5 Women at the Detroit Auto Show, 5 Very Different Opinions: What Cars Rocked
Fadra Nally
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The Detroit Auto Show revs up our team.
What happens when you send a bunch of women to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show? The answer? It depends on the woman.
Several women from the AGirlsGuidetoCars team recently descended upon Motor City for a look at some of the latest and greatest vehicles coming out this year. There were cars and trucks, SUVs and minivans, and enough sports and luxury cars to make even the highest maintenance woman happy.
While we were there, our team mixed and mingled while we talked about our shared love of cars. But what was so surprising (or not so surprising, really) is how different our tastes are. Some of us are all about performance. Others are totally into luxury or economy or just plain pretty cars (speaking for myself).
That’s what’s so great about this space. We all bring a different perspective to the table. To prove it, I asked our team which cars were their favorites and here’s what they said.
Nicole Wakelin
Nicole doesn’t limit her tastes in cars as you can tell by the variation in her two favorite vehicles.
“The thing with the Detroit Auto Show is that it’s big! You walk out on to the floor and there’s so much to see that you suddenly find yourself amid dozens of cars and can’t figure out which way to head first. Even amid all the crazy, there were a few standouts that really got my attention.
Ford showed off the new GT and it is a truly gorgeous car. It sounds as good as it looks and when they brought it to its place on the floor, you felt the rumble before you even saw the car. It’s the kind of car that will have heads turning when you drive down the road in a blur of speed.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was the new Ram 1500 Rebel which is their new off-road worthy truck. It looks like it could run over lesser vehicles as though they were merely speed bumps. Skid plates, a higher ride height, and tow hooks make it ready for the mud. And I loved the tire tread pattern on the seats.”
Judy Antell
Judy is an eco-conscious driver who is looking for cars to create a kinder, gentler footprint on the earth. And there were plenty of those cars to be found in Detroit.
“The cars that turned my head at NAIAS in Detroit were the hybrids and alternative fuel cars. I eagerly await the Toyota Mirai, the first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle to be sold commercially.
Tesla’s Model S has new features including all wheel drive and autonomous parking.
Then there’s the BMW i8, the grown up sibling of the compact electric i3, with cool bat wing doors (don’t trying getting into this in a tight dress).
Looking to compete in the green space, Mercedes-Benz introduced its C350 plug-in hybrid.
Chevrolet unveiled a next-generation Volt, with longer range and a much lower sticker price than the luxury brands.”
LeAura Luciano
LeAura is all about luxury but she’s not afraid to look for affordable luxury too. She found both in Detroit.
“I love spotting high-low interior trends. My favorite at NAIAS was seeing diamond seamed leather trim (think Chanel bags) in some fun places. It always looks luxe. 
There is no exception in the interior design in the Maybach, but the floor has plush carpets so this was not surprising.
However, I was pleasantly surprised to see this trend in more affordable luxury vehicles like the Kia K900.”
Amelia Dalgaard aka Motorhead Mama
Amelia, better known as Motorhead Mama, loves performance but the cars that had the biggest impact weren’t just about fast driving.
“Here are my Top 5:
#5: Chevy Bolt— Because even though I’m a huge fan of both the Volt and the Usain variety, I think teaming them up was a weird move. Even Google gets confused “Did you mean “Chevy Volt?”…
#4. Range Rover Diesel— Doesn’t seem like a big move, I know. But it gives me hope that the cars I think will never jump the pond sometimes actually do!
#3. Acura’s New NSX— What’s not to love? The twin turbo V6? The 3 electric motors? The female-led design team? Nothing. It’s too cool.
#2. Oldsmobile Avenir— Because if Betty White and Jane Fonda can be sexy seniors, why not Oldsmobile?
#1. Ford’s New GT— Because it’s been too long since we had an American “exotic” that could crush the Europeans, since the last GT actually. Sign me up!”
Fadra Nally
And since everyone else has an opinion, I should too. There’s no rhyme or reason to my selections other than they personally appealed to me or made me say, Ooh, pretty!
“I never thought I’d be a Bentley girl. In fact, I’m pretty sure I never WILL be a Bentley girl because at a price tag of well over $300k, I won’t have the Bentley GT Speed Convertible in my driveway anytime soon. But, oh, so pretty!
Also sporting the pretty factor was the Buick concept, Avenir. If I’m being honest, I think the main thing I liked about it was that it looked nothing like a Buick!
Really, though, I’m an SUV girl at heart which is probably why I fell in love with the next three cars, starting with the VW Cross Coupe GTE. I loved the interior AND the exterior but the door felt tinny. Turns out it’s just a concept but I’m counting on it making it to production.
The Jeep Renegade caught my eye. Maybe it’s because it looks like a toy car come to life but I think it’s adorable. Probably not what their marketing team was going for.
And finally, a car I’ve coveted for years. The Volvo XC90 has been redesigned and offers more unusual features like plug-in charging and matte finish paint.”
And there you have it. Five women with five different backgrounds who all picked very different cars (and for different reasons). Who do you think your tastes most closely align to?