Something is happening in New York and we like it!
For the first time, the New York Auto show felt like it actually mattered!
Normally the auto companies have some insignificant announcements there and that’s basically it. Everything was rolled out in Detroit a couple months earlier and NY ended up getting the scraps…
But this year something was different…
There was a vibe there that felt like the manufacturers have finally realized that this is the BEST show (timing-wise) to make key product announcements.
It’s spring (everyone has the car bug in them) and you’re in the BEST city in the world!
This year it deserves equal respect as LA and Detroit.
We hope the manufacturers build off the momentum that was built at this year’s event!
What a great kickoff event for the best car selling season of the year!
Now, our picks for the best cars:
These and more photos from the New York Auto Show are available at our Gallery. Click here to view the gallery.
1. Lexus LF-C concept-
It wasn’t even a contest! Well, maybe it was until they made their introduction. Then EVERYTHING took one MAJOR STEP BACKWARDS. This car will change EVERYTHING in the class! Who stands to lose the most because of this car? It will finally take a major bite out of the American success of the BMW 3 series and Mercedes-Benz C-class. You see this car and they all look stale and tired…and we’re not only referring to the current generation cars. From what we’ve seen of the spy photos of the next 3-series and C-class, the new designs are still far behind the freshness of this Lexus concept. We can’t emphasize this enough…if Lexus ever gets it’s design/performance act together, BMW and MB are dead in the USA. And from the looks/features/performance of this car, the hourglass just turned over. Message to BMW and MB from Auto Spies; Revolution, not evolution is the only cure here. Still a way off (Fall of 2005, although the Germans wish is would come much later!)…it will be worth the wait.
2. Infiniti M45 concept-
We broke the world exclusive on this car last year and we were not disappointed! Infiniti has done a wonderful job with this car. It’s the best design since the G35 coupe and will be an absolute homerun on the showroom floor. Look out 5-series and E-class and Lexus GS (especially the 5-series), you’re about to get some of your market share taken away by the boys from Infiniti. The new M45 is now the best looking of the four (including the upcoming GS redesign) inside and out. It will also be the best value of all the competitors.
We absolutely love the next generation navigation system although you absolutely have to get the auto traffic guidance like the new Acura RL, before the car is launched! Also, don’t lose the blue light surrounds on the headlights and fog lights…they’re killer! Get your deposit down now, it will be hot when it hits the dealers, late fall.
And if you think it's just us that feels this way, take a look at a letter from one of many we received from our readers:
The new M45 concept has to be one of the most beautiful designed sedans in recent history. I currently own an E39 BMW 540i and was waiting on the next perfect sedan to arrive and this new M45 seems like it is exactly what I have been looking for. I was hopeful that the E60 BMW 545i was going to be the next car for me, but it turned out to be extremely ugly with a poor quality interior and it is already starting to have questionable reliability issues just like the 7-Series. My 540i has been a great car, but I am ready to move on and the direction that BMW is heading is very disappointing.
Infiniti on the other hand, is headed in the right direction. Their reliability and customer service ratings are second to none, and the recent products that they have been creating for the last two years have left BMW in the dust. The allure of owning a BMW is no more; the next great automobiles are being created by a company that has been off of the map for the last 12 years. Kudos to Infiniti for being reborn and creating cars that people can really enjoy, easily maintain, and aspire to own.
Dr. Jake Miller
Central Detroit
And the dealers?
You wouldn't have believed how many nervous BMW and Mercedes dealer principals we spotted in the Infiniti booth googling over the car. Not just for a few minutes...we caught a couple (who will go un-named) in the booth for almost an hour, going over the car with a fine-toothed comb, with beads of sweat on their heads...REALLY!
Privately, they mentioned to us that it will definitely take a chunk of E-class and 5-series sales away.
3. Land Rover LR3-
A sorely needed update…we were never kind to the current Discovery. We must say, you guys at Land Rover really did your homework because this is the SUV we’d pick if the comparison was between an ML, X5, Cayenne, FX, RX…or even the Range Rover (we like the extra room, glass roof, three rows of seats and flexibility the new LR3 offers). This SUV is a class act through and through. Gorgeous exterior design combined with an interior that does not disappoint. The interior is tasteful, functional and elegant. And it looks more expensive than all the others…except the Range Rover of course. Because when it comes to beautiful exteriors and interiors, NOTHING beats the Range Rover. Look for the LR3 in dealers in late October or November.
4. Acura RL-
Acura also did a great job re-styling the RL. It has all the winning attributes of the M45 plus a new navigation system that automatically reports current traffic and re-routes you in real time! We also love the feature that’s standard…AWD. Supposedly, the most advanced anywhere. Looks like they’ve found the secret weapon to squelch all the FWD naysayers. The said they’d never do a RWD car…they never said they wouldn’t do an AWD car! The only thing we didn’t like about the RL was the fact that even though the specs say it’s bigger inside than the last RL and current TL, it feels smaller inside the cabin than the others, probably due to the sloped roofline. The car also looks much smaller on the outside…it almost looks 3-series size when it used to look 5-series size. It should be interesting to see how well it sells when it hits showrooms in November.