In Wheel Time Podcast: Your Go-To Automotive Talk Show

Exploring Shaggin' Wagons, Mustang Magic, and the New Dodge Hornet

In Wheel Time Car Talk Season 2024 Episode 265

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 29:03

Ready to revel in the glory of classic cars and futuristic rides? Join us for a riveting episode of the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show where we explore the captivating world of automobiles. We start with a sneak peek of Jeff's deep dive into the funky 70s Shaggin' Wagons, followed by Mars' comprehensive review of the sleek 2024 Dodge Hornet. Our highlight segment features Richard Jones from the Mustang Club of Houston, who shares the inspiring journey of the club, exciting upcoming events, and the impressive performance of his own 2020 EcoBoost Mustang. Marvel at how modern advancements have revolutionized Mustang engines and get ready to mark your calendars for some must-attend car shows!

Ever wondered what makes the 1970s Shaggin' Wagons so iconic? We’ve got the answers and a whole lot of laughs as we navigate through the quirky culture of these vintage vans. Plus, don't miss out on our in-depth review of the 2024 Dodge Hornet GT—a car that promises both style and substance. From its standout features to its competitive edge against models like the Honda CR-V and Ford Bronco Sport, we’ve got all the details you need. Whether you're a classic car aficionado or a modern car enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights, humor, and automotive passion. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Be sure to subscribe for more In Wheel Time Car Talk!

The Lupe' Tortilla Restaurants
Lupe Tortilla in Katy, Texas

Gulf Coast Auto Shield
Paint protection, tint, and more!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

----  ----- 
Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time?
     
In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy!  

Just go to Audacy.com/InWheelTime where ever you are.
-----   -----
Be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast provider for the next episode of In Wheel Time Podcast and check out our live multiplatform broadcast every Saturday, 10a - 12nCT simulcasting on Audacy, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and InWheelTime.com.

In Wheel Time Podcast can be heard on you mobile device from providers such as:

Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Podcast, iHeartRadio podcast, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Castro, Castbox, YouTube Podcast and more on your mobile device.

Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTime

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inwheeltime/

https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltime

https://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTime

For more information about In Wheel Time Podcast, email us at 

info@inwheeltime.com






Speaker 1

Welcome to another In Wheel Time podcast. It's the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show Coming up. Richard Jones with the Mustang Club joins us. Jeff has a feature Shaggin' Wagons of the 70s. Oh boy, I don't know whether I like the 70s or Shaggin' Wagons, or maybe both. I guess I'm going to get both. Put them in the mix. Mars reviews the 2024 Dodge Hornet. Just ahead on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show. Howdy Along with Mike out of this world, Mars. We always need more, Jeff Zek, Absolutely Wherever you go. I'm Don Armstrong. Glad you could join us today. David Ainsley, he you go. I'm Don Armstrong. Glad you could join us today, David Ainsley. He's waiting in the wings for his next assignment and he won't be here today. He's our chief engineer and bottle washer.

Speaker 2

He's sleeping. He is sleeping 10 o'clock, he's still in bed.

Speaker 1

No, he's not.

Speaker 2

Probably not even home yet.

Speaker 1

That's it. That's what it is From that partying that he does in the evenings.

Speaker 3

He's young enough to go to bed about this.

Speaker 1

We're so glad that you could join us on this Saturday on our live version of our In Wheel Time Car Talk Show. We're live every Saturday from 10 am until 12 noon Central Time, and if you're listening to a podcast, thank you for doing that too. We appreciate it. I did want to mention that, for the first time in months, nhra Drag Racing will be live tomorrow afternoon on Fox the network Fox, not FS1, that nobody gets anymore, but on Fox and it'll be at 2 o'clock our time, central time. So just wanted to mention that. So if you're into drag racing, get to see all of that.

Speaker 2

All kinds of changes in the NHRA.

Speaker 1

Well, as a matter of fact, Fast Jack Beckman will be making his debut under the John Forrest Racing banner. Flag banner.

Speaker 3

Hopefully he's going to be here next week with us.

Speaker 1

Can you move that microphone a little bit closer? I know that it's only been 15 years since we've been doing this. It's been 15 minutes since I Since you remembered yeah, truly amazing. I've tried to teach these boys broadcasting etiquette, but some sticks, we don't want to learn, okay. Well, mr Mars, now talk to me. This episode is sponsored by Prevagen. What?

Speaker 2

What, what Take your?

Speaker 1

Prevagen twice a day, exactly All right, enough of that. So let's talk to our first guest of the morning with the Mustang Club of Houston Richard Jones, richard, good morning.

Speaker 4

Good morning sir. How are you all doing?

Speaker 1

Well, we're doing very well. Thank you, it's good to talk to you again. It's good to see you and hope all is well up there where you are. Thank you, yeah, aren't you in the woodlands?

Speaker 4

No, sir, we're kind of in the heights, the heights.

Speaker 1

A little south of the woodlands, A little south of the Woodlands, so it's close to downtown. The Heights that's a 1920s, 1930s subdivision. You've got a southern accent because of that. That's right, because you're further south than the Woodlands. But it's a beautiful neighborhood over there and we love the Heights. So let's talk about the Mustang Club of Houston. How long has the Mustang Club of Houston been in business?

Speaker 4

Well, we're going on our 31st year this year. We celebrated our 30th anniversary last year, I think in September of last year. Can anybody join? Yes, anybody can join. You don't have to have a Mustang. You don't have to have a Mustang. This will be a car enthusiast.

Speaker 1

Nice Because I have a Corvette. I mean, I like rubbing people the wrong way all the time.

Speaker 4

We have a couple people in our club that have Corvettes. We look at them but we let them come along.

Speaker 2

He just feels sorry for us, don't you? He's just in the back of the line.

Speaker 1

So let's talk about the Mustang Club and all the years that it's been around. Y'all do lots of stuff, get-togethers and stuff like that.

Speaker 4

We do. Matter of fact, we were going to do a cruise to the George Bush Public Library, but it got canceled by Hurricane Beryl, and so we're going to reschedule that. We have a show coming up October the 5th at Planet Ford, which one?

Speaker 2

Is there only one Ford.

Speaker 1

I-45. In spring In spring.

Speaker 4

In spring Then we have a Torchford Top Show. That's going to be December 14th at Legacy of Fort Bend in Rosenberg.

Speaker 2

Very nice. Dennis is the general manager and dealer principal out there.

Speaker 1

How many club members you got.

Speaker 4

Right now we're standing by maybe 80, 85.

Speaker 1

So about 40 cars. Yeah About that, well, because you figure that if the husband is a member, the wife's a member and they got one mustang. Now I just take that general, generally speaking, because we know that if you're in the mustang club, chances are that if you're going to have a second car, it's probably going to be a mustang as well probably probably what kind of mustang?

Speaker 4

do you have?

Speaker 1

I have a 2020 eco boost 10 speed automatic transmission okay, well, that's a 310 horsepower, something like that from the factory 310 horsepower and 310 pounds of torque.

Speaker 1

Yeah, and that's on a four banger at the four. Back in our day if you had a four bbanger, that's a four-banger. Back in our day if you had a four-banger for anything, you're out the door. I mean, you can't even hold a candle to the six-cylinder, much less a V8. But these days, the EcoBoost, they're putting power to the principle and I will tell you that I have driven one of those and I'm very impressed, especially with that 10-speed automatic, because, man, you can roll through those gears pretty quick and get up to speed wherever you want. Yeah, so you're liking it still.

Speaker 4

I like it. I wanted a standard, but I couldn't find a standard in that color, so I chose the automatic. It's called Graberline Green and it's really, really fluorescent green. You can see it for five miles down the road.

Speaker 2

Yes, I know exactly. That's not one of those California colors that they've come out with.

Speaker 1

That's kind of like Mars shirt, california color. It's kind of like Mars shirt over here.

Speaker 4

Kind of like Mars shirt. It's kind of like Mars shirt over here, kind of like that there's like five colors for California.

Speaker 2

Good color.

Speaker 1

Blues and greens. It brings out the color in your eyes.

Speaker 3

Yeah.

Speaker 1

That's that All right. So what are you doing with the Mustang? Is that your daily driver?

Speaker 4

It's my daily driver.

Speaker 1

Yeah, how long have you been with the Mustang Club of Houston?

Speaker 4

Going on about 11 or 12 years now.

Speaker 1

Okay, so I assume that you probably got some 64 1⁄2s in there.

Speaker 4

Yes, we do. We have some 64 1⁄2s all the way up to some 20 24s.

Speaker 1

Really Nice. Well, do you show them all at the same time? We do, Well, what we do if you show them all at the same time.

Speaker 4

We do Well what we do. If you're on the board like a member of the board director, something like that, we try to just display our cars and let everybody show their cars. We don't want to win a trophy. If we have an office position, we just let it display and let everybody just go ahead and show their cars. I got you.

Speaker 2

Now, you said you had 40 attendees for the next event. How many are in the club altogether? He said that. Say again how many are in the club. I missed it 85, 86. By 80 members 80 members, okay.

Speaker 1

Were you not paying attention? No, I was not. He was sleeping Okay just wanted to check. I was daydreaming. We try to keep everybody honest on this show, so if we're listening and he's not, we're going to call him out. You know, it's like that student, the bad student, in the class. Yes, that's Mars. That's Mars. Wait a minute. How did I get drugged?

Speaker 3

into this?

Speaker 1

Well, yeah exactly All right. So please tell me you don't have monthly meetings where you read the minutes.

Speaker 4

Yes, we do.

Speaker 1

Oh God, okay. Well, how does that go over for the members? I guess the people that go to these meetings every month. I assume that it's a monthly meeting.

Speaker 4

Well, we have a monthly meeting but we have a board meeting first and then we have a general meeting and the board meeting. We do all the minutes and all the business end of the Mustang.

Speaker 3

Club and so we have a general meeting and in the board meeting we do all the minutes and all the business end of the mustang club, and so we have a general meeting. We don't have to go over the minutes again, okay. So do you hear the applause? Yeah, so the board kind of comes in and does the business and then everybody else kind of joins a little bit later. Yes, that's, you know, to me that's the way.

Speaker 1

If you want, if you want to do it and you want to do it on the up and up, then that's the way to do it. Yeah, but. I don't want the minutes read at the general meeting because I'm walking out.

Speaker 3

Yeah, but if you wanted to hear them, you would know to go to the board meeting.

Speaker 4

That's the way to do it. We post our minutes online. Everybody gets a chance to look at them.

Speaker 1

There you go. Most of our minutes are online. Everybody gets a chance to look at them. There you go. All right, so you don't even have to go. You can just get them online if you want to know what's going on. That's right, unlike City.

Speaker 4

Hall.

Speaker 1

Well, yeah, it's okay for you to go. Yeah, you're right, you don't have to go. Yeah, there's no infighting, no infighting, none of that.

Speaker 3

We can fix that.

Speaker 4

How old are the guys that have the 2024 Mustangs? About 80. Are they really About 80.?

Speaker 1

They're the only ones that can afford them.

Speaker 4

We got one guy. He was a member of the Mustang Club but he moved to Dallas and he bought him a dark horse. He's about 75 or 80. Another guy here in Houston, he's about 82 and just got his in February. They're about 80 years old, wow.

Speaker 2

They're trying to pick up chicks.

Speaker 1

Is that what it is?

Speaker 2

That's what it is.

Speaker 1

Well, they obviously got some deep pockets. Yeah, hello, yeah. Well, they obviously got some deep pockets. That's pretty low. You know, I got a chance to drive the Dark Horse not that long ago and I'll tell you what it's pretty impressive. Have you been in one yet?

Speaker 4

Not yet. Oh my God, I've seen one, but I haven't been in one.

Speaker 1

Yeah Well, it's a race car for the streets. I'll just tell you that. Really, oh yeah, it's major league. It'll take on just about anything, including Corvette, and I don't know about the new Z06 with the 1,000 horsepower, but it's certainly capable of giving it a run for its money.

Speaker 3

Yeah, so as a club, do you all ever get with the other Mustang clubs or Ford clubs and do stuff?

Speaker 4

Yes, we do. We have a sister club in Conroe called Northside Mustang Car Club. They're in Conroe and there's one also in Beaumont Texas called Wild Horse, and we affiliate with them quite a bit.

Speaker 1

Where is that Beaumont? Where is Beaumont? It's east of here, it's that way. Well, mars just happens to live over there and I'm just giving him a hard time.

Speaker 3

Well, I live in Nederland, so it's right outside.

Speaker 1

It's a suburb. It's a suburb.

Speaker 4

That's close enough.

Speaker 1

I'll just go with that. Mars says that Nederland is a suburb of Beaumont.

Speaker 3

It's better than Port Arthur. I'll go with that Is Suburb of.

Speaker 1

Beaumont. Well, it's better than Port Arthur. I'll go with that. Is it better than Port Arthur?

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

I ain't seen anything. You're not. No, I'm out. You afraid you're going to offend somebody. I'm not paying attention, all right. Well, we know that.

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, so okay cool.

Speaker 2

So the Beaumont Club, you say you associate with them. Say again you associate with the Beaumont Club.

Speaker 3

Yes, we do. They do a couple of events over there, like you were talking about coming up at your planet, ford. Don't they have something like that?

Speaker 4

They have a show in Sillsby, texas, september 21st. I believe it is in Sillsby, texas. That's the Beaumont Club, the Walharts Club.

Speaker 3

Do you all go over there and participate in that? Yes, we do. Oh wonderful.

Speaker 4

A road trip, a road trip.

Speaker 3

yeah, A road trip.

Speaker 4

And I'm a judge, oh very good Are you. Yeah, I get to judge. Yes.

Speaker 1

But you can't judge your own car.

Speaker 4

Can't judge my own car.

Speaker 2

Oh well, so you're driving the Mustang. What does your wife drive?

Speaker 4

My wife drives a Ford Edge.

Speaker 2

Okay, it's a nice vehicle.

Speaker 4

It's really nice.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

Well, Richard, are we caught up with the Mustang Club of Houston now?

Speaker 4

Yes, we are.

Speaker 1

All right, we're doing well. That's good. I'm glad to hear that. How do our listeners, our viewers, get a hold of the Mustang Club of Houston? They?

Speaker 4

can look at our Facebook, or they can go to mcohorg, or they can look at Facebook mcoh and find us on Facebook mcoh Mustang Club of Houston. Mustang Club of Houston.

Speaker 1

Richard, it's great talking to you. Thank you, Don. Thank you Y'all. Take care, tell everybody we said hello.

Speaker 4

Okay, I sure will.

The 1970s Shaggin' Wagon Culture

Speaker 1

Thanks, richard. We'll talk again, all righty. Thank you, hey. I'd like to remind you that the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show is available 24-7 through the iHeartRadio app. Just look for In Wheel Time Car Talk. Matter of fact, I see the little green bars bumping up and down over there that means that we're all in the air. We be wall to wall. Have you heard us on there, Morris, this morning.

Speaker 3

Yes, sir, we are sounding good?

Speaker 1

Well, we always sound good, Whether they can hear us or not. I don't know. We're looking good.

Speaker 1

We also have daily podcasts that are available from your favorite podcast provider and we also video stream our live two-hour weekly show on facebook, youtube and inwheeltimecom. The in-wheel time car talk show will continue right after this quick break, the original group of loopy tortilla restaurants will have you telling your family and friends just what the original recipe means when it comes to the best fajitas in southeast texas. Founder stanolt invites you to visit the first Loopy Tortilla near I-10 and Highway 6. Here is the original house that inspired the design of all the rest and the original charm that helped make Loopy Tortilla the go-to destination for Houston Tex-Mex. Nothing can compete with the original lime pepper marinade. That everyone will agree, makes Loopy Tortilla award-winning beef fajitas the best anywhere. Loopy Tortilla Katie is another location that gives you the same quality and service Houstonians have come to expect at Loopy's. It's located on 99th and Grand Parkway at Kingsland Boulevard in Katie. Find yourself in Aggieland Head to the Loopy Tortilla in College Station, located just around the corner from Kyle Field, it's a great place to enjoy those famous frozen margaritas before or after the game. Going to Louisiana, the Loopy Tortilla in Beaumont is on I-10, so you can't miss it. The original group of Loopy Tortilla restaurants has the best Tex-Mex anywhere and you are invited anytime.

Speaker 1

Your car is a direct reflection of you, so don't be satisfied with color fade or a dingy, dull appearance. Get rid of those terrible automated car wash scratches. Gulf Coast Auto Shield is your save. The paint company John Gray and his team of detailing experts can help your cars finish without a full repaint. Searching for the real experts in window tender, windshield protection, gulf Coast Auto Shield, dash cams, radar detectors Gulf Coast Auto Shield Got a new car.

Speaker 1

Get that thing protected as soon as you take delivery. If you don't know which of the multitude of protection products to go with, john Gray will give you an honest opinion and won't sell you something you don't need or can't afford. John will help you understand the many options and pricing right on the spot. He's your guy to have your ride looking its best and protected too. See the state-of-the-art shop yourself. Free tours anytime. Gulf Coast Auto Shield is easy to get to, located just south of the southwest freeway on the sam houston parkway. Gulf coast auto shield full service luxury car care today and online at gcautoshieldcom. All right, thank you very much for joining us today on the in wheel time car talk show um mustang club of houston. October the 5th is what I wrote down. You know I don't know about you, but I am so forward, looking forward to getting into October Because everybody thinks, oh, labor Day, it's going to get cooler.

Speaker 2

No, it's not.

Speaker 1

No, it's not, it's still summertime.

Speaker 3

It is, and the last few years September's actually been the biggest month for hurricanes, because the water and the Gulf, and the heat, everything is there.

Speaker 1

Well, let's not churn. Do we have to bring?

Speaker 2

that up. Well, I just, he's a coastal guy, he's got.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I keep an eye out for that.

Speaker 1

By the way, how did your luxury palace on stilts do down there at Crystal Beach during Hurricane Burl Burl?

Speaker 3

It did well. It did well. We got a little water blown in under the door seal. I got to replace the door seal, oh my, but other than that it wasn't a problem. We did good. Good, I've got several houses in front of me to block it, so I've got blockers, blockers and tacklers.

Speaker 1

Yeah, Do you have a golf cart down there? Yes, sir, do you keep it locked up. How come it hasn't been stolen yet? Because I keep it locked up in the garage.

Speaker 2

Great, now they're going to go down there and steal his golf cart.

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, and I've got a neighbor across the street with a gun Beautiful.

Speaker 1

And he lives there all the time.

Speaker 3

Yeah, In fact I've got two neighbors that live there all the time across the street.

Speaker 2

They shootouts across the beach.

Speaker 1

Shootouts yeah yeah, yeah, that's it. Hatfield McCoys, exactly. Hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us here on the In Wheel Time Car Talk Show, shoot us an email. The address is info at inwheeltimecom. Let's get the car review of the hour we could do the car review or the feature?

Speaker 3

It's supposed to be doing the feature, jeff's ready to do the feature?

Speaker 2

Where are you at? Uh-huh, you're paying attention.

Speaker 3

Yeah, Apparently he didn't pay. He's having the right week.

Speaker 2

He didn't pay it up. We could do the car review Either way. I just got to change the video.

Speaker 1

Huh, Well, you know. Oddly enough, right here you see, there is nothing that mentions that in there. So I guess I need to change this to reflect your.

Speaker 2

Did Mike type this? No, I did. Do you approve your stuff before you type it?

Speaker 1

It's a good guess.

Speaker 2

Write that down.

Speaker 3

Mike, it's a hard room, I'm telling you.

Speaker 1

Alright, so this is supposed to be. Let me see what I got over.

Speaker 2

We could go on, we could blow it off another week.

Speaker 1

No, let's not say we did All right, so we're going to have Jeff. I'm going to write this in here while you're talking. I don't want to now.

Speaker 2

Jeff, you ready? Michael Feature yes, okay, ready, I got it.

Speaker 3

Do I have to change this picture?

Speaker 2

You don't have to. Yes, you do, but not yet. I want to see that girl there. Days of the Shaggin' Wagon. A look back at the 1970s custom vans. The streets of the 70s were littered with a variety of vehicles, littered Badass muscle cars, massive gas guzzling Land yachts your parents drove the new economy cars to handle the gas crisis. Motorcycles, always ridden without helmets and, of course, vans. There were no minivans in the 70s, mike. This was a time before van had been tamed, before it had been neutered to a soccer mom machine of today, did you?

Speaker 1

write that?

Speaker 2

No, that was really good.

Speaker 1

I know it was I had to throw it in there. I'll give credit to somebody else.

Speaker 2

I don't like to use the word neutered, but go ahead. In the 1970s, vans didn't carry spoiled kids drinking juice boxes and watching SpongeBob. Quite the contrary, vans were basically a bedroom on wheels Don. No SpongeBob, no juice boxes, no trips to organized sporting events in the suburbs, just a lot of sex and recreational drug use. They might of sex and recreational drug use, they might say the 70s full-size van was the crazy uncle of the modern minivan. The uncle lived in a dangerous situation in the 70s and then flamed out a decade later.

Speaker 2

In the 70s, many van owners took their shagging wagon seriously and tricked them out to the limit. Big, shiny side pipes with mellow plush interior carpet for the maximum results, dual amps and the horsepower and perhaps most importantly, the artwork on the side. The vans of the 70s were decorated with airbrushed psychedelic wizards doobie, smoking dragons, naked slave girls, flaming unicorns. The trippier the better. This was not your mom's minivan. This was a place where bad things happened and the designs were a warning sign. Get into the back of a van with an airbrushed Grim Reaper in a land of mushrooms and naked fairies. You know what you're getting into Naked fairies. Yeah, your clothes are distinctive too. Your lifestyle was different. So why should your means of transportation be any different? It was a sexual revolution. A vehicle designed to accommodate massive amounts of shagging and drugs just made sense. Songs like Me and you and a Dog Named Boo declared generation passion to spread their wings on the open road, untethered by responsibility. The only downside to thick shag carpeting, don, was that your roaches tended to get lost in the fibers. Nowadays, a van labeled Magic Mushroom wouldn't make it down about a mile without being stopped, searched, impounded and the driver imprisoned.

2024 Dodge Hornet GT Review

Speaker 2

Of course I don't want to paint a completely one-dimensional picture of the 70s. They weren't all used for sex and drugs, in fact. Before the days of seatbelts, requirements, the great family trips enjoying the splendor of a spacious leg room, the CB radio, kids playing rock'em, sock'em robots in the back, life was good in the 70s, even for a kid, like a boat. Vans of the 70s often had their own name branded on the side Note of the name. Pot of Gold isn't referring to what you might think it's referring to. Think Acapulco gold or Lumbo gold, also known as Colombian gold. Well, it's been fun traveling down memory lane. Custom Vans. It's time to put your paraphernalia down. And what? Keep on trucking. Yay Jazz hands. That was worth the wait.

Speaker 1

That was worth the wait.

Speaker 2

Back in the day.

Speaker 3

I had a friend who worked at the Chevrolet dealership when those were really hot. Once or twice a year, he would manage to abscond with a demo, a demo.

Speaker 1

All plushed out.

Speaker 3

Put the women up front driving and we'd go down to New Orleans and him and I would sit in the back and enjoy the ride. Oh boy.

Speaker 2

I'll bet you would Playing Sp. Enjoy the ride. Oh boy, I'll bet you would Playing SpongeBob and Rock'em Sock'em. Yeah, that's it. That's it.

Speaker 1

All right, it's your turn, mars, this hour's car review, brought to you by us.

Speaker 3

Speaking about Acapulco Gold, I happen to drive the 2024 Dodge Hornet GT all-wheel drive and the color of it is listed as Acapulco Gold See there. So it means many things to many people, but you know for what it's worth, that's one thing and that's it.

Speaker 3

Yeah, you can get the dodge hornet in four trim levels. You can get the gt, the gt plus the rt and the rt plus, and of course we were driving the gt plus all-wheel drive. And I say all-wheel drive because that's what is listed in the title. But come to find out, if you get a hornet, you're going to get all-wheel drive. Now, this is a small suv a compact, I guess is actually the probably the closest thing to call it and you're going to find on the outside of it you got some special hornet gt badging on it that goes along with it, got automatic high beams up front, rain sensing, wipers, power heated folding side mirrors and again, we had the optional acapulco gold paint for 595 is all it was got a power sunroof, hands-free power lift gate and we were rolling on some optional 20 by 8 inch aluminum wheels.

Speaker 3

Now, when you get into the interior, we had the black leather seating with the red accents on it. The front seats are heated and they're ventilated. The uconnect system that we had, the uconnect 5, was a 10.25 inch display across the top of the dash where we had a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster. That's so the, the uconnect 5 is where you're going to find all your nav and your convenience controls. But that's also where I got the notice one day when I went out and got in the car at two in the afternoon and it said the display was shutting down because it was too hot.

Speaker 3

I've never seen that on a car before. It's kind of like your phone does when it overheats, so I guess it makes sense, but I've just never seen that before You've seen it now yes.

Speaker 3

It has a surround view camera system on it and the rear camera on this vehicle in particular. It's really noticeable, but it's really sharp. It's got a really detailed camera. I was really impressed with that particular camera. It's got a 60-40 rear folding back seat, apple CarPlay and it lists Google Android Auto instead of just a regular Android Auto, for whatever reason. Wireless charging, harman Kardon 14 speaker, audio system. Now, up front we had a 2.0 liter inline four Hurricane 4 engine, nine speed automatic transmission. As it's listed, this vehicle will tow 2,000 pounds, so you can still haul your jet ski or maybe a light pop-up camper. Epa says you should get 21 miles to the gallon city, 29 on the highway and combine 24. Now I drove this vehicle 445 miles miles and I got 25.7 overall what size motors.

Speaker 3

It got in it the 2.0 liter, okay, turbo, uh, the hurricane 4, yes, yes, I'm sorry and uh, there is one little bit smaller motor on it that you can get, but you got to option that out. Now I did like driving the car. It kind of you got to kind of get used to it. Obviously, every week we get a different car so we have to kind of get used to it. Obviously, every week we get a different car so we have to kind of adjust things. But it had real responsive steering and it felt comfortable to drive. I wouldn't say firm is not the right word to use for it Sporty Maybe. Sporty, just stable is what I ended up coming up with. So you know, you just felt good about driving it. There wasn't a whole lot of road noise. The audio system easily overcomes all the road noise.

Speaker 3

Now, base model price on a hornet gt, which is the base model thirty one thousand four hundred dollars now we were driving the gt plus the base trim on that's 36.4. But we had some options pushed it up to 4444,825 MSRP. Wow. Now, if you're looking for something to compare it to, maybe a Honda CR-V that starts at $314,000. Again, these are base prices the Ford Bronco Sport $30,640, or even a Mazda CX-50 that starts at $31720. So it's something to look at. It gets a lot of good reviews From a lot of customer reviews that are really good on this vehicle, so if you're looking for something in that size, it might be one that you want to look at. That's my review of the 2024 Dodge Hornet GT all-wheel drive.

Speaker 1

Thank, you, sir. Today's In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show is sponsored by the group of original Loopy Tortilla restaurants in Houston, beaumont and College Station, also Gulf Coast Auto Shield, pro-am Auto Accessories. And we will continue right after this quick break. Stay with us. Pro-am Auto Accessories has been serving Houston's auto enthusiasts since 1984, providing world-class products for sports cars, european sedans and American muscle. Pro-am is known as the place to go to find exclusive and hard-to-find parts and accessories. Pro-am is one of the very first distributors in the USA for brands such as Recaro, redline, momo Corbo and Simpson. Located in the heart of Houston's premier retail and service corridor, the Galleria area, pro-am's walk-in storefront includes an 8,000 square foot warehouse, showroom and installation bays. Pro-am not only sells parts and accessories, but also offers installation and service. Pro-am is now reaching a worldwide audience through Pro-Amcom, taking its local reputation to the rest of the world. At Pro-Am Auto, you'll be dealing with a small group of professionals who truly want to help you with your automotive needs. If you don't see what you're looking for on the website, call and Pro-Am will lend you a hand. Pro-am Auto, 6125 Richmond at Greenridge in Houston's Galleria area. Call them at 713-781-7755.

Speaker 1

The award-winning In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show brings you great guest interviews each week from manufacturers and suppliers to the aftermarket, racers, enthusiasts and other friends just like you and me who love to talk about all things automotive. The In Real Time Car Talk Show takes it to the road too, with remotes at Tailpipes and Tacos, woody's Waterfront Car Show and the Hemi Hideout. In Real Time's live video and audio stream can be found on the iHeartRadio app, youtube, facebook and InRealTimecom every Saturday 10 am to noon Central Time, or grab a podcast anytime from your favorite podcast provider. That's it for this podcast episode of the In Wheel Time Car Show. I'm Don Armstrong, inviting you to join us for our live show every Saturday morning on Facebook, youtube, twitch and our InWheelTimecom website. Podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, spotify Stitcher, iheart Podcast Podcast Addict TuneIn, pandora and Amazon Music. Keep listening and we'll see you soon.