A Year in Review - 17 Observations From a 2019 Spent Watching the Automotive Industry
From the characters that control it to the engines at the heart of it, from the history that hems it in to the future that waits for it, from the designs that define it to the manufacturing that fulfills it, the automotive industry has something for everyone.
That’s why we cover it. That’s why we read about it. That’s why we drive and research and analyze, why we memorize specs and memorialize eras, why we wax eloquent when given the opportunity to explain the inherent balance of an inline-six, and why we correct people when they say, “CVT transmission.”
It’s also why we develop deep-seated automotive opinions that have as much chance of coming undone as your Jordan versus LeBron GOAT verdict. (Jordan, obviously. Gretzky, Federer, Mays, and Brady, too, for the record.)
Despite the fact that there was no shortage of automotive opinions dancing around in my head in those twilight moments before sleep each night at the beginning of the year, I nevertheless developed more conclusions over the course of 2019. After having little time to think of much else, and after driving hundreds of different cars, here’s an exhaustive (and exhausting) 17-part sampling.
2. The Ford Transit Is Impeccable
3. SPO
4. Was the Aztek That Bad?
5. Heated Steering Wheel Is No.1
6. Buick Wasn’t Kidding Around
8. The F30 BMW 3 Series Really Needed to Go
10. The RLX Is Still Comically Unappealing
12. The Kia Telluride Could Work at $65K
14. Nothing Gets In the Way of Wrangler Desirability
15. The Flex Felt Old
16. RWD Is a Winter Answer
17. But Usually, Cars Aren’t Fun
The diagnosis is serious, but there is a prescription: get up frighteningly early on a summer’s Saturday morning and drive for the sake of driving. Get out of town. Go nowhere in particular.
It’s worth it.
[Images: Tim Cain, Murilee Martin, Honda, Ford, Hyundai]
Timothy Cain is a contributing analyst at The Truth About Cars and Driving.ca and the founder and former editor of GoodCarBadCar.net. Follow on Twitter @timcaincars and Instagram.
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- Daniel J This thing is just too big and not packaged great being RWD. I'd prefer a FWD/AWD pre 2024 Santa Fe sized vehicle. A true CX-70.
- Ash78 Now that we're on the topic, I think Apple owes us all a ton of money for bringing out new phones every 1-2 years and devaluing the one I have! /sDepreciation has always been a part of car ownership, far more so now if you're getting into EVs. I think it's just the discrete nature of these depreciation events (ie, price cuts) that have everyone wringing their hands.I'm too price sensitive -- not necessarily to BUY an EV -- but for the fear of what a truly disruptive battery tech might do to them. Split the differene with a hybrid or PHEV and you've reduced your car's reliance on battery tech as the primary determinant of value.
- Ash78 Interesting take on the pricing...superficially illogical, but Honda has been able to sell the Pilot Junior (er, Passport) for more than the Pilot for several years now. I guess this is the new norm. I have 2 kids, who often have friends, and I feel like the best option here is buying the CX-90 and removing the third row completely. It won't be pretty, but it adds useful space. We've done that in our minivan several times.I've been anxiously awaiting the 70 for over a year, but the pricing makes it a non-starter for me. I like the 50, but it's tight (small, not dope/fire/legit); I like the 90s, but it's more than we need. This "Goldilocks Solution" feels like it's missing the mark a little. Mazda could have gone with more of a CX-60 (ROW model) and just refreshed it for the US, but I suspect the 90 was selling so well, the more economical choice was just to make it the same basic car. Seems lazy to me.
- FreedMike If you haven't tried out the CX-90, do so - it's a great driver, particularly with the PHEV powertrain.
- Ajla I don't understand why it is priced above the CX-90 (about $2500 at every trim level on the I6 and $5k on the PHEV), unless a CX-90 price increase is on the way soon. It will be interesting to see how this does against the CX-90, that one isn't packaged well for a 3-row but with a lower price, very similar exterior styling and identical exterior dimensions I'd lean towards it over the 70. The pricing on higher trims is a bit dear for a nonpremium badge and it is annoying that Mazda and the press pretend that the lower nonS trims don't even exist. Why even bother making them if you won't take it to your own media event?I would expect the engine and chassis configuration to be a killer app here but it seems like engine/transmission is only 80% baked and the interior is what sells these. Reliability is a big question mark as well. In the end outside of a specific buyer (this seems like something Corey would like), I'd recommend getting something cheaper and more established.
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"Heated Steering Wheel Is No.1" Where do you live? As someone who lives in Minnesota, remote start is #1, heated seats are #2, cloth seats are #3 . Heated steering wheel, is a couple of steps down. If you park outside, a block heater pushes it's way up to #1 on days when it's -40. "Hyundai Design Is… Out There" I've long considered Hyundai to be wildly overrated and am tired of the automotive press lauding them, but never owing them, especially a 10 year old Hyundai (cause they're crap). However, I appreciate their willingness to design a little bit different. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it does.
RE #12 Had a chance on 12/10 to get up close and personal with a Telluride. A professional colleague....who I KNOW makes far more than just about anyone else I've met in my field since I moved here....bought a Telluride SX. Moss Green with the Dune Brown (light tan) interior. All the bells and whistles. Had to get it shipped here from a dealer in NJ (his home state..so maybe he has a contact?) because the dealer here wouldn't play on finding that color combo for him or inquiring about a custom order. But he loved the test drive. I got to sit inside. I owned an 2007 Audi Q7 until this past February, and the Kia was just as nice a place to sit. The interior fit and materials punch way above its class, and of course, it has much newer tech than my old Audi. And that color combo is the best. Its a REALLY nice green, and the comfortable (ventilated) seats I'm guessing are probably a wonderful way to make traffic suck less here in the tropics. I asked him why the Kia? He said there was nothing else this size and with these features that had a 5yr/60k basic warranty (10yr/100k on the powertrain), at anywhere near the same price. I'm not sure of every feature he may have, but the SX starts at 41k and tops out with AWD and fully loaded at around 48k on the website. He asked me what I think he paid (which I hate to answer, because there are so many variables, etc), and I know Kia is willing to wheel and deal, so I guessed maybe 45k, plus the shipping costs. 41k, for everything...taxes, title, 90 day temp registration (pending inspection), shipping. He had to get the inspection done here, so that's like $20. Its mind blowing what he got for the money. I didn't get to ride in it, just sit in it parked, so I can't speak to that, but it at least looks the business in my limited experience.