Is This is the Year to Buy a Car? The 2018 Detroit Auto Show Has What You Need to Know

A Girls Guide To Cars | Is This Is The Year To Buy A Car? The 2018 Detroit Auto Show Has What You Need To Know - Feels Good To Buy A New Car

Don’t you love a buyers market?

I sure do! The other day I wandered into my local mall, ready to pamper myself with a brand new purse. It’s something I often do after the holidays because if stores need to beat their prior year sales figures, prices are going to reflect it!

Lucky me, my inclinations were correct! I am now the proud owner of a brand new, shimmer blue Kate Spade handbag. It feels great to get something I love at a really great price!

What does this have to do with cars? Well, overall auto sales were down 1.8 percent in 2017 versus 2016, and according to Edmunds, sales may be down even more in 2018. Does that mean the good times over? Not for you! If you are in the market to buy a car, 2018 could be the year to get a great deal on a really great car!

We partnered with the Detroit 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 Detroit Auto Show and how to win tickets. Yes, WIN!

Looking To Buy A Car Consider The 2018 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
Looking to buy a new car? Consider the Jeep Wrangler, newly redesigned for both on road comfort and off road capability, and enhanced by ultra high strength steel for whatever the road throws at you. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Shop For Your Next Vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show

Why did I hit the mall for my new purse? Cross-brand shopping, of course! I can browse several different stores to find the perfect piece, try them on, put my things in them to see how they fit and get information from the salespeople.

MEET THE KIA STINGER LUXURY PERFORMANCE SEDAN

When I’m looking to find my next vehicle I want the same experience. So I go to an auto show. In this case, the Detroit Auto Show.

Need To Buy A Car Consider The 2018 Honda Odyssey
The 2018 Honda Odyssey was introduced over a year ago but with all its inventive technology, from the use of high strength steel for safety to in-cabin cameras that let you see your little ones sleeping, it’s still big news. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Detroit: Where the Auto Industry Comes to See and Be Seen

Detroit is a little special, I have to admit. Home to three of the largest automakers– General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles– the Detroit Auto Show is where some of the biggest news in the car biz happens. This is where many new models will be revealed, where executives will beam with pride over their best sellers and where brands display their most interesting array of cars and trucks. You can see it all here.

Buy A Car Smart Fortwo
Did you know this little guy is one of the toughest on the street? The 2018 SMART ForTwo electric car is made with an all-steel frame! Photo: Scotty Reiss

It’s All About Being an Informed Shopper, Right?

Talk about comparison shopping! Being able to browse brands side by side like this allows me to make informed decisions on which car best suits my needs and personality. Besides the eye-catching shimmer of the new vehicles and the excitement of the reveals, the auto show is also about learning.

In fact, each brand’s ‘stand’ or exhibit, is tended to by a fleet of knowledgeable professionals: The product specialists. Product specialists are deeply trained on the cars the technology, the details.

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 What they can’t do is sell you a car; you have to go to a dealer to make a purchase. But they can give you all the details you need, walk you through a car’s interior, point out features and tell you how they work. They can give you pricing details, model level details and safety information.
Buy A Car Honda Odyssey White Body
Ever wonder what’s under the skin of a car? This ‘body-in-white’ shows the different types of steel used to build the Honda Odyssey, keeping passengers safe and improving the car’s efficiency. Photo: Scotty Reiss

Interactive Games and Displays Are a Learning Opportunity, too

Many auto brands at the show also have interactive displays and fun games that help you become a more informed shopper. The video game-like ride simulators and augmented reality goggles that you’ll see at Honda and Toyota are a lot of fun (my kids LOVE these). But look beyond these for displays that help you see what you’re really getting in a car. It was during the 2017 Detroit Auto Show that I learned about the importance of steel in our cars when I saw a ‘body-in-whites’ display.

This is an ironic name for this because it’s not really white. The steel industry is represented by the Steel Market Development Institute, which helps to educate consumers about the modern role of steel (it’s probably not what you think… keep reading) in cars. To give a strong visual representation of the where steel is in a car and what role it plays, they took a car frame and color-coded it to show just where different types of steel are used and what role they play. Some types, of course, are really strong to protect passengers, as in a roll cage. Others are lighter weight and designed to be flexible, as in a front-end crush zone. Yet others are designed to be super thin and light to create a super tight seal such as along a door frame.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW STEEL KEEPS YOU SAFE ON THE ROAD

Sure, you might already know that steel matters in the auto industry because it can improve structural performance, but did you know there are extra benefits of choosing a vehicle made of steel as well? According to the Steel Market Development Institute, aluminum costs two to three times more than steel. Plus, the cost of ownership is lower for steel-intensive vehicles rather than those made with alternative materials; this includes purchase price, insurance, and repairs.

Furthermore, steel has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions from its production as compared to alternative materials. And it’s recyclable; recycled more than all other car materials combined.

It can be all to easy to be distracted by a vehicles new and shiny facade but, what you can’t see also matters.  Two steel-intensive vehicles to look for at NAIAS 2018 are the 2019 RAM 1500 and the 2018 Honda Odyssey.

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What We Anticipate Seeing at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show

While we aren’t sure exactly what surprises will be revealed to us at the Detroit Auto Show, we do have a few good guesses:

  • More fuel-efficient cars because of demand by governments around the world to produce electric cars
  • Better efficiency and technology than ever–steel, engineering, and technology all come together here
  • More standard luxury than ever, including safety systems and semi-autonomous self-driving systems

Which auto brands will have news in Detroit? Again, we can’t be certain, but here’s a peek at what we expect to see:

  • The all-new Chevy Silverado made its debut recently and this will be the first time it’s been on display
  • Ram is expected to show a new truck
  • A first look at the new Acura RDX
  • The all-new Jeep Cherokee should make its debut
  • A redesigned Toyota Avalon is expected to be unveiled
  • A first look at the all-new BMW X2
  • And we expect some surprises from Ford, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, and others.

Follow along with A Girls Guide to Cars at the Detroit Auto Show; we will be there with some of the top Detroit influencers and will share news with you as it happens! Just follow the hashtags #DetroitLovesAutos and #SteelMatters and follow along on our Facebook page.

A Girls Guide To Cars | Is This Is The Year To Buy A Car? The 2018 Detroit Auto Show Has What You Need To Know - Girls Guide PhotoVisit the Detroit Auto Show On Us!

Ready to experience the 2018 Detroit Auto Show for yourself? Enter below to place your name in the hat for our grand prize of 2 tickets to the show, plus $100 so dinner’s on us! There will also be a drawing for nine second place winners who will each receive a pair of tickets to the show; all compliments of Steel Market Development Institute and the Detroit Auto Show.

Disclosure: This post is part of a program sponsored by Steel Market Development Institute and the North American International Auto Show.

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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