The new Taurus SHO isn't a world-beater, but it is a very, very cool car nonetheless. The Ecoboost twin-turbo V-6 makes for one extremely quick car - significantly quicker than other Tauruses. Wheel spin isn't an issue, thanks to the SHO's all-wheel drive, but torque steer is still present, particularly when accelerating through corners.inline_mediumwraptextright31262508/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_ford_taurus_sho0911_09_z+2010_ford_taurus_sHO+front_view.jpgTrue

One of the most frequently cited justifications for purchasing a small crossover is to transport the family's canine(s). That doesn't jive with my personal experience because the pets that allow me to share their home prefer the easier climb aboard and more cozy seating provided by just about any coupe or sedan. So instead of shelling out more than $30,000 to drive a 30+mpg Escape Hybrid, I'd lean strongly in favor of a low-end Fusion that costs about ten grand less, comes close in mileage, and easily matches the Escape's 1000-pound tow capability. And for those who've gotta have a hybrid, my recommendation is the highly competent gas-electric Fusion. It's comparable in base price to the Escape Hybrid but delivers a few more miles per gallon. When my thoughts drift in the truck direction -- a rare occurrence I must add -- what appears in my mind's eye is a well used, low-built, park-out-doors pickup. A few years ago, I owned such a machine. But now that gas costs $2.50 per gallon, neither my dog nor I miss having such a beast of burden occupying the driveway.inline_mediumwraptextright25807979/green/reviews/0911_2010_ford_escape_hybrid0911_06_z+2010_ford_escape_hybrid+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

A year ago, when the heads of Detroit's Big Three - GM's Rick Wagoner, Ford's Alan Mulally, and Chrysler's Bob Nardelli - appeared in the infamous Capitol Hill bailout hearings, many lawmakers, and many Americans, decided that this trio from the industrial heartland could all be tarred with the bad-CEO brush. There was a telling moment, during a discussion about executive compensation, when the three CEOs were asked if they were willing to work for a dollar a year.

It was strange to be driving this F-150 just after reading in the business pages about the shrunken market for big pickups. The consensus among those in the industry was that the casual-use buyer had largely abandoned the market and wasn't likely to come back. That certainly doesn't portend well for the F-150 Harley-Davidson, a shiny black $50,000 showpiece whose owner would sooner laser off his tattoos than throw a bunch of lumber or gravel into the truck bed. Even as a show pony, this latest version of the Harley-Davidson F-series also seemed to me to be less successful than some of this truck's previous iterations. The 5.4-liter engine's 320 hp holds no performance advantage over lesser F-150s, and the swoosh side graphics look like they were lifted from an RV. At least the power-retractable running boards clean up the aesthetics and function well. And the black-and-red two-tone leather, accented with gloss black trim, is suitably flashy.inline_mediumwraptextright25793498/reviews/editors_notebook/0911_2010_ford_f150_harley_davidson_edition0911_05_z+2010_ford_f-150_harley_davidson_edition+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Upon successful completion of the public-road qualifying runs, we handed the ignition keys back to their relieved owners for the speed portion of this power picnic. The two Johns piloted their cars on the drag strip while Sullivan had a hired gun - Vance Cummins - shoot the Bullet. (Cummins is a veteran drag racer and Chrysler restoration expert who was instrumental in the Plymouth's revival.)

Enthusiasts have reason to be concerned about high-performance cars being regulated out of existence. Consider the recent passage of the Obama administration's new CAFE standards as well as the looming specter of cap and trade carbon taxes. Some Draconian scenarios predict an over-regulated future filled with dull cars.inline_mediumwraptextright30638772/green/news/0909_guide_to_the_future_of_high_mpg_efficiency_not_economy0909_03_z+2010_chevrolet_corvette+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

In its role as mainstream sedan, the Taurus will never be the most exciting car in the Ford fleet, but this latest redesign has at least injected it with some sorely needed upgrades. The exterior design has been given a bolder, more modern look with a new grille and headlights, a higher beltline, and more pronounced fenders. The modernization continues inside, with a nice-looking center stack that houses audio and climate controls and, of course, Ford's Sync multimedia system.inline_mediumwraptextright30580671/reviews/editors_notebook/0909_2010_ford_taurus_sel_fwd0909_03_z+2010_ford_taurus_sEL_fWD+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Never mind loans, partners, reorganizations, dealer purges, or any of the other maneuverings that have consumed the U.S. auto industry for the past twelve months. Only great new cars and trucks can power Detroit out of the ditch. New for 2010 (or thereabouts), the ten cars gathered here are, in our estimation, the best hope to do just that.

Ford thinks it can revive the minivan market with a small seven-passenger vehicle based on the next-generation Focus platform. The Dearborn automaker revealed its Ford Grand C-Max at the Frankfurt auto show, announcing that it will arrive in the U.S. in late 2011.

Bryan Nesbitt, General Manager, Cadillac

These are the first images of the 2010 Ford C-Max -- a mini-minivan that will likely become a big part of Ford's global product portfolio.

Good Lord, this Flex is FAST! I made use of all 355 hp as often as traffic would allow in my night with the Flex. This is quite possibly the only crossover ever to inspire hooliganism. No, it's not going to do burnouts or compel a trip to the local autocross course, but the roll-on acceleration is amazing, and the twin turbos more than keep up with the aerodynamic demands at highway speeds. Honestly, there's enough thrust here to warrant an SVT badge. But I'm happy Ford didn't go that route with the Flex.inline_mediumwraptextright24973243/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2010_ford_flex_ecoboost0908_04_z+2010_ford_flex_ecoBoost+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Time to think again about the TH!NK, that all-electric city car that's been trying to become a successful business proposition since 1991. Word is, after coming out of bankruptcy, the company is charging forward to begin production of its TH!NK City, a highway-capable electric car with a 130-mile range and a top speed of 65 mph.

I had a VERY late night run in the GT convertible, after a long week attempting to write. It was about 70 degrees and threatening rain. And dark. And I was aimed for the interstate. But if this was going to be my only crack at this Mustang for a while, I was going to make the most of it. Top down, windows up, heat on, fan on high. Glorious summer evening air blowing my hair around.inline_mediumwraptextright24894263/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2010_ford_mustang_gt_premium_convertible0908_01_z+2010_ford_mustang_gT_premium_convertible+rear_three_quarters_view.jpgTrue

It started with a letter. In February 1963, a letter arrived at Ford's German headquarters saying that a small but prestigious Italian sports-car maker was for sale. Enzo Ferrari had made the overture. He chose Ford, he said, because he had always been an admirer of Henry Ford. What he did not say was that he was being vilified in the Italian press over the bloodshed among Ferrari drivers, particularly after the 1961 Grand Prix at Monza. At that race, Ferrari's Phil Hill clinched the Formula 1 championship, but his teammate Count Wolfgang Von Trips crashed, killing himself and fourteen spectators. The race was televised, so millions saw the carnage.

It looks like we're back to a familiar conundrum: should I buy a supercharged Mustang or a base Corvette? A base Corvette coupe starts at $49,515 with destination, and the only option that you'll really need is the two-mode exhaust system at $1195, so a worthy Vette starts at $50,710. That's actually $185 less than this particular Shelby GT500 coupe (and that's ignoring any potential dealer markup on the Shelby). Yes, the Shelby has more horsepower, but the Corvette is a better handler, more fuel efficient at 16/26 mpg, and 707 pounds lighter. By no means is this an apples-to-apples comparison, but it's certainly one that will be explored on many Web sites.inline_mediumwraptextright24817471/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2010_ford_mustang_shelby_gt500_coupe0908_01_z+2010_ford_mustang_shelby_gT500_coupe+profile.jpgTrue

That's a shame, because the Raptor is simply incredible when the ground goes soft. Steering that's a bit too slow and light on pavement suddenly feels confident and dead-on accurate, and the extra bit of body roll allows for a relatively silky ride over terrain that would shake apart many passenger vehicles. A number of tweaks, including beefier control arms, bigger brakes, a redesigned power-steering system, a stiffened structure, and the aforementioned 35-inch BFGoodrich tires (which increase the tread width more than six inches and require flared front and rear fenders) keep the truck and the driver in one piece. But the biggest addition is the dampers. The triple-bypass Fox racing Shox get progressively stiffer as they compress, meaning the Raptor can soak up just about everything the desert has to offer without bottoming out.

This $33,170 so-called "Sport" edition of the Fusion doesn't really work for me. The general demeanor of the Fusion does not lend itself to sportiness, no matter how you dress up the car. Yeah, the seats are pretty nice, but, really, what is the point of this particular Fusion trim level? This car is trying too hard to be something it's never going to be.inline_mediumwraptextright24626542/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2010_ford_fusion_sport_awd0908_04_z+2010_ford_fusion_sport_aWD+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

If you build it, they will come - or at least that's the premise Ford Motor Co., is operating under as it works with municipalities, utilities and other partners to fund and build the infrastructures needed to power electric vehicles.

2011 Ford Fiesta (on sale 2010)
Base price: $15,000 (est.)
Fuel economy: 31/39 mpg (est.)

It's over now, but for seventy-five years the archetypical American automobile was a fairly simple machine, neither big nor small, about fifteen or sixteen feet long, with a V-8 engine driving a solid rear axle. The most significant contributors to creating that essential description were the 1932 Ford and the 1955 Chevrolet. More than 100 million derivatives of those cars' two V-8s have been built in the past seventy-seven years, and they inspired others to adopt the V-8. Even as our industry collapses and "green" ideologues dream of electric shopping-cart cars, we know there will be vestiges of those seminal cars for decades to come.

In a world that seems bent on taking away all responsibilities from the individual, Ford Motor Company conducted a PR/fund-raising event in Washington, D.C. that proves how important individual choice is.

Roush's 427R Mustang is an angry car. Even if you don't touch the gas pedal, the burble of the exhaust lets you know that you're driving a Mustang with a serious attitude. Directing the short shifter into first takes a firm, deliberate motion. Leave the 427R in first gear as you roll down the parking ramp at a steady 3000 rpm and enjoy the exhaust's controlled ruckus as it reverberates off the concrete structure. Eager to hear the engine's full roar, you jab the throttle while turning out of the garage. It's just as beautiful and hateful as you imagined and - oops - the back end is swinging around to add some kick to that scream. This bad boy sure is fun to hang around with.inline_mediumwraptextright2010 Roush Mustang 427R28349019/reviews/editors_notebook/0907_2010_roush_mustang_427r0907_07_z+2010_roush_mustang_427R+profile.jpgTrue

It's all about youth these days. That's why Ford, taking a page from President Barack Obama's campaign strategy, is pitching its European Fiesta directly to Generation Y, with plenty of Twitter and YouTube pages devoted to the cause. And that's why Automobile Magazine's youngest editor - yours truly - drove the car to Madison, Wisconsin, home of more than 30,000 undergrads, as a way of measuring the truth - "truthiness," Gen Y'ers say - in Ford's claim that it has a legitimate subcompact contender.

With the 2010 model year, Ford is marking the start of its EcoBoost initiative, a plan that will dramatically effect the company's entire lineup in the coming years. By using turbocharging and direct injection with smaller-displacement engines, Ford says it can offer better performance and fuel economy. The company expects it will put 1.3 million EcoBoost engines on the road by 2013 and offer the technology in 90 percent of its models.