2011 New York Auto Show Winners and Losers: Production Cars

The New York International Auto Show was squarely focused on fuel-efficient small cars and rightly so, with gas prices steadily on the rise. Automakers didn't completely forget about horsepower, though, as the show saw a few new high-powered models. Here Cars.com editors Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder pick their favorites from the show — and the flops.

Also check out our picks for concept cars.

2012 Subaru Impreza
Mike Hanley: Winner
The all-wheel-drive Impreza's significantly improved gas mileage is a compelling storyline — it's now rated at 27/36 mpg city/highway — but I was just as impressed with the completely revised interior, which brings some needed refinement. Subaru's already on a roll in the U.S., and the Impreza looks like another hit.

Kelsey Mays: Winner
The Impreza’s face looks better than the larger Legacy’s overblown one. As Mike alluded, cabin materials are good and this sort of mileage for an all-wheel-drive car is impressive. Although Subaru hasn’t announced pricing yet, the list of standard features is generous given the Impreza’s class.

2011 Chicago Auto Show: Winners & Losers

As auto shows in Chicago go, 2011 brought a decent crop of announcements. Fast cars have been a pariah in recent years, so the gearheads in us like that they’re back — especially among mainstream nameplates. Editors Kelsey Mays, Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder weigh in on this week’s Windy City debuts.
 
2012 Acura TL
Kelsey Mays: Winner
The TL’s toned-down grille suits the car better, and I can abide (barely) by the lower-bumper openings, which mirror those on the ZDX crossover-thing. With a rear bumper that doesn’t protrude to quite such a hard point in the middle, the rear is a certain improvement. Last year’s TL “really sagged down” in back, an Acura spokesman said. I agree. Add to that the car’s gas mileage improvements — which are considerable with its base V-6 — and the TL rides high.

Mike Hanley: Winner
Give Acura credit for recognizing a problem with the design of the TL and doing something about it. The sedan's new face has removed the controversial elements of the car but in the process created one without much of a design identity. It's a clean look, but not particularly memorable. Still, I'm betting TL sales will increase.

2010 Los Angeles Auto Show: Winners & Losers, Concept Cars

This year’s 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show is about real-world production cars. We have extensive posts about the Winners and Losers for cars and SUVs, crossovers and minivans, but our editors also tackled the intriguing concepts under the lights of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

2010 Los Angeles Auto Show: Winners and Losers, SUVs, Crossovers and Minivans

The 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show had so many new vehicles on display that we had to split our Winners & Losers story into two posts. First, editors David Thomas, Joe Wiesenfelder, Kelsey Mays and Mike Hanley weighed in on cars and convertibles. In this round, they take on SUVs, crossovers and minivans.

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.

2009 L.A. Auto Show: Winners and Losers

This auto show season's first U.S. show certainly kept us busy, with manufacturers debuting vehicles of every stripe; many are on their way to dealers right now. Most of what we saw was impressive in some way, but there were more than a few vehicles that failed to move us despite their merits.

2010 Hyundai Tucson
David Thomas: Winner
There were many cars in L.A. that showed drastic improvement. The Tucson was definitely one of them with an interior that will give Honda and Toyota a run for their money. Like Hyundai's new Sonata, the Tucson also packs styling — something the lineup has been missing for years.

Kelsey Mays: Winner
I'm with Dave on this. The Tucson finally looks interesting, and interior quality is as competitive as ever. The Tucson’s gas mileage of 31 mpg highway with front-wheel drive nearly ties the segment-best Chevy Equinox — a huge step for Hyundai, whose lineup has historically been on the thirstier side.
 
Joe Wiesenfelder: Winner
No question on this one. When you consider the number and quality of compact crossovers it took on in 2005, Hyundai's first-generation Tucson could have been — and sold — better. Conversely, this one will put competitors on the run.

Mike Hanley: Winner
The Tucson is the latest compelling new model from Hyundai, which has been on a roll lately. However, I was struck by the crossover's cabin odor, which reeked of something chemical. Sure, the Tucson on the show floor was probably finished shortly before the show, but Hyundai had been getting better about this lately. Hardly any of the other models I checked out at the show suffered from this kind of problem.

Winners and Losers at 2009 Chicago Auto Show

The number of debuts at the Chicago auto show this year was smaller than normal, with only a handful of new models making an appearance. Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder weigh in on which models wowed and which fell flat.

Chevrolet Stingray Concept
Mike Hanley: Winner
The Stingray stood out as the only new concept car at the show, but it would have been a showstopper either way. It's a fascinating blend of familiar and futuristic design themes; from some angles you can see a next-generation Corvette hiding in the sheet metal, while the rear-quarter view is very space-age. If photos aren't enough for you, you'll be able to see more of the Stingray in the next "Transformers" installment this summer.

Kelsey Mays: Winner
What Michael Bay wants, Michael Bay gets. The back story, according to GM, is that the movie director toured GM’s studios, saw a Stingray mock-up and wanted it for the movie. Good. It’s a fine-looking design, and if it hints at a design for the next Corvette, I won’t argue.

David Thomas: Winner
The Stingray had an unfair advantage over every other car here because it was the only true concept to roll out, and it’s one we hadn’t seen before. Either way, the Stingray was breathtaking. This is one of those cars that will draw people to McCormick Place for the next two weeks. How radical is it? It made the current Corvettes surrounding it look as thrilling as a Kia.

Joe Wiesenfelder: Winner
I won’t qualify my praise, because I think this would win even if there were many pure concepts here. The lines are great from every angle, and the jet-like air-inlet grille manages to look like a fresh approach. It’s the classic concept car: outrageous and impossible to take your eyes off of. It’s unlikely to be produced in its current form, but we can always dream.

Production Car Winners and Losers at 2009 Detroit Auto Show

Our crew was a bit surprised at how many new production models were shown in Detroit this year. What was even more surprising was how good most of them were. Of course, a few losers wormed their way into the hall as well. Check out our wrap-up below.

2010 Ford Taurus
David Thomas: Winner
The exterior is massive. It looks so big, yet it’s very handsome too. The wheels have a concept-car look to them. Inside I wasn’t as impressed, with a dash that seemed to be on the same level as the Fusion’s, but the doors were quite nice, with upscale padding. It's not as big in back as it probably should be.

Kelsey Mays: Winner
I second Dave’s backseat impressions — there just isn’t as much room back there as the prior Taurus had. The trunk is as voluminous as ever, though. Up front, it looks like Ford is slowly replacing the grainy-looking textures that afflicted the outgoing Taurus, not to mention the Flex and a few other current models. The front seats are comfortable, and the gauges look terrific.

Mike Hanley: Winner
Ford addressed the areas of the Taurus that were most in need of attention with the redesigned 2010 model, giving it a sleek, contemporary exterior and a high-grade cabin that'll make full-size-sedan shoppers take a second look.

Joe Wiesenfelder: Winner
I've rallied behind this car since it came out as the Five Hundred. Now, Ford is finally addressing the biggest drawback: interior quality. No one's more disappointed by the backseat than I, because the brilliant space efficiency in the old version was one of the things I valued. Not to say it's small, by any means. I hope it rides softer than the Lincoln MKS.

Concept Car Winners and Losers at 2009 Detroit Auto Show

In a change from last year's Detroit auto show, there were fewer concept debuts than production-model introductions this year. There were still a number of interesting concepts that emerged at the show, however, and Mike Hanley, David Thomas and Joe Wiesenfelder have weighed in on which ones hit the mark and which fell flat.

Audi Sportback
Mike Hanley: Winner
The Audi Sportback sedan concept follows in the footsteps of models like the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class with its coupe-like profile, but I'm a bigger fan of Audi's execution, which has a clean, chiseled look. There are enough production-ready elements in this car — especially in the cabin — that it wouldn't be a stretch for Audi to build this car.

David Thomas: Winner
Could the front of this car be any bigger? In person, the front is just massive. It’s a rather distinctive look even as it incorporates Audi’s overall design theme. And it’s much better than the Volvo concept.

Joe Wiesenfelder: Winner
Whole thing's enormous. More like the BMW X6 SUV than the Mercedes CLS. Actually, it knocks off the BMW CS concept from the spring 2007 Shanghai Motor Show. But that looked great, and BMW shelved it. I'll take this replacement, happily.