Saturday November 25th 2017

I got a late start again today and it was another beautiful day. The high temperature was right around eighty. That’s not bad for a day with a normal average temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit.

After a leisurely breakfast I decided to go to the Las Vegas International Auto Show. It is going on this weekend at the Convention Center. This show had displays from many of the major car companies, but some big players were missing. Mercedes, BMW, Kia and Nissan were among the brands that were not on display. Compared to the size of the Las Vegas population center, it was a small show.

This Corvette can be yours for only 107 thousand plus dollars.

I may be in the market for a new vehicle. My Honda CR-V has around 100,000 miles on it. I am going to have to spend some money to keep it in reliable condition. It is a good vehicle, but it is also a little heavier than I’d like. If I had a car that was about one thousand pounds lighter, I’d be able to pull it behind the motorhome better. The issue is that the number of vehicles that can be towed four wheels down is decreasing rapidly. To achieve better fuel economy and smoother rides, car manufacturers are developing new transmissions that can’t be towed. Most manual shift cars can still be pulled behind a motorhome, but there aren’t as many of those as you’d think. People, me included, want automatic transmissions. Even the sports cars at the show were automatics.

How about a Lamborghini?

I didn’t find anything new at the show, but I got to refine some of my thoughts. The traditional vehicles that can be towed are mostly even heavier than what I have now. The four wheel drive Jeeps have a neutral in the transfer case that allows them to be towed, but they are 800 pounds heavier than my CR-V. Honda CR-Vs or any Honda for that matter haven’t been towable since 2015. The Chevy Equinox that is only about 600 pounds heavier than my CR-V has fewer models that are towable this year.

Chevrolet Sonic Hatchback.

Looking at the smaller vehicles isn’t much better. Manual transmission Fiats, Chevrolet, and Fords are all possible. The Ford Focus and Chevy Sonic are also available with automatics that can be towed. One of the questions I was trying to answer today was can I be comfortable in a car that small. The answer for the Chevrolet Sonic is probably yes. I’d need to drive it to be sure. The Ford Focus seems a little less comfortable. The seat doesn’t move as much.

I’ve reached no conclusions. I just had fun looking at the cars, sitting in them and kicking the tires.