This weekend we went to the ‘08 Portland Auto Show. Poor Acura seemed to be having some technical difficulties with their flash-based touch screen car builder. We had a great time though I walked away with less car fever than I expected. I further confirmed my love for the Infiniti G37. That vehicle is simply spectacular, though I preferred the more refined Journey edition to the Sports version. The Sport just seemed too chromed out and juvenile for a luxury coupe.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the Mini Cooper Clubman. I’ve always considered the Minis as something of a novelty vehicle. Actually sitting down in the Clubman and fiddling with its innards changed my mind. It’s a well thought out vehicle with quite a bit to offer for a couple like us. Small, efficient and sporty. Plenty of quirk without losing functionality. Room for a couple of passengers when needed and some nice fold flat rear seats for some extra cargo capacity when making a Costco run. The price is fairly reasonable as well, starting around $20K. The Clubman Sport starting at $24K. What I don’t like is that everything on the car is optional and they can add up pretty quickly. The Clubman I liked started at $20 and ended at $27 once I had it tweaked just right. Alas, the regular mini is still too small for the likes of me.

For trucks I rather liked the Ford Sporttrac. It had a nice blend of power, comfort and convenience while retaining a great amount of ruggedness to it. I loved all the hooks and rails for securing cargo, along with the power outlets, tool compartments and the like. A very well thought out vehicle.

Of course after all this car browsing I’m ready to sell my ‘03 Acura CL. Any takers?