MARK MAYNARD / Union-Tribune The 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX features crisp lines that are reminiscent of BMW's 5-Series. It's a grown-up treatment, but the car's still a hoot to drive.

Hell froze over at Subaru. It abandoned its stubbornly independent stance of using frameless door windows and went with the more traditional framed windows for its 2008 Impreza, including the sporty WRX and sportiest WRX STI. That's a big change for this company that has its own way of building cars, which includes four-cylinder “boxer” engines – with horizontally opposed cylinders – and all-wheel drive for every model.

Packard owners from several Western states will be cruising the San Diego backcountry and showing their vintage vehicles at several venues during the five-day annual meet of the Packards International Motor Car Club that begins Friday.

In February last year I bought from a dealer lot a used, 2002 Cadillac DTS with original tires and 33,000 miles on the odometer. I've driven it some 10,000 miles since.