Auto News 5

Miles to date: 31,819
Months in fleet: eight

Generally, auto enthusiasts like Europe just fine. We love Germany's autobahn, go crazy over the generally unpatrolled back roads of Spain, dream of mountain passes through the Alps, and lust over those cars we can't get on this side of the Atlantic. However, beyond some Fiats, it seems the next big thing we're likely to get from Europe is the S-word; socialism. How do we know? We've just driven the 2010 Volvo XC60, the Swedes' all-new crossover.

I forgot just how quiet hybrids are. Like, silent. As in, so silent when you start one, you turn it off and try again because you think nothing happened. So silent that it's like a party trick I perform for Lovely Rita and Ali at the parking garage downtown. Check this out! It's RUNNING. No, really!!

Although Nissan has promised to offer battery/electric vehicles by next year, it's still found time to occasionally tinker with gasoline/electric hybrids. That's a good thing, as the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is one of the most enjoyable hybrid sedans on the market.

After two months and 4318 miles, has our fondness for Automobile Magazine's Four Seasons Honda Fit dwindled? Not a chance. "I finally had a chance to get into our Fit," said copy editor Rusty Blackwell, "and its 2009 All-Star selection has been reaffirmed in my mind."

By now we should know whether Chrysler won the rest of the government loans it needed to pay its clamoring creditors. And if all went according to plan, Fiat should be riding in on a white Italian stallion to save Cerberus from itself.