A place where a Honda Fit stands out...

is believe it or not, Las Vegas.  

I was up in the Summerlin area a little while ago and was noticing all the BMWs and Mercedes driving around and realizing that although they caught my eye for a moment, none of them really held my interest.

There have always been cars that just fill space, bland, cookie cutter, non-descript because they are meant to appeal to the masses with functionality that will met 80% with 20% commonality.  In a place like Summerlin even the Bimmers and Mercs fall into this category.  It would take a very special example to stand out and there are very few of these.  Very few.

Even a new Tesla SUV driving around the block looking for a parking spot made me look for a moment but didn't begin to spark flames of interest.  I just realized now that I did not even think about pulling out my cell phone to take a photo even though this is the first one I had seen in person and it may have been a prototype for all I knew.  It may be a little different with a different nose, and slightly different flow but it is still blah.

This is a place where cars are status symbols, where the many of the owners quite often can't tell the difference, let alone appreciate the difference between an everyday 7 series from Munich and a Chevy Malibu other than by the price tag and the symbol on the hood.  (I didn't say all, I said many.)

I do remember while on this trip and driving around Vegas that there was one vehicle I did not see much of.  In fact I only recall seeing one.  The Honda Fit.  On a rarity scale that puts it on par with the Tesla.  Pick a bright color instead of the typical white, silver/gray and black and you have a car that will stand out.

I admit I have always liked intelligently designed small cars, especially if I can fit inside without too much trouble.  I have looked at the Fit as it meets a lot of utility questions really well and so I do not have the blind eye to them that many cars have because they are completely off the radar.  They do not blend into the background for me like other cars would.  That is why it was so surprising to realize how few I had seen on this trip.

I guess it goes back to deciding what you want out of a car.  In Beverly Hills the status car of choice was a Toyota Prius to show you cared for the environment even if the other car in your garage was a 12 mpg supercar.  There are people that might not recognize how expensive your shoes are or the handbag is that you carry but surely they will know how well off you are by the car you get in and out of.  But even that can become common place in certain parts of the world.  

It is getting harder to be unique...unless you are actually willing to be unique.  Just saying.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.