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Mazda MAZDA3

No. 1: 2010 Chevrolet Traverse The top reason to pick the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is seating. Yes, the Chevy Traverse can fit up to eight people comfortably. In my road test, I found the 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is a handsome, versatile, fun-to-drive CUV, cargo star (seven or eight passengers depending on trim level) and heavy hauler (up to 5,200 lbs.). Plus, the 2010 Chevy Traverse’s 3.6-liter, 288 hp V-8 is astonishingly powerful. And, this direct injection engine maximizes fuel, giving the Traverse great gas mileage at 24 mpg highway and 17 mpg city. Truly a SUV crossover, the 2010 Chevy Traverse feels like both truck and car when driving. The driver and passengers sit tall of the ground as in a truck and the suspension also feels like a truck in its bouncy suspension. Still, the 2010 Chevy Traverse has more of a passenger car feel in its overall easy drive, excellent handling and responsive braking. The exterior of the Chevy Traverse just looks cool with its Euro styling. The beefy chrome grill, swooping side lines, upswept windows and brash back side with rear spoiler make for a pleasant experience on the eyes and in the rear view mirror. The 2010 Chevy Traverse’s interior flows well with swooping lines, sexy textures, burnished chrome accents and three tones. The door panels, instrument panel, gauges and central console all seem to work together well to bring about a very pleasing feeling to the driver and passengers. Second- and third-row passengers, namely my kids, were also enamored with the 2010 Chevy Traverse’s intelligent interior design, which includes lots of cup holders, pockets, mobile device niches and plug-in adapters. Chevrolet also made sure to make the 2010 Traverse a safety super star. The vehicle has lots of advanced safety technologies. In fact, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has awarded the Chevy Traverse five stars in driver, front passenger and side rear passenger crash tests.

Busy families need reliable vehicles with great versatility, performance, fuel efficiency and affordability. Are you looking to buy a brand new family-friendly vehicle?

• The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is an exceptional crossover utility vehicle (CUV) for large families. With a seating capacity for seven, the 2010 Chevy Traverse also has loads of standard luxury features, lots of leg and cargo room, top safety marks, excellent design inside and out, overall great driving dynamics, advanced technology and pretty good fuel efficiency (24 mpg hwy, 17 mpg city).
• The 2010 Buick LaCrosse is one of GM’s best designed cars in a long time. This full-sized sedan has sexy Euro-Asian design outside and excellent performance, but the interior is truly cool with a truly unique central console and TV screens built into each back head rest. Plus, the Buick LaCrosse gets great fuel economy at 27 mpg hwy and 18 mpg city.
• The 2010 Suzuki SX4 has it all for busy families: low price, standard navigation, 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.
• The 2010 Ford Fusion has what American drivers need: form and function at a low price, excellent fuel economy (41 mpg city, 36 mpg hwy), a roomy and comfortable interior with quality materials and seriously fun performance. Plus, the Fusion comes with Ford’s way cool SYNC connectivity system.
• The redesigned 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 hits all the right notes with its low price tag, sophisticated modern design inside and out, exhilarating zoom-zoom performance and handling and a rather luxurious interior. Plus, the 2010 MAZDA3 has top notch fuel economy at 33 mpg hwy and 25 mpg city.
• The third generation 2010 Toyota Prius is one of best value family cars because this mid-sized hybrid gas-electric sedan is the most fuel efficient car on the road today (51 mpg city, 48 mpg hwy), has a high resale value, top quality, zippy performance, excellent safety rankings and advanced technology.
• The 2010 Ford Flex is possibly one of the most versatile family cars ever built. With room for eight (depending on trim level), the Flex’s long wheelbase gives each passenger lots of leg room even in the third row. Plus, the 2010 Ford Flex can feature a built-in refrigerator and Ford’s kick ass SYNC technology.
• Like the Chevrolet Traverse, GM’s 2010 Buick Enclave is an exceptionally-designed CUV. The 2010 Buick Enclave just has it ALL: really great performance, a sexy exterior, superb safety, lots of options and, above all, a super cool interior design.
• Although the Scion xB is designed mostly for the youth market, the 2010 Scion xB is a super versatile vehicle for families. In fact, the Scion xB is one of my most favorite cars to drive because of its versatility, overall excellent design and smooth performance.
• For families who love good design, the 2010 Nissan Maxima is one of the prettiest sedans on the road with its combination of graceful and sporty exterior, excellent performance (amazing handling, suspension and acceleration), well-designed interior and totally comfortable seating.

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

Did you know car accidents are the number one killer of America’s teenagers? That’s a pretty sobering statistic to parents. So what can a concerned parent do? Steve Mazor, an automotive research center manager for the Auto Club of America (AAA), says the best vehicles to buy teens are four-cylinder engine cars with an automatic transmission, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and top safety scores in crash tests.

However, I believe you need to include electronic stability control (ESC) when buying a car for your teen. Why is ESC so important? Because ESC can literally save your teen’s life. In fact, ESC is so important to safety that the federal government has made ESC standard equipment on all cars starting with 2011 models.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration estimates ESC will reduce crashes by as much as 34% (59% for SUVs with a great reduction in rollovers). The exciting part is this: ESC will save between 5,000-9,000 lives and prevent around 200,000 injuries (once all light vehicles on the road are equipped with ESC).

That’s a lot of lives saved and injuries prevented! Wow! See, why you need to make sure your teens 2009-2010 car has ESC?

ESC helps drivers from losing control or going off the road. How? ESC is super complex and uses a web of algorithms, software and sensors to create one of the most life-saving technological advances since the seat belt and air bags.

Need some recommendations on four-cylinder cars with automatic transmission, anti-lock brakes, top safety scores and optional ESC? Here’s my list of top cars for teens:

The redesigned 2010 Mazda MAZDA3 is sporty enough for teens and affordable enough for mom and dad with its low price tag, sophisticated modern design, exhilarating zoom-zoom performance, advanced safety features and top safety scores. Plus, the 2010 MAZDA3 has top notch fuel economy at 33 mpg hwy and 25 mpg city.

All Subaru vehicles come with incomparable all-wheel-drive technology. So, the 2010 Subaru Legacy sedan is a great choice for teens who need to drive in bad weather. The Legacy also comes with lots of standard features, Subaru’s excellent performance, advanced safety technology, top safety marks, lots of room and good fuel economy.

The 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover is a good buy for parents with its low price, standard navigation, zippy performance, ergonomic interior, excellent safety and lots of cargo room. If your teen needs all-wheel-drive vehicle for inclement weather, go for the Suzuki SX4 Crossover, which comes as a five-door hatchback model.

Teens love Mitsubishi’s Lancer models because these mid-sized sedans are so sporty and cool. The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer delivers high-level performance, sports-minded styling, rather good fuel economy, advanced safety features and top safety marks.

Scion just builds great cars with lots of flexibility, zippy performance, lots of teen-friendly technology and advanced safety features at an affordable price. The 2010 Scion xD urban subcompact is a good choice for teens and their parents.

The 2010 Ford Fusion may be a bit boring for your teen, but this sedan has form and function at a low price, excellent fuel economy (41 mpg city, 36 mpg hwy), a roomy and comfortable interior with quality materials and seriously fun performance. Plus, teens will absolutely LOVE Ford’s way cool SYNC connectivity system.

Teens love individuality and the 2010 Kia Soul brings a quirky personality to this very versatile five-seater hatchback. For those who are into truly modern design at a low price, the 2010 Kia Soul is a wonder with its brash styling, fun-to-drive performance, highly customizable interior and exterior, advanced safety features and top safety marks.

Cash-strapped parents will be happy to discover the 2010 Nissan Versa is still the lowest-priced new car on the market today. For 2010, the exterior has been delightfully refreshed and there’s added safety features. For less than $10,000, you can own a new car with Nissan’s top quality, great fuel economy (34 mpg hwy, 28 mpg city) and rather zippy performance.

Got an environmentally-minded teen? The 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI is hot in Europe and for good reason since diesel fuel now has gained ultra clean emissions and lost that noisy ping-ping sound. The 2010 VW Golf TDI offers seriously great fuel economy (estimated 41 combined mpg), safety, performance, quality and design.

Keep your teens safe, America! Buy them ESC!

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