The 2007 Charlotte Auto Show report ran this past Thursday through Sunday at the Charlotte Convention Center. The Car Chick, of course, was there. I spent 10 hours over two days crawling through every single 2008 model vehicle they had! And, my favorites were not at all what I expected.

The newly redesigned Honda Accord was exceptional, but this I expected. It’s essentially an Acura in terms of interior luxury and style. The Toyota Highlander was also very impressive with A+ comfort and usability. However, it was the Kia Amanti and the Ford Taurus X that left the biggest impressions. The Kia Amanti is truly a luxury sedan, with an interior that could easily be confused with a Lexus. The Taurus X fits a unique niche in the world of many-sized SUVs and crossovers. It has the ride height of a crossover (just higher than a sedan), but unlike other crossovers, it has 3rd row seating and good storage space. If you need a 7 passenger vehicle but don’t want a tank or a minivan, this is the one to buy!