The Lemon List For Popular SUVs - Get'n dirty around Houston - Jeep Grand Wagoner L

Lemon Warning Signs For SUVs

Don Armstrong 0:06

All right. Um for Jeff's car culture. This week's six SUV lemons.

Jeff Dziekan 0:13

They're calling them lemons. They're just giving you a forewarning to watch out. So experts tend to flag certain SUVs as risky when they share three consistent warning signs. It's an impact overall on the ownership experience. One of them is mechanical reliability, leading concerns, particularly in vehicles prone to engine stalling, erratic transmissions, or a glitchy infotainment system like Don has been talking about. So

Six Popular SUVs Flagged

Jeff Dziekan 0:36

here we go. Take the first one, Mike. Uh this is the Volkswagen Taust, often flagged by experts of a mixed mechanical and safety concerns that can impact everyday driving. Some owners have reported sudden power loss at high speeds. Serious issues can create dangerous situations on the road. Taken together, these issues can make the Taos of vehicle buyers worse experienced and want to approach with certain cautions, especially when considering long-term reliability and overall safety. So be careful of that one. The next one is a Chevy Equinox. It raises two key concerns for buyers. Mechanical reliability again and long-term value. Reports point to issues such as excessive oil consumption and recurring fuel system problems, both of which can drive up maintenance costs over time. On financial side, the Equinox also faces steep depreciation. Estimates suggest that a 2026 model could lose 52% of its value within five years. Oh my god, that's a lot. The next one, Mike, is a Nissan Rogue. I don't have a lot of passion for this vehicle. I've got personal issues with it, but despite its modern styling and advanced technical features, it is drawing increasingly scrutin increased scrutiny from the experts. It's a three-cylinder engine, it's under investigation, filing reports of bearing failures, raises concerns about long-term durability. The models can uh continuously variable transmission also adds those worries as well. Given its history and premature failures that can be costly to fix or replace. In some cases, repair bills can run into several thousand dollars, significantly increasing its ownership costs. On the next one, number four, we have a Ford Explorer. It remains a popular SUV, but experts caution that ongoing transmission issues continue to affect its reliability. Drivers have reported harsh shifting, jerking, inconsistent performance. We have that every day. Problems can be reduced, uh, both comfort and and uh confidence behind the wheel. Beyond the drivetrain, the Explorer's driver assistance systems can also uh show uneven performance in real-world conditions. That's inconsistency across both mechanical and technical features adds a layer of uncertainty for the owners. Then we have the Jeep Cherokee. It's often talked about, it's often signaled by experts as one of the most concerning SUVs, largely due to the volume and seriousness of reported issues. Among the most alarming are sudden losses of engine power and unpredictable transmission behavior, both of which can create safety risks in everyday driving. These reoccurring problems have led uh some analysts, uh some analysts I should say, to rank it among the vehicles to avoid in 2026. While the modern model still benefits from strong brand appeal, the buildup of reliability concerns has weighed heavily on its reputation. And lastly, the Infinity QX80 is often cited as a luxury SUV, but may not hold its value over time. Experts point to a steep depreciation as a major drawback for this vehicle. Projections suggest that they lose up to 60 69% of its value within five years, leaving owners a significantly lower resale price. So be careful of that one as well if you're looking for a a car to you know keep the value. That's not one of them. There we go. That's quite a list. Back to you. Yeah.

Don Armstrong 3:59

Those are pretty popular vehicles.

Jeff Dziekan 4:01

They're not some. They also have a uh lemon list of pre-owned vehicles. I was going to get into that, but maybe another week.

Don Armstrong 4:07

Maybe maybe next week. Yeah, could be.

Jeff Dziekan 4:08

Okay.

Don Armstrong 4:09

By the way, uh anyway.

Hidden Houston Off-Road Rentals

Don Armstrong 4:16

All right, time now for Mr. Mars driving destinations. This week it's Hidden Dirt in Hidden Houston.

Mike Marrs 4:24

So I thought about how occasionally you want to get out and you want to go off-roading. You might want to be uh uh ride a four-wheeler, you can't ride three-wheelers anymore, or even the side-by-sides, but you don't want to own one. You don't have a place for it, or it just is a lot of maintenance to it. So these places, uh, we got five places here around the Houston area that you can go, and most of them you can rent a vehicle that you can ride. Now we're gonna start with number one is Extreme Off-Road Park and Beach. Now, this is up in Crosby. Now it's just southside of Houston, and it's really the best known off-road destination in Southeast Texas, all the way over on my side of the world. Everybody knows about this place. 1,600 acres of trails that go through the mud, uh sand, wooden train, water crossings, and it's all part of the San Jacinto River Valley. Now you can get beginner-friendly routes just like uh snow skiing. You got easy, you got beginner, and then you got the ones that are really hard. They have camping, you can get cabins. There's a few food vendors there if you are going to stay there all day or all weekend. And uh you can get to the river, and it makes pretty much anything you want to do in the off-road part of the world. And there's several rental operators on side, so you can actually reserve an ATV or a side-by-side so that you don't have to bring your own. You don't have to clean it up either after you leave. You just can go out there and utilize uh their vehicles out there in that territory and get your off-road fixed. Now, the second one that we wanted to look at was Creekside Off-Road Ranch. Now, this is up in Splendor. It's about 45 minutes northeast of Houston, a little bit further out. It's on 400 acres, includes creek crossings, got wooded trails, lots of sand, got some hill climbs, and some mud pits. Now, it's particularly appealing for families because you know, with newer riders, they they got their trails that are maintained. They maintain them a little bit wider and it's a little bit more family friendly. It's not quite so hardcore. Got plenty of camping, RV hookups, so you can spend the week, spend the weekend, whatever you need to do. And there are rental operators nearby that make it easy to get the kind of vehicle that you want to utilize and learn how to take some of these riding opportunities. The third one is the unlimited off-road park up in Conroe. Now, this is situated in Conroe's just north of Houston, and it caters to ATVs and dirt bikes, the side-by-sides, and four-wheel drive vehicles. So you get a mixture of easy trails, mud sections, got a little bit of beach-style riding areas with some sand on them. And of course, they've got some challenging obstacles set up for experienced riders. Unlike some of the smaller parks uh that are kind of like a this is more like a full-day destination that you can go to. It's not necessarily for the long term, but you can get rental RVs on it. I mean, uh ATVs that are on site, so it makes it a lot easier. Again, if you don't have that off-road equipment and you want to go out and ride an ATV, then here's your opportunity to go out and get some experience and work with some other people that are kind of in the same level that you are as far as riding experience goes. This this next one, number four, is I found this really interesting. It's H Town AT Rentals at HTX Adventure Park. Now, this operation specializes in guided ATV experiences. Now, this isn't just the traditional admission parts where you go out and you got all these acres. You go out there, here's the trails, take off and go. Now, up in Crosby, you get you got access to a lot of extensive trail systems. They got a thousand acres, but uh they are guided. AT the kind of like ATV tours. You got Honda Rancher ATVs, you got a lot of safety equipment, but you're guided to go through the trails through the mud and the forest section and a lot of the open area riders. So this is a great place to go for beginners, particularly maybe if you want you got your date, first time uh you've taken her out on the off-road and you want to get some experience at it, do something different. There you go. Great for family visitors.

Don Armstrong 8:28

And she's all dressed up to go to the symphony.

Mike Marrs 8:31

Yes, yes. So, you know, now you turn that white dress into a brown dress because of all the mud. Yeah, you want to go get dirty. They have all the machines and they have guides that are all included, so it's a great way if you're new or you're just really uh trying to get somebody new into it. Now, the last one we want to talk about is Crosby ATV rental. Now, this is uh again at the extreme off-road part, but they don't have their own equipment. And this rental operation provides all the equipment for you. So if you're one of those people, again, back to I don't have the ATV, I don't have a place to put it, I don't have a trailer to put it in to haul it off up there. I'm gonna go up there though, every once in a while, every quarter or once a month. I can go up there and rent it and have all the off-road fun that I would like. So these are just some places around the Houston area that you can go and find some time to play in the dirt. Hidden dirt. Yep. In hidden Houston. Thank you, sir.

Don Armstrong 9:23

Summertime. In real time cartel. All right, let's look at the auto history notebook.

This Week In Auto History

Don Armstrong 9:34

Mr. Mars has that.

Mike Marrs 9:35

Yeah, we've got a couple of things coming up in this week uh in automotive history, such as June the 22nd, 1909. Now, Alice Ramsay arrived in San Francisco after leaving New York 59 days earlier. She was in a Maxwell. I bet there weren't no Motel 6s nearby, were there? Nope, nope, nope. She was in a Maxwell touring car with three female passengers.

Jeff Dziekan 10:02

There you go.

Mike Marrs 10:03

So she uh, of course, they had to go across primitive roads, 1909, uh, mud, river crossings, and mechanical breakdowns. They handled it all. And so this made her the first woman to drive across the United States and demonstrated the uh reliability of automobiles and the role of women in the development of our society, and uh it's really one of the most remarkable endurance drives in an automobile.

Don Armstrong 10:28

Wonder if she ever got out and changed the tire, too. That's why she had the other three ladies with her.

Mike Marrs 10:33

In the history, I think they had to change two of them. But anyway, moving on to June the 23rd, the first Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island's new circuit happened. Uh this was uh June the 23rd, so thousands of spectators gathered along island to watch the leading American European manufacturers compete on a newly designed course. Now, this again, the event was to showcase automotive technology, including more powerful engines, and uh the improved vehicles. Now, this was because at this time, racing directly influenced production car development. Things that worked out on the racetrack, then they would go in and build them. The old uh the old saying that uh win on Sunday, sell on Monday kind of stuff. This is where all that good stuff started. Now then moving on to June the 25th, Malcolm Campbell sets a new land speed record. Now, this is really impressive because this British driver pushed his sunbeam-powered racer to a land speed record at Pendine Sands in Wales. He got over 150 miles an hour in 1925, and and it absolutely caught international attention. And he continued to set more records as he went on, but this was the first one, and this really highlighted the rapid technical technology advances occurring in the automotive industry during the formative days. Then on June the 26th, the last Ford Model T rolled out. Now, this was uh a big deal. It was the 15 millionth uh Model T that was built. And in reality, of course, the Model A followed this, but the reality of the Model A was basically a Model T on steroids. It was a little bit wider, a little bit longer, but it looked almost the same other than the dimensions on it. Then coming up on June the 27th, 1950, the first production Saab 92 rolls out. Now, this was important because this was the company's first passenger car. They've been developing aircraft engines and developing airplanes, and and so the Streamline 92 featured uh some really innovative engineering and aerodynamics. It was powered by a two-cylinder two-stroke engine, but it got a reputation for reliability and durability because of the engineering that had gone into the aircraft experience that the company had.

Don Armstrong 12:59

Sub-reliable?

Mike Marrs 13:01

Well, the two-cylinder two-stroke engine in 1950 is what we're talking about.

Don Armstrong 13:07

Did it sound anything like this?

Mike Marrs 13:13

Whenever it popped. Yeah. I'll have to see if we can find some audio from that. In June 27, 1963, Lamborghini is officially established. Oh, I missed a picture. This car here, uh, there were several pictures of it, but I love the way this car looks. Now, this is uh they'd already Lamborghini, of course, started in the tractor business. They set out to build grand touring cars to challenge Ferrari. It's kind of a personal thing between the families. And uh so they introduced the 350 GT, and it's that's really where what founded Lamborghini and created one of the world's most famous rivalries between them and Ferrari, whether it's in racing, on the show floor, design, they're just they're after each other all the time. But I love the way this car looks, and uh that's just some of the things we found in automotive history this week.

Don Armstrong 14:03

I like the way that the green sobed. It's kind of fitted. It was different. I don't even know how what would you say about that car? You know, it kind of looked like a little baby elephant.

unknown 14:20

Uh-oh.

Mike Marrs 14:22

Yeah, you could say it kind of looked like a baby elephant. It was more to me like uh uh uh like a little beetle or or a little ladybug type thing, and just it was green, you know. It just Yeah.

Don Armstrong 14:34

Well, green cars, uh no. They just don't work for me, but whatever. Different day, different

Jeep Grand Wagoneer L Review

Don Armstrong 14:40

time. Police Well, you know, since it is a Father's Day weekend, um, I thought that, well, here's an appropriate vehicle, especially if you have kids or grandkids. How about a 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer assembled in Warren, Michigan? That's a big one. Wave that American.

Jeff Dziekan 15:06

That's a big one.

Don Armstrong 15:07

Okay, so uh the review territory level is the L Summit Obsidian 4x4. This is a standard SUV body on frame. Uh it will seat the seven in three rows. It was all new in 2022, so they've managed to gussy it up, and this is this thing is huge. And I I think it has a kitchen sink. I just didn't find it on this one week that I had. Uh exterior features B-I-G, baby, uh signature seven-slot jeep grill, but with a high zoot look to it. You would really have to know the history of the seven-slot grill that goes back to World War II, all of that good stuff because it kind of disappears in the front end of this. There it is, right there. Uh, linear lines from grill to rear end, concentric-sized wheel openings, chrome accents, however, can distract a bit from the body lines. Um, they did that to put a little bling on it. That's all I can think of. Uh what I liked about it, I liked its conservative styling. What could use improvement? Well, as far as a Jeep is concerned, I don't think you can. However, what I'd really like to see is have this morph into a second version called a Chrysler fill-in-the-blank. A Chrysler version of this. Oh my god. To compete to compete with the Cadillac Escalade, because this could do it. I'm just saying interior highlights. Well, uh, you know, Jeep, especially at this level, known for high-end interiors. Well, this one doesn't disappoint. Wood touches through the interior add a bit of excellence, a lot of excellence, and elegance too. Quilted seating adds the wild factor. Uh, some controls, uh, and in non-traditional places, so it took me a little while to get used to it. You know, I'm used to the old school Jeeps, and this takes it over and above old school. Uh as far as storage, well, big third row seats in the back. Once you fold those down, you got plenty of room back there in the cargo area. What I liked about the interior, lap of luxury feeling. I could use improvement. Well, there's no AM radio. What? Wow. Why? Why? I don't get it. That was one of those old radio. Well, I heard that you know they were doing that with the EVs, but if there's an AM radio in it, it didn't appear on the display. Uh engine. This had a hurricane inline six-cylinder twin turbocharged, and it turned out 510 horsepower with plenty of torque in the 400 pound feet range. Eight-speed automatic transmission. The tow rating is at 9,860 pounds. Friends, that's almost five tons. Can you believe it? Yeah, that's a big one. Yeah. Well, um let's see. Miles per gallon. 16 in the city, 22 on the highway for a combined of 18. I got 16.9 miles per gallon over 353.3 miles. Uh, what I liked, the power, plenty of power. Um, and it it will it goes right up against a V8 because it's smooth and it's nonstop power all the way through with the twin turbo spooled up on it. Um could use improvement? Well, now that uh Stellantis has gotten back into their right mind, I'm thinking maybe perhaps an Hemi V8 option.

Jeff Dziekan 19:15

I'm thinking V8 from the beginning. A six-cylinder twin turbo, that's a lot of that's a lot of moving parts.

Don Armstrong 19:20

Well, you know, they they've sunk a lot of money into that in in line six. Well, they save money by not putting a radio in, bam. But that's a little different. Uh riding handling, it's got an air ride suspension that comes with this upscale trim level. What could use improvement absolutely nothing? Rides great, and it is big. This is not something that you want to throw around the corner. Yeah. Um base trim price is $97,310. Now that's the base trim. Yeah. Price is tested, $106,890. If you just want to get into a great big SUV, you can get the Wagoneer at $66,995, and good luck in trying to find one of those. Wow. Here's what it competes against. The Chevy Suburban, clearly. $63,700 where where it starts. Ford Expedition Max, I was kind of surprised that it only goes for $577 to get into one. Oh.

unknown 20:21

Okay.

Don Armstrong 20:21

And then I thought, well, okay, let's throw it up there where this particular one was. Let's go for the Lexus LX, which isn't quite as big as this particular vehicle. Uh the Lexus LX starts at $107,000. Starts. It starts there. It starts. Yeah. So that's my review of the 2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer L for long. Luxurious. Lap a luxury.