Sunday, February 28, 2010

Drive

Yesterday we went to the Cleveland Auto Show. Snore.

Normally we go like once every 4-5 years and that is enough gap in between to make me forget what a waste of time that it actually is. The one good thing this year - they didn't charge $8 for parking. It was actually free! It still cost $12 to get in the door though.

I would say, both Denton and I have a little bit of car fever....and I'm trying to quell mine. I think he is probably due for one. His nine year old car seems to be in the shop more and more often these last few months. My Viggo is still going strong, but he's only pushing six years old.

The cars were ok. Some better than others, as you might expect. I'm not looking at Porsches or the $74k Lexus models. I'm not one of those guys who goes to oogle things he cannot have - well, except the hot dads who are looking at those things.

Normally, the freakish folks dominate this scene - mostly due to their clothing choices. Yesterday was no different. Oh, to have a good way to shoot pictures. I'm not sure there was enough memory on my iPhone to accommodate all I saw and no good way to snap away without being caught.

But back to the cars. Out of the hundreds of cars there, I only saw less than a half-dozen that caught my attention and that I thought were semi-logical purchases. The Volkswagen CC is near the top of my list, if not the top. It is a sharp car. A beauty. Even Consumer Reports recommends it. The one drawback? Getting out of the car, I seemingly have to really bend to exit. It doesn't seem to be that way getting in, but I tried a number of times.

The Audi A3. It's very cute and practical. But it looks an awful lot like Viggo. If I were to change cars, it's gotta feel like something new. I do feel like one of us should have a hatch to put down the seats and load stuff into. That's been my job for the last 14 years. I'm a bit tired of it.

Then there were two cars I never thought I'd give a first look to, let alone a second: the Kia Soul and the Ford Focus.

Wait wait wait. I know what you're saying: "a Ford Focus???" It's not the model that is currently out. That model, I would waste my time spitting on.

But doesn't this look more like the C-Class Mercedes? If not, it certainly doesn't look like a Ford. However, you won't be seeing it in a showroom until 2012. I'll have forgotten about it by that time. The sign says not to touch - so guess what I did? I'm such a rebel.

Speaking of 'no touch' - this on a 'concept' car.


Locked for my safety! As if!

But I can see why some of the autos were locked. Some of these folks were just fucking taking up residence in them for the better part of the day. Or worse, letting their snot-nosed kids play pretend driver. GtFO!

Oh, the other car I thought was really really well done? The 2011 Ford Mustang. Maybe it was the 2010. The dash was nice and not clunky like most American cars. The seats were really comfortable and lots of leg and head room. Yeah, it has back seats, but not that are functional. It would be a total vanity car for me - not so practical to take anyone else with me.

Cars like the Mustang are on the way back (again). The new Camaro looks sharp, but not for up to $38,000. No sir! Some old/new Dodge car too. Once again, appealing to the guys who had the muscle cars back in the day and wanting to recapture their youth at a high mark-up that they now can afford whatever they charge.

It was a bit sad, the biggest display and the least populated were one and the same: Toyota. I'm sure plans for this show were set well before their misfortunes. ...and for the record, that lady testifying before Congress on how 'g-d stopped her car', is complete hogwash that no one is willing to question her on - except me. And not the g-d part either.

But if you're car was going 100 mph and you were trying to do the gas, the brake, the emergency brake and all that through traffic, exactly how did you call your husband on the cell phone and have a conversation, when all this took place over 6 miles?

Let's break that down: if you can go one mile a minute, doing 60 mph, you'd be done with your 6 mile ride in what - 3.5 minutes? Then she made some claim that even after the car stopped, it was going 35 mph. HUH???

Of course, no one from Toyota could question this without taking on more wrath. Even though someone should, no one was questioning an older female with a southern twang who invokes her lord g-d into her testimony. No doubt paid for by Chrysler, GM and Ford - to which they are rolling around like pigs in shit when it comes to Toyota as of late.


Song by: R.E.M

3 comments:

Larry Ohio said...

Did you just admit publicly to driving a Volvo station wagon? Say it ain't so!! I had you pegged for a BMW.

I thought the same thing about the woman on the cell phone. She knew how fishy it would sound telling that story, so she specifically said she used the phone's bluetooth thingy to call. Yeah, right. She was driving 100mph barely in control with her life flashing before her eyes and she decides to it's better to switch her attention to the telephone rather than watch the road? Congressional hearings are such a joke.

A Lewis said...

"Locked for your safety" because I sent word ahead that you were coming.

Dith said...

The Kia Soul has no power. Friend and I were test-driving for her new car a few weeks ago. It's cute, but that's about it.