2010 Los Angeles Auto Show: Winners and Losers, Cars

Automakers are certainly experiencing a rebound these days as sales are climbing. The boost in their coffers has led to an explosion of new models, and the auto-show season is the time to introduce them to the world. This makes our days harder — and the list of winners and losers a lot longer. In alphabetical order, see which debuts dazzled and which fizzled in the eyes of our editors, David Thomas, Joe Wiesenfelder, Kelsey Mays and Mike Hanley. Next up will be the SUVs, crossovers and minivans.

2011 Acura TSX: First Look

• Competes with: Buick Regal, Lexus IS, Infiniti G25 
• Looks like: Acura’s "shield" grille is better integrated 
• Drivetrain: 201-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder; 280-hp, 3.5-liter V-6; six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmissions 
• Hits dealerships: November 2010 

For the 2011 model year, the Acura TSX undergoes a midcycle refresh, which brings a more cohesive version of Acura's look, an update to the interior as well as improved fuel economy.

More L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Up front, the new 2011 Acura TSX sedan goes under the knife. There’s a new front-end, revised chin spoiler, new fog-light design and an updated grille to better incorporate Acura’s controversial new corporate design. There are a few slight changes to the taillamp design. Overall, you’d be hard press to tell a 2010 and 2011 TSX apart if it was passing you by. We were shown the minor evolution when the automaker debuted the TSX SportWagon earlier this year.

2011 Acura TSX: Best Station Wagon Commercial Ever

There are those among us who love station wagons. They like that you can get a large cargo area without a high step-in height. They don’t mind having the vantage point of a car rather than the higher-riding SUV.

That’s why this new commercial for the Acura TSX SportWagon called “Transformation” is so terrific. While most owners won’t take a highway off-ramp at the same speeds as the commercial's stunt driver does — and probably shouldn’t — watching the sedan transform into the wagon while doing the maneuver is a treat for wagon enthusiasts. We also appreciate the type of transformation going on in this ad, which is far removed from the over-CGIed effects of the recent "Transformers" movies.

A video of the making of the commercial is below.

The 2011 TSX SportWagon goes on sale later this year.

Navigation Systems Put to the Test: The Results

On Wednesday, we laid out plans to take several navigation systems — the pricey factory systems in an Acura TSX, a BMW 3 Series and an Infiniti G37, plus a $180 handheld Garmin Nuvi 255W — and see how they dealt with a range of simple and challenging routes. We started easy, then threw in everything from pit stops and missed exits to recently constructed highways and brand-new housing developments.

The results were illuminating. By day’s end, each of the systems had stumbled at least once. But when we tallied the evaluation, BMW’s Harman-supplied system won the day.

We’ll explain.

Navigation Systems Put to the Test

One of the most popular options available for new cars is a navigation system. Often these add $1,000 to $3,000 to the sticker price and can even be wrapped into more expensive packages.

It’s certainly easier to swallow that slightly higher monthly payment if the navigation system you just paid for works the way you think it should. But after testing hundreds of cars over the years, we know they don’t all deliver.

2010 Acura TSX: Love/Hate

I've had the opportunity to drive a few luxury sedans over the past
month, making it easier than usual to see how the Acura TSX stacks up
against its competitors. After spending some time in the more expensive
Infiniti G37x recently, I wasn't expecting to be wowed by the TSX. The
V-6 engine in our test car, however, won me over.

Love: V-6 Performance
The TSX looked nice enough at first glance. The exterior is sleek, and
the interior is well-appointed without being fussy. Before I realized
this car had a V-6, I figured the driving experience would be similarly
understated. What I discovered is that this car can move. Acceleration
to highway speeds was incredibly smooth and made merging onto the
interstate fun. What I initially thought of as a straightforward luxury
sedan began to look a whole lot more sporty to me. The V-6 engine
increases the price significantly, though, so shoppers may want to keep
that in mind when comparing cars in this segment.

2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Priced at $34,330

Ford has priced its first luxury hybrid, the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, at $34,330, not including an $850 destination fee. There is no price differentiation between the regular V-6 MKZ and hybrid model, which means the V-6 model got a $105 price bump for the 2011 model year. With this move, Lincoln has made this a choice between performance or fuel efficiency. The MKZ Hybrid competes with other fuel-efficient entry-luxury sedans such as the Lexus HS 250h, Acura TSX and the BMW 335d. 

The Lincoln MKZ Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a hybrid system that together generate 191 horsepower. The vehicle achieves an EPA rating of 41/36 mpg city/highway. The MKZ Hybrid is only available in front-wheel drive; gas-powered MKZs can be had in both front- and all-wheel drive.

Recall Alert: 2004-2008 Acura TSX

Acura is recalling about 167,000 2004-08 TSX sedans equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The defect involves a power-steering hose that can deteriorate prematurely and crack, leading to a leak and loss of power steering that may result in smoke or fire. One incident of a fire has been reported.

The recall will begin in May. Owners can have a new power-steering hose, O-ring gasket and fluid replaced at no cost. Owners can contact Acura at owners.acura.com/recalls or at (800) 382-2238.

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon: Up Close

The TSX Sport Wagon is pretty athletic-looking — for a wagon. It's sleek and low-slung like the Audi A4 Avant, but the one area where it falls a little short is its rear styling. The tail looks a little bloated — especially from the side -- and it's a little droopy, too, compared with the TSX sedan's crisp trunklid. You need to see it in person to get a sense of this; it's not quite evident from the photos.

Cars.com Podcast: 2010 Acura TSX, 2010 Audi S5, 2010 Lexus HS 250h

A few new models get extra power and editors Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and David Thomas discuss if they need the added oomph and corresponding price tags or not. Then they tackle Lexus’ first dedicated hybrid and if it is able to wear both a green halo and a luxury one at the same time.

Download the podcast via iTunes here or hit the play button below to listen in your browser.

Cars.com Podcast #38