That’s a Buick!?!?

Every so often, something comes along that completely shakes up all of our established perceptions about the way the world works.

I had one of those moments this week, when GM debuted the new Buick Regal. Good God in heaven, a Buick I not only actually like, but would even consider putting on the shopping list.

It’s been a weird year for me as I’ve followed the various gyrations in the auto industry, from Honda and Toyota seriously dropping the ball (Crosstour and floormats of death, respectively), to Kia and Hyundai coming on strong, and GM and Ford throwing out not just passable, but seriously compelling and competitive new vehicles.

I can’t wait to see what the next few months hold, as we move into the next auto show season…

 

And Then There Were Cars…

I didn’t realize it at the time, but if you look back through the pictures of me as a little kid, a theme emerges. In almost every single shot, I’m clutching a car, truck, or some sort of four-wheeled thing in one of my hands. Maybe it’s a coincidence that I grew up to be a car nut, but…maybe not.

Fast forward a few decades, and now I have a little boy of my own. And ever since he could, well, move, I’ve been watching for that interest in cars. To date, nothing. Oh, he’s shown a complete a total fascination with the Pixar film, but as far as actual cars go, he really hasn’t taken to them. Save as convenient projectile weapons.

In the past couple of weeks, though, that’s changed. And now he’s carrying around cars, kind of driving them around on the floor, running them down his little slide.

I couldn’t be happier. I mean, I want him to like what he likes, whatever that may be. But cars…that’s something I can get into, something I can nurture, something I can bond with him over.

And so tonight, after dinner, I took Nolan to Wal-Mart. Yeah, I know…shudder…but their Blu-ray prices absolutely spank Best Buy, and I wanted to pick up Monsters, Inc. So while we were there, we wondered over to the toy section to get a car or two.

I picked out one, and Nolan picked out the other.

Next up…history and sci-fi…

 

 

Thoughts on the Next Ride

Barring the completely unforeseen, the Mini isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Apart from endemic tire issues and the lack of a second suicide door, I absolutely love the Clubman. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best car I’ve ever owned.

But, at some point, it’ll have to go. Maybe the warranty will run out and maintenance will become ridiculous (hey, it IS a BMW at heart). Maybe Capitol Tower will burn down with the poor car stuck in the parking garage. Or maybe my needs will change.

Whatever the case, car nut that I am, I can’t help but look down the road to the next ride. Right now I don’t see myself moving on until 2012 at the earliest, but hey, it’s always fun to look.

So…as of right now…here are the cars that are on my radar.

Mazda3 5-door

I’ve been a fan of the Mazda3 since it first came out in 2004. Built on the same platform as the Euro-spec Focus (which is far superior to the crapbox we have over here), the Mazda3 has earned a reputation as one of the best-handling, most fun-to-drive cars in its class. The new generation, which debuted this year, builds on the success of the first-gen, and brings a swoopier, more sophisticated design into the mix. The giant, smiling fascia has turned some people off, but I’m guessing that’s something Mazda will grow out of by the time I’m in the market. Hopefully they’ll move on to a better engine, too, as the 4-cylinder options powering the 3 aren’t really anything to shake a stick at.

Subaru Forester

The Forester is one of those cars that grew on me. I was really put off by the design at first, but then I saw it in person, and it really holds together well when you see it with your own eyes. This not-a-wagon-but-not-an-SUV took home Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year Award, and has been pretty much single-handedly responsible for Subaru’s awesome staying power in the midst of the automotive apocalypse that has been this recession. Chalk it up to right-size packaging, one of the best AWD systems on the market, and Scooby’s horizontally-opposed boxer engines. Admittedly, the Forester’s not at absolute top of my list, but it’s pretty high, especially if driving dynamics have to take a back seat to functionality.

Ford Focus

Every time I mention my interest in the Focus, people look at me as though I’ve admitted to having a leper fetish. I can’t say I blame them. After all, the Ford Focus that’s available to us here in the U.S. is a total crapbox of a car. Like that other forgotten Ford, the Ranger, it rides on an extremely dated platform and simply isn’t competitive in its category. But that’s not the case in Europe, where the C1-based Focus enjoys a reputation as taut, sharp handling car. For years, stateside enthusiasts have clamored for a change at the Euro-spec Focus, and pretty soon, we’ll get it. The next-generation Focus (rendered above) is being designed as a world car, with a specific eye on the U.S. market.

Aside from sharp looks and the anticipated driving dynamics, the Focus has two more things to recommend it. First is Ford’s new line of EcoBoost engines, which embrace turbocharging as a way of delivering that extra oomph without adding cylinders and thus killing fuel economy. In other words, what Mini, Volkswagen and a few others already do. The second is the Ford Sync infotainment system, which is quite frankly the best in the business. Bluetooth integration, voice-to-text, full iPod navigation and playback, even Bluetooth audio streaming.

I’m still waiting to see the final product, but right now, my interest is highly piqued. Look for the production 2011 Ford Focus to make its world debut at the Detroit Auto Show in early January.

Volkswagen Golf GTD

Chances are you’ve heard of the GTI, the go-fast version of Volkswagen’s Golf. If you haven’t, the GTI is, well, the go-fast version of the Golf. In it’s current form, it ditches the staid engine for a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, firmer suspension, more heavily bolstered sport seats, and a row-your-own or DSG clutchless manual transmission.

The GTD basically takes the GTI formula and swaps out the gas engine for a turbodiesel, the benefits of which include gobs of torque and hybrid-level fuel economy.

With the GTD, Volkswagen addresses my number one complaint regard diesel cars here in the states. Namely, the tendency to offer them in regular models with lots of luxo options, but soft, spongy suspensions. For someone like me, who puts a huge premium on driving feel, this sucks. I don’t necessarily need speed. Hell, with my tendency to accumulate tickets, speed is probably the last thing I need. But in lieu of speed, I demand a car that’s a blast to toss through the winding roads of the Texas Hill Country.

Just one catch. The GTD isn’t currently slated for America. But Volkswagen is considering it, and has said they could bring it over within 18 months if they decide to do so.

My Completely Arbitrary Highlights of the Frankfurt Auto Show

So the Frankfurt Auto Show (aka Frankfurt Motor Show, aka Internationale Automobil Ausstellung) is unfolding this week in, you guessed it, Baltimore Frankfurt. As auto shows go, it’s a pretty big one, second only to Detroit, and so a lot of important vehicles tend to get trotted out and shown off.

I’m not about to cover everything, but I wanted to highlight a few of the new rides that grabbed my attention. If you want full coverage of every ugly-ass supercar mod job and retarded city car concept, be my guest. But this is my blog, and hence, my list.

SUV Nostalgia?

Jalopnik, one of my favorite sites for all things automotive, recently posed an interesting question.

Will the SUV be worshiped as a nostalgia totem in 20 years?

The logic is pretty simple. Once upon a time, there were muscle cars. The Mustang, the Camaro, the Firebird. Then the 70’s happened, and the energy crises brought that party to a crashing halt. Now, thirty years later, we’re in the midst of a revival. Between the 2005-on Ford Mustang, the Chevy Camaro, and to a lesser extent the Dodge Challenger, the muscle car is popular again.

Could the same thing be in store for the SUV, which has an eerily similar trajectory (cheap to build, highly popular, almost defining an age, then crippled by high gas prices)?

In my opinion, yes and no.

FAIL.

Back in July I wrote a post about the Honda Crosstour and the troubling direction the design seemed to be taking.

This morning, Honda released photos of the Accord Crosstour and, well, yeah.

A few words come to mind. Hideous. Retarded. Unnecessary.

I would much rather have received this (the Euro-market Accord Estate):

One of the things I hate about living in the U.S. – the general revulsion toward hatches and wagons. And I don’t even think it’s a real revulsion. As the Mini Cooper, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion xB and xD, Subaru WRX, Mazda3, Kia Soul, VW Jetta Sportwagen and more and more cars prove every year, people crave options beyond a sedan or an SUV. But manufacturers still repeat that “Americans don’t like wagons” mantra. And then shove crap like this at us.

It’s Time. Kill Chrysler.

Earlier today, I came across a really interesting statistic by way of Twitter:

AOLAutos: Study shows Americans 18-64 years would rather buy a car badged Fiat than Chrysler. Amazing.

My initial reaction was to laugh. Amazing? Obvious, more like.

I mean, would you rather drive this train wreck of a car:

Chrysler Sebring

…or this?

Fiat Bravo

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized yeah, it actually is kind of amazing, when you consider the average American would probably be hard pressed to name a single car Fiat sells. In a lot of ways, it’s the perfect commentary on just how bad Chrysler’s situation has become. Americans would rather buy a car from a brand they are largely unfamiliar with, that has a reputation for pretty much the opposite of reliablity, than from a long-established domestic marque.

And you know what? They’re right.

“Too Good to Waste”

UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF POST.

GM’s bankruptcy has been dominating headlines of late. Their past (and present) missteps have been examined in excruciating detail, and schadenfruede is in the air.

But one thing that’s often gone unremarked is how good some of their cars have been getting lately. The Chevy Malibu and Cadillac CTS are both very competitive in their respective categories. The new Camaro is a critical darling and a sales success. And the next-generation Chevy Equinox and Cadillac SRX look like they have the stuff to go up against segment leaders, if only buyers can be persuaded to take a look at them.

But one of the best vehicles GM has brought out in the past few years is undoubtedly the Pontiac G8. It’s a performance bargain that, according to several reviews, out M5s the mighty BMW M5 at a fraction of the price. And it’s a handsome car, too, eschewing the affinity Pontiacs past displayed for garish body cladding and a proliferation of hood vents.

Pontiac G8 GXP

It was also slated for extinction along with the rest of the Pontiac brand.

A few weeks ago, GM CEO Fritz Henderson squashed speculation that the G8 would be brought under the Chevrolet umbrella, because, as he said, “I’m not a fan of rebadging”.

First of all…what? GM is the king of rebadging. They’ve gotten a lot better about it in recent years, and actually gone to lengths to differentiate products across their brands, but they still rebadge like crazy. Just look at the Chevy Traverse/GMC Acadia/Saturn Outlook/Buick Enclave. It’s basically the same vehicle dressed in different clothes.

Second…is it rebadging if the brand in question is being killed off?

Fortunately for anybody who actually likes to drive, GM realized the absurdity of killing off the G8 and today announced that it will in fact stick around as the all-new Chevy Caprice. In the words of Bob Lutz, “it’s kinda too great to waste”.

UPDATE: It would appear I spoke to soon. GM is killing the G8/Caprice/whatever after all. Too bad.

The Routan Survives

I sure didn’t see this coming.

The Volkswagen Routan is about as cynical a vehicle as they come. Beneath the massaged sheetmetal, it’s basically a rebadged Chrysler Town & Country. Same platform, same crappy engine.

Psst...it's just a Town & Country

I wrote about the Routan a year ago, and my opinion still stands. Volkswagen had a chance to really shake things up with their Microbus concept, and instead they took the lazy way out and foisted this warmed over, uninspired box on the buying public.

And the buying public smelled a rat. Despite a Brooke Shields-heavy ad campaign, the Routan never lit up the sales charts, never posed a serious threat to the Honda Odyssey or even the Kia Sedona.

So when Chrysler entered bankruptcy, I figured the Routan was a goner.

Imagine my surprise, then, at the announcement that the cow in sheep’s clothing would live on.

Volkswagen must be pulling in some hefty margins. That’s the only explanation that springs to mind.

The Latest Cat…

I read a stat a few years ago that BMW was not only the most searched auto brand, but also the most actively avoided.

It makes sense.

On the one hand, BMWs largely live up to the brand promise of the “ultimate driving machine”. But they also have a stigma about them (if you’ve ever heard the joke about the difference between a BMW and a porcupine, you know what I mean). The same’s true for Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln. Luxury brands tend to be polarizing. They attract partisans.

And then there’s Jaguar.