The time has finally come, the New York Auto Show came and went. The last major U.S. auto show of the season. If you ask many in the industry, you might hear a collective sigh of relief. Last week was a flurry of press conferences and vehicle reveals.

As you might expect, some were great, but there were definitely some winners and losers. Of course, we must mention the WTF section as well. So without further delay, let’s jump into it.

Some are calling the Scion FR-S Concept the absolute winner of the 2011 New York Auto Show. Frankly, I’m mixed. On one hand, this has to be the most aggressive sheet metal, concept or real, to come out of Toyota Corp in a while. This thing goes way beyond the LFA. Another win is when the CEO of a company uses the word friggin in his press conference. It was hilarious when the CEO was discussing the long standing history of Toyota’s sports cars. Somehow a flat-four boxer was mentioned. Huh, that’s part of Toyota? On the other hand, this thing is still a concept. Another concept. I’m so sick of concepts. Let’s see the real deal already.

Chrysler unveiled not one, but three new 300 models. The Executive Series is stunning, with leather everywhere and terrific fit and finish, it’s gorgeous. The S series is full of boom. Literally, it has Beats by Dre. Of course the main show was the new 2012 300 SRT8. With the same powertrain as the new SRT8s, this car is not all show. It definitely will have the go. With a more understated look than the new Charger SRT8, this will defintely be a car to have your shopping list. Oh, and now it’ll be able to handle. The new 300 SRT8 features the same adaptive suspension as the new Charger SRT8.

For 2012 the Jaguar XF model range gets a facelift. With a clear resemblance to the new XJ, this is one hot cat. Gone are the bug-eye headlights, replaced with sleeker units featuring LED daytime running lights (as is the trend these days). Pictures can’t truly describe how gorgeous this feline is.

Volkswagen has the new Golf R on display in a gorgeous shade of blue. I joked with VW PR rep Corey Proffitt that I might just steal it off the show floor. Luckily I decided to use my better judgement and left the car in New York upon my departure. Now that’s a hot hatch.

I’ve got to admit, the new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle isn’t ugly. I dig the new roofline and rear end. I kind of wish they took it even further, but that’s ok. Coming with a multitude of engine options, there is sure to be a bug that pleases everyone. Sadly, the vase is no longer standard, or even an option. Sorry kids, no more flower power here. The interior is a huge step forward as Volkswagen digs into the corporate parts bin.

You know, regardless of how I feel about the Lexus LF-Gh Hybrid Concept I give Lexus credit. This concept is edgy (for Lexus that is) and has some kind of aggression to it. I feel that is something the brand is clearly lacking aside from the LFA. Sadly I’m confident in saying that by the time we see the next-gen GS, quite a bit of this aggression will be lost. It’s too bad really.

I’m actually still gathering my thoughts on the new 2013 Malibu. The car is clearly an evolution of its former self. I like some aspects of it but something is holding me back. I’m for sure over the fake wood that both the LTZ and Eco trim models “featured.” The interior design is nice and the rear of the LTZ is great. But the Eco (i.e. non-LTZ models) had a somewhat boring rear end with the taillights lacking LEDs. These two cars were hand built and far from production models, so judging fit-and-finish was not even a possibility. I’ll reserve judgement till a later date.

I’ve heard a lot of mixed reactions to the re-freshed 2013 Taurus, particularly for the SHO model. With that new big gaping mesh grille and flashier wheels, this car is no sleeper. It definitely has a lot more reason to get noticed. Is that what SHO owners want? I always thought current gen SHO owners wanted V-8 power with V-6 efficiency and to have the ability to fly under the radar. Regardless, I wouldn’t say it’s ugly, then again I didn’t have a problem with the current generation. MyFord Touch will be standard equipment in the 2013 Taurus SHO, so if you don’t like that, better buy a 2012 model.

Now for some losers. The new 2012 Subaru Impreza will kick this section off. Unfortunately it seems to have gone to bland school. Subaru has never been a mainstream brand, nor did it seem to have the want to be one. That is until now. The new Legacy kicked off this mainstream mania and the new 2012 Impreza is taking it to new heights. Sure an estimated 36 mpg rating and all-wheel drive is cool. But the styling is boring. We’ll have to see how Subaru fans react to this new compact. I’m interested to see what the upcoming WRX and STI versions will look like.

Smart didn’t really have anything new to show off at the show. So it decided to cover a Smart fortwo in tiny mirrors or something like that. All I could think about when looking a this car was, “Like a rhine stone cowboy……”

Now for your WTF: You know, MINI advertised that KISS would be at their presser. When someone tells you they will have KISS at their presser you’d think that at least one or two songs would be played. Nope, instead it was a five minute presser where KISS pranced on stage and announced a joint fundraiser with MINI. That’s it. End of the presser folks. I was highly disappointed. I’m not a KISS fan but c’mon. I knew MINI had no product announcement as did most of the other journalists. Had it not been for KISS most probably would have skipped this presser. MINI knew it, I knew it, most of the others knew it.

After four long days I left New York exhausted and hungry. My e-mail inbox seemed to be over flowing and I was ready for more than three hours of sleep in my own bed. Most of all, I just wanted a Monster Lo-Carb.

The show was good. It was interesting to see not only the push for efficiency, but the push for more power with greater efficiency.

Here’s to another great auto show season with some truly spectacular new metal. Of course there was some not so spectacular metal, but hey, who’s counting.

If you’ve read my review of the 2011 Buick Regal CXL, you’ll note that there were two things I was not terribly happy with. The first was mainly the user interface for the infotainment system. The second was the powertrain. I really harped on that point, as Buick is marketing the Regal as a sport injected vehicle.

So when I was handed the keys to a 2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo, the main question going through my head was simple: did a turbo really fix my qualms with the powertrain? Is the Buick Regal CXL Turbo the sport injected Buick that we are being promised in the new marketing? After a week with the car, I have found my answer.

Unless you know what to look for you wont be able to tell the base Regal apart from the Regal Turbo. As they say, the devil is in the details. The only visual difference that is standard would be the dual chrome exhaust tips peaking out from under the rear bumper and the rear parking assist sensors.

A base Regal Turbo is $3,000 more than a base non-turbo model. Other than the engine upgrade, you also receive a 12-way power passenger seat with lumbar support, rear parking assist, and a 120V outlet.

If you start adding packages (as my tester was pretty much fully loaded), you can also get 19-inch machine faced alloy wheels that look terrific on the car, as well as projector headlights that also feature LED daytime running lights. This pretty much ends the visual differences between the base Regal and the Regal Turbo.

By the way, as I mentioned in my Regal CXL review, those projector headlights with LED daytime running lights should be standard on all Buick Regals. Turbo or non-turbo, doesn’t matter. They drastically change the look for a more upscale appearance. I will note that for 2012 these headlights will be optional on all Regals, not just the Turbo model. Still doesn’t matter, they should be standard equipment. We should also note that projector headlights will supposedly be standard on all Buick Veranos when they start production. That car will cost less than the Regal.

Aside from the headlight situation, I said the Regal CXL was a sharp looking car. I think the 19-inch machine faced wheels, optional headlights, and dual exhaust really ups the ante and finishes off the car. I still love the integrated trunk lid spoiler. The car looks European without a question.

The interior of the Regal Turbo doesn’t really get any differentiation from the base Regal, and that isn’t a necessarily a bad thing. With soft touch materials in all the right places, this interior wouldn’t be out of place in a European marque.

I still think that the center stack is somewhat of a mess with all the buttons. While I mentioned the interface and what a cluster that is in my other review, Buick has announced that the 2012 models will be receiving a completely new interface. I have seen the new interface (it was in beta) and it looks like a significant upgrade. This will hopefully solve many of the infotainment issues in this car.

The interior is a huge win. I’m a big fan of the overall design and materials. With the new infotainment interface coming for the 2012 model year, this car really does deliver on the sport luxury promise that Buick is pushing.

The Regal Turbo is currently powered by a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder with direct injection. This engine is good for 220-horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque, sent to the front wheels. While my tester had the six-speed automatic with self-shifting capabilities, you can get a six-speed manual transmission as a no cost option. I was actually impressed that the transmission did not feel lazy. It downshifted quickly and seemed smooth overall.

Peak torque is reached at 2,000 rpms, which means that in around town driving the car feels strong off the line. While this car won’t win a drag race, it can hold its own. I also found the engine and overall driving experience to be much smoother in the Turbo model than the base Regal. I did want to mention that you can clearly hear the turbo spool up. While this did not bother me, some consumers may be turned off by this, though some probably won’t even notice.

The Regal Turbo model I was in featured what Buick calls Interactive Drive Control. This can change the suspension, steering, and throttle response with a touch of a button. When you start the car it is in normal mode, and you can change into touring and sport. Touring softens the suspension for highway driving. Sport mode is where it’s at! In the vehicle options you can choose how extensive each setting’s changes are. I had it change throttle response, suspension, and steering. It definitely makes a noticeable difference.

Rated at 18/28, you wont take a huge hit on fuel efficiency when opting for the Turbo model. This a mere 1 mpg difference in the city and 2 mpg difference on the highway when compared to the base powertrain. I saw an average of 20.4 in mixed suburban driving and 25.8 on a highway trip cruising north of 70 mph. I was slightly disappointed with the highway number, though it wasn’t exactly warm here in Minnesota.

So the main question was did a turbo engine really fix my problems with the Buick Regal? The short answer is yes. The car finally lives up to its sport-injected marketing. Though as I mentioned before, this still isn’t a race car. It no longer feels underpowered though, and that’s all I was asking for.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

I recently spent a week with the second generation Ford Edge SEL to see if it is even better than the first generation.

The exterior of the Edge is more evolution than revolution, which makes sense since this is a refresh not a completely new vehicle. Up front the headlights are significantly smaller and now feature projectors. One cool detail in each headlight is a little plastic piece with EDGE etched into it – the piece sits in front of the turn signal indicators.

The mass-to-headlight ratio seems a bit off now that the headlights shrank in size. There is a lot of paint on that front end. The grille is huge and features Ford’s three-bar chrome set-up. The fog lights have morphed into LED light pipes that are more about style than light output.

The actual shape of the Edge hasn’t changed. In fact, from the side view you really don’t notice the evolution. The rear features new taillights that actually remind me of those that are on the current Hyundai Accent. All Edges feature dual exhaust peaking out from below the rear bumper.

Overall the exterior of the Edge feels more polished and complete, leaving the general shape and styling direction of the first generation while moving it forward and keeping it fresh. It definitely is still instantly recognizable as a Ford Edge.

The interior is where the Edge really needed an update. The last generation featured hard plastic, some of it quite cheap feeling.

The dashboard now features a soft touch material that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Lincoln. The doors still feature some hard plastic but much of it is now covered in a nicely grained material.

The seats are comfortable, if a bit on the soft side. My fiancée noted that she felt the bottom of the front seat cushions were a bit short for her taste. I’d have to agree with her.

My tester featured Ford’s new MyFord Touch system. This puts two four-inch screens flanking each side of the speedometer. These screens are controlled by D-pads on each side of the steering wheel. The left screen handles all the of the settings, fuel economy, and trip computer information. The right screen handles infotainment functions.

An eight-inch screen dominates the center stack with touch sensitive “buttons” sitting below. Each corner of the screen is a different color and correlates to a different function: phone, climate control, navigation, and sound.

I have read many other journalists reviews on the MyFord Touch system. Consumer Reports finds it so distracting that it does not recommend the system. While I had played with the system before, this was my first time living with it for a week.

My first thought was instantly: wow this is awesome. There is so much technology packed into this thing that a few years ago we were only dreaming about. Then everyday living sank in, along with reality. The processor or software, or maybe both, just aren’t meshing. The system is slow and lags when making choices. I have to be deliberate in my selection and move slowly. It is always one step behind where I want to be. After a little while, it gets frustrating. There’s also so much packed into this system that some of the buttons are quite small.

After a week, there is no question the MyFord System is advanced. It’s terrific on paper. But in reality, it could use some work. There’s also no doubt in my mind that this system is distracting to the driver. With more refinement I do believe it could become less distracting.

All trim levels of the Edge other than the Sport feature a 3.5-Liter V-6 putting out 265 horsepower and 250 pound feet. The power is channeled through a once choice six-speed automatic transmission that does have manual shift controls. You can choose front or all-wheel dive. My tester was the former. We received a small amount of snow during my week with the front-wheel drive Edge, and it was more than capable of handling a few inches of the white stuff.

The first thing I noticed instantly was that the exhaust note coming out of the dual exhaust both when outside of the Edge and inside of the Edge is a nice deep tone. I’m actually quite surprised.

There is more than enough power to hustle this CUV down the highway. While it by no means is a sportscar, the acceleration and handling are sure to surprise more than a few people.

The steering felt very direct and nicely weighted. The Edge actually drives smaller than it is. The suspension isn’t harsh, but it keeps everything controlled. This is definitely a CUV that handles better than you would expect.

I saw an average of 21.3 mpg in mixed driving. Not bad considering the front-wheel drive Edge is rated at 19/27.

My tester carried a sticker price of $34,685 which included over $4,000 in options. This puts the Edge right in the heart of the CUV market. While that price isn’t undercutting the competition, there is a lot of technology packed into this package that the competition can’t touch.

Let’s cut to the chase: the first generation Edge was a great vehicle. I am happy to say that the second generation Edge takes everything I liked from the first generation and gives it a great interior with a sleeker exterior. It’s all in the details, and this is one sharp Edge.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Ford

If I asked you what the last generation Kia Optima looked like, you would probably have no idea. You would also probably not be able to tell me one thing about it. In fact, if you were looking at a group of de-badged cars, you probably couldn’t pick one out. That’s a problem. Though, once you see the new Kia Optima, you will have none of these issues.

Up front the new Kia Optima features the new corporate grille. Swept back headlights are actually much larger in person than one might think. In fact, the headlights are longer than my forearm.

Looking at the Optima from a side view, the front has a ridiculously long overhang. This is due to sharing its platform with the new Hyundai Sonata. Where the Sonata has swept back front end styling, the Optima has a more upright stance. This leads the front end to look rather large.

The rear doors feature an interesting king where the rear glass meets the C-pillar. This is unique, but does create a rather large blind spot. This can become an annoyance when backing up.

Around back the Optima SX Turbo feature LED taillights that wrap around the rear end and run into the rear fenders. They look terrific, especially when lit up at night.

There is a chrome strip that traces the greenhouse. It starts at the base of the A-pillars and actually runs all the way to the trunk lid. This is a very interesting design piece that looks great on dark colored cars. The fake fender vents don’t bother me, but some will find them ugly.

One last controversial styling element on the SX Turbo are the wheels. The 18-inch wheels feature black paint and are flangeless. It seems many people do not like their design. Personally I found them to be unique.

The interior of the Kia Optima SX Turbo may be the most impressive interior of any Kia to date. Most of the dashboard is soft touch, while part of the center stack is leather wrapped. Speaking of the center stack, it is actually canted towards the driver. The buttons are grouped logically and finding what you needed quickly was easy.

Two minor gripes have to do with the touchscreen navigation and the heated/cooled seat buttons. I found the navigation screen to operate great, but the screen itself was about an inch farther away from me than I would have liked. The heated/cooled seat buttons for the driver and passenger were both on the right of the gearshift. This looks fine design wise, but when the gearshift is in drive, the driver can’t see the buttons. You are left to feel for which button is which, otherwise you must peek your head around the side.

Small gripes aside, the interior is well designed and the materials are surprisingly nice. The fit and finish is terrific. The interior of this Optima SX Turbo literally puts the Camry to shame.

The heart of the Optima SX Turbo is a 2.0-Liter turbo four-cylinder featuring direct injection. This set up is good for 274-horsepower and 269 lb-ft all sent to the front wheels through a one choice six-speed automatic transmission.

I had the opportunity to drive the Optima SX Turbo over 1,000 miles on my way to and from the Chicago Auto Show. On the highway I average 31.3 mpg cruising north of 70 MPH. While I was in the city I saw an average of 25.5 mpg. Seeing as the EPA rates the Optima SX Turbo at 22/34 I was pleased with the mileage. It’s worth noting it was below freezing with heavy winds during my time with the Optima.

I personally loved the programming in this transmission. It isn’t hesitant to downshift immediately when needed and always seems to be doing just what you want it to be doing. Sadly, that is a rare characteristic these days.

The power comes on strong and with barely any turbo lag. You are hit with the full brunt of that 269 lb-ft at a mere 1,750 rpms, and it is a flat torque curve all the way to 4,000 rpms.

You would expect quite a bit of torque steer with that amount of power all going to the front wheels. Surprisingly, there is really isn’t any.

While the power is linear, the steering is less than. At highway speeds the electric power steering is nicely weighted, but at parking lot speeds it is ridiculously over boosted. It feels artificial and gives no real feedback.

The suspension is also quite harsh. The SX supposedly has a sport-tuned suspension and high performance dampers. Now I personally like a firm ride, and the Optima SX Turbo is quite controlled on the highway and through a clover leaf, but sometimes the suspension come crashing down when hitting a pot hole. I literally thought I might have ripped a wheel off more than once. Combined with the 18-inch alloy wheels and low profile tires, some consumers will not be able to tolerate the harsh ride on a daily basis.

You can get the turbo engine in the EX trim level (for slightly less than the SX trim level). While I could accept the harsh suspension in the SX on a daily basis, many consumers might not feel the same way.

The Optima SX Turbo I was in had a sticker price of $30,840 after destination. This included the technology package and SX Premium Package.

After spending a week with the Optima SX Turbo, I almost feel anyone that would buy a Toyota Camry V-6 over this vehicle might be nuts. The Optima is a true value. With everything from heated rear seats to great fit and finish, this is one Optima you’ll remember.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Kia

Now we have a new Regal, and yes, it is sport injected. At least that is what the marketing tells us. I recently spent a week with the new Regal to see if the marketing really translates to the pavement.

If you think the exterior of the new Regal looks familiar, you must know your European cars. The new Regal and the European Opel Insignia are near doppelgangers aside from their badging and headlights.

The sheet metal is taut, with nice sculpting on the sides. The rear taillights and front headlights both feature a swept back design that again, looks very European. In reality, this car looks nothing like a Buick. If you covered up the badges most people would never guess what it is.

Speaking of headlights, the Regal sports cheap looking halogen headlight housings. The Turbo model receives the European-style projector headlight housings, which also feature LED daytime running lights. This small detail dramatically changes the look of the front end. Luckily Buick is offering the projector headlights with LED daytime running lights as an option on all 2012 Regals. Frankly, these headlights should be standard on all Regals. If the cheaper 2012 Verano will have projector headlights standard, then so should the Regal.

I personally really like the rear end. From the subtle spoiler that is part of the trunk lid, to the complex taillight design, it all works. Oh by the way, those taillights look pretty cool when lit up at night.

The interior again looks nothing like Buicks we are used to. This looks and feels like a German car, right down to the BMW iDrive-like controller sitting in between the two front seats.

The door shuts with a solid thunk, and all the materials you touch feel great. The materials you don’t touch still look good, but some are hard. It would be easy to mistake the interior for something from Germany.

The center stack is a sea of buttons. Once you realize they are somewhat grouped together, it doesn’t get any easier really. After a few days I was able to remember where each function was, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t clumsy.

The electronics in this car have all the right features, but the design was never meant for Buick. You see, the Opel Insignia has a different software interface, and that is what the center stack was made for. It has been now thrown into a car with a Buick interface. The result is a hot mess. Thankfully all 2012 Regals will come with a new touch screen interface as standard equipment. The sea of buttons will remain, but at least the interface will be touch and designed to work with the buttons.

The base powertrain in the Regal is a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic. This setup is good for 182-horspower and 172 pound feet of torque, which is sent to the front wheels.  This engine is shared with the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. In the Regal I found it to be somewhat gritty when pulling away from a stoplight; it seemed to smooth out when higher in the rev band.

To call this powertrain setup sport-injected is darn near a bold faced lie. Now, I am driving the Regal Turbo this week, and that model can be marketed as sport-injected. But the non-Turbo Regal is just too heavy for the amount of power it has to really be sporty.

The chassis and driving dynamics are terrific. With a solid German-like feel, the ride is controlled but never harsh. The steering is nicely weighted with the right amount of road feel.

The Regal tester I was in had a sticker price of $31,975. This undercuts the German competition and is right on par with the Acura TSX, and this tester had nearly $5,000 worth of options. There’s no question that the Regal offers some value.

At the end of the week my thoughts were very clear. The Regal is solid and drives great. But is the Regal really-sport injected this time around? The answer is sort of. Both the chassis and driving dynamics are where they need to be. But the base powertrain is not. It isn’t bad, but it’s not sport injected. Someone coming out of am Audi A4 2.0T, or any car equipped with a V-6 will likely be disappointed in the base powertrain. My advice is if you want the as advertised sport injected driving experience buy the Regal Turbo. If you are merely looking for a car that has nice a nice interior and will get you safely from point A to point B, the base Regal will suit those needs.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

Mitsubishi’s marketing is all about being different for a reason. With that in mind, it would make sense that its Outlander CUV would be different than the rest of the competition, now wouldn’t it? I spent a week to find out if the Outlander is truly different, and if so, is there a reason.

Let’s be frank, the exterior of the Outlander GT is a mess, but a hot mess in my eyes. The front clip looks like that of an enlarged Evo, or Lancer if you will. Though, it is slightly less aggressive. When standing directly next to the Outlander GT you’ll be surprised by two things: the huge front overhang residing in front of the wheels, and also the long hood.

Out back, two things stand out to me. The first is the taillights, these also have the downward slanted appearance that the Evo has, though that is where the similarities end. The second is how Japanese, and dare I say, Mitsubishi the rear end looks. Seriously, this rear end screams Mitsubishi to me, but in a very good way. The LED taillights and overall design work. I also love the two-piece tailgate similar in style to the first generation BMW X5. Very handy for loading large cargo into the rear end.

The sides are somewhat slab sided, but it works. The chrome trim that runs along window sills follows the glass up the C-pillar ending at the top. It is a nice touch, and helps finish the look.

When I said the exterior is a mess I meant it. The front is Evo with its big gaping mouth. The front clip ends up kind of looking tacked on. In reality the look works for me, but for many it won’t.

The interior was upgraded in 2010 with much nicer materials. The dash, along with the top of the door panels is covered in leather-like material. The Outlander features dual glove boxes. This allows you store all your stuff in an organized manner. The rear seats slide fore and aft, which is nice for adjusting leg room.

If you need to carry seven people the Outlander can handle the task. Though you’d have to truly hate the two people in the third row. That, or they need to be kids that pretty much have no legs. The third row folds out of the floor and is pretty sad. The headrests are either plastic or cardboard that is wrapped in cloth. Without question it is the sorriest third row I have ever seen.

The front seats are comfortable, but offer little in the way of bolstering. They are somewhat flatter than I expected. They feature a nice design in the center sections. Suede and leather trim the sides. I found it very odd that at $30k the seats were not power operated, but rather manually adjustable.

One thing that really made it hard to get comfortable was the lack of a telescoping steering wheel. In reality, at $30k in this class, a steering wheel that does not telescope is borderline unacceptable.

The powertrain in the Outlander GT is a 3.0-liter V6 that puts 230-horsepower and 215 lb-ft to all four wheels. The power is routed through a six-speed Sportronic transmission. You do have manual shift control both through the shifter as well as the metal paddle shifters that are mounted to the steering column. These are the same paddle shifters that are featured in the Evo.

The Outlander GT is no rocket, and in fact the V-6 produces somewhat disappointing numbers on paper. Driving the Outlander, you feel as if it has more power than it actually does. The engine and transmission definitely work together to make the most of the power. Above 3,500 RPM the engine almost sounds downright snarly. While you wont be racing to the soccer game, you’ll get there without having to worry about passing power.

A four cylinder model is available as well, though I’m not sure you would want it. The four cylinder all-wheel drive model is rated at 22/27 mpg while the V6 all-wheel drive model is rated at 19/25. You lose 3 mpg in the city and 2 on the highway for power that would be sorely missed. I saw an average of 19.5 mpg in mixed urban and suburban highway driving.

The GT features Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) system. This is the same system that is used in the Evo. It features an active front differential and three drive mode selections: tarmac, snow, and lock. Obviously the tarmac is for dry roads, snow is for snowy roads and lock is for locking the all-wheel drive system.

Due to the snowy roads here in Minnesota, I left the S-AWC in snow mode. It distributed power quickly when going around slick corners, and front to back launching from a stop light. Just like the Evo, the Outlander has the same S-AWC graph in the information display that shows you where the power is being distributed in relation to the wheels. It is highly impressive in the Evo and no less so in the Outlander GT.

Overall the Outlander GT was a nice CUV to drive. It wasn’t the ride or handling that really stood out to me for this CUV. It was the S-AWC system. It was so controlled over the slick roads that I almost forgot that this was a crossover with all-wheel drive.

At $30,275 after destination, the Outlander GT is not a bargain. The pricing has it right in the heart of the CUV market. While it may not be as conventional and mass market as the competition, it is definitely competitive. The Outlander is definitely different, but I’m ok with different. It will not be for everyone styling wise, but you can’t argue that some of the features are well thought out. Add to that what might be a contender for one of the best-in class all-wheel drive systems, and the Outlander is probably a vehicle that is overlooked too often in the big sea of CUVs.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Mitsubishi

While Detroit has been down in the dumps for a while, this years auto show definitely shows things might be back on track in the D. Of course it had to snow while everyone was in town, but it gave those from the warmer climates a chance to see what us snow belt state peeps live through on a daily basis.

Some of you will remember that last year I wanted to differentiate myself. I started tweeting pictures of cars with the models and tagged them as #EyeCandy. This quickly became a hot topic. A few of my followers mentioned this year that I was not really tweeting any #EyeCandy and asked why not. The simple answer, there wasn’t any. Few booths had the babes that were in attendance last year. Though Chrysler group and Ferrari still pulled through.

But lets get down the to the product. The new Chrysler 300 looks terrific. In reality, many wondered when they saw the pictures if it can recapture the market that the 300 once had in 2005. Upon seeing the car in real life, I am happy to report that it looks much better in person. The interior really does deliver on the promise that the 300 made back in 2005. American luxury. From the great new Pentastar V6, to the growling Hemi V8 in the 300C, this is American luxury in a rear-wheel drive car.

Another car I was anxious to see in real life was the new Chevrolet Sonic. The Sonic is Chevrolet’s new B-Segment car which will take on the likes of the new Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and many others. I have to say, while I think the new Sonic is a home run from a styling perspective, I can see how many will not. It will be either a love it or hate it vehicle. From the exposed barrel headlights to the ridiculously short rear overhang and really long front overhang, the styling is nothing short of eye catching. The interior gauge cluster is also interesting, as they actually put into the production model the Aveo RS concept’s gauge cluster. With a racing like analogue tachometer and a digital speedometer, the gauge cluster is more reminiscent of a race car or motorcycle than that of a sub-compact car. Going on sale later this year I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and see how the driving dynamics compare to the competition.

The new A6 has already won a design award without even leaving the show floor. In my opinion the new A6 takes everything that is right with the new A8 and A4 while dropping everything that is wrong with them. Smashing all the good together to make a great looking Audi. The design language has really come together for this car. The interior is terrific and the exterior is eye catching. The optional LED headlights are very intricately designed when inspecting them up close. You will see the new A6 on the road later this year.

I’m not going to really cover the CTS-V Coupe race car but I wanted to make mention of it. Two words come to mind when you walked past it on the turntable, menacing and awesome. Ok, moving on.

Toyota has finally unveiled a larger Prius. The model is called the Prius V. This is especially confusing to some since the regular Prius has trim level packages that are in roman numerals. Right now if you go buy a Prius in the top trim level you are buying a Prius V. Wait, that can’t make sense. So when you buy a top trim level Prius V will you be buying a Prius V V? This is clearly not well thought out. I wonder if Toyota realizes this yet. Maybe someone should send them a note. Regardless, I heard many people comment on how the Prius V rear end has a lot of Honda Fit in it. I can see that. The front, well it looks like a third generation Prius with a few slight tweaks. You’ll still know it’s a Prius. You will see the people mover Prius at a dealership near you in the Summer.

Ah the Honda Civic Concept. Honda waltzed Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy on stage to talk about the new Civic Concept. Here’s the problem, either Wentz was drunk or he really could care less about being there. He enthusiasm was worse than the new Civic’s styling. He barely stumbled through his words off the teleprompter. Note to Honda: make sure your spokesperson is somewhat excited about your luke warm product.

But getting back to that product, the new Civic Concept looks as if a new Odyssey and the current generation Civic got it on in the back room. That, or a designer of the current Civic got wasted one night, and just took the current Civics lines and tweaked them a little. For a mid-cycle refresh, I am not sure how this will be competitive until 2016 with new competition from Hyundai, Ford and Chevrolet. We will have to wait and see when the new Civic comes out, but I am not holding my breath.

Mercedes had its SLS E-Cell electric car on display. In a word it is blinding. The paint job on this car can literally sear your retinas. Beyond the paint job, it looks fairly identical on the outside to the current SLS. The interior changes a little as most of the gauges and center stack are now LCD screens. This car will go into production, but if you have to ask range or price, you can’t afford it.

I don’t really want to spend much time on the Passat as I’m not sure it deserves it. I’ll reserve final judgement until I drive one. Until then, I’ll say this, Volkswagen is going downmarket to sell more cars. Is that really a good idea? Why alienate all your current customers. People that buy current Passats pay more because they expect to get better quality materials. Cheapening the car for a lower base price is going to hurt your brand image. This is no longer just German engineering, it is German engineering to a price point.

While I skipped Porsches press conference to eat breakfast at my hotel (it was at 6:30 AM), I will say looking at the car in person, it is stunning. Seeing that huge flywheel in the passenger seat, yea. This is how you build a hybrid. It is good to see Porsche looking at new technology for racing. If this car does go into the racing circuit it could change the game. With less fuel stops needed and more power on tap for instant bursts, it could be a whole new era of racing.

At the end of the day I was exhausted. Most journalists were up at 5 AM and didn’t leave the show floor till nearly 8 PM. I ran to nearly every press conference and went through approximately 6,600 milliamps of battery power for my iPhone4. It was a good show with some great product. Not everything was great, but it was a good to see where each automaker is going in 2011.

Full Disclosure- My NAIAS travel and accommodations are being provided by General Motors

Cadillac latest advertising campaign pegs the brand as “The New Standard of the World.” But are they really? Over the past 10 years, there is no question that they haven’t been. But do vehicles like the Cadillac Escalade Platinum stand to change that?

The Cadillac Escalade Platinum stands for all the right things at the wrong time. With 22″ wheels, three TV screens and a 6.0-Liter V8, the Escalade is what many would say is wrong with America. Wait a second, what’s this? It’s a hybrid!

GM launched its two-mode hybrid system in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon full size SUVs. Both of those full size SUVs share the GMT-900 platform with the Cadillac Escalade, making an Escalade hybrid model a no brainer.

The exterior of the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and the GMC Yukon Hybrid both feature slightly tweaked exteriors for enhanced aerodynamics. The Escalade hybrid does not feature a different front end or body work, but the Platinum edition does.

The grille is an egg crate-like design that is more in-line with the rest of the Cadillac line-up. The headlights are fully LED with a unique design exclusive to the Platinum edition. I actually like the grille design on the Platinum better than the regular Escalade.

While the headlight design is certainly unique, I’m not sure if they are better or worse. The LED headlights flood the road with natural blueish white light. This clashes with the yellow light that hits the road from the halogen fog lights. I wish Cadillac has fitted LED lights in the fog lights along with the headlights. This would give the front end a much more cohesive look at night.

The Platinum also features 22″ chrome multi-spoke wheels which put the Escalade up in the air. To help get into this land barge you have automatic step bars. They deploy as soon as any of the doors open. Around back, the Escalade Platinum features all-LED lighting.

Visually the Escalade is already an in your face, over the top vehicle. The Platinum edition takes that all one step further and in reality it looks better than the regular Escalade in many regards.

The interior takes the regular Escalade to the next level. Everything is pretty much real wood, real aluminum or one of two different kinds of real wood. The doors and top of the dash are both wrapped in leather while the center stack and anything on the dash that isn’t wood is aluminum.

The steering wheel features a nice combination of all three materials. While the Platinum features a heated steering wheel, the Hybrid Platinum does not. Cadillac decided to forgo this feature due to the energy draw. Too bad, with aluminum and wood on the steering wheel, chilly doesn’t begin to describe the feeling in your hands when it is zero degrees outside.

The fist two rows are covered in a very nice aniline leather, while the third row settles for nuance leather. In all reality, both are very nice looking and feel great. As mentioned before, the Platinum Escalade features two different types of wood inside. Both olive ash and walnut burl adorn the dash with an intricate yet tasteful break to switch from one to the other.

The gauges are white with blue needles. Chrome surrounds the gauges, which I might have thought would be distracting in sunlight, but I am happy to report it is not.

Navigation is standard, though slightly dated. The system is DVD-based which means it is not instant when changing map views and such. The navigation system does have live traffic,which is provided by XM. The main navigation screen is also home to most of the settings, the sound system and the hybrid drivetrain graphic, which shows you where the power is being routed and from what source. The sound system is Bose branded and sounds alright, but it isn’t mind blowing by any means. The Harman Kardon and Pioneer sound systems that GM has been using in other vehicles sound better.

The Escalade Hybrid Platinum features a rear seat entertainment package. This consisted of not one or two, but three screens. Why three? Because this is the Platinum. Two of those screens are seven inches in dimater and are mounted in the front two headrests. The third screen is eight inches and drops down from the top of the Escalade. There were remotes and headphones galore.

If you haven’t already decided from the pictures and all the above, the interior of the Escalade Hybrid Platinum is definitely a nice place to both be for both the driver and passengers. I would go as far as to say, the interior of the Platinum is exactly what a Cadillac should be. Granted I would give it a technology update, but that is beside the point.

The Escalade Hybrid’s powertrain is a 6.0-liter Vortec V-8 with active fuel management paired to two 60 kilowatt electric motors. The power goes through a 2-mode transmission, which is essentially a four speed. Two speeds are for city speeds, while two speeds are for highway speeds. The cutoff is at 40 miles per hour for switching from city to highway mode.

I was highly impressed with the system. It is smooth and overall very seamless. During the week I had the Escalade Hybrid it was around zero degrees the entire time. This meant that the battery pack had to work harder to hold a charge.

The engine stop-start function didn’t really kick in until the vehicle and battery were both thoroughly warmed up. So short drives did not get the full benefit of the hybrid powertrain. When I had the Tahoe Hybrid it was spring and warm. I saw an average of 19.6 mpg in mixed urban/suburban driving. With the Escalade Hybrid Platinum I saw an average of 15.3 mpg. While the weather definitely impacted my mileage, this is better than the 12 mpg I probably would have seen with the non-hybrid version.

The Escalade Hybrid Platinum I had for a week had a sticker price of $89,090. That is a lot of coin for an SUV, or any vehicle for that matter. The Hybrid Platinum is the highest trim model of Escalade that you can purchase. Is it worth nearly $90,000? Probably not. Then again I wouldn’t spend nearly $90k for a BMW X6M either, and that has 555 horsepower. The price tag seems a bit unreasonable.

With all that said, this is absolutely without a question the nicest Cadillac Escalade available, and it is a little greener to boot. There is no question that the Hybrid is more fuel efficient, especially when it is not 0 degrees outside.

I’m going to stick with my statement from earlier, defining this vehicle as what a Cadillac should be. A really nice interior filled with leather, real metal and wood, and a powerful yet somewhat green powertrain. If Cadillac can build vehicles like this and push the boundaries of technology further, they might have a chance at yet again becoming the standard of the world.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

This new third generation Sportage is so vastly different in almost every way from its predecessors, that it’s amazing that they sport the same name.

The exterior of the new Sportage looks like it fell out of the awesome tree and hit every branch on its way down. Beginning in the front, Sportage sports Kia’s new signature grill, flanked by swept back headlights. The headlights on upper trim models (like this EX) each have a strip of LED eye liner. Chrome trim above the fog lights finishes off the front end.

The sides have sculpting near the bottom of the doors while a character line runs beneath the window sills into the rear tail lights. Door handles and window sills are trimmed in chrome and the roof rails are covered in a with a satin metal-like finish. The side mirrors also feature LED repeaters, which is a nice touch in this class.

Around back the rear is very stylized, with what can only be described as a bubble butt. The rear view almost looks like an alien scowling at you, especially at night. The rear tail lights feature LED lighting.

With the rear window being somewhat small and the large C-pillars being kind of large, it makes for limited rearward visibility. It is clear that style played a larger role than function when it came to the exterior design – the exterior is probably the best looking exterior of any compact CUV on the market currently.

The interior is also stylized, though not to the extent the exterior is. The dash features two different finishes, one smooth and one textured, both are hard and have a low sheen to them.

The center console has a upward slant to it and it rises to meet the dashboard. The climate controls have a shiny piano black finish to them, but it is not distracting. I could imagine this plastic getting scratched easily over time though.

Both front seats were all day comfortable, with terrific seat heaters. Though only the front drivers seat features a cooling function. The front passenger will have to settle for only heat.

As I mentioned on the exterior, visibility is somewhat limited by the rear design. The C-pillars are quite large and the back glass is quite small. Further enhancing the problem are the somewhat large A-pillars in the front. While not as large as some of the competition, they are still large enough to cause some visibility issues. As with the current trend, the belt line on the Sportage is high, so resting your elbow on the window sill while driving is somewhat uncomfortable. The design also cuts into rear seat headroom. Taller passengers will need to sit up front.

Like the exterior, I found the interior to be a huge win. Button placement was all within arms reach and everything was clearly labeled. My only major gripe would be the style over function of some of the design characteristics.

Currently the new Sportage features one engine  2.4-liter inline four-cylinder that pumps out 176 horsepower and 168 pound-feet to either the front or all four wheels. The power is routed through a six speed automatic transmission that has manual shift capabilities. The Sportage EX I was in came equipped with all-wheel drive and an electronic locking differential. The current powertrain combined with all-wheel drive is rated at 21/28 mpg, and I saw an average of 19 mpg in mixed suburban driving.

As with the new Sorento, I found the ride in the Sportage to be surprisingly stiff. While I can appreciate a stiff ride, over bumpy roads the suspension can feel jittery at times. Also, the steering is light when at parking lots speeds but firms up a little too much once underway.

While I had the Sportage, Minneapolis was whacked with the largest blizzard we have had in over ten years. I drove the Sportage out into the blizzard and must say I was highly impressed. I did not get stuck once. With over 20 inches of snow in less than 24 hours, I drove this Sportage through worse road conditions than almost any owner will ever drive through. The 18″ wheels with Hankook tires where very impressive and the stability control kept everything in line. I did lock the all-wheel drive a few times, though ground clearance did help as well. I am sure the cold and blizzard driving affected my gas mileage.

The EX AWD is currently the top trim model of the Sportage model. This Sportage featured both the Navigation/Premium Audio package as well as the Premium Package with Leather. Combined with these options and destination, the total price on this Sportage was $29,990.

The Sportage lands in a crowded market. The new Chevrolet Equinox is very competitive, and the Honda CR-V along with the Toyota RAV4 are both segment leaders. So is the new little Sportage finally ready to sell on more than price? The answer is absolutely. With more style, or flair if you will, than nearly all the competition, this Kia is ready to finally sell on design and features rather than a warranty and low price.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Kia

The first generation Cayenne was heavy, it could definitely go off road and it was much more capable then most any owner would ever demand of it.  But was it a good vehicle?  That depends on your definition of good.

As I just mentioned above, the first generation was heavy.  The interior was not made of the best quality materials in certain spots (far too many certain spots).  Sure, it could go off road but who really did that with it once they owned it?

What about on-road driving?  Yeah it drove like a Porsche of SUVs, but you could feel the heft.  Yet despite that, the first generation Cayenne quickly become the best-selling Porsche model.  So did the second-generation fix those problems and finally become the true Porsche of SUV’s?

Exterior

The front of the Cayenne has evolved.  It has taken on the look of the new Panamera sedan.  The headlights are very similar and the LED daytime running lights are great looking.  The rear is no longer blocky and square looking, rather it has hips (if you will) and they curve with the tail lights which are LED and very bright at night.  The tail lights are also similar to those found on the new Panamera.  The sides have a nip and tuck towards the bottom with some nice sculpting.  The exterior has been throughly updated and overall feels more taught. The styling falls right in line with the new Panamera.

Interior

As mentioned before, the last generation’s Cayenne interior was nothing to write home about.  In fact it was worse then that, but we wont go into that.  Good news!  The interior of the latest Cayenne is all that and a bag of Skittles.  Have you been in the new Panamera?  Have you been in the last generation Cayenne?  Mix the few good things from the old Cayenne and most everything else from the new Panamera and you have the new Cayenne.  The grab handles between the seats are still there, but the rest was dumped for the new Panamera interior.  The center console rises to meet the dash between the seats.  The touch screen works well and is not ridiculously confusing.  The materials are top notch, though like the Panamera there is a sea of buttons.  Luckily, they are grouped together by function.  The rear seats slide fore and aft to either give rear seat occupants more leg room or to gain more cargo room.  The interior fit and finish, along with materials all meet the bar that was raised in the Porsche line up by the Panamera.

Powertrain

The new Cayenne has three current engine choices, with a hybrid model on the way.  For now, we will focus on the Cayenne S model I was in.  The Cayenne S features the same 4.8-liter direct-injection V-8 that is in the Panamera S sedan.  Pumping out 400 horsepowerp and 369 lb-ft to all four wheels, this is no slouch of an engine.  The power is put down through an eight-speed automatic transmission with manual shift mode.  Note that this is not the newer PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) transmission in some other new Porsches.  This setup is good for a quoted 5.6 second 0-60 run and a top speed of 160 mph (after all, it is a Porsche).  The Cayenne S is rated at 16/22 MPG and I saw an average of 16.2 mpg in mixed city driving.  The engine features auto start/stop technology for fuel savings at stop lights and in heavy traffic.

This is only when enough energy has been stored from braking.  It is fairly smooth and not intrusive, but you can notice when the V-8 shuts down and starts up.  To lose some of that weight (the new Cayenne is over 400 pounds lighter then the last generation) Porsche dropped the mechanical locking differential and went to a electronic locking differential, among other things.  The weight loss is hugely noticeable!  It feels like the Cayenne went to fat kid camp and came back not only looking leaner, but driving leaner as well.

Overall, this new Cayenne is better in every way compared the original.  I sincerely doubt most any owner is going to miss the mechanical locking differential and accompanying hardware.  The weight loss is noticeable and makes for a better overall vehicle.  The look is leaner, more taught and overall a nice evolution.

The Cayenne S has a base price of $63,700, but as with any Porsche the options list is more then plentiful and they add up quite quickly.  The options list on this exact Cayenne S is a small laundry list but added up to a total of $21,940!  Again, that was not fully loaded.  Total price for the Cayenne S I was in came to $86,615.

While that is not a cheap date, it certainly more worthy of its price tag then the last-generation Cayenne.  This lighter, more luxurious, better handling, better looking Cayenne is the Porsche of SUV’s.  One last thing – there is a lot of competition with more coming so while it is the Porsche of SUV’s, is that enough?  Probably, and it will most likely continue to be one of Porsche’s best selling vehicles, right next to the Panamera.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by a local Porsche dealership