Though many are still thawing from a brutal winter, including us, things were heating up at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. And for families in the market for a new car, there was a lot to be excited about this year. So come along, and you can see what we saw, in the Big Apple.   

Rounding out the Auto Show season, 2014 at New York’s Javits Center really was a “car” show with new sedans in the spot light.

The 2015 Toyota Camry pulled on stage with thorough updates both inside and out. The uber-successful mid-sizer is also longer and wider and adds a new XSE trim level with sport-tuned suspension and 18-inch wheels.

But, Hyundai opened with an all-new Sonata. Now a serious family sedan rival, this Sonata is more mature, less swoopy, although still stylish with LEDs head and tail.

Acura surprised no one with the production version of the TLX. It slims down the line, replacing both TL and TSX, and along with that, a four joins the six cylinder for power.

Revamps continue across domestic brand sedans as well. A restyled Ford Focus compact sedan joins the 3 and 5 door models already revealed, and adds the Fiesta’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost 3-cylinder. Also shown was a Focus Electric. And, who could ignore the 2015 Mustang, celebrating its 50th anniversary with a limited edition hardtop, revealed in classic Wimbledon White.

Ford also recreated a classic stunt with this Mustang convertible atop the Empire State Building.

Chevrolet made some top down news with the Corvette Z06 Convertible. But the bowtie brigade surprised everyone with a new subcompact utility, the Trax, complete with 4G LTE connectivity. Which is shared with a freshened Cruze compact sedan, now with the bolder Impala front end.

Dodge took the face-lift route too. With mostly new sheet metal, and a decidedly Dart look up front, the Charger four-door adds a standard 8-speed automatic. Also tweaked, the Challenger Coupe looks ready for the next pony car wars.

Speaking of two doors, Mercedes-Benz tempted just about everyone with the amazingly beautiful S63 AMG Coupe.

Nissan’s radically enhanced Murano shows a modern and sharp concept inspired redesign. This all-new midsize crossover is due out late this year.

Leave it to Kia to take a rather aggressive tone for a minivan. The 2015 Sedona is fit for seven or eight, with a standard V6 and K900-style luxury options.

A perennial family favorite, the Subaru Outback sport-utility wagon follows the Legacy sedan’s total redesign and looks to be slightly bigger, safer, and easier to live with than ever.      

Volkswagen and company gave us a lot to look forward to, including a concept, all-wheel drive diesel version of their Golf SportWagen…

…And Audi announced a TDI, hatchback version of the just released A3 sedan.

BMW furthered their 4 Series lineup, with reveals of the slopping roof X4, for those with versatility in mind…and the M4 Convertible, for those seeking windy performance and thrills. A surprise was this updated X5 eDrive plug-in hybrid concept with up to 20-miles of pure EV range.

Mini showed a refreshed Countryman utility.

Honda showed only a photo of its Fit based American HR-V crossover. Their stage was occupied by this smooth little guy, the second gen Asimo robot. More humanoid than ever, boy can this tike dance!

But the star of the SUV crowd was easily Land Rover’s Discovery Vision Concept, foretelling a multi-vehicle Discovery line with the first family member due by year’s end.

We were almost hopping with excitement to see both the Jeep Renegade, and the Alfa Romeo 4C at New York, and we can’t wait to drive both.

Infiniti’s M Sedan is reborn as the Q70, but besides fresh styling, it adds an extended wheelbase L model. Infiniti’s new QX80 full-size SUV is a re-skinned QX56.

And finally, the Mazda MX-5 Miata celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special edition, as an all-new car is less than a year away.

Though hardly a car-friendly metropolis, New York City, and the 2014 New York International Auto Show, did a buffo job of driving up our auto enthusiasm, with the Big Apple’s Biggest and Best Car Show yet.