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.

The gas-thrifty Insight got a sales boost in 2001 from the sharp spring and summer run-up in fuel prices, deliveries rising 24.8 percent from the previous year's tally. But the difference was fewer than 1000 units, and the first hybrid vehicle on American roads is still selling well below its original target of 5000 a year. And demand suddenly slacked off in early 2002, dropping 34.8 percent year-to-year for the first quarter. Not that it matters much. Like Toyota and other manufacturers, Honda offers hybrid vehicles to cultivate a politically desirable "green" corporate image and, even more important, to earn credits that figure in its corporate average fuel economy total.

Despite introduction of a more conventional companion in the Civic Hybrid sedan, Insight will continue, though Honda won't say for how long. Our guess is that Insight will depart once the hybrid Civic finds its legs as a larger, more practical proposition with presumably greater sales potential. If we're right, no further changes are--ahem--in sight for the little coupe.