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You don't know if third-party vendors are reliable. The evidence is that too many of them aren't. As a rule, I'd stay away from them and buy from the manufacturer, which has a vested interest in satisfying the purchaser of a given company's products.

Go with the Hyundai Elantra, starting at $15K+. Hard to beat in terms of fuel economy (29 mpg city/40 mpg highway) in that price range. If you want luxury, try the completely redesigned Azera for about $15 k more. Both come with the best warrantie in the buisness.

I'm trying to think of all the convertibles that fit four people

  
BMW     650i 6 Series Convertible
FIAT     500c     Softtop
Ford Mustang Convertible    
Mitsubishi     Eclipse Spyder     Softtop
Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Volkswagen Eos

Yes. The idea is to improve fuel economy by improving the gearing and thereby lessening the work engines must do. Lessen that work and improve fuel economy which is what CVTs (continuously variable transmissions with no fixed gear ratios) already do.

That's coming, soon, probably for the 2013 model year. I wish I could say Honda were leading here. I can't. Everybody's doing it.

I just drove a Fisker Karma through the traffic of Los Angeles, the hills outside Los Angeles and back through the heart of Los Angeles. I drove it like any other car in a ride and drive.

All new technologies are going to have an issue, some are going to be known, some aren't. The first Volt I drove stopped when it ran out of electric mode. It had a full tank of gas, but a sensor wasn't working and it didn't register to go into gas mode.

We are sharing about 88 million barrels of oil a day with a billion cars in the world. The US has about 240,000,000 of those cars. By 2050 the International Transport Forum says we will have 2.5 billion cars on the road.Where will we get the gasoline for all those cars?

Advanced technology is in its infancy. I applaud Consumer Reports for letting us know the issues behind the advanced technology. I don't know what the problem is, but I like the idea of the Fisker Karma/chevy Volt/Opel Ampera technology.

I am on a ride and drive in two weeks for that car, so spring will be about right. Email me at lou at carlist.com after the 27th and I will let you know. Or just come back on the chat line after that and ask.

It's expensive. It's a great idea, but it's expensive.

Diesel vehicles are more expensive than gasoline vehicles in the United States. Hybrids are more expensive than regular gasoline vehicles. To add a hybrid diesel to the mix is going to be more expensive.

But just like I talked about with the Fisker Karma, advanced technology is what is going to help us get to 2050 with less gasoline. It's not that the United States is using more gasoline, the world is.

We are going to need to diversify.

You may have heard that General Motors just purchased 7% of PSA Peugeot/Citroen. Peugeot has a diesel hybrid. hmmm. Peugeot also has an electric bicycle and  Karl Stracke (Opel) talked about producing an electric bicycle for the Chinese market. hmmm.

Honda recently authored a list of "misses" including the Crosstour. I would not include the truck-like Ridgeline among those boo-boos. Most Ridgeline owners know what they've bought and like what they've bought. More hybrids? Yes. The same is true for all car manufacturers largely thanks to governmental and regulatory demands for better fuel economy and less air pollution. Honda will do whatever it needs to do to regain and maintain a successful corporate posture.

I was going to say MINI and forgot.

Anyone else? It's a small niche, so any help I can get from all of you is appreciated.

The Honda systems are well-made, among the most intuitive and reliable in the business. But I'd spend less on the easir-to-update Garmin and be happy.

I think South Korea has as many problems with the unions (over wages, etc) as America and Europe.

Just like many other companies, Kia is producing cars in the United States, in Georgia at the KMMG plant. There are cars being built in Korea as well for the US market. I visited a couple of the plants, the Hwasung and Sohari plants, when I was in Korea last time.

I read the financial report for last year for Kia Corporation and a lot of appears to be excessive detail to the bottom line. Kia recycles everything it can. Kia has decreased the use of electricity in its plants. It owns, or partners, with every company it can. And it owns its own steel plant.

The workers in Georgia are paid commensurate  with other manufacturing plants in the United States. They are in Korea as well.

Here's the difference in the current retail environment and the pre-2008 environment; Most dealers and their suppliers are trying to avoid rebates and other spiffs. The suppliers are producing to market. The retailers are ordering only what they know they can sell. That means if they (the retailers0 have hard-to-move-stuff, such as leftover 2011 models, they are willing to sell at discounts. Better to sell than it is to continue tax payments and financing costs on unsold inventory.

I took this question before I saw you wanted a dealer recommendation, but I have Warren for one.

I loved the Honda Element dog edition. I told Honda I thought they made a mistake by discontinuing it. Crazy.

Chrysler already has the 8-speed in the 300 and Charger, made by ZF. It would make sense to me that they would extend the 8-speed to a rear-wheel/all-wheel drive Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Diesel is a hallmark of Europe. Fiat would be smart to bring over all the diesel they can put in any Chrysler group product. Chrysler is saving Fiat right now.

My take on dealers - shop around, get a good price.

Another tip to our convertible reader with children.

Thanks everyone for all the help.

That works. Good quality. Reasonably safe. Good winter vehicle.

You're right Clifton, advanced technology is more expensive. But cars are going to become more expensive even if they're not hybrid. Car companies are going to have to eek out every mile per gallon they can to get to the CAFE standards. That means implementing start/stop function, everything.

It will probably mean that people will hold onto their cars a little longer. In 2010 the average price of a car was $30,000. People are holding onto their cars for 11.1 years, according to Polk.

I talked to Scott Riches, a dealer in Plymouth, MI. He said that 95% of the people driving cars that are $40,000 (from his store) are leasing them. The Volt might sell for $40,000 but it leases for $395 a month. Your monthly payment would be more like $700 a month if you bought it.

We are in for interesting times.

They should all hit the market by 2013. Hybridization is a good marketing tool in an era of high fuel prices in the U.S. I say the U.S. for a reason. Just left Western Europe where motorists were paying the U.S. equivalent of $8 a gallon for regular gasoline. Their vehicles of preference, under the circumstance, are advanced diesels...not hybrids.

Don't forget, you can negotiate for more than just cost.

You can negotiate for better service deals, a better trade-in,  a better finance rate.

And make sure you know your FICO, credit rating score before you start negotiating! Too many people rely on the car dealer to tell them what their score is. That score tells you what your finance rate is going to be.

Do your homework!

No, but you are moving in the right direction. I'd look at the new Honda CR-V, which is much better designed than the Venza.

I was looking mainly at four doors because of the hassle of putting children in a backseat with only two doors. But you are right.

Here is the complete list from today's conversation, courtesy of all the chatters;

Audi A5 convertible
BMW 3- Series convertible
BMW     650i 6 Series Convertible
FIAT     500c     Softtop
Ford Mustang Convertible     
MINI convertible
Mitsubishi     Eclipse Spyder     Softtop
Volkswagen Beetle Convertible
Volkswagen Eos
Volvo C70

Not really, Clifton. Be aware that run-flats often have certain advantages--chief among them the ability to continue driving for about 50 miles at 50 mph enabling you to get to help/service safely. Run-flats do that work at a weight saving and presumed improvement in fuel economy. Common sense dictates that if you are intelligent enough to buy run-flats for reasons stated, you are smart enough to know how and where to replace them.

I have a 1993 Lexus LS400, beautiful car, just had to have a circuit board changed. $400. No payments since 1996. I'm good with that.

My neighbor has two cars in the 90s. No problems.

Mustang