Affordable Convertibles Put to the Test

Some highly anticipated new luxury convertibles will hit the market this summer in the Lexus IS and Infiniti G37, but what about droptops for the masses? Isn’t everyone entitled to some wind in their hair?

With the sun shining and the breeze cool, we took three popular, affordable convertibles out for a spin to see how they’d fare as a chariot for a weekend getaway. The cars tested were the 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata, 2010 Ford Mustang and 2009 Volkswagen Beetle convertible. We considered cargo space, comfort and cool factor. Check out the video above to see how they fared in those categories, and read on to see how we felt about these topless wonders as driving machines.

In the end, our five staffers arrived at a split decision, but not before some heavily spirited debate. What follows is the conversation that ensued after a day of driving the three vehicles over a large chunk of northern Illinois:

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Ford Fusion Sport

With reviews of the 2010 Ford Fusion SE and Fusion Hybrid already in the bag, Cars.com’s Joe Wiesenfelder takes on the Fusion Sport trim and what he sees as “inconsistency from one trim level to the next” in Ford models. Find out what differentiates the Fusion Sport from the SE and whether it’s worth the bump in price.

2010 Ford Fusion Sport Review

Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Muscle Car FaceOff

If your ear is to the ground concerning all things automotive, you’ll already know Detroit now offers up three V-8 muscle cars. Per my wishes and dreams, the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T, the 2010 Ford Mustang GT and the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS showed up at the office last week. As my colleagues at Cars.com decided to put these three to the test on the road, I decided it was time for a proper photo showdown. After two years of gawking at them individually, I finally put them all in the same pasture just to see how they looked together. And, oh man, did they look pretty.

As an homage to the era that spawned the original muscle cars (the 1970s) — and a tip of the cap to the newly departed late, great film, Kodachrome — these photos were color-corrected to match the bright cyans and saturated oranges that made Kodachrome ISO 64 film and its prints so spectacular. Enjoy.

Let me know what you think in the comments section below. As always, feel free to use the full-screen mode on the photo browser.

Cars.com Faceoff Takes on New Mustang, Camaro, Challenger

Could there be a better way to head into the Fourth of July holiday than with a three-way horse race — excuse the pun — between new yet classic American muscle cars? Cars.com lined up the 2010 Ford Mustang GT, 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T and 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2SS to see which pony car would come out on top. We compared them in every category, from styling and performance to exhaust sound (and you can listen to recordings of each). Check out the story to see which muscle car drove off the winner in all the categories. If you want to see how they stack up as daily drivers, watch the video above.

Cars.comparison: American Muscle Cars (Cars.com)

First Drive: 2010 Ford Transit Connect

The last time a peculiar, box-shaped car from overseas was sprung on the U.S. market, it was a surprise hit. Don't let the boxy styling and relatively minuscule four-cylinder fool you, though — this is no Scion xB. The 2010 Ford Transit Connect won't be seen at the high school parking lot with blacked-out headlights, a neon underglow and a coffee-can muffler — unless the vending machines are being restocked by a small-business owner with too much time on his hands. Normally Cars.com wouldn't bother with a model intended for commercial use, but there's a newfound interest in everything the domestic automakers do, and the Transit Connect also happens to be one of the first models Ford will offer as a pure battery-electric next year, so I gladly took one for a spin.

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Video

A lot of people are impressed with Ford’s midsize hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid has an impressive EPA rating and a federal tax credit that makes it less expensive than the competition from Toyota. But how does the Fusion Hybrid rate for detail-obsessed Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays? You can find out by checking out his video review.

2010|Ford|Fusion Hybrid

Recall Alert: 2009 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator

Ford has issued a recall for 1,357 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles from the 2009 model year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The brake stop lamp switch may be adjusted incorrectly, which could cause a delay in the brake lights’ illumination.

In other words, the brake pedal could be depressed and the lights could either illuminate late or not at all. The failure of brake lights could endanger the vehicle’s occupants or other drivers on the road.

Dealers will adjust the brake stop lamp switch for free. Owners may contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

2009|Ford|Expedition

2009|Lincoln|Navigator

Higher-Mileage Trims on the Rise

Call them super-saver cars. More than ever, automakers are offering specially branded, fuel-efficient trim levels, but buyers should beware: Those models may compromise performance, have fewer features or require spending a little more to get those mpg savings. In addition, they may be harder to find than their best-selling siblings.

Take, for example, the 2010 Ford Fusion. Its impressive 23/34 mpg city/highway EPA rating only applies to the automatic base model, the Fusion S. The midlevel SE and better-equipped SEL are rated at a lower 22/31 mpg with the same four-cylinder engine and automatic transmissions.

Why the difference in mileage? Ford spokesman Alan Hall said the Fusion S saves gas by using lower-resistance tires and specific transmission calibrations, and by being lighter because there’s less equipment in that trim.

Ford, Nissan and Tesla to Get Green Government Loans

The Energy Department will loan money from a $25 billion retooling fund to Ford, Nissan and Tesla. The money is meant to help the automakers develop and produce cutting-edge green vehicles.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu will eventually decide how much each company will receive, but Ford has applied for $5 billion in loans by 2011, while Tesla wants $450 million. Nissan has announced it has been approved for a $1.6 billion loan.

Ford plans to invest $14 billion over seven years in developing advanced technologies, and will use the government loan to finance that effort.

Ford has said it will bring a battery-electric van to the market by 2010, a small electric sedan by 2011 and a plug-in electric vehicle by 2012. We previously reported on how Ford plans to convert a truck plant to build the electric Focus and what that will mean to Ford’s lineup.

Glass Roof Option Returns for 2010 Mustang

Ford has kept the glass roof option for the 2010 Mustang.

Besides being wicked cool, the glass pane stops 90% of UV rays and reduces cabin temperature so the A/C doesn’t have to work overtime to keep the vehicle’s interior cool. In fact, according to Ford, the glass’ sun-protection factor is equal to SPF 50 — better than your dermatologist-recommended sunscreen!

Keeping out UV rays serves another purpose, which is protecting the interior from deterioration. The glass top is also engineered to reduce noise and vibration.

The glass roof option is available in the V6 and the 4.6-liter V8 GT, but it will cost you $1,995. A surprising amount of Mustang buyers — roughly 10% — opt for the panoramic glass roof with the manual roller blind.