Episode 85

full
Published on:

4th Jan 2024

The Top Ten Better Than New Episodes From 2023

00:00 - Counting Down The Top 10 Better Than New Episodes From 2023

01:50 - INTRO - Happy New Year and welcome to Better than New - the podcast that helps you find a cool used car, truck or SUV. This episode is all about the top ten episodes, based on downloads, from the previous year. Past episodes of this podcast are evergreen because the cars won't change - only the prices and even through there was some price variation during 2023, the trend for 2024 is flat or down. So enjoy these (or any) past episodes of Better Than New along with new episodes for 2024!

02:55 - #10 - Paintless Dent Removal Saves You Time and Money - From June 30th, 2023.

04:15 - #9 - BMW 323CI 3-Series BMW - An Affordable E46 Coupe - From June 16, 2023

05:50 - #8 - It's Hip To Be Square In The Versatile Honda Element - June 23, 2023

07:20 - #7 - Dodge Raider - a small boxy 4x4 that was featured on Better Than New's 4-Part "Little Weirdo's" 4x4 Series - July 28, 2023

09:45 - #6 - Lexus SC400 Coupe - The Ultimate Escape Pod - August 18, 2023

13:40 - #5 - Geo Tracker/Suzuki Sidekick 2dr Convertible Version - a small boxy 4x4 that was featured on Better Than New's 4-Part "Little Weirdo's" 4x4 Series - July 7, 2023

14:50 - #4 - The Fiat 500 Abarth - The Spicy Italian Your Body Needs Daily - February 17, 2023

16:15 - #3 - Suzuki Samurai - a small boxy 4x4 that was featured on Better Than New's 4-Part "Little Weirdo's" 4x4 Series - July 21, 2023

19:35 - #2 - Saturn Sky Redline - An Fun, Affordable Sports Car Bargain Hiding In Plain Sight - April 14, 2023

22:45 - #1 - The Top-Rated Better Than New Episode From 2023 - The 1997-2006 Jeep wrangler TJ - A 4x4 That Should Be At The Top Of Your Personal Bucket List - Nov 25, 2022.

25:35 - Show Wrap Up

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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

Profile picture for Gary Crenshaw

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!