By FRANK A. AUKOFER, Scripps Howard News Service

It's not impossible. You can get sensible shoes with style, especially if they are of the sport variety like driving shoes or cross-trainers.

The same thing applies to automobiles. It is possible to get a sensible car that also has style and even a certain amount of flair: witness the 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring.

Specifications for the 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring four-door wagon.

Engine: 2-liter four-cylinder, 138 horsepower.

Transmission: Five-speed manual.

Overall length: 14 feet 8 inches.

EPA passenger/cargo volume: 101/24 cubic feet.

Weight: 2,937 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 23/31 miles per gallon.

For two decades, despite challenges here and there, Mazda's MX-5 Miata has owned the popular-priced sports car market.

Specifications for the 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring two-seat hardtop convertible.

Engine: 2-liter four-cylinder, 167 horsepower.

Transmission: Six-speed manual.

Overall length: 13 feet 1 inch.

EPA trunk volume: 5.3 cubic feet.

Weight: 2,593 pounds.

EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 21/28 miles per gallon.

An old songbook standard could have provided a road map for Infiniti, the luxury division of Japan's Nissan.

One verse goes like this:

Don't lose your confidence if you slip,

Be grateful for a pleasant trip,

And pick yourself up,

Dust yourself off,

Start all over again.

Specifications for the 2009 Infiniti G37 two-door hard top convertible.

Engine: 3.7-liter V6, 325 horsepower.

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic with manual-shift mode.

Overall length: 15 feet 3 inches.

EPA passenger volume: 78 cubic feet.

EPA trunk volume: top up, 10 cubic feet; top down, 2 cubic feet.

Weight: 4,095 pounds.

The 2010 Lexus IS C is at once both familiar and strange.

It is familiar as the entry-level car in the lineup of the Japanese luxury manufacturer, which is part of Toyota.

It is strange because it is a hardtop convertible that shares almost nothing visually with its sedan counterpart, although they have common mechanical components.

Specifications for the 2010 Lexus IS 250C two-door hardtop convertible.

Engine: 2.5-liter V6, 204 horsepower.

Transmission: Six-speed automatic.

Overall length: 15 feet 3 inches.

EPA passenger volume: 88 cubic feet.

EPA top up/top down trunk volume: 11/2 cubic feet.

Weight: 3,814 pounds.

Specifications for the 2009 BMW Z4'sDrive30i two-seat roadster.
Engine: 3-liter inline six-cylinder, 255 horsepower.
Transmission: Six-speed manual.
Overall length: 13 feet 11 inches.
EPA top down/top up trunk volume: 6/11 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,241 pounds.
EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 19/28 miles per gallon.

The proportion of hard tops to soft tops for convertibles and sports cars continues to evolve -- but not in the way you might think.