On Wednesday I took the day off work and went down to the Chicago Auto Show. I sat in a bunch of cars and thought some of you might be interested. Note that these are 30-second impressions... they don't have test drives there.
Kia Soul: Not a bad interior. Smelled funny though. Smaller than I thought.
Kia Forte/Koup: Much better interior than the old Kia I rented. Still smells funny though.
BMW X6: Impressive interior. However... so many buttons! Granted my Buick only has like 3. The info center is impressive to the point of overkill (do I really need to be able to look up the age of my tires?) and I wonder if this is all available while you're driving?
Mazdaspeed 3: Comfortable seats. So many buttons! Really ugly exterior though.
VW GTI: Just OK. I really like the outside but I was not impressed with the inside. The dash seems funny?
Scion xB: Felt like I was in a bus. Seat back was straight up and down, and so was the steering wheel. I don't like these boxes. Also, too many hipsters (paid by Scion) hanging around for my tastes.
Hyundai Genesis: Too many people swarming to get in. I passed.
Ford Taurus SHO: This is a really big car. The driver's seat cushion felt too short, and the center console impinged on my leg room.
2011 Ford Focus: Looks neat. Could not sit in it.
2011 Ford Explorer: Wasn't there. I was surprised.
Camaro: Felt like I was in a tank. I had 1 inch of headroom when I adjusted the seat to where I could see out (I am 5'10"). This would take a lot of getting used to for me to drive.
Corvette: I was looking right at the top of the windshield when I got in. Too crowded to mess around so I just got out.
Cruze: Not sure how this will compete with the Focus.
Regal GS concept: Awesome. Should really be a success. (I got a poster!)
Benz SLS AMG: Really impressive, but couldn't sit in it.
Fisker: Neat cars, but they were cordoned off and you couldn't get closer than 15 feet. Not convinced they will actually be produced.
Honda Crosstour: Just as goofy in person (I also saw one while I was driving to the show). I don't understand the purpose.
Honda CRZ: Tiny. I'm also not sold on hybrids.
Kia Soul: Not a bad interior. Smelled funny though. Smaller than I thought.
Kia Forte/Koup: Much better interior than the old Kia I rented. Still smells funny though.
BMW X6: Impressive interior. However... so many buttons! Granted my Buick only has like 3. The info center is impressive to the point of overkill (do I really need to be able to look up the age of my tires?) and I wonder if this is all available while you're driving?
Mazdaspeed 3: Comfortable seats. So many buttons! Really ugly exterior though.
VW GTI: Just OK. I really like the outside but I was not impressed with the inside. The dash seems funny?
Scion xB: Felt like I was in a bus. Seat back was straight up and down, and so was the steering wheel. I don't like these boxes. Also, too many hipsters (paid by Scion) hanging around for my tastes.
Hyundai Genesis: Too many people swarming to get in. I passed.
Ford Taurus SHO: This is a really big car. The driver's seat cushion felt too short, and the center console impinged on my leg room.
2011 Ford Focus: Looks neat. Could not sit in it.
2011 Ford Explorer: Wasn't there. I was surprised.
Camaro: Felt like I was in a tank. I had 1 inch of headroom when I adjusted the seat to where I could see out (I am 5'10"). This would take a lot of getting used to for me to drive.
Corvette: I was looking right at the top of the windshield when I got in. Too crowded to mess around so I just got out.
Cruze: Not sure how this will compete with the Focus.
Regal GS concept: Awesome. Should really be a success. (I got a poster!)
Benz SLS AMG: Really impressive, but couldn't sit in it.
Fisker: Neat cars, but they were cordoned off and you couldn't get closer than 15 feet. Not convinced they will actually be produced.
Honda Crosstour: Just as goofy in person (I also saw one while I was driving to the show). I don't understand the purpose.
Honda CRZ: Tiny. I'm also not sold on hybrids.
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