Idle Chat: Independence Day Parade Cars

Today is the birthday of the U.S.A. In honor of that birthday, today's special Saturday edition Idle Chat Topic is What American Car Would You Most Like to Drive in the Independence Day Parade? (And for the sake of this blog post, we'll consider any car that wears the badge of one of the three American automakers and is sold new in this country to be an American car, k?)

Ms. MacKinnon: The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is my pick, because it is an American car to be proud of. Looks great, comfortable ride, a pleasure to drive, roomy back seat, great fuel economy. Plus it has an elegant user interface that trains you to drive more efficiently, but it doesn't ask you to make the compromises that hybrids can sometimes require. Now hold my lemonade, Brent, while I put on this Lady Liberty hat.

Mr. Romans: Bryn, I love how you accessorize! That hat matches your eyes. But I'd have to go with a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS as my parade choice. It's unapologetically American (erm, except that's it's built in Canada), looks great and has a 426-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 under the hood. Drop the hammer for an apocalyptic burnout (they let you do those in parades, right?) and you've got your own personal fireworks show.

Idle Chat is hosted by Brent Romans and Bryn MacKinnon, two editors at Edmunds.com. Each Sunday (except this Sunday) in the Idle Chat Lounge (read: the break room building a bust of Ben Franklin out of Rice Krispy Treats and purple Skittles ), they pontificate on a topic that's kinda about cars.

Edmunds Roundup: July 3, 2009

The latest highlights from Edmunds.com and its blogosphere.

Inside Line: Honda's New 2010 Insight Joins Our Long-Term Test Fleet  
Honda's new and improved Insight hybrid pulls into our garage. Silently, of course.

AutoObserver: Have Car Sales Finally Begun Their Turnaround? 
With some saying that the downturn "appears to be reaching a turning point," automotive analysts have expressed cautious optimism. Surprisingly, Ford has emerged as a sales leader.

Inside Line News: Suzuki Expands Lineup with 2010 SX4 Sportback
Suzuki says its new five-door hatchback -- which is based on the SX4 Crossover -- rivals a "Eurocentric sport sedan." The Sportback loses the crossover's roof-mounted rack and gains a subtle aero package, along with minor tweaks to both its front bumper and grille.

FAQ Friday: How Can I Compare Vehicles?

As always, Edmunds provides more than one way to skin a cat. In fact, we've got five. Which is good, because comparing vehicles will teach you a lot about the individual models.

1. Editors' Side-by-Side Comparisons
Our Comparison Center provides many side-by-side comparisons of two similar vehicles selected by our Editorial staff, based on their extensive industry experience and first-hand testing experience.

2. Build Your Own Side-by-Side Comparison
Choose Build Your Own Comparison to select up to five models -- or even different trims -- to compare side-by-side (see photo). You can print out the entire comparison with all the features, ratings and specs by choosing "Printable View."

Shopping This Weekend? New Car Specials Abound for 4th of July Holiday

Independence Day weekend means dealers are trying to move older vehicle inventory off their lots to make room for new models. This year, dealers are doubly pressed to move inventory because of months of sluggish car sales. So this 4th of July is a great time to bargain hunt.

Expect to find specials everywhere you look, but here are three of note:

Hyundai has a new Gas Lock program on most models bought or leased through August 31st. It guaranties $1.49/gallon regular fuel for your next 12,000 miles.

Not to be outdone, Suzuki is offering Free Gas for Summer on the Suzuki SX4 sedan or crossover. Manual transmission customers get an extra $2,000.

GM's 72-hour sale is underway, with 0% for 72 months finanancing on many of their 2009 models and 60-month 0% financing on the rest. Must take delivery by July 6th.

Make sure to check our Incentives and Rebates page to find out all the incentives you qualify for. Often, you'll have to choose between the lowest financing, cash back, and/or the gas programs. Do the math to figure out what's best for you.

Weekly Top 3: Why I Want the VW Touareg TDI More Than the Audi Q7 TDI

As all you diehard Weekly Top 3 fans will recall (come on, I know you're out there, you silent majority you!), I was pretty smitten with the new Volkswagen Touareg 2 V6 TDI after driving it to San Francisco and back. But the Touareg's theoretically the runt of this litter, upstaged by its Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne platform-mates. Now, there's no Cayenne diesel, so I'll spare you my "OMG I <3 this car!" paean to the Porsche.

There is a Q7 TDI, though, and it just so happens to share the Vee-Dub's powertrain. And I just so happened to snag the keys to one last weekend for my sojourn in California's ancient bristlecone pine forest.

Three reasons why I'd buy the Touareg TDI instead, coming right up.