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2018 L.A. Auto Show: 5-plus takeaways on Jeep, Honda, Porsche and more

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The 2018

L.A. Auto Show

is making a strong case that

auto shows

aren’t dead. Carmakers are ladling out

sports cars

and SUVs featuring serious style and performance in Los Angeles, and it’s a feast for the senses. We’re talking the new

Porsche 911

, the long-awaited Jeep Gladiator and the stylish

Mazda3

. It’s the best

car show

with the most important reveals since the 2018

Detroit Auto Show

kicked off the year.

Here are some quick reactions:

The 2019 Jeep Gladiator is a rock star

When

the story

went live on

Autoblog

, our traffic went straight up. I’ve literally never seen the graph go straight up. So yeah, you guys seem to like it. I do, too. It’s everything I want in a vehicle, including enough of a retro feel that it satisfies my cravings for an old

Cherokee XJ

. It’s more capable and likely more expensive than I originally anticipated, but Jeep is going to have to expand its Toledo factory to keep up with demand. Don’t be fooled by whatever the politicians say when that happens. It’s because people like Jeeps and pickups, and this is the hero sandwich of all of that. I’d likely go with the 3.6-liter and a manual transmission if I were buying a Gladiator, but the diesel is compelling, too.

Gladiator is a great name, drenched in history. I like it better than Scrambler, which never felt right to me. Only issue: It’s a little over-the-top. Imagine this conversation:

“So, ready to go to Panera?”

“Sure, let’s take the Gladiator.”

I mean,

it’s a bit much

to refer to your personal vehicle as the Gladiator. Unless Russell Crowe is driving it. Then it’s fine.

The 2020 Porsche 911 is conservatively brilliant

Every time I drive a 718 Cayman, Jaguar F-Type or another 911 challenger, I wonder if the 911 may be over the hill. It’s not. And it likely never will be. This latest generation, dubbed 992 in Porsche-speak, stayed the course. The back takes some Mission E stylings that give the 911 a more modern feel. The flat six gets a little more power. The digital-heavy interior looks futuristic and slick. But overall, it’s a blocking-and-tackling update that should satisfy the purists and maybe draw in a few new Porsche fans.

It’s the right time for the 2019 Honda Passport

This slots between the

Honda CR-V

and the

Honda Pilot

. That’s serious segmentation, but it’s another

crossover

, and it’s undoubtedly what the people want. I like the looks of this one, though I’m still feeling the

CR-V

,

Chevy Blazer

,

Jeep Grand Cherokee

and a few others in and around this segment a bit more. Regardless,

the Passpor

t (great call to bring back the name) checks all the boxes. Rugged styling, Honda’s solid 280-hp V6, under-the-floor storage. Yep, should be a winner for Honda. The North Face crowd has another crossover to cross-shop.

Lincoln’s really going for it

A 400-hp standard engine for the

2020 Aviator

?

Awesome

. The

plug-in hybrid

model promises 450 hp and an eye-watering 600 lb-ft of torque. This seriously outguns the Germans in this segment. It’s such prodigious power, I question if the typical Lincoln buyer even wants this … but who cares? Like we said when the “concept” debuted at the

New York Auto Show

, it’s a smart play to bring back the

Aviator

name. It sounds cool and historic, even though Lincoln only used it on a rebadged

Explorer

from 2002 to 2005. Aviator sounds slightly less cartoonish than Gladiator, IMO. They’re both good movies. Also, the interior has the

same level of class as the Navigator

, which is excellent.

The Mazda 3 is a stylish surprise

We loved the Kai concept, but we didn’t really think Mazda would make the production 3 look just like it. They did. The hatch is gorgeous, though some in the office are preferring the slinky sedan variant. That’s cool. I’d compare it to the

Honda Civic

. I like the sedan, others love the hatch, You can’t go wrong. Perhaps most critically, the

2019 Mazda 3

now gets all-wheel drive.

Bonus parting shot: The Audi E-Tron GT is surprisingly cool

I didn’t see this one coming. It’s a four-door coupe (cliche alert) that has legit performance. Audi has rolled out so many E-Tron concepts over the years, I’ve lost track of which one’s which. This one, the

E-Tron GT

, might be the best. Love the styling that features bulging fenders and a dramatic roofline. Cool headlights, too. The best part: 582 hp. It’s a bit of a sleeper car at the star-studded L.A. show.

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