Chicago Sights: Chicago Auto Show Recap

I’ve been writing about the Chicago Auto Show for the last four years I believe, but today this is new. My first time attending the First Look for Charity, which is the Chicago Auto Show’s way of raising money for several different charities in one night while ticket holders get to walk around the auto show floor listening to music, eating great food, and seeing the latest and greatest in auto awesomeness. From concept cars to fun sized ones, there is something for everyone. 

I happened to love sitting in all of the Mini Coopers, and imagining not being able to fit anyone in my car except Mr. Houseful, and our luggage. Being dressed to the nines, with a great face, and sassy hair sealed the deal. Being able to hang out with bloggy friends was nice too.  This is Sidney from Hysterical Mom. She got to dress up and leave her twins at home as well. 

Before I got all dressed up though, I went to the media preview and specifically attended the GMC reveal of the new Acadia Denali. I left more impressed with it, for reasons that aren’t as fine tuned as to why I fell in love with the Chevy Traverse. Given that the Traverse and the Acadia have the same amount of space, but the Acadia is a couple of thousand dollars more, we all know where our Houseful ended up. However,  the Acadia Denali is turning some heads with their innovations on child safety. With all of the deaths of children in cars due to extreme heat or cold, the GMC Acadia Denali now has a rear seat alert when something or someone has been put on the second or third rows of the vehicle. Not only that, but they’ve added USB CHARGING ports throughout the car, which means that all of the Nicholes can charge ALL of their devices without having to fight for a port. Glory hallelujah. It also comes wired with a 4G LTE hotspot as well. Paired with the loss of 700 pounds and 4 inches, which means that the savings at the gas take would be phenomenal, I think we all know what’s important here. Other specs are: 

• New Front Pedestrian Braking
• New Low Speed Forward Automatic Braking (standard on SLT-2 and Denali)
• New Forward Automatic Braking (available on Denali)
• New Following Distance Indicator
• New IntelliBeam automatic headlamp high-beam control
• New Surround Vision camera system
• New Safety Alert Seat
• Forward Collision Alert
• Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert
• Front and Rear Parking Assist.

Overall, we left with great options for when we decide to upgrade from our Silver Bullet (anyone else ever think of the movie with Gary Busey?) to something just as spacious, and just as awesomely priced. I may not be all horsepower crazy about cars, but I do get excited at the aspect of ones that do great things for me and my family!