Is it just me or do the new 2012 and 2013 models of American cars actually look

really nice this year?

I was thumbing through the VW site, because I've traditionally bought VWs, but

I found their models to be uninspired looking this year.

So out of boredome I went to Ford and CHevy just browsing, and I was completely

surprised.

Their cars actually looked good this year. Moreover, some of the models looked

great!

Has anyone noticed how much nicer their lineups looked lately?

Is it just me?

No man, you are correct.

Detroit finally shook off the old school top brass (thanks to the bankruptcies) and some fresh blood is making things good again.

They realized that it didn't cost THAT much more to make a quality affordable car than it was to make a cheap shitty car. For too many years they thought that competing with Japan meant putting out the cheapest product that they could make. The results were the disposable cars that we were offered throughout the 90's and '00s.

Now Detroit is getting back on track, and who knows?...maybe soon (after 30 years?) they'll finally be able to make something that can compete with the Honda accord.

You non-Detroiters need to support us here in Detroit....I just bought a Ford Fusion sport...and I love it...especially the sync technology.

Revolution said:

You non-Detroiters need to support us here in Detroit....I just bought a Ford Fusion sport...and I love it...especially the sync technology.

I have always had American cars. My parents have always had American cars.

I drove my sister-in-law's Honda Accord once and was like;

Still, when it came time to buy a car, I got a Grand Am. I loved it. But it was so riddled with problems, that I traded it in for an SUV (kids getting bigger and all)...my Chevy Equinox is an older model ('06) and it sucks. I mean, it drives well, but it's slow and has the turning radius of Winnebago.

My ex got a Mazda 3, and I loved driving it when I got the chance. So much so that I would consider getting a Mazda myself. Maybe.

But the new Equinox is nicer and the turning radius issue has been fixed (so I've been told).

I plan on going to the International Auto Expo when it comes to NYC in April. I'll check out what my future car will be then.

PurpleJedi said:

Revolution said:

You non-Detroiters need to support us here in Detroit....I just bought a Ford Fusion sport...and I love it...especially the sync technology.

I have always had American cars. My parents have always had American cars.

I drove my sister-in-law's Honda Accord once and was like;

Still, when it came time to buy a car, I got a Grand Am. I loved it. But it was so riddled with problems, that I traded it in for an SUV (kids getting bigger and all)...my Chevy Equinox is an older model ('06) and it sucks. I mean, it drives well, but it's slow and has the turning radius of Winnebago.

My ex got a Mazda 3, and I loved driving it when I got the chance. So much so that I would consider getting a Mazda myself. Maybe.

But the new Equinox is nicer and the turning radius issue has been fixed (so I've been told).

I plan on going to the International Auto Expo when it comes to NYC in April. I'll check out what my future car will be then.

Sweet! You're alright with me , ya know, aside from being on your list...

PurpleJedi said:

No man, you are correct.

Detroit finally shook off the old school top brass (thanks to the bankruptcies) and some fresh blood is making things good again.

They realized that it didn't cost THAT much more to make a quality affordable car than it was to make a cheap shitty car. For too many years they thought that competing with Japan meant putting out the cheapest product that they could make. The results were the disposable cars that we were offered throughout the 90's and '00s.

Now Detroit is getting back on track, and who knows?...maybe soon (after 30 years?) they'll finally be able to make something that can compete with the Honda accord.

Actually, the old guard was more concerned with making money than putting out quality product. The auto comapnies in Detroit knew they could put out stylish cars with excellent gas mileage for years, but they shelved those designs to make a ton of crappy gas guzzling SUV's to make a ton of money, thinking that the economy would never go down and the price of gas wouldn't go up that much. But then came the manipulated oil shock of 2008 followed by the economic crash, and those two events almost killed the American auto industry. If it weren't for President Obama stepping in and getting rid of the old guard at GM and Chrysler, there would most likely no longer be an American auto industry.

Revolution said:

You non-Detroiters need to support us here in Detroit....I just bought a Ford Fusion sport...and I love it...especially the sync technology.

That is a nice car. Actually thought of getting one, then I got my Accord

[Edited 1/15/12 14:07pm]

Revolution said:

You non-Detroiters need to support us here in Detroit....I just bought a Ford Fusion sport...and I love it...especially the sync technology.

My ex has that and I was actually quite impressed with the sync technology myself. I was like "wow this is in a Ford? They stepping up"...however, I'm still not convinced enough to buy a Ford. In my 14 years of driving, I've only had Pontiacs...my first car in high school was a Grand Am and I had no problems with it at all. The car I drive now and have had for the past 7 1/2 years is the Pontiac G6 which I plan to keep for as long as I can. Since GM has done away with Pontiac (those bastards!!!! ) I've been looking at Nissan as my next vehicle. But I want a six-speed manual trans SUV though.

I never really liked Ford for their kind of boring, peasant-like feel and style, but after working for them last year and testing a couple of cars, I must admit I really like the new Focus and the Mondeo.

I drive a Renault (don't know if many Americans will know that company) and while I usually don't like the interior, I am thinking of buying a 100% electric car by Renault next year. I tested them and wrote reports about them and worked on a car show this past week to spread info about electric cars.

Car-wise, I'd like to get a Lancia Delta and a Renault Zoé soon. The latter for 95% of my daily destinations, the Lancia for going abroad or destination that surpass the 120km range.

Well,
I guess American cars do look nicer these days.
To be honest, I've never really paid all that much attention.
I mean,
I hope that what you, Imago, say is true. That the cars made here in American look nice.
Because,
well...
nice things,
in my opinion,
they seem to add a bit more value to stuff like,

well,
y'know....
experiencing life an' shit.



I dunno.....

I guess I'm just killin' time here.

I find American cars to be looking worse than ever, but to each there own I suppose. I work in auto parts and know they are being built worse than ever.

Visionnaire said:

Well,
I guess American cars do look nicer these days.
To be honest, I've never really paid all that much attention.
I mean,
I hope that what you, Imago, say is true. That the cars made here in American look nice.
Because,
well...
nice things,
in my opinion,
they seem to add a bit more value to stuff like,

well,
y'know....
experiencing life an' shit.



I dunno.....

I guess I'm just killin' time here.

Having a nice automobile with which you can pack your bags and drive across the country HAD been one of those "things" that added a bit more value to your life experience, to most Americans.

Driving down I-95 from NY to Virginia/South Carolina/Florida with the family was, to me, something enjoyable, and those memories will always bring a smile to my face.

I'd love to ride down Route 66 one day...just BECAUSE.

yall are remarkably gay

imago said:

yall are remarkably gay

You and your VW beetle can talk to the hand.

728huey said:

PurpleJedi said:

No man, you are correct.

Detroit finally shook off the old school top brass (thanks to the bankruptcies) and some fresh blood is making things good again.

They realized that it didn't cost THAT much more to make a quality affordable car than it was to make a cheap shitty car. For too many years they thought that competing with Japan meant putting out the cheapest product that they could make. The results were the disposable cars that we were offered throughout the 90's and '00s.

Now Detroit is getting back on track, and who knows?...maybe soon (after 30 years?) they'll finally be able to make something that can compete with the Honda accord.

Actually, the old guard was more concerned with making money than putting out quality product. The auto comapnies in Detroit knew they could put out stylish cars with excellent gas mileage for years, but they shelved those designs to make a ton of crappy gas guzzling SUV's to make a ton of money, thinking that the economy would never go down and the price of gas wouldn't go up that much. But then came the manipulated oil shock of 2008 followed by the economic crash, and those two events almost killed the American auto industry. If it weren't for President Obama stepping in and getting rid of the old guard at GM and Chrysler, there would most likely no longer be an American auto industry.

I will resist and not bounce this over to P & R.

SUPRMAN said:

728huey said:

Actually, the old guard was more concerned with making money than putting out quality product. The auto comapnies in Detroit knew they could put out stylish cars with excellent gas mileage for years, but they shelved those designs to make a ton of crappy gas guzzling SUV's to make a ton of money, thinking that the economy would never go down and the price of gas wouldn't go up that much. But then came the manipulated oil shock of 2008 followed by the economic crash, and those two events almost killed the American auto industry. If it weren't for President Obama stepping in and getting rid of the old guard at GM and Chrysler, there would most likely no longer be an American auto industry.

I will resist and not bounce this over to P & R.

Yes, the u.s. cars are looking very nice now.

Love the Dodge Charger, Challenger , chevy camaro and chrylser 300.

I bought a couple of cars in the last year or so.

02' chrysler sebring convertible--fun ride

09' chrysler 300 -- really sharp

I love the look and feel of these cars.

imago said:

yall are remarkably gay

Stop trying to jack this thread!!

Two things have helped Detroit Autos:

New Plants with updated craft centres that allow for minimal change over for new model lines.

Solid creative teams that is actually backed by management. They are drawing from the old American as well as classic European stylings.

Also, many models are maturing that came out of the purge of recent years (GM: Olds, Pontiac, even the Saturn concept, etc)

I'm going to try to make the Auto Show this weekend, but it's a long shot. It would be nice to get in a car or two and see how they feel.

I´m happy for Detroiter if American cars are making a comeback but, IMO, American cars will NEVER be what they used to be in the golden age of cars. I miss those kind of cars....muscle cars, old limousines, sedans, etc.

I wonder why they don´t just remake those old cars. I mean, people pay a lot of money for replicas or vintage original cars but why don´t the companies just build the same models, with the same exact look but with updated engines and technology? Seems like everything has to look froglike and round these days. The same can be said about cars from other countries as well but at least they are

durable and dependable.

American cars were already over in the late 70s/early 80s. Which is sad because they used to look great.

KoolEaze said:

I´m happy for Detroiter if American cars are making a comeback but, IMO, American cars will NEVER be what they used to be in the golden age of cars. I miss those kind of cars....muscle cars, old limousines, sedans, etc.

I wonder why they don´t just remake those old cars. I mean, people pay a lot of money for replicas or vintage original cars but why don´t the companies just build the same models, with the same exact look but with updated engines and technology? Seems like everything has to look froglike and round these days. The same can be said about cars from other countries as well but at least they are

durable and dependable.

American cars were already over in the late 70s/early 80s. Which is sad because they used to look great.

Have you not SEEN what Detroit is putting out nowadays???

How much more "retro" could they get?

I dunno.

I'm not usually in the market for a vehicle until its atleast 15 years old.

TotalANXiousNESS said:

I dunno.

I'm not usually in the market for a vehicle until its atleast 15 years old.

Cars are a personal taste, but something has happened with my Ford Mustang convertible that I still can't believe:

I bought a 2008 Ford Mustang V6 convertible for $17,000 in September 2008. It had 9,000 miles.

I've owned the car for 3 years and 4 months, and it now has 56,000 miles on it. Guess how much it's worth?

You'd think about $7,000 or so, right? That would have been normal depreciation on American cars in the past. Well, I hope you're sitting down. My 2008, 56K mile convertible Mustang is worth:

$14,830!

This car has barely depreciated at all! I'd like to think it was because I stole it when I bought it, but I got the car for only a little under the asking price.

I don't know if this lack of depreciation is specific to Mustang convertibles, or Fords, or American cars but I do know this:

I ain't selling it any time soon!

PurpleJedi said:

KoolEaze said:

I´m happy for Detroiter if American cars are making a comeback but, IMO, American cars will NEVER be what they used to be in the golden age of cars. I miss those kind of cars....muscle cars, old limousines, sedans, etc.

I wonder why they don´t just remake those old cars. I mean, people pay a lot of money for replicas or vintage original cars but why don´t the companies just build the same models, with the same exact look but with updated engines and technology? Seems like everything has to look froglike and round these days. The same can be said about cars from other countries as well but at least they are

durable and dependable.

American cars were already over in the late 70s/early 80s. Which is sad because they used to look great.

Have you not SEEN what Detroit is putting out nowadays???

How much more "retro" could they get?

And don't forget the Dodge Challenger!

I collected Mopar muscle cars for several years, but when a Challenger comes down the road, I have to look twice to see if it's a new one or one from the 1970's.

PurpleJedi said:

Visionnaire said:

Well,
I guess American cars do look nicer these days.
To be honest, I've never really paid all that much attention.
I mean,
I hope that what you, Imago, say is true. That the cars made here in American look nice.
Because,
well...
nice things,
in my opinion,
they seem to add a bit more value to stuff like,

well,
y'know....
experiencing life an' shit.



I dunno.....

I guess I'm just killin' time here.

Having a nice automobile with which you can pack your bags and drive across the country HAD been one of those "things" that added a bit more value to your life experience, to most Americans.

Driving down I-95 from NY to Virginia/South Carolina/Florida with the family was, to me, something enjoyable, and those memories will always bring a smile to my face.

I'd love to ride down Route 66 one day...just BECAUSE.

A couple years ago, we drove through Winslow, Arizona.

I kind of regret I didn't make my wife stop so I could stand on a corner, but we weren't driving a flatbed Ford so I figured, "What's the point?"

PurpleJedi said:

KoolEaze said:

I´m happy for Detroiter if American cars are making a comeback but, IMO, American cars will NEVER be what they used to be in the golden age of cars. I miss those kind of cars....muscle cars, old limousines, sedans, etc.

I wonder why they don´t just remake those old cars. I mean, people pay a lot of money for replicas or vintage original cars but why don´t the companies just build the same models, with the same exact look but with updated engines and technology? Seems like everything has to look froglike and round these days. The same can be said about cars from other countries as well but at least they are

durable and dependable.

American cars were already over in the late 70s/early 80s. Which is sad because they used to look great.

Have you not SEEN what Detroit is putting out nowadays???

How much more "retro" could they get?

Those don´t look retro enough for me. They look like those hideous early 1980s cars.

I´m talking about THESE classics here:

[img:$uid]http://aktuell.meinestadt.de/metzingen/files/2011/10/ZmJUirvQUC.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://chromundflammen.de/uploads/pics/Kaunitz_Strassenkreuzer_55.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://blog.nz-online.de/wp-content/uploads/peltner/reno12.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://www.auto-zimmerli.ch/thumb_uc_13982_w570_Pontiac_GTO_am_Meeting_von_Musikbox_und_Strassenkreuzer_Festival_Verl_Kaunitz_D.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://sinsheim.technik-museum.de/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2269&g2_serialNumber=3[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://k-seven.de/bilder/kunst_lightbox/mustang_4.jpg[/img:$uid]

[img:$uid]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5288/5686973413_a18cdc2704_z.jpg[/img:$uid]

Something sexy you know...something like those old classics, or those old 70s muscle cars but with a little modern twist.

RodeoSchro said:

Cars are a personal taste, but something has happened with my Ford Mustang convertible that I still can't believe:

I bought a 2008 Ford Mustang V6 convertible for $17,000 in September 2008. It had 9,000 miles.

I've owned the car for 3 years and 4 months, and it now has 56,000 miles on it. Guess how much it's worth?

You'd think about $7,000 or so, right? That would have been normal depreciation on American cars in the past. Well, I hope you're sitting down. My 2008, 56K mile convertible Mustang is worth:

$14,830!

This car has barely depreciated at all! I'd like to think it was because I stole it when I bought it, but I got the car for only a little under the asking price.

I don't know if this lack of depreciation is specific to Mustang convertibles, or Fords, or American cars but I do know this:

I ain't selling it any time soon!

This one here?

[img:$uid]http://mustang1.net/data/media/69/2008-ford-shelby-gt-h-mustang-convertible-ucc.jpg[/img:$uid]

That looks nice, I also like the ones that PurpleJedi posted above. But somehow I prefer the old, vintage models.

How´s your car´s mileage? Does it need a lot of gas? What do you like about your car?

I´m just curious. I like that one but don´t know whether that´s the kind of car I would want to drive around here. Do you own older ones? If so, which ones? And why don´t they just make them like they used to? I mean, why can´t they just rebuild their most successful and most sought after models from way back in the days? With modern technology, of course.

RodeoSchro said:

PurpleJedi said:

Having a nice automobile with which you can pack your bags and drive across the country HAD been one of those "things" that added a bit more value to your life experience, to most Americans.

Driving down I-95 from NY to Virginia/South Carolina/Florida with the family was, to me, something enjoyable, and those memories will always bring a smile to my face.

I'd love to ride down Route 66 one day...just BECAUSE.

A couple years ago, we drove through Winslow, Arizona.

I kind of regret I didn't make my wife stop so I could stand on a corner, but we weren't driving a flatbed Ford so I figured, "What's the point?"

Take it easy RS!