He’s replacing Rudolf, the reindeer and the sleigh with a high-tech vehicle to deliver all those toys, games and electronics to good boys and girls of all ages everywhere.
But he can’t decide which vehicle to buy, rent, lease or even subscribe to.
What should Santa drive on Christmas Eve 2023 to replace his reindeer?
These are my suggestions.
Rudolf
Without his nose so bright to lead the sleigh tonight, Santa requires bright LED headlights.
Since nearly all manufacturers in all price ranges now feature those, Santa should also opt for a model with night vision, to help locate chimneys in the dark.
He can find those on luxury vehicles from makers including Audi, BMW, Bentley, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz.
Dasher
Santa needs to cover a lot of territory in one night, so he should drive a fuel efficient vehicle to spend less on gas have more cash for gifts.
Any of the members of the so-called 40 MPG Club would be ideal, such as traditional gas-powered models including Hyundai Sonata or Elantra, Toyota Camry or Corolla or Honda Accord.
And if you consider all the EVs, hybrids and plug-in hybrids, the list is just too long to mention.
But you can check out some of our recommendations here –
Dancer
A Subaru, famous for its symmetrical all-wheel drive, will let Santa dance through the snow, and any ice, too.
The system is standard on all models except the BRZ.
Prancer
Santa should replace Prancer with a vehicle whose logo is a prancing horse, which is pretty close to a prancing reindeer. That would be Ferrari. In red, of course, to match his outfit.
My choice is the Ferrari Daytona SP3, a fast and furious model launched in 2021, even though it has minimal room for luggage or toys.
But he’ll be looking good. Anybody looks good in a Ferrari.
Vixen
The definition of vixen is fierce, spirited and attractive, even sexy. That definition fits both the MINI or the Fiat 500. Both are available in EV versions, making them even more attractive.
MINI is part of BMW, and Fiat is part of Stellantis, which also owns Chrysler and Jeep, so you can’t go wrong with either one, in gas or electric.
Comet
Something fast and powerful, such as a hunky pick-up with lots of trunk bed space for even the largest of large-screen TVs.
A Ram 1500 with a Hemi engine would do nicely, or a Toyota Tundra TRD or a Chevrolet Silverado 1500.
Cupid
It’s easy to fall in love with a sportscar, so Santa should give in to Cupid and opt for a Porsche 911, Ford Mustang, Mazda Miata or a drool-worthy vintage Jaguar E-Type.
Convertible, whenever possible.
Donner
This is the German word for thunder.
An appropriate choice for Santa would be a model making noise with premium audio systems, such as Chevrolet (Bose Audio), Audi (Bang & Olufsen Audio) and Lexus (Mark Levinson Audio).
Blitzen
The German word for lightning – which is electricity – translates into an electric vehicle.
The Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq 5 or 6, Polestar 2 or 3 or Tesla S sedan, and especially the namesake all-electric Ford 150 Lightning, all of which have plenty of cargo space for Santa’s gifts.
Yes, that’s me, ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter, sitting on the back of the Lightning during a recent test drive.
What do you think Santa should drive on New Year’s Eve?
Whatever Santa decides to drive, you can track his progress on Norad.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.
ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter currently serves as President of the International Motor Press Assn. (IMPA), a former Board Member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and current member of NATJA, the North American Travel Journalists Assn. and NASJA, the National Association of Snowsports Journalists of America
Contact me at evelyn@ecoxplorer.com.
Also follow my NYC website, NYC Travel Guru
Copyright (C) Evelyn Kanter
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