Some of the 18 car brands you can test drive at the LA Auto Show
There are two test drive areas outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. Anyone can walk up and ask for a key.
Welcome to the jungle, aka the Los Angeles Auto Show.
This year, the annual auto convention held at the Downtown Los Angeles Convention Center is leaning into a trend that seems to have been brewing since 2020, when civilization seemed to shut down for good during the pandemic. It’s about getting in a car and driving off-road through the wilderness.
Subaru’s exhibit capitalized on the off-road craze, creating an outdoor oasis in the back corner of the convention center’s south hall to showcase a variety of new vehicles. This includes the recently launched 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness. The car is already a hot topic among Subaru enthusiasts online as a bigger, bigger reimagining of the company’s classic Outback.
What did LA Auto Show attendees think of this controversial new car? Well, it seems like no one was complaining, at least verbally. The kids were jumping in and out trying out the seats in the family vehicle. Some online critics say Subaru fans aren’t very polite and the styling is too far removed from the original Outback wagon design.
The Subaru area of the competition included a huge log tunnel, string lights, and night lights, in addition to lots of trees and foliage. A nearby sign read: “Live Plants and Enhanced Fragrance Area.” So much for the new car smell.
Subaru brand ambassador Claudia Anderson said the outdoor theme was meant to highlight the company as a major corporate sponsor of national parks.
Please come and get the car. Please be here for the dogs.
The Subaru exhibit doesn’t just feature cars for guests to view. They also have an enclosure full of dogs ready for adoption from Westside German Shepherd Rescue.
Volunteer Marie Varricchio Diaz said all of the dogs are rescued dogs, most of them strays, either surrendered from around Southern California or found on the street. As of Saturday, two dogs had been adopted from the auto show, she said.
One dog, Sawyer, seemed especially happy in the corner where two young girls were petting him.
“Sawyer is very good with little kids,” Varricchio-Diaz said, adding that for her, the highlight of the car show is seeing the dogs bring smiles to the faces of attendees.
Another off-road experience at the 2025 LA Auto Show
Subaru isn’t the only car company bringing nature to convention centers.
The LA Auto Show is known for its test drives, but Camp Jeep, where attendees can drive a variety of Jeep vehicles, stands out as the most elaborate. The course includes uneven stone steps, a mad dash up a 40-degree hill, and a sharp turn over a 30-degree ramp. Guests also basically treat it as a roller coaster, waving from the open roof of the car and screaming as it rolls down the hill as if they’re jumping into the “Jurassic World” ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Truck manager Sergio Armenta said Camp Jeeps at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show have been given real landscaping, including real mulch and real rocks as part of the decor, giving it an added edge.
