Automotive in La Jolla

Anyone can spend a day living the high life with the luxury rental options at San Diego Prestige. Since 2005, denizens of Southern California have traversed miles and nautical miles in the company's exotic sports cars and extravagant yachts. Aspiring James Bonds and Mario Andrettis can jump into a stunning selection of vehicles from renowned brands—including Aston Martin, Bentley, Maserati, and Lamborghini—to spice up business trips or stoke the envy of weary pedestrians. Meanwhile, on the water, yachts up to 142 feet in length play host to chartered shindigs and private getaways.

For more than 20 years, GotCarWash.com has been providing unlimited car washes to customers nationwide through its innovative membership program. Each time you tote your rangy ride to your desired location, it will be treated to a thorough interior and exterior overhaul. Windows are scrubbed until they perform as mirrors, and mirrors are polished until the objects in them appear cleaner than they may be. A long-lasting wax on the prow of your land-train will repel dirt and gravity while blinding the sun and impressing local mail carriers. The car's interior receives a mixed treatment of meticulous care and specialized shampoos. Rugs will be expunged of dirt and dashboards will be primped, restoring new car smell, which is the fuel of cars of the future. Groupon holders will also get to take advantage of discounts on any additional services the location may offer, such as oil changes or psychic readings.

Discount Tire’s professional technicians install and service a vast trove of tires and wheels to keep wagons rolling safely. Experienced, trained mechanics manage an inventory replete with tires by brand names such as Goodyear, Michelin, and Bridgestone ($60–$100/tire for most vehicles) and a huge range of wheels ($50–$100/wheel for most vehicles). Proud owners of newly outfitted buggies receive advice on how to improve their rubber-road marriages or ability to do donuts on the lawns of rival librarians. Along with recommendations on products and services, tire installations include new valve stems, road-hazard protection, and lifetime rotations.

There is plenty to see from the San Diego Zoo's Africa Safari tram: resting lions, horned antelopes, majestic giraffes. But Detail Systems' Anthony Madafferi pays this wildlife little heed. He concentrates more on the sloping terrain that sweeps dust and mud on the beautiful, brightly colored trams he regularly details with his self-contained mobile detailing unit.

The safari trams are just some of the vehicles that Anthony and the techs at Detail Systems have revitalized over the past two decades; the list also includes the herds of Buicks that attend the Buick Invitational golf tournament. Their signature detailing service begins with a dousing in deionized water, which leaves the hand-washed exterior spot-free. Then, with a specially designed covalent chemical bond, Glassplexin paint sealant polishes a shiny luster on finishes, protecting them from oxidation and tailgating UV rays.

In 1976, Apple computers were born, America celebrated its 200-year anniversary, and San Diegoans were introduced to AJ’s full auto maintenance, collision, and sales center. More than three decades later, AJ’s service department’s team of ASE master-certified technicians still keeps rides such as BMWs, Mercedes, imports, and SUVs in peak condition, earning them an Auto Club of Southern California AAA 100% customer satisfaction score and subsequent pizza party 3 years in a row. External body damage can be fixed by the collision department’s computerized frame-measuring and paint-matching systems, and for repairs requiring extended chunks of time, AJ’s provides free shuttle service or on-site Enterprise rental cars.

For more than a decade, Carpe Diem Limousine & Transportation’s team of fully trained chauffeurs has escorted clients through San Diego's streets efficiently and in style. The sleek, diverse fleet includes everything from Lincoln Town Cars to stretch Hummers to party buses that can seat up to 57 passengers. Along with safely transporting parties to wedding receptions or wineries, drivers can ferry travelers to and from the airport in luxury without risking sinking into the city's roads paved with caviar.