If you’re thinking about buying a new vehicle — now or sometime down the road — there is no better place to start shopping than at the Atlanta International Auto Show. With about 400 vehicles under one roof, product specialists waiting to answer your questions, and dozens of models available for test drives, you can narrow your list of choices without having to drive from dealership to dealership.
“You can’t buy at the show, but you can compare cars, ask questions, even drive some cars, with no sales pressure,” said Randy Nelson, director of education for the Metro Atlanta Auto Dealers Association. “You can save time and fuel by starting your search for your next car at the show.”
About 16 percent of people who attend the show purchase a vehicle within 90 days, a said Gary Long, MAADA’s director of consulting, so the association knows that many attendees are serious about buying.
With that in mind, Nelson and Long offer those in the market for a new vehicle some tips for getting the most out a visit to the show.
1. Do your homework
Decide which cars you want to look at, but include a few “maybes,” because it’s easy to scope them out at the show. Make a list of the information or features you are most interested in — fuel economy, performance, cost of operation, cargo space, etc. — and bring it with you when looking at the various models. You’ll probably want to take notes, so come prepared with a pen and notebook or a mobile device. You might want photos, too, so bring a camera or smartphone.
2. Organize your trip
The show is less crowded on weekdays, so if you can arrange your visit for then, you’ll find shorter lines to get into cars or talk to product specialists. When you enter the show, spend a few minutes looking at the exhibitors map. Plan out a route that takes you to all the manufacturers you want to visit, and select a meeting site if you and the rest of your group are planning to split up and meet back together.
3. Meet the cars
Check out the manufacturer’s display for the models you’re interested in . If it’s a popular vehicle, the manufacturer might even have two or three versions, showing the different trim levels. This is your chance to examine the car in detail. Sit in the driver’s seat and check the comfort level. Sit in the back seat and see how roomy it is. Open the trunk to gauge the cargo space. Look under the hood. This is your chance to see the car up close and to confirm that it has the space, comfort and other features you want.
4. Get the details
All the manufacturers have product specialists on hand who know the cars the way Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez knows his lineup. Ask a product specialist anything you want to know about a particular model — what’s the difference between the various trim levels; what sort of warranty does it have; what kind of mileage can you expect; are any incentives available? Many product specialists don’t just know their manufacturer’s current model; they can tell you how it compares to competing models from other manufacturers, or how the 2013 model differs from the 2009 version you’re driving now. In addition to product specialists, many manufacturers use QR codes to provide more information to car shoppers. With a QR reader on your smartphone (it’s a free app), you can collect the QR codes, which will take you to information such as details on packages and trim levels, video “walk-arounds” of the vehicle, spec sheets and other data. If you’re not a smartphone user, pick up a glossy brochure for each car you’re interested in.
5. Get behind the wheel
Auto shows used to be just for looking, but more and more manufacturers are letting people drive cars during the show. This year, seven brands will offer ride-and-drive events, in which show-goers can take models for a brief spin on the streets around the Georgia World Congress Center.
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