Every year after Christmas I head downtown to check out the Indy Auto Show. It's squeezed between LA and Detroit, so there's no reveals and few concepts, save pre-production models. The Indiana Convention Center work is just about done, and this year we entered on the west side; the last few years we entered from the south into the GM wing. To the notes:
The new Dodge Durango was there, but up on a display with the doors open, so you couldn't get close. From what I read/saw, it's a longer version of the new Grand Cherokee. It has a third row seat.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee seems big, bigger than the Explorer. Both high trim models have dial up terrain. Didn't see ride height adjustment on the model I sat in, but and interesting feature (or is that the Ford feature?). Nicer than the current GC, but I don't think as nice as the Ford Explorer.
The Ford Explorer is super high tech, with a touch screen center stack and two displays flanking the speedo. There are various screens for the center stack, including Audio, Climate, Phone. These are cool to play with, but I wonder if removing the tactile buttons and knobs will lead to drivers needing to spend more attention looking at the center stack rather than the road. Heated and Cooled seats were a idea I can endorse. Has a 3rd row seat, is almost a foot longer than the Jeep, but weighs the same, costs the same, gets the same mileage. Still need to read some comparisons between these two.
The freshened Dodge Charger looks better from the front, worse from the back. The interior is totally different, I don't like it.
The Nissan Juke is a strange looking crossover, based off the Versa. Available AWD, great mileage of 25/30, interesting interior I would judge average, but a review I just read mentioned a changing lower center stack, which I couldn't see with no power to the vehicle. The AWD is only available with the CVT.
The Mini Countryman, the AWD 4 door Mini is bigger in every way to the other Minis, but still looks and feels like a Mini. As good mileage 23/30 as the Juke. The interior has a center rail system that you can attach different modules to.
Chevy Volt looks OK, but again, it was up on a dais so I couldn't look/touch it.
Chevy Cruise WOW! I first sat in the LTZ, $22K version, and was very impressed. Wanted to sit in the entry model LS ($17K) and see the differences. Still very, very nice. MUCH better than the outgoing Cobalt.
Strangely, the Subaru Legacy can have better mileage than the smaller Impreza. They need to put the 2.5 from the Legacy in the Impreza for even better fuel economy.
Suzuki was a no-show. Toyota Land Crusier and Matrix were no-shows.
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