As we prepare to flip our calendars from 2011 to 2012, it's time to say goodbye to a handful of vehicles that are being sent to the Great Parking Lot In The Sky before the 2012 model year completely takes hold. And while we're not exactly upset about having to bid farewell to things like the Mitsubishi Endeavor, Mazda Tribute or Chevrolet HHR, there are a few vehicles that we're truly going to miss. The Mazda RX-8, for example, has grown to be one of our favorite sports cars since its introduction in 2003. We love its lightweight construction, high-revving rotary engine and surprisingly functional suicide door design. It's kind of like a Miata with a roof and rear seats. Speaking of the Miata, Tesla's two-seat Roadster - the automaker's first production vehicle - proved to us that open-top motoring can be thrilling even with a stack of batteries driving the wheels. We'll miss the Honda Element and its rugged, utilitarian nature. We'll miss the Volvo V50 and its capacious cargo area made for Ikea runs. And we'll really miss those large lords of luxury, the Cadillac DTS and Ford Crown Victoria. We've already said goodbye to the faithful but overripe Ford Ranger, and as ridiculous as the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid was, it was a shockingly good-to-drive electrified crossover.

The next in the never-ending list of 'OTYs comes courtesy of Motor Trend and the buff book's crowning of the 2012 Ford F-150 as its Truck of the Year. Aside from the expansive list of standard and optional features, the F-150's general fitment and polish, and Ford's claim that you can spec your workhorse in one of 650,000 different varieties, what seemed to win over the Motor Trend crew more than anything else was its drivetrain. And one engine in particular. While the 5.0-liter V8 was a favorite, after all the judges sampled a Platinum EcoBoost SuperCrew variant fitted with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6, the vote was unanimous. The combination of 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, along with commendable - if not world-beating - fuel economy and 11,300-pound towing capacity was enough to put the EcoBoost over the top.

For Best Used Car Prices, Buy During Holiday Season

• By Colin Aylesworth
• 11:05AM Dec 02, 2011

If you're looking to purchase a used car in the near future, CarGurus, a car research and shopping site, says that now is the time to get the best deal, rather than waiting for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to subside. According to a recent press release, the "CarGurus" Used Car Price Index data shows used car prices typically hit their lowest average of the year in the period between Thanksgiving and the first week of January, before rapidly correcting by February as demand comes back in the New Year." Kelley Blue Book makes a similar recommendation about buying a used car now, rather than later. They expect there to be fewer leases and trade-ins, so as the demand for used cars continues to increase without a gain in supply, prices will climb. CarGurus Founder and CEO Langley Steinert attributes the price drop to relatively low demand during the holiday season. With lower demand for used cars, dealers will likely be more generous in their negotiations in order to make sales. "However," Steinert says, "demand will come roaring back in the New Year, and dealers will be quick to adjust their prices." Data provided by CarGurus shows that in 2010, used car prices dropped 3.4 percent during the holiday season, and started rising again Jan. 8. In 2011, analysts found that used car prices dropped by 2.7 percent between late-August and Nov. 22, and are projected to decline another 2 percent by Jan. 8.