Top Gear US Season 1 Episode 7 "Used Car Salesmen"

On Episode 7, Adam and Rutledge race two BMX bikers through San Francisco in a Honda CR-Z, the guys try to buy and resell cars as used car salesmen, and Tim Allen tries his skills in a Suzuki.

Warning: Spoilers are in the review.


Segment 1: A "Sporty" Hybrid vs. Mountain Bikers

Honda CR-Z

Rutledge and Adam test the Honda CR-Z in San Francisco to see how sporty this hybrid hatchback really is. Rutledge tries to get it to 60 mph and gets bored by how long it takes. He gets it up to 50 mph before stopping because he is so bored. He call the car " a cruel joke" because it looks sporty but it is really boring. Rutledge also says that if you want to save the world by a Prius, which gets 50 mpg. The CR-Z only gets 37 mph. The CR-Z comes in three modes, normal, economic, and sport. Rutledge wants to see if Honda has made a sporty hybrid and has Adam help him navigate through San Francisco. They will be competing against two pro free-riding mountain bikers. The race is from Twin Peaks to Fort Point, covering a distance of 13 miles. Adam is not impress with either the car or Rutledge's driving. The bikers open the race with the lead then CR-Z takes the lead. Rutledge tries to show Adam some of the features of the car, but Adam was not impressed. Adam smiled when Rutledge pulled out faster than an M3 at a traffic light. The race goes back and forth. Eventually, the bikers win. The show returns to the studio and Rutledge says he lost because there were too many stop signs and he was impressed with the car. Adam and Tanner were not impressed. Tanner said the CR-X was better at economy and sport than the CR-Z.

Segment 2: Used Car Salesmen Challenge Part 1, Getting the Cars

Porsche 914

L:exus LS

Acura Legend

The guys have a $3000 budget to buy, fix up, and resell a used car. The guys used the Cars 911 store as the place to sell their car. The guys look at a few cars and tell the viewers who the cars are for. The guys sit down with Bobby, a used car salesman who gives the guys some advice in selling used cars. To start the challenge, the guys must each buy a car. They go to a police car auction. The cars at the auction started at $350, but were in bad shape. The guys would have to buy the cars, then fix them up a bit. Tanner buys a Porsche 914 for $1850, after his co-hosts made bids on the car to make Tanner pay more for the car. Adam bought a 1987 Acura Legend for $870. Rutledge bought a Lexus LS for $2250. The guys then had the rest of their budgets to fix their cars in to presentable conditions. They guys were not allow to drive their cars until they paid for them. The only driving time they got was the 15 mile drive from the car auction to the used car lot. Tanner has a few problems with his Porsche. His car did not have a reverse or first gear. Adam has no problems with his Acura, except for a joint in a cup holder. Rutledge had no problems with his Lexus.

Segment 3: Used Car Salesmen Challenge Part 2: Market Strategy

Each host sat down with Bobby to discuss his market strategy. Rutledge's strategy will be barbeque and a free pony ride. He is trying to market the family. Tanner's strategy was bringing in models. He is going for "sex sells" strategy. Adam's strategy is getting a sign spinner to attract customers. He also wants to do a promotion where buying a car gets you some reward. The guys then reveal their cars. Tanner replaced the white paintjob with an orange paintjob. The Porsche also has a new steering wheel and shifter knob. The Porsche still cannot reverse. Adam painted his Acura green and clean up the interior of the car. Adam reveals that he is using a "stress-free" market strategy. Rutledge painted his car black and went with a "stealth Lexus" theme. Tanner was the first to attract a potential buyer. On the test drive, Tanner reveals that there is no horn on the Porsche.

Segment 4: The Tool Man drives a Suzuki.

Tim Allen

Tim Allen is this week's Big Star in a Small Car. Tim talks about growing up in Detroit, his hot rods, and his current project. Tim takes the Suzuki around the track in 1:44.0. Tim is disappointed that he lost to Kid Rock and joked that he would buy his own air base just to beat Kid Rock.

Segment 5: Used Car Salesmen Challenge Part 3: Selling the Cars

The show returns to the used car lot as Rutledge had gotten a family as customers. Tanner got his customer to the desk and asked for $2900, but the customer was willing to pay $290 for the Porsche. Adam got a customer and went for a test drive. Tanner and Rutledge each got new customers. Tanner's customer was willing to pay $1700 for the Porsche, while Rutledge's customer was willing to pay $1200 cash for the Lexus. Tanner tried to use the models to get his customer to pay a few extra dollars for the Porsche. Rutledge tells his customer that he could not sell the car for $1200. Adam and his customer agree to a deal. Tanner sells his car for $1850. The show returns to the studio as Tanner is the first to announce his net gain. He spent $1850 on the car and spent the rest of the budget on marketing and fixing the Porsche, spending $3000. He lost $1150. Adam bought his car for $870 and spent another $536 on marketing and fixing up the Acura. He sold it for $1450 and made $44. Rutledge spent $2350 on his Lexus and spent $400-$500 for marketing. He did not sell his car. To end the show, the guys auction off the Lexus. Rutledge trades the Lexus for a Members Only Jacket and $1.

Overall, this was a weak episode. The CR-Z segment was bland and unfunny. The used car salesmen challenge was dull until the final part when Rutledge was auctioning off the Lexus. Tim Allen was not that funny in the Big Star in a Little Star segment. This was a boring episode. Again, no Stig. It would have been nice to see how a hybrid did in the hands of the Stig.

Final Verdict: 1 Stigs out of ten.

CarJunkie