Really enjoy your blog. I go to the Mpls auto show every year – and have since I was 8 years old (when my old man would bring me and my brother). Like you, I was really impressed by Ford’s “presence” at the auto show. They seem to have it figured out that the auto show can be more than just a place to drop off a few cars for the crowd to look at. As for overall product, it’s hard to beat Ford’s current lineup. They had everything from top-notch interiors to compelling exterior designs — and this is coming from a long-time GM fan; matter of fact, I’ve never owned a Ford in my life (and from what I was looking at, that may have to change). I was also impressed (to a lesser extent) by Honda and Hyundai (in that order). The new Sonata looks like a home-run. I’m not exactly thrilled about the exterior (it’s not bad, just not my cup-of-tea — but to each their own). 35mpg AND 200hp? Nobody has anything comparable — unless you want to pay the $$ to get into that Ford Fusion hybrid (which gets you to about 190hp, but w/41mpg). I think you forgot another auto mfr (don’t worry, I think just about everybody else forgot about them years ago): Mitsubishi was absent this year as well.

Thanks for noting what we did on the stand. We reach a lot of people at the auto shows, so the interactivity is really important to us. Glad to see it’s coming through.

Scott Monty
Global Digital Communications
Ford Motor Company
@ScottMonty