San Antonio Auto Show

If you have been to an auto show in bigger cities such as Dallas or LA, this is a disappointment. BMW, Land Rover, Volvo, Mini are not represented. For the SA market, this is most likely good enough for the average Joe.

1. The designated Saturday parking lot was closed @ 930am. Drivers waiting in line for someone to unlock the chain. Got tired of waiting and found parking elsewhere. Ticket booth not open until 10am so don’t go early. Some of the cars in the show were locked (were not talking high dollar cars)! BMW, Cadillac were not present. Toyota didn’t even have the new 2016 hybrid RAV present. Product Specialist for Toyota said San Antonio Auto Show not big enough to have full lineup of cars. Missing trucks \ cars from some manufacturers. Weak auto show!

Enjoyed a great time with the family at the Auto Show today! We went early so it wasn’t too crowded. So many vehicles to look at– wow! Everything from a $ 9 million 1967 Thomassima III to a Lamborghini Aventador SD … to your basic Honda’s and Ford’s. I could’ve done without the nagging from travel agent type sales people though. Lol

I’ve been meaning to write a review on this. This was the first time I’ve been to this auto show. I can tell you that if you’re shopping for a new car then this is a great place. Unfortunately, I’m not looking for a new car but I like to sit in new cars… it must be the «new car smell.» Anyways, they have the major manufacturers here not sure if it was just American made or what. I know that Volvo and Mercedes didn’t represent. I did like Audi and Subaru making an appearance though. It seemed like the main focus was the new safety features and electrical gadgets that are installed now.
I wish they had more concept cars or prototypes featured. Even if that car is never produced it’s nice to see the creativity. I will say that one of the best things about this event was that someone was selling hot candied nuts and the smell permeated throughout the event. It would be a great event for youngsters and they had classic cars some that I haven’t seen at the local car shows.
So if you’ve never been to something like this I would recommend going at least once. If anything, have your pic taken in a car that you either can’t afford or will never be seen in.

Eh. I was very disappointed with the selection of car models and makes there. There was also not much going on, no crowd and unenthusiastic staff. This was my 2^nd auto show and I wasn’t impressed. And BMW, where were you?

This was advertised as «San Antonio’s biggest auto show ever!» with a «selection of makes and models as big as Texas!»…umm, really? What was it like previously? This was my 1^st SA Auto Show & what we experienced was pretty small & lackluster. Was it because because we went on Sunday (the last day of the auto show)? Who knows?
To be fair, the last auto show my husband and I attended was in Los Angeles. Prior to that, we had been to auto shows in San Diego and Philadelphia. We’re used to the bright lights, big reveals, concept cars, hot models, music… ENERGY.
The San Antonio Auto Show had none of those things and was a snooze fest comparatively. Absolutely no energy from anyone. From the people checking us in at the entrance to the vendors to the sales people, everyone looked pissed and bored to be there. Like Karen N.‘s friend, the friends with us said that they felt like they were just roaming around a brand new Carmax lot.
On the plus side, it wasn’t crowded on Sunday. Parking was free & plentiful. The wait for the shuttles didn’t take long. Hand stamps allowed for in and out privileges. YMCA had a kids’ zone to keep the little ones entertained. The hot rods & classic cars were cool. The convention center was clean & spacious with plenty of restrooms. Drink and snack vendors were on hand if you actually stuck around long enough to develop a thirst or got the munchies.
Like Joey P. said, unless I score more complimentary tickets, we’d probably skip the show next year. And even then, we’d have to think about it. If the organizers can bring in more European automakers and a few hot models for my husband, maybe we’ll return.

It was alright, a good way to kill an hour on a cold Sunday evening in the warmth of the lovely Henry B. Gonzalez convention center. I skipped the mass confusion that is the Alamodome parking lot and decided to just park at Rivercenter and walk the 2 blocks to the convention center. Boy was it cold down there by the water! If you do decide to utilize the free parking at the Alamodome, know that they do provide bus shuttle service so that’s pretty neat.
When it comes to the Auto Show itself, think huge auto sales floor inundated with salesperson after salesperson. One of them even convinced me to hand over my email address for a chance to get a $ 40 Visa giftcard if I go on some test drive. I may or may not take him up on that offer, LOL. So if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, this might be the show for you. Warning: even if you are completely content with your current vehicle, this auto show may cause vehicle envy.
Very disappointed they didn’t have any concept cars. Not even ONE. 95% of the vehicles were the kind they mass-​produce so of course they didn’t mind if people got their paws all up inside of them. The other 5% accounted for the classic cars and cars on display. I guess I was expecting something a little more exciting. Unless I happen to score some more complimentary tickets I’ll probably skip out on this one next year and save the $ 10 for something a little more interesting.

Great big selection of cars, trucks and suv’s. Make sure you go do the test drives. Toyota and Ford have different models to test out. The are food and drink stands inside so you don’t have to go far or you can go down to the Riverwalk which is right there.

If you are currently looking for a vehicle and haven’t narrowed it down, this is your show. The automakers literally just took one of each of their current inventory and stuck it on the convention floor. As a friend put it, like a brand new Carmax lot.
Here’s the ways I was disappointed:
1. No concept cars. The 2014 Chevrolet Stingray doesn’t count. That’s been touring the circuit for a few years now on a pedestal. (I mean not that this is what I come for but I didn’t see one car model even! HA!)
2. Only Ford and Toyota were willing to allow their vehicles to be test driven.
3. We were not allowed to bring in cameras with removable lenses (press only). If I take awesome photos and broadcast them, that’s free marketing for you!
4. The parking at the Alamodome was nice with the free parking pass but was a LONG wait for the bus both ways for shuttle. Not worth it with the sudden cold spell.
5. Most importantly, some key manufacturers were straight up MIA. Mercedes Benz (I actually haven’t gotten a glimpse of your new model), Maserati, BMW, Aston Martin, Porsche, and Jaguar to name a few that I noticed that didn’t bother saying hi. Where were ya?
The few rows of classics were pretty cool but there are other gatherings around town to see them or similar awesomeness.
«International» car show? You had foreign vehicles but this was nowhere near world class. The automakers apparently don’t take this city seriously. $ 6 for the ticket — one extra star for affordability. Not too mad atcha for a Saturday afternoon