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. Its only drawback is tepid acceleration. Also getting the nod as a Best Buy is the Nissan Altima. It is the best all-around performer offering 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 Mazda 626, and the refined Volkswagen Passat. Hyundai's Sonata is a viable alternative if cash is tight. Though just an average performer on the road, Sonata's below average price and quality construction help it stand out.

These sedans remain Mitsubishi's U.S. breadwinners, up 28.9 percent in calendar 2000 sales to nearly 96,500. That's the second year running that Galant has eclipsed the sporty Eclipse line. It's also outselling the company's midsize Montero Sport SUV at a time when mainstream sedans are generally losing ground to sport-utilities and "crossovers."

Galant's next redesign is now said to be on a fast track for model-year 2003, with introduction rumored for as early as next spring, a year earlier than had been forecast. Galant will still be built in the U.S., but the new sedans are being styled and engineered here, as Mitsubishi aims to match design and features more closely to the needs and tastes of U.S. customers, rather than rely on modified Japanese designs. At last report, the '03 will be 2-3 inches longer overall and up to 2 inches wider than today's Galant.

Underneath is a new platform for which DaimlerChrysler has big plans. DC now owns a controlling stake in Mitsubishi, which has been piling up losses like Chrysler Group. To get both companies profitable again, DC is moving to cut costs by increased sharing of platforms and components among appropriate Mitsubishi and Chrysler products. Though DC has yet to make all the necessary decisions, it appears the next Galant will parent a new car-based Montero Sport, next-generation Chrysler Sebring/Dodge Stratus coupes and sedans and, finally, the third-generation Eclipse. Again, timing is subject to change, but late word has these products being readied for model-years 2004, '05 and '06, respectively.