LA Auto show

Viks and I went to the LA Auto show today with our neighbor Viet and his friend Paul. Viet use to be Viks' senior resident last year. We saw some interesting concept cars as well as the usual exotics from Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Spyker, etc. Even saw the Bugatti Veyron..yes, I am fully aware of the engine specs, top speed, limited run, etc. Despite all that I fail to understand what all the fuss is about (go ahead flame me). The new styling of the BMW 335 coupe seemed to captivate a lot of folks. If I were unmarried & didn't have a mortgage I'd probably give it a closer look as well. Another interesting car was the Audi R8 but at the asking price, a Porsche might be a better buy. Anyways, the above is just banter. Priorities are different now. Any vehicle purchase for us moving forward would need to be family friendly from an ROI perspective. Don't really want a "soccer mom" minivan but prefer more room than a family sedan. Despite the gas gulping, we -think- an SUV is our best bet. The SUVs we were able to sit in: Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X3 & X5, Infiniti FX, Lexus RX, and Nissan Murano. We were smitten by the Lexus RX. In addition to the "under the hood" specs, known reliability & safety, we felt the RX had the right balance of leg room (front & rear), interior fit & finish, ergonomics, truck space and exterior styling for the asking price. Of course with all the goodies added on, my perception could change but for now the RX is definitely on our future short list.