I've been trying to drive the speed limit this week to see the effect on MPG. My 45 minute freeway trip home gives me plenty of opportunity to watch traffic approach from behind and cruise by me. Some styling observations - mainly domestic:

- The best looking Chevy sedan is the Cruze. What an improvement over the Cobalt.

- The more I see the Camaro, the more I dislike it - especially the back end.

- The new Chevy Equinox is a handsome small SUV. Much better looking than the GMC Terrain.

- The new Buick Regal is the best looking Buick.

- While I like the looks for the new Ford Fiesta and Focus, I think the look is going to get old soon. The Focus hatchback is starting to remind me of the old swoopy Taurus wagon.

- Cadillac needs a new styling theme - it's getting old. The CTS is now a yawner.

- The Chrysler 200 is a big improvement over the Sebring - though still not exciting.

I also had a fun test drive this afternoon. I stopped by the shop of my domestic mechanic about doing some transmission work on my daughter's Dodge Caravan. He also has a used car lot and he had an 09 Smart ForTwo Passion. I took it for a spin for a good laugh. The interior was surprisingly roomy and the car didn't feel tiny, but the little 1L 3 cyl. engine coupled with the semi-automatic transmission was just awful. Not only was it slow, but when I left it in fully automatic mode, there was a tremendous loss of power with each shift due to the design of the trans. If I shifted using the paddles and feathered the throttle when shifting the porpoising was much less, but it was still deathly slow. I hopped back in my "hot" 2.5L Subaru Outback with an old 4-speed automatic, and nearly flew out of his lot - loving the "power" and smooth shifts.

 

I'd have to agree with all your observations, one thing i will add is that i still think the buick lucerne is a good looking car. I havent dealt with one personally, nor have i seen the interior, but the outside is pretty decent looking

 

Actually, I think Cadillac's style-theme is great-looking.....it makes me do anything BUT yawn.

You're right about the Smart-for-Two. Though Mercedes-designed, it is still a joke in many ways, and simply not suited for most American roads....with the only exceptions being able to manuver and park in very tight conditions and extremely close-quarters.

The automatic transmission (actually a computer-controlled SMG manual), as you say, is one of the poorest units installed in any car today. The one I reviewed (and yours seems to have the same characteristic) made the car shift and rock like a bucking-bronco in the lower-gears. Consumer Reports agreed...they said it was the worst-shifting automatic they had ever sampled. Of course, part of the rocking/porposing comes not only from the transmission but from the extremely short wheelbase and tall stance. That also makes for some rather tipsy handling.

 

Caddyowner-Some very good styling-related observations, I tend to agree with nearly all of them.

 

1. I agree, the Cruze looks fantastic, especially with the larger wheels.
2. The more I see the Camaro the more I like it
3. Equinox looks fine, Terrain is horrid, I agree.
4. Buick Regal is great looking b/c its a great looking Opel Insignia
5. Fiesta and Focus do look great to me but I agree, it might not age well.
6. I think the CTS is by far their best looking vehicle and has aged well. The SRX looks good too as the Escalade and DTS which has aged well. The STS didn't age so well though.
7. I barely notice/seen the 200 but yes its an improvement, anything was

Good observations, thanks for sharing.

 

My opinion of the CTS is probably skewed by my past ownership of both an 04 CTS and 06 SRX. I think both of those vehicles look better than their current counterparts. However, the CTS wagon is something special. I rarely see them on the road, though.