2012-13 Lexus Lease Rates – May 2012

Published 2012/05/112012/05/11 by G

LFS adjusted residuals and MF randomly this month. Residual either stayed the same or dropped by 1%. MFs, on the other hand, went up and down or stayed the same. Doesn’t make too much sense if you ask me.

Lexus is currently making the first payment for customers who lease a new 2012 RX 350, IS 250 Sedan, IS 350 Sedan, or ES 350 (capped at $700). You also get $1000 in loyalty/college/military cash that you can apply towards your lease or drive-off.

The lease on the IS250 this month seem slightly higher than last. Lexus also bumped the MSRP of the IS by $200. Overall, this is still an attractive lease so it isn’t a bad time to get into the IS.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
MSRP – $34,670
Sale Price – $31,673 ($1000 loyalty or college cash)
Monthly – $368+ tax
RWG Rating – 92.6

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
TrueCar
CarsDirect.com

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS ES350
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00110 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS GX460
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS HS250H
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00090 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AWD AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00090 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 AWD AT SEDAN
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00090 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 CONV
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS-F
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS LS460 AWD
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00130 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00060 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX450H AWD
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00090 Base Rate

2013 LEXUS GS350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012-13 Lexus Lease Rates – April 2012

Published 2012/04/12 by G

Lexus adjusted their lease rates this month. Residual drops and MF adjustments. CT200h got a significant bump in MF, which really kills the car as a lease. 2013 GS350 AWD has a really great residual value right now. MF is a tad high, but workable if you can get a nice sale price. Now I’m not saying it’s going to be a great deal, but I do think it has potential. The IS line looks pretty good as well. TrueCar suggests about $600 over invoice, but I think it’s fair to target invoice + incentives. See my sample calculation below to get an idea as to what you should expect on the IS250.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
MSRP – $34,470
Sale Price – $31,623 ($1000 loyalty or college cash)
Monthly – $360+ tax
RWG Rating – 93.6

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
TrueCar
Edmunds.com
CarsDirect.com

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS ES350
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00105 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS GX460
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS HS250H
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00072 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AWD AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00072 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 AWD AT SEDAN
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00110 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 CONV
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS-F
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS LS460 AWD
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00095 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX450H AWD
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2013 LEXUS GS350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 63% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 Lexus Lease Rates – March 2012

Published 2012/03/16 by G

No clear pattern here. Lexus seems to have kept a lot of the residuals the same and improved on many model’s MF as well. However, there are a few models that either got a drop in residual or a bump in MF. Seems rather random to me. Nevertheless, the popular models either stayed the same or improved a bit.

Looking at the CT200H, gas prices have bumped the sale price of this car above MSRP. Why anyone would want to pay a premium just to save a little bit on gas is beyond me.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
MSRP – $32,625
Sale Price – $33,084 (no discounts applied)
Monthly – $441+ tax
RWG Rating – 78.3

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
TrueCar
Edmunds.com
CarsDirect.com

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00110 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS ES350
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00130 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS GX460
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS HS250H
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AWD AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00125 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 AWD AT SEDAN
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 CONV
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS-F
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS LS460 AWD
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00130 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX450H AWD
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 Lexus Lease Rates – February 2012

Published 2012/02/092012/03/01 by G

Residual remain the same as January, but MFs have been reduced in models such as the CT and the IS (to name a few) which is great. This month, I will be looking at the CT200H. If you are in the Military or are a recent graduate, you may qualify for $750 or $1000 (respectively) in customer cash. Since this isn’t a rebate that applies the most people, I will not be using it as part of my calculations. The CT200h isn’t getting a huge discount (I’m seeing a measly 1% off MSRP on the Premium), so no good deal can be had on the CT right now.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
MSRP – $32,625
Sale Price – $32,325 (no discounts applied)
Monthly – $420+ tax
RWG Rating – 81.0

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
TrueCar
Edmunds.com
CarsDirect.com

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00110 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS ES350
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00130 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS GX460
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS HS250H
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AWD AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00125 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 AWD AT SEDAN
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00140 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 CONV
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS-F
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS LS460 AWD
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00130 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX450H AWD
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 Lexus Lease Rates – January 2012

Published 2012/01/112012/01/26 by G

Lease rates during the Holidays were a lot better than this month. No surprise there. January has never been the best time to lease cars. Buying is not bad because special financing usually carries over from the Holiday Season. It’s even better when you can find an unsold 2011 models since discounts are even more significant.

On a brighter note, the convertibles do sport a pretty good residual and decent money factor. TrueCar reports about 10% discount off MSRP in the SoCal market, so it might be worth a look. Check out the calculation below to get an idea where your payments would start.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
MSRP – $42065
Sale Price – $38065
Monthly – $451+ tax
RWG Rating – 91.9

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
Edmunds.com
CarsDirect.com

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS ES350
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS GX460
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS HS250H
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AWD AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 AWD AT SEDAN
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 CONV
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS-F
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS LS460 AWD
36 Month – Residual 53% of MSRP – .00190 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00130 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX450H AWD
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 Lexus Lease Rates – December 2011

Published 2011/12/07 by G

I got the lease rates for the CT200H and they look okay. Same residual as the IS250, but a slightly higher money factor. Unfortunately, the average sale price in Southern California is about 4% off MSRP, which doesn’t yield the best payments. Check out my calculations below for more info. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth it. The IS250 sale prices seems to have dropped by a about $300 in my area as well, sneaking it right into the 90+ RWG range. Looks like Lexus just earned itself a car on my Round-Up this month! Couple of things to note, remaining 2011 models are getting some marketing cash assistance, so if you manage to find one, have the dealer work out numbers for that car too. Also, special financing IS available on the 2012 and the interest rate is LOW. Go to Edmund’s incentive page and you will see what I mean. 2012 IS250 is getting 0.9% for 60 months. That’s really good.

Here is a sample calculation based on TrueCar’s Southern California sale price and do not include local taxes. Please note that your dealer calculations may vary due to local fees/taxes.

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
MSRP – $32,125
Sale Price – $30,876
Monthly – $403+ tax
RWG Rating – 82.5

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
MSRP – $35,640
Sale Price – $32,385
Monthly – $386+ tax
RWG Rating – 91.3

Support my site by getting your “no obligation” quotes from:
TrueCar.com

2012 LEXUS CT200H HYBRID PREMIUM
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS ES350
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS GX460
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS HS250H
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AWD AT SDN
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00105 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT CONV
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 AWD AT SEDAN
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS350 CONV
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS IS-F
36 Month – Residual 56% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS LS460 AWD
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX350 AWD
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

2012 LEXUS RX450H AWD
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00160 Base Rate

Monthly Round-Up: Thanksgiving 2011 Edition

Published 2011/11/232011/11/23 by G

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I wanted to extend a BIG “THANK YOU” for your continued support. It hasn’t been the smoothest of years, but I am very thankful to have a good community I can talk cars with. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and cherish your time with your family. As a last minute reminder, shop early and make sure to give yourself plenty of time before your existing lease expires. Happy Turkey Day Everyone!

This month’s participants include: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Kia, Nissan, Acura, Hyundai, Infiniti, Honda, Lexus, Volvo, Audi and BMW.

For Dealer Quotes, go to: TrueCar.com. or Yahoo Autos
To check your credit, go to CreditReport.com.

Ground Rules

Participating vehicles will be based on the lease rates gathered on this website during the corresponding month.
36-month/15k lease terms will used for all calculations unless a better term is available.
A $1500 drive-off fee is assumed for all cars. Since fees and taxes vary from region to region, your drive-off may vary.
Sale Price estimates will be based on Truecar.com sales data in the Southern California region, so your numbers may vary.
All estimates assume you qualify for the base rate. A minimum Credit Score of 700 may be required to secure Top Tier credit in most cases.
Sales taxes are not included since different states handle taxes differently.
The rating system used is based on RIDE with G’s Lease Calculator. Only cars with a 90 rating or higher will be included on this list.

SEDAN

2012 INFINITI G37 SEDAN JOURNEY (109.5) *$1000 loyalty and $1000 holiday cash
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00074 Base Rate

2012 INFINITI G25 SEDAN X AWD (105.6) *$500 dealer cash
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00061 Base Rate

2012 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0SR CVT (105.0)
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00082 Base Rate

2012 NISSAN ALTIMA SEDAN S CVT (103.1)
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00021 Base Rate

2012 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN EX-L V6 (101.3) *$500 dealer cash
36 Month – Residual 54% of MSRP – .00050 Base Rate

2011 BMW 328i Sedan (99.6) *$1000 loyalty cash
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00180 Base Rate

2012 ACURA TL BASE (99.5) *$1250 dealer cash
36 Month – Residual 58% of MSRP – .00114 Base Rate

2012 HONDA CIVIC SEDAN EX AT (99.5)
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00098 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C300 4matic Sport 4dr Sedan (97.4) $2000 loyalty cash
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00142 Base Rate

2012 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T SE (96.7) *$500 loyalty cash
36-month | 15k miles | residual 62% | .00142 base money factor

2012 Volvo S60 T-5 (96.3) *$1000 loyalty cash
36-month | 15k miles | residual 59% | .00122 base money factor

2012 NISSAN MAXIMA S (94.5)
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00128 Base Rate

2012 VOLKSWAGEN CC SPORT AT (94.1) *$1250 lease cash
36 Month – Residual 51% of MSRP – .00028 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 Sport 4dr Sedan (93.7) *$2000 loyalty cash
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00154 Base Rate

2012 INFINITI M37 SEDAN X AWD (93.6) $1000 loyalty cash
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00029 Base Rate

2012 Kia Optima EX (91.2) *$1000 customer cash
36-month | 15k miles | residual 57% | .00130 base money factor

2012 LEXUS IS250 AT SDN (91.1)
36 Month – Residual 60% of MSRP – .00150 Base Rate

CONVERTIBLE

2012 INFINITI G37 CONVERTIBLE SPORT 6MT (90.5)
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00153 Base Rate

COUPE

2012 INFINITI G37 COUPE JOURNEY (102.1) *$1000 loyalty cash
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00100 Base Rate

2012 HONDA ACCORD COUPE EX-L V6 (95.8) *$500 dealer cash
36 Month – Residual 52% of MSRP – .00050 Base Rate

2012 HONDA CIVIC COUPE EX AT (95.2)
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00098 Base Rate

2012 Mercedes C250 2dr Coupe (94.6) *$2000 loyalty cash
36 Month – Residual 66% of MSRP – .00225 Base Rate

2012 BMW 328xi Coupe (90.2) *$1000 loyalty cash ($1000 lease/apr cash available)
36 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00185 Base Rate

2012 NISSAN ALTIMA COUPE S CVT (93.8)
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00090 Base Rate

HATCHBACK/WAGON/SUV/CROSSOVER/VANS

2011 HONDA CR-V 4WD EX AT (106.3) *$500 dealer cash
36 Month – Residual 59% of MSRP – .00077 Base Rate

2012 ACURA ZDX BASE (106.2) *$2000 dealer cash
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00054 Base Rate

2012 HONDA PILOT 4WD EX-L (93.1)
36 Month – Residual 55% of MSRP – .00056 Base Rate

2012 HONDA ODYSSEY EX AT (91.3)
36 Month – Residual 61% of MSRP – .00155 Base Rate

2011 NISSAN ROGUE AWD S (92.8)
36 Month – Residual 57% of MSRP – .00123 Base Rate

ALTERNATIVE FUEL/HYBRID

2012 NISSAN LEAF 5DR HATCHBACK SV (92.4) *$7500 lease incentive
36 Month – Residual 44% of MSRP – .00174 Base Rate

2011 HONDA CR-Z EX NAV AT (91.1)
36 Month – Residual 62% of MSRP – .00185 Base Rate

Bright Spots

VW. The only model to make it into the lease was the CC Sport, thanks in part to the generous $1250 lease cash that’s available. The rest of the models make better purchases than leases due to special financing. Eos also gets the $1000 lease cash, but the lease is only so-so, rated at 85.5 on my calculator.

Mercedes-Benz. Being an existing MB customer is really paying off this Holiday season. The $2000 loyalty cash is huge! Another model to keep your eyes on is the GLK350 4matic. The RWG is not high (87.5), but this SUV has never leased in with a RWG higher than 90 to begin with, so 87.5 is not too shabby. Remember that MBs payments are usually a bit more budget friendly on the 48-month terms. However, wear-n-tear issues should be considering before going that route.

Volvo. The C30 and C70 cut it pretty darn close (both hitting a RWG of 89). This is made possible by a generous $1000 loyalty cash that’s available to existing Volvo customers. Overall, I’m very satisfied with Volvo’s leases on their cars. Their SUVs, on the other hand, need a little work.

BMW. BMWFS seems to be throwing a lot of loyalty cash at their customers. On select 1-series models for example, they also have this $500 lease/apr bonus cash which I think could be applied to lower the MF plus $1000 in loyalty cash.

Weak Spots

Audi. They have not offer any worthwhile leases lately. No shock there, it’s been a while since Audi made it into the Round-Up.

In Summary

It’s Loyalty month here in the auto leasing world. Many manufacturers are rewarding loyal customers with loads of cash. Folks looking to get into something under $400 should consider the Sonata, Optima, Maxima or any non-luxury car. Honda almost seems to be giving away their cars right now so it isn’t hard to find a good deal there.

The Leaf is also great if you don’t ever want to visit a gas station again.

In the end, if I had to put my money where my mouth is, I would be rolling in a loaded 2012 Infiniti G37 sedan. Hands down, the best lease I’ve seen all month long.

2011 Los Angeles Auto Show

Published 2011/11/212012/01/11 by G

Last year, the Lotus Esprit blew me away. This year, my vote for “Car of the Show” at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show has to be the Jaguar XC16. I’ve examined the car from all angles and I cannot find one in which this car looks awkward. If I could mix and match cars, I would take the GT-R in XC16 clothing. That would be my ideal dream car.

Moving on…This year’s Auto Show did not have as many concepts as last year. It felt a little bit more “toned down”, possibly due to the economy. Despite this, it wasn’t a bad show. I didn’t get to spend as much time as I wanted to, but that was fine because much of what was at the LA show was also at the OC show. There were just a little more “high end” cars, but that’s about it.

Here is a quick run down of what was at the show and a few highlights

Acura – Nothing new. Their lineup was quite stale at the OC Show and it remained that way two months later at the LA Show.

Audi – A6/S6 and the A7/S7 were the new rides this year.

BMW – They showed off the iSeries which you probably have seen in most enthusiast websites/magazines. I also took some pictures of the concept a few years back. From what I understand, the i8 is supposed to make it to production with few changes (I am certain the glass doors are gone).

Buick – The Verano is ugly. Enuff said.

Cadillac – Showed up the Ciel, which was featured at Pebble Beach and the Converj, which was at a previous auto show some years back. I believe the Converj will be either an electric or hybrid car and will have performance that matches it’s aggressive looks. Possible the next CTS-V? Perhaps.

Chevrolet – I think you’ve seen enough Cruzes, Camaros, Coverttes and Volts to last you a while. NEXT!

Chrysler – As I was saying on the OC Show post. The 300 is one American sedan I would consider driving. Beats speaker system is truly insane for one that comes factory installed. I felt so gansta sitting in the backseat as the speakers were blaring Dr Dre tunes.

Dodge – Super Bee Charger in the House! The car looks mean! The HEMI looks meaner. Overall, I’m very happy to see Chrysler cars improving in such as short time. Now, I would like to see Chrysler pull a Volvo and start introducing some sweet leases for us.

Ford – The Escape was really the only “new” car to be introduced. It didn’t exactly wow me, but I can see it stealing some of the CR-Vs dominance (you will see what I mean when you see pics of the production-ready CR-V).

Honda – What a let down! The production-ready CR-V looks gutless! And if it drives anything like the old model, it’s performance will be gutless too! Check out the interior! Can we say weak sauce? Can’t wait to see what Consumer Reports does to the CR-V on their next review.

Hyundai – The Azera really wow’ed me. After talking to the product adviser and sitting in the car for a good 5-10 minutes, I came away impressed. The leather is soft and supple. The interior is well put together. The center stack follows the same overall layout found in most new Hyundais, but has a noticeably more “upscale” feel. The estimated MSRP is going to be in the low $30,000s, with most experts estimating it to be around $32,000. Everything, including Nav, comes standard. The only possible option (from what I am hearing) is the panoramic moonroof and maybe the window shaders, although those could be standard too. If you thought the Buick LaCrosse was the Lexus ES killer, think again.

Infiniti – The JX35 was introduced as a 7-passenger SUV. Not impressed. It looks like a weak attempt at cloning the Toyota Highlander which can be had for thousands less (if you don’t care about having quality interior materials). I’d be surprised if they sell more JX’s than EX’s. I would have liked to see a concept version of the new G-Coupe based off the Essence. That would have been fun to see.

Jaguar – XC16 all the way. This car is a beaut! If they would have given it a better sounding name instead of the typical “Letters + Numbers”, I’d name my kid after it. “Come here XC16!” just doesn’t have nice ring to it.

Jeep – New Compass and Patriot look like baby GCs, except the proportions are all wrong. I know Jeeps are meant to be rugged, but they could have done a little more to the interior. In contrast, you can see the GC looks nice inside and out. Even the storage area looks high end with fancy chrome touches.

Kia – GT concept looks cool, but not as sexy as the XC16. It does show a lot of promise and possibly a glimpse of things to come. Michelle Wie gets a custom Kia Soul! I highly doubt she would be caught dead in one. Them Rappin’/Dancin’ Hamsters, on the other hand, are a hoot. They give the Soul some street cred. Definitely cooler than rolling in a cardboard box, toaster or dryer.

Land Rover – Not much to say here. Doubt any of these rides will ever make it into production, but they are fun to look at. They almost feel like they will transform into a robot at any moment.

Lexus – More LF-A. *Yawn*

Lincoln – *Crickets*

Mazda – The CX5 actually look pretty good. You can totally see the styling cues of the Shinari concept on the front fascia. I really hope this crossover does well and gives the CR-V and Escape a run for their money.

Mercedes-Benz – I’ve pretty much seen all of the “new” models on the street or in previous Auto Shows with the exception of the C63 Black Edition. This thing rocks. It’s like Europe’s answer to the mean-looking American car!

MINI – See OC Auto Show…

Mitsubishi – I didn’t bother stopping by…actually, I don’t recall seeing them at the show. Maybe I stopped caring…

Nissan – Last year they had the Ellure. This year they had…NOTHING!

Porsche – Showed off their Panamera Hybrid and the usual 911s, Cayennes, Boxters and Caymans.

Scion – FR-S was in the house this year and it looks great! For those that have not been following the FR-S, expect about 200hp and a $24k price tag once it’s released. I don’t expect the production model to look too different unless Toyota decides to cheapen the experience some more. If the price is reasonable, this could very well be sitting in my driveway on day.

Subaru – Just like the FR-S, the BRZ should be priced and spec’ed at around the same range. There is talk of a STi trim, but I haven’t seen any details on that just yet. Originally, I thought the BRZ was the clear winner in the “looks” department, but after seeing them both in person, I have to go with the Scion.

Volvo – Same cars as last year. Same cars as this year’s OC show. Nothing new to report.

VW – A Beetle R was on display and it still looks girly. Hood vents and quad-exhaust pipes do tone down the estrogen somewhat though. For the record, I don’t have a problem with the Beetle looking girly. It’s just that VW is trying so hard to market the Beetle as being more “unisex” and I just don’t think its happening. Maybe if they dropped a huge supercharger hood scoop? Nah….

Others – Here you will find some pics I took of the more “unusual” cars.

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