12 Cars to Consider Buying in 2016 from the L.A. Auto Show

The Los Angeles Auto Show features a whole lot of new models and updates, but a convertible crossover and all-wheel-drive roadster are among models to keep in mind.
By Jason Notte ,

The ongoing 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show and its sensory overload ultimately subsides into the somber realization that we can't buy everything on display.

It's also a reminder that the Los Angeles show is just the first of the big U.S. auto shows. From here, we march on to Detroit for the North American International Auto Show (Jan. 11-24), Chicago for the Chicago Auto Show (Feb. 13-26) and New York for the New York International Auto Show (March 25-April 3). Given how active D.C. has been in the auto industry of late, even a quick stop at the Washington Auto Show (Jan. 22-31) wouldn't be unwarranted.

All that said, Los Angeles gave us a nice little taste of what lies ahead. The now-dated Chevrolet Volt got a much-needed upgrade and took Green Car of the Year honors. The overhauled Ford Escape made its debut, as Detroit tries to gain ground on the king of the small crossovers, the Honda's CR-V. Oh, and we hope you like vertical and hexagonal grills, because automakers are going to throw a bunch of them at you in the 2017 model year.

With that in mind, we consulted with our man with the camera on the auto show floor -- Ruben Ramirez -- and selected a cool dozen cars you make want to keep in mind as auto show season rolls along and models make their way to market. It'll be easier to sift through all of this now than, say, some spare Saturday in June when everyone else has the same idea:

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Alfa Romeo had been absent from the U.S. market since 1995, but just debuted its 4C here this year as part of Fiat Chrysler's push to get more of its Italian models on the road.

It's basically starting all over again. The youngest generation of drivers doesn't remember a time when it was on U.S. roads, and older drivers have likely spent too much of the last two decades or so moving on. However, if you're going to emphatically announce your presence, you can certainly do worse than a brutalist body design and a a 505-horsepower bi-turbo V6 borrowed from its distant relatives at Ferrari. Given its starting price of $70,000, however, it represents either a low-cost supercar option or an unfavorable exchange rate on high-powered ponies like the top-of-the-line Camaro, Mustang and Fiat Chrysler's own Dodge Challenger SRT.

Fiat 124 Spider

Fiat's initial version of the 124, sold from 1966 to 1985, was a cute little convertible. What it wasn't, however, was the Mazda Miata.

Yes, it will have different body panels than the Miata when it's introduced next summer. Yes, it has Fiat's suspension and turbocharged engine that should give it some advantages over your retiree neighbor's Miata. However, it was co-developed with Mazda and built in a Mazda factory in Japan.

That said, is that such a terrible thing?! You people love the Miata. More Miatas are sold here than anywhere in the world, including Japan. Of the roughly 12,000 produced globally this year to date, 7,150 have been sold here -- the most since 2009, and the year isn't over yet. Giving the Miata a little sporty Italian flair -- and giving buyers another option for a roadster -- won't usher in the end of the world.

Cadillac XT5

Cadillac continues its push against the “old-man car” stereotype that dogged the brand prior to the recession and that's been slow to shake off since.

Cadillac's latest move involves introducing some numbers into its naming convention (à la the BMW X3, the Infiniti QX50, Audi Q5 or Cadillac's other new release, the CT6), ditching its SRX crossover completely and bringing in this less brawny, more aesthetically friendly replacement. Its 3.6-liter V6 engine, available all-wheel drive and 310 horsepower are fairly benign compared to competitors including the Lincoln MKX, Mercedes GLC and Acura RDX, but its 63 cubic feet of storage space, adjustable sliding rear seat and array or radar and cameras (including a rear-camera mirror) make it more of a utility vehicle and less of a pleasant-looking, but fragile, luxury crossover.

Lamborghini Huracán LP 580-2

As “big” announcements go, this one wasn't all that large. What you're looking at is basically another take on Lamborghini's $237,000 Huracán LP 610-4 supercar that replaced the Gallardo as the brand's entry-level car last year (yep, it's the cheap Lambo). However, enthusiasts felt they were being nannied by the initial version's variable-ratio steerings, electronically adjustable suspension and, most of all, its all-wheel-drive system.

To throw a bone to buyers who believe their supercar should be as guttural and Luddite as possible, Lamborghini yanked out the all-wheel drive and replaced it with a rear-wheel-drive beast. Granted, that reduced the horsepower from 610 to 580, but all that brawn and all the stability control is going to the rear wheels. No, your buddy the hedge fund manager isn't going to be able to get this one cranking without a few lessons. Lamborghini described the experience of driving this $201,100 beauty as intense, but we firmly recommend that folks laying out those figures for this mid-engine monster maybe get some track time in before thinking they can handle all of the weight this back-heavy car is going to throw at them.

Buick LaCrosse

You have never seen such excitement surrounding a large sedan, especially from a brand trying to ditch its reputation for them.

When Buick first redesigned the bulbous, oversized LaCrosse back in 2009, it was a BFD. This was Buick's dinosaur of an entry-level car: It was Perry Como albums, lunch at the club on Saturday and rides with grandpa. Buick loaded up on the plush amenities, but downgraded the engine from a V6 to a four-cylinder. Even that only succeeded in getting it a combined 23 miles per gallon until it introduced the semi-hybrid eAssist that manages 30.5.

Seeing the one big area where the LaCrosse could improve, Buick put it on a lighter Chevy Impala platform, lowered its center of gravity, broadened the wheelbase a bit and gave it a sizable waterfall grill. This is all great, but that's a lot of improvements for a large-car segment with shrinking market share. Though LaCrosse sales jumped from 28,000 to 61,000 for this car's last overhaul, those sales slid to 51,000 by last year. If Buick honestly thinks there's a future for this large car amid its smaller Regal and Encore and Enclave crossovers, this may be just the tweak the LaCrosse needs.

Mercedes SL Roadster

Get used to the convertibles, kids: We're going to be seeing a lot more of them from here on out.

The SL-Class has already built its reputation as the roadster of choice for the nouveau riche, but the latest incarnation has a lot going on behind its pretty facelift. Beyond the new front end straight from the brutalist, angular, “make it look mean” school of body design, the new SL450 comes with a 362-horsepower V6, while the SL550 with a 449-horsepower V8 engine. Naturally, there will also be AMG high-performance variants with up to 12 cylinders.

All of that represents a significant uptick in muscle for a car designed to open and close its roof at 25 miles per hour. However, this is one of the most aspirational vehicles produced by this already aspirational brand. A base model will run you roughly $80,000, but you'll have to pay six figures if you want some more power under the hood.

Land Rover Evoque

This was the talk of the L.A. Auto Show: The convertible crossover.

Granted, the Evoque was already a crossover with less cargo capacity than a Honda Fit, so why not throw a roof into what little space there is? The Land Rover folks say this fills a niche, even if it's a niche that just about no one else in the auto industry knew existed or cared to address.

Sure, lots of SUVs and crossovers come with huge panoramic sunroofs, but they aren't exactly a part of a wind-in-your-hair segment. The Jeep Wrangler has had success with the soft top, but you'd have to go back to the Suzuki Sidekick or Isuzu Rodeo for a time when an automaker even tried this with an SUV, never mind a crossover. Innovation is an ugly, sometimes silly business. Yet just because there hasn't been urgent demand for a convertible crossover doesn't mean an automaker like Land Rover shouldn't give one a test drive.

Porsche 911 Targa 4

We'd yell “convertible” again, but that doesn't do the profoundly retro Targa any justice.

Its last overhaul a few years ago brought back the silver trim around the cockpit that was a throwback to its most iconic iteration of the 1960s. Along with its folding glass roof, these were design elements specifically targeting a special breed of golden-age Porsche buyers. In Los Angeles, however, Porsche finally announced that it would give the Targa the power it deserved.

The Targa is being transitioned to turbocharged engines, with 370 horsepower for the Targa 4 and 420 for the Targa 4S. Why 4? Because both of these vehicles are all-wheel-drive, which you don't often see on a warm-weather drop top, but is working wonders for Porsche's zippier Carrera. After half a century, Porsche knows what works aesthetically in the 911. It's now getting a better sense of the kind of power and stability drivers are looking for behind the retro exterior.

Hyundai Elantra

After just five years into its newest generation, the Elantra has received an edict from above: “Be less weird.”

It's kind of an odd complaint, given that the economical, benign compact car is basically the automotive equivalent of a bowl of Raisin Bran, but the poor Elantra was forced to ditch its knobbly headlights, take on a huge hexagonal grill (is this the Ford Focus?) and reduce drag and fuel consumption. Hyundai wants to tout the new seven-inch touchscreen, eight-inch navigation screen and safety features like Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keep Assist and Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

However, it's worth keeping your eye on the 2L, four-cylinder, 147 horsepower standard engine and its 128-horsepower 1.4L, turbo four-cylinder counterpart in the Eco Elantra. The first option will get you 33 miles per gallon combined, but the 1.4L may be as efficient as 35 miles per gallon combined. In the world of the compact car, that's about as exciting as things get.

Mini Clubman

While Ruben Ramirez was getting a look inside the new Mini Convertible, he got a chance to speak with Mini’s Global Vice President Sebastian Mackensen about the Mini Clubman. Once just Mini's stretchy, gate-doored entry into the small car segment, the Clubman has bulked up a bit and added features including various upholstery options and the Mini Connected information and entertainment system with 6.5-inch high-resolution display, third-party app support, Bluetooth audio streaming and voice control.

“Mini really is going more premium,” Mackensen says. “The Mini Clubman is growing quite a bit, almost a foot in size versus its predecessor. It’s the first time Mini is now entering the premium compact segment and we’re very excited with that new car.”

Mini's goal is to dazzle premium customers with a leather-wrapped three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and gearshift, dual-zone automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, keyless ignition, 12-color ambient interior lighting, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, 16-inch alloy wheels, and carbon black leatherette upholstery. However, the biggest update that will debut with the Clubman in January is the choice of a BMW-developed three- or four-cylinder turbocharged engine, and with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. BMW crammed 134 horsepower into the three-cylinder, while the four gets a ridiculous-for-a-car-this-size 189 horsepower. The Clubman's slumming days are over.

Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar is going to have five vehicles in its lineup for the first time ever in 2016, primarily because its competitors are expanding their portfolios at a similarly rapid pace.

While it's nice that Jaguar will have its XE sports sedan to compete with the entry-level BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, it's the F-Pace that's getting the most attention. You see, Jaguar typically doesn't do SUVs but, like Porsche before it, is simply adjusting to a new luxury reality. Now that Porsche has both the Cayenne and Macan in its stable and Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz all have a host of SUVs and crossovers to choose from, Jaguar has asked its Tata Motors stablemate Land Rover to give it a foundation to build on.

The F-Pace will have a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine with at least 340 horsepower, but Jaguar Land Rover's General Manager of Product Planning Robert Filipovic told Ruben Ramirez that the “sporty and aggressive” design, performance and cargo/passenger space should give it some distance from the pack.

How confident is Jaguar in its new models (and its decision that the old lineup needed a shakeup)? Filipovic said Jaguar expects the F-Pace and the XE sedan to be the brand's top selling cars over the next few years.

Lincoln MKZ

There were two big upsides to the Lincoln Continental concept car that Ford debuted earlier this year.

The first was a mercy killing for the hulking, inefficient, greying Lincoln MKS that no one was buying. The second was making the far more popular Lincoln MKZ look a whole lot less like the aforementioned disaster of a vehicle. Yes, the MKS just got an overhaul for 2013, but the addition of a sweet honeycomb-chrome grill, Audi-style LED accent lights and a 3-liter, 400 horsepower engine were all worth the update for 2017.

The MKZ now has the misfortune of competing directly with Audi, Mercedes and BMW's entry-level beasts -- not to mention that Jaguar XE -- but with MKZ sales rising steadily since 2009, Lincoln has reason to be optimistic. As Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra told Ruben Ramirez, “For an automotive brand to stay relevant, the design language has to evolve over time.” The MKZ's evolution has taken a solid first step.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held TK positions in the stocks mentioned.

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