Mazda's 626 gets the nod as the Best Buy in this class. Not because it's the fastest or roomiest, but because it is the best all-around performer. Ranging in price from $18,000 to $22,000 depending on equipment and engine choice, the 626 offers room for four large adults, a comfortable but sporty ride, above average acceleration, and good fuel economy.
Recommended choices include the sporty Mitsubishi Galant, the vanilla Nissan Altima, the powerful Oldsmobile Alero, and the refined Volkswagen Passat.
Hyundai's Sonata is our Budget Buy here. Though it's just an average performer on the road, its below average price and quality construction help it stand out. Chrysler's new PT Cruiser is the wildcard in this segment. Not really a sport-utility or minivan, the PT has been well-received by our staff. It offers versatility and eye-catching styling not found among compact cars.

It may be Daewoo's U.S. flagship, but the Leganza is also the company's U.S. best-seller. And Daewoo is picking up sales momentum here, moving nearly 22,000 cars in the first four months of 2000 versus some 31,000 in all of 1999.
Industry insiders report an optional 3.3-liter V6 as the main 2001 news for Leganza, which has so far been limited to a 2.2-liter four. Daewoo does offer larger, more elaborate cars in its home market, with engines to match, and this V6 is Daewoo's own. Horsepower and torque have yet to be determined for the U.S. version.
This same engine also motivates a midsize Daewoo sedan called Shiraz, which might reach America for 2002, according to one respected source. Shiraz is essentially a stretched Leganza with different styling and more standard features. It would be a nice counter to Hyundai's upcoming Sonata-based XG300, but many industry analysts and executives think few Americans are now willing to accept a plus-$20,000 South Korean car. And as midsizers, the Shiraz and XG300 would face extremely tough competition from the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and other class favorites. Our guess is that Daewoo will wait to see how the XG300 fares before shipping in the Shiraz.
A product that does seem headed our way is the Korando, a compact 2-door sport-utility in the Jeep Wrangler mold. Daewoo inherited this vehicle when it bought one-time South Korean rival Ssangyong Motors a few years back, but the Korando could do wonders for Daewoo's U.S. image and sales, assuming it's priced right. Daewoo showed a prototype U.S-spec model at last winter's Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, but was mum on price, sale date and other specifics.
However, the Korando has been sold around the world for some five years, so we can provide a few details. It employs body-on-frame construction in convertible and fixed-roof body styles. Styling is dominated by a long snout concealing a 3.2-liter inline-6 that Daewoo builds under license from Mercedes-Benz. Horsepower should be about 230 in U.S. tune. The standard transmission is a 5-speed manual linked to a basic on-demand 4-wheel-drive system with 2-speed transfer case. A 4-speed automatic should be available.
Though 2-door SUVs don't sell that well anymore, the Korando has a stretched 4-door sibling called Musso that is now being redesigned and could come to the U.S. as early as spring 2001. Another prospect is the Tacuma, a minivan sized close to the original Honda Odyssey and set to debut this year in Korea and Europe. Though the Tacuma looks a bit small to be competitive against America's top-selling minivans, the midsize Musso could put Daewoo on the U.S. map in much the same way that the compact Sportage SUV established Kia in this market. Then again, none of this will happen unless Daewoo's parent company can clear its debts--and/or find a financial white knight--and soon.