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!

One of the best things about going to auto shows is getting see the cool and often wacky concept cars that the auto manufacturers of the world dream up. The Charlotte Auto Show, which runs this Thursday through Sunday at the Charlotte Convention Center, is not usually large enough to warrant an appearance by many future-mobiles, so I decided to bring one to you. The Honda FCX Concept will make an appearance this week at the glamorous Los Angeles Auto Show, but it is actually close to becoming a production reality. Honda’s fuel-cell concept car debuted at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show and represents the second fuel-cell vehicle Honda has produced. The first was the original FCX built in 2002, which strongly resembled a Yugo. No wonder they only made 15 of them.

So, what the heck is a fuel-cell, one might ask. A fuel cell is a battery that employs an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, directly converting chemical energy into electrical energy with absolutely no carbon dioxide or other harmful emissions – just some water vapor out the tailpipe! The FCX Concept contains two hydrogen tanks, located between its rear wheels, giving it a reported driving range of about 350 miles. Its little electric motor is rated at 127 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque, allowing the FCX Concept to reach a top speed of 100 mph. This doesn’t sound like much, but this is no sewing machine. Much of the torque is available at very low speeds, assisted by a lithium-ion battery, so acceleration from a standstill is respectably brisk.

Of course, the 800 pound gorilla-sized problem with fuel-cell vehicles is the task of refueling. You can’t just go down to the corner gas station and exchange a hydrogen tank along with a propane tank for your grill. Widespread distribution of hydrogen to consumers is still decades away, so Honda plans to address this obstacle in a different way. One possible solution is the Honda Home Energy Station, currently under development, which extracts hydrogen from your home’s natural gas supply. Unfortunately, the process releases a certain amount of carbon dioxide, although much less than the amount produced by today’s gas-powered cars. A zero-carbon technology based on low-cost solar cells is also under development. Exactly when will either of these technologies will be ready and how much will they and the new FCX cost? It’s too early to say, but Honda is committed to developing viable, affordable fuel-cell technology. After all, Honda can’t let the Toyota Prius single-handedly save the planet.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class, whose roots date back to the late 19th century, has long been a favorite in the midsize luxury sport sedan segment, providing a delicate balance of comfort, performance and safety. While the current E-Class includes six sedans and two wagons, it is the diesel-powered E320 BLUETEC that has captured the eye of many eco-conscious consumers. The E320 BLUETEC, which debuted for 2007, uses Mercedes’ new clean-diesel technology.

With today’s appalling gas prices, the E320’s 26 MPG city/37 highway numbers are very attractive. (You can go 700 miles on one tank of gas!) Unlike most hybrid vehicles, which are priced several thousand higher than their traditional counterparts, the starting price of the E320 is just $1,000 more than a gas-powered E. The E320 BLUETEC uses low-sulfer “clean” diesel (available at most filling stations these days), and the 2008 model meets emissions standards in all 50 states. The technology is so impressive that the car won the 2007 World Green Car Award, presented at the New York International Auto Show.

The E320 sports a 3-liter V6 with a mere 208 horsepower, but a whomping 400 lb-ft of torque. You may not be impressed with the car’s acceleration off the line, but you will blow by any slow-moving trucks on the freeway! The BLUETEC is offered in RWD only, with a seven-speed automatic transmission. It comes with all the luxuries you would expect at this price point, such as a sunroof, dual-zone climate control, leather power seats and a powerful 6-CD audio system. Standard safety equipment includes front airbags, front-seat-mounted torso airbags, side-curtain airbags, antilock brakes, and electronic stability control. DVD Navigation, heated seats, Bluetooth, satellite radio, parking assistance and iPod integration are also available. The E320 starts at $52,675 and includes a 4 year / 50,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty. And, if you’re worried about the usual, loud grumbling of a diesel engine - don’t. This one is a quiet as a mouse.

Let’s face it – Ford Motor Company is in big trouble. For more than a decade, the Blue Oval has been hemorrhaging both money and market share, losing out to competitors both foreign and domestic. While the popularity of the Mustang and F-Series trucks has helped Ford’s bottom line, their acquisition of Land Rover has not. Ford’s leadership further shot themselves in the collective foot when they “re-branded” the popular Taurus. Ignoring the previous success of the “Taurus” brand, Ford renamed its full-sized sedan the “Five Hundred” for 2005. (Gee, are we trying to be like Chrysler 300?) Between the unfamiliar name and a less-than-exciting new design, the automobile-formerly-known-as-Taurus went from being the best selling car in America to one of the worst. (Even Hertz stopped buying it!)

Ford’s executives have finally realized their mistake (actually, those execs were fired) and have brought back the Taurus for 2008 – and it looks like they’ve done it right (or, at least, better). The 2008 Taurus, introduced this June, has received an engine upgrade, a face lift and many positive reviews. The flagship sedan now wears the branded 3-bar grill and boasts a 263-horsepower V6 engine, a cavernous trunk, and a more upscale (and quieter) cabin. Rated the safest full-sized car in America, the new Taurus earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s highest 5-star rating for all four seating positions. (Isn’t it nice that the people in the back seat are safe, too?)

The Taurus is available in either front- or all-wheel drive and two trim levels, the base SEL and upscale Limited. The SEL starts at $23,245 and has 17-inch wheels, full power accessories (including a power driver seat), a leather-wrapped steering wheel, wood grain interior trim, air-conditioning, a CD player and MP3 jack, cruise control and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Moving up to the Limited ($26,845) gets you 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, heated front seats, driver memory seat and mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, an upgraded audio system with a six-disc CD changer, heated mirrors with puddle lamps, and a nostalgic analog clock. (Are we sure this is a Ford?!?) Additional options include a moonroof, navigation, rear-DVD, satellite radio and the new Ford Sync system, which allows voice activation of cell phones and entertainment systems. Not bad for the world’s most popular rental car.

Ok… I realize that I usually spotlight a vehicle that most of us could actually afford in our lifetime. But, this month, please indulge me. I had the rare opportunity to ride in this exquisite Italian supercar a few weeks ago, thanks to a former colleague from my Accenture days. Tom Pollan, now retired from Accenture, owns and operates an exotic car club in Charlotte, called Privatus. Membership in Privatus affords you the opportunity to drive an entire fleet of the world’s most exotic (and expensive) cars, including this beautiful 2005 Ferrari F430. The price of membership – well, if you have to ask… Let’s just say, it’s less than the cost of owning any one of the cars.

I had never before had the privilege of even touching, much less riding in a Ferrari. I have two words to describe the experience – HOLY SCHNIKIES!!! The 4.3 liter V8, mid-mounted engine cranks up directly behind your seat and rumbles in your ear, as if a purring tiger were draped around your neck. From the moment the driver’s foot touches the gas pedal, you are blown back into your leather, sport-stitched seat, as 483 horsepower threatens to push your eyeballs through the back of your head. I now understand how astronauts must feel during a shuttle launch! Zero-to-sixty takes a mere 4.5 seconds, but the rapid acceleration is extremely smooth with the F1-style transmission controlled by paddle-shifters mounted behind the steering wheel. (The F430 is also available in a 6 speed manual.)

The Ferrari F430 may be a super-sports car, but it still has many of the safety features and creature comforts the rest of us enjoy in our Hondas and Toyotas. The F430 comes standard with leather seats, antilock brakes, traction and stability control, airbags, and even a CD player. (Not that you could hear your jazz or hip-hop over the growl of the engine.) The price for this ultimate thrill ride? The F430 coupe starts at a mere $170,000; the convertible (called the “Spider”) starts around $193,000. Since that’s about same amount as my mortgage, I am very grateful to Tom for letting me ride in this dream car. He wasn’t crazy enough to let me drive it, but he did allow me to name her “Francesca”.

While the Hybrid vehicle market has been dominated by Honda and Toyota to date, Saturn has issued a challenge to “Rethink American”. Saturn backs up this challenge with the new Aura Hybrid sedan, a direct competitor to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

The Saturn Aura “Green Line” went on sale in the U.S. in early 2007 and was named the North American Car of the Year. While it’s not the most powerful hybrid on the market (164 horsepower / 159 pound-feet of torque), it is certainly the least expensive, with a base MSRP of only $22,695 (nearly $4,000 less than the hybrid Camry). The hybrid system in the Aura includes a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, a four-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor/generator. A Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) system shuts off the engine when the vehicle is stopped to minimize idling and then quickly starts the engine up on demand.

The Aura Green Line comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, a CD/MP3 stereo, StabiliTrak vehicle stability control. System, and o a year’s subscription to OnStar.   Other safety features include side-impact and head-protecting airbags for the front seats, door beams designed to withstand side-on crashes, and the LATCH child-seat system. Options include an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, steering wheel audio controls, outside heated power adjustable mirrors, and a sunroof. Luxuries such as leather seats (heated or not) are not yet available.

Summer is right around the corner, and there’s no better way to welcome it in than with the sun on your face, wind in your hair and nothing but open road ahead.  That’s right – it’s convertible time, and one of the best little roadsters out there is the 2007 Mazda MX-5 (that’s “Miata” to us purists). 

Inspired by classic British roadsters like the old Austin Healy, the Mazda Miata has become an automotive icon since its introduction in 1990.  Yet, unlike its temperamental English predecessors, the MX-5 offers the quality and reliability we have come to expect from Japanese automakers.  The 2007 model debuted sporting a power-retractable hard top, and it has earned its way onto both Car & Driver and Motor Trend’s 10 best car lists.  Top up or down, the Miata is a hoot to drive, featuring go cart-like handling and a 2.0 liter, inline four-cylinder engine that makes 166 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque.  That will have you zipping through traffic like Charlize Theron in The Italian Job!

Four trim levels are available: SV, Sport, Touring and Grand Touring.  The bare-bones SV is available only in ragtop form and offers 16-inch alloy wheels, a CD player and power windows and mirrors. The Sport includes air-conditioning and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.  A Convenience package with keyless entry, cruise, steering wheel controls and one-touch power windows is optional. The upscale Touring model adds standard 17-inch alloy wheels, a strut tower brace, cruise control, keyless entry, six-speaker stereo and steering wheel-mounted controls. The top-line, Grand Touring model boasts heated, leather seats, a seven-speaker Bose audio system and silver interior accents.  That fancy power-retractable hardtop is offered in the top three trims, and a Sport Suspension package with Bilstein shocks and a limited-slip differential is available at the Touring and Grand Touring levels.  Finish it out with run-flat tires, satellite radio and a rear spoiler.  Sunscreen sold separately.

High end makes, such as BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, etc., are usually the first to debut exciting new features and technologies in vehicles.  They have brought us luxurious, must-haves like navigation, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking assist cameras, and (my personal favorite) massaging driver seats!  (I kid you not – see the BMW 760i.)  But, it took a little econobox from Korea to bring the option so desperately desired by many of my clients – a pocketbook holder! 

The Kia Spectra, redesigned in mid-2004, is an entry-level, compact sedan that is very nicely appointed for its mere $13,495 base price tag.  (It also comes in a hatchback version.)  The pocketbook holder is not a fancy storage compartment, like some of you might have hoped, but a hook attached to the side of the dash console, near the passenger’s knees.  You can hook the straps of a small to medium-sized purse to it from sliding around and spilling its contents all over the floor.  It’s a simple, but somewhat thoughtful, feature that can also hold a plastic grocery bag to use for garbage.  I realize this isn’t rocket science, but it’s more than most manufacturers have done to address the common problem of pocketbook spillage.  Hey, it’s a start.

The Spectra’s other standard features include a 6-way adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, and even an auxiliary audio input jack for your iPod.  It’s also equipped with an AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers, plenty of cup holders, and a rather roomy cabin for a subcompact car.  Gas mileage is pretty good at 25 mpg city / 34 mpg highway for the automatic transmission.  And don’t forget about Kia’s 10 year/100,000 mile warranty and 5 years of 24-hour roadside assistance.

The compact car market is highly competitive, and vehicles like the Honda Civic and Mazda 3 remain industry sales leaders because of a significant difference in styling, refinement and performance. However, if you’re a budget shopper just looking for a well-rounded economy car, the 2007 Kia Spectra should definitely be on your list of test drives.

These days, when a car manufacturer redesigns an SUV, they tend to make the new model larger and more masculine.  Not Honda.  Not for the 2007 CR-V.  Are they nuts?  Not at all.  Honda just knows what other automobile manufacturers don’t – if you want to sell a ton of SUVs, design them for women.
 
“The CR-V is for women in their early 30s who either have a child under 2 or are about to have their first child,” Christina Ra, a Honda product planner, told Edmunds (Edmunds, “First Drive – 2007 Honda CR-V”, September 2006).  According to J.D. Powers, women make over 50% of all car purchases and influence more than 85% of them!  Furthermore, the SUV has replaced the old station wagon as the busy mom’s transportation of choice.  Yet, most manufacturers are still designing their SUVs to appeal to men.  No wonder Honda is kicking their butts.

The new CR-V still has just two rows of seats and is actually 3 inches shorter than the previous model.  It is also one inch wider, providing better handling and more shoulder room inside, and has an additional cubic foot of cargo space in back.  Honda also significantly improved the CR-V’s convenience by switching from the old side-hinged rear gate to a light, overhead lift gate which is much easier to open when you are juggling a toddler and groceries.  The rear doors of the vehicle now open to a full 90 degrees and don’t swing back on you when you are fighting with an uncooperative kid and a car seat.

Don’t worry – the new CR-V isn’t just a baby-mobile.  Honda knows that girls like to have fun, too.  The 2.4 liter engine, intake and exhaust systems have been tweaked to put out 10 more horsepower and one more foot pound of torque than last year’s model, making the vehicle decently responsive in traffic.   Buyers can choose front wheel drive or 4WD, but the only transmission choice this year is the smooth-shifting, 5-speed automatic. 
 
Like its older sibling, the Pilot, the CR-V now comes in LX, EX and EX-L trim levels.   The base LX starts around $20,000 and comes with front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, air-conditioning, a single CD player, power accessories and nice cloth upholstery. The EX adds alloy wheels, a moonroof, an upgraded stereo with CD changer, and a convenient rear cargo shelf.  The upscale EX-L models start around $26,000 and feature leather upholstery.  For an extra $2,000, you can get a navigation package that also includes a rearview camera, a PC card reader, XM Satellite Radio and a subwoofer.  Every 2007 CR-V even comes with an auxiliary input jack for your iPod, so you can listen to YOUR music.

Looking for a luxury vehicle without a luxury price tag? Then the Toyota Avalon might be right up your driveway.  The Avalon is Toyota’s flagship sedan, and it successfully bridges the gap between the more mainstream Camry and Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus.

Redesigned in 2005, the Avalon features a 268-horsepower V6 engine and is available in four trim levels: the XL, Touring, XLS and Limited. The base model XL still offers upscale amenities as a CD player, automatic climate control, a tilt/telescoping wheel, a power seat and 16-inch alloy wheels. The sportier Touring model has a firmer suspension, 17-inch wheels, leather seats, a power passenger seat and aluminum interior trim. The upscale XLS adds a power moonroof, heated outside mirrors and a 6 CD changer. The luxurious Limited includes rain-sensing wipers, perforated leather memory seats (heated/cooled), wood grain trim, a power rear sunshade, keyless startup, and a 12-speaker JBL stereo. Navigation, satellite radio and adaptive cruise control are options on certain trim levels.
Safety features abound on the Avalon as well. Side airbags for front passengers are standard on all trim levels, along with side curtain airbags for front and rear passengers and even a driver-side knee airbag. All 2007 Avalons have antilock disc breaks and a tire-pressure monitoring system, and traction/stability control and brake assist systems are optional.

The front wheel drive Avalon earned a top score of “Good” for its protection of occupants in frontal-offset and side-impact crashes in IIHS testing, and is rated above average for reliability. With its high-quality interior, quiet and comfortable ride, and upscale amenities, the Toyota Avalon is about as good as it gets under $40,000. (To learn more about the Toyota Avalon, visit the official Toyota website at www.toyota.com.)