Lomeinhu
03-30-2002, 09:39 PM
I just went to the NY auto show today so I just wanna be one of the first to give you guys the low down.
I'll make this first statement: Toyota was one of the most disappointing part of the show.
Here's the story:
I went to the show last year and spent too much time checking out cars that I saw on the road already, so I concentrated on unreleased and concept cars this year (saved film, too). Also, not being a big domestic car fan, I opted to skip most of that, too and checked out foreign models (not hating or anything). Most domestic brands had no really new cars anyhow. Breakdown by manufacturer (I still put in some domestic brands for good measure):
Jaguar
Of course, X-type. Seen that. It's a nice car; everything else was updated versions of the other sedans. First company that you see after you show your ticket, so also most crowded.
Land Rover
New baby rover. Very strange display cases of baby strollers that apparently come as an option with some vehicles. These baby strollers were serious off-roaders! Wouldn't put a baby in them.
Ford
New little, plastic car called THINK. Very petite concept. Garnered much adoration from visitors. GT40 on display. Every red-blooded American was drooling over it. I must admit it's a pretty and purebred race car. Raw. Never excessive. Never would buy it.
Audi
Most of the same. Audi TT gets new darkened headlights, updated grill (not an improvement, in my opinion, even tho the current version is getting to be outdated). New A4. Sedan, cabriolet, etc. New SUV crossover vehicle, Advantissimo (sp?). Nice finish throughout, but bulky-looking.
Volkswagon
Nothing you haven't seen on the road except for maybe the new GTI. Same look, more power, I think. Missed the Beetle turbo, but no biggie.
Mazda
One of the only manufacturer that blew me away. Not that every car was astounding, but it was the only one with updated versions of almost every car. New six series a more sedated version of RX-8. Bright, metallic yellow RX8 is GORGEOUS. Every line and curve and even the Altezza-look-alike rear lamps were simply eye-catching. Best of all, the longer you looked at it, the more you know it's a true successor of the RX-7. I wanted it so much, I think I'd prefer it over the 350Z. A car that is too precious to be painted in standard colors. A candy apple red would be very nice...
Saab
Easy to miss display. Even tho it was technically in the middle, most ppl tend to follow around the sides of the building. Only the 9X crossover vehicle was concept. A little kid screamed, "It's so ugly!" to his dad. I wouldn't say that, but the best image I can come up with is this: "Fine European army boots on wheels." Figure that one out.
Mercury and Lincoln
Skipped out on most vehicles. Actually, a Lincoln town car (I think) was so unpopular not a single person stood by it (pretty pathetic considering noon-early afternoon time). V8 LS a nice car. It's still no Bimmer, tho. Marauder (sp?) absolutely hedious. I understand the retro craze, but it's basically uninspired design from the past with a shiny MODERN paint job.
Saturn
Quite impressive. Many concepts/new unreleased models. Convertible SKY (think Audi TT in baby blue), ION sedan on display. Saturn going for more chiseled looks and maintains its happy go lucky demeanor but with more substance and class. Thumbs up.
Acura
Widebodied Mugen RSX Type S the obvious subject of teenager Oohs and Ahhs. Very nice dark silver paint and carbon fiber wing. Pretty, yes. Excessive, yes. THREE stock RSX's for others to hug and kiss. Update NSX on the very top of a 3-tiered platform with stairs. With the many, many Honda fans up there, no way to get up there. New SUV-car crossover concept with radical shoulder arch (sorry forgot name). Mostly incomplete car but fitted a mountain bike in back.
BMW
The James Bond roadster Z8 still classy, still wonderously exclusive. Love it love it love it. Ppl get to sit in the M3 this year, and thank goodness not the pukey green, either, but a nice blue.
Mercedes
Skipped. Nothing I didn't see before. Unless I missed the Silverarrow or Maybach.
Lexus
By far the tightest crowd in the show to get through to see the new SC430. Unfortunately, ppl had to endure a rather pimply speaker. A big no-no. New GX470 SUV. Nice, but also very similar to Lexus and Toyota's other SUVs. Otherwise undistinguished line-up (IS no longer spankin' new in my book). Strike one, Toyota.
Nissan/Infiniti
Number 1 display on my list. I put them together b/c they made the best effort as a company and separating them may take away any credit due. To start, most refreshing display because of new Altima, updated Maxima (nice to see a car that sees it fit to get a little makeover every once in a while). And of course, the beautiful silver Z. I want this car next to my RX-8. In silver, black, and blue, thankyouverymuch. Over to Infiniti two hops away: new G35 sedan and coupe. If you liked the sedan, you'll love the coupe. Coupe get slightly different (nicer) grill and headlights from the sedan, whose long length is quite obvious. If the coupe is NOT any shorter, it sure hides it well. Since I never saw pics of the coupe before, I assumed that it was a surprise. A very pleasant surprise, indeed.
And here's our pride and joy:
Toyota
The drudgery of my visit. Bland models simply don't compare to new models from many other car companies even with new look for Camry and Corolla. Both (and the Avalon) failures in the sense that they had succumbed to a common practice of domestic sedans: plumpy waist, overly tall roofline even more exaggerated by the skinny wheels (read: top heavy, like what a Land Rover sedan would be), and rear ends that are too wide at the trunk lines. Solaras used to be nice. A cleaner look would have been sufficient. Semi-circle line dipping below the headlights a trite design; BMW started it, last gen corolla got it, the RSX and CL got them, now the Solara??? Rear lights look like a half-effort to put a twist on the Altezza lights. Too bad they look pasted on. The only redeeming point: 3 Matrices on display. One red, one blue, and one a TRD equipped model with graphics. Here's the catch: although the TRD Matrix gets TRD exhaust, it's not even the 180 hp XYR model. And NO REAR DISC brakes. Yes, a TRD-proud model with drum brakes to show for. A one blue GT-S with TRD kit. Most disappointing manufacturer on display. Throw Toyota out with the Marauder, PLEASE. Scattered crowd.
Scion
Outside the exit in the lobby. Concept vehicle CCX and this weird boxy van thing on display. That's it. Very obvious disappointment and/or lack of interest from visitors. Most of them skipped/criticized the cars and went on over to the multiple computer kiosks further down. Toyota, if you wanna put your stuff beside companies like Panoz, Lamborghini, and Lotus, do better than having cars that cater to a non-existent group of consumers or cars that looked like they were thrown together with parts from your awful line-up.
Mitsubishi
New Montero spin-off rally concept. Really short lengthwise. Really tall. Stick a Celica antenna on it and a big remote control and you got the world's largest RC car. Funky, nonetheless. Red EVO VII with right-hand drive a nice treat, but the lack of a left-hand drive version makes you wonder how committed are they really in supporting it here in the States (hopefully not the Celica/Sega Saturn/Dreamcast/Neo Geo Pocket route).
Subaru
Same exact display as last year. Blue rally WRX.
Afterthoughts
I'm just gonna comment on Toyota, since most of you only wanna hear about it anyway. Being the world's third largest car company (recently promoted) doesn't mean crap to Toyota, apparently. You have Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, and Honda giving the world eye candies and new cars that people crave, but then you have Toyota whose best effort was a last-minute Matrix with silly graphics and drum brakes! A new looking Camry and Corolla aren't gonna cut it and Toyota's long-standing reputation (or shame) of being very conservative was never more apparent than at the NY auto show. Too often they would've shied away from any change that might risk losing customers. Look at the new Altima. Voted best car of the year. More customers than ever. Nissan took advantage of the coma-inducing mid-sized sedan category and came out the clear winner. The only people possibly giddy over Toyota's line up are: 1. same people who'll love the Marauder, 2. previous Toyota owners, and 3. Honda fans who are laughing at the cars. People will still buy Toyota, but not very happily. Toyota didn't even have a revolving display. It's like buying a huge billboard (floorspace) and not putting anything on it. Toyota's best hope of competing with the new guns is ironically, the Matrix, MR2, and the Celica, the last 2 being hugely ignored to make space for quite frankly boring cars.
I am probably one of those loyal Toyota customers who only looked at Toyota cars when I needed a new car. Celica is still a great car, but Toyota is too disappointing. When I make enough money and want a better car, I'll be voting for the other parties.
Well, that's all, folks! Sorry for the lengthy write-up!
I'll make this first statement: Toyota was one of the most disappointing part of the show.
Here's the story:
I went to the show last year and spent too much time checking out cars that I saw on the road already, so I concentrated on unreleased and concept cars this year (saved film, too). Also, not being a big domestic car fan, I opted to skip most of that, too and checked out foreign models (not hating or anything). Most domestic brands had no really new cars anyhow. Breakdown by manufacturer (I still put in some domestic brands for good measure):
Jaguar
Of course, X-type. Seen that. It's a nice car; everything else was updated versions of the other sedans. First company that you see after you show your ticket, so also most crowded.
Land Rover
New baby rover. Very strange display cases of baby strollers that apparently come as an option with some vehicles. These baby strollers were serious off-roaders! Wouldn't put a baby in them.
Ford
New little, plastic car called THINK. Very petite concept. Garnered much adoration from visitors. GT40 on display. Every red-blooded American was drooling over it. I must admit it's a pretty and purebred race car. Raw. Never excessive. Never would buy it.
Audi
Most of the same. Audi TT gets new darkened headlights, updated grill (not an improvement, in my opinion, even tho the current version is getting to be outdated). New A4. Sedan, cabriolet, etc. New SUV crossover vehicle, Advantissimo (sp?). Nice finish throughout, but bulky-looking.
Volkswagon
Nothing you haven't seen on the road except for maybe the new GTI. Same look, more power, I think. Missed the Beetle turbo, but no biggie.
Mazda
One of the only manufacturer that blew me away. Not that every car was astounding, but it was the only one with updated versions of almost every car. New six series a more sedated version of RX-8. Bright, metallic yellow RX8 is GORGEOUS. Every line and curve and even the Altezza-look-alike rear lamps were simply eye-catching. Best of all, the longer you looked at it, the more you know it's a true successor of the RX-7. I wanted it so much, I think I'd prefer it over the 350Z. A car that is too precious to be painted in standard colors. A candy apple red would be very nice...
Saab
Easy to miss display. Even tho it was technically in the middle, most ppl tend to follow around the sides of the building. Only the 9X crossover vehicle was concept. A little kid screamed, "It's so ugly!" to his dad. I wouldn't say that, but the best image I can come up with is this: "Fine European army boots on wheels." Figure that one out.
Mercury and Lincoln
Skipped out on most vehicles. Actually, a Lincoln town car (I think) was so unpopular not a single person stood by it (pretty pathetic considering noon-early afternoon time). V8 LS a nice car. It's still no Bimmer, tho. Marauder (sp?) absolutely hedious. I understand the retro craze, but it's basically uninspired design from the past with a shiny MODERN paint job.
Saturn
Quite impressive. Many concepts/new unreleased models. Convertible SKY (think Audi TT in baby blue), ION sedan on display. Saturn going for more chiseled looks and maintains its happy go lucky demeanor but with more substance and class. Thumbs up.
Acura
Widebodied Mugen RSX Type S the obvious subject of teenager Oohs and Ahhs. Very nice dark silver paint and carbon fiber wing. Pretty, yes. Excessive, yes. THREE stock RSX's for others to hug and kiss. Update NSX on the very top of a 3-tiered platform with stairs. With the many, many Honda fans up there, no way to get up there. New SUV-car crossover concept with radical shoulder arch (sorry forgot name). Mostly incomplete car but fitted a mountain bike in back.
BMW
The James Bond roadster Z8 still classy, still wonderously exclusive. Love it love it love it. Ppl get to sit in the M3 this year, and thank goodness not the pukey green, either, but a nice blue.
Mercedes
Skipped. Nothing I didn't see before. Unless I missed the Silverarrow or Maybach.
Lexus
By far the tightest crowd in the show to get through to see the new SC430. Unfortunately, ppl had to endure a rather pimply speaker. A big no-no. New GX470 SUV. Nice, but also very similar to Lexus and Toyota's other SUVs. Otherwise undistinguished line-up (IS no longer spankin' new in my book). Strike one, Toyota.
Nissan/Infiniti
Number 1 display on my list. I put them together b/c they made the best effort as a company and separating them may take away any credit due. To start, most refreshing display because of new Altima, updated Maxima (nice to see a car that sees it fit to get a little makeover every once in a while). And of course, the beautiful silver Z. I want this car next to my RX-8. In silver, black, and blue, thankyouverymuch. Over to Infiniti two hops away: new G35 sedan and coupe. If you liked the sedan, you'll love the coupe. Coupe get slightly different (nicer) grill and headlights from the sedan, whose long length is quite obvious. If the coupe is NOT any shorter, it sure hides it well. Since I never saw pics of the coupe before, I assumed that it was a surprise. A very pleasant surprise, indeed.
And here's our pride and joy:
Toyota
The drudgery of my visit. Bland models simply don't compare to new models from many other car companies even with new look for Camry and Corolla. Both (and the Avalon) failures in the sense that they had succumbed to a common practice of domestic sedans: plumpy waist, overly tall roofline even more exaggerated by the skinny wheels (read: top heavy, like what a Land Rover sedan would be), and rear ends that are too wide at the trunk lines. Solaras used to be nice. A cleaner look would have been sufficient. Semi-circle line dipping below the headlights a trite design; BMW started it, last gen corolla got it, the RSX and CL got them, now the Solara??? Rear lights look like a half-effort to put a twist on the Altezza lights. Too bad they look pasted on. The only redeeming point: 3 Matrices on display. One red, one blue, and one a TRD equipped model with graphics. Here's the catch: although the TRD Matrix gets TRD exhaust, it's not even the 180 hp XYR model. And NO REAR DISC brakes. Yes, a TRD-proud model with drum brakes to show for. A one blue GT-S with TRD kit. Most disappointing manufacturer on display. Throw Toyota out with the Marauder, PLEASE. Scattered crowd.
Scion
Outside the exit in the lobby. Concept vehicle CCX and this weird boxy van thing on display. That's it. Very obvious disappointment and/or lack of interest from visitors. Most of them skipped/criticized the cars and went on over to the multiple computer kiosks further down. Toyota, if you wanna put your stuff beside companies like Panoz, Lamborghini, and Lotus, do better than having cars that cater to a non-existent group of consumers or cars that looked like they were thrown together with parts from your awful line-up.
Mitsubishi
New Montero spin-off rally concept. Really short lengthwise. Really tall. Stick a Celica antenna on it and a big remote control and you got the world's largest RC car. Funky, nonetheless. Red EVO VII with right-hand drive a nice treat, but the lack of a left-hand drive version makes you wonder how committed are they really in supporting it here in the States (hopefully not the Celica/Sega Saturn/Dreamcast/Neo Geo Pocket route).
Subaru
Same exact display as last year. Blue rally WRX.
Afterthoughts
I'm just gonna comment on Toyota, since most of you only wanna hear about it anyway. Being the world's third largest car company (recently promoted) doesn't mean crap to Toyota, apparently. You have Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, and Honda giving the world eye candies and new cars that people crave, but then you have Toyota whose best effort was a last-minute Matrix with silly graphics and drum brakes! A new looking Camry and Corolla aren't gonna cut it and Toyota's long-standing reputation (or shame) of being very conservative was never more apparent than at the NY auto show. Too often they would've shied away from any change that might risk losing customers. Look at the new Altima. Voted best car of the year. More customers than ever. Nissan took advantage of the coma-inducing mid-sized sedan category and came out the clear winner. The only people possibly giddy over Toyota's line up are: 1. same people who'll love the Marauder, 2. previous Toyota owners, and 3. Honda fans who are laughing at the cars. People will still buy Toyota, but not very happily. Toyota didn't even have a revolving display. It's like buying a huge billboard (floorspace) and not putting anything on it. Toyota's best hope of competing with the new guns is ironically, the Matrix, MR2, and the Celica, the last 2 being hugely ignored to make space for quite frankly boring cars.
I am probably one of those loyal Toyota customers who only looked at Toyota cars when I needed a new car. Celica is still a great car, but Toyota is too disappointing. When I make enough money and want a better car, I'll be voting for the other parties.
Well, that's all, folks! Sorry for the lengthy write-up!