Zander Drives Cars

For the first time ever, I, an 18-year-old with a website, got a media pass for the Chicago Auto Show. Because of that, I was able to skip the lines and crowds and head to the show early to get content for you all. Please don’t mind that I am still putting this article out during the public viewing week, but hey, it’s better than nothing. Anyway, after 5 hours on my feet, fueled by multiple cups of free Pepsi and dodging around other people’s shots, I now present to you all the good, the bad, and the weird of the 2023 Chicago Auto Show.

The Good

Chevy’s EVs

2023 is poised to be an excellent year for Chevy and GM in general. Their plans to roll out multiple new EVs have piqued interest and stock prices. Because of that, Chevy pulled through with every new and upcoming EV model they had in stock. Blazer EV, Equinox EV, Bolt EUV, and even the hybridized Corvette ERay. Granted, only the Bolt range was able to be photographed closely, but the presence of what is expected to be the US’s next EV-heavy brand was very notable and exciting.

The Hyundai IONIQ 6

I’m not going to go on my full tangent as to why the new IONIQ 6 is so good, so I’ll leave a link to my article on it here. But, in summary, the IONIQ 6 is a very very good car, and looks, feels, and (probably) drives excellently. It will be very interesting to see how this, and the IONIQ brand in general, attempt to take on Tesla in the near future.

Large Brand Diversity

Compared to the Detroit show, this was night and day. While Detroit focused heavily on the Big 3 and Toyota, Chicago hosted twice the brand seen at the show. These include Honda, Lexus, Acura, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, and BMW. The whole space just felt more lively and present than Detroit. I know that this is a larger show in general, but it felt like more was happening and that everyone was actually excited and happy to be presenting the brands they represent.

The Bad

The Nissan Ariya

I noted how I wasn’t impressed by the Nissan Ariya back at NYIAS 2022 but hoped that the final production version would feel like a better product. I was wrong. The interior still felt very cheap, with really bad fake wood and a rattling center console. Better yet, the center “stack” on the dashboard has these weird soft-touch buttons which, even in my very limited playing, didn’t feel accurate at all. All it did was remind me how bad the wood on this thing is. I’m sure it drives fine and I know the range is nice, but I just can’t get behind the Ariya.

The $100,000 Wrangler

When Jeep announced a 20th-anniversary edition of the Wrangler, called the Sahara, everyone in the world had their jaw on the floor when they announced, that with an up-fit kit, it would cost $97,000. Listen, I know these things will fly out of dealerships, but, like come on. The Wrangler, as a vehicle, is about a decade overdue for a new generation. It has one of the worst interiors on the market, has horrible gas mileage, is unsafe, uncomfortable, and unreliable. I just cannot get behind the idea of anyone spending Bronco Raptor money on one of those. Just buy an 08′ model and up-fit it yourself.

The Weird

Honda’s plane

I think the title says it all. Honda brought a de-winged version of their new Honda Jet Elite II, and if you look at any compilation post from the show, you’ll see this plane there somewhere. Fun fact: I got yelled at by a bald man at Honda because I peered into the jet.

The Toyota Grand Highlander Nintendo Switch Thing

Toyota brought two versions of their new Grand Highlander to the auto show this year. One model was up on a spinning pedestal that you couldn’t get near, and the other was one that was modified to have a huge screen in the back to play a Nintendo Switch in. You could sit in the rear seats, but there wasn’t anything to see, and trying the front doors proved futile because the thing was locked.

Conclusion

I felt spoiled. I drank orange juice out of a champagne glass, I played around with concept cars, and I schmoozed and boozed my way around every delegation I could find. I don’t ever want to go back to a show as a member of the public ever again. Will that probably hamper my ability to go to shows in the future? Yea, maybe. Do I care? Nope. But, I’ll end on a bit of a personal note. You, yes you, the reader, have made what I did possible. Without the views and the ability to help me create content for this site, I wouldn’t;t have been granted access to media day. So thank you for reading my stuff so I could go to Chicago.