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.

The big news for the 2001 Outback line is a pair of 6-cylinder models, which were previewed at last April's New York Auto Show. Dubbed H6-3.0 VDC and H6-3.0 L.L. Bean Edition, these new top-line Outbacks share a 3.0-liter 6-cylinder version of Subaru's 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with horizontally opposed cylinders (hence "H"). Producing 212 horsepower, the H6 is only 0.8-inch longer than the H4, so front-end sheetmetal stays the same, though the engine features dual overhead camshafts instead of the 4-cylinder's single-cam design. The only transmission is 4-speed automatic linked to Subaru's permanent all-wheel drive with traction control.
The Bean Edition, part of a marketing deal between Subaru and the Maine-based purveyor of outdoor apparel and camping gear, comes with a special beige/brown leather interior, Bean logos on floormats and front fenders, ventilation air filter, and auto-dimming inside mirror with digital compass. The VDC model is named for its Vehicle Dynamics Control, basically an antiskid system Subaru-style. Also exclusive to the VDC is a premium audio system engineered by MacIntosh, with cassette and single-disc CD players, AM/FM/weatherband radio, and seven MacIntosh speakers including a subwoofer.
The H6-3.0 models are Subaru's first 6-cylinder cars in nearly 10 years. Pricing wasn't available for this report on any 2001 Subaru. However, the company says the new 6-cylinder Outbacks will compete in the "entry luxury" segment against wagons like the Audi A4 Avant Quattro, Volkswagen Passat 4Motion and Volvo V70 XC. Given that, plus current Outback pricing, we'd expect the Bean to start at around $32,000, the VDC at something like $35,000.
Meanwhile, Subaru is rumored to be working on a showroom version of the ST-X concept car/pickup introduced at the 2000 Los Angeles Auto Show. It's basically an Outback wagon with the rear roof lopped off to make a 4-door pickup. As on Chevy's forthcoming full-size Avalanche, a "switchback" bulkhead behind the rear seats stows a drop-down back window before folding to extend the load floor into the passenger compartment, giving a total length of 8 feet. The concept features a full-length cloth sunroof, off-road-style roof lights, and a bold orange paint-over-silver cladding color scheme, plus a supercharged version of Subaru's 2.5-liter "flat-4" making 230 horsepower. While some of the concept's appearance features are doubtful, insiders say the production model will have the new H6 powerplant. It should arrive no later than fall 2002 as an '03 model, and may well debut sooner.