CarPro

Q:  What Is Gap Insurance and Do I Need It on a New, Used, or Leased Car? Simply put, GAP Insurance can keep a bad day from turning into a financial disaster. It covers any shortfall between what you owe on your car loan and your car's actual cash value if your vehicle is totaled or stolen. I recommend purchasing it if you're buying or leasing new, given a new vehicle can lose 20-percent or more of its value in the first year.

REAR SUBFRAME MAY CRACK CRASH RISK Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC Components STRUCTURE Potential Number of Units Affected: 1073 Summary Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC (Land Rover) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Range Rover Sport vehicles. Cracks may develop in the rear subframe. Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the rear subframe as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed November 20, 2026.

Besides the Car Pro Show and our weekly newsletter,  my other favorite radio show and newsletter is Kim Komando’s. We are on many of the same radio stations across America. She does for her listeners and newsletter subscribers exactly what I endeavor to do: Give you useful information to keep you up to date on the latest in cars, only she does it with technology and there is nobody who does it better. Not sure how she puts out a top-notch newsletter seven days a week, but she does.

I’ve been telling people for decades that you should never buy a vehicle without taking a meaningful test drive. Not around the block, either. Get it on the highway, drive it on rough pavement, park it, back it up, make sure you can get in and out comfortably, and spend enough time behind the wheel to determine whether you can actually live with it. But there is one test drive almost nobody takes, and I think it has become increasingly important: Drive the vehicle after dark.

Q:  What Is A Hybrid Car And Is One Worth It With Gas Prices Climbing? A traditional hybrid car with a gas engine and a electric motor powered by a battery is a vehicle that uses less gas and will save you money at the pump. In fact, may hybrids improve fuel economy by 30-60% as compared with similar gas-only models.

Hybrid vehicles helped reshape the U.S. new-vehicle market in the third quarter, lifting Toyota, Honda and Hyundai Motor Group while Detroit’s three automakers lost ground. Buyers continued to show strong interest in vehicles that offer better fuel economy without requiring a charging stop, while electric-vehicle sales fell sharply at several major manufacturers. Overall, third-quarter sales slipped 0.4 percent, leaving U.S. sales down 1.2 percent through the first nine months of 2026.

Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.

Editor's note: Suits & Settlements is a weekly column in which Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds takes a look at the latest automotive-related legal headlines.

The average monthly payment on a new vehicle was projected to reach $821 in September, a record for that month, according to JD Power figures reported by my friend and Car Pro Show guest David Welch of Bloomberg. That works out to $9,852 a year in payments alone, before insurance, fuel, maintenance or registration. For families already stretching their budgets, that is a substantial commitment just to put a new vehicle in the driveway.

Ford has recruited comedian Nate Bargatze to help deliver a message that deserves more attention: The people who keep our vehicles running deserve some recognition, and America needs more people learning how to do their jobs. Bargatze brings the laughs, while Ford’s technicians bring the mechanical knowledge.