Bridging Tradition and Innovation: 2025 Kia K4, Hummer EV, and Cars for Senior Drivers

2025 Kia K4 Car Review

Speaker 1 0:10

All right time now for this hour's car review . I had a chance to drive the Kia K4 for 2025 . It is assembled in Pescaria , mexico . What it is Available , trim levels include the LX , the LXS , the EX , the GT line the GT line and we had the EX . It's a midsize car . Four-door seats , five . It's all new for 2025 . I really like this thing too .

Speaker 2 0:40

Yeah , you said , you did .

Speaker 1 0:40

Yeah , sleek modern design with a front fascia that reminds of electric vehicles . It's that slick I thought it was . Yeah , rear quarter and roof line integration is a bit cumbersome back there by the rear door . It also includes the door handle and I guess that's why they kind of made it look kind of funky . If you look at it in a faraway picture , I didn't really have a problem with it and I really didn't notice it stand out until I started looking at some of the pictures that we took of it and it was just very different At any rate , horizontal and vertical and vertical rear lighting , horizontal and vertical . Now , each trim gets its own wheel design , but I liked about it . The overall design gets high marks in my mind . What could use improvement ? That rear roof integration that I didn't notice until I started looking at some pictures of it . Interior highlights 12.3-inch infotainment screen with Android and Apple connections . Single screen integrates the instrument and infotainment center , so it's all one great big screen up there . It is really cool . Linear HVAC vents in one smooth dash design .

Speaker 1 2:00

Seating is comfortable , with nice materials . Interesting fabric choice too . It's something that you're going to go really . Huh , that works . Seating is comfortable , with nice materials . Interesting fabric choice too . It's something that you're going to go really . Huh , that works . Cargo trunk room is small because this is a small vehicle . They call it a midsize , but trust me , it's small . What I liked about it the slick design . We could use improvement . The seat covering design could be a little bit more attractive through some piping or some little zing to it . Yeah , little ching , little bling .

Speaker 1 2:29

Mm-hmm Engine is a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine 147 horsepower , 132 pound-feet of torque . You think , oh , that's not enough power for me . Yeah , it is . It's got a CVT transmission . Here's the fun part 29 miles per gallon in the city , 39 on the highway for a combined of 33 . I got 35 miles per gallon with this thing , over 295.2 miles . What I liked about it ? The mileage , obviously . What could use improvement ? Not a thing . Mileage and power is a good combo for this car and I'll tell you what's even better the price , ride and handling , nice with an independent rear suspension . What could use improvement ? I just wrote down here . Leave it alone .

Speaker 3 3:15

Don't touch it , it's perfect .

Speaker 1 3:16

Don't touch it , okay . Base trim price on my vehicle , which I told you was an EX , is $23,990 . Price is tested $25,320 . Base model price drum roll $23,000 . $21,990 . No , $21,990 . That counts against my score . That does count against your score ?

Speaker 3 3:41

Yeah , it does .

Speaker 1 3:42

Anyway , competitors well , can't beat the price , man . Honda Civic starts at $24,250 . The Toyota Corolla goes for $22,175 , if you can find one with a base model . Hyundai Elantra is $22,025 . I really did like this car , $1,025 . I really did like this car . Kia and Hyundai are winning me over in several fronts , and this is one of them . This is a non-turbocharged four-cylinder engine that gets that kind of mileage . I'm all in . I mean , you know , even if it's not a first car for you , if it's a second car or a driver back and forth to work , how do you beat that ?

Speaker 3 4:25

Yeah .

Speaker 1 4:27

And you don't have to worry about plugging it in somewhere Exactly and we're going to get into the plug-in vehicles and the electrics here in a little while during the show , but I tell you what EV sales are going down A little bit . Yeah , and you know they're sitting on the lots and they're trying to move them , but it's a little difficult because they're a little bit pricey . Anyway , that's my review of the 2025 Kia K4 . Very good ?

Speaker 2 4:57

I don't know , so is this something , maybe for you as a second car later on , because I know you want to keep the Vette , but you don't want to keep the Vette . You want to work on the vet . You want to keep the vet . You're a little indecisive on that .

Speaker 1 5:09

So would this be something that you would go to Possibly , especially if I had to commute , because it's an easy commute car . It rides great , it gets good gas mileage , it's quiet . Going back and forth to work and if I put a lot of miles , I got a friend of mine that puts 60 miles a day one way back and forth to work , commuting . He drives a Dodge Challenger with a Hemi motor .

Speaker 3 5:32

Oh boy .

Speaker 1 5:33

This would beat it by three times as far as gas mileage is concerned . How do you say no , I don't want that , I'm all into that .

Speaker 3 5:41

Well , that's the thing . It took me a long time to teach my son that you can have your toys but you've got to have something to get to work to pay for them toys . So , like Jeff was talking about , you want the Corvette but you need a commuter car to save the wear and tear on the Corvette and drive it because it's special .

Speaker 1 5:56

Well , you know , we have some friends of ours that have growing children . That won't be too long . I'm looking at Rochelle salinas right now . That won't be too long and they're going to start paying for college education . Okay , so what are you going to do for them when they get there ? Yeah , public transportation depends on where . Yes , exactly , and you know they're going to want a car now . Do you want ?

Speaker 3 6:17

to buy , need a car .

Speaker 1 6:18

Got it , you know well , sooner or later , somebody's going to need a car and we want them to come home when they want to come home . We want them to be safe and we don't want a car that's in the shop all the time broken down and so you want to give them something , especially when I had two girls . So you know you don't want to leave them stranded on the highway and I think that's something to consider , certainly with you know warranties and that sort of thing , and they're reliable and they get great gas mileage , and well , that's something I would definitely have to consider . So , richard , just be with us for just a little bit longer . We're going to get to Mr Mars . First Thumbs up from Richard , because he's got a hissy fit going on over here .

Speaker 2 7:12

He does not .

Speaker 1 7:14

So we're going to do that . Let's do it . Richard's going to be with us in a minute , all right . This hour's car review from Mr Mars is of the Hummer .

Speaker 3 7:21

EV . Now this is the 2025 GMC EV3X SUV . Now , I point that out because the first one to come out was the truck In 2022 , they came out with the Hummer truck in an EV format , and so last year , 2024 is when they created the SUV .

Impressive Features of the Hummer EV

Speaker 3 7:40

You can have the SUV in two trim levels . You can have either the EV2X or you can have the 3X . We happen to have the 3X . Not a whole lot of difference in them , but it is a different trim level . Seats five passengers .

Speaker 3 7:51

Up front You're going to find an e-trunk with a power hood that opens up . That's basically where you can put some storage in there . You're going to find your cables for charging and everything . It's got LED lighting all the way around , including a light bar across the very front that says Hummer EV . It's pretty cool at night . There's no doubt people see you coming . They know what you're doing .

Speaker 3 8:11

It's got some fixed aluminum step plates that you're going to need to get up into this vehicle . They don't lower , but it rides pretty high with these 22-inch wheels and the tires that they've got on this thing , which really come in handy . Now . It's got the power-heated side view mirror . It's got a power rear swing gate , which is where the full-size spare is mounted . It swings out to the right and left with a push of a button . It does roll on some 22-inch aluminum wheels , which are a $4,500 option for the ones that we happen to have . You're going to find skid plates . You're going to find cameras for off-roading . We had the trailering package , so there's a lot of features that are built into this . A lot of it was options , but it's pretty easy to get them Inside . We had premium leather , alternative seating surfaces , alternative .

Speaker 1 9:00

Is this a ?

Speaker 3 9:00

DEI seating .

Speaker 1 9:01

I'm not sure .

Speaker 3 9:03

The front seats are heated , ventilated .

Speaker 3 9:05

The second row seats the outboard seats are heated and that is a 60 40 folding seat . Now , in the center of the dash , you're going to find 13.4 inch diagonal touch screen . You're going to find your infotainment there , your convenience controls , your nav , your cameras . All that good stuff is going to be all right there where it's easy to reach . The . The driver has a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster that you can kind of move around to whichever way you want it for whatever you're doing . It's got wireless technology , apple CarPlay , android . It's got front and rear USB ports in this vehicle so your rear passengers won't be bugging you . It's got an HD surround view with selectable cameras so you can pick which camera you want to see . This is really going to be handy in the off-roading and this vehicle is really geared more to the off-roading , in my opinion , than it is to running around town . That's because this is a big vehicle . How big is it , big vehicle ? So big ? Yes , it's big enough that it has a bose premium 14 speaker audio system on the inside of it . That sounds really great .

Speaker 3 10:08

Now this is the three motor ev all-wheel drive system . Now there's one motor for the front and two for the rear . Now this produces the equivalent of 830 horsepower , 11 500 pound feet of torque . This vehicle uh well , I missed it word up at the weight there's a one speed transmission 11 000 pound feet of torque . 11 500 pound feet of torque towing or torque 11 500 pounds . Wow , that's what it said . I wrote it down twice . All right , now it will tow 7,500 pounds . It's rated to haul 1,300 pounds and they say GMC says it's got a 314-mile range . Now they also say that if you're using your 240 charger at home , if you run this baby down to zero , it's going to take you 10 and a half hours to charge it . Now I went to a charger at 41% to charge it up . For them to come and pick it up . It took me two and a half hours to go from 41 to 90 . But that wasn't a fast charger , that's the fastest thing I got .

Speaker 1 11:16

Well over there at Niterville , they're just now getting away from bicycles and moving into the car era .

Speaker 3 11:22

Now , this vehicle weighs 9,063 pounds , that's why you need all that torque .

Speaker 2 11:27

Oh , my Lord , 9,000 .

Speaker 3 11:30

There goes all that torque , yep , gee , whiz , and according to the computer I got 1.2 miles per kilowatt hour and I drove it 104 miles and I found a formula that so , by the time you do the conversion , that actually equates out to 37 miles per gallon equivalent , and this vehicle , by the way , it says it'll do zero to 60 .

Speaker 1 11:52

In 10 minutes Three seconds , wow . Have you noticed that I'm slumping in my seat ?

Speaker 3 11:58

I see that You're fading fast . I'm going to hurry 35-inch , big , fat tires . What's amazing is you get in this thing . It's really big . You know you're in a big vehicle , but going down the road it's remarkably smooth and I think it's because Of the big tires . They got some big meat On this thing . Loud and they're not loud . Oh , okay , no , they're not .

Speaker 3 12:18

So , as far as this goes , base model price for this vehicle Now again , two trims is all you get $96,550 for the 2X four-door SUV . Base trim price for the 3X is $104,850 . Now the MSRP for the one that we had to test and drive with all the options $107,920 . Now , if you're looking for something , the best I could come up with something to compare to this would be the Rivian R1S . It starts out at $82,900 . It's got a 300-mile range , so it's got a little bit bigger , a little bit better . Land Rover Range Rover , which is more of a hybrid , starts at $107,900 . You might want to look at the Tesla Cybertruck , because it's not really a truck . It doesn't have a truck bed on it , but the all-wheel drive version of that starts at $79,990 . And they're going to come out with a new one for $99,999 .

Speaker 1 13:20

And you might also want to check out the used cement truck down the street because it's about the same size .

Speaker 3 13:25

I was very surprised driving this vehicle and the way it drove , the way it handled it , and I was very surprised I didn't start talking with an Austrian accent by the end of the week .

Speaker 1 13:34

Oh , nay , nay time now for jeff's feature of the week yep sex sex okay , we are off the air . And that's a combination of six best Sext .

Top Cars for Senior Drivers

Speaker 2 14:02

Cars for older drivers . Golden years is what we're calling it now . So as we move forward through life , our needs , priorities shift , especially when it comes to driving . The open road can still offer plenty of excitement . As we get older , it's more about finding the comfort , convenience and peace of mind . Enlightenment as we get older is more about finding the comfort , convenience and peace of mind , whether you're looking for a reliable car or running errands or just visiting the folks that you know across the plains . So the first one we have here , michael , is a 2025 Mazda CX-5 . Now , senior drivers seeking for a blend of comfort and class find the CX-5 a delight . Find the CX-5 a delight . Its compact frame follows the effortlessly maneuverability , while its smooth ride cushions well over bumps . Now this car lists at 28,570 and it scores 9.3 out of 10 . For seniors , that's not bad . The next one is a 25 Honda Accord . With the family lifetime of the road , this car has been around a while . Sedan does offer nearly everything you would want in it . Of course , it is a Honda . It accelerates briskly , corners and the poise around those corners is a gentle ride . This car is $28,295 , and it also scores a 9.3 out of 10 .

Speaker 2 15:20

Here we have one . I think Don's driving one , or Don is driving a Buick this week that I know . It's a 2025 Buick Encore GX . That's yours , isn't it ? No , I've got the Envision . This is for savvy seniors , of course . Anybody that owns a Buick is pretty savvy in my book , looking for a compact car , yet capable SUV . Appreciate the Buick Encore GX . It's practical . It's got an approachable design . Despite its small footprint , this crossover is surprisingly spacious in the cabin . This car is $25,940 , and it scores an 8.6 out of 10 for seniors to buy it and be well worth it .

Speaker 2 16:02

The next one we have this one's actually a 2024 . It's a Maverick Ford . Maverick Drivers in search of a compact truck with a clever twist will find Ford Maverick the standout choice . Blurring the lines between a pickup and a small SUV , it provides a mix . The mix is a utility , predictable handling and you can run errands and light duty tasks . This one is 23.9 and it scores a nine out of 10 .

Speaker 2 16:27

For those Maverick folks and we have one here it's a 2025 Toyota Camry . Toyota has been around for a long time . So has the Camry . Efficiency , reliability and comfort have made Toyota Camry a perennial favorite for drivers . It gets a powertrain overhaul for $25,000 that year there , with all models now featuring a hybrid powertrain . It is $28,400 , and it scores a 9.5 out of 10 for seniors . The last one we have here is a 2025 Honda Civic . Again , longevity . The Honda Civic is efficient , it's easy to maneuver , it's got a striking , ideal balance between practicality and style , responsive handling and an enjoyable ride . This one is $24,250 . It scores a 9.2 out of 10 . And , of course , we have the illustrious bonus shot there , the bonus shot . Bonus shot . That would be the Jeff Zekin bonus shot . From now on , I'm putting a bonus shot . Bonus shot , that would be the jeff zekin bonus shot . From now on , I'm putting a bonus shot in . Hey , by the way , um , who played ?

Speaker 1 17:45

All right time now for and I have to apologize to you , mr Mars , because somehow someway we got hijacked on time last week and you didn't get to do the auto history and I personally like auto history , so we've got it all new this week- Well , that's good , because I've got a story for you this week .

Speaker 3 18:01

Well , that's good , because I've got a story for you this week . I'll bet you do .

Speaker 1 18:02

I've got a story for you , you've got something more than that for me Slap upside the head .

Speaker 3 18:06

Yeah , buddy . So this week in auto history I went down and looked at this first story for a different reason , but I found it intriguing no-transcript .

Speaker 3 18:23

It was 2000 , yeah , but it was called the North American International Auto Show , which began in 1989 . Because I didn't start going up there until like 2001 or so and I went up there knowing that it was the what do I call it ? The North American International Auto Show Now , and what they did ? They transformed this . They took that in 1989 , they went around the world , got all the manufacturers agreed to send their stuff over there to create this international auto show by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association , much like we have the Houston , and so they started it and it was held at the Cobo Center and it helped create the idea that Detroit is Motor City . That was one of the things they wanted to do . But , however , this January 2025 , it goes back to being called the Detroit Auto Show , not the North .

Speaker 3 19:13

American International Auto Show yeah they're going back to it because COVID kind of killed them and they had some big plans to move it to the summer , make a big city event out of it parks . I got to see all that on a big diagram thing one time when I was up there and it looked really impressive .

Speaker 1 19:28

But it fell flat on its face and nobody went .

Speaker 3 19:32

That's right . They don't want to go to Detroit in the summer for vacation , which that's what they were counting on .

Speaker 1 19:37

Yeah , how about you ?

Speaker 2 19:37

Jeff .

Speaker 1 19:38

I've been to the Detroit .

Speaker 2 19:39

Auto Show in January .

Speaker 1 19:40

Many years , but have you been in the ?

Speaker 2 19:43

summer . Yeah , I've been in the summer of August . We went a couple of years ago .

Speaker 1 19:49

Went to .

Speaker 2 19:49

Marquette . No , the Detroit Auto Show was probably in the late 70s .

Speaker 1 19:54

Okay , we're talking about the Never mind Go ahead .

Speaker 3 19:57

So anyway , it's reverted back to the Detroit Auto Show , which I thought was kind of neat . I like it much better . Also this week , in 1954 , Nash-Kelvinator Corporation merged with the Hudson Motor Car Company to form the American Motors Corporation .

Speaker 1 20:12

That is one of the ugliest cars that was ever on the face of this earth .

Speaker 2 20:16

Look at them , wide whites .

Speaker 3 20:17

That's beautiful At the time this is one of the largest mergers in automotive history . At that time it was designed to .

Speaker 1 20:25

They would have been better off if they had just named it the Kelvinator Car Company .

Speaker 3 20:30

It would have matched the garbage disposal .

Speaker 1 20:32

Refrigerator , washer dryer yeah , the it would have matched Garbage disposal .

Speaker 3 20:33

It would have matched the refrigerator , the washer , the dryer , yeah , so the idea was they wanted to get big enough To compete with General Motors , ford and Chrysler , and so they focused On efficiency and innovation .

Speaker 1 20:43

Not necessarily styling , but they did create the Rambler God that's so ugly .

Speaker 3 20:49

Alright , then also this week in 1950 . This is for you , jeff , alright , the inaugural Formula 1 . All right , then also this week in 1950 , this is for you , jeff , all right , the inaugural Formula .

Speaker 2 20:59

One World Champion season began .

Speaker 3 21:00

Ooh , you stole my heart Marking the official start of modern F1 racing . Now , the season was seven races , 1950 , I wouldn't call modern . Well , it set the start For open wheel .

Speaker 3 21:13

Yeah , open wheel racing and stuff , the way they got it set . The start , open wheel racing and stuff , kind of the way they got it set up , because really and truly they started with seven races , including six Grand Prix events in Europe and the Indianapolis 500 . I didn't know that and the championship kicked off with the British Grand Prix . They had cars from Alfa Romeo , maserati , ferrari and they actually the guy that won it won the championship by three victories , becoming the first ever F1 world champion .

Speaker 1 21:38

Was there ? A Kelvinator entered in that show .

Speaker 3 21:41

That's what they used to clean the uniforms afterwards . Then also this week in 2008 . Uh-oh , we're getting current Tata Motors of India purchased Jaguar and Land Rover Tata getting current tata motors of india purchased .

Speaker 1 21:55

That's jaguar tata . You know , in my world that meant something completely different than a car company .

Speaker 3 22:01

I understand . I looked to see if maybe I was pronouncing it wrong , but apparently not at those tatas . Now they they got it from ford motor company for 2.3 million dollars made a big for Tata Motors , positioning it in a global automotive powerhouse . That's so rude .

Speaker 2 22:17

Make sure you position your Tatas correctly .

Speaker 1 22:21

Yeah , put them on display for us , we want to see the whole lineup .

Speaker 2 22:24

Is it on a swivel ?

Speaker 3 22:25

So those two brands had faced financial challenges under Ford . They didn't get the money from Ford that they thought they needed . So Tata Motors committed to preserving the brand's British heritage while investing in innovation and sustainability . Look at our big investor . That's right A couple of them . The deal showcased Tata Motors' ambition and reshaped the global automotive landscape . Amazing this week in automotive history .

Speaker 1 22:48

Oh my God , You're going to end it with that . What's ?

Speaker 3 22:52

better than ending it with Tata Motors , I mean you know double .

Speaker 1 22:55

E's is all I can say Double .

Speaker 2 22:57

E's , that's your shoe size .

Speaker 1 23:02

Oh my gosh , I mean seriously .

Automotive Display Concerns Over Tata's

Speaker 1 23:07

So you go to some great , big , huge international car show and there's the Tata display with all of their makes and models . So , you say look at all those ta-tas over there . I mean , that's what you would say , isn't it ?

Speaker 3 23:23

That's what I would say .

Speaker 1 23:25

It's no different than saying , oh , look at all the Fords over there , or all the Chevys over there . Well , look at all the ta-tas over there . You carry a lot of single bills in your pocket ?

Speaker 3 23:33

Yeah , and duck when you say it yeah .

Speaker 1 23:40

Did somebody in the marketing department say you know what's ?

Speaker 2 23:43

the translation there may be a little problem with that .

Speaker 3 23:46

I think in India it means something a little different .

Speaker 1 23:48

What does it mean in India ? I have no idea , jeff , let me hear it . I don no idea .

Speaker 2 23:54

Jeff , let me hear it , I don't know , All right , moving on . This is our last show , by the way .

Speaker 1 24:04

Yeah , we're going to be banned , kind of like TikTok , for going over the edge , and we didn't mean to , but it just happened , so please forgive us .