Oh I agree it is not the same experience....I've said that several times before. But it is better than nothing.....and I am the type of person that can tell a lot about a vehicle, at least for typical day to day driving, from just a couple of minutes behind the wheel.

And, believe me....D.C. city streets will give you a good idea of how well the suspension and underpinnings are designed LOL.

 

Again it doesn’t have to be one or the other.

Ofcourse digital reach is very important but going away from reaching out to consumers with physical products is a huge mistake.

Going back to Tesla - although they are not at Auto shows, they have Tesla stores everywhere and it’s extremely easy to get a long test drive with one. Go try that with most other automakers, half the cars are locked when you go to a random dealer. Getting a test drive is almost as painful as going to the dentist with most dealers.

 

Thats your preference, but again it’s a business and if they can accomplish their objectives without the expense of participating in a show, then it makes sense to do that. You can find something else fun to do with your family, that’s not what carmakers participating in a car show is about.

It’s about selling cars not about giving you something to do. You compare it to a circus, guess what else people no longer go and see? The circus.

I love car shows, but I understand that what I love and what makes the most sense for their business aren’t the same.

 

got (bad) news for you... buick sales in china are falling faster than a skydiver without a chute. 2022 was 1/3 of (highest) volume in 2014.



i'm sure you know better than the vast majority of auto makers bailing on these shows.

my nearest tesla store is 90 mi. away. hardly convenient. but i'd still buy one if the features/timing were right. almost did this time but couldn't wait for the highland feature set to be released.

 

Legacy carmakers don’t have dealers everywhere?!

 

They don't?

 

I'm not sure if you are agreeing with me or you didn't understand my post lol

 

While corporate Stellantis isn't showing up, most of these shows are regional dealer association run anyhow. Local CDJR dealers could have stepped up to bring cars and pay for some signage, but they apparently felt it wasn't worth it. I don't blame them, they don't have much to talk about. Chrysler is down to the Pacifica, Challenger and the muscle cars are gone for now. Jeep doesn't have much new to speak about.

That said the DC show is fading a bit, I know the leadership and they're trying to convince the brands every year to come back and establish a minimum presence on the floor as it's still a big draw for consumers.

I'm still excited and will continue to host part of the VIP tours. Also love being able to take my daughter on the sneak preview night before the massive crowds.

 

It was a "Legacy" joke LOL.

 

Ah lol……….

 

You mean the ones where you make 4 rights around the convention center in city traffic? Me, personally, I'm not interested in that. There's lines for those too. I'd rather just have no test drive at all, and spend my time inside looking at the cars.

 

Exactly, doesn’t tell you much lol

 

Not many brands at the DC Show. We had the same problem here at the one that took place on Miami Beach this past year. Real disappointment thought Lexus was there in force with their models.

 

If you want to see the future of car shows, here it is. Note MB is at CES...

 

After pulling out of the Chicago Auto Show several years ago, I was surprised to see that BMW is listed as being in the 2024 show next month. Kind of surprising. No Audi or Mercedes though which has been the case for several years too. If it's accurate it shows 7 Series, 8 Series, i4, i7, iX as well as X1, X3, X5 and X7 as being on display.