Walking the vast halls of the Los Angeles Auto Show one thing becomes readily apparent. There are lots of people out there who love seeing, touching, judging and talking about cars.
These folks are known by people in the auto industry to be “car enthusiasts.” And they are everywhere.
Car enthusiasts come in all shapes, sizes and genders. They not only love to talk about cars but they also love to read about them in magazines like Motor Trend or on websites like our very own Automotive.com. There is a reason why there is so much automotive media available to anyone with even a modicum of interest.
So what does your everyday auto enthusiast think of what was on display at this year’s L.A. Auto Show? Aaron Chavira, a 32 year old Southern California native, has grown up loving cars his entire life and has gone to the L.A. Auto Show every year since he was 14.
Aaron is not so much interested in “fantasy” machines like Ferraris and Lamborghinis but finds greater joy in the vehicles he thinks could someday be attainable during his lifetime. On one occasion as he passed the Ferrari display he wondered aloud, “Who is it exactly that can afford these cars?” We are not exactly sure, either.
Taking his time while examining most every vehicle on display at the show, Aaron focused his attention on tactile quality, value for money and whether or not a certain automobile possessed that “gotta have it” factor. He not only has a vast amount of knowledge about cars, his observations were often times very astute. Here are just some of his thoughts on some of the vehicles on display at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show.
2009 Mazda 6 – While Aaron was impressed with the exterior styling it all went downhill when he saw the quality of the interior in relation to its inflated sticker price. “The feel of the plastic in that car is just unacceptable when you are paying $32,000.” Apparently, this was especially true with the design of the faux wood trim used on the center console and dashboard. “That doesn’t look like wood, it looks like really bad wallpaper.”
2010 Mazda 3 – As downsizing to smaller, more fuel efficient cars is on everyone’s mind of late, Aaron really liked the styling and interior quality of the new 3 sedan. “I like the new 3 because it has lots of style and appears to be more expensive than it is.”
Lincoln – Although he could never see himself picking the new Lincoln MKS over a Cadillac CTS, Aaron was impressed with how well put together the sedan felt. Aaron didn’t like much else that Lincoln had on display, though. His view of the MKZ was “who would pay $40K for a fancy Fusion?”
And he really found a lot to dislike with the interior quality and poor color choices of the upscale MKX crossover. Aaron’s favorite SUVs at the Auto Show were the stylish Mazda CX-9 and the new Mercedes GLK.
Ford Flex – One of the vehicles that really piqued Aaron’s curiosity was the new Ford Flex. He really liked the “cool factor” of the exterior styling but was let down by the interior quality. And the price. “I mean, $38 grand for a Ford Flex?”
That wouldn’t be the first time Aaron would suffer from sticker shock at the Ford stand. The $31,000 Ford Taurus on display got this reaction. “Maybe for $21,000 but that price is ridiculous!”
A loaded Ford Focus on display that cost more than a loaded Honda Civic Si also made him wonder who exactly thought these cars were worth that much.
The only vehicle on display at Ford that he really liked was the newly redesigned Ford Mustang. “I have always loved Mustangs. Always have and always will. They are really sharp looking cars and the interior quality this year has really improved.”
Honda Civic – Although Aaron was a big fan of the 3, for his money he would most likely pick the industry stalwart Civic if value and economy were his main concerns. His view of the Civic’s competition sometimes came from intimate personal experience. “I really don’t get the Nissan Sentra. This is a car that tries to compete with the Civic yet only offers disc/drum brakes and non-independent rear suspension. That is just laziness. And don’t get me started on the transmission. I have ridden in a Sentra and that CVT constantly makes this droning noise. I hate it.”
Aaron previously owned a 1998 Honda Civic and it was the most reliable vehicle he has ever owned. Previous rides included a 1994 Chevy S-10 (totally unreliable), Nissan X-Terra (two new transmissions in a 6 month period), and a 2003 Toyota Matrix XRS (fun and also very reliable). Aaron loved the fact that the new Civic gets 36 miles per gallon highway, a figure not even matched by the smaller and much flimsier feeling Toyota Yaris.
Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class? - Aaron really loves the new C-Class. He finds that they are “effortlessly classy in a way that only a Mercedes knows how to be.” That doesn’t mean the C doesn’t have a whole lot of competition in the new A4. Asked if he had to pick between a 3-Series, C-Class or an A4, Aaron said, “I would have to say that I am biased towards the A4.” Let’s hope Aaron gets a nice Christmas bonus this year from work so he can upgrade from his current ride, a Volkswagen Jetta GLI.
While Aaron loves the way his current vehicle drives and handles, he isn’t so crazy about the quality. At the bar on TV’s “Cheers” it was always good that “everybody knew your name,” but in Aaron’s case he is less than happy that he knows the name of everyone in the service department of his local VW dealer.
Volvo C30 – While Aaron also has a thing for Mini Coopers, it was the Volvo C30 hatchback that really stole his heart at this year’s Auto Show. Aaron displayed a “gotta have it” twinkle in his eye as he slowly walked around the stylish flanks of the C30. After sitting in the driver’s seat of his new automotive obsession his only words were, “I love it.” We think we know what Aaron’s next car is going to be.