TAMPA - With gas prices averaging $1.99 a gallon, tying the modern Tampa Bay record, surely the just-opened Tampa Bay International Auto Show will be awash in gas-sipping, conservation-minded cars and trucks.
Well, uh, sure. A few Japanese models are tucked way over there. Behind the new Ford Mustang and Corvette muscle cars. Just past the gut-thumping H2 Hummer sport utility truck.
Thursday's opening day at the annual auto show was a vivid reminder that America's love affair with hundreds of cars, pickups, SUVs, street racers, minivans, crossovers, concept cars, sportwagons, sedans and exotics is alive and well. And immune to higher gas prices.
To get a grasp on some of the bigger trends and hidden insights, once again I met up with Jeff Bartlett, an editor with Motor Trend magazine (and a producer of this auto show). On autos, Bartlett knows whereof he speaks. Just as he did last year, Bartlett joined me in a two-hour tour in search of the best and worst trends among the 2005 models. Here's this year's top 10:
10. Muscle cars rebound. The big buzz is all about the 2005 Mustang, the first completely new model in 25 years. It boasts plenty of classic 1960s flavor, and the GT model's 300-horsepower, V-8 engine offers plenty of ooomph for $25,000. Besides, what's this year's competition? GM bagged its aging Camaro and Firebird models in 2002. The GTO is priced $10,000 higher than the Mustang, and the new Corvette really is not in the same category. Word is, GM is working on a new rear-drive muscle car but it's a ways off.
9. Concept cars rock. Chrysler's not my personal choice in vehicles, but this company knows how to conjure up dazzling concept cars. Its Kahuna model - what a Beach Boys surfer car might look like in 2020 - features faux woody-styled panels and six ultrathin seats in three rows. Bartlett says thin seats, literally 2 inches thick, are coming as designers look for new ways to gain internal space. Don't miss Chrysler's Willys 2, its high-tech Jeep concept vehicle.
8. Mid size pickups, arise. The Dodge Dakota dominated this niche of the truck market. Now the 2005 Dakota is new, as are two others in the market: the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma. Bartlett is a fan of the major upgrades in the new model Tacoma, especially the sportier X-Runner on display. Owners of full-size pickups might like the improved quality of the mid size brands, and might be more attracted to the models' better mileage - an extra three to five miles per gallon.
7. Luring the tricky youth . Last year's auto show celebrated Toyota's separate youth brand - Scion - and Honda's new Element as boxy-but-hip vehicles priced around $15,000 and aimed at wowing young drivers. So much for corporate strategy. "Half the audience for these vehicles do not remember their youth," says Bartlett. Capturing young driver tastes is tough. It's not just style or novelty or price or practicality. Sometimes a young person's buying decision can hinge on two other factors: the cost of auto insurance (which can vary sharply by model), and whether Mom approves.
6. Beware the trendy. What do PT Cruisers, Volkswagen's New Beetle and the Ford Thunderbird have in common? They were red-hot retro models with initially hot sales. Now they are fading fast. The PT Cruiser is due for an update. The New Beetle (which is not "new" for 2005) has no replacement plan. And the much touted but poorly reviewed Thunderbird might soon be history. All three suffered big sales declines after only two years on the market. Auto makers want models to last at least four to five years.
5. High fives for HEMI. Chrysler's HEMI ("HEM-e") engine is slowly spreading into more models after appearing in the Dodge Ram, Durango and Jeep Cherokee. Now it's in the Chrysler 300 sedan and certain version of the successful Dodge Magnum sportwagon. Why care? Because the HEMI engine delivers plenty of horsepower and better fuel economy by firing only as many of its cylinders as it needs. Accelerate, and all cylinders fire. Cruise at a steady speed and only some cylinders work. It's called "cylinder deactivation" and promises to be one of the near-term keys for the auto industry to improve gas mileage.
4. No lyin' about Ion. How can I say this politely? There are dozens of so-so vehicles at any auto show. But Bartlett had little trouble zeroing in on his least favorite vehicle. Saturn's entry-level Ion seems to have earned the wrath of most auto reviewers. "This is the biggest piece of junk here," volunteers Bartlett.
3. Not quite hybrid. The only U.S. vehicle at this auto show with any pretense of hybrid engine capability is a green Chevy Silverado. In reality, says Bartlett, this model is a so-called "mild" hybrid because it uses electricity only to boost its traditional gas engine. One neat feature: The engine shuts off when the vehicle is at a full stop but re-engages instantly when the accelerator is touched. Your reward? Two extra miles per gallon.
2 . Two key models AWOL. Unfortunately, two models of special interest are not here. The Ford Escape is the first and only real U.S. hybrid, meaning its engine combines electric and gas power to improve mileage in a similar fashion to more established hybrids from Toyota and Honda. Also missing is the new H3, the smallest and most affordable Hummer that is destined to become the model's major seller. The H3 will be priced in the low $30,000 range. The H2 starts at $49,395.
1. Latest toys. A quick peek at this show suggests 2005 models are not rich in high-tech bells and whistles. But there are a few. The Honda Odyssey, if bought with a navigation system, features a backup camera that gives the driver an on-screen view of what is directly behind the minivan. The Odyssey and certain Mercedes models also come with systems that generate white noise in the vehicle to help suppress outside noises. And Mercedes and Lexus offer cruise control options that adjust the speed of the vehicle in traffic without disengaging the cruise control.
The auto show continues at the downtown Tampa Convention Center through the weekend. Come visit. At least it will take your mind off the price at the pump.
