.
Divya Sangam (10:04):
Yeah, I think South Dakota had zero in the
five-year period we analyzed,and Washington also was very,
very low.
Jeff Dziekan (10:10):
Maybe South Dakota is driving to the other states
and getting in these wrecks.
Divya Sangam (10:12):
Driving to North Dakota, either that or a bad
bison.
Jeff Dziekan (10:15):
Well, I heard this the other day from a friend of
mine that says these carelessdrivers aren't driving their
cars, they're aiming their cars.
Don Armstrong (10:25):
Matthew Broderick said that Okay, I'll go with
that.
Jeff Dziekan (10:28):
Yeah, yeah.
Divya Sangam (10:28):
I mean that makes a lot of sense.
You know, careless drivers area menace.
Jeff Dziekan (10:33):
Yeah, they're aiming their cars, not driving
them.
Don Armstrong (10:34):
Now here's something that I thought was
really interesting the secondand third most reckless driving
states West Virginia andColorado.
My youngest daughter lives inColorado, and we will assume
that is because of themountainous region of the United
States.
Divya Sangam (10:54):
Yeah, that's a huge part of it.
Don Armstrong (10:56):
Well, I will tell you that I visited there summer
before last.
No, last summer.
Was Colorado, in what otherstate?
Second, second and third?
Oh, second and third thatColorado.
I went to Pikes Peak.
Oh, second and third thatColorado.
I went to Pikes Peak.
I still.
My knuckles have not yet reallygotten back to the color that
they're supposed to.
I am still white, knuckling itup that damn Pikes Peak that I
(11:19):
never thought in a million yearsthat I would be that terrified.
Oh my God, it has to besomething with my age, I don't
know Used to be.
Divya Sangam (11:28):
No, I mean, it's new to us.
It was probably a newexperience for you because you
may not have driven on that roadbefore, but you were terrified.
Now imagine you're a local.
You're driving down that roadevery day.
You might get careless and thatmight contribute to it.
Don Armstrong (11:41):
Well, like the tourist buses that were passing
me on a two-lane road,zigzagging up the mountain,
passing me On a two-lane road,zigzagging up the mountain,
passing me, I'm going.
Are you kidding?
The guy obviously drives it allthe time and they're all going
as they went by, exactly.
Divya Sangam (11:56):
I mean, I remember when going with my family up to
the Shenandoah Valley so it'sbetween Virginia and West
Virginia and there were parts ofyou know the road that were
very narrow and the stated speedlimit was like 20 miles an hour
.
It's supposed to be a scenicbyway so we were sticking to the
speed limit.
You know it was a manual car,so we were going on second gear
(12:18):
and then we were scared to moveup a gear and there were people
zipping by us, going at 50 milesan hour and you know I was
terrified, my heart was in mymouth.
Jeff Dziekan (12:27):
Yeah.
Divya Sangam (12:34):
So and you know I was terrified, my heart was in
my mouth yeah, so definitely themountainous roads and just the
conditions overall contribute toan increase in reckless driving
fatalities.
There are reckless drivers inevery state.
I mean, I've seen them.
I live in New Jersey.
I have driven in many countriesbut I am terrified of driving
in New Jersey.
But just because it's you know,roads are better, wider, well
lit-lit, you can probably escapea bad driver.
But if you're up in a two-laneroad up a mountain it's a lot
(13:00):
harder.
So you know reckless drivingneed to be careful on the roads,
especially if you're living ina place where roads aren't well
lit or they're mountainous, oryou just have bad weather or
maintained, yeah, and theresults are reflective of that.
Don Armstrong (13:18):
Well, I will tell you that through my lifetime I
have had multiple, multipledriving lessons.
Oh, you know speeding ticket.
Okay, I used to get those everyonce in a while.
Then you take the driver safetycourse and one of the things in
all of the driving safetycourses is adjust your speed
according to the weather.
You got bright, blue skies, nobig deal.
(13:40):
Run the speed limit if trafficconditions permit, but if the
weather is bad, it's on you.
If you have a wreck becauseyou're supposed to slow down,
and that's the biggest thing ofall.
And I see it, we have a beltwayhere.
The speed limit is 65 in a veryurban area of Texas.
Jeff Dziekan (13:58):
Well, with Colorado, you would think.
You know, is it an accident?
Is it a post-dispensary visitor pre-dispensary visit?
Well, there's that thought.
Yeah, there is that thought.
And Well, there's that thought.
Yeah, there is that thought.
Don Armstrong (14:07):
And the other thing is great, big trucks, you
know, doing over the speed limit.
And here's the guy insidetexting Yep, all the time, I see
it all the time.
Huge thing, reckless driving,yeah, and it's preventable.
You can't prevent somebody elsefrom being a reckless driver,
(14:27):
but you can get out of the waymost of the time, unless, of
course, they're coming up behindyou at 80 miles an hour and
you're stuck in traffic.
There's nothing you can do andthey slam into the back of you.
Then you call Jim Adler.
Michael Marrs (14:35):
Yeah, I was coming in at 10 this morning.
I crossed over Beltway 8, stillon 10.
I got my cruise set on 78.
I'm cruising with the trafficand I see him coming, a big
black car coming.
I thought it was police, itwasn't, it was somebody else and
he went around me and wentacross three lanes in front of
me.
Then he came back across threelanes just working his way
(14:58):
through traffic.
Divya Sangam (14:58):
Zigzagging.
Michael Marrs (14:59):
And I'm doing 78 in a 60, 65, whatever the speed
limit is through there and thisguy is just blowing by me.
I mean, Hello, steve Woodard.
Yeah, I was going to say thesame thing Steve Woodard.
Jeff Dziekan (15:11):
Next time set up that radar.
Don Armstrong (15:12):
Steve Woodard is our state trooper, friend Set up
that radar over there on I-10between Beaumont, Port Arthur
and Orange in Houston.
Divya Sangam (15:20):
Mr Mars is ahead of this away Inside the beltway
where it speeds up.
Jeff Dziekan (15:24):
Camp out in Mike's driveway, you'll get them.
Divya Sangam (15:26):
I will never understand drivers who zigzag
across lanes thinking it's goingto get them to their
destination faster.
Jeff Dziekan (15:35):
There was actually a study done by the University
of Michigan.
Because they are in the bigtraffic thing for the feds they
say changing lanes actuallydelays your trip.
So if you're in a lane and sayit's a three-lane traffic and
you're in the middle lane andthe left lane keeps kind of
going ahead of you, keep goingahead of you, and then you get
in that lane.
You just backed up because thatother lane is going to move too
(15:55):
.
So stay in your lane, don't bezigzagging, and you'll get there
in time.
Don Armstrong (15:59):
And don't be preached to by somebody that is
the biggest sinner of all whenit comes to that right foot.
He can plow that thing rightdown to the floor mat.
Who's that?
Jeff Dziekan (16:09):
Me no, no, they say I'm an old man when I drive.
Here's the guy that had his.
Don Armstrong (16:15):
what was it?
A 69 or 70 Nova, 72.
72 Nova with a big V8 motor init?
Jeff Dziekan (16:21):
No, no, him speeding.
No, no, he never did that?
Michael Marrs (16:25):
No, never did.
You know he?
He never did that, no, neverdid.
He talks about his hair gettinga little thin.
That's because the air he'sblowing so fast?
Jeff Dziekan (16:30):
Yeah, just blow it all off Blowing it off.
Don Armstrong (16:32):
Yeah, don't do it , divya.
It's so good to see you, Greatto talk to you, as always.
The next thing on your agendafrom the guys at In Wheel Time
is trying to sort out the tariffsituation, and I know that
you're going to do a great job.
It may take you until next year, but you're all in for that, I
can tell.
Divya Sangam (16:53):
I'm definitely going to give you guys an update
the moment we get a sense ofhow much insurance companies are
raising rates.
Don Armstrong (16:58):
And that's going to be the biggest problem.
You say insurance Because it'sgoing to raise the price of the
car and repairs to the car.
Is that right?
Divya Sangam (17:05):
I mean insurance is just one part.
I only speak about insurancebecause that's the one thing I'm
obsessed with.
But yes, I mean it's going toaffect the entire car ownership
process.
Right, it's going to be moreexpensive to buy a car.
It's going to be more expensiveto repair a car.
But you know, with insuranceit's going to be one part of a
(17:26):
many piece puzzle on how ratesare going to be calculated in
2026 and beyond.
Don Armstrong (17:32):
So Reckless Driving Deaths Study
valuepenguincom.
Divya Sangam (17:38):
Yeah, definitely look for it, and I'm sure you'll
find some good tips in there.
Don Armstrong (17:42):
It's always a pleasure to talk to you, my dear
.
Take care of yourself, divya.
We appreciate you.
Take care of yourselves guys,thank you Happy.
Divya Sangam (17:48):
Mother's Day.
Jeff Dziekan (17:49):
Happy Mother's Day .
Divya Sangam (17:50):
Happy Mother's Day .
Happy Mother's Day to all thebeautiful women in your life as
well.
Don Armstrong (17:53):
Thank you very much.
We'll talk to you again soon.
Divya Sangam (17:56):
Talk to you soon.
Don Armstrong (17:56):
Bye-bye, all right, that's done.
Yeah, yeah, there's that Justahead a review of the 2025 Ford
F-150 and Jeff's Motor Minuteright after this quick break.
The Tex-Mex dining experienceis defined by Loopy Tortilla
your destination for Texas' bestbeef fajitas and frozen
margaritas.
(18:17):
Since 1983, loopy Tortilla hasserved authentic and time-tested
recipes made with the freshestingredients.
Atmosphere is part of theaward-winning experience at
Loopy Tortilla, all developed ina little house near Highway 6
and I-10 in West Houston.
Visit any of the LoopyTortillas and you'll see the
same attention to detail in eachand every location.
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Start your Lupe' experience withqueso flammeado and guacamole,
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Dine on famous Loopy beef andchicken fajitas or pepper shrimp
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Find Lupe' Tortilla in HoustonCollege Station, beaumont,
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There's a Texas location nearyou.
The recipes are authentic andtime-tested, the ingredients
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Lupe' Tortilla he's pretty good.
The In Wheel Time Car Talk Showthanks you for 14 wonderful
years.
Yep, our first show aired May7th 2011 on a local radio
station.
Then it was a move to thedigital world and social media
(19:18):
and you followed.
Thank you.
We continue to build and growour fan base and it's all
because of you and your autoenthusiast friends.
We appreciate your support.
It's always great to see you atour remote broadcasts and we
hope you'll continue to stop byand say hello.
It's been a great ride and wehope to bring you more fun and
adventure right here on the InWheel Time Car Talk Show.
Hey, I did want to remind youthat our last stop on the In
(19:40):
Wheel Time Spring Tour happensJune 12th.
That's going to take place inGranbury, Texas, just to the
south of Fort Worth, at the LoneStar Street Rod Association
State Run.
That live broadcast will air ata special time, 9 to noon on
June the 12th, and we hope thatyou will join us.
Time now for Jeff's MotorMinute Motor.
Jeff Dziekan (19:59):
Minute.
Hey, you know what's coming up.
At the end of the month, indianwill join us.
Time now for Jeff's MotorMinute.
Motor Minute.
Divya Sangam (20:03):
Hey, you know what's coming up at the end of
the month Indianapolis 500.
Jeff Dziekan (20:05):
They're already starting time trials.
They're already startingqualifying for the circuit
inside the track and all thatstuff.
I watched a little bit of ityesterday, but here's some fun
facts.
The Indianapolis, or the Indy500, is the world's largest
single-day sporting event.
That draws more than 300,000people a year.
So how's that?
And then you've got theIndianapolis Motor Speedway.
(20:27):
Where the race is held spans animpressive 253 acres.
Really.
A whole complex, then.
Over the course of its 100-yearhistory, the Indy 500 has been
won by 75 different drivers.
That's pretty cool.
Helio Castroneves, aj Foyt,rick Mears and Al Unser share
the record for the mostvictories at the Indy 500, with
four each.
That's quite a bit.
(20:47):
That's a good accomplishment.
Scott Dixon holds a record forthe most laps led at the Indy
500.
That's pretty cool too.
Borg Warner Trophy has beenawarded to the winning driver
since 1936.
The winner of the 500 istraditionally presented with a
wreath and what else, mike?
Bottle of milk.
There you go.
Thanks, mike.
Al Hunter 1992,.
(21:09):
Al Hunter came really close towinning his third consecutive
Indy title in a row.
So he's won back-to-back, buthe didn't have the chance to win
the third.
Didn't three-peat the hat trick,the hat trick, there you go.
Don Armstrong (21:23):
So that's a little bit of Indy stuff.
Jeff Dziekan (21:23):
I'm excited.
I don't know what a hat trickis.
I'm excited because I like theIndy 500 and there's another big
, super-duper, worldwide eventcoming in that week after Indy.
It's going to be epic.
You'll all find out about it.
Don Armstrong (21:36):
I guess you'll tell us about it after the Indy.
I'll tell you now.
It's going to be my birthday,okay, well, we'll look forward
to that celebration.
Send your gifts too, uh-huh,and tequila bottles too.
There you go.
Time now for this hour's carreview.
Had a chance to drive the 2025Ford F-150.
Final assembly locationDearborn, michigan.
(21:58):
Yeah, buddy, the home of FordMotor Company.
It comes in these trim levels XL, stx, xlt, lariat Trimmer,
platinum King Ranch and RaptorReviewed trim level.
4x4 SuperCrew King Ranch.
Oh my God, your living room isnot this nice.
(22:22):
I promise you this is astandard pickup truck.
Seats.
Five people uh, 14th generation, yes, 14th generation.
Wow.
Redesign and all new for 2021.
Exterior features classic forddesign with conservative, not
overpowering grille.
(22:42):
It seems to be a thing thesedays and I don't get it.
Wheel opening trim variesdepending on the trim level that
you choose.
Swinging tailgate yeah, it's aswinging tailgate option.
When it opens, it allows foreasy bed access and reach, so
it's got like a door within thetailgate.
(23:04):
It's in the middle of it andyou can swing it open.
Yeah, it's cool.
Yeah, their competition theyall have something special.
That General Motors one ispretty cool too and it helps in
you getting closer to the bed.
So if you've got somethingreally heavy and you want to get
it in the bed, you don't haveto put it on the tailgate and
shove it in, you just go rightto the bed with it?
(23:27):
Yeah, you don't have to reachover and strain your back any
more than you already do.
What I liked about it theoptional Pro Power for camping
or working with 120-voltconnection.
That is very cool.
Do any of the others have that?
Jeff Dziekan (23:42):
I think they're starting to put me in.
I think they're putting someplugs back there.
Don Armstrong (23:45):
Here's the deal, and this is strictly from Ford.
This is mine.
There are so many options andtrims and configurations.
If you can't find one on thelot which is highly unlikely
somewhere in the state of Texas,there's one exactly the way you
want it.
But order it.
(24:06):
And I say that because I had aquestion to Ford one time.
This is years ago.
I said so what if I'm going topull a trailer with the half-ton
pickup truck?
Can I change out the rear axle?
Because I'm going to tow it alot.
The majority of the truck'swork is going to be towing A big
(24:27):
boat or whatever it is that I'mtowing Trailer.
Yes, you can do that.
Chances are you're going tohave to special order it Because
for the most part now withthese new 10-speed automatic
transmissions, sometimes youdon't have to change the rear
axle.
But if you are going to drivein a mountainous area, for
(24:49):
instance, travel to Colorado allthe time, and you're pulling
your travel trailer behind youin the halftime tongue weight,
everything else is good youmight want to go for a lower
differential right, and sothere's that.
Order it from the factory is mysuggestion.
Interior highlights Awesome,easy to find dash buttons and
(25:11):
switches.
Configurable instrument cluster, huge touchscreen with killer
radio in it.
And I checked the radio outwith David Ainsley because he
wanted to hear his fine workthat he did with the new
transmitter at 107.5.
My God, that thing sounded likea billion dollars.
Yeah, I can't imagine somebodytaking that out and putting an
(25:33):
aftermarket radio in it, becausethat thing works great.
Configurable instrument cluster, as I said, the huge
touchscreen.
King Ranch leather.
Interior is beautiful andcomfortable.
The cargo in the back seat issuperb.
Fold up seats.
What I loved about it, the BlueCruise for highway is
absolutely the best and you knowit basically guides you through
(25:57):
it.
If it's time for you to putyour hands on the wheel, it'll
tell you to do that.
It's easy to use.
Loved the work surface thatuses the backside of the center
console and the armrest Foldsout over the shifter in the
center console.
The shifter goes down into theconsole.
It's really cool.
This thing is a Swiss Armyknife of goodness.
(26:19):
A Swiss Army knife of goodness.
Turn the page.
I like that.
3.5 liter twin turbo V6 with a1.5 kilowatt per hour lithium
battery motor Turns out a totalof 430 horsepower with 570
pound-feet of torque.
Toll rating up to 13,500,depending on the configuration
rating up to 13,500, dependingon the configuration, haul
(26:42):
rating up to 2,445 pounds,depending on the configuration.
City 22 miles per gallon.
Highway 24, combined at 23.
I got 19.3 over 348.7 miles.
What I liked.
The mileage was better than the13 miles per gallon this thing
used to get when it had the V8engine in it.
(27:04):
Nice, yeah, the V6 is reallyawesome.
What could use improvement?
Nothing.
What I liked fairly smooth,without a load of any kind in it
, which was kind of surprising,because you know a pickup truck
is made to haul stuff.
Well, with that you've got tohave the suspension that can
take the heavy load.
1,000 pounds in the bed wouldmake it a lot smoother.
(27:24):
Of course it would cut down onthe cast mileage a little bit,
but you really don't needanything in the bed, right, it's
pretty well.
Air suspension option would begood.
Base trim price $74,805.
Price is tested $79,825.
I didn't say it was cheap.
Base model price $44,095.
(27:44):
Chevy 1500 is one of itscompetitors.
It starts at $42,700.
The Ram 1500 starts at $43,025.
And the Toyota Tundra starts at$40,090.
Nice, yeah, it works well Ifyou're on a truck shop around,
but I think that you're going towind up checking out in a Ford.
(28:07):
All right, if you'd like to getin touch with us, shoot us an
email.
The address here is info atinwheeltimecom.
We are back after this quickbreak.
You own a car you love.
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(29:14):
The award-winning In Wheel TimeCar Talk Show now reaches 5.3
million folks each year.
Check us out on inwheeltimecom,the Odyssey Radio app, youtube,
facebook and just about everyother entertainment source out
there, including our livebroadcast every Saturday 10 to
noon Central Time.
The InWheelTime Car Talk Showhas informative automotive guest
interviews, new car reviews,along with popular features,
(29:37):
including Jeff's car culture,the latest new cars, cruise ins
and racing dates.
It's InWheelTimecom.
Join us.
That's it for this podcastepisode of the In Wheel Time Car
Show.
I'm Don Armstrong, inviting youto join us for our live show
every Saturday morning onFacebook, youtube, twitch and
our InWheelTimecom website.
(29:58):
Podcasts are available on ApplePodcasts, spotify Stitcher, I
heart podcast podcast addict,tune in Pandora and Amazon music
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Keep listening and we'll seeyou soon.
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