Cory Wolfe

Volkswagen could use a helping dose of this design language across its entire line-up. This is well done.

A lot of GM's vehicles are really hurting for sales so far. Very few bright spots, but they're big enough to offset all the losses, and then some. Cadillac, of course, is still in need a miracle. Even those who always pine for prestige and profit per unit over volume have to admit this is becoming a problem. Then, you have Buick with 3 of its 5 models seeing double digit losses. Chevrolet also has double digit losses across the majority of its car line-up. Really, the only bright spots are seen in GM's truck and crossover lineup. Perhaps part of that is due to the hellish winter we've had so far... But, perusing other sales numbers sees other brands doing just fine.

Audi seems to have lost all ability to design something interesting. Lately, their motto seems to be "Let's just sharpen this cease here, straighten that bit out, slim down this, fatten up that... Oh, and give it more LEDs." This R8 is a prime example of that as it is basically the same damn design. 12 years and this is the best they can manage?

The Phaeton was a wonderful car, definitely as good as, if not better than, flagships from luxury mainstays. It just couldn't overcome brand snobbery. Anything SMK says is generally a fitting example of such... People just get sucked into believing something is always better everything else. Now, its worth noting that the Phaeton did have one major drawback: VW dealer service, or lack thereof.

So far, I like what I see, but its not surprising given that they haven't really had a model that wasn't good looking. With that said, I'm ready to be disappointed. It seems like it may be just a little too conventional... like a longer, matured CTS. Maybe its intentional, given that the new name will likely be confused with that car. I can see dealers now... "Yes, Sir, here we have our stretched CTS, thats what the six stands for." It's bound to happen, and depending on what details we're missing out on with these blurry screenshots, its not likely to wow. That's not to say it won't do so in other areas such as intelligent engineering or interior trimmings. I'm still eager to see full reveal to see how it manages to stand up as Cadillac's closest thing to flagship sedan since the 'ye olde' Fleetwood. Cadillac really has nothing to lose at this point, and things can only go up from here. Now, regarding all this gibberish about coupes. Yes, the term is stupid, and yes, the designs are wonderful. Also, I can see Drew's point, especially if you consider it in terms and 1990's design language. Sedans were rather upright, and even the coupes had fairly low beltlines, thus you will notice a difference comparing it to a CLS. Taking that into consideration, it is still not quite as radical, with a more standard look. Definitely dramatic for its time either way. Finally, I must say, I enjoy when someone goes out and makes their biases more obvious than usual with endless double-standards.

Chevy is really getting lazy with these refreshes. First the Cruze, now this. For as long as these have been on the market, they needed to do more than this...

Toyota seems intent on offering vehicles with the largest gaping holes up front.

Every new Ram seems to be experimenting with grill designs. They're starting to look a little odd...

Aping the style of the CR-V will likely benefit them, though the overall look is a bit dull.

This isn't anything new tech-wise, but if Kia manages to build it, I think they'll have a hit. The Soul is already popular enough and this could further bolster that.

With Acura dumping it's manual transmissions for slush-boxes, I fail to see how they're likely to win back any of their old fans. I also don't really see them making any inroads with the luxury crowd either as the brand still straddles the line between true luxury and just being a tarted up Honda.

I can only hope my Avalon stops it's sinking depreciation. I swear, every time I think I'm close to finally having it paid down below its value, it's dropped another couple grand. Toyota dependability? Proven. Toyota value retention? Pfft. It's really bites me in the ass when I realize how at the time I bought the Avalon, it was worth more than my Legacy (all things considered equal) and now it's worth much less. It's still held onto a fair amount of value for its age, but that just hurts.

Conversely, many don't realize that these companies tend to very well overall when you consider total global sales. Suzuki, for example, outsells PSA (Peugeot, Citroen), Renault, BMW, Daimler AG (Mercedes) in total global units and have been generally profitable. This just goes to show how hard it is to overcome a bad reputation in a single country thanks to some $h!ty Daewoos. Mazda is doing pretty well for itself after its break-up with Ford. It has a ways to go, but is increasing its global sales and overall profits were up 77% as of the most recent quarter. Considering the constant praise its vehicles are managing, they're likely on track for continued success. Mitsubishi, on the other hand, is a fairly mixed bag. Globally, it produces about the same quantity as Mazda, but its latest profits were down 10% (but not in the negative). Does that include Suzuki motorcycles, marine products, etc or just truly auto's? Amazing to hear that Suzuki outsells those other brands. That only includes passenger vehicles and light-duty commercial vehicles.

Conversely, many don't realize that these companies tend to very well overall when you consider total global sales. Suzuki, for example, outsells PSA (Peugeot, Citroen), Renault, BMW, Daimler AG (Mercedes) in total global units and have been generally profitable. This just goes to show how hard it is to overcome a bad reputation in a single country thanks to some $h!ty Daewoos. Mazda is doing pretty well for itself after its break-up with Ford. It has a ways to go, but is increasing its global sales and overall profits were up 77% as of the most recent quarter. Considering the constant praise its vehicles are managing, they're likely on track for continued success. Mitsubishi, on the other hand, is a fairly mixed bag. Globally, it produces about the same quantity as Mazda, but its latest profits were down 10% (but not in the negative).

Audi had a fairly unremarkable January. Lots of decreases overall only to be saved by the A3 in the end.

That Mustang is really kicking ass and taking names. Over 8k in the month of January is impressive for a RWD sports coupe.

Cadillac's only bright spot sales-wise seems to be the Escalade. Let's hope that the CTS and ATS can make some sort of shift in popularity this year. I know some on here will argue for the prestige of lower sales/higher profits, but let's face it... These decreases aren't helping. De-Nysshen needs to start a marketing blitz, like, now. Otherwise, I'm surprised to see the Sonic down by half. Perhaps those buyers were swayed into a Trax.

Versa buyers remind me of Camry buyers. They must go straight to Nissan and not cross-shop at all. For such an awful penalty box, it continues to be the best selling sub-compact car. It pays to be the cheapest, I suppose.

I can't believe people still buy Lancers. I guess the addition of AWD to entry level trims a couple years back keeps it on some people's radar... I just can't imagine someone wanting a 7 year old design despite that (and the presumably large discounts).

Mazda is slowly, but surely digging its way into a relevant position in the market. With the new CX-3, MX-5, and Mazda2 soon to bow, Mazda ought to be in a pretty good position for increased success. Still, at this point, it's sad to think the entire brand is being outsold by the likes of Camry, Accord, Altima, etc.

This will likely stand as the biggest surprise from this years Super Bowl. Never expected that. Anyways, it sure is a weird looking thing, like the concept that previewed it. A Murano sedan.

Once upon a time, it seemed like Nissan was losing their way. They were cutting the fun out of their products, cutting the fun products, and leaving themselves with an unremarkable image. This was the late 90's. Soon after that, in came a partnership with Renault and a seemingly renewed interest in building interesting vehicles. They literally reinvigorated their lineup and the sales increases followed. In the last decade, they've doubled their worldwide sales since that point. Lately, it's felt a little like the late nineties for Nissan again and I thought we'd see another renewed interest in building vehicles with passion again. With this news, perhaps not...

Anyone who knows me is aware of my coffee addiction. A day without turns me into a fogged slushbox.

It looks as nice as it did at last years auto show... And the year before. It's about time they finally give us a production version.

Wow, that is one ugly truck. I agree entirely with the chinese-knockoff look commented above. It's like an F-150 that's been microwaved and subsequently melted as a result. And those fender vents; What were they thinking? Cheapens the design even further. The interior is damn near an exact copy of the the F-150's. This just doesn't feel like a serious production vehicle from a major automaker. Now, had this been a Geely...