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.

Despite dubious styling in the eyes of many automotive critics, Grand Am remains very popular with consumers, scoring a 30-percent year-to-year sales gain in calendar 1999. Industry tipsters say Pontiac's best seller will get a cosmetic freshening for 2002, then be redesigned for 2004 on General Motors' new Episilon platform, to be shared with the Chevy Malibu, Oldsmobile Alero and a second-generation Saturn L-Series. The '04 Grand Am will reportedly be wider but little longer than the current model and have a roomier interior, but that's about all anyone knows right now.
GM is busy replacing old engines with more refined and efficient new designs in some of its higher-volume products. Among the most important of these is the 2.2-liter "L850" 4-cylinder introduced with the Saturn L-Series, developed as a "global" powerplant for a variety of cars both here and abroad. We think that will include Grand Am, and we look for the L850 to supersede the elderly 2.4-liter as base power in the next year or two.