This hotly contested segment has two clear benchmarks; the Acura TL and Lexus ES 300. Both succeed in blending comfort, style, luxury, and sport into an efficient package at an affordable price. ES 300 offers a little more luxury and TL, with it's Type-S, a bit more sport.

We Recommend the sporty and Euro-flavored BMW 3-Series as a rear-drive alternative. The "3" has enough bodystyles and engine choices to suit anyone. At the other end of the near-luxury spectrum is the posh and comfortable Buick Park Avenue--an old-school luxo-cruiser from Detroit.

Don't ask us how, but Diamante sales went up instead of down in 2001, soaring 56.5 percent year-to-year through the third quarter. That compares with a 7-percent loss in the previous 12 months. It's a surprising turn for a car that hasn't received much attention in a long time and lacks expected class features like side airbags.

Mitsubishi will follow Diamante's 2002 facelift in Feburary by adding a sportier model called VRX. Details weren't available for this report, but it's expected to pack more horsepower with the addition of variable valve timing, plus a rear spoiler, lower-body "aero" skirts, and improved handling via a retuned suspension.

Rumor has it that Diamante dies when the current model finishes its planned design cycle, probably with the 2005 season. Mitsubishi is now controlled by DaimlerChrysler, which is scrambling to cut losses at its Japanese affiliate as well as at Chrysler Group. This inevitably means future models at both companies are being planned around shared platforms and components, hopefully without being too obvious about it. Apparently, DC wants Mitsubishi to compete only at the lower end of the price spectrum, leaving no room for a new near-luxury sedan.