2016 Detroit Auto Show Highlights

I still love the automotive world, although I haven't had time to write about it much in the past few years.  With the 2016 Detroit Auto Show (also known as the North American International Auto Show) that's going on, I find myself wanting to highlight some of the standout vehicles from the show.  In no particular order, here are some of the most interesting and exciting vehicles I read about from the show:

Nissan Titan Warrior Concept

I am hopeful for this.  It's a striking design modification of Nissan's announced Titan XD truck.  Although, I'm not a 4-wheel-drive guy, this look is awesome.  And, with all the love I have for the service department guys at Future Nissan, in Roseville, CA, I'd love to buy another Nissan vehicle.

Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew

After going to Ford and looking over the F-150 re-design, I haven't been a huge fan of it.  I was a little disappointed with some of the plastics and design issues.  This truck, like the Nissan concept above, is build and designed for some big-time 4-wheel-driving.  I love the exterior looks.

The Hyundai Santa Cruze and the Jeep Wrangler Truck

These two "trucks" are interesting.  I remember twenty years ago, I made all sorts of jokes about Hyundai.  Now, along with Kia, Hyundai is making really nice looking cars.  I'm not sure the life of their vehicles and the quality level, but initially the Sorento I drove and the Kias and Hyundais I see look like great vehicles.  And Jeep?  Well, they've been around for quite a while, are known for their 4x4 capabilities, and this truck idea has been kicked around for a while.  I don't think I'd move to either of these two, but they are fun designs.

2017 GMC Acadia

Aside from the price difference, in 2011 we looked closely at the Acadia and GMs other variants of this platform.  This is a strong looking crossover, with a tall stance that helps it look more like a truck than a car.  It's been a favorite of mine in the CUV class.  This refresh looks good.

Coming Sedans, 2017 Lincoln Continental and Volvo S60

These two cars are both working to reinvigorate their brands.  Lincoln, with the return of the Continental nameplate, hopes to revive a tired brand.  I am hopeful, again, for them.  I used to love the Lincoln Continental.  The Volvo has something special, to me.  I love the long oval grill and the sleek lenses of the headlights. I love this car company's history. 

Other Concepts, Acura Precision and Buick Avista

 These are two beautiful concepts, both from companies with very tired vehicles.  Acura has not designed anything I'd buy in 20 years.  I miss the named models (Legend, Vigor, Integra).  Although, I don't see the Precision coming to production, at least as seen at the show, it's a good move in design ideas.  The Buick Avista is amazing and could make Buick relavent again.  Currently, they are just rebadged GM cars and an ugly van thing built on the same platform as the GMC Acadia.


2016 BMW M2

My favorite thing to read about was this M2 from BMW.  It's a return to the small car that is a driver's car.  It's beautiful and powerful.  This is my best in show.

There were lots of other vehicles I read about on Autoblog and The Verge, but now I'm falling asleep.  And since I make no money writing this blog, I'm going to take a nap, without proof reading or reviewing for mistakes.

Hondugly. Honda's Ugly Vehicles.

Honda is a company synonymous with quality.  In the automotive world, their vehicles are known to last and last.  But, is their focus on quality mechanics all they have these days?  Judging by their vehicles' curb appeal, I'd say yes.

They sure are building ugly cars these days.  The CR-V has always been an ugly vehicle.

But, now the Pilot is taking on these hideous looks.  The pointed nose and long squinting lenses of the lights, make it more evident these vehicles are not SUVs but CUVs.

And, don't even get me started on the Oddessy.  Of course, who likes the look of a minivan anyway?  The latest version of Honda's minivan has confusing lines from the side profile.  The body crease is different from the line along the bottom of the window, which is different still from the top rail guide for the sliding door.  It's just too many different lines.

For the biggest name in quality and affordability, Honda has the economic Civic.  This car has had some variations and models that were appealing (at least until you drove them and found the gutless engines and poor handling, compared to the equivalent VW vehicles).  The latest version of the Civic, which I saw today, has the worst front end look I've seen.  There's some sort of front chrome piece that protrudes from the grill, like an old set of head gear used to straighten teeth.  This 10th generation should be a milestone model, with throwback ideas from the first generation, and forward thinking styling of a generation this far from it's beginnings, back in 1972.

 I'm not sure about what the thought was behind that front piece, but I don't like it.  Click to get a bigger version, or go check it out on Honda's site.  Awful.

Honda also had their Ridgeline, which only had one generation. Now, there is a tease site for a coming second generation, to be announced in January at The Detroit Auto Show.  We'll see if it looks like a truck, with tough, man-ish features, or if it looks like a forced CUV with a truck bed.

Here are a few versions drawn up, from people guessing or predicting what it will look like.  Motor Trend and Car and Driver posted these photos.

So, the question is, how do you make a quality vehicle that also looks great?  Do you have to sacrifice one for the other?  I have long wanted to be a Honda fan, because of their history of low maintenance costs, long lasting dependability, and their economic and environmental reputation.  But they are too often ugly, gutless wonders.  I've tried twice; once, with a Civic in 1999, which was beat out by my VW Golf based on power, performance, and price, and the second time was the Accord in 2008, which was beat out by my Nissan Altima for the 3 P's too.

I do want a truck.  Could the new Ridgeline grab my attention and be daily driver that performs as a truck with the efficiency of a car?  We shall see. 

Andy Richter Hyundai vs Toyota, Nissan Commercial

This is good.

Yeah, I Helped

July's numbers show Nissan as the only Major Brand with a profit. Nice. I helped with my purchase of a 2008 Nissan Altima. It's a great car. Check it out here.

My 2008 Nissan Altima...What a Car

If you've been following me for awhile, you know I've been doing a lot of car driving, shopping, and researching for a good fit for my family. Well, I finally made a decision on what to get. The Nissan Altima fit into every category I could create when doing my research. It was the cheapest family car. It got the best fuel economy. It provided the best interior room. AND, one of the biggest for me, it drives like it's a sports sedan. We bought a 2008 Nissan Altima with 7 miles on the odometer. I think they drove it off the truck and onto the lot, and then I bought it before anyone got to test drive it. We bought the 2.5S model, a.k.a. the base model. Completely void of the extras. HAHAHA!!!!! This car is still loaded. Power windows, locks, trunk, and start. You simply leave the key fob in your pocket, and when the fob is within 3 feet of the car, you can use the little black button on the door handle to unlock or re-lock the car. Once inside, with the key fob still in your pocket, you push the start button and the engine turns quietly on. This car is so great. Roominess, handling, power, economy, and price are all better than the competition. We looked too. The Honda Accord is gutless and costs over a grand more. The Toyota Camry is okay, but is still weak and ends up costing close to 2 grand more. By the numbers available to anyone via the manufacturers websites, I created a 10 year comparison spreadsheet. Here is how the costs broke down: 2008 Nissan Altima Price: $20,470-$1000 rebate = $19,470 APR: 3.9% for 60 months Fuel Economy: 23/31 Total 10 year cost with estimated fuel consumption: $51,587.64 2008 Honda Accord Price: $20,360-$0.00 rebate = $20,360 APR: 2.9% for 60 months Fuel Economy: 22/31 Total 10 year cost with estimated fuel consumption: $52,973.93 ($1,386.29 higher) 2008 Toyota Camry Price: $18,720-$0.00 rebate - $18,720 (starts cheapest) APR: 4.9% for 60 months Fuel Economy: 21/31 Total 10 year cost with estimated fuel consumption: $53,499.95 ($1,912.30 higher) So just in the 10 year numbers, the Altima takes the cake. But, that's not the only reason to choose a car. After all, if the decision was based only on price, the Ford Escape or the VW Rabbit would have won at $4,190.75 and $5,050.50, respectively, less than the Altima. Performance, and roominess for a family were also big factors. First, the latter. My wife often travels with our son and his two cousins, who are all in car seats. The Altima fits all three car seats across the back seat of the Altima. That leaves room for my wife and her sister in the front. Wow! The second and most important item to me is the performance. Not only does the Altima win in the fuel economy category, it handles and is more powerful than the other two. This is due in part to a higher torque output. Nissan is known for designing and building sports sedans. They did it with this latest version of the Altima. The final category I'll mention, leaving out the awesome stereo, comfortable seats, cool A/C, and Xtronic CVT transmission (with manual mode), is the visual appeal of the Altima. For a family sedan, the Altima is really nice looking. The Camry is the ugliest of the group to me. And the Accord, although I really like the new design and bigger car feel, still has an issue in it's back end. Something in the rump design doesn't do it for me or my wife. And did I mention is feels like a 4-cylinder? But, the Altima (redesigned in 2007) is a really sporty looking car. Jet engine inspired tail lights, duel exhaust, and a wide stance, make this sedan look ready to handle a nice windy road. And...it does. I really do love this car. I know it hasn't ever appeared on the site before, but I've been so busy convincing my wife we needed to buy this, I didn't have time to write about it. Truly this is the car to buy for a great family vehicle. And, I'm not going to tell you exactly what I paid for mine, but I did even better than the numbers above. After all, those are the MSRP figures and I'm a haggler. Ted can tell you about the work I did on my 1999 VW Golf. Good times.

We Don't Catch The Smart Ones

West County Detention Facility

Main Detention Center

Jalopnik reported a story from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel about a man who attempted to car-jack a 350Z in the jail parking lot, after being released from jail on his misdemeanor charge for trespassing. Now, the inmate is looking at a felony.

He was caught because he didn't know how to drive a manual transmission. Wow! We don't catch the smart ones.

See more from the linked sites above.

***I do have a public service announcement.*** If you live near the jail (I know some people who do), realize inmates being released may want to return to the jail. You may just provide them the means needed to return. Maybe an inmate didn't learn his/her lesson and wants to commit another crime. Whatever the case may be, be cautious around the facility. And here are some signs to watch for: hitch hikers, people carrying a big plastic bag, anyone walking away from the jail and towards Bell or Atwood, people cashing jail issued checks at area liquor stores, and finally, people you would not want your kids to talk to or take candy from (that should pretty much cover most people).

Be safe out there. It's a hard world full of scary people and situations.

Follow Up To: "My Dad Had One of These"

I think my dad had one of these too. In 1980 the Datsun 210 was getting 31city/43hwy MPG? Really? And now, Nissan's Versa only claims 27/33 at best. Again, where are the technological advances we should see after 28 years? The 210 started at $3749. The Versa starts at $12,710. That's a $8,961 increase over 28 years. In percentage that's roughly a little over 3.57%. Again, I think I did my math right. I used cross multiplying. Would that be right?

Japanese = German

For a long time now, German cars have been part of the best driving cars made. BMW and Porsche are both awesome cars to drive. Japanese cars have long been produced for fuel efficiency and long hassle free life. Autocar, from the UK, tested the new Nissan GT-R against BMW's M3 and Porsche 911 GT3. Here are the videos. Part 1 Part 2 I love how this guy reminds us that Nissan used to be Datsun. Also, I love the shots of the cars in full drift around the corners. He scored Nissan as equal to Porsche but far above BMW. From everything I saw, I'd go with the Nissan. It will give the most consistent times and handling. The car practically drives itself. I know that sounds off for me, but I'm getting old and lazy. I do like to enjoy driving, and my VW is (in my mind) a scaled down Porsche; but for consistent performance, the Nissan is the way to go. Check out more info and pictures at Autoblog too.

My Dad Had One of These

UPDATED: Can you believe only $5,995.00? Now the Nissan base model truck starts at $16,250.00. That's a $10,255.00 increase in 25 years. I believe that's right in there with normal inflation. If I did my math right roughly 4% a year. Now, on the mpg...31 city/43 hwy in 1982. Now only 19/23. How did we lose so much in 25 years? Shouldn't there be a huge gain? Where's the technology?