Swedes With Sex Appeal

It was a balmy morning in New Jersey, perfect for a run to horse country in the shiny red Volvo C70 convertible sitting in my driveway. Since it was Saturday, however, my first stop was to the dry cleaner. As I was preparing to drive away, one of the owners, Kenny Frenchman, ran up to me in the parking lot. "Hey," he exclaimed. "Really nice car. Go ahead--put the top down." So down came the top and off I went.

That day, I had an embarrassment of riches. Awaiting its turn for a spin when I had my fill of the Volvo was a cosmic blue Saab 9-3 HOT (for high-output turbo). Together, the two Swedish droptops make an impressive pair. Both were fun to drive on twisting back roads. They're also nicely appointed, with back seats roomy enough to hold my two long-legged sons. Priced in the mid-$40,000 range, neither car is cheap. But either would be an attractive alternative to the rear-wheel-drive BMW 328i (around $46,000, fully loaded) or Mercedes-Benz CLK320 (about $53,000).