THIS CAR POD! with Doug DeMuro & Friends

Episode: Hoovies Garage Joins! New McLaren SUV, Ford Lightning Canceled & CarMax Collapse?

Date: November 14, 2025
Host: Doug DeMuro
Guests: Nick, Hoovie (Tyler Hoover)

Episode Overview

This lively episode brings YouTube creator Tyler Hoover (“Hoovie’s Garage”) into the studio with Doug and Nick (Kenan and Filippo are absent, to Doug’s mock disappointment). Over the course of the conversation, they buzz through hot news stories like the new Kia Telluride, McLaren’s SUV plans, the Ford Lightning’s rumored cancellation, the CarMax downturn, current car market observations, and answer audience questions. The trio’s chemistry delivers a blend of expertise, personal anecdotes, car nerd banter, and candid opinions about beloved—and infamous—cars.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New Kia Telluride and Three-Row SUVs

Timestamps: 00:09 – 04:12

• Suburbia Gold: Nick predicts Telluride will keep its crown with families, even at a rumored $10K markup. He and Doug note people are still paying over sticker for Toyota Siennas—with Nick saying, “Unless you have 100 grand plus or want an EV… if you want gas… this is the answer.”
• Design Trends: Doug praises Kia for going bold and boxy, saying, “Everyone else… did little touches… Kia just went and made the car look boxy” (02:03).
• Palisade vs. Telluride: Friendly rivalry over which is better, with Hoovie repping the Palisade.
• Aging American SUVs: Discussion about the resilience of old GMT800 Escalades and Tahoe/Yukons—engines still run even as the rest falls apart.
• Quip of the Segment:
  • Hoovie, on deactivated engines: “This is America, guzzling that gas” (03:22).

2. McLaren’s New Halo Car and the SUV Party

Timestamps: 04:14 – 08:21

• The McLaren SUV: Nick lays out the gossip—McLaren’s upcoming 900hp supercar and plug-in hybrid SUV, apparently aiming at the Cayenne Turbo.
• SUVs from Exotics: Doug and Nick are skeptical about the success of exotics’ SUVs. Doug notes that Lotus’s Eletre EV SUV flopped due to price and US tariffs, and Hoovie notes most exotics’ SUV attempts end up “not translating their design language well.”
• On Proportion Sins: Nick: “The cardinal sin everyone does is just trying to take their car and lift it... the proportions don’t work” (07:14).
• Plug-in Hybrid Blues: All agree McLaren’s SUV will have to be a PHEV—“or it’s a failure.”
• Bantery Quotes:
  • “Every vehicle after 2008 is dead to me.” —Nick (06:30)
  • “If Ferrari did it, then no one has to have any shame about trying anymore.” —Nick (06:51)

3. Spiker Comeback, Collector Car Trends & Burying Lemons

Timestamps: 11:03 – 14:28

• Spyker’s Resurrection: Nick celebrates Spyker’s potential reboot, calling them “cooler than Koenigsegg or Pagani…pre-2008 is my jam.” Hoovie prefers a gated R8 over a Spyker, arguing Spyker’s features are more “gimmick.”
• Burying Lemons: Hoovie regales with stories about burying a ruined car for YouTube and the audience backlash—“That car could have fed all the starving kids in Africa.”
• Classic Ownership Woes: The trio joke about bad cars—Rolls-Royces, Arnages, and Silver Seraphs that never run right.

4. Ford Lightning "Canceled"? Towing Reality, Viral Videos, and EV Market

Timestamps: 15:36 – 24:02

• Lightning Doom: Wall Street Journal reports the Lightning is on the chopping block, with only 1,300 sales vs 100,000 regular F150s.
• Hoovie’s Infamy: Hoovie became news fodder after his viral video towing (poorly) with a Lightning. He recalls being featured on “Sean Hannity, Newsmax, Alex Jones…” Doug asks, “Do you have any regrets about your role in killing the American auto industry?” Hoovie quips, “They did a good job themselves” (18:11).
• EVs and Use Case: Consensus that hybrids like the Maverick make sense, but full-EV pickups flop due to poor range—especially in winter.
• Maybach/Mercedes EV Price Cuts: The EQS Maybach plummeting $50K in price, “possibly the hardest new Mercedes-Benz at all to sell” (21:00).
• Market Saturation: Everyone agrees that, as exciting as EVs seemed, many are poor value, and the market is correcting.
• Dealer “advice”: Hoovie dryly shares: “Get gap insurance and you point it toward a tree…” (21:30).

5. Jeep 392’s Return & The Special Edition Carousel

Timestamps: 24:19 – 26:34

• Jeep Drama: Wrangler 392 is back, with a $20K price drop to $82K and a new “12 for 12” special-edition-a-month gimmick.
• Car Industry's Old Habits: Doug: “Chrysler was going EV… Now they’ve axed that. The CEO’s gone. Let’s go back to what we do best—big engines and special editions.”
• Real-Life Wranglers: Family stories, grandpa’s (“pa’s”) 392, and high school Jeep memories.

6. CarMax Collapse, Changing Used-Car Market & Old Dealer Tales

Timestamps: 26:47 – 33:13

• CarMax Troubles: Doug notes CarMax’s stock down 58%. Hoovie, an ex-employee, recalls its creation by Circuit City and the “no haggle” culture that didn’t go over well in Kansas.
• Competitive Landscape: Carvana now beats CarMax on trade-in offers (“wherever they get their magic money from,” Hoovie jokes) and easier online sales.
• Customer Anecdotes: Nick: “I’m just into lowballing… carmax goes against my religion” (32:24).

7. Supercar Market—The Big Four Gathered

Timestamps: 42:00 – 44:44

• Supercar Reunion: Doug, Nick, and friends gathered Enzo, Carrera GT, SLR, and Ford GT for a dream photo (42:10). Regrets were aired over past sales. Nick calls Hoovie’s SLR sale “the most CarMax mentality ever.”
• Values, Memories, & Speculator Blues: Reflection on meteoric value rises—except the SLR.
• Generational Icons: Discussion that, despite production numbers, some cars—like 300SL and F40—remain transcendent icons.

8. 300SL Gullwing—Ownership, Running Costs, and Enjoyment

Timestamps: 35:00 – 41:36

• Hoovie’s New Prize: He describes the joy (and cost) of owning and driving a Gullwing regularly—including a rally with a “bunch of people over 80 and an ex-F1 driver egging him on” (37:40).
• Financial Real Talk: Repair costs aren’t as huge as one might think. “Full retail on what they did would barely be six figures,” says Hoovie.
• Why Keep It? For the pure joy—“I’m done being Mr. Speculator…this was my dream car.”

9. Press Trips, Car Rallies, and Saying No in Automotive Media

Timestamps: 49:10 – 57:45

• Doug’s Philosophy: Doug reveals he now prioritizes family over press events, describing a shift from “yes to everything” to picking his kids’ pumpkin patch over Veyron rallies (57:37).
• Hoovie’s Outlook: He says “yes” to wild experiences, but admits to missing time with family.
• Running Gag: Nick and Hoovie roast Doug for his blunt “no” responses to invitations.

10. The Return of the P38, New Old SUVs, and the Nostalgia SUV Crew

Timestamps: 59:42 – 64:32

• Nick’s Big Reveal: Nick is gifted a P38 Range Rover from a fan—“It was free. I paid shipping and a new battery. I have a P38.” (60:09)
• Hoovie’s Fleet: Adds a 1999 Cadillac Escalade to go with his 2000 P38. Both are excited to relive their GMT800 glory days.
• Old Tech, New Problems: Chat about riding on air vs. coils, endless dashboard warning lights, and absurd electrical gremlins.
• Reflections: Doug: “There is not a land rover shop in this country that doesn’t have six of them sitting in back.”

11. Market Report: Mitsubishi Evo IX MR Soars to $75K

Timestamps: 70:11 – 73:41

• Big Sale: An 8,800-mile Evo IX MR fetches $75,000. Doug expresses surprise at how rare, “find another,” and valuable these JDM icons are becoming.
• Movie Nostalgia: Hoovie rewatched 2 Fast 2 Furious flying in; all agree the early movies still hold up.

12. Audience Q&A Highlights

Timestamps: 74:00 – end

• Spouse Car Shopping: Nick admits, “I bought it for myself and then gave it to her, basically.” Hoovie and April operate similarly, with April driving much of the fleet.
• Jaguar Rescue Plan: Stuck between sedans (“dead”) and SUVs (Land Rover turf), Doug suggests “go wild,” build a 600hp sports sedan with a giant cat logo. Hoovie floats the idea of a Mazda partnership and stretching Miata bones for a spiritual E-Type.
• Influencer Effect: Doug and Hoovie are often told their reviews prompted car purchases—sometimes with regrets (“I’m so sorry you bought that,” jokes Hoovie).
• Kansas 101 for Californians: Episode ends with Hoovie’s Kansas trivia: “When the Arkansas River comes to Kansas, it’s called the AR-Kansas River. If you call it the Arkansas River, you will be shanked” (95:03).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Doug (on Telluride Design): “Kia just went and made the car look boxy.” (02:03)
• Nick (McLaren SUV): “If Ferrari did it, then no one has to have any shame about trying anymore.” (06:51)
• Hoovie (on viral Lightning video): “I was everywhere from Sean Hannity, Newsmax… I just made a video talking about it and saying this doesn’t make any sense for any kind of use for anybody using a truck.” (17:29)
• Doug (on audience outrage at car destruction): “There were needy children, hungry children who could have eaten the car. And now they cannot eat the car.” (10:32)
• Hoovie (Gullwing): “This was the adult dream car for me since I was 16 years old.” (41:09)
• Doug (on saying no): “I would never do a rally, for example. I’d rather be with my family. I know it’s unusual, especially for dads.” (54:15)
• Nick (Jaguar’s future): “If you want a British sports car, you get an Aston Martin. They’re kind of just in no man’s land.” (88:25)
• Hoovie (Kansas fact): “When the Arkansas river comes to Kansas, it is called the AR-Kansas River. And if you call it the Arkansas river in Kansas, you will be shanked.” (95:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kia Telluride Discourse: 00:09 – 04:12
• McLaren SUV & Supercar SUVs: 04:14 – 08:21
• Spyker, Lemons, Burying Cars: 11:03 – 14:28
• Ford Lightning Cancellation & EVs: 15:36 – 24:02
• Jeep 392 & Wrangler Banter: 24:19 – 26:34
• CarMax Market Woes: 26:47 – 33:13
• Supercar Reunion / Value Talk: 42:00 – 44:44
• Gullwing Ownership / Car Rallying: 35:00 – 41:36
• Life Experience & Press Trips: 49:10 – 57:45
• P38 & Escalade Resurgence: 59:42 – 64:32
• Market Report—Evo MR Sells: 70:11 – 73:41
• Audience Q&A (Jaguar, Influencing, Kansas): 74:00 – End

Final Thoughts

This episode hits its stride by blending car news, wild personal stories, industry insight, and running jokes. Whether you’re a car market obsessive or just love automotive personalities, it offers sharp opinions, laughs, and a rare open discussion about the balance between enthusiasm and responsibility in the hobby—and in life.