Auto News 5

Once the poster child of the traditional-SUV segment, the Ford Explorer is now a front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder, unibody crossover -- at least in base trim. It may be a strange and dramatic departure from the Explorer of yesteryear, but Ford execs are confident the new strategy can halt the icon's cliff dive from 445,157 sales in 2000 to 31,864 through the first six months of 2010. Fuel economy, they say, is the reason the segment has stalled. That explains the four-cylinder base engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit generating 237 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. The numbers aren't official yet, but a 30 percent increase in fuel economy over last year's V-6 is expected, which should yield 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

The new 2011 Mustang GT with the 5.0-liter engine is nothing short of amazing. I really feel bad for 2010 Mustang GT owners, and if I were one, I'd want my money back. The upgraded power is ridiculous with 412 ponies now stuffed under the hood and a short-throw six-speed manual gearbox.