[Timgt5]

Autoshow season kicked off this past week with the NAIAS in Detroit, here are a few of the more interesting models shown



Toyota Prius C

The Prius C will serve as an entry level model in Toyota's expanding Prius Family of Hybrid cars. A bit smaller than the regular Prius, this little sipper is stated to acheive and average of 50 MPG, the most for any non plug in Hybrid car. Prices are a bit cheaper too starting at 19,000.



2013 Dodge Dart

This little puppy replaces the lackluster Caliber. Underneath is an Alpha Romeo, making this the first fruit of the Fiat/Chrysler Merger. A choice of 3 engines, manual, auto and Dual Clutch Transmissions are offered. Pricing starts at a hair under 16,000.



2013 Cadillac ATS

The new "baby Caddy" is Cadillac's answer to the vaunted BMW 3 series. The basic shape is 7/8s scale CTS, the car is rear wheel drive (yaaayyy!) and features a 2.5L 4 cylinder, a 2.0 Turbo and a 3.6 V6. This is not your daddy's Caddy



2013 Scion FRS

A nice little throwback to the days when the big Japanese companies made affordable, lightweight, fun to drive coupes. Co*Developed with Subaru (which has its own version) This car features rear wheel drive, a 200 HP 4 cylinder and a sporty suspension. Prices start around 23K There is hope for Toyota yet.



2015 Acura NSX "Concept

After much back and forth over the last several years, Acura's mid engine supercar returns. A Hybrid V6 powers this one with standard all wheel drive, no actual performance information has been released yet.



2013 Ford Fusion

The redesign of Ford's Mid Size family car brings it closer to its European Mondeo cousin. Available as 4 cylinder, V6 and Hybrid models The Aston style grill, I have to like.



Lexus LF-C

Purely a show car to give the public Lexus ideas for its future styling direction, it does change the perception of Lexus from perfect but stuffy luxo car maker to something a bit more interesting.



2013 NIssan Pathfinder

The Pathfinder comes off its truck platform and becomes a crossover. Basically it is a stretched Murano with three row seating, to compete more directly with the likes of the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot as well as GMs Lambda Twins, the Enclave and Transverse.

I will have a few more later on including some far our eco concepts...

hey, tim. i've been following the show too. chevy showed some interesting concepts. two new acura models were also shown - a new mdx and a new model based on the civic. both seemed dull, so a new nsx is in order to lively up the brand. the pics of the new caddy 3-series fighter show a rather bland looking car; i hope it's got performance to give BMW a run for its money. i like the small prius a lot and am excited about the new dodge dart. chrysler's last small car was really the neon, not the caliber. i liked the looks and functionality of the caliber but it did not deliver drive wise and was too big for its class; it's gas mileage was not spectacular. i am disappointed that the Fiat 500 is not selling well but am not surprised - the back seat seems useless. the US market would have preferred a sedan or a 4-door hatchback. i'm not sure the abarth edition will do well with the pop oriented interior - i really don't like the round headrests for the back seats. the new toyota/subaru collaboration sounds exciting - it has a low center of gravity horizontally opposed engine! nice to see the pathfinder moved back to a unibody platform for lightness and improved mpg though it is based on fwd car platform (altima). i am anxious to see the new buick encore small suv. i've always liked small cars and it's great to see that new ones are more upscale, have better engines, performance and comfort rather than just being built to be cheap to buy and improve the manufacturer's average fleet mpg rating. do you think the new lexus style direction is, well, overstyled?

[Umbral_Seraph]

I personally like many of the concept cars that were shown, and sadly, that was really the most interesting thing I've read about. Not that I don't like the Prius c, Dart or fusion redesign, none of them really scream out at me. Well, maybe it's for the better; it's not like I have the money to buy any of them.

[Timgt5]

Originally Posted by unhappyguy

hey, tim. i've been following the show too. chevy showed some interesting concepts. two new acura models were also shown - a new mdx and a new model based on the civic. both seemed dull, so a new nsx is in order to lively up the brand. the pics of the new caddy 3-series fighter show a rather bland looking car; i hope it's got performance to give BMW a run for its money. i like the small prius a lot and am excited about the new dodge dart. chrysler's last small car was really the neon, not the caliber. i liked the looks and functionality of the caliber but it did not deliver drive wise and was too big for its class; it's gas mileage was not spectacular. i am disappointed that the Fiat 500 is not selling well but am not surprised - the back seat seems useless. the US market would have preferred a sedan or a 4-door hatchback. i'm not sure the abarth edition will do well with the pop oriented interior - i really don't like the round headrests for the back seats. the new toyota/subaru collaboration sounds exciting - it has a low center of gravity horizontally opposed engine! nice to see the pathfinder moved back to a unibody platform for lightness and improved mpg though it is based on fwd car platform (altima). i am anxious to see the new buick encore small suv. i've always liked small cars and it's great to see that new ones are more upscale, have better engines, performance and comfort rather than just being built to be cheap to buy and improve the manufacturer's average fleet mpg rating. do you think the new lexus style direction is, well, overstyled?

Unfortunately for Fiat, I think the Smart actually hurt the chances for 500. People tend to operate off of perception and unfortunately the microcar is being seen as less than desirable, not really fair to the 500 as it is much better than the Smart. The other issue is that the young urban target market for this car is showing less and less interest in owning a car altogether. Many are either carsharing (zipcar) or using public transport. The Abarth has interesting styling, but 23K for 160Hp is a bit steep, for that money you are close to a Mustang, base Genesis Coupe, or even a used 370Z. The J-LO ads do not help either, as we all know that "Jenny from the block" really lives in the Hamptons and drives a Bentley-LOL

Quite excited about the new Subie/Scion sport coupe, been following the development of this one for a bit. It has all the right stuff to be a lot of fun to drive. I have played around with the prototype in Granturismo 5 and if the real thing is even close to videogame version, it should be a blast to drive. Here is hoping for the success of this car and that it will inspire other makers to look at putting out similar vehicles. I would love to see Honda dust off the S2000 platform, modernize it, and put out a 25K coupe based on it, but it is not likely to happen.

As for Acura, I could not agree more. Honda has sadly lost its way. Cars that were once agile, fun to drive and advanced for their class have given way to dull and uninspired designs and lagging technology. I have owned 2 Hondas (Prelude and Civic Coupe) and an Acura TL (2000) I enjoyed them all. I needed a wagon, and all Honda could offer was the hideous and overpriced Crosstour, and having driven my mom-in-law's 2008 Accord V6 (on which the the Crosstour is based) I was wholy unimpressed with the feel of the suspension, it all felt very ordinary ( To be fair I had recently test driven a G35 and it was in a whole 'nother world). The 2008 Passat 2.0T wagon I did buy felt much more dialed in to drive, and far better put together in terms of interior quality. Most of all much more practical in terms of real cargo room.

On the Pathfinder, the move to Unibody will definately bring in more suburban moms looking for a stylish 3 row "kidde shuttle" The downside is that for those out there like my Brother in Law, who own a boat and need the towing ability, the automotive world is running out of options in terms of mid-size SUVs, in fact in the realm of affordable ones, only the Toyota 4-Runner is left, otherwise one has to look at huge SUVs from Ford (Expedition) or GM (Tahoe/Suburban)

As for the Caddy I will reserve judgement until I see it out in the sheet metal. I have a feeling that some of the design detail that goes unoticed under the show lights will be more visible in the real world. I really like the CTS and the direction it has taken Cadillac, in terms of taking on the Germans. I saw a black CTS Coupe the other day, and thought it was very sharp. Cadillac plans on doing Coupe and Wagon versions of the ATS as well. At some point down the road a high performance M3 fighter will likely emerge. The updated 3.6 will pack 320HP, which by the way matches the Northstar V8s top rating in naturally asperated form. Of course the only fly in Cadillac's ointment is the XTS,whic is basically a dressed up Lacrosse. That one is for the "Twead Hat and Blue Hair" set.

As for Lexus, I think that show cars tend to be overblown for the sake of getting attention and capturing the public's imagination, much like the airplane styled GM show cars of motorama in the 50's. The pinched front grille has already shown up on the new GS and I actually like the way it looks, giving Lexus a much more distinct face than previous versions. The LF-A in my opinion is downright wicked, especially that wailing V10 which will tickle your spine. Overpriced, yep, but exclusive.

I also agree with regards to the C class cars, some of these cars are quite lavishly equipped, reflecting a greater willingness on the part of Americans to buy smaller cars. Frankly though they are not so small anymore, the aformentioned Dart is actually bigger than a mid-nineties Honda Accord, and considerably more powerful. The interior volume of the 2012 Civic would have placed it in the mid-size category just a decade ago.

[Timgt5]

Here are a few more:



One of the Chevy's Unhappyguy mentioned, not bad looking but the front does not quite jive with the sleek bodywork.



Hyundai Veloster Turbo

Packing 201 HP, the stylish "3 Door" now has the perfomance to back up its looks. Hopefully the Koreans have nailed the suspension tuning (a perenial Hyundai weakness) It will be interesting to see it in a comparison against the Mazda Speed3, Civic SI and VW Golf GTI



Toyota NSF Plug In Hybrid

This one is a concept car to introduce the next generation of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive coming in the next couple of years. The car is also an indicator of the look of future Toyotas. There are also a lot of advanced safety features that are on display as well that Toyota will be adding to their upcoming models.



The Buick Encore. A compact crossover. This one is being targeted at younger buyers who have in the past found Buick a bit stuffy. The other potential market are "empty nestors" coming off a bigger minivan or SUV that still have active lifestyles (skiing, golf, etc)

[Timgt5]

Originally Posted by Umbral_Seraph

I personally like many of the concept cars that were shown, and sadly, that was really the most interesting thing I've read about. Not that I don't like the Prius c, Dart or fusion redesign, none of them really scream out at me. Well, maybe it's for the better; it's not like I have the money to buy any of them.

Usually the more exciting production models tend to debut at the LA and NY shows, as those are scheduled closer to when the cars actually hit the showroom floor.

This year we also have new versions of the Porsche 911 featuring the world's first 7 speed manual gearbox, the Mercedes SL and BMW 3 series.

I really like the looks of the Toyota NSF Plug In Hybrid. Toyota has a winner. Autoweek thinks it's the next Prius, which will have a lower center of gravity and smaller batteries.

I hope Honda / Acura can get its act together. It seems they are refining their current models rather than introducing new ones. Could it be more than cost-cutting? Maybe they will be redefining their entire lineup in the next round when it all will be hybrid? Also, they need to invest in a new sheetmetal stylist big time.

Toyota is revamping the entire Lexus brand with more than aggressive new looks. It is abandoning the floating driving sensation and invigorating the brand with new more driver involving characteristics. Yeah, the brand's new supercar is beyond crazy!

Another brand that needs new styling is Mercedes Benz, especially now that BMW is outselling them here in the USA.

The Fiat 500 is better than both the Smart fortwo and the Scion iQ. I hope that they introduce a 4-door Dodge sedan version with new sheetmetal and a bigger back seat. Maybe, make it a mild hybrid to improve performance and gas mileage?

[Timgt5]

Originally Posted by unhappyguy

I really like the looks of the Toyota NSF Plug In Hybrid. Toyota has a winner. Autoweek thinks it's the next Prius, which will have a lower center of gravity and smaller batteries.

I hope Honda / Acura can get its act together. It seems they are refining their current models rather than introducing new ones. Could it be more than cost-cutting? Maybe they will be redefining their entire lineup in the next round when it all will be hybrid? Also, they need to invest in a new sheetmetal stylist big time.

Toyota is revamping the entire Lexus brand with more than aggressive new looks. It is abandoning the floating driving sensation and invigorating the brand with new more driver involving characteristics. Yeah, the brand's new supercar is beyond crazy!

Another brand that needs new styling is Mercedes Benz, especially now that BMW is outselling them here in the USA.

The Fiat 500 is better than both the Smart fortwo and the Scion iQ. I hope that they introduce a 4-door Dodge sedan version with new sheetmetal and a bigger back seat. Maybe, make it a mild hybrid to improve performance and gas mileage?

An entry level 4 door dodge hatch built from the 500's platform is not a bad idea at all, could go head to head with the Fit, Sonic and Fiesta.

I do like the look of the Mercedes C Class coupe, they have been heavily advertising it on Top Gear (BTW great commercial, with whole back doors being ripped off the 4 door in dramatic fashion) They are do for some rethink though especially the E class it is starting to get old.

[sewerrats]

Forget concept, Take a 1500cc tubo diesel nissan mica 87 bhp ,drop the hight 60mm . fit 17inch wolfrace split rims, an a diesel power box unit, now you have 120bhp ,more touqe than a truck an a 0-60 time of 8 seconds , but its the touqe that humiliates hot hatchbacks an the road holding with 17inch 215mm-40 tyres , hold the road like super glue.mods to the little fireball cost me £800 THEY USED TO SAY HOW DO YOU MOD A MICRA, ANSWER WAS WITH A CAN OF FUEL AN A MATCH. NOW I THINK THIS BABY IS COOL

[sewerrats]

This is my other car , but i would sooner drive the micra, its more fun

[TerryL]

Hi there--Do you have an opinion about the Hyundai Elantra? My friend is thinking of buying one.

The Nissan Mica is not sold in the USA. Nissan recently introduced the new Versa sedan and it has been panned by the media, which has described it as "uncompetitive" in its market segment. Your Subaru has a boxer engine! Does it have all-wheel drive? It's not customized like your Nissan but it's still a good car!

The Hyundai Elantra was voted car of the year at the recent Detroit Auto Show. It features Hyundai's "fluidic sculpture" sheetmetal design. It's a good car at a good price with a really good warranty. Hyundai's design weaknesses are the suspension and steering feel. Still, it's one of the best cars in its segment.

[TerryL]

Hyundai's design weaknesses are the suspension and steering feel. Still, it's one of the best cars in its segment

I don't know anything about cars. what is a suspension and how does it affect the driving/safety/maintenance? Thanks--

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by TerryL

Hi there--Do you have an opinion about the Hyundai Elantra? My friend is thinking of buying one.

not much i like car where i can make them better than they are, the hyundia is just an every day car like hundreds more.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by TerryL

I don't know anything about cars. what is a suspension and how does it affect the driving/safety/maintenance? Thanks--

say on my micra if i had left the suspention as it was i would roll at speed on corner,s , the suspention was on the car to be driven in a normal every day mode. I made the car faster so i needed more road holding, so i fit new springs to the suspention to make it 60mm lower. Then fit bigger an wider wheels for grip, the end product iS a car that can corner well but the ride is more bumpy an would not siut every day drivers, IT ALL DONE IN THE NAME OF FUN NOT COMFORT

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by unhappyguy

The Nissan Mica is not sold in the USA. Nissan recently introduced the new Versa sedan and it has been panned by the media, which has described it as "uncompetitive" in its market segment. Your Subaru has a boxer engine! Does it have all-wheel drive? It's not customized like your Nissan but it's still a good car!

The Hyundai Elantra was voted car of the year at the recent Detroit Auto Show. It features Hyundai's "fluidic sculpture" sheetmetal design. It's a good car at a good price with a really good warranty. Hyundai's design weaknesses are the suspension and steering feel. Still, it's one of the best cars in its segment.

my inpretza wrx is customized, its lowered 40mg Has a race chip an is 300 bhp , it also has a stainless 5 inch straight through exhaust, an had black alloys all subaru are 4 wheel drive

basically, suspension is the springs and other pieces used to make the wheels go up and down and smooth out bumps in the road. the elantra has a suspension tuned for comfort. that is, the suspension will absorb bumps so that the passengers don't feel them much. cars built for speed have stiffer suspensions so that the car does not lean as much in turns and handle curves better. for normal driving, the suspension in the hyundai is fine.

[DenisDonnacha]

the Ford Fusion reminds me of the Lancer Evo X from the side

[DenisDonnacha]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

my inpretza wrx is customized, its lowered 40mg Has a race chip an is 300 bhp , it also has a stainless 5 inch straight through exhaust, an had black alloys all subaru are 4 wheel drive

only the larger engine Subaru's are 4 wheel drive, the 1.5 and 1.6 Impreza are normally front wheel drive, although you can get 4 wheel drive versions.
But obviously the wrx and sti and 2 litre turbo's are 4 wheel drive.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by DenisDonnacha

only the larger engine Subaru's are 4 wheel drive, the 1.5 and 1.6 Impreza are normally front wheel drive, although you can get 4 wheel drive versions.
But obviously the wrx and sti and 2 litre turbo's are 4 wheel drive.

http://subaru.co.uk/why-subaru/symme...allwheel-drive I THINK YOU MAY WANT TO READ THIS

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by DenisDonnacha

the Ford Fusion reminds me of the Lancer Evo X from the side

how the f*** does this look like a evo 10

[DenisDonnacha]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

how the f*** does this look like a evo 10

lol xD I actually didn't know what a fusion looked like, I was talking about the pic of the car over where it says "ford fusion 2013" lol my mistake.

[Crew]

Dang, that must have been quite a show!

I wish we could create our own car and then they make them to the customers order.

Wouldn't that be sweet?

Crew

[Timgt5]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

Forget concept, Take a 1500cc tubo diesel nissan mica 87 bhp ,drop the hight 60mm . fit 17inch wolfrace split rims, an a diesel power box unit, now you have 120bhp ,more touqe than a truck an a 0-60 time of 8 seconds , but its the touqe that humiliates hot hatchbacks an the road holding with 17inch 215mm-40 tyres , hold the road like super glue.mods to the little fireball cost me £800 THEY USED TO SAY HOW DO YOU MOD A MICRA, ANSWER WAS WITH A CAN OF FUEL AN A MATCH. NOW I THINK THIS BABY IS COOL

Not bad, The nice thing about light weight cars is that it does not take a lot to make them into fun/capable handlers. What brand of tyre are you using there?

One of the enjoyments that I derive from watching shows like Top Gear and Fifth Gear is to be able to see cars that are not sold here in the States.

[Timgt5]

Originally Posted by TerryL

Hi there--Do you have an opinion about the Hyundai Elantra? My friend is thinking of buying one.

The Hyundai Elantra is a solid, well made compact. The price is reasonable for the amount of standard equipment that comes with the car and it can be optioned up very nicely.

Styling is a subjective thing, but I think the Elantra is rather handsome and distinct, especially in midnight blue and silver. The interior is roomy (as long as your friend is not on the front court of an NBA team) and comfortable.



The overall fit and finish is really good, with decent quality plastics used in the interior.

Motorwise the car comes with a 1.8L 4 cylinder engine, that puts out 148 Horsepower through a 6 speed Automatic transmission. The EPA puts it at 40 Miles to the gallon on the highway.

The best feature in my opinion is the warranty, which Hyundai offers for 10 years on the powertrain (engine and transmission)

Your friend should also do some comparison shopping, here a few competitors that are worth looking at:

The Chevy Cruze



The Cruze is a bit pricer than the Elantra. However that extra money buys a car that has best in class interior finish (very high quality plastics and seat materials) and a host of standard safety features( including 10 airbags)

The Cruze is highly refined and rides very smoothly on the interstate, and operates very quietly. Handling while not aggressive is reasonably good Back seat room is a bit tight. The trunk however at 15 cubic feet is quite large for this class of car.

The engine choices are a 1.8L 4 Cylinder which puts out 138 Horsepower or a 1.4L Turbocharged 4 Cylinder which puts out the same but with more torques which translates into better off the line acceleration. Most Cruze models are rated at 36MPG on the highway. There is however a special "Eco" Trim that gets up to 42MPG.

The Ford Focus



Ford brings its European version to America this year. The focus is avaible as a 4 door sedan (pictured) or a 5 Door (hatchback) for extra cargo room.

The Focus comes standard with a number of nice amenities and can be purchased with a number of very upscale options, the top trim the Titanium is very lavishly equipped (albeit a bit pricey)

The Focus is tuned for a high degree of handling with a reasonable ride. The fit and finish are very good but the rear seat is a bit tight compared to others in the same class.

The standard powertrain is 2.0L 4Lcylinder with 160 HP rated at 36 MPG on the Highway. a five speed manual or a dual clutch six speed automatic.

Mazda 3



Available as a sedan or Hatchback (pictured) the 3 is a perinial favorite of car enthusiasts in this class. Recently introduced technology called "Sky Active" bumps the mileage up to 40MPG on its standard 2.0L engine. Also available is a 2.5L.

The 3 is very sporty and agile on the backroads, the ride maybe a bit firm though for your friend.

There are a lot of good choices in this class of car. I recomend your friend take his/her time in looking at different models and doing through test drives to determine which one suits them the best for the money.

Consumer reports and Edmunds.com are good resources for comprehensive reviews, the Edmunds sight is very easy to use and navigate.

If you do have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Best of luck to your friend.