Could This Be Minnesota’s Best Winter Pastime? Don’t Miss the Twin Cities Auto Show!
Scotty Reiss
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Nine days, spectacular cars, fun activities and pressure-free car shopping.
Mud season is no fun — for most of us, that is. It’s time to head indoors and find something fun to do until the tulips start to bloom.
Luckily, the Twin Cities Auto Show is in town until March 18th and it promises many fun things to do. And, keep reading: A Girls Guide to Cars is heading to the show in partnership with Toyota and you can enter to win free tickets!
Check Out a Celebrity — or Two
If you’re like us, you LOVED the movie Black Panther. At the Twin Cities Auto Show you can get an closeup look at the Lexus LC500 featured in the Black Panther and even take a selfie with it.
And you can check out other ‘Crime Fighting’ cars including the Bat Mobile and the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo.
See the Future of Cars and How They Light Up the Show
Electrification is all the rage in the auto world; from full electric to plug in hybrids to autonomous cars, more and more cars and trucks will run on electricity and produce zero emissions. You can see how the technology is developing and how it will fit your lifestyle at the Twin Cities Auto Shows Electric Room.
And all that electricity will light up the show at After Dark on March 16th: As the bright lights dim and the show takes on a twilight feel. Headlights, fog lights, infotainment monitors and interior lights of the cars illuminate the show for a unique indoor twilight experience.
The 2019 Toyota Avalon. Photo: @Metrodetroitmom
Automotive Trends That Spell L-U-X-U-R-Y For Your Next Ride
Probably the top trend in automotive right now is luxury. From tax reductions and tax rebates that are fueling top luxury brands to demands from consumers for more features and luxuries in popular car brands, there is luxury available at literally every price point.
Toyota just revealed the all new Avalon, the brand’s top-of-the-line sedan filled with features typically only seen in more expensive brands. From premium details like leather seating and hand-stitching, heated and cooled seats, wireless phone charging, Apple Car Play, a Amazon Alexa connectivity, top technology is a pampering feature.
What we thought of the Toyota Avalon Hybrid
Toyota always brings a fun sense of adventure to the auto show. Photo: @TCAutoShow/Instagram
Adventure is a Luxury Too
Mud season IS for some of us, and Toyota understands that; the RAV4 Adventure was born for you. This popular SUV has higher ground clearance, dynamic all wheel drive and protective coating on the rocker panels and wheel wells to keep gravel and brush from ruining your ride. Inside it has comforts like heated seats and steering wheel, all-weather floor and cargo mats that easily rinse off and a household plug — a feature we really, truly love.
Our look at the Toyota RAV4
Meet the Luxury Truck. Yes, Trucks are Luxurious Too!
We think of trucks as work horses, but inside they are filled with luxury car features and comforts like leather seating, Entune infotainment systems, a quiet ride, storage options and more. It’ll make you forget you’re in a truck— until you need to haul 1,000 lbs of garden pavers and save the delivery fee doing it.
Thinking a truck might fit your life? Here’s what we thought of the Toyota Tacoma
Take a Pressure-Free Test Drive
Hop into a brand new car and take a spin around town. Get a feel for each car and decide — without the help of a salesman in the car!— if this is the perfect new car for you. Among the Toyota models that will be featured at the Ride and Drive are:
- Camry
- C-HR
- Corolla
- Highlander
- RAV4 Hybrid
This might be the most awesome mall ever: Shop for your new car at the Twin Cities Auto Show.
Did You Know the Auto Show is The Best Shopping Mall Ever???
This is the perfect place for a girl to shop for a car. Why start such a serious discussion for your next car at the dealership? That is where your shopping should end, not start.
This is why we love the auto show:
- Pressure-free, stress free car shopping; you can’t actually buy a car at an auto show!
- You can ask a ton of questions. Auto shows are staffed by product specialists who are highly trained and knowledgeable about the models on display. They can answer technical and mechanical questions, tell you about the car’s features and more.
- Take a test drive. Drive all the models on hand and get a feel for the car’s technology, active safety features and infotainment system. Even family members can hop in the car and give you an opinion (be sure to check the ride and drive rules for details about who can ride along)
- Shop across models or brands; it would take all week to do the comparison shopping you can do in one day at the show
- Get a primer on technology, such as Toyota Safety Sense, a suite of safety systems that can prevent a crash, keep you focused in your lane and make driving easier at night
- Can’t decide SUV or minivan? Small crossover or full sized SUV Sedan or hatchback? This is the place to try them all out
- Find a luxury car that meets your budget. Not all luxury models are astronomically priced
- Learn why trucks are so popular (keep reading for more on this!)
- Get price information and start to plan your new car budget
- Learn about incentives, special pricing and manufacturer rebates
Didn’t We Say You Can Win Tickets? Yes We Did!
We are giving away tickets to the Twin Cities Auto Show so you can visit the show and check out Toyota’s offerings and start your car shopping. We are giving away 10 pairs of tickets and a grand prize of a $100 gift card. Just enter below for your chance to win!
Contest rules: Entries must be completed by midnight March 11, 2018. No purchase necessary; contest open only to US residents and subject to the laws of Minnesota. Winners will be notified by email by March 12, 2018. Winners MUST pick up tickets in person at the Twin Cities Auto Show, Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave S., Minneapolis MN 55403, between March 12, 2018 and March 18, 2018. Winners may be asked to provide identification to receive their prize. Prize value $24 per prize, not exchangeable for cash or other items. Grand prize value is $124. A total of 10 pairs of tickets will be awarded and a total of 1 grand prize will be awarded.
The Twin Cities Auto Show runs from March 10-March 18, 2018, Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Ave S., Minneapolis MN 55403.Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for teens and all tickets are half price on Wednesday. See the Twin Cities Auto Show website for more details.
Disclosure: This post is part of a program sponsored by Toyota.