Aug. 19, 2025

Beyond the Beaten Path: Car Culture, Getaway Destinations and the Alpha Romeo Tonale

The player is loading ...

Ready to hit the road for Labor Day weekend? We've got you covered with unforgettable Texas destinations that promise adventure, relaxation, and everything in between. From the Victorian charm of Jefferson in the piney woods to the artistic desert oasis of Marfa, we're exploring getaways that take you off the beaten path. Looking for coastal vibes? Discover Palacios, the "Shrimp Capital of Texas" where fishing, kayaking, and seafood create the perfect holiday escape. For cooler temperatures, we recommend the mountain scenery of Fort Davis or the crystal-clear waters of the Frio River at Garner State Park.

The conversation shifts gears as we explore six legendary American car names that left their mark on automotive history. We unpack the stories behind iconic nameplates like the Mercury Marauder, Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, and Plymouth Barracuda – vehicles whose names became as powerful as their engines. From muscle cars that dominated drag strips to controversial designs like the Plymouth Prowler, we examine how these memorable monikers helped define American car culture across generations.

Wrapping up our automotive journey, we take the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale for a spin and share our unfiltered thoughts. This Italian-crafted subcompact SUV delivers impressive performance with its 268-horsepower turbo engine, sporty handling, and distinctive European styling that stands out in a sea of look-alike competitors. Priced at $39,930 for our test model, the Tonale offers surprising value against luxury competitors from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes. Discover why this newcomer might be the perfect blend of practical utility and driving excitement for those who want something beyond the ordinary. Ready to explore new destinations or find your next dream ride? Tune in now!

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

---- -----
Want more In Wheel Time car talk any time?

In Wheel Time is now available on Audacy!

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

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

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

Follow InWheelTime.com for the latest updates!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/InWheelTime

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

https://www.youtube.com/inwheeltime

https://www.Facebook.com/InWheelTime

For more information about In Wheel Time Car Talk, email us at

info@inwheeltime.com

Tags: In Wheel Time, automotive car talk show, car talk, Live car talk show, In Wheel Time Car Talk

InWheelTime.com/InWheelTimeCarTalk.com available on iHeartRadio, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and most podcast providers.

00:00 - Labor Day Texas Getaway Destinations

03:53 - Six Cool American Car Names

11:10 - 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale Review

WEBVTT

00:00:05.185 --> 00:00:13.795
All right, it's Mr Marr's turn for Driving Destinations, and let's talk about Labor Day getaways.

00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:15.224
Yep, labor Day is coming up.

00:00:15.224 --> 00:00:17.070
It's going to be a little bit more time off.

00:00:17.070 --> 00:00:20.640
People are going to have three-day weekends, so you might want to go a little bit further maybe.

00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:24.251
Look at a few different things, such as Jefferson, texas.

00:00:24.251 --> 00:00:26.983
Now this is tucked away in the east texas piney woods.

00:00:26.983 --> 00:00:31.742
It's got a victorian charm and it's got a lot of history that goes with it, with antique shops.

00:00:31.742 --> 00:00:37.902
There's a scenic boat tour of caddo lakes, mysterious bios, which I didn't even know it was close to caddo lake.

00:00:37.902 --> 00:00:44.645
Uh, the jefferson historical museum has ghost tours and the whole labor day a weekend.

00:00:44.645 --> 00:00:47.072
They bring a lot of peaceful atmosphere from big crowds.

00:00:47.072 --> 00:00:50.651
It's perfect for a slow-paced holiday that you want to get away.

00:00:50.651 --> 00:00:54.630
If you want to go a little bit further west to get a little more adventurous.

00:00:54.729 --> 00:00:58.679
Marfa Marfa Texas blends Marfa Lights Exactly Marfa.

00:00:58.679 --> 00:01:10.311
That's a minimalist art in West Texas, desert Beauty and really, if you look at it they've got world-famous art installations that it's amazing that it's out there like the Prada Marfa store.

00:01:10.311 --> 00:01:13.969
They've got scenic drives through the Davis Mountains you can do.

00:01:13.969 --> 00:01:21.686
They've got hot springs, they've got the Marfa lights and there's a lot of quirky character there and it's out in the middle of no place.

00:01:21.686 --> 00:01:25.150
So a great Labor Day weekend if you're looking for something a little different.

00:01:25.150 --> 00:01:29.891
Palacios down south is known as the shrimp capital of Texas.

00:01:29.891 --> 00:01:33.209
Otherwise it's a quiet coastal town, a matagorda bay.

00:01:33.209 --> 00:01:36.260
You can go fishing, kayaking, bird watching along the waterfront.

00:01:36.260 --> 00:01:37.563
You can also go to Amsterdam.

00:01:38.888 --> 00:01:39.510
Amsterdam.

00:01:39.670 --> 00:01:41.844
Yeah, see, it's right on that boat.

00:01:42.266 --> 00:01:44.006
Oh, that's true, I didn't pay attention to that.

00:01:44.025 --> 00:01:45.978
You get a knock on the door it says Amsterdam on it.

00:01:46.521 --> 00:01:47.504
You got shrimp down there.

00:01:47.504 --> 00:01:48.509
You got boiled shrimp.

00:01:48.509 --> 00:01:50.025
You got corn shrimp.

00:01:50.025 --> 00:01:51.185
You got fried shrimp.

00:01:51.185 --> 00:01:53.243
You got baked shrimp, you got.

00:01:53.243 --> 00:01:54.045
And.

00:01:54.266 --> 00:01:55.968
Bubba Bubba shrimp, lieutenant Dan.

00:01:55.968 --> 00:02:01.164
Well, we're going to go back out west, out to Fort Davis, and I out to Fort Davis.

00:02:01.164 --> 00:02:02.465
I've actually been to Fort Davis.

00:02:02.465 --> 00:02:04.728
It's way out west.

00:02:04.728 --> 00:02:07.873
Mountain scenery, got lots of cool nights, a lot of old west history.

00:02:07.873 --> 00:02:13.868
Again, this is out in the middle of no place and it was a real fort that they used in the early days.

00:02:13.868 --> 00:02:17.585
You can go hiking in the Davis Mountains scenic drives.

00:02:17.585 --> 00:02:19.526
The McDonald Observatory is around there.

00:02:19.526 --> 00:02:22.145
But if you really want to go there and do stargazing.

00:02:22.185 --> 00:02:25.211
You've got to make reservations about a year, year and a half in advance.

00:02:25.211 --> 00:02:32.502
Really, it's really high elevation so it's a lot cooler during Labor Day weekend Also out there.

00:02:32.502 --> 00:02:40.634
If you're looking for something a little more active outside Garner State Park in the Hill Country, You've got crystal-flowing Frio River Swimming.

00:02:40.634 --> 00:02:44.443
Now this is a real popular place to go tubing and canoeing.

00:02:44.443 --> 00:02:47.572
You can hike limestone trails, camp out on the starry skies.

00:02:47.572 --> 00:02:56.489
The park actually has jukebox dances during the summer at night and it's a great place to go off-grid.

00:02:57.900 --> 00:03:01.550
And of course, you can't go without saying something about Granbury.

00:03:01.550 --> 00:03:11.444
We go to Granbury and a small town Got a lake, Got places on Granbury and a small town Got a lake, Got places on the lake, Got a lot of history there, Opera house, Labor Day weekend A lot of things to do there.

00:03:11.444 --> 00:03:13.448
And I want to finish up with Terralingua.

00:03:13.448 --> 00:03:15.627
Now this is a former mining ghost town.

00:03:15.627 --> 00:03:23.427
I've been there down in the Big Bend A lot of rugged beauty and stuff down in there and of course course, the famous Terlingua chili cook-off.

00:03:23.427 --> 00:03:25.430
I think it's called Terlingua Terlingua.

00:03:25.811 --> 00:03:26.692
Not Terlingua.

00:03:27.513 --> 00:03:29.175
It depends on how much you've been drinking tequila.

00:03:29.634 --> 00:03:30.475
But they've got a lot of.

00:03:30.716 --> 00:03:34.997
There's a mansion down there that's been restored and turned into a hotel.

00:03:34.997 --> 00:03:39.526
They've got a lot of unique places that you can sleep and go to places to eat.

00:03:39.526 --> 00:03:43.451
It's a really cool place to drive to, but it's way out there.

00:03:43.451 --> 00:03:44.152
West Texas.

00:03:44.473 --> 00:03:45.455
All right, Thank you, sir.

00:03:45.455 --> 00:03:53.445
In real time Car Talk continues after this quick break.

00:03:53.445 --> 00:03:55.449
Car culture Always look forward to this.

00:03:55.449 --> 00:03:58.132
Six cool American car names.

00:03:58.132 --> 00:04:00.855
The names exist, but the cars certainly don't Right.

00:04:02.340 --> 00:04:03.461
Well, this is what we got, these American car names.

00:04:03.461 --> 00:04:07.487
A pivotal part of any vehicle is, of course, its name names.

00:04:07.487 --> 00:04:08.610
It can make or break a model.

00:04:08.610 --> 00:04:10.774
Go ahead, mike.

00:04:10.774 --> 00:04:14.427
It carry as much weight as the engine, the drivetrain configuration and also the looks.

00:04:14.427 --> 00:04:26.404
The first one we have here is a mercury marauder, first introduced in 1963, the sinister one of the of these combined muscle cars menace from the ford motor company, the Mercury Marauder.

00:04:26.404 --> 00:04:39.153
Originally intended as a sub-model in the three-sized Mercury model align, it became a standalone model in 1966 and acquired its name from a series of V8 engines that the company first unveiled in 1958.

00:04:39.153 --> 00:04:44.973
A Marauder is essentially a pirate, an unsavory individual who steals and plunders, sort of like us.

00:04:44.973 --> 00:04:49.490
It was a perfect name a performance model aimed to dominate the drag strip.

00:04:49.490 --> 00:04:51.745
So there you go, that's a good-looking car there.

00:04:51.745 --> 00:04:57.279
The next one we have here is a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, introduced in 1969.

00:04:57.939 --> 00:04:59.646
The Trans Am is named— Breaker 1.9.

00:04:59.666 --> 00:05:00.048
There you go.

00:05:00.048 --> 00:05:06.574
Its name came to define the performance icon one loved over generations for its styling and performance.

00:05:06.574 --> 00:05:15.767
Like many of the models on this list, it's conceived during the pony and muscle car glory years of the 60s, before coming into its own in the 70s.

00:05:15.767 --> 00:05:24.552
The name literally comes from a mythological bird, bright orange in color, commonly seen on fire in the media and in folklore.

00:05:24.552 --> 00:05:25.980
So that's where that name comes from.

00:05:26.583 --> 00:05:28.569
Next one is a plymouth barracuda mike.

00:05:28.569 --> 00:05:30.535
In 1969 it was introduced.

00:05:30.535 --> 00:05:32.000
Watch your vehicle to be a winner.

00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:36.615
Name it after one of the ocean's most iconic predators, the barracuda.

00:05:36.615 --> 00:05:49.548
When it was an open secret that ford was designing the car, the wood this would become the mustang, plymouth decided to get in the action and created a sporty car based on the Valiant and its compact dubbed the Barracuda.

00:05:49.548 --> 00:05:53.168
The first two of a sporty car based on the Valiant.

00:05:53.168 --> 00:05:54.692
The generations were fine.

00:05:54.692 --> 00:05:56.120
I'm sorry.

00:05:56.120 --> 00:06:00.512
They were fine cars, but the third that showed the Barracuda could do when it was bare as teeth.

00:06:00.512 --> 00:06:08.026
Sharing the e-body platform of the Dodge Challenger, the Barracuda was a smidgen smaller but featured a unique styling to separate it.

00:06:08.026 --> 00:06:10.531
Next one, Michael, is a Mercury Cougar.

00:06:10.531 --> 00:06:11.360
I like this car.

00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.466
I wish I had one back in the day when I had my Nova.

00:06:13.466 --> 00:06:15.250
This was introduced in 69.

00:06:15.250 --> 00:06:16.279
A friend of mine had one of these.

00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:22.824
You know, everybody thinks that that is an absolute remake of the Ford Mustang.

00:06:22.824 --> 00:06:23.384
It is not.

00:06:23.404 --> 00:06:23.964
No, it's not.

00:06:23.964 --> 00:06:27.947
No, it was actually designed similar to it, but it wasn't.

00:06:27.947 --> 00:06:36.862
It actually wasn't as many enthusiasts, many enthusiasts, what their favorite car name was all time the Mercury Cougar Eliminator.

00:06:36.862 --> 00:06:42.322
Everything about the name is awesome, starting with the Mercury brand name, which is a great starting point.

00:06:42.322 --> 00:06:49.021
Adding the Cougar to the lineup was a great choice because it gave the brand an attractive cousin to the Ford Mustang.

00:06:49.021 --> 00:06:49.884
It was only a cousin.

00:06:49.884 --> 00:06:57.004
Then, of course, tracking the Eliminator in 1969 to donate the high-performance variant Really took it over the edge.

00:06:57.004 --> 00:06:59.175
It's Cougar, eliminate the Competition.

00:06:59.175 --> 00:06:59.819
So there you go.

00:07:00.451 --> 00:07:02.014
Was it the XLR?

00:07:02.014 --> 00:07:03.177
Yes, was that one of them?

00:07:03.177 --> 00:07:04.300
Cougar XLR.

00:07:05.089 --> 00:07:07.697
That was the fancy, high-end version of it.

00:07:07.697 --> 00:07:09.000
Right, the Eagle Talon.

00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:11.290
You wouldn't figure this one would be one, but in 1990.

00:07:11.790 --> 00:07:12.850
I remember going to the car show.

00:07:12.850 --> 00:07:16.012
I remember going to the car show and that was the first time I saw that we went.

00:07:16.012 --> 00:07:18.732
Wow, that really looks cool.

00:07:19.552 --> 00:07:30.997
The first couple of generations of the Mitsubishi Eclipse put the car on the tuner map, but not everyone knows it was also sold under a joint Chrysler-Mitsubishi partnership under the Eagle and Plymouth brands.

00:07:30.997 --> 00:07:36.319
While the Plymouth Laser name is also pretty sweet, the Eagle Talon just fits too well.

00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:38.959
It's the perfect description of a car with performance.

00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:40.699
Though two generations.

00:07:40.699 --> 00:07:46.601
The car looked and sounded awesome when it optioned for the TSI trim with optional all-wheel drive.

00:07:46.601 --> 00:07:47.642
That's great stuff.

00:07:47.642 --> 00:07:50.163
The last one, not my favorite, but here you go.

00:07:50.163 --> 00:07:53.064
It's introduced in 1997 as the Plymouth Prowler.

00:07:53.064 --> 00:07:55.045
I think you drove one, didn't you?

00:07:55.225 --> 00:07:56.605
Don I did when it first came out.

00:07:56.605 --> 00:07:58.466
My dad loved that car.

00:07:58.547 --> 00:08:04.548
This Prowler is easily one of the most controversial American cars ever made a hot rod for then modern age.

00:08:04.548 --> 00:08:13.598
It had styling inspired by classic hot rods of the 30s and when the concept car was unveiled in 1993, the world immediately fell in love with it.

00:08:13.598 --> 00:08:19.076
However, as we all likely know, the result was a vehicle that left a lot to be desired.

00:08:19.076 --> 00:08:27.245
The design was tamed, ugly bumpers were added and the hope of real performance was squashed when they put an automatic V6 in the vehicle.

00:08:27.526 --> 00:08:28.067
Just awful.

00:08:28.067 --> 00:08:31.940
And you know, the funny thing about that was the car looked so good.

00:08:31.940 --> 00:08:33.657
The interior even was really cool.

00:08:33.657 --> 00:08:38.782
The problem was with the out of top on it, the body flex on that thing.

00:08:38.782 --> 00:08:44.107
It would just take off from a stop sign, not even fast, yeah, and you could feel the twisting body.

00:08:44.107 --> 00:08:45.614
Yeah, and that V6 engine.

00:08:45.614 --> 00:08:52.788
It was so lame and all I could think of is the Chevrolet SSR Remember that thing.

00:08:52.807 --> 00:08:54.355
Yeah, yeah, yeah, looked really cool.

00:08:59.909 --> 00:09:03.905
What a weak, limp piece of yeah and there wasn't, and there wasn't even enough bones there to to hop up like the v6 on this.

00:09:03.905 --> 00:09:04.508
It really wasn't.

00:09:04.528 --> 00:09:20.159
Don't forget the top and that bizarre top that did all this manipulation and folding and everything, and they went back behind the back seats and you couldn't open the back trunk well, which would have been the bed, because the lid on it wouldn't open far enough.

00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.256
What was the purpose of that?

00:09:23.712 --> 00:09:25.038
There was just a lot of things.

00:09:25.770 --> 00:09:28.278
Who said, yeah, let's build that.

00:09:28.278 --> 00:09:28.779
No.

00:09:29.991 --> 00:09:35.799
Sometimes it looks like the car comes from the engineers without any input from the marketing guys that really are going to sell it.

00:09:36.110 --> 00:09:41.716
I think they're in a meeting and said, said we need something different, we need something over the top, off the edge, and that's what they came up with.

00:09:41.855 --> 00:09:55.082
My opinion, you know I talked to a chevrolet guy about that and he said you know, we spent a lot of money on stamping those fenders because we hadn't used that technology since the 1950s.

00:09:55.082 --> 00:09:57.509
If remember, the fenders were very round.

00:09:57.509 --> 00:10:01.418
Yeah, big bulbous fenders, almost like the rear fender of a motorcycle yeah.

00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:06.059
Yeah, and you know, we were talking about the Firebird a minute ago.

00:10:06.059 --> 00:10:22.999
Mm-hmm, I was talking to Bill Seitz this week and Bill Seitz, longtime friend of mine, and we were talking about old school cars longtime friend of mine and we were talking about old school cars and Bill Seitz, ashamedly had a.

00:10:22.999 --> 00:10:24.259
Sunbird.

00:10:24.259 --> 00:10:28.703
Do you remember the Pontiac Sunbird oh?

00:10:29.365 --> 00:10:30.326
Was it his or his wife?

00:10:30.865 --> 00:10:40.056
Well, both of them Either way, because they had two Corvettes and they needed the daily drivers, so they bought the Sunbird, sort of similarly shaped kind of.

00:10:40.056 --> 00:10:45.278
No, no, it was not, it was what we like to refer to in the business as a turd.

00:10:45.278 --> 00:10:45.879
Oh.

00:10:46.542 --> 00:10:47.003
An opus.

00:10:48.390 --> 00:10:58.245
And it had a four-speed manual transmission and a not weak but a watery four-cylinder engine in it.

00:10:58.245 --> 00:11:01.231
I don't even know how it got up to 60 miles an hour.

00:11:01.231 --> 00:11:04.193
Oh, wow, yeah, Honey X Sunbird.

00:11:04.193 --> 00:11:10.894
All right Time now for this hour's car review.

00:11:10.894 --> 00:11:18.749
I had a chance to drive the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale all-wheel drive.

00:11:18.749 --> 00:11:25.985
Now the final assembly location is Pamigliano d'Arco, Naples, Italy.

00:11:25.985 --> 00:11:27.687
Wow, how did I do?

00:11:27.687 --> 00:11:28.408
Can you spell that?

00:11:28.448 --> 00:11:28.870
Terribly.

00:11:29.495 --> 00:11:32.682
I can spell it, but it won't do any good because it doesn't make any difference.

00:11:32.682 --> 00:11:34.707
I can spell Tonio Pomigliano.

00:11:34.707 --> 00:11:44.568
Available trim levels Base, intensa, tributo and Italiano.

00:11:44.568 --> 00:11:46.759
There you go.

00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:50.682
I had the base model.

00:11:50.682 --> 00:11:57.515
It is considered a subcompact suv, but in our language it's a small suv.

00:11:57.515 --> 00:12:02.666
Still seats five people, all new in 2024, so this is a relatively new vehicle.

00:12:02.666 --> 00:12:04.676
It's got a great shape.

00:12:04.676 --> 00:12:13.090
Love the distinct sporty shape with menacing headlights and Alfa's Scudetto grille.

00:12:13.090 --> 00:12:15.280
Bet, you didn't even know that, did you?

00:12:15.842 --> 00:12:16.184
No.

00:12:16.575 --> 00:12:19.144
It's called a Scudetto grille.

00:12:19.144 --> 00:12:23.625
Unique wheels with round spokes.

00:12:23.625 --> 00:12:34.109
Rear taillights emulate the headlight design, big dual exhaust tips with a rear sunshade over the rear glass what I liked?

00:12:34.109 --> 00:12:37.740
The Tonale gets high marks for its killer design.

00:12:37.740 --> 00:12:40.065
In my opinion, what could use improvement?

00:12:40.065 --> 00:12:41.427
Nothing Don't jack with it.

00:12:41.427 --> 00:12:41.928
Here's why.

00:12:41.928 --> 00:12:46.174
Because so many SUVs look the same the taillights.

00:12:46.174 --> 00:12:57.682
If you took the name of the vehicle off of it, I hear you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between no offense, yeah, a buick, right, or you know an audi any of those yeah, I agree exactly.

00:12:58.926 --> 00:13:03.317
Interior highlights start stop button is on the steering wheel, right there, see it.

00:13:03.317 --> 00:13:04.399
I loved it.

00:13:04.399 --> 00:13:05.542
Uh.

00:13:05.542 --> 00:13:07.544
Unique, uh wheels.

00:13:07.544 --> 00:13:09.750
I told you about that with the round spokes.

00:13:09.750 --> 00:13:13.400
We're doing the interior now, don Good, nice dash layout.

00:13:13.400 --> 00:13:15.662
Huge paddle shifters Huge.

00:13:15.662 --> 00:13:19.523
If you're into paddle shifting, this is the bomb.

00:13:19.523 --> 00:13:20.404
Mike's into paddling.

00:13:20.404 --> 00:13:29.701
Spanking Seat material Attractive and cool Dash and footwell, accent lights.

00:13:29.701 --> 00:13:32.577
Sweet Cargo room.

00:13:32.577 --> 00:13:34.504
Small, but this is a small SUV.

00:13:34.504 --> 00:13:36.302
What I liked about it most everything.

00:13:36.302 --> 00:13:42.339
We like the wetsuit-style fabric on the seats Cool, I don't know how else to describe it.

00:13:42.339 --> 00:13:44.205
We could use improvement.

00:13:44.205 --> 00:13:50.765
Small infotainment screen that was a little slow to react to touch inputs.

00:13:50.765 --> 00:13:58.836
A 2-liter turbo 4-cylinder with 268 horsepower, which is a lot Torque.

00:13:58.836 --> 00:14:07.408
295, 9-speed automatic transmission so that's how they could get away with a little bit less horsepower in, basically, a sport SUV.

00:14:07.408 --> 00:14:18.211
Miles per gallon 21 city city, 29, highway for combined to 24, believe it or not, I got 29.7 miles per gallon over 461.5 miles.

00:14:18.251 --> 00:14:23.447
Wow, that's pretty darn good, that's really good, but I like plenty of power to throw it around corners.

00:14:23.447 --> 00:14:27.520
And I say that in a sincere way, because you want to what?

00:14:27.520 --> 00:14:27.902
Because you?

00:14:27.962 --> 00:14:28.323
want to.

00:14:28.323 --> 00:14:30.373
And Well, because you want to and it can, Because it can.

00:14:30.393 --> 00:14:35.924
Because it can, and that's the one cool thing about it that most SUVs don't have in this category.

00:14:35.924 --> 00:14:38.020
What could use improvement?

00:14:38.020 --> 00:14:43.422
Start-stop was annoying and couldn't turn it off oh wow, maybe I just couldn't figure out a way to turn it off.

00:14:43.422 --> 00:14:44.485
Well, that's true.

00:14:44.485 --> 00:14:48.443
Parking brake automatically engages when you put it in park.

00:14:48.443 --> 00:14:55.645
Turbolag in some situations.

00:14:55.645 --> 00:14:59.220
Ride and handling the sportiness is what I really liked about it.

00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:00.123
What could use improvement?

00:15:00.123 --> 00:15:02.471
If you don't like a sporty ride and handling, then buy something else.

00:15:02.471 --> 00:15:03.639
Don't buy a sports car.

00:15:03.639 --> 00:15:07.562
Yeah, because that's what this is it's a sports car SUV.

00:15:07.562 --> 00:15:13.575
The base model price is $36,495.

00:15:13.575 --> 00:15:17.365
The base trim price wait a minute, I've got that.

00:15:17.365 --> 00:15:21.105
The base trim price is $36,495 on this because it is the base model.

00:15:21.105 --> 00:15:26.177
Total price with a couple of options, including the destination charge $39,930.

00:15:26.177 --> 00:15:27.698
Really, I know $39,930.

00:15:27.698 --> 00:15:35.423
Really, I know I was impressed not only by the price but the hot rod ride, the hot rod handling.

00:15:35.423 --> 00:15:36.784
I'm all in.

00:15:37.504 --> 00:15:45.490
Two things I'm noticing in that is that you don't see or you don't hear of the Alfa Romero Romero very often getting recalled for anything.

00:15:45.490 --> 00:15:46.191
No, you don't.

00:15:46.191 --> 00:15:47.191
That I remember.

00:15:47.331 --> 00:15:50.033
I hadn't thought of that and the other thing is, you keep saying toenail.

00:15:51.514 --> 00:15:52.587
I'm going to have to make a pedicure appointment.

00:15:52.587 --> 00:15:53.697
I didn't have to say toenail, you said toenail.

00:15:53.697 --> 00:15:54.538
I didn't say that.

00:15:54.538 --> 00:15:55.140
Keep saying it.

00:15:55.201 --> 00:15:56.566
I'm going to have to have my toes done.

00:15:58.355 --> 00:16:06.701
Actual competitors are the BMW X1, the Audi Q3, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA, and all of those are more expensive.

00:16:06.760 --> 00:16:10.347
Well, I was going to say those are, so this is the better bargain out of all of those.

00:16:10.427 --> 00:16:20.970
I think so, and if you're into a small SUV and you want to have kind of a hot rod thing going on and something different that doesn't look like all the rest of them, go check it out.

00:16:21.274 --> 00:16:25.500
And you're in the Euro phase, the European vehicle, you know.

00:16:25.520 --> 00:16:30.408
Italian, and I bet you you'll find one at an Alfa store that's already beat the tariffs.

00:16:30.408 --> 00:16:38.525
Yeah, just saying so, the 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonali all-wheel drive, perfect, yeah.

00:16:39.246 --> 00:16:39.607
Nice car.

00:16:39.847 --> 00:16:40.109
All right.

Beyond the Beaten Path: Car Culture, Getaway Destinations and the Alpha Romeo Tonale

Listen On

2025 In Wheel Time Episodes

Recent Episodes