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New car market raining on convertibles' parade

Whether fitted with soft or hard folding lids, today's droptops are better than ever for year-round motoring. Advancements in power top mechanisms, sealing, aerodynamics, structural rigidity, rollover safety and creature comforts like heated and cooled seats mean that modern convertibles are more versatile and better to drive than ever before. Yet the segment's sales took a dive during the recession and haven't come back, Automotive News reports.
Part of that is because automakers are looking at today's more sensible buyers and simply not developing as many new models, and that lack of fresh iron is curbing sales. AN cites R.L. Polk data which notes that only about one percent of new vehicles registered in the US last year had tops that folded. Back in 2009, it was 1.4 percent, and it was 2 percent in 2006. All-in, some 151,636 convertibles were registered in 2012. That's more units more than were registered in each of the past three years, but the market has also grown as the economy has picked up speed, and as a percentage of new vehicles purchased, convertible sales are lagging.
Thus far in 2013, the Ford Mustang is America's top-selling convertible, with 6,421 units registered through the end of April, followed by its rival, the Chevrolet Camaro, at 4,751 units. The Volkswagen Beetle isn't far behind, with 4,305, but from that point, it's a steep drop off to the fourth-place Mercedes-Benz SL-Class and its 2,380 sales.

2016 Ford Focus RS to start at $35,730? [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Unsurprisingly, Ford declined to comment on the pricing shown on the consumer page, with spokesman Aaron Miller telling Autoblog that the Blue Oval does "not comment on pricing speculation." The webpage showing the $35,730 figure has since been pulled down. We love it when automakers make little, tiny mistakes. You know, not the big stuff that leads to recalls, but the small things, like accidentally releasing pricing of a hotly anticipated model via its US consumer website. Such a thing has apparently happened to Ford, as Jalopnik's Car Buying sub-blog has uncovered a page on the site listing the starting price of the 2016 Focus RS. The cost of entry for the 345-horsepower, all-wheel-drive, torque-vectoring hot hatchback is $35,730, according to the website. That's $1,035 more than the base Subaru WRX STI, although it's $865 less than the Volkswagen Golf R. Considering the RS outguns both models by a very significant margin – 40 horsepower over the STI and 47 over the Golf R – that price seems very agreeable. If it's correct, that is. Aside from showing the RS' starting price, the page also gives us a glimpse into the options sheet. There's an RS2 equipment level that adds $2,795 to the base price along with navigation and leather Recaro seats, an $895 sunroof, and a 19-inch wheel and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tire package for $1,990 (or just $1,395 for the 19s alone). Some fiddling with the quite incomplete configurator – there are no images and the overall design is rather glitchy – revealed a max price of $42,275. We've reached out to Ford for confirmation of the pricing information displayed. Head into Comments and let us know what you think of the pricing. Has Ford hit it out of the park by slotting in a more powerful competitor between the Subaru and Volkswagen? Were you expecting a higher price (like your author), or is this still too much money for a jumped-up Focus? Related Video:

Ford Edge ST and Mercedes-AMG E 53 | Autoblog Podcast #557

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Reese Counts. They talk about driving the Cadillac Escalade, Mercedes-AMG E 53 Coupe and Ford Edge ST. Then they run down the news: Lexus LFA prototype spy shots and the Buick Cascada's death knell. Then Green Editor John Beltz Snyder crashes the studio to talk about reducing your carbon footprint. Finally, the fellas help spend a listener's hard-earned money on a new car.Autoblog Podcast #557 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: Cadillac Escalade and Mercedes-AMG E 53 Coupe First drive of the Ford Edge ST Lexus LFA prototype spied at the Nurburgring with new body work Buick Cascada at death's door? Climate change sucks, but it doesn't have to Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Green Podcasts Buick Cadillac Ford Lexus Mercedes-Benz Car Buying Used Car Buying Convertible Coupe Crossover SUV Luxury Performance lexus lfa buick cascada