Annual "My Thoughts From the Atlanta Auto Show" Thread
Annual "My Thoughts From the Atlanta Auto Show" Thread
I didn't take any pictures because I figured that most of you have already seen these cars, and I'm going to try to keep things brief!
DISCLAIMER: these are my opinions. Just. My. Opinions.
The winners
Cadillac ATS - In a nutshell, this is a very nice looking small car with a lot of promise. I was surprised by just how little it was in person, but it's very handsome. I think the CTS looks bloated from some angles, but the ATS is much more lithe and athletic looking. The interior is sharp with a nice mix of wood and metal. Nice looking car inside and out + nice powertrains...this Caddy should do some damage to the 3 series.
Cadillac XTS - I have ragged on this thing in pictures, but in person it's very sharp. Cadillac was located very close to Jaguar, and when I walked up to the XTS it was at the rear 3/4 position on the rotating table and I actually thought that it was a refreshed Jag XJ (wait, they refreshed the XJ?!). Once i realized that it was the XTS, I was rather surprised. If you took the XJ's profile and sharpened all of the design cues, and transplanted Caddy's signature front end onto the car, you'd have the XTS. For an ES-type car, this Caddy is nice looking: elegant, mature, but with a hint of pizzaz and sex appeal. The interior looks nice as well. If Caddy can price this thing right, I think they will have no problem reigning-in ex-DTS and STS buyers, as well as some from Hyundai and Lexus.
Ford Fusion - I was not "sold" on this car based on the pictures, but in person it is really very nice looking - nicer than the Camry or Malibu or anything else I can think of. It was on a rotating table/platform so I could not see much of the interior, but the exterior definitely has a Jaguar feel to it (sleek, swept back lines) with a front end that was pulled almost directly from an Aston Martin. A ripoff? Yes, especially in person, but it does look very good. Plenty of people around me were saying, "Oh this must share a platform with Jag...Ford must have developed this with Jaguar...etc" so, trust me when I say that it has a Jag-esque presence in the flesh. This should be a great car for Ford
Infiniti JX - This is a really nice vehicle in person, especially compared to competitors like the MDX and Q7. I thought that it looked rather overstyled in pictures, but once you see it in person, the lines come together very nicely and make for a well porportioned, dynamic looking CUV. Interior is nicely done but Infiniti's new theme, as debuted on the M, QX and JX is starting to look rather dated already. I'd like to see them head in a different direction...perhaps something a little more simple, without the overwrought lines and curves. All in all, and especially for the price, the JX is a winner with nice styling, right sizing and features, and good luxury features.
Lexus GS - To me, this was actually the biggest surprise of the entire auto show (and probably the most crowded second to the LFA. The Lexus booth was BOOMING for the entire 2 hours that I was there). This was my first opportunity to see the car in person and I have to eat my words about the exterior being boring and bland. Lexus had 2 F Sport models (black and silver) both with cabernet interior, and one luxury model that had a dark blue exterior with black interior and dark brown high-gloss wood. As has always been the case with L-Finesse, you need to see the car in person before passing judgement. I loved the GS in person...absolutely loved it, which is a sharp contrast to what I was saying before looking at press/online pics. The exterior has a lot of aggression, but also a lot of elegance and curb appeal. There are lines and curves in the side flanks that you cannot see through a computer screen, and they make a huge difference in how the car really looks. In person, the back end looks nothing like a Sonata. The black/cabernet F-Sport car was drop dead gorgeous and had waiting lines 4-5 people deep at every door (driver, passenger, rear). I like the aggressive front end, but see the sides as a little more toned down and conservative, but rightly so. If you threw an LS and an ISF into a blender and then baked the "batter", the GS is what you would get - it has a lot of aggression, but it also has the elegance and conservative detailing that you expect from Lexus. Again, I absolutely loved this car and I was worried about seeing it in person.
All I can say is that the interior is amazing. The only competitor that comes close is the 5 series...Mercedes and Audi cannot hold a candle to what Lexus has done with the GS.
The entire time that I was around the GS, the comments were universally positive. Lots of people were talking about how much nicer the interior was than the A6 or 5 Series, and lots of folks were taking pictures of the front end and commenting on how much meaner it looked than either the Audi or BMW. Everyone wanted to sit in the GS and everything that I heard and watched was very positive. This car will be a HUGE hit for Lexus, and I think it's going to be a big problem for BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
Lexus RX - Much to my surprise, the refreshed RX was at the auto show and the little changes add up for a big impact. The front end is much better looking than before, the rear end looks 10x better without the altezza tail lights, and the new interior is a big upgrade. I listened to a lot of people making comments about the RX vs. X3, at both the Lexus and BMW exhibits, and it's no wonder that Lexus does so well in this segment: the RX is more plush, more luxurious, more user friendly, and a better value.
The losers
Acura ILX - it's not my intent to harp on Acura here, but this car is an absolute let down and and a downright shame when you realize that it's supposed to replace two generations of TSX. It's surprsingly small - Civic sized - vs the TSX which is based on the Euro accord. The ILX looks very much like an economy car: there is no curb appeal, no aggression, nothing premium and nothing identifying about the design. Every angle of this car looks cheap and "economy" in person. The interior is equally disappointing - it's cheap. I would have guessed that the price point for this car was $22-24k based on what I saw...something along the lines of a Jetta GLI or higher spec Chevy Cruze. It was on a riser in the Acura display and I was the only person looking at it...not good.
Audi A/S6 Last Year Audi had a new A6 but it was locked. This year, they went full-court with a silver/burgundy S6 that was fully open to sit in. I won't say much about Audi's exterior styling, but I made a point of going directly from the GS to the A6, because I am really interested to see how both cars compare to each other and compete vs. the 5er and E. I personally find the exterior of the GS much more attractive, but the interior...I just don't see how anyone could really compare the two. The interior of the GS invites you in and then envelopes you - it's a cockpit feeling where everything is soft touch and very high quality. The A6 feels more like sitting in a bath tub - that's the best way that I can describe it. The way that the dash and doors slope away from the driver and passenger makes it feel more like you're sitting inside of something vs. the GS where you feel like you're a part of someting. I also feel like the materials were down a notch or two from the GS - the plastics were very hard, some almost brittle feeling, and the power seat tracks were blatantly exposed. You could see the screws and treading and everything...pretty cheap. Minor note, but Audi's seat contros also look very cheap. I don't care much for the general flow (or lack thereof) in Audi interiors, but I feel like Lexus really drew a line in the sand with the GS, and Audi is solidly a few steps behind. This was also a top-of-the-line S6, don't forget, with the diamond stitched leather interior.
I don't understand how Audi always gets a free pass for having such amazing, standard-setting interiors. In fact, I think BMW has done a much nicer job with the 5 than Audi did with the A6. The BMW has lots of wood and leather, a smooth and attractive layout and it makes the driver feel involved and motivated, high quality materials and good ergonomics. The interior of the A6 is cold and not inviting, and the "flow" and feeling are much less attractive.
BMW 3 Series - You might be surprised to see the 3er on the "loser" end of this list, but I was surprised too. The exterior, aside from the front end, is very similar to the E90 and I doubt that many will notice the differences. I do like the outside though...it's a nice update with good proportions and details.
The interior. Let me start by saying that the materials were very high quality and solid. Very nice. The design, however, is a real let down: the dash looks like it was designed by a freshman design student...there isn't much of a sporty, premium feel to it. The swoops, texturing and color on the dash just seem more fitting for an economy car, not a BMW. The rear is painful. The seats look like leather stretched over an old mattress pad and they don't feel much better. The doors are flat and unimaginative. I don't doubt that BMW will retain it's top spot, but the ATS is eager to chew up some of it's buyers, plus a new IS and G are just around the corner. All in all, I was expecting "more" here.
Random thoughts
The new Ford Escape is nice looking in person but you definitely get the same Kia Sportage/Hyundai Tucson vibe that is conveyed in pictures. This should be a very successful product.
As noted above, I still love the 5 series. BMW finally did a good job of blending luxury car with sport sedan and I think the 5 is really the most credible, capable competitor to the new GS. Great interior, handsome exterior, so well done overall. New M5 is killerrrrrr
Subaru BR-Z is about what I expected in person. I'd like to see the car in a different color, and with the hood closed. It was propped open the entire time which made it hard to really "see" the design. Rear end was really nice. The car needs a 1" drop from the factory...wheel gap is bad.
For all the hubbub, I was not particularly fond of the Prius C. Nice car, great gas mileage, but it definitely feels pretty cheap on the inside.
The latest X3 was nice overall, but not particularly memorable. I can see why the RX does so well here, but BMW definitely upped their game with the latest model.
I may add more later as I remember or recollect...
DISCLAIMER: these are my opinions. Just. My. Opinions.
The winners
Cadillac ATS - In a nutshell, this is a very nice looking small car with a lot of promise. I was surprised by just how little it was in person, but it's very handsome. I think the CTS looks bloated from some angles, but the ATS is much more lithe and athletic looking. The interior is sharp with a nice mix of wood and metal. Nice looking car inside and out + nice powertrains...this Caddy should do some damage to the 3 series.
Cadillac XTS - I have ragged on this thing in pictures, but in person it's very sharp. Cadillac was located very close to Jaguar, and when I walked up to the XTS it was at the rear 3/4 position on the rotating table and I actually thought that it was a refreshed Jag XJ (wait, they refreshed the XJ?!). Once i realized that it was the XTS, I was rather surprised. If you took the XJ's profile and sharpened all of the design cues, and transplanted Caddy's signature front end onto the car, you'd have the XTS. For an ES-type car, this Caddy is nice looking: elegant, mature, but with a hint of pizzaz and sex appeal. The interior looks nice as well. If Caddy can price this thing right, I think they will have no problem reigning-in ex-DTS and STS buyers, as well as some from Hyundai and Lexus.
Ford Fusion - I was not "sold" on this car based on the pictures, but in person it is really very nice looking - nicer than the Camry or Malibu or anything else I can think of. It was on a rotating table/platform so I could not see much of the interior, but the exterior definitely has a Jaguar feel to it (sleek, swept back lines) with a front end that was pulled almost directly from an Aston Martin. A ripoff? Yes, especially in person, but it does look very good. Plenty of people around me were saying, "Oh this must share a platform with Jag...Ford must have developed this with Jaguar...etc" so, trust me when I say that it has a Jag-esque presence in the flesh. This should be a great car for Ford
Infiniti JX - This is a really nice vehicle in person, especially compared to competitors like the MDX and Q7. I thought that it looked rather overstyled in pictures, but once you see it in person, the lines come together very nicely and make for a well porportioned, dynamic looking CUV. Interior is nicely done but Infiniti's new theme, as debuted on the M, QX and JX is starting to look rather dated already. I'd like to see them head in a different direction...perhaps something a little more simple, without the overwrought lines and curves. All in all, and especially for the price, the JX is a winner with nice styling, right sizing and features, and good luxury features.
Lexus GS - To me, this was actually the biggest surprise of the entire auto show (and probably the most crowded second to the LFA. The Lexus booth was BOOMING for the entire 2 hours that I was there). This was my first opportunity to see the car in person and I have to eat my words about the exterior being boring and bland. Lexus had 2 F Sport models (black and silver) both with cabernet interior, and one luxury model that had a dark blue exterior with black interior and dark brown high-gloss wood. As has always been the case with L-Finesse, you need to see the car in person before passing judgement. I loved the GS in person...absolutely loved it, which is a sharp contrast to what I was saying before looking at press/online pics. The exterior has a lot of aggression, but also a lot of elegance and curb appeal. There are lines and curves in the side flanks that you cannot see through a computer screen, and they make a huge difference in how the car really looks. In person, the back end looks nothing like a Sonata. The black/cabernet F-Sport car was drop dead gorgeous and had waiting lines 4-5 people deep at every door (driver, passenger, rear). I like the aggressive front end, but see the sides as a little more toned down and conservative, but rightly so. If you threw an LS and an ISF into a blender and then baked the "batter", the GS is what you would get - it has a lot of aggression, but it also has the elegance and conservative detailing that you expect from Lexus. Again, I absolutely loved this car and I was worried about seeing it in person.
All I can say is that the interior is amazing. The only competitor that comes close is the 5 series...Mercedes and Audi cannot hold a candle to what Lexus has done with the GS.
The entire time that I was around the GS, the comments were universally positive. Lots of people were talking about how much nicer the interior was than the A6 or 5 Series, and lots of folks were taking pictures of the front end and commenting on how much meaner it looked than either the Audi or BMW. Everyone wanted to sit in the GS and everything that I heard and watched was very positive. This car will be a HUGE hit for Lexus, and I think it's going to be a big problem for BMW, Mercedes and Audi.
Lexus RX - Much to my surprise, the refreshed RX was at the auto show and the little changes add up for a big impact. The front end is much better looking than before, the rear end looks 10x better without the altezza tail lights, and the new interior is a big upgrade. I listened to a lot of people making comments about the RX vs. X3, at both the Lexus and BMW exhibits, and it's no wonder that Lexus does so well in this segment: the RX is more plush, more luxurious, more user friendly, and a better value.
The losers
Acura ILX - it's not my intent to harp on Acura here, but this car is an absolute let down and and a downright shame when you realize that it's supposed to replace two generations of TSX. It's surprsingly small - Civic sized - vs the TSX which is based on the Euro accord. The ILX looks very much like an economy car: there is no curb appeal, no aggression, nothing premium and nothing identifying about the design. Every angle of this car looks cheap and "economy" in person. The interior is equally disappointing - it's cheap. I would have guessed that the price point for this car was $22-24k based on what I saw...something along the lines of a Jetta GLI or higher spec Chevy Cruze. It was on a riser in the Acura display and I was the only person looking at it...not good.
Audi A/S6 Last Year Audi had a new A6 but it was locked. This year, they went full-court with a silver/burgundy S6 that was fully open to sit in. I won't say much about Audi's exterior styling, but I made a point of going directly from the GS to the A6, because I am really interested to see how both cars compare to each other and compete vs. the 5er and E. I personally find the exterior of the GS much more attractive, but the interior...I just don't see how anyone could really compare the two. The interior of the GS invites you in and then envelopes you - it's a cockpit feeling where everything is soft touch and very high quality. The A6 feels more like sitting in a bath tub - that's the best way that I can describe it. The way that the dash and doors slope away from the driver and passenger makes it feel more like you're sitting inside of something vs. the GS where you feel like you're a part of someting. I also feel like the materials were down a notch or two from the GS - the plastics were very hard, some almost brittle feeling, and the power seat tracks were blatantly exposed. You could see the screws and treading and everything...pretty cheap. Minor note, but Audi's seat contros also look very cheap. I don't care much for the general flow (or lack thereof) in Audi interiors, but I feel like Lexus really drew a line in the sand with the GS, and Audi is solidly a few steps behind. This was also a top-of-the-line S6, don't forget, with the diamond stitched leather interior.
I don't understand how Audi always gets a free pass for having such amazing, standard-setting interiors. In fact, I think BMW has done a much nicer job with the 5 than Audi did with the A6. The BMW has lots of wood and leather, a smooth and attractive layout and it makes the driver feel involved and motivated, high quality materials and good ergonomics. The interior of the A6 is cold and not inviting, and the "flow" and feeling are much less attractive.
BMW 3 Series - You might be surprised to see the 3er on the "loser" end of this list, but I was surprised too. The exterior, aside from the front end, is very similar to the E90 and I doubt that many will notice the differences. I do like the outside though...it's a nice update with good proportions and details.
The interior. Let me start by saying that the materials were very high quality and solid. Very nice. The design, however, is a real let down: the dash looks like it was designed by a freshman design student...there isn't much of a sporty, premium feel to it. The swoops, texturing and color on the dash just seem more fitting for an economy car, not a BMW. The rear is painful. The seats look like leather stretched over an old mattress pad and they don't feel much better. The doors are flat and unimaginative. I don't doubt that BMW will retain it's top spot, but the ATS is eager to chew up some of it's buyers, plus a new IS and G are just around the corner. All in all, I was expecting "more" here.
Random thoughts
The new Ford Escape is nice looking in person but you definitely get the same Kia Sportage/Hyundai Tucson vibe that is conveyed in pictures. This should be a very successful product.
As noted above, I still love the 5 series. BMW finally did a good job of blending luxury car with sport sedan and I think the 5 is really the most credible, capable competitor to the new GS. Great interior, handsome exterior, so well done overall. New M5 is killerrrrrr
Subaru BR-Z is about what I expected in person. I'd like to see the car in a different color, and with the hood closed. It was propped open the entire time which made it hard to really "see" the design. Rear end was really nice. The car needs a 1" drop from the factory...wheel gap is bad.
For all the hubbub, I was not particularly fond of the Prius C. Nice car, great gas mileage, but it definitely feels pretty cheap on the inside.
The latest X3 was nice overall, but not particularly memorable. I can see why the RX does so well here, but BMW definitely upped their game with the latest model.
I may add more later as I remember or recollect...
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,570
Likes: 281
From: Illinois
Yes it was good reading.
Did you happen to see any new Lincolns at the show. There was an article in the Sunday paper that talked about how Ford was going to diffentiate the Ford and Lincoln brands.
Did you happen to see any new Lincolns at the show. There was an article in the Sunday paper that talked about how Ford was going to diffentiate the Ford and Lincoln brands.
That's what I heard! 800lbs less than the CTS
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Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 4,785
Likes: 154
From: The South
Benz was a no show..wtf...the op did a great job on the write up but this year I yawned a lot here at the ATL show..I wish there were more concepts like some of the bigger shows but it is what it is..biggest surprise for me was Cadillac..glad to see they are steppin up their game
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 9,997
Likes: 248
From: California
Excellent review on some very important models. Glad to hear the new GS looks good in person. I saw a white F-sport at Longo and it looked sleek and elegant.
You are right about the new Escape. It's new trendy looks will go over well, but it's not a whole lot different from competing models already out today.
You are right about the new Escape. It's new trendy looks will go over well, but it's not a whole lot different from competing models already out today.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 281
Likes: 3
From: CA
. . .
The winners
. . . Lexus GS - . . . If you threw an LS and an ISF into a blender and then baked the "batter", the GS is what you would get - it has a lot of aggression, but it also has the elegance and conservative detailing that you expect from Lexus. Again, I absolutely loved this car and I was worried about seeing it in person. . .
The winners
. . . Lexus GS - . . . If you threw an LS and an ISF into a blender and then baked the "batter", the GS is what you would get - it has a lot of aggression, but it also has the elegance and conservative detailing that you expect from Lexus. Again, I absolutely loved this car and I was worried about seeing it in person. . .
Thanks for the write up.
