Events: The San Francisco Auto Show
Last week, the Cartrast team went to the San Francisco Auto Show to learn more about the 2020 models. As we went during one of the public days, the show was a crowded affair, with plenty of people viewing and sitting in the various vehicles on display.
Honda had an updated 2020 CR-V Hybrid Touring for potential customers to sample in their booth. Since Toyota offers a popular hybrid version of the RAV4, showgoers were interested to see how the CR-V compared. As expected, there was a large crowd surrounding the compact SUV, showing that more people will be putting the CR-V on their shopping lists. Also in the Honda booth was the 2020 Civic, still venerable as ever and capable of providing a satisfying driving experience.
All-new for 2020 was the Ford Escape, another vehicle that had plenty of people surrounding it. Ford had both top-end Titanium and well-equipped SEL trim levels of the Escape on display for show attendees to get comfortable in. (One thing to note: the front seats of the Escape may not be as wide as you expect, so larger drivers might have a tough time being comfortable on long trips.) A hybrid powertrain version of the Escape will be coming the first quarter of next year.
A popular automaker display was the Chevrolet booth with a brand-new C8 Corvette sports car on display. With the Corvette having changed to a mid-engine layout, plenty of visitors wanted to get photos and a closer look at the car. In addition, there were many Silverado pickups on exhibit for showgoers to try out. We also managed to sit in the Equinox, which is still as popular as ever as Chevy’s main compact SUV offering. Being the San Francisco Bay Area, the all-electric Bolt had a constant circle of people around it, checking out how comfortable the seats were and what was beneath the hood.
Other compact SUVs and compact sedans we saw included the Subaru Forester and Impreza, Nissan Rogue (we weren’t able to get a look at the all-new 2020 Sentra), Hyundai Elantra and Tucson, Toyota Corolla and RAV4, Volkswagen Jetta and Tiguan (particularly of interest to attendees because of its third-row seat), Jeep Compass and Cherokee, Mazda3 and CX-5 as well as the GMC Terrain.
As for electric vehicles other than the Bolt, we managed to sit in the Hyundai Kona Electric specced with the Ultimate trim level and came away impressed with the interior fit and finish. The Leaf, though not significantly updated from the 2019 model year, still retained its interior comfort while having a cabin full of amenities such as a Bose sound system.
Show attendees could test drive some of the vehicles they were interested in. Toyota had the Camry, Corolla Hybrid, RAV4, and Prius available for test drives while FIAT Chrysler Automobiles had the Jeep Gladiator, Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee, FIAT 124 Spider, Dodge Durango SRT, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, and the RAM 1500 Rebel. We managed to get behind the wheel of a Corolla Hybrid and it was very comfortable on the rougher sections of San Francisco streets while getting excellent fuel economy during the evening stop-and-go traffic.
Ultimately, the San Francisco Auto Show was an excellent place to get to know the cars buyers are interested in. Instead of trips of multiple dealerships, show attendees can sample the interiors of all the vehicles they’re contemplating in one afternoon or evening, a huge benefit to car shopping and helping to winnow down the upcoming test drives that need to be scheduled.
To schedule test drives of the compact SUVs, compact sedans, or electric vehicles you’re interested in, click here or give Cartrast a call at 669-222-9588 today.
Learn about the San Francisco Auto Show or buy tickets for the show by visiting sfautoshow.com.