Author Topic: Official Toronto AutoShow 2006 Vehicle Discussion (Read 13235 times)

sirAQUAMAN64 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 23, 2006, 06:18:57 pm »

GTI

Jeff, saw the AM Rapide in Detroit, and it looked fantastic. I'm not really an AM fan, but Rapide I did love, and supposedly going into production in '07 too!

Giant Dwarf · « **Reply #21 on:** February 24, 2006, 10:05:50 am »

Quote from: sirAQUAMAN64 on February 23, 2006, 06:18:57 pm

GTI

Jeff, saw the AM Rapide in Detroit, and it looked fantastic. I'm not really an AM fan, but Rapide I did love, and supposedly going into production in '07 too!

sirAQUAMAN64 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 24, 2006, 11:09:14 am »

Rapide...
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/21/rapid-launch-for-aston-martins-rapide/

Giant Dwarf · « **Reply #23 on:** February 24, 2006, 12:29:13 pm »

Grassyass, SAM. Neat looking... but not drop dead gorgeous. Kinda like Charlize Theron when she plumps up for movie roles. You know it's good and sexy... but somethin' ain't quite right there.

safristi · « **Reply #24 on:** February 25, 2006, 08:38:55 am »

Careener · « **Reply #25 on:** February 25, 2006, 10:29:20 pm »

My pics are finally up..thanks to http://www.flickr.com for making it so easy to post them! No more Photoshop photo galleries for me!

The slideshow can be seen here http://www.flickr.com/photos/onthehoist/show/
Here are the pictures as a set. http://www.flickr.com/photos/onthehoist/sets/72057594070352823/

Here are just some of the pics (in no particular order):
Toyota: 2007 Camry, Yaris sedan, new Rav4 and Lexus LS460
Mercedes: McLaren SLR
Hyundai: New Accenft
Acura: RD-X
Lincoln: Pick-up and MDX...oh wait..MKX ;-)
Mazda CX-7 and Senku concept
Nissan: 2007 Sentra and Frontier NFL edition
Ford: GT and GT500
Chrysler : Akino concept and Firepower
Dodge: Charger and Nitro concept
Jaguar: That new Jag

My (our) brief comments on the cars at the show ..be gentle

Hyundai: We don't get the Azera love affair..the interior is no better than the Accent or Sonata and frankly both Kia and Hyundai's area in the show reeked of cheap plastic (no kidding). The new Accent is a bargain basement winner and the Sonata is "fleet" excellent and will be a used car steal.

Honda: The new Fit seems to ..well..fit. The SI coupe is a bargain but why were all of the Honda floormats disintegrating on day two of the show? We still hate the 2 tier dash in the Civics and the "park by ear" a la early Transport front end.

Lincoln's lame duck Bling offerings are a niche market embarrassment. Lincoln MKX..ok this may have some chance..but after seeing it in person we finally understand the lawsuit from Honda. At first our interpetation was over the naming issue..MDX vs MKX..and we thought about all the Mark XX vehicles so no problem..but when you see the thing, there's a definite physical resemblance as well.

GM cheaped out this year with their display (surprise surprise)..CTS-V..lots of legroom but we cackled when we examined the centre console..who designed that? Huge buttons..terrible font..cheapest plastic ever. and for $68K??Cr@p..Buy a Vette for that money.

Toyota -- New Yaris sedan looks nice. It finally has some junk in the trunk --New Camry looks good..definite Mazda 6 styling cues there
-- New Sentra..We wish we each had two hands to give it four thumbs down

the mini Altima
-- Mercedes McLaren SLR....Drool...check out the photo we snapped
-- Dodge Caliber -- So far so good. We wonder what the market will be for this since they no longer have a small sedan.
-- Dodge Charger with 5.7l Hemi..there was a yellow one at the show..seems like a steal at 44K.

ovr50 · « **Reply #26 on:** February 25, 2006, 11:54:34 pm »

Thanks for the pix, careener, nicely done. I agree, the Lincoln offerings show a marque that has seriously lost it's way - if it ever had one. The GT500 looks awesome, and the new Mazda CX-7 is intriguing. Camry looks like another winner for Toyota. The Sentra is still-born IMO.

Snowman · « **Reply #27 on:** February 26, 2006, 07:40:28 am »

Thanks for the great pics and write up careener.

articsteve · « **Reply #28 on:** February 26, 2006, 02:38:38 pm »

"Name that gap2" which vehicle is that?

Lincoln has had the bun.

Careener · « **Reply #29 on:** February 26, 2006, 04:54:57 pm »

Quote from: articsteve on February 26, 2006, 02:38:38 pm

"Name that gap2" which vehicle is that?

Lincoln has had the bun.

Sonata

Name that gap 1 was the Magnum..I couldn't believe that one..probably assembled on a Monday

articsteve · « **Reply #30 on:** February 26, 2006, 06:45:21 pm »

Quote from: careener on February 26, 2006, 04:54:57 pm

Quote from: articsteve on February 26, 2006, 02:38:38 pm

"Name that gap2" which vehicle is that?

Lincoln has had the bun.

Sonata

Name that gap 1 was the Magnum..I couldn't believe that one..probably assembled on a Monday

Sonata WOW

Could be a trim misalignment more than a door gap though.

Camry sales will be unbeatable.

Careener · « **Reply #31 on:** February 26, 2006, 09:51:20 pm »

The pic didn't quite capture the reality on that one.

I forgot to add one thing. I caused quite the stir at the Acura display when I enquired about the "Acoustic front windshield" on the RL. WTH is that? Nobody knew.
I'm assuming it's some sort of sound dampening additive.

Giant Dwarf · « **Reply #32 on:** February 27, 2006, 09:55:21 am »

Thanks for posting the pics and taking the time to write your comments.

So let me get this straight... a well-equipped, well-screwed-together Azera in the mid-$30s is not worth the love affair... yet the $44,000 Hemi Charger (with its Tupperware interior) is a good value?

Some people really get off on big engines I guess.

Four thumbs down for the new Sentra because it has a family resemblance to a car that has been very successful for Nissan? Am I missing something?

While the styling isn't necessarily my cup of tea, it sure beats the hell out of the current Sentra and if it's offered at a good price, will probably be a good competitor in this segment. The interior looks pretty decent.

I couldn't agree more on the entire Lincoln brand statement. Wow... horrible.

sirAQUAMAN64 · « **Reply #33 on:** February 27, 2006, 12:11:33 pm »

I like the front of the new Sentra a lot and the interior is fine, save that faux wood strip. The rear lights could use some tweaking tho, but mini-Maxima look works for me.

I'm not so ga-ga over Azera, but do like Sonata.

The CX-7 leaves me rather emotionless, tho the interior really gets me as being sharp. The rear is just too jellybean and definitionless. Needs a skirt or spoiler or something.

Lincoln is more than a little bit of a lost cause to me.

That Yaris sedan looks very good IMO. Saw one up close and rear seat room appears huge when looking in... looks long and true sedan-like, unlike competitors. Although pricing is bound close to Corolla, I wonder how much canabalization there will be now that the sedan is so improved. Corolla is pretty boring unless you get up to the $20G+ mark.

picard · « **Reply #34 on:** February 27, 2006, 04:48:18 pm »

I actually like the new azera. It has plenty of space compare to lexus ES330 or MB B200.

Careener · « **Reply #35 on:** February 27, 2006, 07:00:42 pm »

Quote from: Giant Dwarf on February 27, 2006, 09:55:21 am

Thanks for posting the pics and taking the time to write your comments.

So let me get this straight... a well-equipped, well-screwed-together Azera in the mid-$30s is not worth the love affair... yet the $44,000 Hemi Charger (with its Tupperware interior) is a good value? Some people really get off on big engines I guess.

Four thumbs down for the new Sentra because it has a family resemblance to a car that has been very successful for Nissan? Am I missing something? While the styling isn't necessarily my cup of tea, it sure beats the hell out of the current Sentra and if it's offered at a good price, will probably be a good competitor in this segment. The interior looks pretty decent.

I couldn't agree more on the entire Lincoln brand statement. Wow... horrible.

I suppose I should clarify which Charger I was referring to. The 06 Daytona R/T was a real surprise. It will run fine as a daily driver and provide some thrills on track day. The interior was actually pretty nice.

As for the Azera, I was hoping to find something as exciting as most of the reviews describe but was disappointed in that the interior of the Azera was no better than that of the Sonata. There was an Accent, a Sonata and an Azera all with the same beige colour interior so it was great for comparing. This does say alot about the quality of the Accent and Sonata interiors however.
They really need to do something about the smell though.

I was hoping Nissan would do something great with the Sentra as their styling has been right-on recently. This vehicle has to beat both the new Civic and Maz 3. It is uninspired.

Careener · « **Reply #36 on:** February 27, 2006, 07:14:03 pm »

To add to the above, I found a track test of that R/T Daytona here http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Dodge/review/2006-dodge-charger-r-t-daytona-road-&-track-test/1310/0
Some highlights

Quote

The already competent fully-independent suspension system features Nivomat self-leveling rear shock absorbers, plus a performance-tuned 9-land steering gear is added for enhanced directional response.

Under the HEMI-decaled hood is nothing less than the 5.7-liter beast itself, upgraded by 10-horsepower to 350, while torque remains an already overwhelming 390 lb-ft.

Quote

I happen to be a rollercoaster fan, and fortunately the Daytona didnt disappoint when carving up the curves. Its a heavy car, even heavier than Chryslers 300C by a smidge, but nonetheless I could make it dance like it was a lightweight when pushed beyond reasonable means. It took to VIRs substantial red and white curbing as if it werent there at all, its suspension and tires absorbing the impact and then clamping down on the pavement in preparation of the next curve. Ive tried such feats in lesser cars, and the tail-wagging that ensues in the aftermath is unsettling to say the least. The Charger Daytona R/T, however, kept gobbling up corners, jumping over curbs, plummeting down steep grades and powering up the tracks inclined straightway without complaint. Even the body structure wouldnt groan under the stress, nor the interior panels squeak or chatter

Quote

What was most impressive, mind you, was the cars braking performance. Normally, a track as punishing as the VIR and a car that weighed as much as the Daytona would be a recipe for overcooked pads and potentially, warped rotors, but not with the top-line Charger. Instead, it kept on charging while the brakes kept on stopping lap after grueling lap; no wafts of brake dust billowing from between the wheel spokes, no smoke rising from under the wheel arches and definitely no flames.

Quote

Also important, the Charger is the latest Chrysler Group offering to achieve a 5-Star frontal-impact NHTSA crash protection rating, the result of a variety of factors including Advance multistage driver and front passenger airbags, with Occupant Classification System (OCS) for controlled airbag deployment, constant force seatbelt retractors, pretensioners, and an energy-absorbing steering column. Optional side-curtain airbags are available to increase the Chargers safety in the event of side impact or a potential rollover - the latter highly unlikely with a vehicle that has a track as wide, and center of gravity as low as the new Dodge. The Daytona is even more stable at speed.

All sounds good to me..and with no GTO in Canada, this is prob at the top of my budget muscle car list at this point.

Brigitte · « **Reply #37 on:** February 27, 2006, 07:18:04 pm »

The Daytona Charger shocked me in terms of its comfortable driver's seat. I did not expect that at all - a very pleasant surprise. Supportive, bolstered and cushy, all at the same time.

As for the Sentra, I concur with GD and SirAM. I really liked the new design, and there's no mistaking it for anything other than a Mini-Me Nissan. I asked the "sales" guy standing there if there were plans to make an SE-R version. He had no idea. WTF?

wing · « **Reply #38 on:** February 27, 2006, 07:31:05 pm »

Yeah the Charger is pretty nice, don't like the steering wheel much but that's about all.

safristi · « **Reply #39 on:** February 28, 2006, 10:03:59 am »

Careener, Neil and I had a real set too about 2 years back regarding the SMELL issue....we noticed it in the AUDI at the Auto show that year and in a coupla Hyundais I test drove in the SUMMER....he was adamant that it was MY SCHNOZ at fault but wifey smelled it too....I don't know why they and some other vehicles seem to "Gas OFF" so badly...I semi-joked about horse glue etc.....butt!!! there is something at the BOTTOM!!! of this issue....maybe it fades after a week or two BUT PHEW indeed.........is it Carpet Nylon,the Protection sprayed on the seats or the Plastic itself

.........NOSEY PARKERS would like to KNOW?>..........saw the Azera in white on Sunday...locked in the showroom..looked decent...NOT sure I'd spring $36K fer one though..that is a TOUGH SEGMENT to PLAY IN.....