Aaron Gold, About.com's car reviewer and the son of a dealer, tells the Auto Finance Summit in Las Vegas why he thinks the following are the 10 most significant '09 models. (Good news for General Motors; five of them are GM products.)
- Acura TSX: Past criticism, not enough power. New thinking, “I'll trade horsepower for better fuel economy.”
- Cadillac CTS-V: “I wish everyone who talks trash about GM engineering would drive this car because they put it all together.”
- Chevrolet Traverse: Designed for good back-seat access and easy to stuff a lot of people inside. Best example of the cross/utility vehicle formula.
- Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra hybrid: “GM made a smart move by putting a hybrid in a pickup truck and getting 40% better fuel economy.”
- Honda Fit: “Americans aren't ready for a mass conversion to (subcompact) cars, but the Fit has exceptional cargo space and room for four passengers.”
- Hyundai Genesis: Feels, rides and smells like a Lexus, but at a $33,000 to $42,000 price range. Skeptics may ask, ‘Why so low?’”
- Mazda6: “My new favorite, a vehicle that is strong on safety and fun to drive.”
- Pontiac Solstice Coupe: “The problem with the Solstice convertible is that there's no trunk room with the top down. The coupe has a removable roof panel, but a drawback is that it doesn't fit in the trunk.”
- Pontiac Vibe: It's the cousin to the Toyota Matrix and made at the same California plant. “Vibe wins the coin toss because it looks better.”
- Toyota Venza: “A crossover that Toyota says it will market as a car and position between the RAV-4 and Highlander.”
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