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I first saw a Volvo up close when I spent a year one winter in Buffalo, NY. A Volvo sedan in front of a dealer was completely mangled. Smushed. Ready for the scrap heap. There was a sign next to it, "The Driver Walked Away From This Crash Without A Scratch."
Sports cars are rarely known for comfort or convenience. But Mazda does a good job of overcoming the stigma with the RX-8. It's a coupe with four doors (sort of) and it's about as comfortable as sports cars get. 
Nissan redesigned the Altima sedan last year and it received a good share of praise from buyers who liked its new sportier approach and improved comfort.
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.
If there's one sure thing about the Saturn 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.
Certain cars acquire their reputation via buyers' gender or age group rather than the size, style, price or performance of the vehicle. Volkswagen's Beetle and Chrysler's PT Cruiser are surprisingly popular among women drivers. The Honda Element was marketed to appeal to young drivers, but it's been successful among urban families who enjoy recreation.
The Pontiac Solstice is less expensive than its two primary competitors, the Honda S2000 ($33,150) and the Mazda MX-5 ($20,435). And that presents a dilemma. The new roadster has the most unique design of the trio, and several other keen innovations.
It's been 40 years since the Mini-Cooper first stopped being offered in the United States. But it's now been five years, including the past years of the current redesign, since the vehicle's U.S. reappearance.
And just like yesteryear, the pint-sized car is as easy like now as it was when it debuted in England in 1959.
The 30-mile stretch from Willits to Ft. Bragg along Highway 20 in Northern California is an ideal place to drive a sports car. The two-lane road offers tight switchbacks, extended flat stretches and plenty of climbs and descents. 
