Dave's L.A. Auto Show Photo Diary

For a few hours during the surprisingly manic coverage of this year's L.A. auto show, I was able to sneak down to the floor and get some first-hand impressions of all the cars on display. Along with some notable debuts, like the new Mazda3, I found quite a few interesting tidbits that might have slipped through the cracks of our extensive coverage. Check out my thoughts and photos below.

Oh, as for the photo above? Most years auto shows are celebratory in nature. At Chrysler's expansive display this year, though, it seemed more like a ghost town, with few people and dim lights, adding a somber air.

2010 Kia Soul: Video

Kelsey Mays checks out Kia’s all-new funky hatchback, the Soul. He’s always been a big fan of the sliding sun shade and we’re not sure why, but his riff on the standard USB and iPod connectors is worth watching the entire video. 

Suburban Dad and the Econobox Invasion

As a dad of two teens, I'm always interested in new cars that may appeal to them. Here in L.A., Nissan and Kia rolled out two new versions of what we used to call, not so charitably, econoboxes. With all the safety advances now required, very few cars are true econoboxes today (just look at their MSRPs), but Nissan's Cube and Kia's Soul are built to take on Scion's xB, already in its second generation.

Of the two, I think I like the Kia better for my kids. (Full disclosure, I own a Kia Sedona). That doesn't mean I think it's necessarily the better of the two, but I think that, given the likely costs of each car, what they offer, and a comparison of features and interiors, the nod goes to the Kia.

Honda Unveils Insight's Eco Assist

Last week, Ford revealed a new energy-conscious instrument cluster — filled with interactive leaves — for the Fusion and Milan hybrids. Ford’s reasoning was that hybrid owners demand better communication in order to maximize fuel efficiency. Well, it appears Honda and Ford hired the same analysts, because Honda has just revealed a very similar system.

Honda’s system, dubbed Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist) will debut in the spring of 2009 on the all-new Honda Insight. The system uses a two-tier instrument cluster (similar to the Civic’s) to communicate effective driving habits. The speedometer’s background color changes depending on how you're driving — green for light acceleration and cruising, blue for hard acceleration and braking.

2008 L.A. Auto Show Recap: Day 2

We're back for day two of the 2008 Los Angeles auto show, and, again, if you didn't already get your fill from the blog, we have full picture sets from the manufacturers and our own staff photographer. Follow the links below for full coverage of today's production vehicles, as well as the concepts of tomorrow. Be sure to stay tuned tomorrow: For gearheads who just can't get enough, we'll have one last roundup featuring all the videos shot in L.A.

Production
2010 Mazda3
2010 Lexus RX 350
2010 Lexus RX 450h
2009 BMW 7 Series
2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible
2009 Porsche Boxster
2009 Porsche Cayman

Concept
Hyundai HED-5 i-Mode
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Honda FC Sport
BMW X6 Hybrid

MotherProof.com
Audi's New Q5 is Another Win
GM's, Chrysler's Silence is Deafening
What's Hot in L.A.
Bikinis Are Out, But Beautiful Models Are Still In

Up Close: 2010 Lexus RX

The old RX aged well, and the new one holds promise. The styling promises similar well-to-do appeal, choosing safer lines over some of the racier curves of its competitors. My only complaint is with the grille: It seems too narrow now, wedged into the tight space between the widened headlights.

Interior quality keeps with that of the old RX, which was fairly good. Various touch points, from the armrests to the center controls, have the sort of premium, soft-but-substantial feel you’d expect in a luxury car. There’s a new mouse-like controller that operates the navigation system, something I’ve never used in an automotive setting before. It’s basically a joystick that operates a moving arrow on the nav screen, and you'll feel the controller respond when the arrow jumps to different on-screen buttons – marking waypoints or zooming in, for example.

Ford Announces Pricing on 2010 Fusion

So the new Ford Fusion is an attractive package that potentially has class-leading mileage — but what about its price?

Ford just launched a new consumer site for the 2010 Fusion, and overall the vehicle holds the line with aggressively low prices. The Fusion starts at $19,270, which is cheaper than the Chevy Malibu, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima, but is more expensive than the Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry (though by less than $1,000).

Keep in mind, too, that those are 2009 models, and this is a 2010.

The hybrid costs $1,000 more than a comparable Toyota Camry Hybrid, but is estimated to get 5-6 more mpg in the city than that car.

Another tidbit from the website: The inline-four with the six-speed automatic has better predicted mileage than the manual, at 33 mpg on the highway.

Here’s a detailed price list, including some features information:

2008 L.A. Auto Show: 2009 Porsche Cayman

• Competes with: Audi TT, BMW Z4, Chevrolet Corvette, Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
• Looks like: A 2008 Cayman with some tweaks to the headlights, taillights and side marker lights
• Drivetrain: 265-hp, 2.9-liter six-cylinder or 320-hp, 3.4-liter six-cylinder with six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual
• Hits dealerships: March 2009

Porsche's most-affordable car, the Cayman, and its roadster counterpart, the Boxster, have been upgraded for 2009 with more power, better mileage, revised suspensions and upgraded interiors. The styling has also been tweaked, with an emphasis on the lights — headlights, taillights and side marker lights.

There are also some subtle front-end changes to distinguish the coupe and roadster more. The Cayman has round fog lights and a larger grille opening. The Boxster has rectangular fog lights. Both cars now incorporate their turn signals into the halogen headlight clusters, and LED taillights are standard. An option package includes bi-xenon headlights, cornering lights and LED daytime running lights.

2008 L.A. Auto Show: 2009 Porsche Boxster

• Competes with: Audi TT, BMW Z4, Chevrolet Corvette convertible, Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
• Looks like: A 2008 Boxster with some tweaks to the headlights, taillights and side marker lights
• Drivetrain: 255-hp, 2.9-liter six-cylinder or 310-hp, 3.4-liter six-cylinder with six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual
• Hits dealerships: March 2009

Porsche's more-affordable midengine roadster, the Boxster, and its coupe counterpart, the Cayman, have been upgraded for 2009 with more power, better mileage, revised suspensions and upgraded interiors. The styling has also been tweaked, with an emphasis on the lights — headlights, taillights and side marker lights.

There are also some subtle front-end changes to distinguish the coupe and roadster more. The Cayman has round fog lights and a larger grille opening. The Boxster has rectangular fog lights. Both cars now incorporate their turn signals into the halogen headlight clusters, and LED taillights are standard. An option package includes bi-xenon headlights, cornering lights and LED daytime running lights.

Up Close: 2010 Lincoln MKZ

The new MKZ makes larger leaps on the inside than its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan siblings did, in part because the previous Zephyr/MKZ had, to put it charitably, a pretty lackluster cabin. Gone are the shaded plastic buttons, boxy shapes and grainy dash materials. Now the cabin resembles the MKS', complete with a first-rate navigation system and cleverly stacked wood and aluminum trim.

The show car had Lincoln’s Bridge of Weir leather. It’s rich and inviting, but not dramatically better than the cowhide in a Lexus ES or Cadillac CTS. As long as we’re comparing cars, Lincoln’s center controls aren’t terribly attractive; they’re too small in an arbitrary sort of way, as there seems to be plenty of real estate for them to spread out a bit.

I’d like to see Lincoln do a bit more with the car’s rear styling. The front looks like the MKS — opine on that as you will — but the rear perpetuates the outgoing car’s robotic look. I find the MKS’ rear quite attractive, actually, so it’s a shame Lincoln didn’t translate some of that look to the smaller canvas here. More photos below.