In Wheel Time Car Talk

Trifacta: 2024 F-150 Raptor R Review, States with the Highest Gas Prices, and the 2025 Buick Encore GX!

• In Wheel Time Car Talk • Season 2024 • Episode 313

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Ready to conquer the asphalt with the raw power of a desert racer? We promise an adrenaline-charged exploration of the 2024 F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew, as experienced through the eyes of Don Armstrong. This beast, boasting a fierce 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, unleashes a jaw-dropping 720 horsepower. We'll take you through the unique design and innovation that sets this vehicle apart, including its Raptor-specific features and advanced Blue Cruise self-driving tech. Though built for on-road dominance, we'll discuss its off-road limitations and the wallet-punching price tag of $113,640.

Switching to a more budget-friendly lane, we'll navigate through the realm of small SUVs. By comparing the Buick Encore against its competitors like the Mazda CX-30, Chevrolet Trailblazer, and Subaru Crosstrek, we aim to provide a comprehensive guide for those in the market for a compact ride. Offering a detailed look into each vehicle's pricing and features, from the base model upwards, you'll walk away armed with insights to make an informed decision. Whether you're eyeing high-octane adventures or practical city cruising, this episode covers all your automotive desires.

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Don Armstrong:

all right time now for this hour's car review. Don armstrong had a chance to drive the 2024 F-150. Yeah, this is the V1. This is a truck that is a desert racer in street guys the Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew. Now it's classified as a regular pickup truck, not full size, but it's got a wider body and it's got Raptor styling front and rear. You can tell this is a lot different than a standard F-150. Seats 5 was revised in 2023.

Don Armstrong:

Exterior features Raptor-specific wide body panels. Grill, skid plate up front Wheel well extensions add to the great looking style that the vehicle exudes. Dual exhaust under bed spare tire. You don't see too many of those anymore Graphics. You can either have them put on there or not.

Don Armstrong:

What I liked about it the stance, those great, big, huge tires on the smaller wheels. Love that look. Uh, that's not outside of the wheel wells, uh, even like the raised hood treatment on this. I usually don't like these sort of things. It's huge. It's like driving a house. I mean, it takes up the entire. Takes up the entire lane on the freeway. Use all of it. It uses every inch.

Don Armstrong:

Interior highlights Raptor-specific seats with Raptor badging embroidered on there, great dash layout and two screens both for the driver and for the infotainment system. Huge center console that converts to a desktop, which is really a cool thing, and you have to go to a Ford dealer and see how that works. It's kind of hard to describe, but imagine that you got your center console and the lid on it as the armrest. Then take it from the back, fold it open and it folds into this great big writing pad if you want to call it that Desk Pretty much. Huge center console Again converts to the desktop. Lots of cubbies and storage areas throughout the cabin. What I liked about it easy to use infotainment system, very intuitive. I think you'll like it. Blue Cruise self-driving was pointed out to me by the guy that delivered the truck for me to test drive and I'll tell you it is really cool, the changes that they've made to the Blue Cruise and the Ford lineup. Man, that thing works great and I'm not really into all of that sort of stuff. I like driving.

Michael Marrs:

Right Hands on yeah.

Don Armstrong:

But you know, at 4 o'clock in the morning, driving to work, you hit the Blue Cruise on it. Man, the tollway is yours and it maintains the lane without rocking between the stripes.

Don Armstrong:

It's good. So here's the motivation behind the truck A 5.2 liter supercharged V8. Basically, what this is is the Ford Mustang GT500 engine that they've transplanted into it 720 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. Gone is the V6 Raptor, glad to say. It just doesn't hold up to the image of the Raptor.

Don Armstrong:

Transmission 10-speed, automatic Tow rating 8,700 pounds, haul rating 1,400. 10 miles per gallon in the city and 15 on the highway, for a combined of 12. Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Open up that wallet at the gas pump. I got 12.4 miles per gallon over 317.9 miles.

Don Armstrong:

What I liked about it? Herculean power, oh man. Or could use improvement, duh mileage. But you know what? It is so much fun to drive with all that power. Right there at your right foot you go. Do I mash it just a little bit harder? I made the mistake. I don't it a kind of a mistake, I think, in the faux pas in the, in the bowels of my mind, it wasn't a mistake, but it's another story for another day. I let it downshift into second gear and broke the back tires loose. Golly, we'll have to edit that Ride and handling.

Don Armstrong:

Beadlock, capable wheels, 37-inch tires, rear springs, long travel, special shocks, smooths out all the sinkholes on the freeway. But I didn't take it off-road and I didn't do any jumps with it or anything crazy. But I can only imagine that's what it's built for. It does that sort of thing. Supercrew four-door wheelbase limits its rock climbing and crawling capability. You'll center stack it. You know what I'm saying? Right high, ride it, right in the middle. You don't want to do that. But it does have a very long wheelbase base. Trim price 77 980. Price is tested sitting still 113 640 that's the same mileage you got.

Jeff Dziekan:

You got that in the same mileage. Yeah, pretty much yeah 113,640.

Don Armstrong:

Base model price nobody cares. Competitors to this vehicle well, there aren't really any. Ram 1500 TRX that they don't make anymore had 702 horsepower. They've got this new six-cylinder that they're bragging about GMC Sierra AT4X. 6.2 liter, v8, 420 horsepower $81,000. Now, this kind of sits out there by itself and I got lots of thumbs up. So if you like thumbs up and the car you're driving, get that. Well, I rode with you in it for a short period of time. It is a nice truck. It's a b. Yeah, it's a very nice truck and it's also a beast. Hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, shoot us an email, the address info at inwheeltimecom. Time now to open up your coin purse the top 10 states where the highest gasoline taxes reside you bet you.

Jeff Dziekan:

So the top 10 in this country. Number 10 is Oregon. Tax rate in Oregon is 40 cents per gallon, holy cow. Oregon is one of the most expensive states when it comes to the cost of gas due to its high gas tax. But you may want to review your tax bill if you live in the state, because a gallon of gas is taxed. But Oregon is only one of five states that does not have a sales tax, so that's part of it as well, so you could help save yourself some money.

Jeff Dziekan:

Number nine in this outfit is North Carolina, which is 40.65 cents per gallon. If you want to fill up before you go to North Carolina to save yourself some money, that's a good idea. States like Tennessee and South Carolina have lower taxes than North Carolina, while Virginia is at 39.1 cents per gallon, which makes it just barely out of the top 10. So number eight is New Jersey $42.35 per gallon. New Jersey is a unique law with making a gallon of gas more expensive than other states, and here's why, in addition to the high tax rate, the Garden State is also the only state in the US where you can't pump your own gas. They're all complete full-service stations, so you just can't whip up in there, throw $5 in and leave. You've got to wait in line and get everybody to come on out and do all that. Number seven is Maryland 47.19 cents per gallon. Maryland's gas tax fluctuates based on the inflation rate due to laws passed by the state legislature, go figure. So while the current tax rate may be high, it actually went down slightly in July compared to the sales tax rate of the previous year. Number six Michigan homegrown state 48 cents per gallon. Despite Michigan's gas tax rate, the state's cost for a gallon of gas is actually close to being in line with the national average. The national average for a gallon of gas is around 320, while a gallon of gas in Michigan is around 325. That's according to AAA. Now a lot of gas is around $3.20, while a gallon of gas in Michigan is around $3.25. That's according to AAA. Now, a lot of these things. This story actually comes to us from Jenny Cohen, part of that organization, jenny.

Jeff Dziekan:

Indiana is number five Tax rate. There is 51.7 cents per gallon. Indiana may be known for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where cars drive fast, but you might be slowing down when you factor in the taxes on a gallon of gas in that state. But the good news is the cost of gas in Indiana is less than the national average, with drivers paying around $3 per gallon in the Hoosier state. Washington is number four on this list and it's 52.82 cents per gallon. Washington's tax rate is one of the reasons why it's so expensive to fill up your tank if you live in the Pacific Northwest. So you've got Oregon number 10, washington's 4. A gallon of gas average price is around $4. It makes only one of two states above it. When an average gallon of gas is that high, this makes Washington the second most expensive state for a gallon of gas, according again to AAA.

Jeff Dziekan:

Number three is Pennsylvania. There's a lot about Pennsylvania the past few weeks 58.7 cents per gallon. Pennsylvania is a big state so it could be difficult to fill up your tank before crossing over almost you know, 60 cents in gases or taxes for the gas. So it's going to be a long drive. Accordingly, you may also have to be a long drive. Accordingly, you may also have to pay additional money in the state's Pennsylvania Turnpike, which also includes parts of several major interstate roads. So you're getting double whack there.

Jeff Dziekan:

Illinois is number two 66.5 cents per gallon. Stock up your wallet with a lot of money because Illinois can be expensive in the state taxes on your gas. It also goes to the road taxes as well. The state has the second highest tax for gas in the country and you may want to be cautious if you take a road trip that goes through Illinois. It also has one of the highest state sales tax in the country, so you're getting double whammied there. Number one drum roll, don is California 68.1 cents per gallon in tax. California's tax rate contributes to the highest gas cost in the state, making it the most expensive state to a gallon of gas. The average price for a gallon of gas in California is $4.60, which is one of two states in the US. Washington is the other one which you have the highest. And this is all according to the AAA folks. Gee whiz, okay. Thank you, michael.

Don Armstrong:

All right Time now for this hour's car review. Mr Mars 2525. Oh what 25. In the year 2525.

Michael Marrs:

That's what I was thinking. I got you, yeah, yeah, 2025, 2025.

Jeff Dziekan:

That's what I was thinking I got you Buick Encore oh man. Another place and another time. I need everybody to go grab some refreshments, because this is going to be good. This is going to be good.

Michael Marrs:

Yes, the 2025 Buick Encore.

Don Armstrong:

You've got two minutes to do it. Oh boy.

Michael Marrs:

Sport Touring all-wheel drive. It comes in three packages. You can get the Preferred or the Avenir, which we had, the sport touring. Now this is a subcompact SUV. Buick calls it a small. First introduced in 2020, had a big update in 2024.

Michael Marrs:

So here we are, tweaking things a little bit. Has five passengers Outside. We've got some nice black trim pieces and LED external lighting, which is the headlights, taillights, the intelligent high beam headlights, daytime running lights, roof racks with side rails, the adjustable height lift gate and panoramic moonroof. Have you noticed that you get a panoramic moonroof? But the smaller the car is, the less size you get. So we also had the optional black 19-inch aluminum wheels. Now, one thing I wanted to note on this thing is it's pointed out on the monroney that for the tire pressure system, there's no tire monitoring on the spare tire. The other buick I have Doesn't point that out For some reason. That's different. That's what you got a tar gauge for Our best. So with these small cars Inside we had the synthetic leather seating, 60-40 fold-flat rear seat Not a third row, thank goodness.

Michael Marrs:

Diagonal 11-inch touchscreen, which worked really good. You're going to find all your convenience controls there. Apple Android Does not have the heated and ventilated front seats on it and you're going to find out here in a little bit how that helps out. 8-inch driver screen where you're going to find all your driver information, that you're going to need USB outlets front and rear. And it had the Buick quiet tuning with active noise cancellation and that really works.

Michael Marrs:

I'm going to tell you, because the one I'm driving now is a lot noisier. Now this is. It had the 1.3 turbo three-cylinder engine in it. It comes standard with a 1.2, but this had the 1.3. 155 horsepower, 174 pound-feet of torque, nine-speed automatic. This thing will tow 1,000 pounds, not a whole lot, but that's enough to get your jet ski, maybe a little small camper, a little trailer, to go to Lowe's or Home Depot. That's enough to get your jet ski, maybe a little small camper, a little trailer, to go to Lowe's or Home Depot. Epa says you should look for 26 in the city Highway should be 28 and combine 27 miles to the gallon. Now I drove 233 miles and I got 24.8 across that time. I was well pleased with what I got out of that, with the way I was driving it, because he had it nailed the entire time.

Don Armstrong:

It's beautiful?

Michael Marrs:

Yes, it's beautiful. Yes, it's got some easy steering. I mean, all the stuff has gone to electronic and I understand that. But it's easy the way they've got it set up. So city driving was really easy. You could kind of whip it around a little bit.

Michael Marrs:

What did Becky think? She didn't mind the way I was driving it. I didn't ask you that question. No, she liked it. You know it's not quite as big enough for her. She wants something a little bit bigger. She thinks she needs something a little bit bigger, but it works great because it zips around town.

Michael Marrs:

You get out on the highway It'll run highway speeds real easy. The only problem I had with it out on the highway at highway speeds if you decided you needed to make a high-speed maneuver like pass somebody, that nine-speed automatic you could tell. That's the only time I really noticed it had a 9-speed. Yeah, it took a little bit more for it to find where it was going Around town. That was not a problem.

Michael Marrs:

Now here's the thing I really liked about this thing Base model price on the Buick car Encore. Yeah, encore, I was looking for the GX and it's really not the gx I'm talking about. The base. Encore is really what I'm talking about. Twenty six thousand dollars okay, that'll put you in this car. Now the base trim price, which is the gx model. Then you're looking at 28.8 and the gx sport touring, all-wheel drive push it up at to 33 380 as tested. If you're looking for something else, it's kind of in that category you look look across at the Mazda CX-30 starts at $24,995. The Trailblazer at $23,000 and the Crosstek from Subaru at $27,000. So it's something you definitely need to look at. If you're looking at that small SUV-CUV package, I want to tell everybody

People on this episode

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Don Armstrong

Host
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Jeff Dziekan

Co-host
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Michael Marrs

Co-host