LA Auto Show

Despite it being a Sunday (not a work day) this morning I still found myself in downtown L.A., although my destination was a few blocks over from my office.

First on the agenda was a pancake breakfast at IHOP at 8th & Flower, where it was just a short walk to the LA Convention Center to attend the Auto Show. And let me tell you, there was nowhere near the sexy girls I thought was almost compulsory at these things. Instead there were loads & loads of cars from your run of the mill Americans & Japanese autos, to the exotic Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Lotus. Even Aston Martin and Rolls Royce were in attendance.

Many of the cars were off limits, look but don't touch, and the attendants were quick to tell people "Hands off!" when they got a little too close, which included my son at one point :P

But many, many cars had people (almost) climbing all over them, and JE got to sit in the driver's seat more than a few times.

Surprise of the day was him being able to adjust the seat of a Passat (I think it was a Passat) so much that he could literally have driven it...and he's only EIGHT! The seat went so far forward, and raised up so much, that even at just 52" tall he was not only able to reach the pedals but see over the dash.

Downer of the day was getting to sit in the driver's seat of an Audi TT (my midlife crisis car) and realizing I don't like it! :(

Pleasant surprise was the Honda Fit. A very nice car for this (almost) 6' tall guy. The seat goes back further than I need (and I have long legs, so I need to sit back) and still allowed a quite reasonable amount of room for an adult (me again) in the backseat behind the driver.

Funny was seeing a 6'6" guy slide into the passenger seat of a Mini Cooper, and after putting the seat back he was actually quite comfortable. There was no room (literally) for anyone in the back seat behind him, but he had enough room so that's all that mattered.

Highlight of the day for both J.E. and I was the Test Drive area where I took a Camry SE (not the V6) and a Toyota Tundra for a spin around the test track. J.E. got to ride along with me in the back. Liz rode shotgun for the first lap then bailed before she hurled because I was driving!

J.E. thought the Camry was pretty cool, especially when I floored it on the straight then jammed on the brakes for the first curve...but then we went out in the V8 Tundra ;) Can you say VAH-ROOOOOM!!! I think you can ;) Now that was cool. The Tundra handled surprisingly well for a truck, although taking it through the S's from (almost) lock to opposite lock was tough; you need to do a lot of turning of the wheel if you don't want to take out half a dozen traffic cones, and I didn't...take them out, that is.

While the big barrel of the Tundra appeals to the Guy in me, the practical guy in me says, get the Honda Fit...then again, Liz's Highlander will eventually become J.E.'s First Car, while my next car will become the Bunny's First Car, and I think it would be awesome (& safe, for her ;) if her first car was actually a thumping great truck ;)

It's probably going to be a Honda Fit though :P