Last month, my family and I were invited to visit the Seattle Auto Show. My husband absolutely loves cars and I went alone a few years ago, and I heard about it FOREVER. So this time it was me and the three guys and I was really excited to check out the new electric cars at this years show. There are definitely a whole lot more options if you are thinking of getting into electric driving. There was even an area called “Electric Highway” and we got to test-drive a Jaguar I-Pace too.
BTW: When is the best time to buy a new car?
Before we went to the Seattle Auto Show, I knew we wanted to see a couple SUV’s. I’ve been debating getting a new car for a while because although I love my current car (it’s a Mazda CX-5), it’s not always big enough to drive the kids with their friends for carpools-especially if they have a bunch of gear. We may end up buying a new car in 2020 so I looked up a few articles on the best time to buy a car. According to Kelly Blue Book, holiday sales events and year end is the best time to buy. And an article from Huffington Post has tips has tips on what time of the year some specific types of cars typically go on sale too.
I know from experience that the best time to buy something is not when you desperately need something, so we had fun visiting the Seattle Auto Show and thinking about the cars that might fit our lifestyle.
So what do I think of the Jaguar I-Pace?
First of all, I’m so glad that Jaguar is getting into the electric market and it was so cool to be able to see the Jaguar I-Pace at the Seattle Auto Show. We didn’t have a ton of time to test drive so I let the hubby drive and I sat in the back with the kids. The backseat of the Jaguar I-Pace was comfortable and the ride was smooth. The car felt very luxurious and I liked the way the interactive driver display doesn’t jut out like the big computer screen does in the Tesla Model 3. And the ‘frunk’ of the Jaguar I-pace was cool to see too.
I just don’t know how you would be able to do a lot of long-driving in the Jaguar I-pace using the current charging infrastructure (Tesla has their own-these do not). I think not having enough places to charge and charge quickly could end up being a bit of a hassle and ultimately not the luxury driving experience that a Jaguar owner would expect. I wish they had a way of using the network of Tesla Superchargers or their own network of fast chargers and then this would be a car that I would consider more strongly.
By the way I love the Tesla Model 3
If I had to pick any electric car, I still think The Tesla Model 3 is the best choice for value, aesthetics and general performance. There were a few of them at the Seattle Auto Show but I realized I didn’t get any pictures until I wrote this piece-we are seeing so many more of them driving around Seattle I’m starting to take them for granted. It is also just personal preference that I don’t like the computer-looking interface in the dashboard. I look at a computer for a big part of my day so I don’t want to see one when I drive.
Otherwise, the glass roof with infinite visibility more than makes up for the oversized computer screen and it has a long driving range so you don’t have to worry about charging for city driving. It is networked so that if you are going on a lengthy road trip you can pay and supercharge. We have seen a huge number of new Tesla Model 3’s supercharging at Pacific Northwest stations lately so it looks like consumers agree.
And the Volvo XC90 might be a fabulous pick for a hybrid
I loved the interior of the Volvo XC90 and when I found out it was a hybrid I was really impressed. We ended up venturing into electric driving after I tried a Chevy Volt ages ago. I barely used any gas to do my daily trips from our house in Seattle to the kids’ lessons and school and this is when my husband and I realized that an electric car would be doable for our lifestyle. I am not the biggest fan of the Tesla Model X but an SUV is more practical for our daily activities so something like the Volvo XC90 would be a fun choice of ride. I asked at the auto show and it sounds like you can also do European delivery on this vehicle so it might also be a good excuse for a Europe trip if you need this type of vehicle.
And Can We See More things like Electric Highway?
It was so cool that Puget Sound Energy had an area at the Seattle Auto Show called the “Electric Highway” with several electric and hybrid cars so consumers could see them all in one place. There was a BMW I-8, A Volkswagon E-golf, and an Audi E-Tron among some other electric vehicles and this was a really popular area at the Seattle Auto Show.
Ultimately, I am not a car expert. I like the cars that I like and these opinions are my own. When you pick a car please make sure you do your research and you pick a car that feels right for your budget, your family and your lifestyle-you’re ultimately the one who’s going to be using it.
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)