2010 New York Auto Show

There are many websites out there that will bring you the latest news on all things that occurred at the NYIAS. Yes, there were concept cars, new vehicles revealed, special cars and ton of other crap. I do not consider CarGuyDad to be a news website, so instead I will just write about the things I liked and did not like at the show.

Here in alphabetical order, in over a hundred pictures and more than 2400 words are my views on the 2010 New York international Auto Show. Enjoy and thanks for looking.

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Acura

Introduced at the NYIAS was the TSX wagon which is based on the European Accord wagon. For years “enthusiasts” wanted that very vehicle here and now they finally get it and… well, from the stuff I read, most people were disappointed with it. Why? Well, it comes only with a 4-cylinder and engine and only with an automatic transmission. Personally I fail to see the problem; it’s a small station wagon, nothing more nothing less. While sporty station wagons in theory sound great, the reality is quite different; they’re heavy and high COG. Furthermore, how many of these so-called enthusiasts would really go and purchase a $30k V6, manual-transmission, wagon? Very few, and then many would complain that it’s front-wheel-drive.

I like the TSX wagon, it is exactly what it should be; an efficient wagon version of the sweet TSX sedan. My only problem with the TSX sedan is the fact that Acura chose to make the V6 engine optional – I think that the 4-cylinder turbo out of the RDX would have been a much better choice, for both sedan and wagon.

ZDX, people either love it or don’t know what to make of it. I don’t know what to make of it. For giggles I got into the rear seat; my head hit the top of the door opening. Once inside my head was touching the roof. This picture shows that the rear headrests are about an inch or two from the roof. Make of this what you will.

Audi

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I have never been a big Audi fan; the engine hanging over the front wheels, the steering feel taken away by the front axle-shafts, sometimes unnecessarily complex engineering, and often a maintenance nightmare. Also, Audis always seemed to be one size too small for me, a 34 where I needed a 36; yea I fit but I was just a bit uncomfortable.

This has all changed now; I think the current lineup of Audis maybe the best looking of all the automotive brands. Both the interiors and exteriors are just simply beautiful, and the vehicles ooze high quality and attention to detail. Good job Audi!!

I finally had the opportunity to sit in the Audi R8, and… wow, I felt like the car was designed just for me. It fit me like a glove; everything about it was just perfect. This was similar to the feeling I got when I sat in a Porsche 911 for the first time, only better. The ergonomically and beautifully designed interior had a full carbon-fiber trim package mixed into leather and aluminum details. The Ferrari-like metal shift gate for the 6-speed manual transmission was a nice touch too. This is definitely a standard by which all car interiors should be judged.

BMW & Mini

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I think I am falling out of love with BMWs. The new 5-series was premiered at the show, beautiful car but for some reason it does not do much for me. The 5 Gran Turismo I just don’t understand. The sportier version of the 335i was shown, appropriately named 335is, and that too surprisingly did not stir my soul either; it was just a 335 with more cow bell. Add to all this the fact that BMW’s slogan is now Joy and no longer The Ultimate Driving Machine and it’s no surprise that many-a-enthusiast maybe a bit disappointed.

Speaking of disappointment, how many M cars did BMW have at the show? One. One lousy M3. On day two they added the X6 M. Whooptie Do. That Audi S4 is looking better by the minute.

Look BMW, stop whoring the Mini. There are only so many things you can do with a Mini Cooper and a small SUV is not one of them. Really, if I want a car that is bigger than the Mini, I will buy a bigger car and not a bigger Mini! Having said that, much like every Apple product, whatever you make will be purchased, probably by the same people.

Chrysler & Fiat

Best booth professionals of the show; amazing. I’m convinced that the Fiat twins are robots. I don’t have many nice things to say about your vehicles so I won’t say anything. Get your shit together, take a long hard look at your competition, and go back to the drawing board.

One thing, can someone explain to me the reasoning behind dressing the very manly Challenger in the fruitiest colors possible? The Challenger should only come in two colors: black or white (recall Vanishing Point and how badass that Challenger was).

There are exceptions, and those include the Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge Ram. The show featured a number of different Wranglers, some equipped with a lift, 35’ mud-terrains and various ARB, AEV, and Warn accessories. While the Wrangler still has a few engineering short comings (tow rating for one), it still ranks high on the cool scale. Rams look like well-made trucks, though some are just too big!

GM

Cadillac CTS-V Sportwagon; just like the sedan, but wagon. Cool. Cadillac CTS-V Coupe; just like the sedan, but coupe. Cool. Original? Not quite, it’s been done, but imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Good job, stay on this trend.

Chevy Caprice cop car – Pontiac G8 was the best GM vehicle I ever drove and therefore GM killed it right away. This caprice is the extended wheelbase version of the G8 and it will be for sale to Police departments only. I fail to see any logic in that – Bob Lutz, one last thing before you retire, make them sell this Caprice to us normal folk; we want it, we’ll buy it, and we will love it. The G8 was the 5-series for common men; frankly it was the 5-series we all wanted and not the software bug that is the F10. As part owner of GM I order you to manufacture this vehicle!

Chevy Cargo Van with pop-up steel windows – brilliant. Give that engineer a bonus. Not a huge one, a new 22” monitor will do. And a paper certificate, but without the frame. Cooperate America FTW!

Jaguar and Land Rover

Gorgeous interiors all across the range. All Jags and Rovers are showing substantial improvements in interior quality. I hope that things such as the all-LCD gauge display lasts more than a year. I wonder what the replacement cost of it will be once your Landy is out of warranty.

The new fancy Ranger Rover Limited Edition Somethingorother is lower to the ground than a Mazda Miata, but yet fully capable of getting you around Aspen. The XJ is very different than anything else, I’m not sure if I love it.

Lotus

Evora, I love you. I want to marry you and live with you happily ever after. I will leave my current loves for you, Elise and her kinky little sister Exige. Evora, your rear seat is a joke, but in my eyes you are perfect. Your simplicity and Toyota reliability promise me a long, healthy and prosperous future. I promise to be forever faithful. Marry Me Evora!!!!

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Mazda

New Mazda 2 premiered. I yawned as I walked by it and forgot to take a picture. That and Ford Fiesta, what’s the big effin deal? Really! Great marketing strategy on the Fiesta though.

Oh, and hey, Mazda, if you are going to show off one of your racecars make sure that silly little pieces such as the brake calipers and engine are included. Believe it or not, many people who attend car shows actually know a thing or two about cars.

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Mercedes Benz

 

The SLS is simply stunning. It is beautiful, it is marvelous. I want one, badly. Actually, I just want one for one night. I want to drive the SLS from Boston to Washington D.C., at night. A cool spring weeknight, with nobody else on the road. Or from Paris to Monte Carlo, either one would work.

The C63 AMG was shown with super-supportive front sport seats. I swear, the side bolsters were almost a foot deep. While they may be supportive I would question the comfort on longer drives; you just can’t move in these damn things, and forget about even trying to fit if you’re more than 40” inseam.

E-class wagon debuted, rear-facing third-row seat included. I dared my friend to get in there. He did. He looked ridiculous and couldn’t get out; you won’t mistake this for a Vista Cruiser. Still, it’s very cool that those are even available. Updated R-class was shown too and it looked good, but in fairness anything would have made it look better. It went to rehab and is now admitting to being a minivan. Still, how many people will pony up $50k for a minivan?

I love the Geländewagen, don’t ever change it. Actually, can I get mine with a 6-cylinder turbo-diesel, steel military-grade wheels and mud-terrain tires? Lose the tacky brush-guard and running boards too. It can share the garage space with the Evora. Thanks.

Mitsubishi

Hello there Evo! I have not seen you in a while, but my have you grown up. In the MR Touring guise you went from a thug-looking punk to a Yuppie in a slick Man’s Warehouse suit – yea, you got it on sale, but no one has to know, it looks good. Inside you went all Audi circa 2005 but you kept the Euro-only RS4 Recaros and steering wheel, good job!

Hold up! Wait a minute! Excuse me, but did you say that the new and improved you now costs $45,000!? I am sorry, I’m going to have to walk back to the similarly priced S4 now, the one circa 2011.

Nissan/Infiniti

The only Nissan I was really interested in was the GT-R. I finally got to sit in it and… I really liked it. Similar fit to the R8, it felt really nice. The big dash and center screen did not obstruct the view like I thought it might. Seats, visibility and driving position were all great. Yea, the super customizable center screen is cartoon-ish and geeky, but that is what makes this car unique. I also wanted to sit in the Z370, but forgot to. Oops.

Last year I spent a week in the previous generation M35 and I liked it a lot. It’s all new for 2011, softer and fluid looking and I don’t know if I like it yet. Ditto for the current version of the FX and the redone QX. Where once the G coupe was beautiful sporty car, it has now become somewhat plain. Fortunately Infiniti had enough sense to bring out a stunning Essence concept car; it was beautiful from all angles, I hope my pictures do it an ounce of justice.

Porsche

One lousy 911, a Turbo Cabrio. Really Porsche, only one model of one of the most iconic vehicles ever? Where is the GT3? At least throw me a bone with a Targa!

New Cayenne was premiered at the show. I never liked the Cayennes, for the same reasons that many other enthusiasts did not like them. This new one however is very different; lighter and visually smaller. It gets much better once you sit inside; excellent seats, visibility and dash layout. Top notch materials and usable features, previously exclusive to vehicles such as the Toyota RAV4, like sliding rear seats. Good job!

Panamera, a vehicle I used to bad mouth all the time. This too has changed after simply sitting in it. Wow, awesome seats (little too stiff), amazing dash layout that really needs to be experienced because pictures don’t do it justice. However, in both cars there are a few too many buttons, such as the pictured “sport” and “sport plus” buttons which loosely translate into “faster” and “fasterer”.

In the rear of the Panamera, I can very comfortably sit “behind myself”. The rear seats are pretty much the same as the fronts; supportive and uber comfortable. Sitting in the back seemed similar to sitting in a second row of a roller coaster; you’re going to go fast, it will be fun, and yet you have no control over it. Still, for money-is-no-object cross-country drive I think I would chose the venerable S-class. I think the Panamera is best for impressing three people at a time with your new 911.

Saab

On Monday before the show I had the pleasure of having lunch with the President of Saab Cars North America, Michael Colleran. Obviously the big news is that Saab is now owned by Spyker. GM will still sport warranty claims and will handle parts supply along with a Chinese company. The halo car is the new 9⁵ which looks distinctively Saab-like. Down the pike is a 9³-based All-Road-like model. Michael also promised many distinctive Saaby features which were noticeably absent after the GM take over. His priorities included return to leasing which goes hand-in-hand with higher residual values. Best of luck to Saab, I always love to see small independent-thinking companies.

Subaru

News #1, the Impreza STI will now be available in the sedan version, with the mandatory huge rear wing. Also changed are suspension bits, but power-train remains the same at 305hp mated to a 6-speed transmission. I like the hachy better.

News #2, The WRX now comes in the same wide-, scoop-infested body as the STI. That is good n’all, but it begs the question: At almost ten grand more, why the hell would anyone buy the STI!? See, even with a 40hp less and one cog short, the current WRX has been posting performance numbers very similar to the STI. And even if the WRX would fall short to the STI, ten grand buys a ton of after-market performance which would surly blow the STI out of the water.

Toyota/Lexus

Toyota showed off its new Sienna minivan. It looked good on pictures but in life not so much, for instance: the second row seats recline and a foot-rest comes up. Unfortunately when you do that, no one can sit on the third row behind you. The foot-rest is only good for people under 5’3” otherwise your feet will hit the front seat. A for effort. New 4Runner is a back-to-basics proper body-on-frame SUV and I still have an FJ fetish. Sadly, not much else in the Toyota camp excited me.

I was excited to see the LFA, but I was disappointed in the flat black color that Lexus chose to show it off in. Seriously, the paint looked like it came off of an ’89 Civic that was spray painted by a 17-year-old in his garage at 1am while his parents were asleep. Very interesting car otherwise. Not much else to write home about, some hybrids, some M3-wanna-be renditions of the IS in convertible version.

Random Interesting Pictures

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