Six years after its return to United States distribution, the Mini Cooper is no longer a novelty retro. Yet until the Smart, the Daimler-Chrysler mini-car, arrives next year, the Mini Cooper is still the shortest car available in the United States.

As such, the English-built sports car garners more than its share of comments. I've now driven the last three years of the Mini, and my experience and opinion remain the same. Everyone has something to say about the Mini, and it's the most fun car I've ever driven.

The Sport Utility Vehicle market is seemingly reaching its saturation point. One national consumer automotive publication divides the market into compact, midsize, premium, large and premium large SUV categories. And there's also the crossover category — SUVs with car-based platforms instead of truck-based platforms.

Add it all up while also considering the various configurations of various manufacturers' models and there are nearly 90 available SUVs in the United States.

The 2007 Cadillac SRX 4-door wagon is listed in the premium midsize SUV category, and it offers an attractive combination of luxury, performance and styling.

In recent years, Mitsubishi has touted its sports cars with a series of overproduced television commercials. In one spot, several pretty young women are singing and smiling and zipping around under flashing city lights and through tunnels somehow equipped with multicolored lasers.

The women seemingly don't have a care in the world. They're on the town. They're having a grand time. They're driving really fast. And techno-pop tunes are blaring.

Combine that group with young male drivers with the same wont to go fast and a likely desire to catch-up to their female counterparts somewhere at the end of the tunnel and you've got a captive audience ready and willing to buy Mitsubishi's speed demon, the Lancer Evolution.

The Saturn Sky was introduced as the manufacturer's first "high-performance" convertible sports car as a 2007 model although it was first available in the spring of 2006.

And if there's one sure thing about the Sky, it's the new sports car's attention-grabbing appearance. Passersby stopped me at traffic signals and asked questions. Restaurant patrons came to my table and inquired. Neighbors wanted to know about the Sky, and even friends who care little about cars were interested.

Not even experts agree on the definition of "crossover" vehicles. But in general terms, consumers seeking the combined best components of a sport utility vehicle and a car are increasingly purchasing "crossovers." The crossover term, however, isn't even en vogue anymore for some industry experts.

"We don't call them crossover; We call them car-based SUVs, because that's what they are,"Gabriel Shenhar, senior auto testing engineer for Consumer Reports magazine, said in a recent article in bankrate.com. "These are vehicles that are usually derived from passenger cars, not trucks."

Driving a nicely performingconvertible with the top down on a sun-baked summer day is about as good as it gets for driving enthusiasts. But there's more to convertibles than wind-whipped hair and the open road.<br/><br/>Whether ragtop or hardtop, convertibles are experiencing a popularity resurgence. There's new innovation and increased competition among U.S. and foreign manufacturers. And that means more choices for consumers.

It's called a premium compact by some consumer advocacy publications and an entry level luxury sedan by other industry experts. By any name, the newly designed Saab 9-3 confidently joins an increasingly visible vehicle segment.

Matched primarily against the Acura TSX, Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series, the Saab showcases high-end features with unique Scandinavian styling and at a less-than-exorbitant price.

My weekly driver was the Aero, one of three 9-3 configurations (sedan, wagon, convertible) and six total available models. It featured a 2.8-liter, 24-valve turbocharged V6 with 250 horsepower and a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability.



 


 

Introduced in 1995, the Kia Sportage is among the growing selection of compact crossover sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that provide good quality at a fair price.

The Sportage is among Kia's most popular models and it's largely remained unchanged since its second generation debuted in 2005. Among several changes then was the transition from a truck to car platform.

The 2007 Sportage is available is seven configurations, and my weekly driver was the 4x4 (all-wheel drive). It has a 2.7-liter, 24-valve, V6 engine with 173 horsepower a four-speed automatic transmission.


 

Visit any mountain community and chances are Subaru Legacy and Outback wagons will be as popular as any vehicle on the road. As an alternative to traditional sport utility vehicles, the Legacy and Outback wagons provide versatility and other appealing SUV traits. But they also offer car-like handling, comfort and fuel efficiency.

Since it debuted in limited release in 1995, the Outback, with its slightly raised suspension, has complemented the Legacy wagon. Fast-forward to 2007 and the Legacy and Outback wagons are now offered in three engine sizes. Combined with Legacy sedan offerings, the vehicles are available in more than a dozen configurations.

Tour de France winners traditionally spend considerable time basking in global fanfare and contemplating new levels of financial bliss. But since Floyd Landis became the third American to claim cycling's most coveted title nearly 10 months ago, his life has been nothing less than catastrophic.

Landis, 31, lives with his wife, Amber, and their 10-year-old daughter, Ryan, in Murrieta, Calif. He has endured the dismissal from his now-disbanded former team, personal tragedy, hip surgery and perhaps the most perplexing doping scandal in sports history.

With the assistance of friends, including physician and scientist Arnie Baker and lawyer Howard Jacobs, the Landis camps is now in its final preparation for Landis' hearing before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on beginning May 14 at Pepperdine University, in Malibu, Calif. The hearing will be the first since a 2004 ruling that an athlete facing drug accusations will have his case heard in a public forum.