13 Mpls auto show comments

[regfootball]

Didn't know where to put this. But went to the autoshow this past weekend. Costs more to get in, less stuff. The entire convention center floor was not even utilized this time around (mfr's not ponying up for space, or the cost was too high). Hardly any concept cars. To put a new Focus ST on a platform does not make it a concept car!

I thought I would spout some miscellaneous ramblings about the things I observed.

By alphabet...........

[regfootball]

Acura: lots of open floor space. Why did they take so much space and not fill it? The ZDX was missing (who cares). TSX wagon was pretty much ignored; that's ok, hardly any more space than a hatchback car. What's the point? They had several ILX. I.e. tarted up Civic. It's as pointless on an autoshow floor as it is otherwise! LOL. To be honest all the Acuras look the same, I couldn't even tell which models were there.

Audi: always a magnet for all those guys named Rich Whitey. Audi always gets the love and they always put out their super pricey machinery. I did not even torture myself by sitting in any of it. Audi fans are often OCD types anyways....its that interior detail obsessiveness with Audi that those folks like. Can't really knock Audi, look at how far they have come.

BMW: X1 was a young chick and hipster magnet. The X1, which is a glorified 3 series wagon, will end up being BMW's top seller or second best seller. It's cheap access to the brand for the wannabes. Interesting to note how in a few of BMW's lower end models how cheap the interiors are getting. Whoever has made the comments in the past of BMW's being taxis and fleet cars in Europe, they are sort of beginning to feel that way. 5 series is pretty nice, and is quite big actually. X6 was drawing crazy attention, I don't get it!!!!!

Buick: they put Buick in the corner like Baby, so they did not get massive traffic, but the people who were there were digging the Verano (they had one turbo there), and the Regal was getting love. I am convinced many, many people do not know the Regal has ever existed! Lots of nice comments on both. The Enclave really still draws crowds. People want crossovers! So speaking of, EPIC FAIL, the only Encore they had was up on a platform and not allowed to be accessed. WTF? New product launch, emerging segment, and they can't get a couple on the floor for people to touch and feel? Whoever is responsible for that needs to pay. BIG TIME. Major sin.

[regfootball]

Cadillac: lots of love. CTS was drawing attention even. They had a CTS wagon and couple CTSv's. 2 XTS that were getting attention from a wide age group. Some old dude grumbled about the headroom in it. Overall great comments on the XTS (even if it is inflicted with the Epsilon Disease......not wide enough). One ATS on a platform and only one other one on the floor, which got lots of attention and was pretty favorably looked upon. For fun, I got in the out of the back seat a few times. To be honest, if the front seat is set far enough forward, for as tight as it it, it's not too terrible getting in and out of the back of the CTS. You sort of slide and drop into place like some German cars. Once in, the seat is comfy and most importantly there is a place for your feet to tuck under the seat in front and your knees are in a natural position. Headroom is scarce otherwise.

Chevrolet: will skip over this for now. 2014 Impala was there.

-----will add more later.

[regfootball]

Chrysler: Lots of floor space, but not stuffed full of vehicles. Some 300's and 200's, Chrysler still has their fans. Not a ton of folks in that area though. The 300 is nice.

Dodge: Charger, I like. They had a few Darts, which were my first chance to sit in them. Front row is nice for room. Back is far too tight for such a large wheelbase. Dash layout is nice, and I like the dual LCD, the Garmin screen is fantastic. Plastics are cheap and some of the interior trim was floppy and loose. Rear seat was a bummer, Cruze doesn't have much more room if any, but the way you are situated in the Cruze is better. Dart steering wheel is out of character for the rest of the interior. I think Dodge has some work to do on the Dart.

Fiat: always a variety of Fiats to pick from, and the Models are always hot. I really just like the base Fiat! If I had the money for extra cars, I would be tempted to get one to just bum around in on weekends and nights. I like the Fiat more than the Minis.

Fisker: was roped off. Battery was probably dead anyways.

Ford: the whole Ford area was packed. Ford's whole lineup is so fresh, it all got interest. People were even digging the Taurus. Several Focus'. Ford is doing things right. And the crowds for Ford was widely diverse like the Toyotas and Hondas. I spent a lot of time in the Taurus after sitting in the 014 Impala. I think the Taurus actually has a better interior yet. The Impala's feels less like a bunker. But I was disappointed in the 14 Impala interior (parts of it). Ford lacked concept cars, they stuck a Focus ST on the platform. They should have let people in that car.

GMC: lots of vehicles. I really liked the Terrains. Lots of people. GMC still draws them in.

Edited March 13, 2013 by regfootball

[regfootball]

Honda: I really think Honda's lineup is so overrated. They had a lot of cars and floor space. But I think when Honda actually is in the same space as other manufacturers, they lose their luster. Lots of cheap looking Accords and Civics. The Fit always get some lookers. The Accord coupe was nice. The Accord sedan I checked out was cheap inside and overall just felt like a budget piece. The CRV was bland all around. CRv does use its space well though. Odyssey got fans, too bad its so ugly. Hyundai and Kia close by, Honda loses out to that I think.

Hyundai: whole area was flooded. I don't get why they even bother with the Equus and Genesis sedan. To me, it dilutes what Hyundai is about. Plus, they are both cheap inside, and don't fit style wise with the rest of the lineup. The Azera was the first time I checked it out. Very nice exterior, but too much like Sonata 2.0. The Azera interior design is cool, but the materials are cheap, super cheap. You can kind of criticize all the Hyundais that way. Cheap hard plastics. The Veloster has the coolest interior door handles. Too bad I had to abort the attempt to get in the back through door 3. The Elantra is nice to a point, but the center stack is too offbeat. The other Veloster had the matte paint. I thought it looked cheesy. I want to like the Elantra GT for what it is, but they dumbed down the interior and reduced the cargo space. The Accent has far less pizazz than the Elantra and Sonata. The Sonata is still the most appealing Hyundai. But its needs a refresh. The SUV's all have cheap interiors. The Santa Fe and Sport are almost faceless. Still, the Hyunda area was busy!

Infiniti: I didn't even care. They have a lot of bloated vehicles / SUV's and the G is tired.

Jaguar: as far as luxury presentation, Jaguar is a step above. They ooze the style. BMW's seem so watered down by comparison nowadays. The Jags have a presence that even Mercedes lacks nowadays.

Jeep: They had the big Camp Jeep thing to divert your attention away from the Compasses.......I'm not a Jeep fan, but the Jeep camp was popular.

Kia: much like Hyundai, lots of traffic. I really still like the Soul. The new Rio I really dig, and the interior design is so nice. They still had the old Forte, which is the exact opposite: dumpy. They had Cadenza brochures there....WHY KIA? Sorento still gets looks because its a good price compromise. Sportage had looks too. I prefer the Sportage to the Tucson big time. The Kias all do have some cheapness inside. The Optima is really nice too. Kia has it over Honda in spades I think, also. Really like that Rio.

Land Rover: sure.

Lexus: QFT, i think they were handing out AARP cards there. I don't understand their new grille. However, I do like some of their new interiors. Good thing since the new Toyota interiors are so crappy.

Lincoln: no budget, the displays were sparse except for some ring they had around a new MKz. It's like Ford doesn't care much. Stick the cars out there. The Mkz is a looker except the interior is so cheap. It's not fair to harm a new model like that. The MKs and Mkt are nice inside but the MKs is so bland. Lincoln needs help. I do think the Mkc will be what gives it a buzz. MKX is so tired. Ford needs to fix the Fusion interior on the MKz right away. Sad, it's like they aren't trying.

Edited March 13, 2013 by regfootball

[GMTruckGuy74]

GMC: lots of vehicles. I really liked the Terrains. Lots of people. GMC still draws them in.

Was the new 2014 GMC Sierra on display? If yes, was it getting a lot of attention? Do you recall what color it was?

[Drew Dowdell]

Acura: lots of open floor space. Why did they take so much space and not fill it? The ZDX was missing (who cares). TSX wagon was pretty much ignored; that's ok, hardly any more space than a hatchback car. What's the point? They had several ILX. I.e. tarted up Civic. It's as pointless on an autoshow floor as it is otherwise! LOL. To be honest all the Acuras look the same, I couldn't even tell which models were there.

Audi: always a magnet for all those guys named Rich Whitey. Audi always gets the love and they always put out their super pricey machinery. I did not even torture myself by sitting in any of it. Audi fans are often OCD types anyways....its that interior detail obsessiveness with Audi that those folks like. Can't really knock Audi, look at how far they have come.

BMW: X1 was a young chick and hipster magnet. The X1, which is a glorified 3 series wagon, will end up being BMW's top seller or second best seller. It's cheap access to the brand for the wannabes. Interesting to note how in a few of BMW's lower end models how cheap the interiors are getting. Whoever has made the comments in the past of BMW's being taxis and fleet cars in Europe, they are sort of beginning to feel that way. 5 series is pretty nice, and is quite big actually. X6 was drawing crazy attention, I don't get it!!!!!

Buick: they put Buick in the corner like Baby, so they did not get massive traffic, but the people who were there were digging the Verano (they had one turbo there), and the Regal was getting love. I am convinced many, many people do not know the Regal has ever existed! Lots of nice comments on both. The Enclave really still draws crowds. People want crossovers! So speaking of, EPIC FAIL, the only Encore they had was up on a platform and not allowed to be accessed. WTF? New product launch, emerging segment, and they can't get a couple on the floor for people to touch and feel? Whoever is responsible for that needs to pay. BIG TIME. Major sin.

I feel like Regal advertising went away rather quickly and now everything is Lacrosse, Enclave, and Verano. Agreed that not putting any Encores out for people to sit in was a mistake. They are a tiny CUV, but people need to sit in it to find out that it actually is comfortable inside.

RE BMW taxis - That'd be me and Balth.

These shows tend to be dealership shows with marginal manufacturer support...

[ocnblu]

Shoot, the Encore needs to be on the ground, not held aloft. If people get in it, they'll love it.

[G. David Felt]

First question, what does MPLS stand for???

Agree with Drew and OcnBlu that advertising has already disappeared and the Encore which was awesome to sit in at the seattle show should be on the floor for people to get in and check out. It is a home run hit, just have to let them sit in it and sales will come.

[regfootball]

GMC: lots of vehicles. I really liked the Terrains. Lots of people. GMC still draws them in.

Was the new 2014 GMC Sierra on display? If yes, was it getting a lot of attention? Do you recall what color it was?

I will likely go again this weekend and I will check. I don't think they did, but not sure.

Acura: lots of open floor space. Why did they take so much space and not fill it? The ZDX was missing (who cares). TSX wagon was pretty much ignored; that's ok, hardly any more space than a hatchback car. What's the point? They had several ILX. I.e. tarted up Civic. It's as pointless on an autoshow floor as it is otherwise! LOL. To be honest all the Acuras look the same, I couldn't even tell which models were there.

Audi: always a magnet for all those guys named Rich Whitey. Audi always gets the love and they always put out their super pricey machinery. I did not even torture myself by sitting in any of it. Audi fans are often OCD types anyways....its that interior detail obsessiveness with Audi that those folks like. Can't really knock Audi, look at how far they have come.

BMW: X1 was a young chick and hipster magnet. The X1, which is a glorified 3 series wagon, will end up being BMW's top seller or second best seller. It's cheap access to the brand for the wannabes. Interesting to note how in a few of BMW's lower end models how cheap the interiors are getting. Whoever has made the comments in the past of BMW's being taxis and fleet cars in Europe, they are sort of beginning to feel that way. 5 series is pretty nice, and is quite big actually. X6 was drawing crazy attention, I don't get it!!!!!

Buick: they put Buick in the corner like Baby, so they did not get massive traffic, but the people who were there were digging the Verano (they had one turbo there), and the Regal was getting love. I am convinced many, many people do not know the Regal has ever existed! Lots of nice comments on both. The Enclave really still draws crowds. People want crossovers! So speaking of, EPIC FAIL, the only Encore they had was up on a platform and not allowed to be accessed. WTF? New product launch, emerging segment, and they can't get a couple on the floor for people to touch and feel? Whoever is responsible for that needs to pay. BIG TIME. Major sin.

I feel like Regal advertising went away rather quickly and now everything is Lacrosse, Enclave, and Verano. Agreed that not putting any Encores out for people to sit in was a mistake. They are a tiny CUV, but people need to sit in it to find out that it actually is comfortable inside.

RE BMW taxis - That'd be me and Balth.

These shows tend to be dealership shows with marginal manufacturer support...

Buick doesn't even seem to care about the Regal.

Yup, this is pretty much a dealership type show.

Shoot, the Encore needs to be on the ground, not held aloft. If people get in it, they'll love it.

YOU'D THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT STRATEGY FOR GM!!!!!! so true.

[regfootball]

First question, what does MPLS stand for???

Agree with Drew and OcnBlu that advertising has already disappeared and the Encore which was awesome to sit in at the seattle show should be on the floor for people to get in and check out. It is a home run hit, just have to let them sit in it and sales will come.

Minneapolis......

[GMTruckGuy74]

GMC: lots of vehicles. I really liked the Terrains. Lots of people. GMC still draws them in.

Was the new 2014 GMC Sierra on display? If yes, was it getting a lot of attention? Do you recall what color it was?

I will likely go again this weekend and I will check. I don't think they did, but not sure.

The

se shows tend to be dealership shows with marginal manufacturer support...

Yup, this is pretty much a dealership type show.

If the manufacturer's are not supporting it, more than likely the '14 Sierra/Silverado won't be there. I'm use to the Philly auto show and of course the NYIAS!!

Edited March 14, 2013 by GMTruckGuy74

[wildmanjoe]

The big three all had manufacturer support as did the big German makes and Toyota. Smaller brands like Nissan were staffed by local dealerships.

Yes, this non-running lump had its own personal guard:

Only $25,000! Poor taste has never been so affordable!

There was no one to talk to about this one, it was just sitting there unattended.

This one also had it's own guard:

BMW X3 interior:

Video of what Camp Jeep had going on:

[GMTruckGuy74]

I don't know BMWs that well, so you almost got me!

It seems that the '14 GMC Sierra and the '14 Chevy Silverado were the same ones I saw in Philadelphia the first week of February. Thanks for posting