1/17/15: Chevrolet and SheBuysCars at the New England Auto Show

I was extremely lucky to be invited to the Media First Look event at the New England International Auto Show in Boston by SheBuysCars and Chevrolet.  As a Mechanical Engineer what better thing than to talk cars with other women?  Plus I love the atmosphere at the New England International Auto Show.  You can look at all the automobile brands with no pressure from sales people.

We were able to ask questions of women working at General Motors and learn about the new Chevrolet Trax which will be for sale in the US in early 2015.  It was wonderful hearing about there are more women in the automotive industry and in leadership positions.  The Trax is a new small SUV which gives you the utility of an SUV and the agility of a compact car.  

Here is Betsy Flegg who is the marketing manager for Chevrolet Crossovers including the Trax.  She is a Mechanical Engineer so we had a great time chatting about women in engineering and how far we have come.

Some features that stood out to me is that this car has some great technology in it including 4G LTE Wi-Fi and Siri Eyes Free.  I use hands free cellular talking in my car and I love it.  Chevrolet MyLink Infotainment is a 7-inch-diagonal color touch screen and allows linking of smartphones and MP3 players.  The high-speed wireless hotspot is on whenver the vehicle is on.  The vehicle comes with a three-month/three gigabyte data trial (whichever comes first), after which the customer can purchase additional data.  

It has seating up to 5 people.  It has segment-leading 15 interior storage compartments.  If you are like me you live out of your car with kids and activities so this is a great feature.  Plus an EPA-estimated 34 mpg on the highway.

Trax is powered by an Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine that’s backed by an efficiency-enhancing six-speed automatic transmission.  The engine is rated at an SAE-certified 138 horsepower (102 kW) and 148 lb-ft of torque (200 Nm), between 1,850 and 4,900 rpm.  It is also available in all-wheel drive which is great in New England with slippery conditions.

The car is beautiful to look at.  I especially liked to hear that it had 10 air bags!

The starting price of $20,995 for LS trim level includes standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment with a 7-inch-diagonal touch screen, OnStar 4G LTE with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, segment-leading 10 standard air bags, segment-exclusive standard rearview camera system, rear fold-flat and front-passenger fold-flat seats, USB port, air conditioning, power locks and windows, power outside mirrors and remote keyless entry. 

There is the LS, LT and LTZ trim levels, with premium features offered across the range, including:  Sixteen-inch wheels are standard on LS and LT models; 18-inch aluminum wheels are standard on LTZ.  Rear park assist – available on LT and standard on LTZ.  Contemporary interior environment featuring an instrument cluster with a large, performance-style analog tachometer combined with a prominent digital display for the speedometer and other readouts; also includes 3.5-inch-diagonal driver information center display with ice blue backlighting.

Heated front seats with leatherette trim – standard on LTZ.  Deluxe cloth/leatherette seating trim – available on LT • Bose seven-speaker sound system – available on LT and standard on LTZ • Leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel – available on LT and standard on LTZ.  Fog lamps – standard on LTZ.  Roof rails – standard on LT and LTZ.  Six-way power driver seat adjuster – available on LT and standard on LTZ.  Power sliding sunroof – available on LT and LTZ.  Heated power-adjustable mirrors – standard on LT and LTZ.  Auto-dimming inside rearview mirror – standard on LTZ. 

We were also treated to a tour of the New England Auto Show from James Bell who is the Head of Consumer Affairs at General Motors.  He had some great tips for us when looking for a car.  A couple that stuck out to me was that he said to cover the brand and just look at features to determine what is the best fit for you.  He also said to keep a notebook in the car and make note of cars that stand out to you on the road and also how you use your car.  For example don't get 3rd row seating if you only use it once a year when going to the airport.

We were able to check out all of the great new cars from Chevrolet.  Here is the Corvette.  This was my favorite of the show.

 This Camaro is beautiful!

Plus other vehicles included in the General Motors line like Cadillac.  Here is the ELR.

 This CTS was very nice looking.

 Some other brands that stood out were the BMWi.

 This Mercedes Benz was awesome and as media we were lucky enough to get to sit in it.

 I liked this Lexus too.

What a wonderful day.  Remember when looking for cars a great resource is SheBuysCars and don't be afraid to go in to the dealership.  Do some investigation and be an educated consumer.  The automobile market is not just a man's world.  The New England International Auto Show is going on until January 19th.

Disclosure:  I was provided with access to the New England Auto Show in addition to compensation for this post.  As always, all opinions are my own.