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Not a fan of the too-many-spoked alloys though.
If it is true that it is a smaller midsize, that'd be another positive to me.
in a shade of my favorite car color, red :confuse:
You should get checked for color blindness.
I don't mind chrome if it's tastefully done. I know some would say chrome can't be done tastefully at all but I like it on certain cars like the Jetta. I think Suzuki could reduce the size of the "S" both outside and inside the vehicle and it would look a little classier. Bigger is not always better.
Its possible, although not probable that some of this may occur. However, I believe both Malibu and Fusion are capacity restricted. If Malibu follows Fusion with good reliability over the next few years and GM can expand capacity, it could take off if the rumors are true that the next version due in a couple of years is a real styling stunner. I don't see Accord going past Camry because styling aside, I don't think Honda wants its volume that high. One of the Accord selling points is best resale value. Camry can sell a lot of vehicle content and packaging at a very aggressive price when it needs to. Fusion is nice, but I'm not sure its as nice as Camcord and that's probably why it generally sells at a noticeable discount to them. Sonata has to overcome persistent consumer reluctance to buy Korean. Its next styling may help that. Altima is stale and quickly becoming the Impala replacement in the fleet market. Mazda unfortunately kind of remains undefined in many consumer's minds.
Ah, now I understand. (I hardly ever read the title area, as it usually has nothing do with the post)
When this sort of thing is done, it should be like so:
Title: I would love to see
Message: ...the Suzuki...
having "the" not capitalized and preceded by "..." in the message would be a clue that you are missing something by looking only at the message
Haha, well said, Jeffy. I wish more manufacturers would bring the wagon versions of their sedans back. Personally, I liked the wagon Accords and Volvos.
Long live the wagon! *Ahem* I mean long live the "crossover/crosstour/cross-whatever they have to call it to avoid calling it a wagon"
I agree, there is something about it that looks off. It looks kind of Dodge Magnum-ish. Maybe it's just been a long time since we've seen an Accord wagon. But, I'm with you - something about it just doesn't sit right.
i changed the tires on my focus and went from 30 to 26.
the brakes don't seem to generate a lot of dust, so it would be great if they last longer than 50k.
my last car had tires rated for about 30k , but i got about 40 before i swapped them out and they were still legal.
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Aztek!
Unfortunately, here's the Crosstour we'll see stateside:
A little. But not entirely.......
i changed the tires on my focus and went from 30 to 26.
Research baby, research. I don't plan to slap a set of tires on that just look nice, they have to have low rolling resistance as well as as close as possible footprint. Right now it has 16's, the wheels I picked out are 17's, which means I can go from 60 series to 50-55 series, and there are a lot of them out there in 17's that are good for low rolling resistance. The overall diameter will stay the same, and if I could find the exact same wheel in 16's, then tires wouldn't be an issue. The wheels I found are Camry/Lexus upgrades, and really look nice.
Someone out there thinks Americans won't buy a car like this unless it doesn't look like a wagon. I don't think the Mazda6 wagon sold very well, did it? Really practical, though.
I agree that the Mazda6 station wagon didn't seem to sell that well but maybe it was a bit before it's time.
Yup, Crosstour, the stuff dreams are made of alright. How did we go this far backwards? The previous generation Mazda6 hatch was pretty good looking IMHO.
Sloping the back like that hurts cargo capacity. That was the limitation of this styled wagon:
Maybe I'm the minority here, but this isn't attractive to me. Below are three vehicles which are more simple, less overstlyed, and to me, a much cleaner, more inherently attractive design.
Call me crazy, the more basic lines, the less funky rear-ends, and the sharper edges look better to me than the new Bimmer front end swoops and rear-end droops.
And the Crosstour? Well, I'll withold judgment until I see it, but I don't have high hopes.
Honda has had a rough time lately when the new model is uglier than the outgoing model. This seems to be more affecting the Acura division. but the current Civic brought the return of the dustbuster front we haven't seen since the Lumina APV. The best thing the FIt has going for it is once inside, you can't see the outside. Even the '92 Civic was much more Shamoo-like than the outgoing version (the Chevy Caprice did the same thing at that point).
I am trying to think of another brand with that affliction right now; maybe BMW? I am much less a fan of the current Focus compared the the previous generation, but new Taurus kicks butt of old Taurus, Fusion doesn't seem to be any worse...the new Buick Lexus looks better than the outgoing one...
We should give awards, like a Who's Who of midsize cars.
Most Likely To Succeed in Sales
Best Looking
Smartest Value Buy
Most Athletic
Most Brand Spirit
Things of that nature.
Your pics and new categories? :shades:
Yeah, that was really the point...that the same basic shape in terms of the sloping rear, without looking awful. While a BMW is much pricier, a car does not have to cost a lot to look good (as evidenced by the prior generation of the Mazda3 and Mazda6, for example)..
Best Looking: Entirely subjective, but I'll nominate the Chevy Malibu. It offers conservative good looks in the lower line models, and really attractive interior styling in the upper levels. Most midsize customers aren't looking for drama--just good taste, and here the Malibu is a very good choice.
Smartest Value Buy: There are a lot of choices here. As tempted as I am by the big warranty and fat discounts offered by Hyundai and Kia, I'd say the Ford Fusion is my top pic in this category. Good mpg and reliability don't hurt either.
Most Athletic: Tough call. I haven't seen any final reviews of the 2010 Legacy, whose previous editions have been strong contenders in this category. For now, it's probably the Nissan Altima, but there's a lot of action in this category.
Most Brand Spirit: Zoom zoom. They haven't marketed it very effectively, but the Mazda 6 fits nicely in a brand image that emphasizes affordable entertainment. The Nissan Altima would be a good fit here, if Nissan's lower-level offerings had the same spirit, but they don't come close.
Best Looking: Mazda6, of the currently available cars.
Smartest Value Buy: Optima
Most Athletic: Passat
Most Brand Spirit: For now, the Accord. But I think the 2011 Sonata may be a defining moment for Hyundai as a brand.
Best Looking: Fusion Sport
Smartest Value Buy: Fusion. The Optima/Sonata would be first only if one holds onto for many many years and that is too big of caveat. The Fusion would be a good buy both on the shorter and long term.
Most Athletic: Mazda6
Most Brand Spirit: Not really sure what this means. I would lean towards the Mazda6 for this one as well.
Best Looking: Mazda6. Large but stylish, both inside and out. That being said, the latest generation of Accord has steadily grown on me as well... especially the Coupe.
Smartest Value: Sonata. Price, price, price, and a very nice list of features for not a lot of money.
Most Athletic: Altima. Gas 'er up and let 'er rip! Not the fastest 0-60, not the largest (probably the smallest in this class), and not the most ornate interior, but as soon as you flip it into drive, forget about everything else... just drive. This car is a ball on the twisties (for a FWD car.)
Most Brand Spirit: Wow... that's a tough one. Either Mazda or VW. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to go with VW since Mazda still has the dreaded Tribute and B-class trucks in their recent history. That killed it for them. VW embodies class and driving dynamics rolled into a very nice package. However, you're going to pay for the "spirit."
Hmmmmmm... I'm going to add a few categories:
Most Disappointing: The only car that has no character at all is the Dodge twins: Avenger and Sebring. Lackluster engines, no driving dynamics (not very comfortable either), lacking interior, poor reliability record... I'm not sure these cars have anything going for them... other than price.
Best for Long Trips: Either Sonata or Camry. If you're being totted to the beach 300 miles away, and you have to be in the back seat of one midsize sedan, I would really LOVE to have the reclining back seats and plush ride of the Camry.
Most Upscale Interior: Accord. The interior looks like it belongs in a car that costs about $5-10k more, and the interior size is nothing short of huge. Feel like you're driving a luxury car for a midsize price.
Most Upscale Exterior: Tough one here: Either the Accord of the Mazda 6. Both look like they should cost more than they do.
Most Improved: Malibu. Much larger, better driving dynamics, more competent engines, etc. Nearly everything on the Malibu now competes with the best in the class. The few short comings that this car has are just enough to keep it out of the big Japanese 3, but it's a very welcome improvement from GM.
Best All Around: This is another very tough one. I have to say its either the Accord or the Altima. Here's what I think.
Accord: Spacious, lively, high feature content, comfortable, and easy to live with. Unfortunately, a few shortcomings (below average gas mileage on 4-cyl, solid folding back seat, no automatic w/ manual mode, small trunk) keep it from being perfect in this class.
Altima: Smaller in dimensions but very usable space inside. Large trunk for its size, well tuned CVT transmission w/ manual mode, Powerful 4-cyl, etc. This car has a lot to offer. Still, it's on the smaller size in this class, and the interior is a little austere (but well layed out.) This is a fun little car that has lots of practical value as well.
2010 Saab 9-5 Aero
Saab is teetering on bankruptcy, too, and now one of the Chinese companies has taken them on, BAIC. For another shot or two at solvency.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
This new Saab 9-5 Aero is an attractive design, if you look at some of the other angles it almost has an Audi look it, not surprisingly with the European connection being there.
It's at Frankfurt, I'll be watching for any updates on it. It very well may cost in the upper midsize echelons of pricing, though, if Saab history plays on through normally.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
But it's understood from the other cars in the discussion that this is about the "family sedans", not luxury sedans.
I also think of this particular discussion as focusing on "mid-price" or "mass market" midsize sedans. Not to say that I'm uninterested in Saab, Audi, Volvo, MB C-class, BMW 3-series, etc.--just that I don't think most people cross-shop those against the Accord, Camry, Sonata, or Malibu. I'm sure someone will post here to say that they seriously considered one of those before buying their Altima 3.5SE, or something, but I think that most buyers of the Camcord class prioritize interior room, reliability, comfort, and value, where buyers of the Saab/Audi/Volvo/MB/BMW class tend to be more interested in performance, high-end features, brand image, and similar matters. Infiniti and Acura could conceivably compete with both, though.
This gets back to one of the longtime favorite topics for this discussion--what do we really mean by "midsize"? Are we talking strictly about physical size and interior space? Or are we describing a kind of "middle of the road" car? If the latter is the case, "midsize" might not be quite the correct term.
this Midsize Sedans 2.0 was about all of them, but, it is true, the luxury end has not been served on here and it's by design. I am out of touch with what a Saab 9-5 Aero for 2010 might cost, and found it being discussed elsewhere, and found the new design quite appealing. Hence it's introduction here. But I'll cut this one off at the pass under the current rules.
I do think that the 9-5 Aero's 2010 price would fly right over my wife and I's price range like a Gary Payton lead pass to Shawn Kemp for the dunk over Scottie Pippen though. :shades:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
So, I do think(unless I'm a total aberration) that sometimes people crossshop similar vehicles like that. I am presently looking at the TL and comparing it to a decked out Accord EX-L with Nav. Price difference is only 3-4k.
Excellent analysis. I agree with almost all of your choices.
Regarding ugly Hondas and Acuras, I agree with recent models being ugly. However, I actually don't think the Crosstour looks that bad in pictures. But we all know how you really have to see a car to tel.
I think you're in a vast minority on that one.