I was hired by She Buys Cars, on behalf of Toyota, to share my experience at the New York International Auto Show. All opinions are my own.

Cars, Purses, & a Ladies Night Out at the New York International Auto Show

Make time for some grown-up playtime.

Have you ever wanted to get into a sporty Toyota Camry, a luxury Genesis car, or a Mazda convertible? This is your chance! Forget about what your normal routine is like and the car you need and just give yourself time to PLAY. Walk around the New York Auto Show with your girlfriends and let yourself pretend. IMAGINE. Find that sporty race car. Track down your dream car. Locate the fanciest car you can. GET IN IT! Take selfies with the car. Allow the night to be about you.

The Toyota FT-4X Concept Car at the New York International Auto Show is proposing the idea of removable functional parts, like a car console that doubles as a sleeping bag.

Win a Kate Spade designer handbags!

Moms can ditch the diaper bag and upgrade the mom purse to a designer bag from Kate Spade. Toyota is part of the Handbag Challenge at the NY Auto Show. Attendees can win one of six Kate Spade designer handbags SheBuysCars is giving away during the show! To enter to win, you need to snap a photo with a participating auto brand (Toyota, Mazda, Genesis, and Hyundai) and post to social media using the hashtag #HandbagChallengeNYIAS. We’d love to see where you would put your handbag when you’re checking out all the incredible new cars! So show us pictures of that. Learn more about the Handbag Challenge contest in this SheBuysCars article.

Keep the playtime going with interactive exhibits, games, concept cars and famous cars from movies and TV shows

When you arrive at the New York International Auto Show keep your eyes open for the interactive activities. One of the most exciting activities, included with admission, is an off-road adventure in a four-wheel drive vehicle with Camp Jeep. The course is outside, in front of the Javits Center. I didn’t get to check it out, but how cool would it be if you could?

Shop without stress

Are you looking for a new family car? Do you find that your current car isn’t what you need it to be? I know for myself my car needs change every few years. My stepfather bought me my first car, It was a tank, a Dodge Diplomat that could provide some cushioning should I have an accident as a new driver. After that, it was a used Ford Escort. Then, when I was ready to buy my first car I bought myself a Chevy Cavalier. That two-door little car was just what I needed to get everywhere as a twenty-something. Along came kids and that Cavileer wasn’t going to do. I needed a 4 door car to make car seat installation easier. I got a Saturn.

2018 Toyota Camry at the New York International Auto Show

Along came baby number three and as any parent of three can tell you… everything changes with 3 kids. As much as that Saturn was dependable, it wasn’t so easy to fit THREE car seats going across. We purchased a used minivan. Fast forward to 2017….my boys are growing. With a teen, tween, and an older kid we need something NEW. We are always ALWAYS going somewhere! Parents like me can relate…. we want a car spacious enough to give kids breathing room between each other. We want storage space for balls, bats, and sticks for sports practice and suitcases for family vacations. We want cup holders and USB ports so each kid has their own.

Take a look at the impressive cargo space in the 2018 Toyota Sienna at the New York International Auto Show

Another look at the Sienna’s incredibly spacious cargo space.

What’s on your car wish list?

The fabulous thing about the New York Auto Show is that you can shop for cars in a hassle-free environment. Get close. Climb inside. Count the cup holders and the USB ports. Adjust the seating, can you easily adjust the mirrors? Are you comfortable? Can you see every seat (child) from your driver’s seat? If you have questions for the representatives, ASK. There will be no feeling like you need to sign on the dotted line and take home a car that night, though you may want to.

The 2018 Toyota Sienna a top pick at the New York Auto Show!

I’ve told you a little about what I am looking for in my next family car. How pleased was I then that I found all of that and more in one of the first cars I saw during the Girls Night Out at the New York International Auto Show. It was the Toyota Sienna. This is a GREAT car for families. From across the entryway, it’s shiny and sleek design called out to me. I had to go over and get a closer look at this Toyota minivan.

I was ‘seeing’ myself in a Sienna.

About the 2018 Toyota Sienna

Often referred to as the ‘Swagger wagon’ the 2018 Toyota Sienna gets more peppiness and improved efficiency with an all new V6 engine and Direct Shift 8-speed automatic transmission. The Toyota Sienna offers a 7 or 8 seat passenger capacity and 150 cubic feet of carrying space. There is also an impressive array of multi-media systems. It’s also the only van in the segment offering available all-wheel drive.

2018 Toyota Sienna at the New York International Auto Show

While there are many minivans on the market, I love that the Toyota Sienna offers the flexibility to seat 8 passengers. Yes, I know I have three boys… but I can’t tell you how many times I have wanted to invite my friends and their kids to join us in our adventures. With seating for 8, I can bring the whole gang along…. or easily be that soccer mom carpooling the team to their next game. The outlets and USB ports mean that while electronic devices are charging I can also bring along a portable cooler or a mini-portable oven for snacks. You know how kids always seem to be hungry.

My brief video tour of the 2018 Toyota Sienna

I tried my best to give you a brief tour of the 2018 Toyota Sienna in a minute or less, but with all that room… it was a challenge. Take a look.

You can learn more about the Toyota Sienna at the Toyota website. Click on over www.toyota.com/sienna. For more information on the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center till April 23, 2017, visit their site www.autoshowny.com.

Take a look at some of the other exciting news Toyota shared with us at the New York International Auto Show.

Exciting news for Toyota Cars Announced at the 2017 New York Auto Show

You can view our other New York International Auto Show videos in this Jersey Family Fun YouTube Playlist.

You can view our other New York International Auto Show photos in this Facebook album.

Enjoy our preview below and then click this link to get to the rest of the Facebook album.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154566713715745.1073742536.71658875744&type=1&l=b80c0a49a9

I was hired by She Buys Cars, on behalf of Toyota, to share my experience at the New York International Auto Show. All opinions are my own.