2012 Minneapolis Auto Show: Subaru and Toyota

Surprisingly, the Toyota group had a healthy meal of debuts this year; everything from economy cars to supercars, to driver's cars. I put Subaru and Toyota together they are closely related-- not just because of boring styling, but because one of the key debuts was a joint product. I am not much of a Toyota fan presently, but I adore their vintage stuff. However, this year's auto show proved that Toyota can make a comeback. They have the appliance cars down pat-- now they should turn their attention to sports car. If they can make an appliance seem a "great car", then I'm confident that if they put their minds to it, a great sports car is only natural; after all, this is the company that gave us the Celica-Supra, the AE86, the GT4, the MR2 and MR-S. I know Toyota has the know-how, now all they need to do is stop the silly excuses.



First up, is the new Impreza; to be honest, I am not quite thrilled with this one; I wasn't thrilled with the last one, either, and it seems the new car is yet another step in the wrong direction. Okay, so it was designed to appeal to more people, but at what cost? It doesn't have a trace of "quirkiness" that's been a part of Subaru for so long. Instead, it resembles what would happen if Subaru made a Corolla. Indeed, it appears that's what Subaru have done. Blimey.





So, not all hope is lost; the WRX STi is still here-- for now. Based on the old car, the 2012 soldiers on as the last remnant of what Subaru fans all over the world once called "the ultimate Impreza". 305 horses, all wheel drive, and a staunch rallying-- and road racing-- pedigree do a good sports car make. It's even affordable, too. Well, if you consider $40,000 affordable. But, that's just the starting point. The vast array of performance goodies is astounding should you be unsatisfied with stock performance. Hell, even the amount of various bodykits, wings and hoods alone is enough to make a Subaru nut have a hard time deciding how to modify his or her car.







Or is it? This is the car that JDM nuts have been fawning over--and it's finally landed in the US. Sadly, the prototypes and various spy shots perhaps have gotten people a bit too excited. Said by many to be the new-generation AE86 Corolla, this BR-Z is sort of.. well, okay, I'm sure the AE wasn't exactly considered a looker in its day either, but man.. I wasn't expecting something as let-down as this. 200 horse, four cylinder, normally aspirated? I suppose it's better than nothing, though. And already the aftermarket has opened up for these things. Who wants to be the first Minnesotan to have a drift-ready BR-Z?






Normally, Im not very enthusiastic about any Prius--and the case still stands here. However, I will say that I applaud Toyota for recognizing that the Prius name is so much of a symbol that they can-- and should-- make money using the name recognition. I am a huge fan of small hatchbacks, and I don't quite mind the styling. I do think that the 46/53 EPA numbers probably could've been met without using hybrid technology, though. I'd rather a small gas engine, and a 9 spd auto.. or perhaps a diesel and 9 spd auto with start-stop? I'm sure that would probably drive the price up a tad, but with better MPG, who would complain? Oh wait. Then they couldn't call it a Prius. Damn.








The Lexus GS has always been one of my favorite Japanese sedans; it's always combined a good deal of technology with a nice sense of style. The previous car was not quite the looker everyone expected, especially after seeing the 1998-2005 car that came before it. The new car's styling leaves something to be desired, but I warmed up to the previous car; I likely will warm up to this. Unfortunately, the V8 leaves the range, with only a six cylinder and a hybrid for now. No matter what engine choice, though, the entire car reeks of overabundant luxury. Having not sat foot in a Lexus for many moons, I was quite surprised by the interior. Comfortable, opulent, and definitely not skimping on tech, this is probably the luxury sedan for me, should I stray from my Infiniti bias. I dig the interior color on this one, and even moreso the touch-screen stereo control-center--it reminds me of something from a futuristic movie. Well done, guys!


A far cry from the supercar pictured above, this represents Lexus' most popular vehicle in the US. The RX has been the crossover of choice for many a soccer mom and yuppies across the country. Couple generically upscale looks with effortless Toyota reliability and a winner is born-- for people who don't care about what they drive. Since 2013 is the year of "change" at Toyota, the RX has been redesigned so well that I almost didn't notice. Oh well; I never liked these much anyway, and this new car further enhances that "meh" reaction.

On the whole, I was somewhat impressed with Toyota's efforts this year. Despite having a rather mediocre lineup, the company knows how to market. The recently-unveiled Prius V (or Prius+) is making rounds as the Prius of choice for families with small children. The idea that the Prius C was only shown about a month ago, and I've already seen about 20 is telling of its success. I wish Toyota well on their continuous path to success, but I wish they'd sprinkle their showrooms with enthusiast cars, and not just once in a blue moon.