While sport utility vehicles are still the end-all, be-all in autoland among consumers, the roadster and family sedan are making great headway. As sedans get larger and roomier, roadsters are added to the lineup for those aging baby boomers with plenty of discretionary income.
Case in point, as Cadillac continues to position itself as a 'market leader' and regain lost focus, they introduce three new products for 2004: XLR two-seat retractable hardtop convertible, Escalade SRX and the blow-your-doors-off CTS-V performance sedan. In August 2003 Cadillac experienced their best sales month since 1990, putting them on track to sell over 200 cars a month. As they strive to make Cadillac relevant again to American consumers, they will be adopting a different strategy from other luxury carmakers: Spelled BIG ATTITUDE, BIG PRESENCE, BOLD SWAGGER.
The most diverse group of vehicles available today is the large sedans. Included in this group are 'luxury land yachts' ( Audi A8L, BMW 7-Series, Cadillac DeVille, Lexus LS430, etc. ) , sport sedan packages ( Infiniti G35, Volvo S80 ) and roomy four-door transportation ( Mercury Grand Marquis, Acura RL, Mercedes-Benz S-Class ) . This group of luxo-boats range anywhere from $21,800 to upwards of $60,000, and offer superior ride, comfort and lots of high-tech stuff including traction control, navigation systems, voice recognition, entertainment systems, and every auto maker offers at least one.
In the middle of the price range are the near-luxury cars concentrating on performance and engineering. If you like being more involved in your driving, take a look at the ? Acura TL, Acura TSX, Infiniti G35, or one of our favorites, the all-new BMW 5-series. Expect to pay fairly hefty prices for these beauties, ranging from $26,990 to over $80,000. There are currently 21 vehicles in the performance sedan category, and more will follow as auto manufacturers return to the high-performance engines, tires and transmissions of yesteryear.
If you're looking for hot and sexy, you need to experience the exhilarating ride of a convertible. Warning: Don't test one, though, if you aren't prepared to part with your cash because you'll be hooked. Guaranteed. This is a category where choice becomes a burden. There are so many good cars to choose from, including BMW's "Land Shark," the all-new Z4 ( $33,795-$40,945 ) , Cadillac's ? XLR Roadster ( $77,015 ) , and later this year, the all-new C6 Corvette, rumored to resemble the Sting Ray from the 1960s.
At a more moderate price, but still in the drop-top category, are the Chrysler Sebring ( $24,670-$30,390 ) , the ever-popular Ford Mustang ( $23,965-$29,725 ) , and the very fun Toyota MR2 Spyder ( $25,055-$26,055 ) . Don't miss the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder ( $24,777-$30,127 ) , or a personal favorite, the VW New Beetle ( $20,525-$24,675 ) . At this writing there are 31 convertibles on the market, with more to come.
If you've got a family and are searching for contenders in this category, take a test drive in the Toyota Highlander SUV, Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey minivan, Volkswagen Passat station wagon, or the Buick LeSabre sedan. There are several types of vehicles in this group, including minivans, sedans, sport utes and station wagons ( more commonly referred to today as crossover sport vehicles ) . Ranging from the high teens to the high 30s, these vehicles are comfortable, practical and safe.
Station wagons are back again and bigger and better than ever. Although auto manufacturers don't want to refer to this category as such, nevertheless, these crossover vehicles are just that: station wagons. Among them are the 2004 Audi Allroad, Audi A4 and S6, BMW 3-series, and 5-series, Ford Focus and Taurus, Lexus IS300 SportCross, Mazda Protege5, Saturn L-series, Saab 9-5, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and C-Class, Subaru Legacy, Volvo V70, SC70 and V40, among others. Prices range from $11,705 ( Kia Rio Cinco ) to $49,915 ( Mercedes-Benz E-Class ) .
For those who can hold off buying a new vehicle right now, there are lots of new cars and trucks coming in the next couple of years. More than a dozen 2004 models are already in dealerships, with several more on the way.
And if that isn't enough, waiting in the wings are vehicles of all types as manufacturers begin sharing sneak peaks of what's to come in the future. In 2005, Audi will debut the A3, as well as a crossover based on the Pikes Peak concept shown on the 2003 auto show circuit. Another sports car is also rumored, positioned above the Audi TT.
For 2004, BMW redesigns its 5-series sedan, wagon and M5 and also introduces the 3-Series based X3 crossover vehicle. For the North American market BMW also plans to introduce a 6-Series coupe, followed by a convertible and M6, and a small 1-Series sedan.
For 2005, Buick will redo the LeSabre and redesign the Regal. A new minivan/sports wagon will debut in 2006, and possibly a vehicle similar to the concept Centieme. Rumor has it that a convertible and new rear-wheel-drive flagship sedan with V8 power may also be in the works. Chevrolet's big noise is the all-new 2005 Corvette, debuting this Fall. The Malibu Maxx, a crossover based on the new Malibu sedan, will come in ?, as has the all-new subcompact Aveo built by Daewoo. Redesigns of Monte Carlo and Impala come in 2006.
At Chrysler and Dodge, all-new rear-wheel-drive LX sedans will replace the current front-wheel-drive models 300M, Concorde and Intrepid. Using Mercedes-Benz hardware, the cab forward design will exit, replaced by a more angle to the windshield design. Due in early 2004 as a 2005 model, the vehicle will possibly be called the 300N ( based on the 300C concept ) and will have a new platform with all-wheel-drive and V6 engines. An optional 5.7-liter Hemi V8 may also be available.
Dodge Magnum, a crossover/station wagon vehicle with a Hemi engine, will go on sale next year, and the PT Cruiser will get a convertible for 2004. Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring sedans will be sharing a platform with Mitsubishi and Hyundai for 2005, and the Dodge Neon will be redesigned for 2006. Chrysler's popular minivans will receive a redesign for the 2006 or 2007 model year. The Jeep Grand Cherokee is due for a redesign in 2005, and is rumored to add another bigger, more expensive version to compete with the luxury utes. A diesel engine is available on the 2004 Liberty, and the Wrangler will get a redesign in 2006.
After years of not doing much, Ford is on the move, introducing two new minivans for 2004: Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey. The F-150 truck had a spectacular launch this fall with lots of upgrades, and for 2005, Ford will introduce the GT sports car and an all-new Mustang, making their debut at the end of 2004. Also new will be a crossover, car-based vehicle called the Freestyle, accompanyed by the all-new Five Hundred sedan and a redesigned Focus. For 2006, Ford will introduce an all-new sedan, the Futura, based on the Mazda6 to replace the Taurus.
The Lincoln lineup will get a revamp in ?, and the Continental will return with a version similar to the ? model. A crossover vehicle built off the LS platform is rumored. At Mercury, the all-new ? Monterey minivan is leading off product addition and redesign this fall, to be followed next year by an Escape-based sport-ute called Montego and a sedan based on the Ford Five Hundred in 2006. Also in 2006, Mercury will receive a Mazda6 based sedan.
All-new for 2004, Nissan introduces the Titan, its first full-size pickup truck. From the Titan comes the ? Pathfinder Armada sport-ute, now full-size. Planned for 2005-2006 are redesigns of the Sentra, Frontier, Altima and Xterra. Infiniti will introduce its first full-size sport-ute, the QX56 around 2005, and in 2005, the QX4 sport-ute will get a redesign.
Planning to build a pickup truck for the 2005 model year, Honda upgraded the Pilot and MDX sport utes. The Honda S2000 sports car gets a redesign in 2005 as will the CR-V sport ute. Rumors indicate Honda may add a smaller SUV, and in 2006 Acura will revamp the MDX and RSX.
Hummer will give birth to a smaller brother in 2005, the H3 which will be a down-sized version of the H2, selling at a lower price and based on the Chevy Trailblazer.
In 2005, Mazda will replace the Protégé with the Mazda3, and share its platform with the Volvo S40 and future Ford Focus. Additional versions of the all-new RX8 will start in 2005. The Miata, MPV minivan and Tribute sport-ute are set for ?-6 redesign.
At Mercedes-Benz, the successful European minicar Smart will come to North America in ?, along with a larger Mercedes A-Class vehicle. The GTS, a new luxury sport-tourer, will debut in ? and share its underpinnings with the Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Magnum. MB will add a diesel engine to the E-Class sedan. The SLK and C-Class have received a freshening up for 2004, which the M-Class will get in ?. Sometime around 2006 and 2007, the C-Class and S-Class will receive their redesigns.
Pontiac revives its performance car, the GTO for 2004, featuring a 300-plus horsepower 5.7-liter V8 engine. Priced around $35,000, GTO will lead Pontiac in its performance image. In 2005, the Grand Am will be redesigned based on the Malibu chassis.
The new 2005 Subaru Legacy will arrive next spring with a sportier, wider stance. It is lighter and more fuel efficient, with a sculpted look. Subie will also add a seven-passenger crossover vehicle to its stable, and redesign the Impreza in 2006.
Toyota has been freshening up its lineup. The Solara gets a redesign in ?, and a planned redo of the Celica and Avalon in ? the Sequoia in ?. The Scion brand will begin to appear nationwide and will be geared toward youth. The hybrid Prius received a redesign for ?, and Toyota will add more gasoline-electric hybrids. Toyota also plans on adding a retro-styled sport-ute based on the ?s-?s FJ40 in the next couple of years. At Lexus, IS300 and LS 430 and LX 470 will receive redesigns in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
At Volkswagen, the Microbus is scheduled to arrive in 2004, and the New Beetle and Passat will get redesigns in 2005.
Copyright 2004. Susan Frissell. Women With Wheels. All Rights Reserved.
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