You Can Buy a Jeep Go-Kart That Off-Roads Like the Real Thing
If you can't afford a new Jeep Wrangler, a mini Jeep go kart will let you have fun off-road for just a fraction of the price, but should you buy one?
CloselineIntel
What the trade is reading, watching, and talking about
Monday, October 26, 2026Updated 12m ago
Compliance
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CarBuzz · 22m ago
Ford 7.3L Godzilla V8 Under Federal Investigation Over Alleged Catastrophic Failures
Road & Track · 50m ago
Land Rover Recalling 94,000 Range Rovers Because the Water-Fording SUVs Need New Drain Holes
CBT News · 2h ago
California dealers’ lawsuit over Scout direct sales moves forward, Audi to build US factory, Salesperson performance holds steady
CarBuzz · 2h ago
Tesla Pushing Driverless Cybercab Deliveries, With Or Without Feds' Approval
Motor1 · 4h ago
Nearly 94,000 Range Rovers Recalled Over Rearview Camera Failures
CBT News · 4h ago
Court rejects Volkswagen and Scout bids to dismiss dealer lawsuit
Crash scores and subvented leases are doing your appraising for you
IIHS fails land on three popular crossovers, Volvo buys share at $599 a month, and a California title-jumping mess is the cheapest lesson on the board today.
CRASH SCORES MOVE METAL
The IIHS's updated rear-passenger protocol separated the field again: a rear-belt tweak lifted the Nissan Kicks from Poor to Good, while the Audi Q3, Toyota RAV4 and Chevy Trailblazer came up short — and among large SUVs, only Rivian and Volvo took Top Safety Pick+ for 2026. These scores are year- and build-specific, which is exactly the detail a customer won't catch when they're googling in your office. Know which of your model years carry the better rating and lead with it; know which don't so a phone screen doesn't blow up a deal you already worked.
TITLES, RECALLS, COACHED BUYERS
A California independent is on the forums with the nightmare version of a routine deal — buyer took the title, flipped the car without ever registering it, and now nobody answers the phone. Meanwhile Porsche widened a 'do-not-drive' recall on center-lock wheels that can come loose, and the consumer channels are back out there teaching shoppers which dealer behaviors to treat as red flags. All three are worth a read for the same reason: your delivery file and your open-recall check are the two places a cheap deal turns expensive.
NEW-CAR MONEY, USED-LOT PROBLEM
Volvo is swinging at BMW and Mercedes with a $599/month XC90 lease and 4.99% out to 72 months, Porsche is reportedly raising prices again, and the EV side has gone the other direction — the era of $137-a-month EV6 leases died with the incentives. Subvented luxury payments squeeze what a three-year-old German crossover is worth on your line, so appraise accordingly. The flip side: with new-EV payments back to reality, a clean used EV at a real number is an easier conversation than it was a year ago.
WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE
Stellantis is restarting Hemi V8 production at Dundee, Michigan, chasing 100,000 units in 2026 to clear a 20,000-engine backlog — the only one of today's supply stories with a near-term read. Audi's $4 billion Georgia plant won't build a car until the early 2030s, and Chery is still talking its way toward a U.S. entry it may never get. Translation: V8 Rams and Durangos on your line keep their heat while the factory catches up, and the rest is wallpaper for now.
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