Notes from the 2010 Louisville Auto show

I'll get some pics up soon...just some thoughts from attending the 2010 Louisville Auto show

  • It's much better going with your 3 year old daughter than with your 1 year old daughter. Maria was my wingman...er...wingdaughter. Awesome!
  • The Ford display triumphed. They had position right in front of the entrance, and the cars were great. They (understandably) didn't have the 2011 5.0 Mustang GT on display--who would by the 2010 4.6?
  • The new Taurus is incredible. Great styling. Sumptuous interior. I can't believe this platform began as the VW Passat-derivative Five Hundred. It's a completely different car just when America's ready to return to cars after gorging on SUV's for 20 years.
  • That being said, the new Fiesta's too small. Unless they can make money on this car at $14k or less, forget it. People will buy the redesigned Focus instead.
  • Toyota's display, right next to the entrance as well, was a ghost town. I felt sorry for these guys as there are some superb cars in the lineup. Maria loved the Scion xD, and I thought the the new Prius to be the perfect replacement for my 2000 Camry--only it gets double the mileage.
  • BMW has lost its way, big time. I though things were bad when Bangle took over, but $100,000 UGLY, IRRELEVANT cars (X6? 5 series GT?). Those posers snatching-up the Beamers are BROKE, you Bavarian Dullards. Those who remain are the hardcore faithful, and you've given them nothing but complicated, overpriced, ugly cars that break with British regularity. ::sigh:: Still want an E39 530i Sport. Probably a 2001 model. :-)
  • Honda: WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE THINKING?! The Oddysey withers on the vine, the Civic is a disaster, and the Accord remains ugly (as it has since 1998). Meanwhile, we get the Accord Crosstour.
  • Meanwhile, the Fit remains a joy. Pity it's overpriced and lacks taller gearing for the highway. Still, play with those folding rear seats, work that snick/snick shifter, and feel the quality of the controls--this is Honda Motor we-can-engineer-better-than-you Company at its best.
  • Jump in a Mazda 6, then into a Hyundai Sonata, and tell me why Mazda's still in business.
  • The Mazda 2 won't sell. It's an uglier Fiesta, with less space.
  • GM is still the "too many divisions, too many nameplates" company. And the new Regal (a rebadged Opel offering only a 4-cylinder engine) is too small.
  • Finally got in a Camaro. Maria liked it because it's red. It has so little headroom and such bad outward visibility, I felt like I was in a coffin. I don't see that car having even the legs of the 4th Gen Camaro/Firebird. GM has a talent for useless styling exercised (SSR, anyone?) This feels exactly like that.
  • Acuras make BMWs seem attractive. Yikes.
So yeah, I feel like an old fart--I like reasonable cars, with good styling, interior appointments, and room. I dislike gimmicks and needless complexity--they seem like sleight-of-hand to hide bad engineering.

Ford's definitely got it going on, as does Hyundai.

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