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Edmunds ranks the best used cars for 2013

When people ask us what car we would recommend for them, it's usually not easy to answer. To make a useful recommendation we must consider which of the numerous vehicle segments fits their needs best, and then choose one of the many vehicles offered in each segment. For some people, new cars don't meet their expectations of value, because they lose so much of it the moment they are purchased and driven off the dealer lot. For them, there's always the used-car market, where great deals can be found, but cars' histories of reliability and maintenance records - and perhaps that Certified Pre-Owned warranty - become ever-important factors playing into purchase choice.
To help out, Edmunds has done us the favor of assembling a list of the best used vehicles money can buy, covering model years 2006-2011, according to what it considers the most important criteria when shopping for used autos: reliability, safety, value and availability. That means unreliable, unsafe, super-expensive or limited-edition models don't appear on the list, but instead cars from each segment that are more likely to satisfy the general population.
There are some real goodies on the list, including but not limited to vehicles such as the capable Honda Fit, the cultish Honda Accord coupe (which can be had with a 240-horsepower V6 and a six-speed manual transmission some years), and the powerful Chevrolet Corvette. While Edmunds' choice of the Volvo C70 for best used convertible baffled us at first (not that it's a bad car), it redeemed itself by stating that the Mazda MX-5 still is an unofficial top choice if you don't require more than two seats.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet completes the luxury trinity

In its continuing bid to simply eat the lunch of the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes-Benz has followed up on the S-Class sedan and coupe with a new S-Class Cabriolet. Aristocrats, take notice. Below the beltline, all is familiar. That means the same stylish sheetmetal, from the chiseled front fascia to the strong character lines to the pert rear end. Expect the cabin's accommodations to mirror the hardtop model. But the third member of the S-Class family differs above the beltline, where we see a sumptuous canvas roof. The three-layered top is, unsurprisingly, quite advanced. It uses a three-layer, acoustically optimized design that promises a quiet ride. The top can be dropped or raised in under 20 seconds and at speeds of 37 miles per hour. Finally, the addition of a canvas cover doesn't do much to the S-Class' aerodynamics, as the cabriolet still returns an impressive 0.29, which compares favorably with the 0.27 of the four-door model (the coupe's CoD isn't available). Opting for the S-Class Cabriolet will entitle you to some additional standard equipment, including Mercedes' AirScarf neck heater. The droptop will also pioneer the German brand's new Thermotronic climate feature, which takes complete control of the HVAC system and makes adjustments based on the findings of 12 sensors and 18 actuators. The sensors include those for interior and exterior temperature, solar radiation, air quality, and dew point, among others. Yes, your S-Class will have a sensor for the dewpoint. Also new to the S-Class Cabriolet – not to mention the S-Class line as a whole – is a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission, which is already featured on the SLK-Class and the new GLC-Class. The new 9AT will be limited to the S550, while the new S63 Cabriolet will use the coupe's seven-speed AMG Speedshift transmission. Both engines, meanwhile, mirror their coupe counterparts, with 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque for the S550 and 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque on the AMG model, allowing the latter to hit 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds and reach a limited top speed of 186 mph. Both the S550 cabriolet and its Mercedes-AMG counterpart will make their global debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, later this month. Read on for the full press release from Mercedes-Benz. The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet Open-top luxury Stuttgart. The new S-Class Cabriolet is the fourth variant of the current S-Class family in the U.S.

Mercedes-Benz previews its curvy sports-car and design future

Suggesting creases are passe for automotive design, Mercedes showed off ideas for its future styling directions this week at a forum in Germany, including previews of upcoming sports cars and sedans. We see images of a curvy sports car study (the silver car) with huge wheel arches flared out almost like pontoons. There's also what appears to be a rear-engine hypercar (white car); we've been reading reports about it for months. Additionally, there's a red sporty saloon, as Mercedes calls it, also among the photos. It features prominent rounded fenders and a bold horizontal grille. Mercedes also previewed its upcoming A-Class, in what it calls the Aesthetics A sculpture, which looks like a car covered in a red sheet. Though Mercedes says this is its next step to a purer design, creases and strong lines are still evident on the sides. Related Video: