MSP auto show

[regfootball]

was setting up today..... caught some nice pics of the new GM stuff. more in a bit......

impressions

ATS is sharp, looks more egglike in person but extremely dynamic.

New XTS is large! Boatlike, between the two new Cadillacs, a very definite shift in design......more egglike, less chiseled, quite futuristic. In ten years one will be able to see how these cars ushered in new design directions

Encore - extremely impressed. For the small size it looks robust and substantial. Should be a huge hit with women.

New Fusion and Escape - i gotta say, the new Escape could possibly be a miss. I did not like it from the first look. I think folks like the tough boxy look!

New fusion, I like the size and packaging. The styling is just a miss so far for me.....

Saw lots of Chrysler 300's, I am really impressed.

Lots of Fiats......I have to admit, very likable.

I'll try to upload some stuff......

[G. David Felt]

YES, Please upload PICS Need to see the New Stuff!!!

[regfootball]

more later this week. my phone died today photoing the new Escape....I wonder if that was foretelling anything.

[regfootball]

poked around a new 013 Malibu.......

not overwhelmed.........definitely an improvement inside, but that back seat looks pretty small. think regal size. Overall in white the car was quite anonymous.

[GMTruckGuy74]

New Fusion and Escape - i gotta say, the new Escape could possibly be a miss. I did not like it from the first look. I think folks like the tough boxy look!

New fusion, I like the size and packaging. The styling is just a miss so far for me.....

My sentiments exactly (saw both at the Philadelphia Auto Show in early February). I do not like where Ford is taking their design/styling - everything is egg-like in shape. Can't wait until they add this styling to the F-series trucks (can you picutre what a F-350 Super Duty will look like??? ). The new '13 Fusion looks like a copycat of other designs - Jaguar, Aston Martin... if I wanted one of those I'fd buy the original. I much prefer the current '12 Fusion over this new one. As for the Escape, they took the Fiesta/Focus and made it into a CUV.. I think many that like the current, boxy/trucky design may be turned off. My friend that went with us, a huge Ford fan, loved these new vehicles. He and his wife were thinking of a new Edge in a year or two, but he wants her to consider a new '13 Escape instead.

The XTS I can see having a bit of the egg-like shaping, but no where near as the Fords do. I saw no egg-like shaping to the ATS, which I surprisingly liked very much (the wife has been pining for a CTS for years, and I think the ATS would be a better choice going forward - the LaCrosse would be a more likely candidate though - another car she has been pining for for a couple of years now).

[regfootball]

You sort of read the subtle teardrop shaping on the cadillacs when you see them from a great distance. it's all the surface detailing caddy does that add definition up closer.

the fusion doors were open today, touched the plastic. i sort of got the idea that inside had a similar level of finish as the Passat, which is to say not fantastic. The level of finish inside isn't at least on my glance any knockout. In fact, i might tend to think they missed it a little bit here. Not lavish enough.

Sat IN the new Malibu today. A few things are apparent...one, the plastics are much better on the whole....particularly the dash top. The seat leather is nice. Interface is nice although the radio controls and such a tiny bit cheap and the flip up display could feel more substantial. That's nitpicky.

The seats probably are Regal clones with a little different padding and stitching. I thought they felt good, front is very roomy.

Big flaw though, rear seat is not big at all. Leg room is tight! and so is head room for that matter. I don't think this car will not get a rep as a roomy car AND the additional width inside wasn't terribly noticeable right off the bat either.

Ford screwed the pooch on their new Euro bubble designs.....Chevy effed on not leaving enough wheelbase for adults to get in the back....