Auto News 5

Miles to date: 17,655 miles
Months in fleet: Six

Rooted in legend, steeped in technology, and dressed to thrill, the Ford Taurus SHO is finally here to save the day for Ford if not the entire beleaguered domestic auto industry. Weighing heavily on the shoulders of this twenty-first century Hercules is the task of convincing reluctant buyers to open their hearts and pocketbooks for an American sedan with sporting intentions.

If I ever come into a huge pile of cash, I'll go straight to a Benz dealer and pick up an S-class. I've been in love with this generation of S-class ever since I first had the chance to drive one more than three years ago. This car still feels every bit as special today as it did back in 2006.

As our year with the Audi R8 nears its end, you might think that the seen-it-all, driven-it-all bunch at 120 East Liberty would have become jaded to its exotic charms. Think again. Even after a long, harsh winter and through a pothole-choked spring, the R8 continues to enthrall the staff, and its effect on bystanders is also undiminished.

Sometimes, even when you work at Automobile Magazine, you don't care if a car is fast or good looking, if it's refined or luxurious, or if its seats have the right amount of bolstering. You just want it to get you home. That's exactly the sort of mood I was in when I emerged from the office last week around midnight, eyes bleary from proofreading articles for the upcoming issue (it's a good one). It was a cold, rainy night, and I was glad to have the keys to a Toyota RAV4.

Ford's strongest brand is the F-series. Big pickup trucks continue to sit at the top of the sales charts and fetch large profits. Cabela's is a giant in the outdoor goods retail business and trucks play a large role in outdoor recreation, so it doesn't take a genius to realize that Ford cherishes its role as the official truck of Cabela's. The Cabela's Edition F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks are the pinnacle of that relationship.

Wow, what a great little convertible. I was amazed by how quiet this BMW 128i was with the top down at speeds up to 80 mph. It handled the wind noise much better than the new BMW Z4 roadster we recently sampled. Although the Z4 featured BMW's twin-turbo I-6, I had a lot more fun in the 128i.

Mileage to date: 19,095
Months in fleet: Eight

The R26.R moniker sounds like the formula for a new superdrug, and that's exactly what this hot French hatch is. Seven years after its debut and about forty-eight hours before its demise, the quaint-looking Renault Mégane has at last attained eternal dynamic greatness. The Mégane's less controversial successor is already on sale in Europe, but Renault's performance arm (based in Dieppe, France, far from the Paris HQ) is still completing some high-performance derivatives of its predecessor. Based on the Mégane Renault Sport (and the F1 Team 26 version that followed), the R edition adds enough extra punch, poise, and panache to thoroughly upset the European hot hatch fraternity. Output increases only marginally over the Renault Sport (from 225 to 230 hp, and from 221 to 229 lb-ft of torque), but weight drops by 270 pounds (to 2712), despite additions like a roll cage and upgraded brakes. With the optional titanium exhaust, the R26.R loses about another 30 pounds. Thus equipped, it takes only 25 seconds longer to lap the Nürburgring than the new Porsche 911 GT3. Even more notable is the five-second lead it carves out over the 305-hp, European-market Ford Focus RS.

First-ever IS droptop
Ten years after the first Lexus IS rolled into dealer showrooms, Lexus is finally following its competitors and offering an IS convertible, and it's a hardtop, just like the ones from BMW, Volvo, and Infiniti. The IS350C and IS250C, which hit dealers in late May, "give us an opportunity to compete in an area we've never competed in before," says Mark Templin, group vice president & general manager of the Lexus division. "We get to unleash our darker side with the IS C."

We know. Gas is $2.50 a gallon, which means you're not interested in fuel economy. But you will be. As our job market recovers, it's almost a given that oil prices will too. Perhaps more importantly, the newly boosted CAFE requirements virtually guarantee that automakers will be trying to sell you smaller, more efficient cars.

Wow, what a great little hatch. This 2.5-liter I-4 pulls very well from idle to fuel cut, and the six-speed manual transmission is superb. I can't think of a better example of a small car that feels just as solid and rewarding as a "real" car. Of course, the last Mazda 3 was also terrific, so it's not surprising that the 2010 Mazda 3 is so delightful.

Miles to date: 12,387
Months in Fleet: 5

The family in the apartment above mine squabbles quite frequently, but as I arrived home with the Elantra Touring, it turns out they were arguing as to who manufactured this slick wagon. Kudos to mother dearest, who didn't think something so shapely could be a Hyundai but threw the possibility out anyway.