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

andyman73

I saw an 05 Evo RS, in parking lot at work, this evening. A coworker traded in his one month old Eclipse on it. He is much happier now! Car is white.

Kirstie_H

Oh yeah, some of our members took delivery of the new RL 10 days ago! If you check out the 2005 RL discussion, you'll find several new owners among us.

ateixeira

Could they have been on test drives? Did you notice dealer plates?

I think Honda has a much better hold on Odyssey supply this time around. So they'll hit the roads pretty quick.

-juice

andys120

of the new Odyssey and frankly I was dismayed. It's as bland as the Pilot or the Sienna!

For a MV the current '04 Ody looks pretty sporty IMO, I can't say that about the '05 I saw in
Autoweek

ateixeira

Both the Ody and Sienna have too-big headlights. The Ody's are spooky big. Sienna's is shaped strangely. MPV is more handsome if you ask me.

-juice

jaserb

Hear, hear! It's too bad some of the options packages and accessories they have in Japan and Europe aren't available here. The aeroremix package includes a factory lowered suspension and is probably the only minivan that actually looks "cool".

-Jason

ateixeira

AWD is an option there, also.

-juice

andyman73

Jones Honda in Lancaster, Pa, had at least one 05 Oddy on the lot this evening, saw as I was coming in to work. Looks nice to me. Wonder how the bump in hp feels.

ateixeira

Saw a black Ody on the road this weekend. Those are some big lights!

Saw a few Scion tCs also, they seem to be abundant in my region.

-juice

kenjabi

Saw a new Acura RL this morning on the way to work. Not too shabby looking, though it was in a kinda blah color (dark gray).

ateixeira

Saw just my 2nd Phaeton ever yesterday. Boy did that one flop!

-juice

kyfdx

New Caddy CTS.. with the faux cabriolet roof and the gold package.. Hard to change your image when you have dealers and buyers doing that..

ateixeira

Painful...

It's easier to apply to a square body, also.

-juice

stickguy

crossfire convertible, white with a black top. Real nasty looking in this color combo. Actually looked a lot like a prowler in profile for some reason. Must have had left over tops that look too small for the car.

ateixeira

Must've looked like a penguin. Or a tuxedo. )

-juice

kyfdx

An unfortunate color choice... I really like the looks of the Xfire convertible overall.. I'm hoping for really bad depreciation..

andys120

I've seen a lot of 'em in a very short drive. Two of the more notable:

Volvo S40looking much nicer on the street than in a showroom or auto show booth. Very similar in size and style to it's big brother, the S60. It looked good in a trendy medium grey/dark silver.

Audi TT 3.2 Cabrio in a seasonally appropriate Pumpkin Orange. The color was a bit much but I can tell you these things are a blast to drive with their DSG gearboxes.

ateixeira

I've seen a lot of S40s and even a few V50s. They seemed to catch on quickly. Much more than the old model.

I'll have to sample Audi's DSG. I've only tried the SMG in the Toyota MR2 and I absolutely hated it. But from what I read Audi's is night and day better.

-juice

stickguy

a silver 350Z convert, top up. Looked almost as bad, style wise, as the Xfire. At least the colors matched better.

Actually, it seems like the hump backed hatchs just don't make good convertibles. Too rumpish, and the top looks like an old Merc chop job.

Also saw the new Lotus (Elise?) at the same used car dealer that sells Avantis. I really need to make another trip up there, just to browse.

boomchek

Just went to a Nissan Pathfinder official release here in Vancouver.

Nice looking truck, looks like a mini Armada, like the inside too.

kyfdx

SE-R Spec V..

Not much of a looker..

boomchek

No, but have you seen the Altima SE-R? Sharp looking sedan made even sharper! Funny disclaimer sticker on the window: "car has low ground clearance............."

kyfdx

But, Nissan makes absolutely nothing I like from a visual standpoint.. Although, I dislike the Altima the least... So, the SE-R might be okay.... lol

andys120

They really ruined the Maxima didn't they. The previous Gen was the first and only Max that I liked the styling of. :^(

---------------

I saw a new 'Vette parked next to a pair of old ones @ a dealership. If you don't see the front
you're hard put to tell it's the new style.

kyfdx

I agree with that.. About a month ago, I was sure I had spotted a C6, but turned out to be another C5... I like the changes, but they are subtle to a non-afficianado..

I'm sure the Vette guys could tell me about thousands of differences, but I only see two... Non-hidden headlights (which I like) and a shorter rear-end. Overall, I like it more.

andre1969

was the '89-94 generation. Even though handling and performance would indicate otherwise, IMO the car just "grew up" too much, style-wise for '95, and got too conservative. It would've looked at home in Buick's lineup.

I don't like the new Max at all though. It's like they took the Altima apart and put it back together wrong, or something! But then the Altima is one car I really like. I liked it when it was redone for '02, and I think the '05 refresh makes it look even nicer.

I don't think I've liked the Sentra since those old, slightly wedge-shaped models from the first half of the 90's, the ones that were faintly evocative of a BMW 3-series (or the old 2002)

kyfdx

Was my favorite Maxima also... except.. they had the motorized seatbelts in some of those.. I tend to avoid early '90s Japanese cars just because of that....

andys120

Freestyle which really resembles a 7/8th scale Explorer it's stickered pretty close too @ $31K for the awd example I saw.

It struck me as rather bland.
 
--------
Bland is also the word I'd use to describe those '89-'95 Maxs. There's no finesse to the detailing in or out or surface excitement to draw the eye IMHO.

The '96-'03 models with sportier headlights and bigger grilles appealed to me more and Andre's comment on the '04 is right on

ghulet

The new one is at least visually interesting, if not exactly attractive. The rear end treatment is a bit scary, the backlight is too small. I really think they tarted it up a bit too much, it's just too flashy.

I don't, in general, understand some of Nissan's decisions of late. Since the Altima is now available with up to 260hp to the Max's 265, I'd think they would have made the Maxima RWD, not only to quell the torque steer, but to distinguish it from the Altima, which is now a bit too similar in size, and when fully loaded, in price. I also don't get the SkyRoof in the Max and Quest. I mean, who wants a full-length, non-opening glass panel in their roof? It's like driving a terrarium. They also need to do a redesign on the Sentra, pronto. That car is ugly and basically non-competitive right now, except maybe if you can get one at a steep discount. I can't remember the last time I even saw one.

kyfdx

The whole Nissan styling thing amazes me... Really, the Titan is about the only thing they have that looks decent.. They even did a better job on the Infiniti G35 coupe, than the 350Z.

They might be decent cars, but I just can't get past the styling.. and in general, I'm usually more concerned with how cars drive than how they look... My standards for beauty aren't that high, but Nissans have "last call" looks.. I just don't want to wake up in the morning and see one in my garage.

ateixeira

I think most of them are overdone. Actually, not that I think about it, they're all overdone.

Any how, I give Ghosn credit for taking so many risks and revitalizing the product line. Except for maybe the Sentra, none of them are boring, at least.

-juice

andys120

They finally got a few 500s and a Freestyle over at the local Ford Dealer. Two were white, the other black. Not much excitement either way. A Ruby Red Freestyle was parked next to 'em (see my previous remark).

NO '05 MUSTANGS!:-(

ateixeira

I saw a wild one, a RHD JDM Odyssey!

That's right, steering wheel on the right, Diplomatic plates, must've been someone who worked for the Japanese Embassy in Washington, DC.

Very cool looking car. More like the '98 Odyssey we had here, but thoroughly modern looking. Definitely looks like nothing sold here in the US.

-juice

ghulet

Just drove by my local Ford dealer (Bert Weinman, 35xx N. Ashland, Chicago), saw a new 500 in the showroom and a new (basic) '05 Mustang on the lot, first I've seen of either.

anythngbutgm

Went to Boston last weekend, down on Newbury street there was a hotel, (name slipped my mind). Parked in front were 4 cars:

- 911 Carerra 4S, Black

- MB S55 AMG, Silver

- Ferrari 360 Modena, Red

- Ferrari ENZO!!! Red.

A car worth 2X as much as my house, parked in downtown Boston. As if it was no big deal...

jaserb

here in Provo, Utah. It has to be Richard Losee's car, the one R&T profiled.

-Jason

andys120

No doubt it was the Ritz Carlton(cor, Newbury and Arlington Sts.) where high dollar cars abound.

I'm always agog at the number of expensive cars seen in Boston these days. You could prolly say the same about NYor DC.

m4d_cow

3 05 mustangs at a local ford dealer, 2 reds and 1 silver, couldnt sit in one though, as theyve all been pre-ordered

PF_Flyer

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kyfdx

Very nice... I like that wagons are making a comeback..

mitzij

We have an '05 SSR that just came off the truck yesterday. It's the coolest color I've seen in a long time. In some light it's a deep green/teal, from another angle, it's dark blue. The best looking one I've seen yet. It also has a Corvette engine-400hp.

ateixeira

Pics of the new '07 Opel Omega are floating around, one includes a V8 RWD wagon!

Magnum might get some competition.

-juice

m4d_cow

or is it gonna be rebadged as chevy?

andys120

More likely incoming Opels will rebadged as Saturns, at least that's the plan (for 2007 IIRC).

ateixeira

Saw my first Buick LaCrosse. Looks better in person than in pictures.

Old gray haired man driving, so still a Buick! :-)

Also saw an STS on the road. Still had the Monroney sticker on it, so probably being test driven (I live near a Caddy dealer).

Looked niced, though.

-juice

Kirstie_H

And I saw my very first 2005 BMW 6-series today. Was kind of a bluey-green. Looked very Aston-Martinesque, very sleek. Still had dealership plates on it. Guess we're slow to get these in the midwest, LOL.

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

m4d_cow

another caddy sts, dark grey or silver im not sure. theyre getting kinda common here compared to cts
and once again i saw the same zephyr down the street, they arent produced yet right????

ateixeira

I don't think so...did it have dealer plates?

-juice

jaserb

Guy down the street bought a 4x4, TRD Extended cab. I'm not too fond of the looks. And will anyone ever sell an honest to goodness compact pickup again? This thing has to be comparable to a 1980s short bed half ton in overall dimensions.

-Jason

ateixeira

I think the Ranger might be the only small one left, and I'm sure it'll get bigger when they redesign it.

Interestingly, it's still the best selling.

-juice