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Top 10 cars for summer

7. Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet

Nissan North America/PRNewsFoto/File
The 2011Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet made its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in late 2010. The world's first all-wheel drive crossover convertible seems to score fairly well with female reviewers, who like its high seating position and open-air visibility.

  • By Andrew P. Collins Contributor

The “crossover” niche is aptly named for combining the sedan and SUV markets. With the CrossCabriolet Nissan has taken that genre-spanning idea a step further to incorporate another segment – the convertible. The result is a vehicle that occupies a category all on its own.

While the automotive press has been lukewarm about it, citing a lack of rigidity and less-than-stellar fuel economy, the CrossCabriolet seems to score fairly well with female reviewers, who like its high seating position and open-air visibility.

Despite some critics wanting to relegate it to the design penalty box occupied by the Pontiac Aztek and Mercedes R-Class, I find its look different enough to raise eyebrows but familiar enough to retain fans of the original Murano.

Although it is priced rather ambitiously at $46,389 the CrossCabriolet represents an interesting alternative to the Range Rover Evoque, Volkswagen Eos, or Chrysler Sebring.

For an everyday car that makes cruises to the beach, mall, or Sonic restaurant a little more fun, this drop-top crossover is right at home.

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Mark Sappenfield
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