Auto News 5

You'd think automakers would realize by now that you can't make a cheap car appealing just by parking it in a cool place. Did anyone, for instance, ever go home from a Toronto Blue Jays game and decide to buy a Pontiac G5 just because GM had stuck one in the outfield wall? But as we crowd onto a sidewalk in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood, we have to admit the Fiat 500 cabrio might just pull it off. Its teensy-cute Italian styling and cheap-chic pillared canvas top looks perfectly at home among the area's trendy, expensive art galleries (one of which Fiat is presently renting). It even comes standard with ironic hipster facial hair in the form of Fiat's classic "whiskers" grille openings. But is the 500C merely a European fashion accessory to be admired from afar, or is it a car we'd actually recommend owning in the US of A? That's what we're here to find out.

It's easy to get caught up in the details with this new Explorer, as there are many little annoyances that detract from the core functions of this car. Unfortunately, even when you look at the big picture, the Explorer feels like less than what was promised.