A perennial favorite, the Honda Civic, is new and better than ever. We love the wide range of bodystyles, engines, and equipment. Civic is a solid car that has good performance, a nice ride, and a high degree of civility. New last year was the Ford Focus. Though we loved almost everything about the Focus, we were reluctant to rank it a Best Buy because it was new from the ground up. After a year of living with a ZTS model, we can say that the reliability is good. Focus ranks a notch below Civic in some areas but costs less. Topping the crowded Recommended list are the Volkswagen Golf and Jetta. They easily could be Best Buys as they are better than the Civic in many ways. However, they are also the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the no-frills Dodge Neon and Toyota Echo, the slightly-upscale Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege. If you are looking for a budget buy, the Hyundai Accent offers a lot for your dollar, however, it's not as refined as more-expensive competitors.

Early introduction of fully redesigned 2001 models sparked Sentra sales in a big way last year, calendar-2000 volume swelling a healthy 56.5 percent to some 98,800. In a bid to spark things even more, Nissan revives the SE-R name, last used for 1994, for two extra-sporty 2002 models. Badged SE-R and SE-R Spec V, they feature a new 2.5-liter 4-cyl engine tuned for respective hp of 170 and 180, plus a mesh grille in a specific front fascia, color-matched lower-body "aero" skirts and rear spoiler, firmer handling-oriented suspension, titanium-look gauges with orange lighting, and leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The Spec V comes only with 6-speed manual transmission; the regular SE-R offers 5-speed manual or optional automatic. Spec V also comes with a limited-slip front differential, 17-inch wheels instead of 16s, and unique sport front seats. Options for both SE-Rs include antilock brakes, front side airbags, engine immobilizer, and 280-watt premium Rockford Fosgate audio. Both newcomers go on sale this fall along with other 2002 Sentras. Changes for the rest of the line were not available for this report, but we'll have them as soon as they are, so keep checking back with us.