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LA Auto Show
Nov. 22nd, 2008 12:14 amSpent a lot of time with my BearCub the last few days. Today we went to the LA Auto Show as I found discount ($3.50 off each) tickets and figured we could take the METRO Red/Blue line to the convention center ($2.50 each RT.)
For those in the LA area, most 7-Eleven stores have $2 off coupons. The convention center parking is $12, however, there are some places in the area for $10 and other for $15 per day. You can easily take the blue line to right across the street, so I recommend that (for example, we parked in North Hollywood for free and use the Red/Blue line to go to/from the convention center.)
It was fun and we did a lot of walking, and getting in and out of cars and trucks (and even got some pix of teh BearCub on Motorcycles!)
I don't have my own car, and wish I did. I did sign up to maybe win one from Ford or Suzuki (either or both would be nice) =)
Damn.. new cars are EXPENSIVE! Just about everything we saw was $28k to $38k.. ouch!
Teh BearCub likes the Subaru WRX (yeah, pricey!)
After going around all day, I actually liked the Scion xB out of all the cars we got in. There was room, decent control layout and they started well under $20k too!
There were lots of nice cars (and I was surprised how nice the Masarati's were.. and 'relatively' inexpensive compared to other luxury vehicles.
I did get a chance to sit in a Saturn Sky again (last time it was a pre-production concept), but it really wouldn't work for teh BearCub and I. Pontiac has the Solstice which is basically the same car. They were showing a new version that was basically a T-Top like version instead of convertable. Looked interesting.... but rather cramped.
The Mustangs were cool, they even had a real production unit flipped on it's side so you could touch everything underneath as well. The BearCub and I also got a limited edition Mattel Hot Wheels 2010 Mustang car (they are giving away 288 each day at 4pm... and also again at noon on weekends.)
The Ford Flex looked like an overgrown xB, but was starting about 2x the price. I never did get a demo of the Sync system. Maybe I will have to wait until I get the Fusion that I won =P
Dodge was showing off the uConnect system. It is from AutoNet. A box that is placed into your vehicle that provides a 100 foot radius WiFi network. Just hook it up to a 12v power connection and you are surfing the web. It is a pretty cool device and is not Dodge specific. Supposedly Dodge/Chrysler/Etc dealers will install it in just about any vehicle. You could in theory take it with you if you are renting other cars and just hook it into the 12v system. Enterprise is supposedly putting it into a lot of their vehicles too. It is $499 + $29/month. If you get it before the end of the year, you get 3 months free. It pretty much works whereever you have a cell signal (and while Verizon is their major source, it supposedy will look for various companies signals and try to determine the 4 strongest signals.) It looks like a small WiFi router with 2 antennas and a 12v DC power connector.
Scion did a cool thing.. they had all their cars setup to allow you to listen to the stereo, and even had a music CD there to listen to. You could even get a CD to take with you (they also had keychains behind the counter... they gave one to teh BearCub and me.)
Almost all companies kept comparing their products to the Toyota Camry... "Better Gas Mileage," "More Headroom," "Faster Accelleration,"... was waiting for "more cupholders than Camry!" "more letters in our model name than camry" and was expecting to see a "...than Camry" sign on the Ferrari's and Bentley's too =)
Some of the "selling points" were pretty funny. When I asked about Suzuki's in general, they really really really really wanted me to know three things.. one, Suzuki was the number one selling car for 6 years in a row, two the SRX was the lowest priced All Wheel Drive.. but what was even MORE important, was that the SRX was the least expensive vehicle with Navigation Standard! WOW!... ok.. that would be nice, except, well, it was just a Garmin Muni that they put into a pop up hole on the dash. Yeah. OK. Oh, and the #1 selling car in Japan is a car that is not available here and no plans for it to be here.
Worst Model Name: Kia Soul -- I mean, when you go to resell it are you selling your Soul?????
There was also something funny in the Kia Sout that I took a picture of, but that will have to wait until I upload the pic (as the pix on their website either have it obscured or displaying something else.) Just say that you won't be seeing PETA endorsing the vehicle any time soon!
For those in the LA area, most 7-Eleven stores have $2 off coupons. The convention center parking is $12, however, there are some places in the area for $10 and other for $15 per day. You can easily take the blue line to right across the street, so I recommend that (for example, we parked in North Hollywood for free and use the Red/Blue line to go to/from the convention center.)
It was fun and we did a lot of walking, and getting in and out of cars and trucks (and even got some pix of teh BearCub on Motorcycles!)
I don't have my own car, and wish I did. I did sign up to maybe win one from Ford or Suzuki (either or both would be nice) =)
Damn.. new cars are EXPENSIVE! Just about everything we saw was $28k to $38k.. ouch!
Teh BearCub likes the Subaru WRX (yeah, pricey!)
After going around all day, I actually liked the Scion xB out of all the cars we got in. There was room, decent control layout and they started well under $20k too!
There were lots of nice cars (and I was surprised how nice the Masarati's were.. and 'relatively' inexpensive compared to other luxury vehicles.
I did get a chance to sit in a Saturn Sky again (last time it was a pre-production concept), but it really wouldn't work for teh BearCub and I. Pontiac has the Solstice which is basically the same car. They were showing a new version that was basically a T-Top like version instead of convertable. Looked interesting.... but rather cramped.
The Mustangs were cool, they even had a real production unit flipped on it's side so you could touch everything underneath as well. The BearCub and I also got a limited edition Mattel Hot Wheels 2010 Mustang car (they are giving away 288 each day at 4pm... and also again at noon on weekends.)
The Ford Flex looked like an overgrown xB, but was starting about 2x the price. I never did get a demo of the Sync system. Maybe I will have to wait until I get the Fusion that I won =P
Dodge was showing off the uConnect system. It is from AutoNet. A box that is placed into your vehicle that provides a 100 foot radius WiFi network. Just hook it up to a 12v power connection and you are surfing the web. It is a pretty cool device and is not Dodge specific. Supposedly Dodge/Chrysler/Etc dealers will install it in just about any vehicle. You could in theory take it with you if you are renting other cars and just hook it into the 12v system. Enterprise is supposedly putting it into a lot of their vehicles too. It is $499 + $29/month. If you get it before the end of the year, you get 3 months free. It pretty much works whereever you have a cell signal (and while Verizon is their major source, it supposedy will look for various companies signals and try to determine the 4 strongest signals.) It looks like a small WiFi router with 2 antennas and a 12v DC power connector.
Scion did a cool thing.. they had all their cars setup to allow you to listen to the stereo, and even had a music CD there to listen to. You could even get a CD to take with you (they also had keychains behind the counter... they gave one to teh BearCub and me.)
Almost all companies kept comparing their products to the Toyota Camry... "Better Gas Mileage," "More Headroom," "Faster Accelleration,"... was waiting for "more cupholders than Camry!" "more letters in our model name than camry" and was expecting to see a "...than Camry" sign on the Ferrari's and Bentley's too =)
Some of the "selling points" were pretty funny. When I asked about Suzuki's in general, they really really really really wanted me to know three things.. one, Suzuki was the number one selling car for 6 years in a row, two the SRX was the lowest priced All Wheel Drive.. but what was even MORE important, was that the SRX was the least expensive vehicle with Navigation Standard! WOW!... ok.. that would be nice, except, well, it was just a Garmin Muni that they put into a pop up hole on the dash. Yeah. OK. Oh, and the #1 selling car in Japan is a car that is not available here and no plans for it to be here.
Worst Model Name: Kia Soul -- I mean, when you go to resell it are you selling your Soul?????
There was also something funny in the Kia Sout that I took a picture of, but that will have to wait until I upload the pic (as the pix on their website either have it obscured or displaying something else.) Just say that you won't be seeing PETA endorsing the vehicle any time soon!
