Warning: You May Fall in Love at the Chicago Auto Show

Chicago Auto Show No, I don’t mean with a significant other, although that could happen too!

What I mean is that you might find yourself falling in love with your next car at the Chicago Auto Show! With a convention center floor full to the brim of beautiful new designs, it’s hard not to. Heck, you may even find more than one that takes your breath away.

So here’s the tough question: how do you choose the one that’s right for you?

We partnered with the Chicago Auto Show and the Steel Market Development Institute to showcase this year’s show and give away tickets! Keep reading to see why you should visit the Chicago Auto Show and how to win tickets. Yes, WIN!

Finding Your Perfect Car Can Be Difficult

When there are so many great options to choose from, it can be really hard to know which one is the best fit for you. That’s what makes an auto show so valuable – it’s comparison shopping at it’s best! While the manufacturers cannot actually sell you a vehicle on site (takes the pressure out of browsing), they can answer any questions you might have about the vehicle.

What are the questions you should be asking?

Chicago Auto Show
See the new Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, a solid-forged truck filled with luxury features. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Important Things to Consider When Deciding on a New Car or Truck

There are tons of things to think about while looking for your next car, truck or SUV – at an auto show or not. Don’t get swayed by that new car smell or the feel of real leather. Safety, efficiency and maintenance are really important considerations too. This can all boil down to the type of materials used to create a car.

Yes, it matters.

Think about it. It matters what materials my clothes are made of. I want something thick enough to protect me from the cold of winter but then again, the heavy coverage needs to only be in the right areas. I certainly don’t need to go all “Christmas Story” in a snowsuit to leave the house. Really, it is about knowing how to combine the right materials for the what needs to be achieved. Like our winter wardrobe, it needs to cover and protect yet be beautiful and agile.

Innovative Materials Mean Cars Are Brilliant on the Inside and Outside

The brilliance behind new cars? A variety of grades of steel (more than 200! Who would have guessed?) allow automakers to use the right grade in the right place to protect occupants, distribute energy in a crash and increase durability. And, with all this innovation, steel has gotten lighter weight and stronger, helping cars to lose weight and be more fuel efficient.

But how do you know? This is another brilliant thing: At an auto show you can ask one of the beautifully dressed, well informed professionals at an automaker’s exhibit. Product specialists are highly trained on the details of a car, from it’s features and technology to, yes, the materials used to build it. So ask how much steel is in the car you’re looking at; it’s very often a huge selling point. Then, you can hop inside and ask about the leather and the infotainment system.

6 WAYS TO TEST A CAR’S AUDIO AND SEE IF IT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

Chicago Auto Show
The BMW X2 compact crossover fills the demand for luxury in this hot category. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Luxury Cars and Trucks Are the Story of the Year; See it All at the Chicago Auto Show

The greatest thing about the Chicago Auto Show is that the best and newest cars are there for you to see. The big stories in  2018 are trucks and luxury–and many luxury trucks. Nissan, Ford, Toyota and Hyundai have promised some surprises, and with the Detroit, Houston and Los Angeles Auto Shows just slightly in the rear view mirror, there are some exciting new vehicles to check out, too. Among them:

  • A new Ram 1500 Limited pick up, which has a rugged appeal and a luxe interior
  • The Toyota Avalon, Toyota’s luxury sedan has a bold new design
  • See the Infiniti QX50, a redesigned and sleeker version of the popular luxury crossover
  • The all-new Jeep Wrangler with high-strength steel bumpers for extra winch power
  • BMW’s X2 compact crossover is the hottest new entry in this hot category
  • The all-new Kia Forte has a sleek and flirty design.
  • All-new Volkswagen Jetta, which enters the market with a newly reduced price
  • Ford Mustang Bullitt, a sleek and sexy retake on an classic heart-throb
  • The VW Atlas, which won Cars.com’s top “Best Of” award
  • The Honda Accord, which won KBB’s Best Buy award
Women'S Day Chicago Auto Show
Yes, YOU can do this too at the Chicago Auto Show

Join Us For An Exclusive Event at Women’s Day at Chicago Auto Show (and More Free Tickets!)

There’s a special feeling I get when I conquer something new; like butterflies in the pit of my stomach. It’s empowering. It puts me in a daze for weeks. It keeps me coming back for more. If you’ve ever had this feeling, you might understand how empowering it can be.

And you can get this feeling at the Chicago Auto Sow.

On February 13th A Girls Guide to Cars will be at the show for exclusive time on the show’s indoor drive tracks and expert off-roading advice from Emily Miller, founder of the Rebelle Rally. Join us at 8AM that morning for a breakfast hosted by the Chicago Tribune and listen to Emily share her advice on how–and why!– to get started off-roading, and then take to the tracks, which will be open just for us. Just for us!!!

Then take a tour with us and enjoy the rest of the show, all on us.

 Join us for Women’s Day; here’s how to attend and tickets are free! 

Chicago Auto Show
You don’t want to miss this: The Lexus LC500 Black Panther edition brings a little Marvel magic to the show. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Win Tickets to the Chicago Auto Show!

Can’t join us on February 13th? No worries! We have you covered. We are giving away 10 pairs of tickets to the show and a grand prize of a $100 gift card to one lucky winner. Just click below to enter and good luck. We hope to see you at the show!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest rules: Entries must be completed by midnight February 8, 2018. No purchase necessary; contest open only to US residents and subject to the laws of  Illinois. Winners will be notified by email by February 9, 2018. Winners MUST pick up tickets in person at the Chicago Auto Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL, between February 10, 2018 and February 18, 2018. Winners may be asked to provide identification to receive their prize. Prize value $26 per prize, not exchangeable for cash or other items. Grand prize value is $126. A total of 10 pairs of tickets will be awarded and a total of 1 grand prize will be awarded.

The 2018 Chicago Auto Show runs from February 10-February 18, 2018 at McCormick Place. Tickets are $13 for adults, $7 for seniors and children over 7; children 6 and under are free.

Disclosure: This post is part of a program sponsored by the Chicago Auto Show and the Steel Market Development Institiute. 

Mary Moore
Mary Moore

Mary Moore is a frequent road tripper, vintage car collector, and quirky travel enthusiast. One might say that her appreciation of how a vehicle looks and performs is deep-seated in her "Motor City" roots. It was this appreciation, and love of writing, that drove her interests in automotive journalism after earning her Bachelor Degree in Marketing from Western Michigan University. That and maybe the opportunity to work at home in her pj's on snow days if she wanted to. When Mary's not writing about the thrill of the track or sharing inspiring stories of the women she admires in the automotive field, she's sharing her own stories about life and travel on her blog, RaisingDickandJane.com. Mary currently resides in a state that is cold more frequently than it is warm. She appreciates her career choices daily.

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