Tuesday, February 18, 2014 | TechN'ews

5

MWQSIIOW

Variety of Chr sler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep,
Toyota mode 5 on test rive course

Kyle Stanevich
STAFF WRITER

Nowhere else in Chicago do you get the
opportunity to test—drive Ieeps off road or burn
out in a Charger, except the Chicago Auto Show.

Many companies construct extreme
driving condition tracks inside the McCormick
Place, giving people the opportunity to
experience what it would be like to go ofi-roading.
While these tracks are fun to go on, there are
two downsides, the extremely long waits to get
on, and the salesman driving the car. This year
there were many companies showing off their
cars: Dodge, Fiat, Chrysler, Ieep, and Toyota,
each with their unique spin on the test-drive.

Back in 2005, Jeep built the first
test track in the auto show. After many
modifications, their track is now a complex
system designed to show off all the off-reading

capabilities of the entire lineup of Jeep vehicles.
The main attraction is the steep hill that will
put the riders at a vantage point way above
the rest of the show. They also simulate
bumpy driving terrain by driving over logs,
large rocks, and uneven terrain designed to
stretch the suspension of the car to its limit.

Years ago, Toyota introduced
their own test drive with the Prius.
However, this year they changed things
up and showed off their SUVs and trucks.

They took the Jeep track design and
modified it to fit their needs. The ride starts
with a seesaw, using gravity to tilt the track
down and drive off. Unfortunately, this was
not a free moving piece, but instead controlled
with pistons and motors, but equally as fun.
Next, there is a large dirt hill, similar to, but
not quite as tall or steep as the Ieep hill. The
ride concludes with a water hazard to drive

through. At the opening days of the auto
show, this worked out great, providing a good
simulation of the truck at a boat launch or
shallow stream crossing, but as the week went
on the water became a problem, turning into
a big mud puddle. Toyota, mostly known
for their small vehicles, introduced this in
marketing focus with this display. Hopefully,
their track will improve in years to come to
better show off what their trucks are capable of.
, The final indoor

test drive track at the Auto Show is a group display
with the Dodge Charger, Fiat 500, and Chrysler
300. This is no off-roading track like the other
two, but instead a street simulation that includes
a tight corner, weaving road, noise isolation test,
and an acceleration and breaking straightaway.
While the Charger and Chrysler

are enjoyable cars on this track, especially in
the acceleration test, the Fiat did not fair too

well. The car is cramped, the noise isolation
is not that great, and the acceleration is
terrible. A person could probably get better
acceleration on a bicycle. The salesman tried
his best to explain the advantages of the
car, but there was nothing amazing about
it except its size making it easy to park.

These test drives are an interesting
marketing approach utilized by many car
companies at the auto show, but they do not
give the rider the chance to really experience the
car. For the full eflect, go to a dealership and
take a car for a spin, that way you do not have a
salesman blabbering away the entire time and
can actually drive the car in a real world scenario.

Plus, there is not an hour—long wait to
ride in a car for all but a few minutes. Ieep and
Toyota are doing this right, by bringing an off-
roading experience to a city where there is none,
and putting a unique spin on an indoor auto show.

 

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