Car Show

Last evening, after munching on a sushi dinner at City Centre, Greg, Patrick and I took the LRT to the Edmonton Car Show. It was my first time ever attending a car show. Organized by company, a car show is a great opportunity to cut down on showroom shopping and see all new models in one stop. Seeing the cars adjacent to each other in a relatively neutral environment (meaning you're not swayed by the fact that the BMW dealership is swankier than the GM, or has glossier commercials) made me see similarities between brands that I hadn't noticed before.

In thinking about the range of vehicles showcased - everything from a Smart Car to a Hummer - a few models stand out in my mind. To note, I am the furthest thing from a car buff. I purchased my current vehicle on a whim after declaring that I wanted a fully-loaded model and that colour was very important (yet I somehow ended up buying a purple car even though I had always planned on purchasing black). Car browsing is interesting for me because it forces me to think about how I want to live my life; transportation is a key component of those considerations.

While working in St. John's, a number of my co-workers debated the practicality and styling of a van. Vans are a contentious issue. Those in favour cited the ability to move lots of kids, toys, snow blowers etc. around easily as a key benefit. Others claimed their wheels were not vans (the model in question was the Mazda 5). Two stylish new alternatives to a family mini van were present - the Nissan Cube and the Ford Flex. Both are more visually interesting than a van, but are not overwhelming in size like a SUV. If you're moving kids to soccer practice or planning a family road trip, either of these vehicles might fit the bill.

The Nissan Cube

The Ford Flex

Greg and I both prefer a wagon over a van or a SUV. Unfortunately not many companies are producing wagons these days. Our two top contenders are the Volkswagen Jetta Wagon (Diesel) and the Audi A3. We also liked the Volvo V50.

The Volkswagen Jetta Wagon

The Audi A3

Most upsetting, Mazda has remodeled the 3 for 2010. Coincidentally, I read an article this week that said a car looses value when a new model of the vehicle is released. If, for some reason, the newer version is less popular than the older version, value may not decrease, through this usually is not the case. Thankfully I don't have (too much) buyer's remorse about my current ride.

Photos are from various sources: Nissan Cube from Auto Net, Ford Flex from German Car Zone, Volkswagen Jetta Wagon from Motor Trend and Audi A3 from Auto Rola.