The Philadelphia Auto Show

It's like really expensive crack, especially for somebody with as much car envy as I have. We got to go to the show today; 'we' being the girl and my parents. I had a few specific goals in mind, but I also got a few pleasant and unpleasant surprises.

First off, the unpleasant. I felt sorry for the girl because the cars were spinning; even the ones that weren't on rotating displays. She was dizzy all day.

To the car surprises. I got to see a new Camaro, which is awesome. I got to see a Dodge Challenger, which is also awesome. The Dodge Challenger is probably just as big as any of the older cars were. It's a rolling tank. I didn't think any car could ever appear larger than the Chevy Caprice, but, to my amazement, this one could take it in a fight.

I also got to sit in a few fun ones besides the Camaro and Challenger. I got to sit in a Mazda RX-8, and Subaru Impreza WRX, a Mazda 3, and Honda Civic Si. More on them in a moment. Noticeably absent were the VW GTI 4-door and the Mazdaspeed 3.

What I wanted out of this was a chance to see some interesting cars, and to consider what I might buy for a next car if I were shopping. So what got 'nixed from the list? The Audi A4. I hated it. It was a lot like the owner of Audi got a bunch of really old guys together and said, "How can I make this car look really new but feel really old so that I don't sell it to people?"

What didn't get 'nixed, then? Well, here's the list...

• Subaru Impreza WRX - Despite the interior being a bit plain, it still looks great on the outside and the seats are comfortable


• Mazdaspeed 3 - It wasn't there, so I can't cut it


• Civic Si 4-door - I felt lukewarm about it before, but I really like the interior. I just hope it doesn't suffer the same problems my RSX does. The interior of the RSX, after a bit of wear, seems to be, well, wearing more quickly than it should


• VW GTI 4-door - Another that wasn't there. This also looks really good on paper.
  

I think, despite the interior, that I still want the WRX. It's also got a nice, juicy place to put a CarPC. Plus, as an extra added bonus, somebody's already done it! If he can, why can't I?