When 25 Women Test Drive Dream Cars, What Do They Choose? You Might Be Surprised.

I kicked off the event with the 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Quattro, a dream car if there ever was one. It’s been a while since I’ve been in an Audi and I immediately was enamored with the interior. I saw all the screens before the Q8 was turned on and I got concerned about the amount of input that was about to come blaring out at me from them.

Lo and behold, they were lovely. The color schemes were so mellow and so calming. I felt like it was minimal and informative all at the same time. I didn’t have any issues getting used to the controls and appreciated the black and gray and white mood going on in the Q8 e-tron.

If you like a little more pizzazz, you can opt for an LED ambient lighting package. Either way, the interior made me comfortable and content.

The Audi is the ultimate sporty SUV EV starting at $76,095, with a standard range of 285 miles. Not too shabby for a performance-oriented luxury, heavy all-wheel drive car. Especially since it could easily be used as a daily driving family hauler, too.

I drove the 2024 Volvo V90 Cross Country at Heels and Wheels and I’m telling you, I fell back in love with the brand that was such a hot ticket when my kids were little. It’s got such a clean, minimalist style but it doesn’t skimp.

The seats were incredibly comfortable, the light wood-looking treatment on the dash gave strong Scandinavian spa vibes, and the crystal gear selector added the perfect amount of polish to this lovely, soft-spoken luxury car.

Volvo says the wagon is “engineered to exhilarate,” and that description was accurate. A wide track, all-wheel drive, and 295 horsepower with a 33 mpg EPA estimate was impressive, especially for a starting price of $59,800.

There are two hybrid trims available too, the B6 Plus and the B6 Ultimate for a sporty yet efficient build.

The 2024 Cadillac Lyriq did not give away that it’s an EV because it doesn’t look like one, inside or out. Cadillac embraced the idea that we all still like hard buttons, toggles and knobs and gave us plenty.

It shares GM’s Ultium EV platform with the Honda Prologue and the Acura ZDX, but you wouldn’t know it. The interiors of the Honda and Acura were identical, but not in the Cadillac. Mixed in with gorgeous metal trim were wood accents, and a gorgeous arced screen that housed the driver information system in addition to the multimedia system.

It’s a feast for the senses and yet it’s just what the doctor ordered for those who are frozen out by the cold interior experience of many EVs. Despite the interior being monochromatic, it didn’t feel one-dimensional; It’s a masterful execution of a variety of surfaces and materials.

Like the Audi, the Lyriq is designed to be a fun-yet-easy-to-drive EV for those who like a little pep under the pedal. With up to 500 horsepower and 314 miles of range depending on the configuration, there’s a Lyriq for everyone – especially as prices range from $57,195 to $61,795.

Rivian has Tesla shaking in its boots, and now I see why. I got inside the R1S at Heels and Wheels and enjoyed the balanced woodsy vibes with a luxurious interior with seats that had cool oval shapes quilted into the upholstery, echoing the headlight shapes.

The dash had warm wood wrapped in brushed metal that was concave, adding depth and visual interest, along with the contrast stitching. The floor mats have a cool wooded look to them. The storable cupholders are clever, and they tuck into a cool cantilevered-style center console.

There is an element of bringing the outdoors in with the Rivian, but not in the hose-it-out way, more like in the modern cabin in the woods kind of way. I also loved the clamshell tailgate. Can we make the clamshell standard on all SUVs? Thanks.

The only thing about the Rivian that was a little cringe-worthy was the pricing. It is a full-sized, EV SUV with over 400 miles of range with the long-range setup, but it’s mighty pricey for what’s meant to be a daily driver. The starting price is $75,900 and goes up to $115,955.

Where do I even start with the 2025 McLaren Artura Spider? This might be called the dream cars dream car for its open roof, scissor doors, and ridiculously fabulous blue paint job. It held my gaze every time I turned my head its way.

And then I got inside and the interior fit me like a glove, as a dream car should. A soft, suede-lined glove, that is. It was cushioned perfectly, the seats were bolstered like the Artura was gonna throw you around the curves if you let it (I might have).

The Artura Spider was driver-focused with the multimedia touchscreen turned towards the driver. It wasn’t just the suede seats and brushed metal trim along the door panels and air vents that made the whole interior feel special.

The push-buttons to put the car in gear were below the touchscreen, in between the driver’s and passenger’s seats and it not only looked cool, I hardly had to reach to put the car in gear. I also loved the controls on either side of the hood over the driver information screen.

These controls looked race-inspired and I loved that they kept the mood focused on what the car does: go fast. It’s a luxury sports car in every way, mostly in the way it will take your breath away and make you smile from ear to ear the entire time you’re behind the wheel, whether you’re moving or not.

But I did move fast in the Artura Spider. It’s a hybrid that generates over 600 horsepower starting at an eye-watering $310,208 and the second I got in it I wanted to know more about racing. Specifically, how do I start, and can I have the Artura Spider to do it in?

Obviously, the acceleration was astounding, but I loved the cornering the most. It stuck to the road through the tightest turns. The steering did not waver. The brakes were impeccable. My test was over too quickly. Maybe I should have driven slower.

The Audi RS6 Avant was a sneaky surprise. Yes, it’s a wagon but take a second glance at this car and you’ll know it’s designed to make you swoon. The caramel-colored seats combined with black carpet not only keep the interior from feeling too dark but the patterns and colors feel very stylish.

Under the sleek hood are 621 horses coming from an incredibly eager 4.0 V8, only adding to the muscular yet elegant wagon. The dual sunroofs also keep things airy. Most dazzlingly, the RS6 Avant gave me confidence before I stepped on the gas.

The driver information system and multimedia systems gave me the feeling of being in a race car. The seats themselves are supportive and encouraging. The carbon-fiber surface on the dash and leather gear shifter reminded me this car is for me to drive like mad.

But even at regular speeds, it’s rejuvenating. How do you put that on the window sticker? And it’s no small sticker price, either. The base price for the life-changing sporty wagon is $127,895.

The Kia EV9 is so innovative and good-looking on the outside it’s easy to see why it leads the category of family dream cars. It has two-toned upholstery that is even present on the third-row seats. There is a driver information system and a multimedia touchscreen behind one wide piece of glass so it looks luxurious and cohesive.

One of my favorite features was a reclining front seat that even had a footrest that came out, so you can get supremely comfortable while waiting for the car to charge, or your kids to finish practice.

The interior feels so balanced and relaxing, that I could go sit in it while it’s just parked in the driveway.

It’s also fairly customizable. The EV9 can be configured with all-wheel drive and can be upgraded for a longer range from the standard 230 miles to 304 miles. Sticker prices vary, but the starting price is $54,900 and can go up to $73,900. Which, when compared to other EV SUVs, like the Rivian, it’s a very reasonable alternative.

I was looking forward to getting into the Mazda CX-90 and it did not disappoint. The front seats are divided by a center console that dazzles.

While many cars, EVs in particular, have designed the front seat to have a center console that is cantilevered into an open area around the driver’s and passenger’s seats, the Mazda keeps you both compartmentalized with a gorgeous center console with covered storage and cupholders.

The ivory upholstery is accented by light-colored wood, and the color combination felt like a high-end spa, it was so relaxing and beautiful. The CX-90 has softened angular, brushed-metal-looking trim around the air vents, climate control system, and center console.

The seats had a stripe running down the center, adding an upscale visual detail I would expect on a handbag or a stylish piece of luggage. I hope Mazda never stops doing that. When you open the door and see that stripe, you know you’re in for something special.

It’s also incredibly reasonably priced for a PHEV. The starting price for the Preferred trim is $49,945, and the top-tier Premium Plus cost rests at $57,950.

The Hummer SUV was a whole vibe. What made it dream car worthy was the way I felt driving it. It’s rugged, it’s giant, and it was the epitome of rugged handsomeness. Everything from the removable roof panels to the two-toned upholstery to the power rear door was contributing to the Hummer’s outdoorsman feel.

And this outdoorsman might chop wood after he sets up a tent, but the kind of tent you might go glamping in. The Hummer is a tailored flannel, five-o’clock shadow of an EV. The shiny metal trim details put me on notice that the Hummer was not a utilitarian behemoth, but that it also had refinement.

The narrow windows and the polished interior made me feel like I was stealthy, even though the SUV was anything but. The military heritage is very present in the Hummer and that distinctive feeling won me over.

Like its gas-powered predecessors, it comes with a sticker price as big as its chassis. The starting price for the EV is $96,550, and the max MSRP is $104,650.

The completely monochromatic, fully, bright-orange-inside-and-out Aston Martin DBX 707 might seem overwhelming at first. But as dream cars should, its bold and makes a statement. It was a conversation starter, and I wound up being surprised by how much I enjoyed it before I even drove it.

Luckily for me, I love the color, and the DBX 707 was a fantastic immersion. I know what your first reaction is likely to be, and I’m here to tell you, that you get used to it. If you let yourself, you just might fall in love just by sitting in it. And if orange isn’t your jam, you can pick any color you like; that’s part of the Aston magic: Customization.

The DBX 707 held its grip and I never once doubted the Aston Martin’s 697 horses from a Mercedes V8 to perform when pushed. There was zero body roll, it goes from zero to sixty miles an hour in 3.1 seconds, and there were zero-point-zero seconds that I didn’t have a smile on my face.

Okay, there were a couple of times I tried to play it cool, but the incredible stereo with the phenomenal drive thwarted me every time I attempted a straight face. The details in this Aston Martin delighted me, an umbrella in the cargo area, the shiny carbon-fiber trim, the cool gear shifter that looked like a toggle…fabulous.

Unsurprisingly, all the speech, technology, and orange-ness comes at a steep cost. The starting price for the British sports-luxury SUV is $289,995 and can end up north of $312,500.

My last car of the day, the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO, had a very sports-focused interior. The seats were soft to the touch and supportive. What I loved the most was the manual gear shift and the gauges that sat on the dash above the multimedia touchscreen.

The sleek, 240Z-inspired sports car packs a serious punch with a twin-turbo V6 that churns out 420 horsepower. Mind-boggling acceleration and the incredibly powerful Brembo brakes make the $65,750 price tag almost reasonable.

Driver’s gauges show you the status of your battery and the status of your turbocharger’s boost and speed. When the car is sitting still, it feels fast. I also loved the gauges in the driver information system that reminded me that this car could hop on a track at any time. It’s fun to be in a race car, in every way.

It was a great opportunity to see so many dream cars back-to-back and discover what made them all special. I loved all the variety and all the styles each car had. I am in awe of the choices buyers have, and it was cool to be reminded of it myself.