People tell me I look like my mother. I inherited something else from my mother—her love of cars. She always tells the story that my dad stole her heart when he invited her to the races on their first date. I grew up with that love of cars. I love the technology, the sleek design, the innovation that goes into making today’s cars more fuel efficient. So I loved getting my car fix at the North Texas Auto Show. This used to be the DFW Auto Show, but it reaches out to all of North Texas.

What is the North Texas Auto Show

The annual North Texas Auto Show, which takes place each year at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (650 S. Griffin in Downtown Dallas), is the place to go if you are even considering a new car. Or you just love looking at cars and trucks in a relaxing, fun atmosphere.

I know I love looking at cars, sitting in them, checking out those interiors that offer so many amazing gadgets these days—but I hate the high-pressure atmosphere of a sales lot. You don’t have to worry about that at the North Texas Auto Show.

Inside the 2019 Toyota Avalon Limited Hybrid. Photo courtesy Toyota USA

The show is usually open over four days, from Thursday through Sunday. You can find every major manufacturer at the show, so this is a great chance to check out which cars, SUVs, and trucks you might like best.

One more fun aspect of the North Texas Auto Show is the test drive opportunity. It takes place each day for select models. You must be over 21, sign a waiver and pass a breathalyzer. Be sure to bring your driver’s license so you can take the auto of your choice for a spin around downtown Dallas!

The 2018 Toyota Camry SE Hybrid. Photo courtesy Toyota USA

Toyota at the North Texas Auto Show

I really enjoyed checking out Toyota while I was at the North Texas Auto Show. In 2015, Toyota announced its “One Toyota” initiative to create unified operations in North America and invested about $1 billion to build new corporate headquarters in Plano, TX. Toyota plays a major role in the auto show in its new home state.

I enjoyed checking out the Avalon line with its signature Toyota grille introduced with the 2019 Avalon. The Avalon is Toyota’s luxury sedan and you’ll find Wifi, Qi wireless phone charging, Amazon Alexa, Apple Car Play, and more of those fun technology features that I adore in today’s luxury cars. Safety is foremost, with Toyota Safety Sense, which includes blind-spot monitors, lane departure assistance, and crash mitigation.

The 2019 Toyota Avalon line introduced the new signature Toyota grille. Photo courtesy Toyota USA

If you prefer to get out on the open road and wander with a bit of adventure, perhaps you should check out the RAV4 Adventure. This is a fun car for exploring and can handle those off-road adventures. My husband is one who likes to say, “Oh, look, that looks like a great road.” This means it looks like a road less traveled. This is a fun car for that type of adventure, yet still suitable for the city living in the DFW Metroplex.

2018 Toyota RAV4 Adventure. Photo courtesy Toyota USA

There are still a lot of people here in Texas who prefer—or need—a truck. I grew up driving trucks. First on a farm in Virginia and then on a ranch in Colorado. Toyota offers two trucks, the Tundra and Tacoma, both of which are built in San Antonio. If you’re in the market for a truck, you can check them out at the North Texas Auto Show.

2018 Toyota Tacoma. Photo courtesy Toyota USA

I’m loved checking out all of the Toyota offerings and the new cars, SUVs, and trucks spread across the convention center in downtown Dallas. It’s exciting each year to see the great new technology at the North Texas Auto Show.

2018 Toyota Camry. Photo courtesy Toyota USA