It’s worth mentioning that so many people also buy bigger cars now out of fear. They think if everyone is in trucks/SUVs then they’re inherently less safe by driving sedans. They don’t realize that it ends up being a half truth since bigger heavier vehicles are harder to maneuver, take longer to brake to a stop, have higher centers of gravity so can be more prone to flipping and other issues. They’re so caught up in the likelyhood of surviving a head on collision that other safety factors are thrown to the wayside. It’s also just kinda depressing seeing so much less diversity on the roads over the years. Also would love if you did a podcast, always looking for stuff to listen to at work!
Excellent point there in fear. So many think because the trend is moving that way, they have to go with the trend and they have that heard mentality. I get some people need them but I think a lot of this desire is artificially inflated by manufacturers. I agree though, it’s getting sad seeing what’s on the road. Podcast is coming soon! Building the infrastructure for it now 🫡 -Brandon
People who buy huge cars out of fear should not have a license period, if you get on your car thinking about "what if i crash" to the point you NEED to get the bigger, "safer" car rather than the no nonsense car that does the job, is genuinely safe enough for most situations and is comfortable to operate, then you belong on the passenger seat or in public transport.
@@waterboy330 see that sounds nice but it’s really just a roundabout way of saying the exact same thing. We can all agree there are a lot of bad drivers on the roads no doubt (and if we’re really being honest that includes ourselves at least sometimes) so sure, you can get into a big vehicle and feel comfortable that if you end up in a bad crash (regardless of who’s at fault), your truck/SUV is less likely to get totally clobbered with you in it. But it’s also true that to gain that benefit you’re also increasing the likelihood that you’ll get into the crash to begin with. So are you really any safer? A lot of drivers (not you specifically) just need to think harder and be more honest with themselves truth be told
That’s what I’m thinking too…then the question remains…why haven’t they done that with sedans? They want the higher profit with SUVs? Targets foreign brands? So many questions I have about them. -Brandon
CAFE does apply, just at a different level which enables more options. In the end, the CAFE standards should be repealed and let the consumer drive the market vs. regulations.
@@ksorsomeplaceThis will do nothing to reduce global CO2 emissions. The most effective way to do it is to increase the price of fuel and increase the electric vehicle charging infrastructure structure.
@@Ben-jq5oo Even if there was a benefit to reducing CO2, you could replace every car in the world with an EV and you'd only reduce CO2 emissions by 3 or 4 percent (assuming half of the electricity to power them was from fossil fuels, as it is now). For every car (or bus) in the world, which is impossible, as there is only enough lithium production to satisfy a small percentage of that. At the rate that we are mining lithium, if ALL of that was used for EV batteries (hope you like your phone, cause there will be no more!), and if governments forced us to buy all the EVs that are made, we would still never hit more than 30% of the worldwide fleet of cars being EVs. Beyond that point, all new batteries made would just be replacing the dying batteries from other EVs. Cars just don't contribute very much to the CO2 emissions. If you look at the measurements taken during the COVID debacle, the global elimination of a large percentage of cars from the roads barely even registered-- and that was with many businesses that produce CO2 also shutting down. If you want to reduce CO2, there are much better ways of doing it than trying to restrict cars when they only produce 7% of the CO2 globally. The real story is that there is no benefit to reducing CO2 emissions. We would actually do better if we had some more of it, since CO2 is needed for plants to grow, and the more they have, the more food and oxygen they make for us. If you go back and look at the historical record, the global temperature peaks do show strong correlation with the peaks in atmospheric CO2, but if you plot both graphs on the same y axis, you can see that temperature peaks preceded the CO2 concentration peaks by about 800 years. CO2 rises as a result of temperature, not the other way round. People that have a vested interest in selling a collapse of western economies are making use of a fallacy known as causation vs correlation, deliberately. By their logic, you could say that since most (type 1) diabetes patients inject insulin, that means that insulin causes diabetes! If you read the actual papers they cite, you will find that the conclusions do not follow the premises, and that the actual case for CO2 being the villain is hilariously weak and is by no means a "consensus" view (consensus being a political concept, not a scientific one). When you consider the number of times "scientists" have been caught falsifying the numbers and making computer models that are based on their own assumptions about CO2, and then they use that as proof for those same assumptions (circular logic), you begin to smell a rat-- and once you do, you see how tragically fraudulent the whole thing is. It's right there in front of everyone, but few bother to actually do the research and read the stuff themselves.
Dang that’s a good point there, they are tracking really similar. This is exactly why you guys are awesome, so many different perspectives and historical knowledge. Thanks for sharing your thoughts bro. -Brandon
I survived a T-Bone accident when a drunk driver in a lifted F-250 blew through a stop sign and totally destroyed my Honda Civic to the point that the driver directly behind me believed I died instantly. By the grace of God, I walked out of the car and survived with sciatica that healed with physical therapy. Now that I have a family, I want my family in SUV's because of this experience. I don't drive expecting and fearing a wreck but I do think about it. Just like I am sure that you don't enter combat expecting or fearing death but understand there is a chance. I like cars, I think they are cool and honestly suit most of everyone's needs well. I hate other drivers. Too often I see in daily driving life people texting, driving distracted, drunk driving, road rage, or more recently, willfully ignoring red lights and proceeding through like it is a stop sign. Other people make driving a risk to my family and it is a risk I don't have to take. Plus, Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos are cool so they fill the cool factor of a car well. To touch on one more aspect not dealing with cars vs. SUVs, the road rage issue is insane. I don't understand why people feel the need to risk throwing their entire life away over a brief instant with another PERSON in a car that they will never see again. Midway through my legal (Green Arrow) left turn at a stop light intersection, a driver perceived I cut him off from his right turn, so he laid on his horn, high-beamed me, followed me into the complex other family members lived in, and blocked me into my parking spot. The whole time not realizing I was completely ok with ending his life with the handgun I was ready to use to protect my wife and baby I had in my car. He will never know how close he came to death just because he perceived I cut him off. You should do a road rage video. It is such a strange phenomenon and I am sure there are some interesting stats to be found like the increase in incidents during the summer months.
Modern vehicles because of their crash structures have high belt lines (windows), and thick pillars which gives them poor visibility. This also makes it so visually orienting the vehicle on the road more vague and difficult, like your guessing where you're placed. People tend to feel like they have more situational awareness while driving if they sit up higher, of which is misleading. The frontal view is better, however, overall 360 awareness around your vehicle is compromised. The insidious part about poor visibility and situational awareness is that the drivers ability to prevent an accident is greatly inhibited. As a result vehicles compensate by adding all these sensors and technology that is completely redundant, expensive, and difficult to repair. Rising vehicle weight has become an arms race, all the while no one is actually safer, and vehicles become far too expensive. There is nothing cleaver engineering can resolve that by which is determined by physics. Two 3000 lbs vehicles in a crash is going to be safer than two 6000 lbs vehicles.
Wow brother, this is an incredible story and I am REALLY happy you are okay. T-Bone accidents are the worst types of accidents to be in because of the shearing forces. I am so glad you only sustained minor injuries. I can imagine that the feeling of fear sometimes creeps up from time to time and thats understandable. I hope mentally you are okay, I know traumatic events I have had sometimes come back from time to time and usually my little pit bull picks up on it and wags her tail and forces herself on me 🤣. I don't understand road rage people too, I get the irritating but wow, sometimes its the most dangerous and life threatening events for everyone else out on the road...like you said, you were ready to defend your family and I commend that whole heartedly. Thanks for the video suggestion and I will look into that fact. There is a lot of substance there and I would be willing to bet it would be a good video. Thanks again my friend. -Brandon
@@delanorrosey4730 I was too young too honest and principled to know. Barely 18 when it happened. I just asked the insurance to pay for my medical expenses and whatever the car was worth because I thought that was all that was needed to be fair. Now I know basically all insurance is a fucking scam and wish I milked the shit out of that incident.
It's almost as if this channel was designed for me. If you talked to anyone I know they'd tell you I hate domestic manufacturers for all the reasons you've listed in your videos, but in reality I try to root for them to make better products because it would be better for all of us.
Matt, I’m really pleased to hear this. I just couldn’t find anyone doing content like this and really swinging away if you know what I mean. We are in complete agreement too. I also want them to win more than any other company. But there NEEDS to be a quality product. The new ford video might be right up your alley…can’t wait to hear your thoughts on that Matt. Much love and respect my friend. -Brandon
Hands down agree with this. You can’t legalize engineering. It defies the laws of progress. Do you think the standards are ever going to go away? -Brandon
You can make a 40mpg car, but give it to a driver that slams his foot down to the floor ar every stop sign, and it REALLY doesn't matter what the car's efficiency is, if the driver negates it.
The death of the mini truck was caused by CAFE. The irony is that they are forcing some to buy larger trucks instead, which are more dangerous and pollute more.
I feel like the regulations have honestly helped do some pretty impressive things with ICE technology. Its pushed automakers further to make impressive engines that can have good power. Without many regulations no reason to push boundaries would have happened. However you can tell its starting to have flaws. Now engines are having to be turbo charged because they cant meet emission regulations otherwise. I think as of now ICE technology has been pushed to its limits. I would like more reliable naturally aspirated engines to return.
Indeed CAFE is hardly helping anyone. If its original goal was to help businesses save money but apply harsh standards to small cars then you might as well not have it at all, or have it be relaxed. Otherwise you have automakers pushing consumers into the largest things they can possibly make
There is one American sedan that I would buy. Dodge Charger widebody scatpack. Because it is so American, big body, rwd, great looking, relatively inexpensive, and a ridiculous V8 soundtrack. Which is something that the Japaneseand European just doesn't do. I've driven the V6 non SRT before and they have a surprisingly good handling too, doesn't feel as heavy and cumbersome as I though. And they aren't selling too bad either. I think it's definitely more appealing then a Ford Fusion or Chevy Malibu which were trying to compete with Camry and Accord.
Yeah that’s a beautiful ride! I love the chargers and challengers with 5.7 or higher. They aren’t terrible actually. I have a V6 charger and I personally don’t think it should be called a charger because how under powered it really is but the new V6 they put in is not bad. Same motor as my jeep! Thanks for commenting my brother! -Brandon
Awesome brother, my mom has a 2023 Dodge Charger RT Scat Pack Widebody with the 392 Hemi V8 in it with 485 HP and 475 Ibs of Torque and man let me tell you its a freakn beast and it sounds bad to the bone as well.
Brandon, I found your channel about a week ago and your production quality is some of the best that I have seen. The content is well organized and you get your point across clearly. I really appreciate these sort of debrief videos that you have between the main ones. It’s a nice way to get to know you and hear about your thoughts on the comments and reception of the videos. I would also like to thank you for your service. I just commissioned into the Army a few months ago and it’s great to see someone on TH-cam with the same interests and passion. Currently, I drive a 2004 Honda Pilot that was bought brand new by my parents. I remember the day they pulled into the driveway with it like it was yesterday. It has been so incredibly reliable and now I’ll be continuing to drive it in grad school with only 112K on the odometer. Again, you’ve done an amazing job with your channel and I’m looking forward to seeing more videos from you!
Bryan, thanks for all the kind words. I want people to know I’m not just a voice behind a video and I am indeed a human lol. Just commissioned? That’s pretty awesome so congratulations on that! Did you get the branch you wanted? And grad school already!? You sir are a busy man and that’s very commendable. A Honda Pilot will probably outlive us all if we are being honest. And such low miles too. That’s incredible. It’s a pleasure to serve in multiple ways Bryan, look forward to hearing from you in the future. I’m at Bragg too if you ever find yourself falling out of planes or come to my neck of the woods. -Brandon
I think CAFE standards should be less restrictive… I think we should have standards that dictate that vehicles don’t have exhaust and fumes everywhere and that everything is safe; however, we really have restrictions that make it nearly impossible to produce a car under those restrictions and it’s made everything worse now… in price, maintenance, insurance and aesthetics. The best example is the Cadillac of the 90’s. Those were beautiful but almost all of them had a problem with the oxygen sensor and nobody could get their emissions inspection passed. The automobile experience in America has become so depressing and all hope seems lost.
Travis, totally get your point there brother. There needs to be something in place otherwise the Homer Simpson’s will be dumping Mr Burns toxic wastes in rivers lol. But the current status has legitimately made standards that are impossible to meet. I don’t know if a single non-hybrid has come even close to the standards they have set in place. And yeah, 90’s caddy’s were something remarkable for sure. Northstar was an issue for sure. I did a video on GM, so I feel where you are coming from. Thanks for commenting Travis. I look forward to future conversations with you. I hope you have a great Sunday. -Brandon
Hey dude I love your videos! Just discovered you in the last month or two and it’s been endlessly entertaining, even rewatched these videos a couple times lol. Good stuff dude keep it up!
Hey my man! Thanks for such kind words, I really appreciate you watching my content and even rewatching! How cool is that. I’m honored to have you as a subscriber and if there is anything I can do to make the channel better for you, feel free to reach out. -Brandon
The Crown Vics and 90s Chevy Impalas were rock solid sedans. The Charger too while not as high quality was not half bad either, as long as it had a V8 and no MDS.
Oh yeah, solid vehicles for sure. I covered them in the full film because that crown Vic motor… boy was it awesome. The chargers are good if they have the 5.7 and above. I’ve owned 2 V6 ones (still own one of them) and they are not good cars. I wouldn’t suggest anyone buy one…just my 2 cents though. -Brandon
They were styled poorly. They were styled for older customers which didn't win as many younger buyers. They didn't have to styled so conservatively. That would have made them more modern and more appealing to a wider market while doing very little to diminish the older buyer market's demand.
@@ksorsomeplace function over form imo. Another good sedan were those Buicks with the 3.8 V6, ugly cars imo but tough as a Corolla, just not as fuel efficient.
@@A-BombEnergy Crown Vics had smallblock V8s and then the 4.6 V8 mod motor, and they (like their later derivative, the awesome Coyote 5.0) are fantastic engines. I sometimes forget Ford made other engines, since why??? What's the point of that? Heh.
I really appreciate how much effort you’ve been putting into these videos, it’s no simple task. Definitely interested to see the new Ford video. My family have always been ford people, but I’ve definitely been disappointed in the latest models they’ve put out. Good luck Brandon, and thanks for your service. Ps I caught that sleep token video in the back. They’re the best. Good taste my friend.
Jake, thank you for the kind words. I really want to provide the best quality videos and information possible. I too used to LOVE ford but everything they have been doing and have done…it’s really bothered me and if they were totally a private company, it would be whatever. But since I’m giving them my money via taxes lol…thennnnn now that changes things. Glad you caught the Sleep Token Easter egg. Literally my favorite band ever, I can’t get enough of them. I might try to go see them live in Germany this year but we shall see. What’s your favorite song by them? -Brandon 🫡
@@A-BombEnergy Ah man, that’s a tough one on the favorite song. I’d probably have to say Take Me Back to Eden, because I can relate to it, but there’s so many good ones. How about you?
Talk about wild, I literally was listening to Take me back to Eden while reading your comment! I would have to say Euclid, the ending is incredible. How they combine The Night Does Not Belong to God is pure artistry. I relate to Euclid too much… glad to have a fellow sleep token fan on the channel. -Brandon
Hey brother good to see you again! Glad you are enjoying the content, if you ever have any questions or suggestions, the door is always open. Next video will be up in 2ish weeks…it’s gonna be a wild one. -Brandon
Mmmmm enchilada Anyway, I think sadans would make a huge come back if cafe standard where switched I also think we would get back our truly small trucks. Not almost full size that looks kinda small compared to there full size counterparts I just wish now after that that we get more simple cars
I like enchiladas. But yes, I too wish we could have simple cars too. VW does a decent job with the Jetta sport tbh, it’s pretty dang simple and I’m happy with it. I’m fine with have luxury models but base models need to go back to being base models. More importantly, they need to be priced at base model price too. Thanks for commenting Mike, I hope you have a great Friday and then weekend! -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I won't mind a luxury model, though even with that, dumb little things have changed. Most my knowledge is based of the Genesis brand as I'm being trained to work on them and I act as a porter for the Hyundai Genesis dealer But the shift is now a electric knob or other thingy that I don't like, but the mechanical ones in older models I enjoy the feeling of and such
I believe that the Chrysler 300 and Cadillac CTS/CT5 with maybe the expectation of 2.7 from Chrysler are reliable sedans, I think US manufactures struggle with compact sedans
Jason, yeah any of those sedans with a V8 were solid vehicles. FCA throughout the lifetime of those vehicles put in several different V6s and they were all terrible with exception of the pentastar and even then that is questionable. Biggest thing with that engine is keeping up with oil changes and doing them early. -Brandon
Service man! Outstanding! Thank you for the personal sacrifices you've made in service to our country. I grew up TCK, AKA Army Brat, LOL! My dad served in Nam attached to L.R.R.P. He retired CSM 101st Airborne Rangers. I was too rebellious in my younger years and wasted my best years when I should have went in. But in my later more mellow years I do currently at least serve my community. Still, nothing compared to what you gentlemen went through.
Hey brother, thanks for the kind words, and good to see you again. your dad sounds like an awesome dude. Those are the guys we all look up to. Wouldn't kick yourself for not joining, unfortunately things are a lot different now and I personally don't suggest people to join at this point. there are very few cases where it's acceptable and encourage it. I have personally done nothing compared to what people like your dad have done. -Brandon
Cafe standards either attack all vehicle types or none at all. They all should’ve went hybrid back in 2015 and it wouldn’t be such a harsh reality when it comes to EV battery tech.
That’s a really good point there man. Personally I think it needs to be severely dismantled at this point because it’s having an opposite effect. I think if it was, manufacturers would be more inclined to build more hybrids and more fuel efficient cars that are quality because they don’t have a fat fine waiting for them at the finish line. At this point, I’m convinced it only exists to benefit manufacturers and harm consumers. Maybe I’m coo coo lol. -Brandon
I think if CAFE standards were actually targeted at vehicles like SUVs and trucks we could see a change in design language like what happened from vehicles in the 80’s to the 90’s. People *WANT* smaller trucks, and cars. Pedestrian traffic deaths are WAY up due to soccer mom suburbans. It’s due-time to start making people who want to purchase vehicles the size of WW2 Sherman tanks (no joke) pay.
Broooo you are so right man. I can’t tell you how many people I know that want a small truck and many have purchased the maverick. I think that’s why the maverick practically sold out for months. That market is so ripe for picking. Hyundai is dipping their feet in on it now. Wild times we live in brother. Thanks for commenting bro. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy human reproduction is way down accross all demographics. supposedly were in a population "crash" wich is another dirty fear word. imagine someone with no kids cross shopping a 53k$ 3rd row seating minivancrossover to a sensible 4 cylinder car. if today's childless breeding age individuals have enough money i bet its going to be on a sedan.
6:54 i was expecting you to say "oh no you don't need an SUV now, you can just buy this Wagon that has the same amount of space as an SUV but costs less and is cheaper in fuel economy"
Haha I agree with that statement though! I should have said that! I love wagons so much, probably my favorite kind of car ever. If only I could get a BMW M340i wagon or AMG wagon…my life would be so much nicer. -Brandon
In my trunk, I drive a 2018 Chevy Cruze, I can fit two checked bags and two carry-ons at the very least. Only time I have trouble is the once every 7 or so years I buy a TV, but luckily I have a good job and can just use the company vehicle when I do that.
Nice, the sedan isn’t dead yet! How’s the Cruze holding up? Your job must be cool to let you use the company vehicle for stuff like that! Good to see you again too brother. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Good, only issue I had recently was AC ran low on Freon. Yeah I'm really lucky I have that benefit at work. Hope all is well man, best of luck when you leave the service!
I noticed today my work's parkinglot has a large collection of sedans, maybe 30/40%. Upon further inspection, a lot of them are older, and some manufacturers don't exist anymore. Whhhhich leads me to conclude : since a lot of people here complain about not having money (read : were bad with the money they had), they prop bought the cheapest cars they could. This meant older, less-desirable, therefor less expensive, sedans. Between CAFE standards and manufacturers dropping sedans, it follows that the only ones left to buy would be older ones. Idk that they were purchased BECAUSE of their inherent sedan qualities, or for other reasons.
You know ever since I started writing the script to Sedan video I made sure to pay attention to sedans on the road. Idk how it is in other areas but I saw about a 40/60 split which honestly blew my mind. I can’t unsee it now. Every parking lot there are always more sedans than what the market trends say. But I’m in NC so maybe it’s different where you are at? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I'm in Ohio, Cleveland, and I see more sedans than pickup trucks. Same as you, it's one of those "once you mention it you can't unsee it/trust your lying eyes" kinda thing.
My first vehicle, which I still drive 15 years later, is a Toyota Sequoia. I've gone to college and moved between states in one trip without needing to rent a U-Haul. Most of the time I leave the third row of seats out for more space. Served me well but I could use something that gets more than 16 miles per gallon on average. I don't have anything against sedans but I work with drones and watched my coworkers cram them into their passenger and second row of seats to transport them. Be nice if we had company vans for that but personal vehicles are all we have. Having seen them struggle, I'll be looking at crossover hybrids for the ability to put down the second row for things that do not fit well into trunks. I'm not willing to compromise cargo capacity on those short notice needs.
You are probably more the exception than the rule. Your actual needs require something like an SUV for cargo space. I personally know people that play trades man with an f350 that never sees work. Sadly an SUV or a van is your only option because they axed station wagons. Cost and efficiency of a car, space of an SUV.
Yeah it sounds like you are definetly one of the people who needs an SUV or crossover and their is nothing wrong with that. I bet 16MPG is getting old, I have been there so I totally understand. What kind of drones do you work with? I work with them too but it sounds like you are more of a pro than me. -Brandon
Totally agree here. And gosh I wish we could get station wagons back. I rented an AMG Benz in Germany and it was a wagon...I wanted to buy one so bad in the US but the import fees were insane. Ended up getting a BMW M340i. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy We do on demand cargo delivery in Texas with hexacopters. Between the motor arms and the parachute system the vehicles get down to only about 3ft wide and 2.5 ft tall roughly.
There's 2 main issues, CAFE bias towards larger and heavier vehicles and security standards not applying to SUVs and trucks as they do with sedans. Until there's a fair playing ground for all consumer oriented vehicles sedans won't come back. Smaller and cheaper vehicles are also left out of the picture due to CAFE being unreasonable for smaller vehicles.
Yes ma’am you are totally correct on that. I seriously don’t get how the big daddy in DC doesn’t see the oxymoron of the whole standards. It literally is having the opposite effect. I sometimes wonder if it’s being done in purpose…then flip the standards and force EVs…idk just a thought. Thanks for commenting my friend. -Brandon PS I read your username and assumed you are a lady, if not, I apologize 😬
It's a shame that, in 2024, pretty much all car manufacturers have either gone away from affordable (sub-$20k) passenger cars, or are in the process of moving away from them. Ford doesn't even produce cars anymore, save the Mustang. Chevy has discontinued the Sonic and Spark. Honda discontinued the Fit in America and the Civic is now a mid-$20k car. Toyota discontinued the Yaris in America and the Corolla is now a mid-$20k car. Hyundai has discontinued the Accent. Kia discontinued the Rio, is discontinuing the Forte, and the K4 is looking to be above $20k. Mitsubishi is discontinuing the Mirage. Nissan is discontinuing the Versa. Between the rising costs of cars, the steadily dwindling quality of cars, and the inverse relationship between cost of living and wages, it's a terrible time to be in the car market if you're not making above the median income in America.
It's pretty crazy man and it's a shame. I think Nissan is the only one who has the under 20K vehicle for sale. I just recently purchased that VW Jetta I mentioned in the video and yes, it was the cheapest sedan with a manual transmission, and lots of storage on the inside. I considered the versa but I needed more room. It's a sad state of affairs that we are witnessing right now. the newest video that I'll be posting here in about two or three weeks will really highlight why the car industry and prices specifically the way they are. I always had the hunch on why but I'm even finding data that I have never seen anyone talk about and my mind is blown. Hope to see you in the comments on that video, my friend. Always a pleasure to talk to you. -Brandon
Amazing as always looking forward to the new video and podcast! American car makers can make a good sedan they choose not to. They can rebadge an Asian one like they did with the Pontiac Vibe
Jacob, good to see you again brother and I’m excited to get some new stuff to you guys. And yeah, Pontiac made some good cars. If I remember correctly, they stopped rebadging Asian cars because GM wanted to use their coolant…and Im pretty certain that coolant was messing up engines. Am I remembering this correctly? Hoping to have the podcast up in about 2 weeks. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy i guess so there was a bunch of rebadged cars Nova/Vibe/Corolla . Cavalier was even sent to Japan as a Toyota. GM also had put a Honda engine in the Saturn Vue. There were others too but I can’t remember heres a cool video talking about it. th-cam.com/video/H69jd12q_0U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ywC-8jx5IuQbjtEz
I'm starting a TH-cam channel myself, and your production value is impressive. I could learn a lot from you. Also, you said you're a 91W at Ft. Liberty...both my younger brothers were 91W, in 1-75 and 3-75, Georgia knuckleheads. I was a 15R at Hunter myself, 3ID. Thanks for your service. When it comes to cars, I just sold off my '17 Corolla SE and bought a decent used '17 Ford Expedition EL as a primary to go along with our old Toyota Sienna. When I was in the Army, I had a super-reliable '06 F-150 STX which was born at the old Ontario plant, and became loyal to Ford. My first car was a lightly used '94 Pontiac Grand Am back in 2001, and that car had so many quality issues that the animosity toward GM is deep seated 23 years later. Anyway, have heard mixed stories about the reliability of the Ecoboost engines, but the 2017+ Expeditions have fared better according to CarEdge/Edmunds/Vehicle History/Consumer Reports, and none had the sordid reputation of the 5.4 Triton V8. Time will tell if what they said is accurate, or whether I'm going to have another mechanical nightmare like my old 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman S (happily dumped that disaster at the Toyota dealer for the Corolla). Cars are often as reliable as the driver's maintenance principles, but you couldn't pay me to own a Stellantis or BMW product.
Hey that's awesome to hear brother, let me know if you need any help with that. I am 38W (Civil Affairs SOCM) at Fort Bragg. That's cool you guys were all military, love to see that, especially since your brothers are fellow SOCMs. I bet the Expedition will be a solid car if you maintain it. So far, it sounds like we are reading the same reports. My biggest concern would be oil consumption but as long as you check it routinely and change it, I highly doubt you will have any issues in the near future. We use Expeditions all the time for our plain clothes operations and they make great CASEVAC platforms and do well off-road. So if any of your brothers need to do some MARCH in the back, they will have an easy time. Thanks for commenting and hit me up if you need anything. -Brandon
Hey man! You’ve been absolutely Killing it on the videos! I love the idea of going back to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles (even though I love me a V8) I think that the Cafe standers are bull crap and need to be completely revised to favor small vehicles! As I’m sure you’ve seen with the Suburban Expedition and Waggoner crash tests bigger doesn’t mean safer! In fact I bet if we favored smaller vehicles on American roads we’d have less deaths from car accidents and would be helping the environment!
Hey brother thanks so much for the compliments! I’ve been working my tail off for you guys and love every moment of it. I too love my V8 sedans and if we could get rid of the cafe standards, they could make an aggressive comeback imo. I haven’t seen those crash tests on those models but I’m gonna look them up…maybe it will be an interesting video idea…working on another video too about dealerships…bro this one made me furious actually…should be out in about a month. Maybe sooner 😬 appreciate your amazing support 🫡. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Hey man! Yeah if you look up the crash test videos you see that these massive SUVs are failing some standards that have been around for 10+ years it’s crazy! Looking forward to the new videos man keep it up you’re on fire!
Great work again bro! You hit every point! They just took their terrible sedans and morphed them into terrible less efficient SUV's and with higher premiums! They still get hit with fines but they offset them by buying regulatory credits from Tesla instead of following Tesla's open source patents and building competitive EV's, OR even taking that info and applying to ICE cars. Selling the credits don't even make a Doreen's in Tesla's bottom line. Since they only have a near term profit first mentality they're waaaaayyyy behind. EV's are almost at a cost parity to ICE and will soon become cheaper as battery costs and manufacturing gets more and more efficient.
Thanks brother! Glad to see you back and I appreciate all the love you give this channel. Totally agree with the sentiment here too...I really wonder what will happen once EV technology changes and becomes cheaper. You think that will be enough for people to switch or will charge times and range anxiety still get people? Such an interesting time to be alive. -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy Definitely interesting times. I'm a gear head to my core. I've only owned performance cars. Currently driving an infinity fx45. I test drove a base refreshed Tesla model 3 and was blown away. It's a familiar but different experience. Quality and bang for the dollar were very, VERY impressive. Most people who just need transportation could easily have one, and the car makes them feel like they spent a fortune. People who doubt their appeal have never driven a decent one. Reminds me of Corvette guys who refuse to even sit in the new C8. Can't wait for the next video!
I have a video idea if you're interested! I think a video about how the idea of smaller diesel vehicles died in the U.S. would be interesting. If could also be about or include how diesel is declining now even in large trucks due to emissions, etc.
Joe, that’s a great idea and I’ll add that to the list. I’ve had a few others suggest it so that tells me there is a demand. I will be honest though, it will take me time as I don’t know a lot about diesels unless it’s a military vehicle…everything we use runs off diesel which I loatheeeeee. Thanks again Joe, I truly appreciate your continued support. -Brandon
So much profit is made on SUV & truck production, from all three US manufacturers, that American sedans could not compete. CAFE standards have always been relaxed for vehicles weighing 6000lbs or more, and since the manufacturers make more cash in the SUV/Truck production, they can well afford to pay the penalties (look at the Cummins/Ram engine modifications with the EPA). They just pay it & move on. Nice to see your channel flourishing, & always look forward to the next video!
Aaron, yeah it’s really wild to me that it’s even like this. I seriously hope in the NEAR future that CAFE gets repealed or at minimum brought to its knees. I want everyone to be free to drive what they want and not be bound by some regulations that only hurt them financially. Thank you for the kind words too Aaron. I’m not a perfect channel and I have probably gotten some info wrong but I’m always working my tail off to ensure accuracy of information and making it entertaining. As always, I appreciate your continued support my friend. -Brandon
Yes actually, I find that period very interesting because it has shaped the industry to what we have today. If that interests you, I think you will really like this ford video I will be releasing soon. I definitely want to do one though on WHY they cut Pontiac though…-Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy 2011 maxima had it for about 10 years im the 2nd owner and i would like to get 4runner one of these days but some of these mid sized suvs look the same and car prices are thru the roof
Gosh they are so good at it. I could rattle off 100 examples, as I’m sure you can too. Thanks for watching so much of my content brother, I really appreciate that. Working on the new video as we speak. Always a pleasure to speak with you guys. -Brandon
in 1997 I purchased my 1st new car. I was 23 at the time. I wound up a Ford dealer, whom i'll never buy anything from every again, and purchased a starter car. it was a blue 1996 ford aspire. 64 hp, 3 speed auto, 0-60 in 5 minutes. my sales guy was actually somewhat honest. they had several ford escorts on the lot. the sales guy told me flat out not to buy one the timing belt has to be replaced at 60k mile sotherwise it snaps and kills the engine. the aspire lived with my family till my dad retired about 12 years ago, and they gave it to someone else who then got hit and totaled it. the car was a blueish purplish color and we called it Blurple. the problem with sedans is this: They are cheap to produce but have low margins. the Voltron of Grabage, Stelantis, tried competing with Toyota and Honda in that segment with the Dart. They sold about 300kish Darts but couldn't compete with the 1.3m units Toyota sells of the Corolla. When I bought that Aspire the dealer made about a grand on the sale. Ford didn't make much more...but...it was my 1st car, with dad cosigning, my loan percentage was about 12% Ford credit made $3,780 on the car. Ford's margin wound up being close to 50%!!! but Interest rates were falling 2.5 years later I got a Ranger XLT Super Cab for like 1.7% on a lease. I can still remember the break down it was like $20 a month in interest over 36 months. that's a fraction of what they made on the Aspire. Most people only look at what the payment of the vehicle is. they don't factor in insurance, tires, oil, gas, etc. IE they don't look at the TCO. Just that monthly. So lets say you have $500 a month you can spend on a vehicle. Here is what the purchase price looks like at 12% and again at 6% $500 payment at 12% loan (5 years) the cars purchase price is about $22,480 ie a Honda Civic or a base Corolla. but at 6% its $25,852 but thats not what was going on. what was going, and Doug Demuro did a video on it when he bought that stupid grand wagoneer, was 0% AND not for 5 years but 7 or even 8 years. wanna know what a $500 a month payment is going to get you if you sign the line for 0% and 8 years? its FOURTY EIGHT THOUSAND! If you're an idiot, and most people are, and you've got $500 a month for a car payment (the average new car payment is $735) are you going to buy a thifty sedan, or are going to buy somethign bigger? We all know the answer we dodge them everyday in traffic, something bigger. and that something bigger doesn't really cost much more to produce than a similar format sized Sedan. Look at the last model year of the Panthers. They were sedans. Their engines were 4.6 Sohc v8s and 4r70w trans....the same engine and trans going into the f-150 but look at what a crown vic sold for vs an f-150. the vic lx was 30k, the f-150 super crew xlt was $35k. not much of a difference but the major components of both vehicles are the same and so the cost was roughly the same. now what does an f-150 cost? well Gus Machado Ford wants $56k for an f-150 super crew 4x2 with the 2.7 eco boost. with interest rates in the toilet, the domestic makers simply can't make the money they need to on a cheap sedan, they have been forced from the market by low interest rates and asian brands who have concentrated on those markets. How many pickups does KIA sell? right now its zero but about to change. Hyundai sells the santa cruz. The big 3 have exited the sedan market and with it, they exited the starter car market. these days if you want a cheap car, its your 1st new car, where do people go? not to a chevy dealership, not to a dodge dealership, not to a ford dealership, people go to Kia. Now interest rates are back up, all the Doug Demuros are stuck with their 100k cars. They can't afford to finance another vehicle at the price they paid 3 years ago. The big 3 are stuck holding the bag with no market share in the sedan market AT ALL, and their entire inventory people can no longer afford to finance. Its why the Mavrick sells so well...its the cheapest truck. the big 3 are hosed. they bet on high margin trucks and EVs. the ev market as tanked, and the truck market is tanking too.
Hey brother, sorry for the late response. I wanted to respond with intent to this comment because you put some thought behind it and you deserve a quality response. I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with that Ford Aspire, I honestly have never heard of that car and thats wild to me because I used to be an American car enthusiast. And you are correct on the margins, its low as heck right now. Its probably even less since 1997 because how much control and outside pressures have hit the industry, i.e. UAW. And I feel bad for people who only look at payments, they just haven't been taught and dealers know this, which is why its always one of the first questions they ask you about...so silly. Its not even funny anymore, it just shows the lack of education in our society and the predatory behavior of dealers. I think you will really like the video after the new Ford one that comes out tomorrow. I cover so much of whats in this comment and highlight why more reasons why the industry is in the current situation. Let me just say I don't think many or really anyone has covered what I will be covering soon... And yes, the big 3 are hosed and Chrysler is basically gone at this point. They put so many eggs that weren't theirs in the EV market and now its coming back in their face...sad state of affairs. Always a pleasure my friend. -Brandon
So this topic has been done by some people but I’ve had this request a lot. So I’ve added it to the list and I’ll get to work on it very very soon. Thank you for the suggestions brother, super appreciated. -Brandon
Hey I have a really weird question for you, Brandon. What is the painting in the background? It is extremely striking and I want to learn more about it.
Hey my friend and I’d be happy to talk about it. It’s called Dante And Virgil In Hell 1850, painted by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. I saw the painting in Paris last year at Musee D’Orsay and it messed with me mentally because how as you say, striking it is. Officially, I don’t know the whole story but it represents the world in one painting. You have a priest and politician watching Lucifer kill a human and take another soul. Behind and under the victim, you can dozens of other souls that had been claimed. You see a demon in the background smiling as he watches the priest and politician do nothing to try to save the man from having his life and soul taken by Lucifer. It’s a very disturbing painting and rattles me every time I see it. I have other paintings like this on order that I saw in Paris. You’ll see them soon on the channel in future vlogs. Please let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to talk about them. -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy Wow that is awesome!!! That is so cool that you know the story of the painting. I'm an artist so I tend to notice things like that. I look forward to seeing more of your art in your future videos. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I wish you the best. - Splendor
@A-BombEnergy I have a deviantart account. My name is TheSplendor13 there. Has a tiny sample of my work. I'm bad at putting my art on social media, but then again I try to avoid things like Instagram and Facebook
All American automakers have to do is design a sedan like their trucks with all the bells and whistles instead of cheating out on sedans and spending huge $$$ on crossovers and trucks
Hey brother good to see you again! Could you imagine them doing that? If they just had a model of quality vehicles where you can get a true base model for base model pricing all the way to the most luxurious model, that’s giving people choices and that’s what people want. Not forced EVs and SUVs lol. Idk, I could be completely wrong. As always my friend, glad to have you here. -Brandon
Oh...the Ford bailouts. I bet thats it. Hope youre doing well, brother. I feel I may have ended my channel with my last vidoe. Dont regret anything I said, and stand by it. Irony is that this week VA screwed me over hard, so I wont even have a video. Anyway. Ill still watch, but I think it might not help you. I never was an entrepreneur, because I tend to be abrupts, brash about things. Im just too old to change now. Im just thinking over things for the future. Really glad to see your channel taking off. You will go places. Hope outprocessing is still going smoothly. See you around, brother.
You might be right...time will tell when it comes time to upload... Just keep making your content and with every video try to make the next one better. 1% improvement every time. Nobody is too old to change and nobody is too old to be an entrepreneur...its all about mindset. "Whether you think you can or think you can't. Either way you are right." -Brandon
As someone who hauls a lot of car/motorcycle parts and needs to fit a toolbox in my car on occasion my Honda fit is the perfect vehicle but I’d absolutely own another hatchback/sedan or station wagon instead of an suv or truck
Caleb, that’s awesome that such a compact car is working for you. I love the Fits, I looked at getting one a while back but couldn’t find one that I wanted that wasn’t more than 250 miles away. After the Fit, what’s next? I’m sure the fit will last you a long time so you probably aren’t even thinking of what’s next! 😂 -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy being a Honda tech, hopefully the 2.0 turbo 6 speed manual accords will get cheap enough that I can buy one as a daily and keep the fit to use as a truck basically but currently not sure
Another thing to think about with them all dropping sedans is what they'd run in motorsports. In nascar for example they're running the camaro this year but I have no idea what car they'll run in tve future
@A-BombEnergy there was a rule in the 70s that dodge and Chrysler had to make 200 street versions of the dodge charger daytona to run in nascar. I'm not sure if that rule has changed but I would think that they need to do the same thing now. I honestly don't know.
Hi! Greetings from Norway. Stumbled upon your channel today, gotta say your videos are amazing! You are going places. Gonna hit 1mill subs in no time. I think if Ford or GM should make hothatch EV's it would sell like hotcakes in Norway and Europe. Why can't they just make a Fiesta ST EV or Focus RS ev. I bet if VW sell a GOLF GTI like EV, its a banger. The IONIQ 5 N is super cool, but a little bit too big. BMW i4 M50 is also super nice and cool. That should have been the Mach E Mustang, not some big ugly SUV. Again, thanks for the content!
Wow I love Norway! Great to see someone from one of my favorite countries is watching! I travel to Europe from time to time and always enjoy the countries there. I appreciate the kind words too, I certainly hope 1 million subs is on the way, that would be incredible! 😁 And I totally agree with your assessment on them making hatchback EVs. Idk why they reinvent the wheel so often and make a whole new platform just because it’s an EV… How popular are EVs in Norway? They are kind of fizzling out in the US now. Demand was overinflated and now dealers are refusing EVs. I’m curious how it is there? Last time I was in Germany, the rental company was going to give me an EV cheaper than a normal car. They told me nobody wants to rent an EV. Blew my mind actually, I thought Europe was different than the US in that regard. Thanks again my friend! -Brandon
People in the states really need to understand how efficient and practical compact hatches are. They wont even have the chance to however since there are basically no new ones available. They are all the car most drivers need and far more practical and effective than pushing EVs.
Massively agree here brother. The efficiency of sedans has gotten so dang good recently and now they are stopping the production of them!? What on earth are we doing! How is 45mpg not good enough for an ICE vehicle that’s not even a hybrid? My BMW M340i is a monster with power and still gets 30+ mpg if I drive it normal. I think there will be a shift though if im being honest. People will get tired of such large vehicles. What do you think? -Brandon
Hey brother good to see you again. I will look into it. What sort of obvious debunkings are you seeing? I’m not an expert on the subject. If memory serves me, they didn’t actually need to fake the emissions right? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy they didn't actually have to take the emissions. The scandal comes from the fact that they used software to swap the tuning when an emissions test was detected through the OBD2 port. A group of college researchers were conducting verification tests in California and noticed that (I don't remember all the details) either a) the measured tailpipe emissions were different or b) real world range tests didn't match. Led to a whole unraveling of diesel in the US.
Honestly if the EPA just stopped the cafe standards, we would probably get more than just sedans, we would get like, smaller cars in general back (think like 1999 acura integra sized vehicles), as well as station wagons and vehicles similar to like, holden maloo or chevy ssr back, hell maybe brands like pontiac, saturn or mercury would be able to make a good comeback in a less restrictive market like that
@michaelbaja1854 honestly good because they're not doing their jobs correctly anyway, especially with the fines that they give out which makes them liable for a lawsuit now since a different agency actually went through a lawsuit over the same thing, that's not even mentioning their current lawsuit going on at this moment, the epa is just a Giant cluster fuck rn
Totally agree with what you and Mike are saying. CAFE has had a complete opposite effect on almost every metric. Sure, in the beginning it may have helped slightly but in the end it is destroying the car industry on a massive scale and rinsing people of money. I view it as another way to get money out of us. Just my thoughts…-Brandon
Bro could you imagine how the market would be if we did that? Omg it would be pretty wild. Oh and get rid of state franchise laws when it pertains to car dealers…then manufacturers can sell direct to consumer… I. Would. Be. So. Happy. 😃-Brandon
The area of the city that I spend most of my time is fairly affluent and the people that have the money to buy whatever they want definitely buy sedans, but they are overwhelmingly European and more specifically German
Dang I need to move to your area! I don’t see an issue with owning an SUV but I really think they have pushed through marketing that SUVs are better than sedans and hatchbacks and wagons. What do you currently drive brother? -Brandon
I actually fairly recently bought my first SUV cause it was a bucket list car. its a 2005 x5 4.8is. its the exact spec I wanted and I never expected to actually find one cause they didn’t make many but I found one and couldn’t refuse. But had that not come along I would have ended up with another sedan or wagon. I generally prefer sedans or wagons cause they are normally better dynamically than an suv but the 4.8is is a special case, plus I moved across the country so I can’t just call one of my friends with a truck if I need to move something big like furniture. Also don’t get me wrong my area also has a lot of SUVs but I would say it’s a pretty even split between SUV, sedans and coupes/convertibles with the makes skewing heavily euro. I think there are a lot of factors that killed the wagon market in the US, but I will say there aren’t many wagon options that I would personally find appealing if I was shopping for a new car. BMW hasn’t given us a really cool wagon since the e39 540iT and those are pretty rare these days and the e91 which only came with the base motor I almost can’t blame people for not finding the wagon market here appealing.
I can’t wait to release it to you guys. It’s definitely going to ruffle some feathers, but it’s also going to be pure fact in truth. It’s kind of wild how many sources and citations I include in the new video. Forward to seeing you in the comments there. -Brandon
Maybe if C.A.F.E standards ignored the bottom and top 5-10% in fuel economy from a single manufacturer, then the manufacturer would be encouraged to make a majority of their vehicles more fuel efficient. And you don't have the chevys of the world making a single sub par sedan that burns as much oil as gas for "fuel economy"(the cruze), and if a company wants to they can still have a sports car in the lineup without worrying about it ruining their overall rating for the rest of the lineup.
Man your comparison made me laugh really hard because wow that Cruze might actually run on oil lol. I honestly wish the standards would either go away or be severely slashed to see how engineers, companies, and the market would respond. I bet if they started marketing for Sedans again…they would sell better. Just my thoughts though. Thanks for sharing yours, I sincerely appreciate it. -Brandon
Depending on the motor and how he takes care of it, he might have an exceptional vehicle. New Lincoln is not the old Lincoln of the early 2000s…that’s how fast they pivoted to lower quality unfortunately. People tend to associate nice interiors and ride quality as quality in totality…big mistake in my opinion. -Brandon
Well, at least the Big 3 are aware that the batteries are huge. Big 5000lbs+ batteries don't do well in big cars, I'm looking at you Hummer EV, but small ones can do improvements and a half too. And well, if you have enough to buy an electric car, not even from the big 3, but other much bigger companies, don't buy them. Either convert a classic car like, let's just say, a 70s/80s Cadillac, Lincoln, or Chrysler, or get anything above the Tesla. Think like the Lucid Air, 66k for a car that works better than a Tesla. And if you had enough money, a Rimac Nevera. But many companies are going Hydrogen power. So that complicated a few things. But stellar job on this video. You are brave for actually pulling through and making these videos, and I think that's a great thing. And to make a video to defend, but make logic to the arguing folk is something that not many have ever done well, but I believe that you can do it. And thanks for the shout out. Still don't have a car yet, just drive my moms 2020 Toyota Sequoia. And when I get my full permit, I'll listen to some Sleep Token to celebrate. My mom wants me to get a Subaru, and I see why, we live in Montana. But finding a old 1997 Nissan Stagea with the inline six the R34 has seems a little easier to fix because one head gasket seems just a little easier than two.
Hey brother! Good to see you and glad you made it to the video. Yeah the EV stuff is getting pretty wild and I would understand them making a sedan EV but trying to make a hummer EV lol…I first thought it was a concept car or joke car. Never seen one on the road yet either. Hydrogen fuel cell is very very interesting to me and I would love to see that get more mainstream. I think it’s the safety side that’s hurting it though. A Subaru would awesome, especially in Montana. Beautiful state too btw. That Nissan though…man I hope you can find one! And yes, Sleep Token…God I love that band. Recently fell in love with their music about a year ago and I’ve obsessed over it since. What’s your favorite song by them? Thanks again and I appreciate all the kind words my friend. -Brandon
Mike, good to see you again brother. How are the fusions holding up? I just had a couple Ford salesmen hit me up and they told me they get asked by customers all the time where the fusions are at. I’m not surprised by this at all. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Gave one to my daughter...she loves it. Puts a lot of miles on it and runs good. Have to take them in for another recall. This time there is an issue with the brake fluid leaking. Also just got a recall on my 14 F150. Speed sensor can cause unintended down shift. That is life with Fords. It is a shame what the management direction is doing to the company. Farley doesn't have a clue how the automotive industry works or what the people really want. They just want everyone to buy expensive vehicles that are too large for 98% of the customers. We are (were) a true Ford family. 5 Fords in my driveway. They don't have much of what I need anymore.
America sedan suck? You must have forgotten about the following Cadillac CTS - Cadillac STS - Chrysler 300 - Dodge Charger - Ford Crown Victoria - Lincoln LS - Lincoln Town Car - Mercury Grand Marquis - Pontiac G8 I only mentioned sedans made in the last 20 years.
I am talking about newer models and even some of those models you listed...well lol they suck, i.e. the Charger (excluding the 5.7 and higher models). The Crown Vic is the same car as many of those you stated lol...What about Chevy Cruze, Spark, Chrysler 200, Intrepid, Neon, PT Cruiser (yes I know technically a truck but lets be real)...we can always cherry pick a few but if American sedans actually were worth something, they wouldn't have stopped selling them lol. -Brandon
I had a sedan I bought new (Ford Focus) and sold last year. Besides just kinda being a turd my family out grew it. It just didn't have enough interior room for 4 people on a road trip. Plus camping gear? not gunna happen. Haul animals to the fair? not gunna happen. A major issue is safety. We came too close for comfort a couple of times of almost getting into a wreck with a "bro-dozer" (lifted diesel 4x4) which went left of center. The front bumper was at my head level! The little sedan is going to literally be ran over by one of those dangerous monster trucks in a wreck and squish us all into pulp. So away it went and a tall SUV took its place. At least we have a chance of surviving one of those morons now. The oncoming headlights. The sedan was too low; all the led headlights would blind me driving at night. I would sometimes have spots in my eyes like I stared at the sun from oncoming traffic! Another problem that [mostly] went away changing to a tall SUV (which has correctly aligned halogen lamps not blinding anyone).
Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for an SUV, it’s one of the reasons I still own 3 out 6 cars. And I feel your frustration with bro dozers, those things are wild in my area at times. What SUV did you end up getting? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I work from home which means we are putting under 10k/yr on all our vehicles combined. Means fuel economy was not a concern. So I used the money from selling the car and bought a 20 year old Grand Cherokee Overland WJ with under 100,000miles. Probably dumb but time will tell. It's been nearly a year and hasn't died yet lmao. I'm actually ahead financially as it cost less to buy and fix up the Jeep than the sale cost of the Focus. It will take years for the fuel economy hit to catch up. Bonus: Insurance is dirt cheap. As in cheap enough the the difference between our current insurance cost and the cost of insurance for a newer vehicle is nearly a third of my family's total annual fuel costs. Basically I just smile as I drive around without a care in the world doing anything I want anywhere I want to go. Currently we have three vehicles: 1989 Town Car (mine). 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. 1993 Jimmy 4x4 (wife's). The jeep is the beater. The other two are rust free and not driven while there is salt on the roads.
Hmmm depends what you want out of it. If it’s a toy, you can never go wrong with German. Just understand what you are getting into that’s all. If it’s another reliable A-B car, can’t go wrong sticking with Toyota or Honda. I will say, I love the Jetta and it’s a manual transmission. Also love my BMW M340i…that’s the best car I’ve ever owned. Haven’t had any major issues so I’m hoping it stays like that! 😁😁 -Brandon
CAFE standards should not make exemptions for heavier and more polluting cars. Why should a 300 hp swdan, that is more fuel efficient than a 300 hp suv, be treated worse? Lighter and more fuel efficient should be rewarded. Politicians are one of the most stupid people in our universe, making things worse and then patting themselves on the back.
Mike, this comment made me smile so much because I’m glad to hear others think like me. I truly hope CAFE gets brought to its knees soon. I want a free market and for people to be able to choose what they want to drive. I also want engineers to be free to do their job and not be forced into shabby work because of the big daddy in the north. Just my 2 cents. Thanks brother! -Brandon
I bought a sedan. 2017 Toyota Avalon. Has 290k miles on it now. Original engine and transmission. Mostly highway mileage. I want a challenger so bad. Just a v6 gt model would be okay with me.
Hey brother good to see you again! Welcome aboard the wild train of A-Bomb Energy 😂! I think those GT models aren’t bad at all. You can get them used for a decent price too. How are the travels going? I enjoy your IG. -Brandon
Thanks brother, it’s going to be a good time. You hear the truth on here for the most part but it’s really cleaned up lol. I want to let it fly sometimes if you know what I mean haha 🤣-Brandon
My wife switched to SUVS many years ago since they're easier for her to get in and out of (bad knee). She also found the seats more comfortable. She will never switch back to a sedan.. My 35 year old daughter also switched to an SUV since it's easier to get the kids in and out of the backseat. She will never switch back to a sedan. Minivans replaced station wagons because they had advantages...same with SUVs vs sedans. I understand a certain % of the pop prefers a sedan...but will never be as in the 1960s 1970s. Also...Detroit gave up on small cars years ago, they lost the ability (and desire) to compete in that sector. There is still too much capacity world wide...best to do what you do best...(trucks, SUVs, sports cars (Mustang/Corvette) Cadillac.
Mike, apologize for the late response here. I totally get why people switch to SUVs, makes sense and I sometimes enjoy driving my SUV over my sedans. Why do you think station wagons are so popular in places like Europe but not the US? Personally I love wagons and would rather have that than my sedan. Look forward to hearing from you brother. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Strictly a guess on my part. Minivans never dominated in Europe the way thy did in the USA. Perhaps because they were too large for Europes roads or too expensive (vs small wagon). Once the minivan took over the USA the wagon became a dinosaur.
You make a valid point there brother, I certainly hope we can get some wagons in the US. You are totally correct though on minivans…those are practically done at this point. Thanks for the response my friend. -Brandon
Definitely a massive push towards EV’s right now. I think it’s starting to fade away though because dealerships are refusing electric vehicles from manufactures. While I’m not pro dealership, I am very pro dealership in this decision. Do you think the EV stuff is starting to fade away? -Brandon
For the US we unfortunately don’t really have those and they are more classified as sedans. I really wish we had them here because I would be buying those over normal sedans and even SUVs. Is that what you own Adam? -Brandon
The CAFE standards benefit us all by reducing oil imports from countries hostile to our values. It also is beneficial to our health and our planet by reducing climate-warming gases and toxic, cancerous, and smog-forming pollutants. Financially, the more miles per gallon, the more miles per dollar. The American car companies' lobbies are too powerful to allow the CAFE standards to ever be applied to trucks. Still, they employ more efficient ICE and Hybrid engine technology than was seen in the past. I am a volunteer driver for Mecum Auctions and I know just how dirty and polluting classic cars are and how I would never want to go back to that pernicious way of life.
But CAFE standards have forced worse MPG cars onto the market and phased out sedans in favor of larger vehicles....or am I not understanding your comment correctly? I think initially it did some good but now? No way.... -Brandon
The problem with modern sedans is that they’re not built for our roads. And they’re certainly not built for off-pavement. Our roads (and infrastructure) have been crumbling so bad in recent years that you hit even a small bump on a sedan, you’re done for. At least with even a crossover/suv, you have more ground clearance and they can absorb bumps much better. Also, want to know the real reason Ford, GM (and Chrysler) stopped building sedans? Simple, they were unreliable rolling piles of junk. Questionable build quality at best. Even the Ford Fusion was suspect.
Totally agree that our roads are getting worse. It really depends on where you live but even the nicest roads are starting to fall apart in my area and many of them are toll roads...soooo whats the point of the toll lol? -Brandon
I mean, its getting pretty bad, but not impossible. I drive a lowered Japanese sports car and I manage. Granted, this is Socal and it never rains or snows here.
James, that’s a sweet ride and my grand parents used to have one. It was comfortable and it was like riding in a recliner lol. Pretty wild for such an older vehicle. Keep us updated if you find one you like, I would love to see pictures. -Brandon
I feel you on that brother. It’s tough to find a decent one and when you do, you have to sacrifice a lot. With my German sedans I understand what I’m giving and getting. Personally, I love Asian brands but I will never drive one. Just not my style. But I respect the heck out of them and their owners. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Japanese made cars are not the most luxurious, but they are far more reliable. When I recommend cars to vehicles I tell them to stay away from European made cars because they are great new, but money pits after the payments are done. When it comes to American sedans I tell people to tread very carefully. I used to easily recommend anything with a 3800 V6, but the 4T65E transmission is a glass cannon. Some of the Ford cars are awesome, but some not so much, and the only Dodge sedan I used to recommend was the Neon, and I tell people to steer clear of everything else.
Not that it matters since I plan on buying a 60's Mustang as my first car later this year, but only way I'm buying a EV is if all combustion engines are destroyed first. Not only do I not like how much more the batteries polute than simply keeping the gas engine in good shape would, but I can personally repair that combustion engine since my mechanic father taught me how.
Brother that 60s mustang will be an amazing first car. You’ll have to keep us updated on that beautiful ride. And I’m right there with you on EVs. Personally I see a value with them but I want the charade of them being green to stop. They aren’t green lol, it’s why they’ve earned the nick name of coal powered cars. I want multiple propulsion systems on the market to drive competition but it should never be mandated…-Brandon
I was thinking about for a week now I wanted a electric sedan or truck but there aren't really good trucks I'm currently thinking about a used Tesla model S for the range and camp mode. I want to go to some places of the US like Key West.
You know that’s something that’s interesting with electric vehicles, getting a used one is not that big of a deal, the biggest thing you have to worry about is the battery. The motors to my understanding generally can last about 1,000,000 miles. Am I misinformed on this? Just out of curiosity, why not pick the mustang Mach e because how cheap it is? I personally would go with the Tesla. I am just curious why you would too. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy the reason I would go for the Tesla because they have been in the game the longest and I think they more reliable in my opinion. Edit I'm thinking of a2022 model.
Heyyyy thanks man. That guy has been super nice and supportive. I love seeing new drivers come into the market. Smart kid too for his age, reminds me of myself when I was young and being obsessed with cars. -Brandon
I'd say your argument is missing a key point and to some extent, CAFE standards is a misnomer. Why? Because there have been domestic/import transplants before. If the American powertrain is bad and to reduce costs, simply buy and license imports to utilize their powertrains. '89 Ford Escort had Mazda 323 powertrain. The 2.4 DOHC and 4 speed auto in the Mitsubishi Eclipse was also in the Dodge Stratus/Chrysler Sebring/Plymouth Cirrus. Nowadays, systems like EGR and Ecoboost are not needed due to engine efficiency. (The USAF has an F-250 with EGR delete to maintain vehicle operation and national security.) In fact, the creation of these systems help shorten engine life and ruin fuel efficiency. Also, although I'd agree to some extent about the profit margins of SUV's over sedans, where I disagree is the amount of profit margins overall. Planned obsolescence spawned a whole industry of replacing cars every 10 years or so. Producing, advertising, selling, finance, lease, rentals, mechanics, body shops, parts remanufacturers, salvage, junkyards, scrapping, recycling, steel production, rinse repeat. Say if the end of the world was to happen. You need transportation but are limited to what's available and your own mechanical abilities. The fuel and tools will be limitedless. Newer cars fall apart easier and become less likely to last long. Older cars (prior to Cash For Clunkers), was plentiful and cheap. You might not like rocking a Taurus or Malibu or Roadmaster or Grand Am or Alero/Intrigue, but needs must. The amount of bad parts being trashed or entire sections of a car being scrapped would pale in comparison to the millions of cars needlessly scrapped each year due to parts obsolence and needless engineeting tinkering. Economically, it might've made sense to dispose of the cars rather than recycle until the wheels fall off. But it certainly beats walking coast to coast, doesn't it? But there has been tractor trailers 60 years old, still hauling because of all the rebuilds. To make matters worse is how much has that old truck done, continues to do, and continues to save the owner money because once the rebuild is complete, he no longer shells out cash for a new truck or new truck repairs? What does that represent? FREEDOM. That also poses a threat to both taxation and employment. And we can't possibly have that, well can we?
As a further point, I'd like to indicate a video by FortNine restoring a 1980 Yamaha YZ-50 with 10 products. Simple cleaning job. The bike looked like new. Sure, the bike might not have been everybody's cup of tea. But if you owned it since new and meticulously cared for it, you'd never have to buy new ever again. Maybe slip in a bigger engine from its larger displacement YZ counterparts, and you're golden.
You bring up a really good point. in the past American companies have done joint ventures with Asian manufacturers and surprisingly those vehicles always did really well. Pontiac vibe for example. I did not know that about the Air Force getting the EGR delete, makes a lot of sense and I bet others have figured it out too. I thought about doing a video on cash for clunkers, people were taking advantage of that program, which the program should've never existed in the first place but amazing engines like the 4.0 from Jeep was being purposely destroyed by dealerships. I think the problem exists as a culture where people just throw things away. I know a guy who got a free car and treats it like garbage. I asked him why, and he said because I didn't pay for it. I'm like dude you should take care of that car like crazy. It's free. I think we are living in a very interesting time right now and I certainly hope we have some sort of culture shift to get us back to taking care of things again and taking pride in our work. People think I'm talented because of the videos that I make. But to me, that's an insult. I work hard and take pride in the content I put out it has nothing to do with talent. -Brandon
That is a very good point. I take the same approach with my products and the vehicles that I own. People think I'm crazy because I still own my 2009 Dodge charger with the 2.7 V6. Sure it's a bad engine but it's still runs and I take care of it. The only time that has seen abuse is when I'm not driving it or I have been deployed and it wasn't taken care of by friends or family. Always a pleasure to talk to you, my friend. Sorry for the late response been catching up with comments. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy It's quite alright. I think the most important point to make is seeing the footage of TV shows, movies, and whatnot of yesteryear. How many of these 80's and 90's cars would still be on the road if the cars were repurposed rather than scrapped? Even for cheap. The Partridge Family rode to gigs in an old repurposed school bus. The Brady Family in a Plymouth Satellite station wagon. Sanford & Son used a Ford F-1 pickup to haul and recycle junk. Look at how laid back everyone was. How they carried themselves. They had nice things, but it wasn't as much consumerism back then. Well, back more so with "My Three Sons". The father was aeronautical engineer, making plenty of money at the time. Sure, there was consumerism but not to the extent of today. They bought things at yard sales for cheap. They wore hand-me-downs. They counted pennies and coupons for groceries. Meals were hand-cooked and cheap, but nutritous. Their cars were beaters, their homes mix-matched and full of outdated decor. They scrimped and saved to have financial independence. They taught their son oil changes, carburetor rebuilds and whatnot because one day he'll drive for the family. They taught their daughter how to maintain a household because one day she'll have to maintain a family. Fast forward to today. The young, sleek modern woman takes selfies of her designer clothes on her expensive phone. The modern man is lost between boyhood and adulthood because he wasn't given guidance.
Oh yeah brother there is a certain set of comments that I’ve been getting on that video that I’ve been driving me up the wall. And it’s the pure arrogance and confidence they have which makes it even worse. So I wrote the script and edited the video in less than a week which is never happened ever. Normally every video takes me at least 2 to 3 weeks. I look forward to seeing you in the comments over there, brother. -Brandon
I think those are honestly the best sedans and really vehicles you can buy. I’ll personally never own one because I don’t like Asian cars but I respect the companies and the people who buy them. I am humble enough to realize they are better made and will last longer than my German cars. -Brandon
That’s exactly what they are. Dude I just saw a Trax for the first time in the wild yesterday…normally I look at every car as a work of functional art and I’ve never called a car UGLY before…but that car is FUGLY. It’s like it doesn’t know what it wants to be? Idk man, you probably can articulate it better than me. -Brandon
imagine if there were an American station wagon equivalent to the Audi S4. Or if the Lincoln Town car and Cadillacs were on par with S class Mercedes and 7 series BMW. Why is there no American equivalent to the Honda Accord, Kia Stinger and Toyota Corolla? I drive a Nissan 370Z. Why is there no mid range American sports car? Have you seen a Mustang, Challenger or Camaro lately? These things might as well be trucks they're so freeking big. At least Ford tried to make two cool hot hatches, but no one bought them...
Solid points here my man, it’s a question I think I may have answered but I can’t say for sure if I’m right. I have a strange feeling the big automakers want cafe to be stringent on cars because it prices their competitors out of the market…just a thought though. How’s that 370z holding up? I’ve always wanted one of those, super cool cars and the style is nice. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy thanks. I've had my 370z for 8 years. The only problem I've had with it is the infamous csc of explosion, since I have a manual transmission. The plastic slave cylinders tend to crack and give up the ghost. Was about an $800 fix at the time, but it's been rock solid ever since. The nicest thing about it is, it gets more compliments from women than dudes. 😄👍
I mean the biggies are profit margin per vehicle and CAFE standards. Auto makers and dealers think they can survive off 10 percent of the population buying new cars. I guess we will see.
Yeah man you are right. I am reading some studies right now and it’s not looking good for auto makers. I’ll be posting a video on this topic soon…also will include dealers too. Thanks Gabe, appreciate your comments and continued support. -Brandon
I’d have to do 10 more years active duty because I have about 5ish in the reserves. It’s not worth the money when I make over the pension amount already with my side hustles. It’s just not worth it. The military is not the military of even 5 years ago. There are more reasons but some I can’t go into online because of obvious reasons. Trust me, I’ve thought about it. I thought I was going to be a lifer for the longest time. Assuming you are retired? -Brandon
Hello Brandon! Idk if it's just me but I find the constant zooming in and cut to zoomed-out pan is kind of distracting. That's the only thing that I don't like about this video but other than that it's another great video as always. I don't mean hate nor am I in no ways a film expert but I just wanted to express my opinion. Also, if the CAFE standards were targetting trucks and SUVs instead of passenger cars it would accomplish what it was actually meant to do and make the automotive world a greener place since the roads would've been full of smaller, more efficient cars instead of these mammoth-sized trucks and the obese hatchbacks that are SUVs.
Hey brother thank you for the feedback. Sometimes me applying the concepts of YT editorial cinematography isn’t always the best and I personally agree with you. I think I might change this style in the future. So I appreciate you telling me this because more probably feel this way. I like your take on the CAFE standards. I almost wonder if they knew this was going to happen? Personally, after working for the government for almost 15 years, I 100% believe it was incompetence and lack of foresight. Then when it was realized, the leaned into further when the realization of profits surfaced. Thanks for commenting brother, I really do enjoy hearing from you guys and do my best to respond to everyone I can. -Brandon
I know I’ve thought about it…I just really don’t like the direction things are going and with my two businesses, I make more on the outside than being in. I took the 3 month new born baby leave stuff…dude I was able to get so much done and I can’t imagine where I’d be if I was to focus more on the businesses. Looks like you are in still? -Brandon
Nice man, that’s good to hear. I always used to tell my soldiers never get out unless you have a solid plan. And I would always help them with their plans and check on them when they got out. Keep on keeping on brother. -Brandon
The only American sedan people want is the Tesla Model 3. Its even desirable overseas. Cant say the same for the other American brands. 4:50 Looking at the sales, no the Jetta doesn't sell well. It sales have basically collapsed since its high of 183k sold in 2012 and now it cant break 50k. 34k in 2022 47k in 2023 So far 33k in 2024. Thats pretty bad in the American market. Many many cars have been canceled while selling more. I doubt we will have a new gen. But we will see. It can depend on the area. If you asked me I would tell you the Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage sold very well. But thays just my area. Looking at national sales you can see its pretty mediocre.
I think it depends on the area. The VW dealer in SC can’t keep sedans in stock because they are seeing a resurgence there. 33k in 2024 isn’t bad, we are only little over halfway. Might see it break 50k. You have to also look at every sedan sale, they have all gone down. I think people will switch back at some point. At least I hope they do 🤣
The only modern american sedan that was any good was the Ford Crown Vic. Japanese sedans are highly reliable, and German sedans drive exceptionally well.
Chad, oh yeah brother. That crown Vic was an understoryable engine. I know so many guys who had insane miles…some didn’t deserve those miles with how poorly they treated the car. And yeah, I LOVE German cars. Nothing drives like my BMW…literally the best car I’ve ever owned. I’ve never been in a car that makes me smile every time. -Brandon
Great channel and content but I don’t understand the channel’s name. Maybe you should make the name related to your auto topic. It could help you get more subscribers.
I've considered that but its the name of my business and it also might catch peoples eye because everyone is always like "what is this channel." Idk, I could be wrong. Thanks for sharing the idea my friend, always appreciate hearing from you guys. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I’ve been the CEO of a couple of consumer brands. One rule is that you don’t confuse your brand. Auto and energy drinks aren’t the same unless one is sponsoring the other.
The idea is to use guerilla marketing techniques. I may change it to my name because a strong personal brand is more powerful than a company name but nobody has done it this way…idk we could be wrong but it’s a risk. Thank you for taking time to offer your advice my friend. -Brandon
Nissan sedans aren't selling either ... they killed the Maxima, the Altima on the way out ... Sentra is next? its not selling good either. Most are sent to rental companies and come back on the market as a used car.
Yeah Nissan has really destroyed their quality in the last few years unfortunately. I think that might attribute to it. I could be completely wrong though. I know for a fact though that their CVTs have some of the worst on the market. Their engines though aren’t terrible. I’ve seen newish Sentras with a manual transmission clear 200k miles relatively trouble free. But that could be anecdotal. What do you think brother? -Brandon
Sadly I dont think they are going to completly flip cafe standards arround to where trucks get regulated more for one big reason; trucks are a huge part of the economy, and as an employee in a fleet management company I should know. about 75% of our 750k vehicles we manage are 1500-4500 trucks and we cover even up to large peterbuilt semi's. Lots of businesses order pickups without the bed from the factory so they can put an equipment chassis on the back (box, tool chest, crane, etc). Not only that but apparently the big 3 just cant seem to crank them out fast enough. I spoke to an owner of a ski resort in CO who had 7 Ram 1500 trucks on order straight from the dealer 3 months before I called him, 7 months later I had another case with him and asked about the trucks and none of them had been delivered yet. THAT BEING SAID! I do think cafe standards should be adjusted based on civilian/commercial use, and definetly feel like crossovers and SUV's should be more regulated then smaller vehicles. Either that or CAFE standards should be dropped altogether but I doubt that will happen unfortunetly. also I would be DOWN for a podcast, hell yeah!
I certainly hope they don’t flip the standards…oh man that would be the catalyst to push everyone to EVs…my fear is because the lightening is out and even the cyber truck that the big daddy in DC, who knows nothing of how anything in the world works, would be like “you got EV trucks, use those.” I certainly hope I’m wrong. I personally would like to see CAFE brought to its knees and let the market dictate where things go. Working on the podcast now 😁 glad you are interested. I’m excited to get it to you guys. -Brandon
The car companies have got lazy, changes are made for themselves, to make things easier or to please governments, they want to sell overweight, overpriced, high profit vehicles, that are not what the average person wants.
Man brother you nailed it. I get people want SUVs but I’m curious if that was a marketed want or a genuine want from the customer. Gives a lot to think about tbh. Not saying Europe is the shining beacon of customer demand but they seem to be rocking and rolling with sedans. What do you prefer to drive? Any particular model? -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy Hi Brandon, Thanks! I've always liked sedans, or saloons as we call them here in the UK. My best were a v6 ford mondeo and the passat TDI Rline exec model I've owned for 10 years since new. I've also had a few hatch backs including the vr6 golf. Right now I also have a 2009 Vauxhall Asta twin top, just got it, like new with only 32,000 miles, its an absolute gem and getting rare now, same car was sold in US as a saturn. My ideal car would be something like an e class cabrio with at least 3.0 engine. I like a good balance between luxury, quality, cost effective and must be a good drive which the passat has done well. I also love a cabrio 👍
Yes, I love sedans as well and the models you like/own are awesome. I wish Saturn didn’t go away in the US because they really were the best of GM. And 32k miles is SUPER low! Wow what a good deal there brother. I’m really hoping it lasts a long time for you. And owning that E Class would be sick. I’ve recently fallen in love with German cars and really anything European because I’ve traveled/lived there so much. Currently in Belgium lol. So I get where you are coming from with the E Class. Much love brother 🤙 -Brandon
Right? I don’t understand when people say “nobody wants sedans” because if that were truly the case, Toyota and Honda would stop selling them. It seems that makers of poorly manufactured products seem to be the only groups not making them. Do you think we will see a resurgence in the market? -Brandon
It’s worth mentioning that so many people also buy bigger cars now out of fear. They think if everyone is in trucks/SUVs then they’re inherently less safe by driving sedans. They don’t realize that it ends up being a half truth since bigger heavier vehicles are harder to maneuver, take longer to brake to a stop, have higher centers of gravity so can be more prone to flipping and other issues. They’re so caught up in the likelyhood of surviving a head on collision that other safety factors are thrown to the wayside. It’s also just kinda depressing seeing so much less diversity on the roads over the years.
Also would love if you did a podcast, always looking for stuff to listen to at work!
Excellent point there in fear. So many think because the trend is moving that way, they have to go with the trend and they have that heard mentality. I get some people need them but I think a lot of this desire is artificially inflated by manufacturers. I agree though, it’s getting sad seeing what’s on the road.
Podcast is coming soon! Building the infrastructure for it now 🫡 -Brandon
People who buy huge cars out of fear should not have a license period, if you get on your car thinking about "what if i crash" to the point you NEED to get the bigger, "safer" car rather than the no nonsense car that does the job, is genuinely safe enough for most situations and is comfortable to operate, then you belong on the passenger seat or in public transport.
@@chevycoupev1052 It's other people I worry about. Not me.
@@chevycoupev1052 no argument there
@@waterboy330 see that sounds nice but it’s really just a roundabout way of saying the exact same thing. We can all agree there are a lot of bad drivers on the roads no doubt (and if we’re really being honest that includes ourselves at least sometimes) so sure, you can get into a big vehicle and feel comfortable that if you end up in a bad crash (regardless of who’s at fault), your truck/SUV is less likely to get totally clobbered with you in it. But it’s also true that to gain that benefit you’re also increasing the likelihood that you’ll get into the crash to begin with. So are you really any safer? A lot of drivers (not you specifically) just need to think harder and be more honest with themselves truth be told
If CAFE applied to trucks and suvs? Domestic manufacturers would spend a bajillion dollars to lobby a repeal of the rule.
That’s what I’m thinking too…then the question remains…why haven’t they done that with sedans? They want the higher profit with SUVs? Targets foreign brands? So many questions I have about them. -Brandon
thats what they did, its why Bigger vehicles have less restrictions then Smaller vehicles
CAFE does apply, just at a different level which enables more options. In the end, the CAFE standards should be repealed and let the consumer drive the market vs. regulations.
@@ksorsomeplaceThis will do nothing to reduce global CO2 emissions. The most effective way to do it is to increase the price of fuel and increase the electric vehicle charging infrastructure structure.
@@Ben-jq5oo Even if there was a benefit to reducing CO2, you could replace every car in the world with an EV and you'd only reduce CO2 emissions by 3 or 4 percent (assuming half of the electricity to power them was from fossil fuels, as it is now). For every car (or bus) in the world, which is impossible, as there is only enough lithium production to satisfy a small percentage of that. At the rate that we are mining lithium, if ALL of that was used for EV batteries (hope you like your phone, cause there will be no more!), and if governments forced us to buy all the EVs that are made, we would still never hit more than 30% of the worldwide fleet of cars being EVs. Beyond that point, all new batteries made would just be replacing the dying batteries from other EVs.
Cars just don't contribute very much to the CO2 emissions. If you look at the measurements taken during the COVID debacle, the global elimination of a large percentage of cars from the roads barely even registered-- and that was with many businesses that produce CO2 also shutting down. If you want to reduce CO2, there are much better ways of doing it than trying to restrict cars when they only produce 7% of the CO2 globally.
The real story is that there is no benefit to reducing CO2 emissions. We would actually do better if we had some more of it, since CO2 is needed for plants to grow, and the more they have, the more food and oxygen they make for us.
If you go back and look at the historical record, the global temperature peaks do show strong correlation with the peaks in atmospheric CO2, but if you plot both graphs on the same y axis, you can see that temperature peaks preceded the CO2 concentration peaks by about 800 years. CO2 rises as a result of temperature, not the other way round. People that have a vested interest in selling a collapse of western economies are making use of a fallacy known as causation vs correlation, deliberately. By their logic, you could say that since most (type 1) diabetes patients inject insulin, that means that insulin causes diabetes!
If you read the actual papers they cite, you will find that the conclusions do not follow the premises, and that the actual case for CO2 being the villain is hilariously weak and is by no means a "consensus" view (consensus being a political concept, not a scientific one).
When you consider the number of times "scientists" have been caught falsifying the numbers and making computer models that are based on their own assumptions about CO2, and then they use that as proof for those same assumptions (circular logic), you begin to smell a rat-- and once you do, you see how tragically fraudulent the whole thing is. It's right there in front of everyone, but few bother to actually do the research and read the stuff themselves.
I thought the fate of American Motors Corporation was unique, now I see the whole Chrysler corporation is following in its path
Dang that’s a good point there, they are tracking really similar. This is exactly why you guys are awesome, so many different perspectives and historical knowledge. Thanks for sharing your thoughts bro. -Brandon
I survived a T-Bone accident when a drunk driver in a lifted F-250 blew through a stop sign and totally destroyed my Honda Civic to the point that the driver directly behind me believed I died instantly. By the grace of God, I walked out of the car and survived with sciatica that healed with physical therapy.
Now that I have a family, I want my family in SUV's because of this experience. I don't drive expecting and fearing a wreck but I do think about it. Just like I am sure that you don't enter combat expecting or fearing death but understand there is a chance.
I like cars, I think they are cool and honestly suit most of everyone's needs well. I hate other drivers. Too often I see in daily driving life people texting, driving distracted, drunk driving, road rage, or more recently, willfully ignoring red lights and proceeding through like it is a stop sign. Other people make driving a risk to my family and it is a risk I don't have to take.
Plus, Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos are cool so they fill the cool factor of a car well.
To touch on one more aspect not dealing with cars vs. SUVs, the road rage issue is insane. I don't understand why people feel the need to risk throwing their entire life away over a brief instant with another PERSON in a car that they will never see again. Midway through my legal (Green Arrow) left turn at a stop light intersection, a driver perceived I cut him off from his right turn, so he laid on his horn, high-beamed me, followed me into the complex other family members lived in, and blocked me into my parking spot. The whole time not realizing I was completely ok with ending his life with the handgun I was ready to use to protect my wife and baby I had in my car. He will never know how close he came to death just because he perceived I cut him off.
You should do a road rage video. It is such a strange phenomenon and I am sure there are some interesting stats to be found like the increase in incidents during the summer months.
Modern vehicles because of their crash structures have high belt lines (windows), and thick pillars which gives them poor visibility. This also makes it so visually orienting the vehicle on the road more vague and difficult, like your guessing where you're placed.
People tend to feel like they have more situational awareness while driving if they sit up higher, of which is misleading. The frontal view is better, however, overall 360 awareness around your vehicle is compromised.
The insidious part about poor visibility and situational awareness is that the drivers ability to prevent an accident is greatly inhibited. As a result vehicles compensate by adding all these sensors and technology that is completely redundant, expensive, and difficult to repair.
Rising vehicle weight has become an arms race, all the while no one is actually safer, and vehicles become far too expensive. There is nothing cleaver engineering can resolve that by which is determined by physics. Two 3000 lbs vehicles in a crash is going to be safer than two 6000 lbs vehicles.
Wow brother, this is an incredible story and I am REALLY happy you are okay. T-Bone accidents are the worst types of accidents to be in because of the shearing forces. I am so glad you only sustained minor injuries.
I can imagine that the feeling of fear sometimes creeps up from time to time and thats understandable. I hope mentally you are okay, I know traumatic events I have had sometimes come back from time to time and usually my little pit bull picks up on it and wags her tail and forces herself on me 🤣. I don't understand road rage people too, I get the irritating but wow, sometimes its the most dangerous and life threatening events for everyone else out on the road...like you said, you were ready to defend your family and I commend that whole heartedly.
Thanks for the video suggestion and I will look into that fact. There is a lot of substance there and I would be willing to bet it would be a good video.
Thanks again my friend. -Brandon
I hope you got a 7 figure settlement from that drunk with deep pockets to by a lifted F-250 but didn't want to spend on a cab ride home.
@@delanorrosey4730 I was too young too honest and principled to know. Barely 18 when it happened. I just asked the insurance to pay for my medical expenses and whatever the car was worth because I thought that was all that was needed to be fair. Now I know basically all insurance is a fucking scam and wish I milked the shit out of that incident.
It's almost as if this channel was designed for me. If you talked to anyone I know they'd tell you I hate domestic manufacturers for all the reasons you've listed in your videos, but in reality I try to root for them to make better products because it would be better for all of us.
Matt, I’m really pleased to hear this. I just couldn’t find anyone doing content like this and really swinging away if you know what I mean. We are in complete agreement too. I also want them to win more than any other company. But there NEEDS to be a quality product. The new ford video might be right up your alley…can’t wait to hear your thoughts on that Matt. Much love and respect my friend. -Brandon
The government should drop CAFE standards and auto companies make the cars people want.
Hands down agree with this. You can’t legalize engineering. It defies the laws of progress. Do you think the standards are ever going to go away? -Brandon
You can make a 40mpg car, but give it to a driver that slams his foot down to the floor ar every stop sign, and it REALLY doesn't matter what the car's efficiency is, if the driver negates it.
The death of the mini truck was caused by CAFE. The irony is that they are forcing some to buy larger trucks instead, which are more dangerous and pollute more.
I feel like the regulations have honestly helped do some pretty impressive things with ICE technology.
Its pushed automakers further to make impressive engines that can have good power. Without many regulations no reason to push boundaries would have happened.
However you can tell its starting to have flaws. Now engines are having to be turbo charged because they cant meet emission regulations otherwise. I think as of now ICE technology has been pushed to its limits. I would like more reliable naturally aspirated engines to return.
Indeed CAFE is hardly helping anyone. If its original goal was to help businesses save money but apply harsh standards to small cars then you might as well not have it at all, or have it be relaxed. Otherwise you have automakers pushing consumers into the largest things they can possibly make
There is one American sedan that I would buy. Dodge Charger widebody scatpack. Because it is so American, big body, rwd, great looking, relatively inexpensive, and a ridiculous V8 soundtrack. Which is something that the Japaneseand European just doesn't do. I've driven the V6 non SRT before and they have a surprisingly good handling too, doesn't feel as heavy and cumbersome as I though. And they aren't selling too bad either. I think it's definitely more appealing then a Ford Fusion or Chevy Malibu which were trying to compete with Camry and Accord.
Yeah that’s a beautiful ride! I love the chargers and challengers with 5.7 or higher. They aren’t terrible actually. I have a V6 charger and I personally don’t think it should be called a charger because how under powered it really is but the new V6 they put in is not bad. Same motor as my jeep! Thanks for commenting my brother! -Brandon
Awesome brother, my mom has a 2023 Dodge Charger RT Scat Pack Widebody with the 392 Hemi V8 in it with 485 HP and 475 Ibs of Torque and man let me tell you its a freakn beast and it sounds bad to the bone as well.
Brandon, I found your channel about a week ago and your production quality is some of the best that I have seen. The content is well organized and you get your point across clearly. I really appreciate these sort of debrief videos that you have between the main ones. It’s a nice way to get to know you and hear about your thoughts on the comments and reception of the videos. I would also like to thank you for your service. I just commissioned into the Army a few months ago and it’s great to see someone on TH-cam with the same interests and passion. Currently, I drive a 2004 Honda Pilot that was bought brand new by my parents. I remember the day they pulled into the driveway with it like it was yesterday. It has been so incredibly reliable and now I’ll be continuing to drive it in grad school with only 112K on the odometer. Again, you’ve done an amazing job with your channel and I’m looking forward to seeing more videos from you!
Bryan, thanks for all the kind words. I want people to know I’m not just a voice behind a video and I am indeed a human lol. Just commissioned? That’s pretty awesome so congratulations on that! Did you get the branch you wanted? And grad school already!? You sir are a busy man and that’s very commendable.
A Honda Pilot will probably outlive us all if we are being honest. And such low miles too. That’s incredible.
It’s a pleasure to serve in multiple ways Bryan, look forward to hearing from you in the future. I’m at Bragg too if you ever find yourself falling out of planes or come to my neck of the woods.
-Brandon
I think CAFE standards should be less restrictive… I think we should have standards that dictate that vehicles don’t have exhaust and fumes everywhere and that everything is safe; however, we really have restrictions that make it nearly impossible to produce a car under those restrictions and it’s made everything worse now… in price, maintenance, insurance and aesthetics. The best example is the Cadillac of the 90’s. Those were beautiful but almost all of them had a problem with the oxygen sensor and nobody could get their emissions inspection passed. The automobile experience in America has become so depressing and all hope seems lost.
Travis, totally get your point there brother. There needs to be something in place otherwise the Homer Simpson’s will be dumping Mr Burns toxic wastes in rivers lol. But the current status has legitimately made standards that are impossible to meet. I don’t know if a single non-hybrid has come even close to the standards they have set in place. And yeah, 90’s caddy’s were something remarkable for sure. Northstar was an issue for sure. I did a video on GM, so I feel where you are coming from. Thanks for commenting Travis. I look forward to future conversations with you. I hope you have a great Sunday. -Brandon
Hey dude I love your videos! Just discovered you in the last month or two and it’s been endlessly entertaining, even rewatched these videos a couple times lol. Good stuff dude keep it up!
Hey my man! Thanks for such kind words, I really appreciate you watching my content and even rewatching! How cool is that. I’m honored to have you as a subscriber and if there is anything I can do to make the channel better for you, feel free to reach out. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy the only thing you can do to make this channel better is making more videos, which I’m sure there’s plenty to come :)
The Crown Vics and 90s Chevy Impalas were rock solid sedans. The Charger too while not as high quality was not half bad either, as long as it had a V8 and no MDS.
Oh yeah, solid vehicles for sure. I covered them in the full film because that crown Vic motor… boy was it awesome. The chargers are good if they have the 5.7 and above. I’ve owned 2 V6 ones (still own one of them) and they are not good cars. I wouldn’t suggest anyone buy one…just my 2 cents though. -Brandon
They were styled poorly. They were styled for older customers which didn't win as many younger buyers. They didn't have to styled so conservatively. That would have made them more modern and more appealing to a wider market while doing very little to diminish the older buyer market's demand.
@@ksorsomeplace function over form imo. Another good sedan were those Buicks with the 3.8 V6, ugly cars imo but tough as a Corolla, just not as fuel efficient.
@@A-BombEnergy Crown Vics had smallblock V8s and then the 4.6 V8 mod motor, and they (like their later derivative, the awesome Coyote 5.0) are fantastic engines. I sometimes forget Ford made other engines, since why??? What's the point of that? Heh.
I really appreciate how much effort you’ve been putting into these videos, it’s no simple task. Definitely interested to see the new Ford video. My family have always been ford people, but I’ve definitely been disappointed in the latest models they’ve put out. Good luck Brandon, and thanks for your service.
Ps I caught that sleep token video in the back. They’re the best. Good taste my friend.
Jake, thank you for the kind words. I really want to provide the best quality videos and information possible. I too used to LOVE ford but everything they have been doing and have done…it’s really bothered me and if they were totally a private company, it would be whatever. But since I’m giving them my money via taxes lol…thennnnn now that changes things.
Glad you caught the Sleep Token Easter egg. Literally my favorite band ever, I can’t get enough of them. I might try to go see them live in Germany this year but we shall see. What’s your favorite song by them?
-Brandon 🫡
@@A-BombEnergy Ah man, that’s a tough one on the favorite song. I’d probably have to say Take Me Back to Eden, because I can relate to it, but there’s so many good ones. How about you?
Talk about wild, I literally was listening to Take me back to Eden while reading your comment! I would have to say Euclid, the ending is incredible. How they combine The Night Does Not Belong to God is pure artistry. I relate to Euclid too much… glad to have a fellow sleep token fan on the channel. -Brandon
Really enjoying these videos keep up the great work , I’m making my way through all your uploads .
Hey brother good to see you again! Glad you are enjoying the content, if you ever have any questions or suggestions, the door is always open. Next video will be up in 2ish weeks…it’s gonna be a wild one. -Brandon
Mmmmm enchilada
Anyway, I think sadans would make a huge come back if cafe standard where switched
I also think we would get back our truly small trucks. Not almost full size that looks kinda small compared to there full size counterparts
I just wish now after that that we get more simple cars
I like enchiladas. But yes, I too wish we could have simple cars too. VW does a decent job with the Jetta sport tbh, it’s pretty dang simple and I’m happy with it. I’m fine with have luxury models but base models need to go back to being base models. More importantly, they need to be priced at base model price too. Thanks for commenting Mike, I hope you have a great Friday and then weekend! -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I won't mind a luxury model, though even with that, dumb little things have changed.
Most my knowledge is based of the Genesis brand as I'm being trained to work on them and I act as a porter for the Hyundai Genesis dealer
But the shift is now a electric knob or other thingy that I don't like, but the mechanical ones in older models I enjoy the feeling of and such
I believe that the Chrysler 300 and Cadillac CTS/CT5 with maybe the expectation of 2.7 from Chrysler are reliable sedans, I think US manufactures struggle with compact sedans
Jason, yeah any of those sedans with a V8 were solid vehicles. FCA throughout the lifetime of those vehicles put in several different V6s and they were all terrible with exception of the pentastar and even then that is questionable. Biggest thing with that engine is keeping up with oil changes and doing them early. -Brandon
Service man! Outstanding! Thank you for the personal sacrifices you've made in service to our country. I grew up TCK, AKA Army Brat, LOL! My dad served in Nam attached to L.R.R.P. He retired CSM 101st Airborne Rangers. I was too rebellious in my younger years and wasted my best years when I should have went in. But in my later more mellow years I do currently at least serve my community. Still, nothing compared to what you gentlemen went through.
Hey brother, thanks for the kind words, and good to see you again. your dad sounds like an awesome dude. Those are the guys we all look up to. Wouldn't kick yourself for not joining, unfortunately things are a lot different now and I personally don't suggest people to join at this point. there are very few cases where it's acceptable and encourage it. I have personally done nothing compared to what people like your dad have done. -Brandon
Thank you for your service🫡💪
Joe, of course my brother! -Brandon
Cafe standards either attack all vehicle types or none at all. They all should’ve went hybrid back in 2015 and it wouldn’t be such a harsh reality when it comes to EV battery tech.
That’s a really good point there man. Personally I think it needs to be severely dismantled at this point because it’s having an opposite effect. I think if it was, manufacturers would be more inclined to build more hybrids and more fuel efficient cars that are quality because they don’t have a fat fine waiting for them at the finish line. At this point, I’m convinced it only exists to benefit manufacturers and harm consumers. Maybe I’m coo coo lol. -Brandon
I think if CAFE standards were actually targeted at vehicles like SUVs and trucks we could see a change in design language like what happened from vehicles in the 80’s to the 90’s. People *WANT* smaller trucks, and cars. Pedestrian traffic deaths are WAY up due to soccer mom suburbans. It’s due-time to start making people who want to purchase vehicles the size of WW2 Sherman tanks (no joke) pay.
Broooo you are so right man. I can’t tell you how many people I know that want a small truck and many have purchased the maverick. I think that’s why the maverick practically sold out for months. That market is so ripe for picking. Hyundai is dipping their feet in on it now. Wild times we live in brother. Thanks for commenting bro. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy human reproduction is way down accross all demographics. supposedly were in a population "crash" wich is another dirty fear word. imagine someone with no kids cross shopping a 53k$ 3rd row seating minivancrossover to a sensible 4 cylinder car. if today's childless breeding age individuals have enough money i bet its going to be on a sedan.
6:54 i was expecting you to say "oh no you don't need an SUV now, you can just buy this Wagon that has the same amount of space as an SUV but costs less and is cheaper in fuel economy"
Haha I agree with that statement though! I should have said that! I love wagons so much, probably my favorite kind of car ever. If only I could get a BMW M340i wagon or AMG wagon…my life would be so much nicer. -Brandon
In my trunk, I drive a 2018 Chevy Cruze, I can fit two checked bags and two carry-ons at the very least. Only time I have trouble is the once every 7 or so years I buy a TV, but luckily I have a good job and can just use the company vehicle when I do that.
Nice, the sedan isn’t dead yet! How’s the Cruze holding up? Your job must be cool to let you use the company vehicle for stuff like that! Good to see you again too brother. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Good, only issue I had recently was AC ran low on Freon. Yeah I'm really lucky I have that benefit at work. Hope all is well man, best of luck when you leave the service!
In my 03 VW Jetta with the seats folded down I can carry almost anything. Its like having a 6ft bed when the seats are folded.
Funny enough my 08 Cobalt had done a 43 inch TV twice.
It's previous owner gave me an entertainment stand and we fit that in there as well.
I noticed today my work's parkinglot has a large collection of sedans, maybe 30/40%.
Upon further inspection, a lot of them are older, and some manufacturers don't exist anymore.
Whhhhich leads me to conclude : since a lot of people here complain about not having money (read : were bad with the money they had), they prop bought the cheapest cars they could. This meant older, less-desirable, therefor less expensive, sedans.
Between CAFE standards and manufacturers dropping sedans, it follows that the only ones left to buy would be older ones.
Idk that they were purchased BECAUSE of their inherent sedan qualities, or for other reasons.
You know ever since I started writing the script to Sedan video I made sure to pay attention to sedans on the road. Idk how it is in other areas but I saw about a 40/60 split which honestly blew my mind. I can’t unsee it now. Every parking lot there are always more sedans than what the market trends say. But I’m in NC so maybe it’s different where you are at? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I'm in Ohio, Cleveland, and I see more sedans than pickup trucks. Same as you, it's one of those "once you mention it you can't unsee it/trust your lying eyes" kinda thing.
My first vehicle, which I still drive 15 years later, is a Toyota Sequoia. I've gone to college and moved between states in one trip without needing to rent a U-Haul. Most of the time I leave the third row of seats out for more space. Served me well but I could use something that gets more than 16 miles per gallon on average. I don't have anything against sedans but I work with drones and watched my coworkers cram them into their passenger and second row of seats to transport them. Be nice if we had company vans for that but personal vehicles are all we have. Having seen them struggle, I'll be looking at crossover hybrids for the ability to put down the second row for things that do not fit well into trunks. I'm not willing to compromise cargo capacity on those short notice needs.
You are probably more the exception than the rule. Your actual needs require something like an SUV for cargo space. I personally know people that play trades man with an f350 that never sees work.
Sadly an SUV or a van is your only option because they axed station wagons. Cost and efficiency of a car, space of an SUV.
@@Thesportyowl It is a tragedy that stationwagons went extinct in our market.
Yeah it sounds like you are definetly one of the people who needs an SUV or crossover and their is nothing wrong with that. I bet 16MPG is getting old, I have been there so I totally understand. What kind of drones do you work with? I work with them too but it sounds like you are more of a pro than me. -Brandon
Totally agree here. And gosh I wish we could get station wagons back. I rented an AMG Benz in Germany and it was a wagon...I wanted to buy one so bad in the US but the import fees were insane. Ended up getting a BMW M340i. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy We do on demand cargo delivery in Texas with hexacopters. Between the motor arms and the parachute system the vehicles get down to only about 3ft wide and 2.5 ft tall roughly.
There's 2 main issues, CAFE bias towards larger and heavier vehicles and security standards not applying to SUVs and trucks as they do with sedans. Until there's a fair playing ground for all consumer oriented vehicles sedans won't come back. Smaller and cheaper vehicles are also left out of the picture due to CAFE being unreasonable for smaller vehicles.
Yes ma’am you are totally correct on that. I seriously don’t get how the big daddy in DC doesn’t see the oxymoron of the whole standards. It literally is having the opposite effect. I sometimes wonder if it’s being done in purpose…then flip the standards and force EVs…idk just a thought. Thanks for commenting my friend. -Brandon
PS I read your username and assumed you are a lady, if not, I apologize 😬
It's a shame that, in 2024, pretty much all car manufacturers have either gone away from affordable (sub-$20k) passenger cars, or are in the process of moving away from them.
Ford doesn't even produce cars anymore, save the Mustang.
Chevy has discontinued the Sonic and Spark.
Honda discontinued the Fit in America and the Civic is now a mid-$20k car.
Toyota discontinued the Yaris in America and the Corolla is now a mid-$20k car.
Hyundai has discontinued the Accent.
Kia discontinued the Rio, is discontinuing the Forte, and the K4 is looking to be above $20k.
Mitsubishi is discontinuing the Mirage.
Nissan is discontinuing the Versa.
Between the rising costs of cars, the steadily dwindling quality of cars, and the inverse relationship between cost of living and wages, it's a terrible time to be in the car market if you're not making above the median income in America.
It's pretty crazy man and it's a shame. I think Nissan is the only one who has the under 20K vehicle for sale. I just recently purchased that VW Jetta I mentioned in the video and yes, it was the cheapest sedan with a manual transmission, and lots of storage on the inside. I considered the versa but I needed more room. It's a sad state of affairs that we are witnessing right now. the newest video that I'll be posting here in about two or three weeks will really highlight why the car industry and prices specifically the way they are. I always had the hunch on why but I'm even finding data that I have never seen anyone talk about and my mind is blown. Hope to see you in the comments on that video, my friend. Always a pleasure to talk to you. -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy can't wait to see it. I just recently found your channel and loved the content so much I binged all your documentary styled videos.
Amazing as always looking forward to the new video and podcast! American car makers can make a good sedan they choose not to. They can rebadge an Asian one like they did with the Pontiac Vibe
Jacob, good to see you again brother and I’m excited to get some new stuff to you guys. And yeah, Pontiac made some good cars. If I remember correctly, they stopped rebadging Asian cars because GM wanted to use their coolant…and Im pretty certain that coolant was messing up engines. Am I remembering this correctly? Hoping to have the podcast up in about 2 weeks. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy i guess so there was a bunch of rebadged cars Nova/Vibe/Corolla . Cavalier was even sent to Japan as a Toyota. GM also had put a Honda engine in the Saturn Vue. There were others too but I can’t remember heres a cool video talking about it.
th-cam.com/video/H69jd12q_0U/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ywC-8jx5IuQbjtEz
I'm starting a TH-cam channel myself, and your production value is impressive. I could learn a lot from you. Also, you said you're a 91W at Ft. Liberty...both my younger brothers were 91W, in 1-75 and 3-75, Georgia knuckleheads. I was a 15R at Hunter myself, 3ID. Thanks for your service.
When it comes to cars, I just sold off my '17 Corolla SE and bought a decent used '17 Ford Expedition EL as a primary to go along with our old Toyota Sienna. When I was in the Army, I had a super-reliable '06 F-150 STX which was born at the old Ontario plant, and became loyal to Ford. My first car was a lightly used '94 Pontiac Grand Am back in 2001, and that car had so many quality issues that the animosity toward GM is deep seated 23 years later. Anyway, have heard mixed stories about the reliability of the Ecoboost engines, but the 2017+ Expeditions have fared better according to CarEdge/Edmunds/Vehicle History/Consumer Reports, and none had the sordid reputation of the 5.4 Triton V8. Time will tell if what they said is accurate, or whether I'm going to have another mechanical nightmare like my old 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman S (happily dumped that disaster at the Toyota dealer for the Corolla). Cars are often as reliable as the driver's maintenance principles, but you couldn't pay me to own a Stellantis or BMW product.
Hey that's awesome to hear brother, let me know if you need any help with that. I am 38W (Civil Affairs SOCM) at Fort Bragg. That's cool you guys were all military, love to see that, especially since your brothers are fellow SOCMs.
I bet the Expedition will be a solid car if you maintain it. So far, it sounds like we are reading the same reports. My biggest concern would be oil consumption but as long as you check it routinely and change it, I highly doubt you will have any issues in the near future. We use Expeditions all the time for our plain clothes operations and they make great CASEVAC platforms and do well off-road. So if any of your brothers need to do some MARCH in the back, they will have an easy time. Thanks for commenting and hit me up if you need anything. -Brandon
Hey man! You’ve been absolutely Killing it on the videos! I love the idea of going back to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles (even though I love me a V8) I think that the Cafe standers are bull crap and need to be completely revised to favor small vehicles! As I’m sure you’ve seen with the Suburban Expedition and Waggoner crash tests bigger doesn’t mean safer! In fact I bet if we favored smaller vehicles on American roads we’d have less deaths from car accidents and would be helping the environment!
Hey brother thanks so much for the compliments! I’ve been working my tail off for you guys and love every moment of it. I too love my V8 sedans and if we could get rid of the cafe standards, they could make an aggressive comeback imo. I haven’t seen those crash tests on those models but I’m gonna look them up…maybe it will be an interesting video idea…working on another video too about dealerships…bro this one made me furious actually…should be out in about a month. Maybe sooner 😬 appreciate your amazing support 🫡. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Hey man! Yeah if you look up the crash test videos you see that these massive SUVs are failing some standards that have been around for 10+ years it’s crazy! Looking forward to the new videos man keep it up you’re on fire!
Great work again bro! You hit every point! They just took their terrible sedans and morphed them into terrible less efficient SUV's and with higher premiums! They still get hit with fines but they offset them by buying regulatory credits from Tesla instead of following Tesla's open source patents and building competitive EV's, OR even taking that info and applying to ICE cars. Selling the credits don't even make a Doreen's in Tesla's bottom line. Since they only have a near term profit first mentality they're waaaaayyyy behind. EV's are almost at a cost parity to ICE and will soon become cheaper as battery costs and manufacturing gets more and more efficient.
Thanks brother! Glad to see you back and I appreciate all the love you give this channel. Totally agree with the sentiment here too...I really wonder what will happen once EV technology changes and becomes cheaper. You think that will be enough for people to switch or will charge times and range anxiety still get people? Such an interesting time to be alive. -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy Definitely interesting times. I'm a gear head to my core. I've only owned performance cars. Currently driving an infinity fx45. I test drove a base refreshed Tesla model 3 and was blown away. It's a familiar but different experience. Quality and bang for the dollar were very, VERY impressive. Most people who just need transportation could easily have one, and the car makes them feel like they spent a fortune. People who doubt their appeal have never driven a decent one. Reminds me of Corvette guys who refuse to even sit in the new C8. Can't wait for the next video!
I have a video idea if you're interested!
I think a video about how the idea of smaller diesel vehicles died in the U.S. would be interesting. If could also be about or include how diesel is declining now even in large trucks due to emissions, etc.
Joe, that’s a great idea and I’ll add that to the list. I’ve had a few others suggest it so that tells me there is a demand. I will be honest though, it will take me time as I don’t know a lot about diesels unless it’s a military vehicle…everything we use runs off diesel which I loatheeeeee. Thanks again Joe, I truly appreciate your continued support. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy thank you, I love your videos! Keep up the great work
So much profit is made on SUV & truck production, from all three US manufacturers, that American sedans could not compete. CAFE standards have always been relaxed for vehicles weighing 6000lbs or more, and since the manufacturers make more cash in the SUV/Truck production, they can well afford to pay the penalties (look at the Cummins/Ram engine modifications with the EPA). They just pay it & move on. Nice to see your channel flourishing, & always look forward to the next video!
Aaron, yeah it’s really wild to me that it’s even like this. I seriously hope in the NEAR future that CAFE gets repealed or at minimum brought to its knees. I want everyone to be free to drive what they want and not be bound by some regulations that only hurt them financially.
Thank you for the kind words too Aaron. I’m not a perfect channel and I have probably gotten some info wrong but I’m always working my tail off to ensure accuracy of information and making it entertaining. As always, I appreciate your continued support my friend. -Brandon
have you considered doing a video on the 2008 financial crisis causing the loss of saturn and pontiac and the faliure of the brands before gm cut them
Yes actually, I find that period very interesting because it has shaped the industry to what we have today. If that interests you, I think you will really like this ford video I will be releasing soon. I definitely want to do one though on WHY they cut Pontiac though…-Brandon
Ford should dust off the LTD and Town Car names and make a body on frame sedan that could double as a SUV, almost like a stretched wagon
That would be sick… I’d buy one if they actually put some effort into it. I will be needing more delivery vehicles soon so I’m game. -Brandon
i got a sedan myself and i love it i had it for 10 years now and im not a fan of crossovers
Right there with you brother. Crossovers are so weird to me and they all look the same lol…what sedan do you have? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy 2011 maxima had it for about 10 years im the 2nd owner and i would like to get 4runner one of these days but some of these mid sized suvs look the same and car prices are thru the roof
Remember corporations are brilliant at crafting a narrative.
Gosh they are so good at it. I could rattle off 100 examples, as I’m sure you can too. Thanks for watching so much of my content brother, I really appreciate that. Working on the new video as we speak. Always a pleasure to speak with you guys. -Brandon
in 1997 I purchased my 1st new car. I was 23 at the time. I wound up a Ford dealer, whom i'll never buy anything from every again, and purchased a starter car. it was a blue 1996 ford aspire. 64 hp, 3 speed auto, 0-60 in 5 minutes. my sales guy was actually somewhat honest. they had several ford escorts on the lot. the sales guy told me flat out not to buy one the timing belt has to be replaced at 60k mile sotherwise it snaps and kills the engine. the aspire lived with my family till my dad retired about 12 years ago, and they gave it to someone else who then got hit and totaled it. the car was a blueish purplish color and we called it Blurple.
the problem with sedans is this:
They are cheap to produce but have low margins. the Voltron of Grabage, Stelantis, tried competing with Toyota and Honda in that segment with the Dart. They sold about 300kish Darts but couldn't compete with the 1.3m units Toyota sells of the Corolla.
When I bought that Aspire the dealer made about a grand on the sale. Ford didn't make much more...but...it was my 1st car, with dad cosigning, my loan percentage was about 12%
Ford credit made $3,780 on the car. Ford's margin wound up being close to 50%!!!
but Interest rates were falling 2.5 years later I got a Ranger XLT Super Cab for like 1.7% on a lease. I can still remember the break down it was like $20 a month in interest over 36 months. that's a fraction of what they made on the Aspire.
Most people only look at what the payment of the vehicle is. they don't factor in insurance, tires, oil, gas, etc. IE they don't look at the TCO. Just that monthly. So lets say you have $500 a month you can spend on a vehicle. Here is what the purchase price looks like at 12% and again at 6%
$500 payment at 12% loan (5 years) the cars purchase price is about $22,480 ie a Honda Civic or a base Corolla.
but at 6% its $25,852
but thats not what was going on. what was going, and Doug Demuro did a video on it when he bought that stupid grand wagoneer, was 0% AND not for 5 years but 7 or even 8 years. wanna know what a $500 a month payment is going to get you if you sign the line for 0% and 8 years?
its FOURTY EIGHT THOUSAND!
If you're an idiot, and most people are, and you've got $500 a month for a car payment (the average new car payment is $735) are you going to buy a thifty sedan, or are going to buy somethign bigger?
We all know the answer we dodge them everyday in traffic, something bigger. and that something bigger doesn't really cost much more to produce than a similar format sized Sedan. Look at the last model year of the Panthers. They were sedans. Their engines were 4.6 Sohc v8s and 4r70w trans....the same engine and trans going into the f-150 but look at what a crown vic sold for vs an f-150. the vic lx was 30k, the f-150 super crew xlt was $35k. not much of a difference but the major components of both vehicles are the same and so the cost was roughly the same. now what does an f-150 cost? well Gus Machado Ford wants $56k for an f-150 super crew 4x2 with the 2.7 eco boost.
with interest rates in the toilet, the domestic makers simply can't make the money they need to on a cheap sedan, they have been forced from the market by low interest rates and asian brands who have concentrated on those markets. How many pickups does KIA sell? right now its zero but about to change. Hyundai sells the santa cruz.
The big 3 have exited the sedan market and with it, they exited the starter car market. these days if you want a cheap car, its your 1st new car, where do people go? not to a chevy dealership, not to a dodge dealership, not to a ford dealership, people go to Kia.
Now interest rates are back up, all the Doug Demuros are stuck with their 100k cars. They can't afford to finance another vehicle at the price they paid 3 years ago. The big 3 are stuck holding the bag with no market share in the sedan market AT ALL, and their entire inventory people can no longer afford to finance. Its why the Mavrick sells so well...its the cheapest truck.
the big 3 are hosed. they bet on high margin trucks and EVs. the ev market as tanked, and the truck market is tanking too.
Hey brother, sorry for the late response. I wanted to respond with intent to this comment because you put some thought behind it and you deserve a quality response.
I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with that Ford Aspire, I honestly have never heard of that car and thats wild to me because I used to be an American car enthusiast. And you are correct on the margins, its low as heck right now. Its probably even less since 1997 because how much control and outside pressures have hit the industry, i.e. UAW.
And I feel bad for people who only look at payments, they just haven't been taught and dealers know this, which is why its always one of the first questions they ask you about...so silly. Its not even funny anymore, it just shows the lack of education in our society and the predatory behavior of dealers.
I think you will really like the video after the new Ford one that comes out tomorrow. I cover so much of whats in this comment and highlight why more reasons why the industry is in the current situation. Let me just say I don't think many or really anyone has covered what I will be covering soon... And yes, the big 3 are hosed and Chrysler is basically gone at this point. They put so many eggs that weren't theirs in the EV market and now its coming back in their face...sad state of affairs.
Always a pleasure my friend. -Brandon
Hi guys :)
Hi friend :)
I would like to see a video on the death and hopeful revival of the small/compact pickup truck from you.
So this topic has been done by some people but I’ve had this request a lot. So I’ve added it to the list and I’ll get to work on it very very soon. Thank you for the suggestions brother, super appreciated. -Brandon
Hey I have a really weird question for you, Brandon. What is the painting in the background? It is extremely striking and I want to learn more about it.
Hey my friend and I’d be happy to talk about it. It’s called Dante And Virgil In Hell 1850, painted by William-Adolphe Bouguereau. I saw the painting in Paris last year at Musee D’Orsay and it messed with me mentally because how as you say, striking it is. Officially, I don’t know the whole story but it represents the world in one painting. You have a priest and politician watching Lucifer kill a human and take another soul. Behind and under the victim, you can dozens of other souls that had been claimed. You see a demon in the background smiling as he watches the priest and politician do nothing to try to save the man from having his life and soul taken by Lucifer. It’s a very disturbing painting and rattles me every time I see it. I have other paintings like this on order that I saw in Paris. You’ll see them soon on the channel in future vlogs. Please let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to talk about them. -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy Wow that is awesome!!! That is so cool that you know the story of the painting. I'm an artist so I tend to notice things like that. I look forward to seeing more of your art in your future videos. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I wish you the best. - Splendor
Of course Splendor, I love artwork and artists. Amazing people and I appreciate everything they do. Anywhere I can check out your artwork? -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy I have a deviantart account. My name is TheSplendor13 there. Has a tiny sample of my work. I'm bad at putting my art on social media, but then again I try to avoid things like Instagram and Facebook
@@A-BombEnergy I've tried to message you twice :( I don't understand TH-cam. Do you happen to have a Discord?
All American automakers have to do is design a sedan like their trucks with all the bells and whistles instead of cheating out on sedans and spending huge $$$ on crossovers and trucks
Hey brother good to see you again! Could you imagine them doing that? If they just had a model of quality vehicles where you can get a true base model for base model pricing all the way to the most luxurious model, that’s giving people choices and that’s what people want. Not forced EVs and SUVs lol. Idk, I could be completely wrong. As always my friend, glad to have you here. -Brandon
Oh...the Ford bailouts. I bet thats it.
Hope youre doing well, brother. I feel I may have ended my channel with my last vidoe. Dont regret anything I said, and stand by it. Irony is that this week VA screwed me over hard, so I wont even have a video. Anyway. Ill still watch, but I think it might not help you. I never was an entrepreneur, because I tend to be abrupts, brash about things. Im just too old to change now. Im just thinking over things for the future.
Really glad to see your channel taking off. You will go places. Hope outprocessing is still going smoothly. See you around, brother.
You might be right...time will tell when it comes time to upload...
Just keep making your content and with every video try to make the next one better. 1% improvement every time. Nobody is too old to change and nobody is too old to be an entrepreneur...its all about mindset.
"Whether you think you can or think you can't. Either way you are right."
-Brandon
As someone who hauls a lot of car/motorcycle parts and needs to fit a toolbox in my car on occasion my Honda fit is the perfect vehicle but I’d absolutely own another hatchback/sedan or station wagon instead of an suv or truck
Caleb, that’s awesome that such a compact car is working for you. I love the Fits, I looked at getting one a while back but couldn’t find one that I wanted that wasn’t more than 250 miles away. After the Fit, what’s next? I’m sure the fit will last you a long time so you probably aren’t even thinking of what’s next! 😂 -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy being a Honda tech, hopefully the 2.0 turbo 6 speed manual accords will get cheap enough that I can buy one as a daily and keep the fit to use as a truck basically but currently not sure
Another thing to think about with them all dropping sedans is what they'd run in motorsports. In nascar for example they're running the camaro this year but I have no idea what car they'll run in tve future
Oh dang, that’s a good point. Nice man, never even occurred to me. Maybe they will keep a small division alive in house to service that? -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy there was a rule in the 70s that dodge and Chrysler had to make 200 street versions of the dodge charger daytona to run in nascar. I'm not sure if that rule has changed but I would think that they need to do the same thing now. I honestly don't know.
Hi! Greetings from Norway. Stumbled upon your channel today, gotta say your videos are amazing! You are going places. Gonna hit 1mill subs in no time.
I think if Ford or GM should make hothatch EV's it would sell like hotcakes in Norway and Europe. Why can't they just make a Fiesta ST EV or Focus RS ev. I bet if VW sell a GOLF GTI like EV, its a banger. The IONIQ 5 N is super cool, but a little bit too big. BMW i4 M50 is also super nice and cool. That should have been the Mach E Mustang, not some big ugly SUV.
Again, thanks for the content!
Wow I love Norway! Great to see someone from one of my favorite countries is watching! I travel to Europe from time to time and always enjoy the countries there.
I appreciate the kind words too, I certainly hope 1 million subs is on the way, that would be incredible! 😁 And I totally agree with your assessment on them making hatchback EVs. Idk why they reinvent the wheel so often and make a whole new platform just because it’s an EV… How popular are EVs in Norway? They are kind of fizzling out in the US now. Demand was overinflated and now dealers are refusing EVs. I’m curious how it is there? Last time I was in Germany, the rental company was going to give me an EV cheaper than a normal car. They told me nobody wants to rent an EV. Blew my mind actually, I thought Europe was different than the US in that regard. Thanks again my friend! -Brandon
Forgot to mention that now in 2024, 25% of all personal cars are ev's in Norway.
People in the states really need to understand how efficient and practical compact hatches are. They wont even have the chance to however since there are basically no new ones available. They are all the car most drivers need and far more practical and effective than pushing EVs.
Massively agree here brother. The efficiency of sedans has gotten so dang good recently and now they are stopping the production of them!? What on earth are we doing! How is 45mpg not good enough for an ICE vehicle that’s not even a hybrid? My BMW M340i is a monster with power and still gets 30+ mpg if I drive it normal. I think there will be a shift though if im being honest. People will get tired of such large vehicles. What do you think? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy There really won't be much of a shift towards more sensible vehicles without more lenient emissions and safety laws ironically.
I'd love to see a video on the VW emmisions scandal. Its such an interesting cover-up with such an obvious debunking
Hey brother good to see you again. I will look into it. What sort of obvious debunkings are you seeing? I’m not an expert on the subject. If memory serves me, they didn’t actually need to fake the emissions right? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy they didn't actually have to take the emissions. The scandal comes from the fact that they used software to swap the tuning when an emissions test was detected through the OBD2 port. A group of college researchers were conducting verification tests in California and noticed that (I don't remember all the details) either a) the measured tailpipe emissions were different or b) real world range tests didn't match. Led to a whole unraveling of diesel in the US.
Honestly if the EPA just stopped the cafe standards, we would probably get more than just sedans, we would get like, smaller cars in general back (think like 1999 acura integra sized vehicles), as well as station wagons and vehicles similar to like, holden maloo or chevy ssr back, hell maybe brands like pontiac, saturn or mercury would be able to make a good comeback in a less restrictive market like that
IF that happened you would put the EPA out of business and a lot of high paid Government workers would be out of a job.
@michaelbaja1854 honestly good because they're not doing their jobs correctly anyway, especially with the fines that they give out which makes them liable for a lawsuit now since a different agency actually went through a lawsuit over the same thing, that's not even mentioning their current lawsuit going on at this moment, the epa is just a Giant cluster fuck rn
Totally agree with what you and Mike are saying. CAFE has had a complete opposite effect on almost every metric. Sure, in the beginning it may have helped slightly but in the end it is destroying the car industry on a massive scale and rinsing people of money. I view it as another way to get money out of us. Just my thoughts…-Brandon
Its should be noted its sedans under the American brand names nobody wants. Also we need to ditch Cafe standards and to repeal the chicken tax. 😊
Bro could you imagine how the market would be if we did that? Omg it would be pretty wild. Oh and get rid of state franchise laws when it pertains to car dealers…then manufacturers can sell direct to consumer… I. Would. Be. So. Happy. 😃-Brandon
The area of the city that I spend most of my time is fairly affluent and the people that have the money to buy whatever they want definitely buy sedans, but they are overwhelmingly European and more specifically German
Dang I need to move to your area! I don’t see an issue with owning an SUV but I really think they have pushed through marketing that SUVs are better than sedans and hatchbacks and wagons. What do you currently drive brother? -Brandon
I actually fairly recently bought my first SUV cause it was a bucket list car. its a 2005 x5 4.8is. its the exact spec I wanted and I never expected to actually find one cause they didn’t make many but I found one and couldn’t refuse. But had that not come along I would have ended up with another sedan or wagon. I generally prefer sedans or wagons cause they are normally better dynamically than an suv but the 4.8is is a special case, plus I moved across the country so I can’t just call one of my friends with a truck if I need to move something big like furniture. Also don’t get me wrong my area also has a lot of SUVs but I would say it’s a pretty even split between SUV, sedans and coupes/convertibles with the makes skewing heavily euro. I think there are a lot of factors that killed the wagon market in the US, but I will say there aren’t many wagon options that I would personally find appealing if I was shopping for a new car. BMW hasn’t given us a really cool wagon since the e39 540iT and those are pretty rare these days and the e91 which only came with the base motor I almost can’t blame people for not finding the wagon market here appealing.
Can't wait for the vid.
I can’t wait to release it to you guys. It’s definitely going to ruffle some feathers, but it’s also going to be pure fact in truth. It’s kind of wild how many sources and citations I include in the new video. Forward to seeing you in the comments there. -Brandon
Maybe if C.A.F.E standards ignored the bottom and top 5-10% in fuel economy from a single manufacturer, then the manufacturer would be encouraged to make a majority of their vehicles more fuel efficient. And you don't have the chevys of the world making a single sub par sedan that burns as much oil as gas for "fuel economy"(the cruze), and if a company wants to they can still have a sports car in the lineup without worrying about it ruining their overall rating for the rest of the lineup.
Man your comparison made me laugh really hard because wow that Cruze might actually run on oil lol. I honestly wish the standards would either go away or be severely slashed to see how engineers, companies, and the market would respond. I bet if they started marketing for Sedans again…they would sell better. Just my thoughts though. Thanks for sharing yours, I sincerely appreciate it. -Brandon
my father in law will die on the hill of thinking Lincoln makes the best cars.. he just picked up the Nautilus
Depending on the motor and how he takes care of it, he might have an exceptional vehicle. New Lincoln is not the old Lincoln of the early 2000s…that’s how fast they pivoted to lower quality unfortunately. People tend to associate nice interiors and ride quality as quality in totality…big mistake in my opinion. -Brandon
Well, at least the Big 3 are aware that the batteries are huge. Big 5000lbs+ batteries don't do well in big cars, I'm looking at you Hummer EV, but small ones can do improvements and a half too. And well, if you have enough to buy an electric car, not even from the big 3, but other much bigger companies, don't buy them. Either convert a classic car like, let's just say, a 70s/80s Cadillac, Lincoln, or Chrysler, or get anything above the Tesla. Think like the Lucid Air, 66k for a car that works better than a Tesla. And if you had enough money, a Rimac Nevera. But many companies are going Hydrogen power. So that complicated a few things. But stellar job on this video. You are brave for actually pulling through and making these videos, and I think that's a great thing. And to make a video to defend, but make logic to the arguing folk is something that not many have ever done well, but I believe that you can do it. And thanks for the shout out. Still don't have a car yet, just drive my moms 2020 Toyota Sequoia. And when I get my full permit, I'll listen to some Sleep Token to celebrate. My mom wants me to get a Subaru, and I see why, we live in Montana. But finding a old 1997 Nissan Stagea with the inline six the R34 has seems a little easier to fix because one head gasket seems just a little easier than two.
Hey brother! Good to see you and glad you made it to the video. Yeah the EV stuff is getting pretty wild and I would understand them making a sedan EV but trying to make a hummer EV lol…I first thought it was a concept car or joke car. Never seen one on the road yet either.
Hydrogen fuel cell is very very interesting to me and I would love to see that get more mainstream. I think it’s the safety side that’s hurting it though.
A Subaru would awesome, especially in Montana. Beautiful state too btw. That Nissan though…man I hope you can find one! And yes, Sleep Token…God I love that band. Recently fell in love with their music about a year ago and I’ve obsessed over it since. What’s your favorite song by them?
Thanks again and I appreciate all the kind words my friend. -Brandon
Bought 2 fusions over the years. Would buy a new one, but they are not available anymore. Will hang on to my old cars to the earth reclaims them.
Mike, good to see you again brother. How are the fusions holding up? I just had a couple Ford salesmen hit me up and they told me they get asked by customers all the time where the fusions are at. I’m not surprised by this at all. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Gave one to my daughter...she loves it. Puts a lot of miles on it and runs good. Have to take them in for another recall. This time there is an issue with the brake fluid leaking. Also just got a recall on my 14 F150. Speed sensor can cause unintended down shift. That is life with Fords. It is a shame what the management direction is doing to the company. Farley doesn't have a clue how the automotive industry works or what the people really want. They just want everyone to buy expensive vehicles that are too large for 98% of the customers. We are (were) a true Ford family. 5 Fords in my driveway. They don't have much of what I need anymore.
America sedan suck? You must have forgotten about the following
Cadillac CTS - Cadillac STS - Chrysler 300 - Dodge Charger - Ford Crown Victoria - Lincoln LS - Lincoln Town Car - Mercury Grand Marquis - Pontiac G8
I only mentioned sedans made in the last 20 years.
I am talking about newer models and even some of those models you listed...well lol they suck, i.e. the Charger (excluding the 5.7 and higher models). The Crown Vic is the same car as many of those you stated lol...What about Chevy Cruze, Spark, Chrysler 200, Intrepid, Neon, PT Cruiser (yes I know technically a truck but lets be real)...we can always cherry pick a few but if American sedans actually were worth something, they wouldn't have stopped selling them lol. -Brandon
Now it's really only the cts after gm killed holden who was making great sedans, wagons and Ute's.
Agreed 100%
I had a sedan I bought new (Ford Focus) and sold last year. Besides just kinda being a turd my family out grew it. It just didn't have enough interior room for 4 people on a road trip. Plus camping gear? not gunna happen. Haul animals to the fair? not gunna happen.
A major issue is safety. We came too close for comfort a couple of times of almost getting into a wreck with a "bro-dozer" (lifted diesel 4x4) which went left of center. The front bumper was at my head level! The little sedan is going to literally be ran over by one of those dangerous monster trucks in a wreck and squish us all into pulp. So away it went and a tall SUV took its place. At least we have a chance of surviving one of those morons now.
The oncoming headlights. The sedan was too low; all the led headlights would blind me driving at night. I would sometimes have spots in my eyes like I stared at the sun from oncoming traffic! Another problem that [mostly] went away changing to a tall SUV (which has correctly aligned halogen lamps not blinding anyone).
I drive a 07 Silverado work truck and even I would get blinded by LEDs. Even on sedans they would blind me.
Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for an SUV, it’s one of the reasons I still own 3 out 6 cars. And I feel your frustration with bro dozers, those things are wild in my area at times.
What SUV did you end up getting?
-Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I work from home which means we are putting under 10k/yr on all our vehicles combined. Means fuel economy was not a concern. So I used the money from selling the car and bought a 20 year old Grand Cherokee Overland WJ with under 100,000miles. Probably dumb but time will tell. It's been nearly a year and hasn't died yet lmao. I'm actually ahead financially as it cost less to buy and fix up the Jeep than the sale cost of the Focus. It will take years for the fuel economy hit to catch up. Bonus: Insurance is dirt cheap. As in cheap enough the the difference between our current insurance cost and the cost of insurance for a newer vehicle is nearly a third of my family's total annual fuel costs. Basically I just smile as I drive around without a care in the world doing anything I want anywhere I want to go.
Currently we have three vehicles: 1989 Town Car (mine). 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. 1993 Jimmy 4x4 (wife's). The jeep is the beater. The other two are rust free and not driven while there is salt on the roads.
I currently have a 2022 Corolla, I don't quite want a SUV yet, so I'm thinking of another sedan or hatchback. Any suggestions?
Hmmm depends what you want out of it. If it’s a toy, you can never go wrong with German. Just understand what you are getting into that’s all. If it’s another reliable A-B car, can’t go wrong sticking with Toyota or Honda. I will say, I love the Jetta and it’s a manual transmission. Also love my BMW M340i…that’s the best car I’ve ever owned. Haven’t had any major issues so I’m hoping it stays like that! 😁😁 -Brandon
How about a Cadillac CT4?
Love that car...anything CT is really cool. -Brandon
CAFE standards should not make exemptions for heavier and more polluting cars.
Why should a 300 hp swdan, that is more fuel efficient than a 300 hp suv, be treated worse? Lighter and more fuel efficient should be rewarded. Politicians are one of the most stupid people in our universe, making things worse and then patting themselves on the back.
Mike, this comment made me smile so much because I’m glad to hear others think like me. I truly hope CAFE gets brought to its knees soon. I want a free market and for people to be able to choose what they want to drive. I also want engineers to be free to do their job and not be forced into shabby work because of the big daddy in the north. Just my 2 cents. Thanks brother! -Brandon
I bought a sedan. 2017 Toyota Avalon. Has 290k miles on it now. Original engine and transmission. Mostly highway mileage. I want a challenger so bad. Just a v6 gt model would be okay with me.
Hey brother good to see you again! Welcome aboard the wild train of A-Bomb Energy 😂! I think those GT models aren’t bad at all. You can get them used for a decent price too. How are the travels going? I enjoy your IG. -Brandon
I am eagerly awaiting your podcast, I lice for the unfiltered truth
Thanks brother, it’s going to be a good time. You hear the truth on here for the most part but it’s really cleaned up lol. I want to let it fly sometimes if you know what I mean haha 🤣-Brandon
My wife switched to SUVS many years ago since they're easier for her to get in and out of (bad knee). She also found the seats more comfortable.
She will never switch back to a sedan.. My 35 year old daughter also switched to an SUV since it's easier to get the kids in and out of the backseat.
She will never switch back to a sedan. Minivans replaced station wagons because they had advantages...same with SUVs vs sedans.
I understand a certain % of the pop prefers a sedan...but will never be as in the 1960s 1970s. Also...Detroit gave up on small cars years ago,
they lost the ability (and desire) to compete in that sector. There is still too much capacity world wide...best to do what you do best...(trucks, SUVs, sports cars (Mustang/Corvette) Cadillac.
Mike, apologize for the late response here. I totally get why people switch to SUVs, makes sense and I sometimes enjoy driving my SUV over my sedans. Why do you think station wagons are so popular in places like Europe but not the US? Personally I love wagons and would rather have that than my sedan. Look forward to hearing from you brother. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy Strictly a guess on my part. Minivans never dominated in Europe the way thy did in the USA. Perhaps because they were too large for Europes roads or too expensive (vs small wagon). Once the minivan took over the USA the wagon became a dinosaur.
You make a valid point there brother, I certainly hope we can get some wagons in the US. You are totally correct though on minivans…those are practically done at this point. Thanks for the response my friend. -Brandon
Cafe did push trucks through EPA and not being able to modify diesels. Huge push towards EV trucks
Definitely a massive push towards EV’s right now. I think it’s starting to fade away though because dealerships are refusing electric vehicles from manufactures. While I’m not pro dealership, I am very pro dealership in this decision. Do you think the EV stuff is starting to fade away? -Brandon
Where do estate cars fit into the Suv and truck market?
For the US we unfortunately don’t really have those and they are more classified as sedans. I really wish we had them here because I would be buying those over normal sedans and even SUVs. Is that what you own Adam? -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I do not have a car and do not drive.
The CAFE standards benefit us all by reducing oil imports from countries hostile to our values. It also is beneficial to our health and our planet by reducing climate-warming gases and toxic, cancerous, and smog-forming pollutants. Financially, the more miles per gallon, the more miles per dollar. The American car companies' lobbies are too powerful to allow the CAFE standards to ever be applied to trucks. Still, they employ more efficient ICE and Hybrid engine technology than was seen in the past. I am a volunteer driver for Mecum Auctions and I know just how dirty and polluting classic cars are and how I would never want to go back to that pernicious way of life.
But CAFE standards have forced worse MPG cars onto the market and phased out sedans in favor of larger vehicles....or am I not understanding your comment correctly? I think initially it did some good but now? No way.... -Brandon
The problem with modern sedans is that they’re not built for our roads. And they’re certainly not built for off-pavement. Our roads (and infrastructure) have been crumbling so bad in recent years that you hit even a small bump on a sedan, you’re done for. At least with even a crossover/suv, you have more ground clearance and they can absorb bumps much better.
Also, want to know the real reason Ford, GM (and Chrysler) stopped building sedans? Simple, they were unreliable rolling piles of junk. Questionable build quality at best. Even the Ford Fusion was suspect.
I don't think it's that bad. I've never had problems on dirt or gravel roads with a sedan. A crumbling asphalt road isn't too different from gravel.
Totally agree that our roads are getting worse. It really depends on where you live but even the nicest roads are starting to fall apart in my area and many of them are toll roads...soooo whats the point of the toll lol? -Brandon
I mean, its getting pretty bad, but not impossible. I drive a lowered Japanese sports car and I manage. Granted, this is Socal and it never rains or snows here.
Im looking for a nice 2003-2005 buick park avenue ultra. I think buick used to be king of big comfortable and reliable sedans. Along with lexus.
James, that’s a sweet ride and my grand parents used to have one. It was comfortable and it was like riding in a recliner lol. Pretty wild for such an older vehicle. Keep us updated if you find one you like, I would love to see pictures. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I will man! I got a little car collection going. All cheap 90s and 00s car. I can't help myself haha.
James, I am the same way lol…so I get you totally 🤣 -Brandon
I absolutely want a sedan, but as you said, a lot of sedans made in the last few years they were being taken seriously sucked, and they cost too much.
I feel you on that brother. It’s tough to find a decent one and when you do, you have to sacrifice a lot. With my German sedans I understand what I’m giving and getting. Personally, I love Asian brands but I will never drive one. Just not my style. But I respect the heck out of them and their owners. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy
Japanese made cars are not the most luxurious, but they are far more reliable.
When I recommend cars to vehicles I tell them to stay away from European made cars because they are great new, but money pits after the payments are done.
When it comes to American sedans I tell people to tread very carefully. I used to easily recommend anything with a 3800 V6, but the 4T65E transmission is a glass cannon. Some of the Ford cars are awesome, but some not so much, and the only Dodge sedan I used to recommend was the Neon, and I tell people to steer clear of everything else.
Not that it matters since I plan on buying a 60's Mustang as my first car later this year, but only way I'm buying a EV is if all combustion engines are destroyed first. Not only do I not like how much more the batteries polute than simply keeping the gas engine in good shape would, but I can personally repair that combustion engine since my mechanic father taught me how.
Brother that 60s mustang will be an amazing first car. You’ll have to keep us updated on that beautiful ride. And I’m right there with you on EVs. Personally I see a value with them but I want the charade of them being green to stop. They aren’t green lol, it’s why they’ve earned the nick name of coal powered cars. I want multiple propulsion systems on the market to drive competition but it should never be mandated…-Brandon
I was thinking about for a week now I wanted a electric sedan or truck but there aren't really good trucks I'm currently thinking about a used Tesla model S for the range and camp mode. I want to go to some places of the US like Key West.
You know that’s something that’s interesting with electric vehicles, getting a used one is not that big of a deal, the biggest thing you have to worry about is the battery. The motors to my understanding generally can last about 1,000,000 miles. Am I misinformed on this? Just out of curiosity, why not pick the mustang Mach e because how cheap it is? I personally would go with the Tesla. I am just curious why you would too. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy the reason I would go for the Tesla because they have been in the game the longest and I think they more reliable in my opinion. Edit I'm thinking of a2022 model.
Totally get this reasoning and 2022 is nothing, not even slightly old. You'll have a great time with it for sure. -Brandon
Shout out to the dude who got his learners lol
Heyyyy thanks man. That guy has been super nice and supportive. I love seeing new drivers come into the market. Smart kid too for his age, reminds me of myself when I was young and being obsessed with cars. -Brandon
I'd say your argument is missing a key point and to some extent, CAFE standards is a misnomer. Why?
Because there have been domestic/import transplants before. If the American powertrain is bad and to reduce costs, simply buy and license imports to utilize their powertrains.
'89 Ford Escort had Mazda 323 powertrain.
The 2.4 DOHC and 4 speed auto in the Mitsubishi Eclipse was also in the Dodge Stratus/Chrysler Sebring/Plymouth Cirrus.
Nowadays, systems like EGR and Ecoboost are not needed due to engine efficiency. (The USAF has an F-250 with EGR delete to maintain vehicle operation and national security.) In fact, the creation of these systems help shorten engine life and ruin fuel efficiency.
Also, although I'd agree to some extent about the profit margins of SUV's over sedans, where I disagree is the amount of profit margins overall.
Planned obsolescence spawned a whole industry of replacing cars every 10 years or so. Producing, advertising, selling, finance, lease, rentals, mechanics, body shops, parts remanufacturers, salvage, junkyards, scrapping, recycling, steel production, rinse repeat.
Say if the end of the world was to happen. You need transportation but are limited to what's available and your own mechanical abilities. The fuel and tools will be limitedless.
Newer cars fall apart easier and become less likely to last long. Older cars (prior to Cash For Clunkers), was plentiful and cheap.
You might not like rocking a Taurus or Malibu or Roadmaster or Grand Am or Alero/Intrigue, but needs must. The amount of bad parts being trashed or entire sections of a car being scrapped would pale in comparison to the millions of cars needlessly scrapped each year due to parts obsolence and needless engineeting tinkering.
Economically, it might've made sense to dispose of the cars rather than recycle until the wheels fall off. But it certainly beats walking coast to coast, doesn't it?
But there has been tractor trailers 60 years old, still hauling because of all the rebuilds. To make matters worse is how much has that old truck done, continues to do, and continues to save the owner money because once the rebuild is complete, he no longer shells out cash for a new truck or new truck repairs?
What does that represent? FREEDOM. That also poses a threat to both taxation and employment. And we can't possibly have that, well can we?
As a further point, I'd like to indicate a video by FortNine restoring a 1980 Yamaha YZ-50 with 10 products. Simple cleaning job. The bike looked like new.
Sure, the bike might not have been everybody's cup of tea. But if you owned it since new and meticulously cared for it, you'd never have to buy new ever again.
Maybe slip in a bigger engine from its larger displacement YZ counterparts, and you're golden.
You bring up a really good point. in the past American companies have done joint ventures with Asian manufacturers and surprisingly those vehicles always did really well. Pontiac vibe for example. I did not know that about the Air Force getting the EGR delete, makes a lot of sense and I bet others have figured it out too.
I thought about doing a video on cash for clunkers, people were taking advantage of that program, which the program should've never existed in the first place but amazing engines like the 4.0 from Jeep was being purposely destroyed by dealerships.
I think the problem exists as a culture where people just throw things away. I know a guy who got a free car and treats it like garbage. I asked him why, and he said because I didn't pay for it. I'm like dude you should take care of that car like crazy. It's free. I think we are living in a very interesting time right now and I certainly hope we have some sort of culture shift to get us back to taking care of things again and taking pride in our work. People think I'm talented because of the videos that I make. But to me, that's an insult. I work hard and take pride in the content I put out it has nothing to do with talent.
-Brandon
That is a very good point. I take the same approach with my products and the vehicles that I own. People think I'm crazy because I still own my 2009 Dodge charger with the 2.7 V6. Sure it's a bad engine but it's still runs and I take care of it. The only time that has seen abuse is when I'm not driving it or I have been deployed and it wasn't taken care of by friends or family. Always a pleasure to talk to you, my friend. Sorry for the late response been catching up with comments. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy It's quite alright. I think the most important point to make is seeing the footage of TV shows, movies, and whatnot of yesteryear.
How many of these 80's and 90's cars would still be on the road if the cars were repurposed rather than scrapped? Even for cheap.
The Partridge Family rode to gigs in an old repurposed school bus. The Brady Family in a Plymouth Satellite station wagon. Sanford & Son used a Ford F-1 pickup to haul and recycle junk.
Look at how laid back everyone was. How they carried themselves. They had nice things, but it wasn't as much consumerism back then. Well, back more so with "My Three Sons". The father was aeronautical engineer, making plenty of money at the time. Sure, there was consumerism but not to the extent of today.
They bought things at yard sales for cheap. They wore hand-me-downs. They counted pennies and coupons for groceries. Meals were hand-cooked and cheap, but nutritous. Their cars were beaters, their homes mix-matched and full of outdated decor. They scrimped and saved to have financial independence.
They taught their son oil changes, carburetor rebuilds and whatnot because one day he'll drive for the family. They taught their daughter how to maintain a household because one day she'll have to maintain a family.
Fast forward to today. The young, sleek modern woman takes selfies of her designer clothes on her expensive phone. The modern man is lost between boyhood and adulthood because he wasn't given guidance.
another Ford video? cant wait to see it, i know itll be good
Oh yeah brother there is a certain set of comments that I’ve been getting on that video that I’ve been driving me up the wall. And it’s the pure arrogance and confidence they have which makes it even worse. So I wrote the script and edited the video in less than a week which is never happened ever. Normally every video takes me at least 2 to 3 weeks. I look forward to seeing you in the comments over there, brother. -Brandon
A true hustler
Hey thanks brother, I live to work and serve. Hopefully soon I can hook you guys up with some new stuff I’m working on. -Brandon
Only buy Toyota or Honda sedans. The best.
I think those are honestly the best sedans and really vehicles you can buy. I’ll personally never own one because I don’t like Asian cars but I respect the companies and the people who buy them. I am humble enough to realize they are better made and will last longer than my German cars. -Brandon
They can make more profit for the lifted wagons.
That’s exactly what they are. Dude I just saw a Trax for the first time in the wild yesterday…normally I look at every car as a work of functional art and I’ve never called a car UGLY before…but that car is FUGLY. It’s like it doesn’t know what it wants to be? Idk man, you probably can articulate it better than me. -Brandon
imagine if there were an American station wagon equivalent to the Audi S4. Or if the Lincoln Town car and Cadillacs were on par with S class Mercedes and 7 series BMW. Why is there no American equivalent to the Honda Accord, Kia Stinger and Toyota Corolla?
I drive a Nissan 370Z. Why is there no mid range American sports car? Have you seen a Mustang, Challenger or Camaro lately? These things might as well be trucks they're so freeking big.
At least Ford tried to make two cool hot hatches, but no one bought them...
Solid points here my man, it’s a question I think I may have answered but I can’t say for sure if I’m right. I have a strange feeling the big automakers want cafe to be stringent on cars because it prices their competitors out of the market…just a thought though.
How’s that 370z holding up? I’ve always wanted one of those, super cool cars and the style is nice.
-Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy thanks. I've had my 370z for 8 years. The only problem I've had with it is the infamous csc of explosion, since I have a manual transmission. The plastic slave cylinders tend to crack and give up the ghost. Was about an $800 fix at the time, but it's been rock solid ever since. The nicest thing about it is, it gets more compliments from women than dudes. 😄👍
I mean the biggies are profit margin per vehicle and CAFE standards. Auto makers and dealers think they can survive off 10 percent of the population buying new cars. I guess we will see.
Yeah man you are right. I am reading some studies right now and it’s not looking good for auto makers. I’ll be posting a video on this topic soon…also will include dealers too. Thanks Gabe, appreciate your comments and continued support. -Brandon
Why not do your 20? You can’t get out this late in the game. You will regret not having that pension the rest of your life.
I’d have to do 10 more years active duty because I have about 5ish in the reserves. It’s not worth the money when I make over the pension amount already with my side hustles. It’s just not worth it. The military is not the military of even 5 years ago. There are more reasons but some I can’t go into online because of obvious reasons. Trust me, I’ve thought about it. I thought I was going to be a lifer for the longest time. Assuming you are retired? -Brandon
Hello Brandon! Idk if it's just me but I find the constant zooming in and cut to zoomed-out pan is kind of distracting. That's the only thing that I don't like about this video but other than that it's another great video as always. I don't mean hate nor am I in no ways a film expert but I just wanted to express my opinion.
Also, if the CAFE standards were targetting trucks and SUVs instead of passenger cars it would accomplish what it was actually meant to do and make the automotive world a greener place since the roads would've been full of smaller, more efficient cars instead of these mammoth-sized trucks and the obese hatchbacks that are SUVs.
Hey brother thank you for the feedback. Sometimes me applying the concepts of YT editorial cinematography isn’t always the best and I personally agree with you. I think I might change this style in the future. So I appreciate you telling me this because more probably feel this way.
I like your take on the CAFE standards. I almost wonder if they knew this was going to happen? Personally, after working for the government for almost 15 years, I 100% believe it was incompetence and lack of foresight. Then when it was realized, the leaned into further when the realization of profits surfaced.
Thanks for commenting brother, I really do enjoy hearing from you guys and do my best to respond to everyone I can.
-Brandon
getting out at 15? not staying 5 more for the pension? you're so close!
I know I’ve thought about it…I just really don’t like the direction things are going and with my two businesses, I make more on the outside than being in. I took the 3 month new born baby leave stuff…dude I was able to get so much done and I can’t imagine where I’d be if I was to focus more on the businesses.
Looks like you are in still?
-Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy awesome man. Dad life is great. Ya I’ve been in for 13 years. Just keeping on
Nice man, that’s good to hear. I always used to tell my soldiers never get out unless you have a solid plan. And I would always help them with their plans and check on them when they got out. Keep on keeping on brother. -Brandon
The only American sedan people want is the Tesla Model 3. Its even desirable overseas. Cant say the same for the other American brands.
4:50 Looking at the sales, no the Jetta doesn't sell well. It sales have basically collapsed since its high of 183k sold in 2012 and now it cant break 50k.
34k in 2022
47k in 2023
So far 33k in 2024.
Thats pretty bad in the American market. Many many cars have been canceled while selling more. I doubt we will have a new gen. But we will see.
It can depend on the area. If you asked me I would tell you the Kia Rio and Mitsubishi Mirage sold very well. But thays just my area. Looking at national sales you can see its pretty mediocre.
I think it depends on the area. The VW dealer in SC can’t keep sedans in stock because they are seeing a resurgence there. 33k in 2024 isn’t bad, we are only little over halfway. Might see it break 50k. You have to also look at every sedan sale, they have all gone down. I think people will switch back at some point. At least I hope they do 🤣
The only modern american sedan that was any good was the Ford Crown Vic. Japanese sedans are highly reliable, and German sedans drive exceptionally well.
Chad, oh yeah brother. That crown Vic was an understoryable engine. I know so many guys who had insane miles…some didn’t deserve those miles with how poorly they treated the car. And yeah, I LOVE German cars. Nothing drives like my BMW…literally the best car I’ve ever owned. I’ve never been in a car that makes me smile every time. -Brandon
Great channel and content but I don’t understand the channel’s name. Maybe you should make the name related to your auto topic. It could help you get more subscribers.
I've considered that but its the name of my business and it also might catch peoples eye because everyone is always like "what is this channel." Idk, I could be wrong. Thanks for sharing the idea my friend, always appreciate hearing from you guys. -Brandon
@@A-BombEnergy I’ve been the CEO of a couple of consumer brands. One rule is that you don’t confuse your brand. Auto and energy drinks aren’t the same unless one is sponsoring the other.
@@A-BombEnergy You could be “Auto Insights” brought to you by A Bomb Energy
Makes sense
The idea is to use guerilla marketing techniques. I may change it to my name because a strong personal brand is more powerful than a company name but nobody has done it this way…idk we could be wrong but it’s a risk. Thank you for taking time to offer your advice my friend. -Brandon
Nissan sedans aren't selling either ... they killed the Maxima, the Altima on the way out ... Sentra is next? its not selling good either. Most are sent to rental companies and come back on the market as a used car.
Yeah Nissan has really destroyed their quality in the last few years unfortunately. I think that might attribute to it. I could be completely wrong though. I know for a fact though that their CVTs have some of the worst on the market. Their engines though aren’t terrible. I’ve seen newish Sentras with a manual transmission clear 200k miles relatively trouble free. But that could be anecdotal. What do you think brother? -Brandon
Sadly I dont think they are going to completly flip cafe standards arround to where trucks get regulated more for one big reason; trucks are a huge part of the economy, and as an employee in a fleet management company I should know. about 75% of our 750k vehicles we manage are 1500-4500 trucks and we cover even up to large peterbuilt semi's. Lots of businesses order pickups without the bed from the factory so they can put an equipment chassis on the back (box, tool chest, crane, etc). Not only that but apparently the big 3 just cant seem to crank them out fast enough. I spoke to an owner of a ski resort in CO who had 7 Ram 1500 trucks on order straight from the dealer 3 months before I called him, 7 months later I had another case with him and asked about the trucks and none of them had been delivered yet.
THAT BEING SAID! I do think cafe standards should be adjusted based on civilian/commercial use, and definetly feel like crossovers and SUV's should be more regulated then smaller vehicles. Either that or CAFE standards should be dropped altogether but I doubt that will happen unfortunetly.
also I would be DOWN for a podcast, hell yeah!
I certainly hope they don’t flip the standards…oh man that would be the catalyst to push everyone to EVs…my fear is because the lightening is out and even the cyber truck that the big daddy in DC, who knows nothing of how anything in the world works, would be like “you got EV trucks, use those.” I certainly hope I’m wrong. I personally would like to see CAFE brought to its knees and let the market dictate where things go.
Working on the podcast now 😁 glad you are interested. I’m excited to get it to you guys. -Brandon
The car companies have got lazy, changes are made for themselves, to make things easier or to please governments, they want to sell overweight, overpriced, high profit vehicles, that are not what the average person wants.
Man brother you nailed it. I get people want SUVs but I’m curious if that was a marketed want or a genuine want from the customer. Gives a lot to think about tbh. Not saying Europe is the shining beacon of customer demand but they seem to be rocking and rolling with sedans. What do you prefer to drive? Any particular model? -Brandon
@A-BombEnergy Hi Brandon, Thanks! I've always liked sedans, or saloons as we call them here in the UK. My best were a v6 ford mondeo and the passat TDI Rline exec model I've owned for 10 years since new. I've also had a few hatch backs including the vr6 golf. Right now I also have a 2009 Vauxhall Asta twin top, just got it, like new with only 32,000 miles, its an absolute gem and getting rare now, same car was sold in US as a saturn. My ideal car would be something like an e class cabrio with at least 3.0 engine. I like a good balance between luxury, quality, cost effective and must be a good drive which the passat has done well. I also love a cabrio 👍
Yes, I love sedans as well and the models you like/own are awesome. I wish Saturn didn’t go away in the US because they really were the best of GM. And 32k miles is SUPER low! Wow what a good deal there brother. I’m really hoping it lasts a long time for you. And owning that E Class would be sick. I’ve recently fallen in love with German cars and really anything European because I’ve traveled/lived there so much. Currently in Belgium lol. So I get where you are coming from with the E Class.
Much love brother 🤙 -Brandon
You wearing makeup in these videos my dude? 🤨
Lol what? No! It might be the lighting? Or my oily skin that leaks so much it could lubricate my BMW engine. Does it look like it?
Toyota Camry is super successful, American Sedans are a failure
Right? I don’t understand when people say “nobody wants sedans” because if that were truly the case, Toyota and Honda would stop selling them. It seems that makers of poorly manufactured products seem to be the only groups not making them. Do you think we will see a resurgence in the market? -Brandon
Second
Glad to have you on the channel my friend :) -Brandon
First.
Glad to have you hear brother! -Brandon