I went to the NY Auto Show yesterday and had a blast! I mean, always fun checking out every car made by every major manufacturer, as well as some debuts. Figured I'd give a quick little report.

The RDX looked good as always, they had a nice black on black tech package there. Compared to some of the other vehicles, the RDX did not stand out by any means, but I think that is what Acura wanted. Overall impression is that its a solid vehicle with a nice exterior and a nice luxurious interior. I think more than anything, this is the "safe choice." While there is nothing that made it stand out, it is certainly a nice looking vehicle and has that Acura reliability behind it. For the price, it is definitely a great buy and value and remains in my "top 3" come purchase time, but not because it comes off as fantastic; instead because its a good choice. I made the analogy to my friend that its like when you date.... sure you can go after the hot model (BMW) who you can go out with and make others jealous, but chances are she's gonna disappoint you or cheat on you. Or you can go after the woman with the girl next door look and good job and nice family (Acura) and know that you made a solid choice without any worries.

Hyundai Santa Fe Sport - I was very excited to see this one in person finally, especially after hearing so much about it. On paper, this vehicle seems great and very competitive with the RDX! I really really wanted to like it because I could then get a great CUV while saving money. Unfortunately I couldn't do that. The interior was pretty disappointing. The seats felt more like vinyl/leatherette and were not as comfortable to sit in compared to MANY of the others I sat in that day. Found a lot of hard plastics around the cabin and it kind of felt a little cheap. I do like the center stack and infotainment area, but that is about it. I remember some people here saying the Santa Fe was a better or competitive vehicle with the RDX and I cannot imagine why they felt that way. Its a good vehicle and I liked it better than the CRV, Rav4, and Venza, but it couldn't compare to any luxury vehicle brand.

BMW X1 - I've already test drove this SAV before and liked it, though I feel the asking price is a bit much. Price aside, everything inside feels very nice and rich and well designed. Nothing bad to say really. The rear seats could use more room, but unless you are carrying two 6 foot tall people back there, it shouldn't be a problem. Looks sporty and ready to rip through the roads. Only thing I didn't like was that it only had one cup holder. There is a slot for an add on but that seems cheap and out of place honestly. Funny thing is, if they could made this center area look like a 3 series, I'd put this as my #1 vehicle.

Volvo V60- Officially debuted and coming to North America in January 2014. A traditional looking wagon (not wagon/cuv cross like the X1), it had a nice shape that made it look aggressive and sporty. They wouldn't let you sit inside, but the interior looks almost identical to the S60, which I think had the best interior of them all. Those seats are so comfortable that it made every seat afterwards nearly impossible to compete. Volvo changed their center dash display this year too. No longer do they have that out of place 8 bit looking monocrome display. While some traditionalists may hate a digital dash display, I think it looked wonderful and beyond impressive. Bravo Volvo.

2014 Toyota Rav4 - Yuck. So disappointed! Really Toyota? I'm glad they got rid of the rear tire and now have a overhead hatch instead of the side swinging door. But the interior was even more disappointing than the Santa Fe Sport. I know they are not a luxury brand, so I'm not trying to make them compete with an Acura, BMW, Volvo, Audi, etc, but I think they cut too many corners.

Volkswagen Tiguan - While I liked this CUV, I think the asking price is ridiculous for what you get. Its an "ok" looking vehicle, but I personally don't like the tiny rear window sliver and large pillar causing a big blind spot. A fully loaded Tiguan can reach the mid 30k range, which is too much money for what you get. Its almost as if they are pricing it to make them appear like a luxury brand, when in reality, they should have ensured it topped out (ie: fully loaded) at no more than $30k.

Ford Escape - Probably the most surprising CUV I saw. I never thought much of Ford and still worry about their reliability. But any driving/mechanical issues aside, this interior was fantastic! I sat down and if you told me that I was sitting in a entry luxury vehicle, I would not question you. Seats were comfortable and the interior parts all felt solid and good quality. Their center stack area and infotainment was rich looking and well designed from my quick overview. The rear seats were just as comfortable and there was plenty of leg room. I've heard there have been some mechanical issues with the new model and I will have to research this a bit more. However, if these mechanical problems get fixed, I think I might give Ford a try.

2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee - Another surprising vehicle. While I always liked Jeeps, nothing every blew me away and made me say "wow." I sat in the 2014 limited edition and it had both me and my girlfriend saying wow on numerous occasions. RICH feeling and looking interior throughout the entire cabin - front and back. They claim 30mpg, but I didn't see any small print there. I have a hard time believing any large jeep would every get this type of mileage. Again, Jeep has had some mechanical issues in the past, so I'd be very cautious.... but in terms of look and feel? I loved this Jeep GC.

There you go everyone! I'm sure some will agree and many will disagree, but thought I'd report my findings and opinions

 

Nice write up.
Your initial impressions of the Ford Escape and Hyundai Santa Fe pretty much mirrored mine when I was doing my research.
The Santa Fe was an instant disappointment when I test drove it. Vague steering feel, underpowered, noisy and choppy ride were my conclusions.
The Escape Titanium had decent driving dynamics & steering feel. The ride was good and the 2.0 had ample power. The interior was a bit cramped from a driving position but everything else about it I liked. I had a Focus Titanium at the time.
I would have bought an Escape had Ford been willing to negotiate a fair price but they weren't serious at all with their offer.
In hindsight I think it was the best thing that could have happened as that experience gave me pause to reconsider my options which resulted in my buying the RDX.

 

Thanks for the write up. Nice job.

I just read on carfansdotcom that BMW in the latter half of this year will be releasing the new 3 series sport wagon 328 with a 4 cylinder diesel engine which will have 240HP and 298lbs ft torque and get 42Mpg highway. I'm leasing my RDX and that will definitely be in contention next time around. I've owned two diesels in the last few years and loved them both.

 

I didn't know Volvo was planning to bring the V60 to the states. They're nice looking wagons. Thanks for the info.

 

Yep, they disappointed some with the non-intro of the V40; but I believe the V60 will be a fair seller. If the ride height is between the sedans and the XC60(closer to the XC70), we'll be interested. NOT interested in a wagon that rides at sports car height, but not completely wedded to the CUV height, either. It can be a 'sportwagon' without riding on the pavement, IMO.

 

How's the hit for diesel prices up there? In central Texas, diesel is right at $4, while 87 petrol is 3.40 and 93 petrol is $3.75-3.80-ish. A few years back, when petrol dropped from $4 to $3, diesel STAYED a full dollar/gal more than petrol! Took a LONG time for the two to close the gap.

 

Very nice...I like your "report." But, I was quite surprised that you didn't do a write up on the new upcoming MDX!! It was there...we've read about it and saw lots of pics. I get it that you picked competitors for the RDX....but, we are "kinda close" to the MDX as well...since it's our Big Brother SUV...and it's a high quality larger SUV, and....it's an Acura!!
Thanks!

 

That is one of the best "consumer" reviews of an auto show I have ever read. I think it's safe to say we can all take it at face value. THANKS!

 

Colorado,

I only got an exterior view of the new MDX. Unfortunately, I saved Acura for last (saved the best for last haha). By the time I got there, I'd been there for a solid 5 hours and my girlfriend was getting a bit cranky :-P She held strong for the first few hours and even said I managed to get her to like cars!! But by hour 5 she was asking "How can you look at cars for this long??" I told her if I could, I'd spend 10 hours there. Also, she recently tore her MCL while skiing so I know she was hurting and it was time to go home.

I will say this... I was not that impressed with the exterior styling. Mostly, I honestly don't see that it changed THAT much to make me say WOW. Again, just like the RDX, it doesn't stand out. Certainly nice looking, but I do think the RDX is better looking. Of course if you need space, then the MDX is a good choice. But since I'm 30 and unmarried, the MDX wasn't on my list. I spent most of my 5 hours there looking at vehicles I would consider buying, as well as researching cars for my dad (who's first car was a 1964 Dodge Dart... and his next will be the 2014 Dart which is a BEAUTIFUL car!!!).

Sorry for the non report of the MDX! I wish I could've had another hour there. I barely got any time at Acura and I didn't see a lot of the American brands (Chevy and Buick specifically). BMW area was SWAMPED and I didn't spend much time there either (gf was cranky then too).

Oh and I forgot another report! The Mazda CX-5... exterior styling is NICE!! I have to say I really really like the look of it. Interior... not so much. Cheap. But again, its a Mazda so I couldn't expect that much. But with such a nice looking outside, I would've liked that to carry over inside. I also would have liked to see a more powerful engine option here. Slap a turbo 4 on it with 200ish hp and I'd think about it. Though I question the reliability of a Mazda.

PS - Thanks to everyone who "THANKED" my post. Been a member here since August and this was my first thanks

 

"Though I question the reliability of a Mazda."

They have really good report cards from CR for about the past 10 years. My wife drives a 2007 Mazda6 with 95k on it that has been perfect. Only two things that needed repair were done no charge...one in warranty and one out. What were they? A tailpipe hanger adjustment and a screw that fell out of the sun visor. That's it. I hope my RDX does that well!