2006 New York Auto Show

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With over a dozen major debuts, the 2006 New York International Auto Show proved to be one of the best shows of the year. It started off big with the debut of the Lexus LS 600h L hybrid. Claiming V12 power, the economy of a V8 and all-wheel drive, Lexus is aiming for the big guns of the ultraluxury sedan segment. After Lexus, Mercedes-Benz took center stage at the New York auto show with a refreshed version of its midsize E-Class sedan. Like the Lexus, it doesn't look much different on the outside, but two new engines and a little bodywork should keep it competitive.

From there it was on to Acura and Ford where we saw a concept version of the MDX crossover along with the production RDX. Ford dipped back into its past again by reviving the Shelby GT-H rent-a-racer. With only 500 planned for production, don't expect to see too many of them hanging out in airport rental lots.

Saturn came out big with three all-new models: the Outlook crossover, Aura sedan and Sky Red Line. All of them are a step up from previous Saturn products in both their design and execution. Nissan also brought out three vehicles: a refreshed Maxima, redesigned Altima and updated Infiniti G35 sedan.

We got the first look at two new models from Jeep: the four-door Wrangler Unlimited and the Patriot compact SUV. Extra room for passengers and cargo should make the Wrangler Unlimited a more mainstream SUV while the cheap and efficient Patriot was designed to attract entry-level buyers who don't need hard-core off-road capability.

Things shifted gears from there as Scion unveiled the Fuse concept, a mean-looking coupe that could be a sign of a future model to come. After that it was time for a couple of European convertibles as both Audi and Bentley showed off new cabriolet versions of current models. For Audi it was a drop-top A4 while Bentley introduced the Continental GTC.

Day Two at the New York auto show was packed with SUVs as Honda, Kia, Mazda and Suzuki all showed off new sport-utes. Mazda's CX-9 is one of the better-looking seven-passenger crossovers we've seen to date and Kia continues to impress with the new design of the Sorento. Suzuki went a little sideway with its XL7, while Honda intentionally tried to get some attention with its Element concept. The NY show closed with two new Subaru models guaranteed to please those looking for a low-key performance sedan.