Ready for a cool one? Tailgaters' dream cars

   Are you ready for some football, er, tailgating?

   Veteran tailgaters can make do with any wheels, but some cars are better suited for the task. Cars.com did the legwork for us and selected the top 10 with the most tailgate-friendly features:

   1. 2008 Chrysler Town & Country: It has a third-row seat that flips backward to face outside, swiveling second-row chairs with a prop-up table, and a 1,200-song hard drive to keep all in music till game time.

   2. 2008 Honda Element: Its composite bumpers resist dings from any parking-lot mishaps, and the stain-resistant seats and washable floor make for easy cleanup.

   3. 2008 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited: Stain-resistant seats and drainable, hose-down floors make cleanup easy.

   4. 2008 Dodge Caliber: The Caliber ranks high thanks to Dodge's MusicGate system, which is available on the Caliber and its Jeep siblings, the Compass and Patriot. Part of an optional 458-watt stereo, the system has two flip-down liftgate speakers so you can blare your tunes, plus a removable, washable cargo floor.

   5. (tie) 2008 Honda Ridgeline: With a heavy-duty composite liner and a drain plug at the bottom, it's built for ice, drinks and food. If you need to throw a grill inside the cab, the rear seats fold up.

   5. (tie) 2009 Dodge Journey: There's hidden storage under the passenger seat where you can stash any game-time grub. There are also covered compartments with removable liners in the second row that can each hold 12 cans, plus ice.

   7. 2008 Dodge Nitro: Dodge's Load N' Go floor carries a lot of weight -- 400 pounds -- and extends it 18 inches rearward for a makeshift buffet table.

   8. 2008 GMC Acadia: The bonus here are its available cargo-area stereo controls. 9. 2008 Ford Expedition EL: This one's mostly to haul the gang to the game. The lengthened version of Ford's already-huge Expedition allows you to bring up to eight friends to the game, plus it has 42.6 cubic feet of cargo space.

   10. 2008 Lexus LX 570: A flip-down tailgate is key here, and it's rated to carry 400 pounds.

   Go Fins! The "new beginning'' took hold in New England. I do believe!