A perennial favorite, the Honda Civic, is as good as 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. We also love almost everything about the Ford Focus, but 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. However, they are among the most expensive cars in this segment. Other Recommended choices include the no-frills Toyota Echo, the sporty Nissan Sentra, and the roomy Mazda Protege.

Daewoo won't sell 2003 models in the U.S., but existing owners can count on parts and service for the next few years. That's the word from U.S. importer Daewoo Motor America, which is winding down operations.

Daewoo was forced to leave the U.S. market due to the rescue of its bankrupt South Korean parent, Daewoo Motor Co. Last spring, General Motors agreed to pay a fire-sale $251 million for a controlling 42-percent interest in a new, smaller Daewoo vehicle company with a different name. Suzuki, one of GM's Japanese affiliates, soon agreed to take a 19-percent stake. Daewoo's creditors hold the rest. But GM didn't want all of Daewoo, and that included Daewoo Motor America and its dealers. Facing the prospect of having no new goods to sell after 2002, DMA declared bankruptcy last May. U.S. dealers hurried to clear inventories, then closed or shifted to other franchises. GM has promised the "new Daewoo" will supply parts and service for cars already on U.S. roads, plus limited support for warranty claims, but that's it.

Even so, Daewoo may get a second chance in America. According to a DMA official who spoke with Consumer Guide in August, new-design Daewoos may be sold as Chevrolets or Suzukis as early as July 2003. GM hadn't confirmed anything at this writing, but the company has announced plans to sell Chevrolet-badged Daewoos in Mexico, and could do likewise in the U.S. Our source says U.S. Chevy dealers would mostly likely want Daewoo's redesigned Leganza sedan, previewed in 2001 with a new 2.5-liter inline 6-cyl engine and styling much like that of the Mitsubishi Galant. Suzuki, meantime, is said to be eying a redesigned Lanos subcompact and a new-generation Nubira compact to supplement its mainstay SUVs.