I spotted a NEW (insert make/model) today!

anythngbutgm

Also saw a Panamera as well as a couple of new SL's GLK's and Audi A54/S5's.

Surprisingly, I also saw a bunch of those new HS Lexus hybrids on numerous occassions this weekend.

lemko

I saw one of those Lexus hybrids Sunday night.

ateixeira

I think the 1 series coupes look stubby (too short) but the convertible actually looks a bit better, especially with the top down.

fintail

Just saw a Panamera turbo...baby got back. It isn't too horrible from the front and side...but the rear really is the worst angle for that car.

boomchek

Saw one too this morning pulling into the shop that had the Reventon and the SLR 722S on display at ther auto show (they're only a block away from my work).

Also saw a couple new 7 series BMWs on the road already and one BMW GT.

qbrozen

mini site is now up.

Yeah, ateixeira, I do still like it. The front end is a bit odd, I admit, but it doesn't put me off.

AND, you can get it with a manual trans! yay! I notice they haven't listed any power figures yet, though. And I am also very interested in the weight of it, of course.

All things aside, there is a video on the site that is very cool. Go to this link and click the "Heart of Juke" video:
http://www.nissanusa.com/juke/?dcp=tqd.jk.MCR.nsnenewsletter.HNR#/performance

ateixeira

Cube and Versa also offer 6 speeds. Nissan deserves kudos for offering not only a manual, but one with 6 ratios, on several models, even inexpensive ones.

I don't get why they dropped the manual from the V6 Altima, though.

Very well done video.

qbrozen

You also can't get the manny on the Maxima, Murano, or Rogue, I don't think. All are CVTs, which bugs the heck out of me. If the Juke were CVT only, it would be yet another "also ran."

bumpy

I don't get why they dropped the manual from the V6 Altima, though.

Altima SE-R?

ateixeira

I see potential for one...

I looked and actually the Altima coupe does offer a manual.

fintail

Yesterday - Panamera, lowline Sonata, X6.

ateixeira

Saw a black Crosstour on Friday and the profile didn't look too bad. Then I saw the back of it. :sick:

anythngbutgm

Couple of more HS hybrids. Also the Siennas are selling extremely well already, those things are popping up everywhere.

On a related note, not really a new vehicle spotting but every now and then I pick a model and just pay attention to how many I see in a spance of time. This time it was the Honda Pilot. So I was at a local mall area outside Boston and for about 2 minutes while my wife was parking the car I counted how many Pilots I could find. By the time she parked the car I counted 37 of them in this one area of the parking garage. Wow.

Exotics wise, I saw a Bentley sedan and a yellow Lotus Elise on Saturday. :shades:

ateixeira

I've seen a few Siennas as well.

Toyota did not put the 0% offer on that van, probably because it's so new, so it's not getting much marketing support for now (besides those Mommy Like ads).

lemko

...as I was travelling to Carlisle with two other Edmunds posters, I spotted a black Chevrolet Epica which is sold in Canada. I was told it's a variation of the Suzuki Forenza.

fintail

Yeah that was a Canadian Daewoo-Chevy sold for a short time...I don't think it exists anymore.

Spotted another new Sonata.

boomchek

I only saw about one or two Crosstours in the wild. Like most people I also think they're ugly, and overpriced too. $42k CDN gets you a better looking Venza, a nicely equipped Audi A4 wagon, a Volvo wagon, a Passat wagon, all of which are better looking and probably more fun to drive.

boomchek

A coworker has an Epica - they only came in one model if I remember correctly -fully loaded with leather and a weak inline 6 cylinder motor for a competitive $20k price tag. I don't think many sold though.

stickguy

an orange Merciallago (sp?) on a roll back truck, and a snappy red Masserati coupe actually driving on the road. Must have been in the expensive neighborhood.

ateixeira

Murcielago. It means "bat" in Spanish.

It's often mis-pronounced. I've heard people use the "CH" sound for the "C", it's actually more of an "S". Also, the emphasis goes on the syllable with the E, but many people put emphasis on the A.

texases

"It means "bat" in Spanish"

It's also close to "glue" in Kindergartener:

ateixeira

Saw one of these going home last night, and then another driving in today.

Same car perhaps?

Anyone else think the name is redundant? HS = Hybrid Sedan, right? HS 250h?

Why stop there?

Introducing the Hybrid Lexus Hybrid HS 250 h (h for hybrid) Hybrid Sedan with HSD Hybrid Synergy Drive.

In case you were wondering, it's a Hybrid!

qbrozen

wow. That's odd. Was just about to post the same thing. Saw it this morning on my way here.

Man, that thing is UGLY!

Saw an IS just a little further up the road (both were white, interestingly enough) and that car is SO much better looking. Why in the world did they screw it up so bad on the hybrid?

When approaching from behind, I couldn't figure it out. What went through my mind while looking at the taillights, in no particular order, was Saab? Subaru? Corolla? Then it hit me as a Lexus, although I'm not sure why. Then I was close enough to see the badge.

Then I saw the side. Wow that's awkward. Tall, frumpy. Very Corolla'ish. And the nose was even worse. Very tall, very fat. The proportions are all off.

ateixeira

Ugly? You think?

To me it's dull, perhaps, but not ugly. Design by committee.

I actually like the C-pillar, but some details are trying to hard to make a generic car look exciting.

qbrozen

Here is a good example of why I found it so awkward.
Looks like you could open the front and climb in, a la Isetta.

anythngbutgm

I see a glitzed out Corolla...

I've seen a bunch of them so there are buyers, maybe the folks who don't like the looks of the Prius.

Loaded to the gills it still costs less than the proposed 40 - 45 thousand bucks Government Motors dealers will be commanding for the econobox Volt. :surprise:

ateixeira

Start with a generic 4 door sedan. Complete the boxy design.

Then a Lexus exec says it's too boring, make it swoopy.

So they change the front bumper and headlights, which no longer match the rest of the car.

That is the least flattering angle.

fintail

I live not far from a very successful Lexus dealer, and I see the HS fairly often - I think there's a sweetheart lease deal on them at the moment. It's an awkward looking loaded up Corolla to my eyes, and yes, the letter "H" is amusingly overused. We get it, Lexus, you make hybrids. Good for you. It also looks like it would be slow and a poor performer. The people who buy them couldn't care less, of course. Not a car you buy if you like cars.

The IS cabrio is also awkward looking. Really, none of the lineup is good looking.

anythngbutgm

I still think the IS is a fresh looking design and quite attractive as well. What is even more attractive about it is while the competition suchas the Audi A4, G37 and C-class have all grown in size over the years, the IS is still a tightly wrapped, smaller size like the original.

The only thing Lexus needs to do is offer a stick with that wonderful V6. :shades:

ateixeira

The IS looks OK to me except the bulky area under the C-pillar. It needs a wheel arch, something to break up the large area of sheetmetal. It makes the design look heavy.

My beef is the way it drives - too soft. I liked the old IS300 better, actually.

The only thing Lexus needs to do is offer a stick with that wonderful V6

Surprise, but the base engine is a V6. A small one, but it is a six.

What they should do is offer the 2GR V6 sans DI, basically the version that makes 266-269hp in various Toyotas. Then drop the IS250. Call them IS350 and IS350 Sport (with Direct Injection).

anythngbutgm

Oh shoot, ya I forgot the little guy is a 6 as well. I never usually associate anything under 3 litres as a V6.

anythngbutgm

I meant the bigger 6, the "wonderful" one

ateixeira

I have the 2GR in my van, so you're preaching to the choir!

I realize Toyotas are often criticized for not being sporty, but the engine is simply a gem. It made Ward's 10 Best list and I'd have to agree. It's fast, lots of engines are, but it's also surprisingly fuel efficient.

fintail

The IS sedan is inoffensive (although I loathe the lame Lexus trait of reflectors low on the rear bumper - it does nothing more than mark the cars at night, as the typical Lexus driver in my area can't handle driving in the dark, and is usually crawling along at 10 under), but the retractable is weird looking to me, not a balanced design. I think the original IS was sportier too. The F model is its saving grace...but those couldn't be more rare.

anythngbutgm

I like the F model for it's performance upgrades, but I hate the tacky ground effects and the fake stacked tailpiles.

The H/T version I don't really mind as it needs enough room to store the hardtop. Even cars like the CLK and 3 series have that whale butt for the same application. They all have back seats to cover. Heck, look at the Volvo C70!

The only hardtop vert. that manages to tuck the top away neatly are the two doors like the SLK.

fintail

I think the cabrio looks weirdest with the top up. It looks disjointed to me, just as the HS looks kind of deformed.

CLK gets less of a whale butt as it is one of a dying breed of soft top cabrios. The new E continues this. The retractable roof makes for a big behind. The now ancient-seeming SC cabrio is also less than an elegant design.

ateixeira

fake stacked tailpiles

To be fair some european exotics have diffusers as well.

My Miata's PRHT is neatly packaged. Just 12 seconds up or down.

Check out this video, it pokes fun at the SLK:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rgr69YYl3w&feature=related

anythngbutgm

The CLK still uses the soft top? I thought the new one (E-class coupe I guess they call it now) went with the hardtop this time around.

Edit: whaddyknow, I just checked and it still uses the cloth.

My bad.

anythngbutgm

I agree, the Miata is another one that pulls off the hardtop styling well.

That's one thing I wish my S2000 had was a retractable hardtop. Top up is very loud and while the heater does a decent job of keeping the cabin warm it still gets a bit drafty. And then there is the rainy days which thankfully I've only had her out once. It was ridiculously loud with the hard rain drops against the cloth roof.

Good thing about it is I can still fit 2 sets of clubs in the trunk with the top down though. :shades:

boomchek

Why stop there?

Introducing the Hybrid Lexus Hybrid HS 250 h (h for hybrid) Hybrid Sedan with HSD Hybrid Synergy Drive.

Dont' laugh, BMW's names are sounding like that:

X3 X drive 35i or something like that.

boomchek

I think the HS was based off the Prius, but it's one of the least proportionate vehicles out there right now. :lemon:

ateixeira

I don't think so, isn't it based on the euro Toyota Avensis?

Plus the powertrain comes from the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

I don't think it has much in common with the Prius.

fintail

Yeah, I just looked it up...the platform is from the Avensis - a marginally less bland EuroCamry.

boomchek

Goes to show how much I care about bland hybrids - although I should as car buffs should know it all lol

3233

Hey, being a hybrid in itself doesn't make a car bad, it's just the awful driving dynamics that tend to go with them (see: Prius) that give hybrids a bad name. Though the HS250 isn't exactly a champion either.

I did see, or hear, really, a certain V8 powered IS launch rather briskly from a stoplight :shades: No, not ALL Lexuses are rebadged Toyotas!

ateixeira

Not one, but two of these the other day.

Definitely one of those "looks better in person" cars.

I'm still not sold on the design of the new XJ, though, the rear looks too Lincoln-esque and the C-pillar is just odd.

fintail

Saw an Aston Rapide on the road yesterday, along with a new Sonata. Different worlds.

Speaking of the XF, I saw one at a local dealer for barely over 30K. I think I recall a long term test in some magazine being less than trouble-free too.

I see Audi in the new XJ.

ateixeira

Yeah, a chopped A6, with that odd C-pillar.

boomchek

to visit some old friends at a couple of dealerships. At Honda saw the Crosstour and was told that they don't sell very well at all.

Went to VW and looked at the new GTi 5 door - very nice put fully loaded it's approcahing $40k cdn. That's a ton of money for a VW hatch but it's probably one of the most fun small cars out there right now.

ateixeira

They don't sell well:

Honda Accord: 31,766 (including 2,455 Crosstours)
Honda CR-V: 16,661

So they represent less than 10% of Accords. Compare that to the Subaru Outback, which actually outsells the Legacy by a wide margin, and had over 7,800 sales in April from fewer dealerships.

Also compare to Honda's own CR-V, it's hardly a blip on the sales charts. And the CR-V has been out for years.