Car-tastic: The Chicago Auto Show is back with 2,000 tires to kick

It’s been a long stretch of bitter-cold, slip-on-ice, curse-the-sky weather. Ready to kick some tires in a place where your extremities won’t freeze?

How about a 10-day, 840,00-square-foot, 500-vehicle, car-tastic antidote, complete with puppies. The Chicago Auto Show swaggers into town Saturday through Feb. 16 at McCormick Place.

“The auto show is going to be a lot of fun this year, whether you’re in the market to purchase a new vehicle or whether you’re close on the horizon,” Chicago Automobile Trade Association President Jennifer Morand said.

“There’s going to be more opportunities for test drives, more opportunities for ride-alongs. We’ll have about 500 different vehicles.”

Americans faced unknowns such as tariffs and the realities of steep interest rates and auto prices last year. However, new vehicle sales rose from 15.8 million in 2024 to 16.2 million in 2025, which Consumer Guide Automotive publisher Tom Appel called “relatively robust.”

“I thought it would be a bigger sales disaster and in fact sales went up, so clearly the automotive industry is resilient,” the Palatine resident said.

CATA expects vehicle sales to hit 15.8 million this year. Meanwhile, the average vehicle price in the U.S. is $50,000. Will the show offer anything that’s cheaper?

Definitely, Morand said. Cars will range from the 2026 Nissan Kicks starting at $22,430 to the BMW M5 Sedan with an MSRP of $123,300.

“No matter your price point, it’s a great opportunity to come out and test drive these brands at the auto show.”

What are the must-see cars this year?

Appel recommends the “all-new Honda Prelude. It’s a very good-looking coupe. Very attractive, very sporty and features a hybrid drive train.”

Also notable is Hyundai’s Palisade crossover redo. “For the first time ever, they redesigned that car making it available as a hybrid. It’s very likable and the execution’s outstanding,” Appel said.

Families should check out the hybrid Kia Carnival minivan, he advised. It’s not only affordable, but it debuts as Chrysler drops the Pacifica hybrid minivan.

For truck afficionados, Ford’s revealing a revamped Maverick Lobo. The street truck is sporty and “something young buyers might be able to afford, and it would be fun to own,” Appel said.

Morand can’t wait to see the latest Kia Telluride SUV.

“We’re really excited because it’s going to be the first time that many folks will be able to see it,” she said. As a mom with busy kids, “it’s a great vehicle, it’s large, it’s safe, it’s sharp … and it can fit a lot of equipment in there from dance to sporting.”

You should know

New attractions in 2026 include Chi-Town Alley, which “celebrates Chicago’s diverse car culture,” Morand said. The space allows gearheads to connect and view performance vehicles and custom-built cars, including some designed by local residents.

Race-driving simulators in the Family Zone should be crowd-pleasers, entertaining tweens and teens.

CATA is also debuting an indoor test track, Chicago Drives, with Chevrolet, KIA and Volkswagen gas-powered and hybrid cars.

The federal government ended electric vehicle incentives in the fall, which experts think will deflate EV demand. Chicago Drives is adjacent to the show’s familiar EV test track, which gives consumers deciding between electrics and conventional cars “a one-stop shop,” Morand said.

Returning favorites include Camp Jeep, Overlanding Chicago for glampers and outdoor enthusiasts, plus outdoor test drives with Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Ram, Subaru, Tesla and Toyota vehicles. And for dog lovers, Subaru will be hosting its pet adoption event once more.

Morand put in a plug for the First Look for Charity gala, which has raised over $65 million for local charities for more than three decades. Tickets are still available for the black-tie sneak peek on Friday and attendees have a shot at winning a Chevrolet Equinox or Toyota Land Cruiser donated by dealers.

Show doors open at 10 a.m. every day. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for kids ages 4 to 12 and fans 62 and older; children age 3 and younger are free. To learn more, visit ChicagoAutoShow.com.

Got a transportation question or comment? Drop an email to mpyke@dailyherald.com.