Episode 69

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Published on:

14th Sep 2023

Top Five Most Popular Better Than New Episodes

00:00 - The Top Five Most Popular Better Than New Episodes

In this episode I take a look back at the top five more popular episodes on Better Than New based on downloads. These five episodes are just a small fraction of the over sixty episodes posted so far and all the content is evergreen, meaning it's relevant now and a year or two from now since the used cars we cover won't change, other than price and maybe a recall.

01:50 - The Fifth Most Popular Better Than New Episode

This was Episode #58, titled "Paintless Dent Removal Saves You Time And Money When Your Car Gets At Dent". I spoke with Ryan Snider, a local PDR specialist about the paintless dent removal process and how it can save consumers money and time.

03:45 - The Fourth Most Popular Better Than New Episode

This was Episode #1: the very first Better Than New Episode titled "Can Teen Drivers Learn To Love An Old Hand-me-down Used Car?" In it I spoke with my two sons about whether or not they were okay driving less-than-perfect used Hondas for their first cars. Hint: They were just fine.

06:45 - The Third Most Popular Better Than New Episode.

Finally we have one about a specific car. This is episode #39 on the 2012 to 2019 Fiat 500 Abarth, a 2-door turbocharged front-wheel drive hatchback

08:15 - The Second Most Popular Episode

This was episode #47 on the outstanding, but under rated (in my opinion) 2007-2010 Saturn Sky Redline, a 2-seat sports car that serves up serious horsepower from its 4-cylinder turbo engine.

10:45 - The Most Popular Better Than New Episode Of All Time Is...

This was Episode #27 from November 25, 2022, featuring the iconic Jeep Wrangler, and specifically the 1997-2006 Jeep Wrangler TJ series. Available with a 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder engine, manual or automatic transmission, hard top or soft top and various trim levels, buyers could configure their Wrangler TJ just about any way they wanted to meet their needs.

00:00 - Honorable Mentions

  • Episodes 59-62 - Four-part Little Weirdos 4x4 Series featuring the Geo Tracker, the Daihatsu Rocky, the Suzuki Samurai and the Dodge Raider
  • Episode 57 - The boxy, versatile Honda Element
  • Episode 45 - 4th Gen Pontiac Firebird V8 Muscle Car
  • Episode 56 - BMW 323Ci - An affordable 3-series Coupe
  • Episode 34 - 2nd Generation Nissan Xterra 4x4

17:40 - Close

If you missed them the first time around, be sure to check out these and other older Better Than New episodes on affordable used cars, trucks and SUVs . The content is still relevant no matter when you listen, and the only thing about these episodes that might change over time is the price range of the car or truck featured. That's it, so pick an episode you haven't heard before and enjoy!

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!