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Ford Focus

Did you know the day after Thanksgiving, otherwise known as Black Friday, is perhaps the best day of the year to buy a car? It’s true. The trick to getting the best deal is to focus on a 2009 model car, negotiate deep discounts with your dealer and take advantage of manufacturer’s incentives all at the same time. Unfortunately, luxury cars aren’t usually discounted as much as economy cars.

As a road test reviewer, here are my top picks on this Black Friday’s car deals for economical 2009 models with excellent performance, design, technology and safety.

2009 Suzuki SX4

Why is the he 2009 Suzuki SX4 my No. 1 pick for your Black Friday car purchase? Because Suzuki’s SX4 has it all: low price, standard navigation (by Garmin), zippy performance, ergonomic interior, excellent safety and lots of cargo room. If you are seeking an all-wheel drive vehicle for inclement weather, go for the Suzuki SX4 Crossover, which comes as a five-door hatchback model. Base MSRP: $13,299.

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2009 Chevrolet Traverse

After road testing the 2009 Chevy Traverse, I dubbed it “perhaps the most perfect CUV on the market today.” Why? The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse can transport up to eight passengers, has excellent design both inside and out, has kick ass performance, rather good fuel economy (24 mpg overall) and top safety marks. If you are seeking to buy a new CUV this Black Friday, don’t miss checking out the Chevy Traverse!

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2009 Ford Focus

The 2009 Ford Focus is a sporty American sedan with all the bases covered: great performance, good design, fuel efficiency, excellent safety and Ford’s ingenious SYNC connectivity system. Base MSRP: $15,520.

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2009 Honda Element

The Honda Element has been credited with helping start the “boxy” movement. Like the Scion xB, the Honda Element is has excellent overall marks, especially in versatility. Base MSRP: $20,275.

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2009 Nissan Cube

Does the Nissan Cube look funny? Yes, but it’s also a super fun-to-drive vehicle. Some may make fun of its funky exterior and interior, but I believe the 2009 Nissan Cube has super cool design inside and out, excellent overall performance, a super fun drive, top safety marks, incredible versatility and lots of standard features. Base MSRP: $13,990.

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2009 Hyundai Elantra

The 2009 Hyundai Elantra is an excellent overall buy as Hyundai is big on quality, performance, design, cargo room and safety. Plus, Hyundai still has some great incentives like its Hyundai Assurance Program, which guarantees Hyundai will buy back your car if you lose your job. Base MSRP: $14,120.

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2009 Toyota Corolla

Why did I pick the 2009 Toyota Corolla over its Camry and Prius brethren? The Corolla surprised me on a recent road test with its super fast acceleration, tons of standard features, luxury amenities, fuel efficiency and Toyota’s legendary performance. Base MSRP: $15,350.

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2009 Mazda MAZDA6

Mazda just makes awesome cars, so I was thrilled when its 2009 MAZDA6 model lived up to my expectations. This mid-sized sedan has both sporty and smooth performance as well as a rather luxurious interior, top safety marks, good fuel economy and a handsome exterior. Base MSRP: $18,550.

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2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer is an often overlooked mid-sized sedan. But don’t sell this sexy sedan short as Mitsubishi has built in sports car DNA into this racy ride. Plus, the Lancer’s exterior stands out in a sea of boring Euro sedans. The minimalist interior thrills even more as does the five-star safety and good fuel economy. Base MSRP: $26,490.

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2009 Scion xB

The 2009 Scion xB is one of my most favorite cars to drive because of its versatility, overall excellent design and smooth performance. The 2009 model marks a more rounded shape to this boxy ride, but the curves just add to the Scion xB’s stylish good looks. Base MSRP: $15,750.

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2009 Volkswagen Rabbit

The 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is another tiny car that’s big on speed. Yep, the Rabbit is still a thrill to drive with excellent overall driving dynamics. And even though the Rabbit looks small on the outside, it is rather spacious inside with a rather large hatchback trunk. Base MSRP: $16,300.

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2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI

Another VW? Yes! The 2009 VW Jetta TDI was one of VW’s best-selling models of the summer. And I know why. This clean-burning diesel vehicle is super fun to drive, has great exterior and interior design as well as excellent fuel economy. Plus, you may be eligible for a $1,300 tax credit. Base MSRP: $18,999.

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Ready for a big Black Friday discount? Go test drive one of these top 2009 models and buy a new car, America!

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif. Follow me! @sheryllalexande

Ford Motor Company’s new MyKey System was developed to help put parents at ease when their teenagers are at the wheel. The system also teaches and encourages teen drivers to drive safer and be more fuel efficient.

The new feature will allow owners to program a key, which includes a transponder inside of it, that can limit the vehicle’s audio volume and top speed. The key can also be programmed to sound an alert chime for low fuel levels with 45, 55 and 65 miles to go until empty.

The system allows parents to program any key by using the vehicle message center. It can read the transponder inside the key after the key has been inserted into the ignition. It immediately identifies the MyKey code and reads the default driving modes. It can be programmed to activate the Ford Beltminder system, which chimes an alert for six seconds, every minute for five minutes until the driver is buckled up. It also mutes the radio and shows a message on the instrument panel instructing the driver to Buckle up to unmute radio.”

More features of the Ford MyKey System include:

• A top speed limit of 80 miles per hour
• Audio volume limits to 44 percent of the total volume
• Speed chime alerts at 45, 55 or 65 miles per hour

Features like Park Aid, Traction Control and BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert cannot be deactivated if MyKey is in the ignition.

Jim Buczkowski, director of Electrical and Electronic Systems Engineering – the same team that developed SYNC in partnership with Microsoft, said of MyKey, “We’ve upgraded an existing, proven technology – the SecuriLock passive anti-theft system – with some simple software upgrades to develop a new unique feature that we believe will resonate with customers. We also developed MyKey’s functions in such a way to quickly spread it across multiple vehicle lines, giving us the ability to go mass market in the spirit of other Ford innovations such as safety belts, stability control and SYNC.”

A Harris Interactive Survey conducted for the Ford Motor Company shows that many more parents would allow their teenagers to drive regularly if their vehicles were equipped with MyKey. The survey showed that 75 percent of parents like the speed-limiting feature, 72 percent like the safety-belt reminder and 63 percent like the audio limit feature of the system. About 50 percent of the parents surveyed who would consider a MyKey equipped vehicle said they would allow their teenager to use the car more often.

Of teens surveyed by Harris, 67 percent said they wouldn’t want MyKey, but only 36 percent would object if having the feature meant they could drive more often.

MyKey will become a standard feature on the 2010 Ford Focus, but will then quickly be made available on many other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury model vehicles.