Impressions from the Washington DC Auto Show

[CSpec]

First of all, I'm sorry to say I have no pictures. I went with a friend of mine and it was pushing his attention span as it was, and I didn't want to try his patience waiting to get that perfect angle. However, I saw a decent amount of metal so I'll write up my text impressions here:

Ford Fiesta: I was never too agog over the Fiesta, but it was nice to see one in person. The sedan was quite ungainly I think; it was definitely not designed with a notchback in mind, much like the Versa. A jellybean with creases. The hatch was also present, in Top Gear mini-mall green, which looked much more cohesive. The interior looked fine, but I'm still not sure why this car generated so much buzz.

I think a Yaris looks better to be honest.

Ford Focus: It was seriously a joke seeing the new Focus next to the ancient and terrible US-spec model on sale now. Much improved, and the interior looked quite nice.

Mazda2: Looked like a warmed over Protege from the 90s. Super bland styling. It was up on a turntable and not a single person looked twice.

Lincoln: The exteriors of the new models all look quite nice, but I think the interiors still need work.

Honda CR-Z: Interesting styling, but it's a hybrid, so IGNORED.

Toyota: Boring boring boring. And all the cars had accelerated into the fire exits. Oh, they had some pimped out Avenza. That was cool. Not.

Audi A8: What a disappointment! Looks exactly like an A4 photocopied at 150%. Come on! The new 7-series seriously blows it away in terms of styling.

Mercedes E-class: I think the new E is pretty ugly. Hyundai wants their old Sonata taillights back. Speaking of which...

Hyundai Sonata: Like most Hyundais, there is a good base but the detailing is overwrought and leaves much to be desired. Too many creases and slashes for my liking.

Hyundai Equus: Bling is a good word for this car. Ostentatious and showy in every way, it attracted a very decent crowd. Will it be Hyundai's Phaeton? We'll see.

Kia Forte: I actually really like the styling of this car. The interior is bland and old fashioned, but I think overall it's decent.

Subaru: This brand was seriously clubbed by the ugly stick. Not a single decent looking model there. A shame, really. A Toyota conspiracy?

BMW Z4: Now THIS was a good looking car! If I were to get a convertible, it would be this one. The interior was great too.

BMW 7-series: The exterior styling is great, but we'll see how well it ages. BMW's old polarizing designs all aged magnificently I think. The interior was dull.

General Motors

Aveo Concept: Cool little car. My friend said it looked like the xB, but I thought the styling was very decent for its segment. Of course, we'll see how it looks with normal wheels and headlights.

Converj: Very cool styling on this car. My friend said it looked like a Gallardo, and I think he had a point. I hope they make it with a real engine!

Volt: Nice to see a Volt in person. I always thought the styling was great, but we'll see how it actually sells. A Volt-lite with a regular engine would be a cool ride.

Cruze: Ehhhh, I'm not a huge fan. The front has a swollen lower lip and the whole car looks very Korean. However it should be a quality product.

Granite: Cool little car. The front was a bit overdone because of the pedestrian-friendly high hood, but a neat little package overall. Definitely cues from the canceled Subtheta GMC in there.

Regal GS: Very good overall. The front is a little let down by the waterfall grill, but the rest of the styling is great. Even my demostic-hatin' friend liked it. I hope they offer a manual in the other trim levels!

Please let me know if I forgot anything! The XTS wasn't there unfortunately.