2012 Ford C-MAX front view

2012 Ford C-MAX side view

2012 Ford C-MAX interior

2012 Ford C-MAX interior

2012 Ford C-MAX seat

2012 Ford Territory front view

2012 Ford Territory side view

2012 Ford Territory rear view

2011 Ford Explorer

What the new Explorer looks like, however, is a Taurus station wagon with a lift kit. Many of the Explorer’s new design cues are lifted straight from Ford’s large sedan, like its Remington shaver grille sporting a familiar pair of perforated crossbars.

2011 Ford Explorer front view

Dimensionally, the new Explorer is similar to the one it replaces – a little smaller here, a little bigger there. It’s longer, lower and significantly wider than the 2010 model and has more headroom for all passengers.

2011 Ford Explorer side view

While they do sacrifice a seat compared to the standard 60/40 split bench, the buckets make the third row less claustrophobic and give passengers in the way-back some extra knee room for their inboard legs.

2011 Ford Explorer rear view

It’s still not as comfortable as a minivan’s most aft seating, but the Explorer’s third row is one of the most comfortable in its class.

2011 Ford Explorer interior

Being the most expensive model with all-wheel drive and all the trimmings, this Explorer’s $44,610 price tag ($39,190 base MSRP) did include Ford’s controversial MyFord Touch system.

2011 Ford Explorer seat

An engine is only as good as the parts to which it’s mated, and fortunately the rest of the Explorer’s mechanicals are equally up to moving and stopping this 4,752-pound vehicle without drama.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible front view

For 2011, Ford has tweaked the GT500′s core, not to mention stiffening individual components of both the front and rear suspension setups.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible front view 2

That, combined with a new electric power assist steering system, means this should be the most driver-focused GT500 yet. Adding the $3,495 SVT Performance Pack helps a bit, as the 19-inch front wheels and 20-inchers out back (wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires) add contrast.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible side view

The same retro-modern theme is immediately noticeable inside the cockpit. All Mustangs received a brand-new interior as part of 2010′s major refresh, and the use of higher-quality materials has gone a long way to make Ford’s performance car feel remarkably more upscale than its rivals.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible side view 2

But while the Mustang’s interior refinement will impress in the reasonably priced V6 model, it doesn’t receive any substantial upgrades in the GT or GT500 models.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible rear view

In a straight line, the GT500 Convertible is an absolute thrill, able to rip off 0-60 runs in under four and a half seconds, accompanied by an exhaust note that can only be described through guttural man-noises.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible interior

The GT500 has never been graced with beautiful, sports car-like handling, and that’s partially due to the fact that the old hydraulic steering setup and live rear axle don’t allow for the sort of road-hugging grip that you want to confidently blast through corners.

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible interior 2

2011 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible engine

2012 Ford Focus Titanium front view

There’s just one engine option for the 2012 Focus, so we’re happy to report that we have no qualms with its operation. The direct-injected 2.0-liter four cylinder powerplant puts out 160 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 146 pound-feet of torque at 4,450 rpm.

2012 Ford Focus Titanium front 2 view

Those figures put the Focus near the the head of its class, which includes the Hyundai Elantra (148 horses and 131 lb-ft), Chevrolet Cruze (138 hp and 148 lb-ft), Honda Civic (the new 2012 model is rated at 140 horsepower, torque TBA) and Toyota Corolla (132 hp and 128 lb-ft).

2012 Ford Focus Titanium rear view

2012 Ford Focus Titanium interior

Among its primary rivals, the Ford is only bested by the Mazda3 s, which packs 167 hp and 168 lb-ft.Considering how much electro-gadgetry the 2012 Focus offers, the center stack is rather easy to navigate. Part of that overall look of cleanliness, though, is attributable to the steering wheel, which rivals that of a Formula One’s tiller for its sheer number of controls.

2012 Ford Focus Titanium side view

Note that we haven’t even mentioned the big LCD screen mounted high up in the center stack. It’s a touchscreen, and most anything the driver might want to do can be controlled at that location in lieu of the dedicated buttons.

2012 Ford Focus Titanium engine

went ahead and made use of Ford’s online configurator, and found that a very nice Focus SE sedan with the five-speed manual gearbox, 17-inch wheels, leather, sunroof and SYNC rings the register at around $22,000. Add about a grand for the six-speed automatic.

2012 Ford Focus Titanium front seats

Either way, you’ll end up with a highly desirable ride that does an equally fine job of catering to enthusiasts and commuters alike. Or even a grizzled quartet of hard-edged construction workers, apparently.

2012 Ford Focus Titanium steering wheel

The 2010 Mustang V-6 can be renewed, but the specific performance makes it seem like a relic. In this segment, both the Chevrolet Camaro and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe offers smaller displacement V-6s, however, make more power and more torque. Chevy gets 304 hp and 273 pounds-feet of the 3.6-liter, 306 and 266 of the Hyundai replaced by 3.8. The Ford managed only 210 horses and 240 pounds-feet of 4.0 liters.

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

PRICE AS TESTED: $25,540 (base price: $21,845)

ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 12-valve V-6, iron block and aluminum heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 245 cu in, 4009cc
Power (SAE net): 210 bhp @ 5300 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 240 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 107.1 in Length: 188.1 in
Width: 73.9 in Height: 55.6 in
Curb weight: 3421 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 17.8 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 22.7 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 7.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.3 sec @ 93 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 114 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 182 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.85 g